Home: Pasadena, CA. Age: 40. Birthplace: New York City. Profession: Precious metals and retirement wealth. Organization: Ridgemont Capital. Title: Founder & CEO. Significant other: My wife, Ninoska.
Current project: Scaling Ridgemont Capital tenfold, from $15 million to $150 million in revenue. Latest accomplishment: Becoming a father of four. What’s been your big (or biggest) leap? Fatherhood while starting my own business. Hobbies: Hiking, kayaking, camping and anything outdoors. Last book read: The Bible. Recently viewed and recommended: A documentary on Padre Pio.
Personality profile: Hard-working, family-centered and determined. Moral compass: Christ. How do you define an ideal business relationship? One where all parties are winning. What is your greatest joy? Becoming a father. What is your greatest fear? Not being around to meet my grandkids. What is at the top of your bucket list? Visiting Patagonia. How do you relieve stress? Spending time in nature with my kids.
What was your first paying job? Busboy at a high-end restaurant at age thirteen. I had to pretend I was sixteen because I was technically too young to earn a paycheck. Besides your parents, who has had the greatest influence on your life? Christ. What’s the best advice you received growing up? Find what you love and do it, and you will never work a day in your life. What modern technology innovation do you most appreciate? AI. What company or organization do you most admire? The Roman Empire. Its strategic hierarchy managed vast territories with virtually no modern technology, and aspects of that structure still influence organizations today. What world event has had the greatest influence on your life? The financial crisis of 2008.
What is your big idea?
A self-regulatory body for the retail precious metals industry that establishes uniform standards and pushes out bad actors who damage the industry's reputation.
What message do you want to send out into the world? There is no shortage of money. There is a shortage of time. You can always make more money. You cannot make more time. What widely held belief do you reject? That precious metals are only for pessimists. What mega-trend most concerns you? Blind trust in AI. I use it every day, and I've watched it present false information with complete confidence.
Who would you like to spend an evening with, in heaven? Joseph, the husband of Mary. I'd love to learn how he accepted extraordinary responsibilities without complaint. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? Architect. After your loved ones, what object would you first save from your burning home? My Harley-Davidson. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? Recording messages for my children. What advice would you give your younger self? Buy bitcoin in 2011.
Personal mission: To educate people about what they own and why they own it, empowering them to make informed financial decisions through education rather than assumption. Personal motto: Incentives matter. Favorite quote: "The humble will be exalted and the exalted will be humbled" (Jesus).
