The entire family would collect recyclable materials anddonate the money to the Shriners, which where in fact, the people that helped his dad when he was a boy. Chris played several different sports throughout his early life, but found himself drawn to the martial arts because of it’s depth, and pursuit of excellence.  He began training in Ishin Ryu Karate in Orange City at the age of 8.  Although he only trained for a few years as a child, it made a strong impression on him and he would return to the martial arts later in his life. At age 16, he had an incredible opportunity to work at Publix Supermarkets in Orange City, Florida under Todd Jones, who is now the Vice President of the company!  Mr. Jones had a huge impact on him, and set an example of true leadership.  He strengthened his work ethics and taught Chris that respect and a genuine concern for people is what makes a leader great.

Christopher went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude from Deltona High in 1996 as the President of the National Honors Society.  He spent a year at Daytona Beach Community College and realized that this was not his path in life.  He soon after returned to his training in the martial arts and after many years of disciplined training and tournament trophies, he achieved his black belt and began teaching full time as a way to give back and help others.  He started an after school program at the dojo in DeLand, Florida that would shape him into the man his is today.  By teaching a wide range of children in groups of 30 or more, he learned the importance of patience, creativity, and effective communication. He soon realized that the many subtleties of body language and tonality are the key to being an effective leader.  He also started a highly structured competition team that produced some incredible young martial artists and even a state champion in the short time he ran the program before leaving the school in 2005.  He currently holds a third degree black belt in mixed martial arts.

Then, on November 2, 2005 he shattered a vertebra in his neck (C-5) and herniated another (C-6) in a gymnastics accident that would change his life forever.  Although this was a very serious injury, he recovered very quickly with the love and support of his friends and family. It was during this time that he channeled his energy into many new challenges, tapped into some amazing hidden talents to expand his mind, and found new ways to express himself. Throughout his recovery he spent countless hours reading books and watching documentary videos on wildlife, animal behavior, human psychology, and most of all, dog psychology!  Having grown up with dogs in the family all his life, he felt especially connected to these remarkable animals.  As his neck grew stronger he took on a new challenge and adopted a Border Collie named Scout from the Border Collie Rescue in DeLand, Florida that would again change his life. 

While training Scout he noticed, the countless dogs that never got walked or worked with, and therefore developed many neurotic behaviors.  He also noticed the overwhelming and consistent level of frustration among dog owners.  He realized that many dog owners simply did not understand how to communicate with their dogs.  With his innate teaching abilities, he decided to offer his skills to help others that needed it.  And so his journey continues.  He is currently working towards opening a Dog Ranch to further his abilities to help rescue, rehabilitate, and create stable homes for dogs.

Quick Facts:

Date Of Birth:  January 4th, 1978

Place Of Birth:  New Britain, Connecticut

Marital Status: Single

Hobbies:  Martial Arts, Reading, Writing, Walking in Nature, Rock Climbing, Body Boarding, Running, Acrobatics, Oil Painting, Yoga, Partner Yoga, Skydiving, Rollerblading, Wakeboarding, Salsa Dancing, and most recently, Snowboarding, Paintball, and Piano!

Favorite types of music:  Most classical music, Norah Jones, Live, Native American Flute

Favorite Books:  Discover your genius, Blink, Bite-Size Einstein, Anything by Wayne Dyer, Power vs. Force, Cesar’s Way, and many others.