I was born in Kentucky, where the day started before sunrise and work came before school. Some of my earliest memories are in the cold, pitchfork in hand, mucking stalls that towered over me. My family’s roots run deep in the horse world — my grandfather, George Sholty, was inducted into the Standardbred Hall of Fame, and my father trained Artist’s View, a Breeders Crown champion.

From them, I learned that your word is everything — and that hard work is its own language.

I started working at 14 — legally, only with a signed permit. Landscaping, turning apartments, cleaning barns, painting fences — I did whatever I could. I later worked in Washington, D.C., with the Leadership Institute, where I saw firsthand how elections are won and why principle matters more than politics.

As I got older, I helped scale my father’s supplement company in New Jersey. What began as a small operation is now the largest provider of vitamins and performance supplements for the Standardbred industry in the Northeast. That taught me that trust, consistency, and results are what turn small businesses into dominant brands.

Since then, I’ve worked across industries — from political war rooms to high-pressure sales floors. I’ve launched consumer brands, built teams, and advised campaigns. In every role, I’ve focused on two things: character and structure.

One of the projects I’m most proud of was my work as Vice President of Government Affairs at Westwin Elements. Our mission was to build America’s first domestic refining capacity for critical minerals — a national security priority. I helped secure $24 million from Lawton FT Seal, and later helped close a $20 million Series A round to help the company scale. I also helped with their recruitment process for their pilot facility and gov affairs plan before I departed back to Vegas.

But systems and strategy are only half the equation.

The other half is who you are when no one’s watching. I’ve always tried to live by the principle that integrity isn’t situational — it’s foundational. I believe leadership is about doing what’s right, not what’s easy, and making decisions that outlast your own name.

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
— James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, one of the most influential books on personal and organizational success.

Now, as I run for Las Vegas City Council, my mission is the same as it’s always been:
Build what lasts. Protect what matters. Serve without ego.
Because the city you live in should be run with the same discipline you run your life.