As a kid growing up in the middle of God's Country you are practically forced into taking on the lifestyle of an outdoorsman, and that just what I did. From as early as I can remember, the outdoors consumed my life. Whether it was fishing, hunting, camping, or just spending time outside, I always found myself engaging in outdoor events.

As a teenager my love for the outdoors lead me to some great friends who shared the same passion as I did for fishing and hunting. Soon I was introduced to the guys from Hang Loose Outdoors and have not looked back sense. My dream as a kid growing up was to one day work in the fishing and hunting industry, and that is the path that I pursued.

After High School my schooling took me west to the waterfowlers paradise of North Dakota. I went to college for 5 years at UND where I became addicted to waterfowl hunting. Any given weekend during the fall and most mornings (whether I had class or not) you could find me laying in a field killing ducks and geese. I could not get enough of it.

A couple of my close hunting and fishing buddies had some connections to get me a retail job so I had some college money. I wasn't sure of it at first but the more I got to thinking; getting payed to talk and sell fishing stuff....no brainer...I'm in. I was hired on part-time at Scheels as a fishing and hunting salesman. It was the perfect gig while going to school.

In the middle of my college career, I also took on the dream job of a college student during the summer months. I spent two summers on beautiful Lake Vermilion working at Pherson's Lodge Resort. It was your typical dock boy gig mixed in with your occasional guide fishing trip with guests. Waking up on the lake and having access to a great fishery made it two of the best summers of my life.

Today, I followed my passion for hunting and fishing and continue to work for Scheels. I worked a few retail jobs in Minnesota after graduation. Then Scheels offered me a great offer I couldn't turn down. I am currently the Fishing Manager at Scheels in Grand Forks, ND. The last few years I have met and learned from some of the best in the outdoor industry. Being able to see or know about a new product before anyone else does is amazing. Learning and understanding the product is also a game changer as a salesman and when I'm on the water or in the field myself or with the HLO boys. Plus how many people in the world can say they get to talk fishing every day and get payed for it? My favorite part of the job is having that customer come back that you helped pick out the right lure or best fish locator and hearing their success stories. I seem to make new friends every day at work and learn something new from each and every one of them.

When I'm not at work in the summer you can find me chasing walleyes or fishing tournaments. Tournaments give us guys who enjoyed sports when we were in school the feeling of competition again and every tournament adds more knowledge. In the fall I still find myself out here in ND killing ducks and geese in the open fields. No matter what it is, I'm always looking forward to the next big adventure in the outdoors!

If you ever have any questions about fishing and hunting products don't hesitate to give me a buzz.