I love investing, entrepreneurship and scaling companies. I was 12 when I made my first investment in the stock market. I was in college when I purchased my first real estate investments. Today I spend my time running Alturas, a holding company that owns and manages over 1 million square feet of real estate, runs multiple operating companies and makes investments in numerous other businesses.

Being an entrepreneur came naturally for me. I have always struggled with authority. I am wired to do things my own way, and I hate anything “conventional” or “status quo”. I constantly look for better ways of doing things in all aspects of my life.

As I think about the lessons that have influenced my life most, resiliency immediately comes to mind. After my mother and sister died in a plane crash when I was 15, my father explained he expected me to use the experience as a springboard to living a life of impact instead of an excuse for mediocrity. I took his advice to heart to make the most of my life and push through adversity. I look forward to the “next hardest thing” in my life as I seek continual learning and growth.

I can also trace everything good in my life back to partnerships with others. In fact, I started life with my twin sister, who was born 9 minutes after me. As a twin, I got used to sharing, and having a built-in partner to do practically everything. I’ve started every business in partnership with someone else, and our growth comes through strategic partnerships. I have my hands in a lot of ventures only because I have strong operating partners.

My key partner in life is my wife, Kim. We grew up in the same neighborhood, and even attended preschool together at age 3 (we’re standing next to each other in the class photo). We have six amazing children and spend our spare time skiing, hiking, camping, whitewater rafting, fly-fishing and doing all types of activities together as a family from our hometown in Idaho.