In life and career, it's rare to find a path that leads from the glittering ice rinks of competitive figure skating to the cutting edge of travel and technology. Yet, that's exactly the journey I've been fortunate enough to experience.
A Foundation of Science, Entrepreneurship, and Creativity
Born to a physicist father who worked on the Apollo 11 program at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and an entrepreneurial mother, I was immersed in a world of science from the start. My father’s multifaceted interests - from semiconductors to music and sports - shaped my approach to learning and creativity. My mother’s drive to build businesses was equally inspiring to me.
In this environment of curiosity and exploration, I developed my own diverse passions: figure skating, programming, music, and art. Each pursuit reflected the blend of precision, creativity, and innovation I had absorbed from my upbringing, setting the stage for a unique career journey.
Mastering Multiple Crafts
While many kids were deciding what they wanted to be, by age 15, I was already deep into two parallel career paths. On one side, I was immersed in Turbo Pascal and Assembler, writing games and graphics engines for fun. At the same time, I was on the ice, honing my skills in jumps and spins.
Figure skating, in particular, taught me more than just how to land a triple-triple combo; it instilled a relentless pursuit of perfection, the power of visualizing success, and the importance of delivery at all costs. This multifaceted life culminated in a bittersweet moment at the US Figure Skating National Championships. With a high fever, injured ankles - which ultimately ended my competitive career - and a boot wrapped in duct tape holding it together, I gave my final competitive performance. It wasn't about winning; it was about pushing through pain to overcome adversity – a self-test to discover who I really was, and a lifelong lesson that would prove invaluable to succeed in the tech arena.
From Center Ice to Center Stage in Tech
After touring the world as a professional ice skater with Disney on Ice (I was Simba!), I hung up my skates and started my computer programming career in earnest. The transition wasn't as jarring as you might think. The same relentless dedication that had me practicing jumps at 5 a.m. now had me coding until 5 a.m. Go figure!
Fast forward to now, with my tech career spanning 25 years, I’m proud to be working at Emburse with a focus on travel technology and our Online Booking Tool, Emburse Book. Throughout my career, I discovered that the mental fitness I'd developed through my diverse interests was surprisingly applicable to corporate software development. The rigorous practice routines from figure skating taught me the value of iterative improvement. Musical composition honed my ability to create harmonious structures from disparate elements. Oil painting helped me imagine in my mind's eye something that did not yet exist.
These experiences collectively sharpened my problem-solving skills and fostered a unique approach to coding. I found myself able to visualize complex systems, break down problems into manageable components, and create innovative solutions by drawing inspiration from seemingly unrelated fields. This cross-disciplinary thinking proved invaluable in helping me develop efficient, modular, and scalable enterprise systems.
The Art of Delivery
Throughout my range of life experiences - from figure skating to software development - I've found that the principles of effective delivery remain consistent. Whether it's flawlessly executing a routine on the ice or rolling out a new software feature, success hinges on meticulous preparation, adaptability, and a keen awareness of your audience's wants and needs.
This multidisciplinary background has shaped our approach to Emburse Book. We're not just building a functional online booking tool; we're crafting an intuitive, efficient experience that anticipates and meets the complex needs of corporate travelers and travel managers - to succeed in delighting both!