Taking the Leap

Growing up – I never thought of being anything but an Architect. In high school, every class I took, every activity I signed up for, and every hour I spent studying was all in an effort to get into Architecture school at Auburn.

At Auburn, I was fortunate enough to get experience across a broad project typology. I worked every semester, gaining valuable experience that has made me the Architect that I am today.

After graduating, I was at a crossroads. Before I could finally become a licensed Architect, I had another year of working and six exams hanging over my head. I was determined to get them done – so I set out to do just that. Eight months later, I had finished all six exams and finally finished the internship hours required to be a capital A, Architect. But that still wasn’t enough. After another year of working full-time for a corporate architecture firm, I was burnt out, underpaid, and ready for a new challenge.



After pushing myself in grade school, college, and postgraduate – I was worn out. In March, I took a sabbatical from work to travel. I spent this time traveling with friends and family and for the first time in a decade, I had the clarity of mind to think about what I really wanted to do with life.

I knew I wanted to start a firm, but the question was when. As I neared the end of the sabbatical, the anxiety of going back to work heightened. The idea of being stuck in a cubical drawing details for buildings I had no investment in, made me ill. The more I thought about it, the more stressed I got.

On the last leg of my trip, I was in Norway. It was the end of March and quite rainy – but that didn’t stop us from exploring the Norwegian coast and hiking fjords for a week straight. One of the first hikes we did was a hike known as Preikestolen, or Pulpit Rock, a 6-hour hike to a lookout that has an incredible view of the Lysefjord. At the base of this hike is the Preikestolen Fjellstue, a cross-laminated timber lodge for those who venture out in the park. As the circle of life goes, I had studied this building in school, and I hadn’t made the connection until we pulled into the parking lot.  

That night I was sitting in the hot tub of our homestay looking at the stars and drinking a beer. There are few things better than enjoying a cold beer, in hot water, in freezing temperatures, looking out at a fjord. As I sat there, I was reflecting on how awesome the day was and how incredible life can be. It was then that I decided there was no better time than the present to pursue my goals. Life is short and there is so much to accomplish. The next day, I officially left my job to start Apex.

Starting a practice has been one of the most challenging and rewarding things I have ever done – over the past year each day has brought a new challenge that I didn’t know how to overcome. So far this has been extremely rewarding. Since starting Apex, I have become a licensed architect in 11 States and traveled to places I’ve never been to work on projects I’d never thought I’d have the opportunity to work on.

More importantly, I have had the freedom to work as much or as little as I please. I structure my days in a way that is productive for me. When my body needs a break, I take a break. I spend more time with my family than ever before.

If you’re thinking about doing the same, I highly recommend it. It is scary and uncertain, but the alternative is much scarier.