BIO &
CLIENTS
Here is a brief bio along with some client testimonials and a list of my partner organizations.
BIO.
"Mr. Mike is a dad who helps us."
I didn't think much about it at the time when a student at Cristo Rey referred to me that way. But in the years since, I have realized that my entire worldview revolves around that simple idea.
A dad who helps.
I didn't always see things that way. At Princeton University, I completed a 120-page thesis on eighteenth-century piracy and played varsity football. After graduation, I left New Jersey in search of something better to write about, and found work as a welder and a bouncer at a Chicago bar. Then winter and ambition chased me indoors to a copywriting job.
In the years since, I have filled many full-time and freelance writing roles, such as Bay Area stringer for I.D. Magazine and technical writer for K-Line America. I also built one of the earliest intranet-based documentation systems, which led to my founding Advent Inc., specializing in online documentation and website development.
When Advent morphed into a software company, I exited the venture to work on my first novel. I returned periodically as a consultant to coordinate enterprise development projects until deciding to launch GoDeep, an app for the professional and college football market.
GoDeep had some interesting moments with big-time football programs, but ultimately it failed to gain widespread adoption. After folding it, I began coaching students through the process of writing their college application essays, which I have done ever since.
The mentoring and life-visioning aspect of my work with students has been the most fulfilling experience in my multifarious career. Recently, I added full-service college counseling to my practice, to allow me to do even more to help young people to understand, define and pursue their ambitions.
In hindsight, I would say that my worldview began to change the moment my first daughter was born. My path from self-involved ex-linebacker to dad began that day. The perspective I have gained from so many experiences, both gritty and glamorous, has enabled me to understand and relate to a wide range of young people. The empathy of fatherhood has helped me put my heart into every conversation I have with my students.
My business card says "Independent College Counselor." But I'd rather be known as "a dad who helps."
Member of:
TESTIMONIALS.
PARTNERS.
