FOOD PATRONUS | Pizza. I can always eat pizza.

ROOTS | Born and raised in Austin, Texas. Grew up turning over rocks looking for fossils and crawdads in a creek behind my house that I could walk all the way to Lake Austin. Been kind of the routine of my life ever since.

SMARTS | Two degrees in Business from UT. Had I known I was gonna go back, I would've studied Architecture or Anthropology in undergrad. Favorite class? When I was in MBA program, my favorite professor also taught in Plan II. That was my favorite class, made an A.

BODY OF WORK | Let's see...I was once: a paper boy, camp counselor, pizza guy, car detailer, bus driver, substitute school teacher, grape picker, English teacher, bartender, waiter, bike racer, TA, and planted question-asker on the Montel Williams Show.

More, really? Ok, founded: A tee-shirt design company, an Artificial Intelligence company, a sports management company, Austin City Limits Music Festival, and Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop.

HOSPITALITY PHILOSOPHY | I believe in Servant Leadership. The person making a sale, cooking for, or taking care of a customer is the heart of the business. Everything else is an elaborate delivery and support system to those simple acts. If you care about creating connections and relationships, you are in the hospitality business.

FAVE THING ABOUT NW | I love seeing people develop and grow, and rise to the occasion when a crisis occurs. This happens all the time, every day. Seeing people do more than they thought they could, or rise up in the moment to get it right, never ceases to delight me.

SUPER POWER | Kind of like Tex Cobb, hard to knock down. I bounce back. Pretty sure all glasses are half full, and every day is a gift from the gods.