My blogs

Dramatic Apology

About me

Gender	Male
Industry	Education
Occupation	Clinical Professor of Finance
Location	Columbia, SC, United States
Introduction	I am a husband and father who would rather spend time with my family than be anywhere else. I am a preacher's kid who gets tired of clichés but never of faith. I am a nerd with one too many A's. I am a swing and tango dancer who dances while he cleans the house. I have played bass and keyboards in bands and no longer feel the pull to tour. I played baseball through high school but chose music in college. I push hard questions and search for real answers. I care deeply about education, philosophy, finance, and the way people make decisions. I study how belief, identity, and uncertainty shape markets and everyday life. I am an aggressive apologist, a proactive mistake maker, and a lover of worship. In short, I am a work in progress, always learning, always questioning, and always trying to live honestly.
Interests	My wife and I enjoy staying active through ice skating, rock climbing, and discovering new experiences together. Music has been a lifelong passion. I play piano, sing, and perform on upright bass, and I spent years playing in bands before academia became my primary focus. I remain drawn to rhythm and improvisation, whether in swing and Latin social dance or in the structure of ideas. I am deeply interested in education, philosophy, and the search for truth, especially where faith, reason, and lived experience intersect. As a researcher, I study how beliefs, identity, and uncertainty shape financial decision-making, with a particular focus on housing markets and real estate. My broader interests include finance, urban development, technology, and the built environment. Photography gives me a way to appreciate composition and the beauty found in everyday life. I enjoy conversations that move beyond surface answers toward genuine understanding, and I believe strongly in mentorship, community, and helping others recognize their own capacity to think, grow, and create value. At the center of everything I do is curiosity: how people think, what they value, how they make decisions, and how meaning emerges through relationships, work, and faith. I believe the most powerful insights come not from a single discipline but from the thoughtful integration of many, a philosophy I call Synergetic Composition.
Favorite movies	None. I rarely have favorites of anything. I tend to watch whatever sparks my curiosity in the moment, whether it's a documentary, a thought-provoking drama, or an obscure film that explores an interesting idea.
Favorite music	My taste changes constantly because I enjoy discovering new artists and genres. Having played bass and keyboards for years, I tend to listen like a musician, paying attention to melody, arrangement, and emotion more than style. On any given day I might be listening to alternative and indie artists such as The Killers, Modest Mouse, The Cure, or Maggie Rogers. Other days it is electronic or pop from Daft Punk, The Chainsmokers, Owl City, or Bastille. I still appreciate the early 2000s sound of blink-182, Something Corporate, and The Fray. I also spend plenty of time listening to Latin music, worship, gospel, and singer-songwriters. Bachata, soca, and other dance music are regular choices because I enjoy social dancing and often use music to keep me moving while I work or clean. Faith is central to my life, so worship music remains a constant. Older influences are never far away either. Earth, Wind & Fire, America, Billie Holiday, and classical music all find their way into my playlists. Some days it is rock or punk, other days cinematic instrumentals, jazz, or simply nostalgia. If there is a common thread, it is not a particular genre but a purpose. I choose music that creates atmosphere, tells a story, stirs emotion, or inspires movement. My favorite song is usually the one that best fits the moment.
Favorite books	I read the same way I learn, by following curiosity rather than staying in a single discipline. My shelves are a mix of theology, economics, psychology, philosophy, history, finance, and practical life skills because I believe the best ideas emerge when different fields inform one another. Questions of faith and meaning sit at the center of my reading. I regularly read works from Christian scholars as well as writers from Judaism, Islam, and other traditions because I care about understanding how people arrive at their beliefs, not simply what those beliefs are. Economics and decision-making are constant interests. I enjoy authors such as Henry Hazlitt, Paul Krugman, Abhijit Banerjee, Thomas Sowell, and Dan Ariely because they challenge assumptions about markets, policy, and human behavior. I also appreciate writers like Michael Lewis, Malcolm Gladwell, and Peter Zeihan who connect complex ideas to real-world institutions and events. Beyond that, I read philosophy, neuroscience, intellectual history, and books on relationships, habits, leadership, and personal growth. I am less interested in quick self-help solutions than in works that help people think more clearly, live more intentionally, and love others more effectively. I also make room for lighter interests. Language learning, law, culture, soccer tactics, Dungeons & Dragons, and speculative fiction all find their way into my reading from time to time. If there is a common thread, it is this: I read to better understand people. Ideas matter, but ideas become meaningful only when they help us understand how people think, decide, believe, and live.