My quest began when I was 6 years old when I had an interest in two things: Everything and women. Seriously, when I was very young I wanted to be a priest, a doctor, a warrior, and a businessman….and dad tells me I used to flirt with the blonde waitresses at the Italian restaurant. Upon further questioning, I learned that my childhood flirting interest was in fact limited to blondes.
Looking back over my teens and 20s now, my life was and is both everything I could have hoped for and not like anything I would have imagined. It became sort of a family joke when I was college – my mother would cringe when people asked what DJ was doing because my story was too convoluted and ridiculous to tell. So, I’m going to attempt to share that story, well at least the version that starts in high school, with you here..and since I teach storytelling, I guess I’m on the spot.
In high school, I was some sort of a jockey dork who at the same time played varsity hockey and had an amateur radio license. At 17, I was taken under the wing of a master of neuro-linguistic programming, hypnosis, and life coaching. That led to an 8 year mentorship. That same year, I met the man who would become my martial arts teacher and model for warriorship. Around that time, I also met the monk who would become my spiritual guru and undertook a 2 year preceptorship in Traditional Chinese Medicine. So, that was quite a busy time period for me.
In college, I worked as a firefighter and EMT and decided that a full course load, fraternity, twice weekly trips for martial arts training, and work were not quite enough. I went to paramedic school as well. At the end of my junior year, I was incredibly fortunate to encounter an opportunity to begin a business. I knew nothing about business but jumped at the chance. That opportunity developed into a company with a nationwide client base that I continue to manage today.
After college, I returned home to run my company and continue my martial and spiritual training. I worked part time as a paramedic as well. But, my social life was pathetic and I was lonely. I had a girlfriend but it was not a fulfilling relationship. My days were spent in the office and my nights were spent at home. Eventually, I met a woman who really caught my attention and I fell head over heels for her.
That didn’t work out and I was devastated. In my mid twenties, I decided I needed to become more social. That led to a wild adventure no one would have ever predicted for me. I took a few seminars and studied everything I could find on social dynamics. Eventually I was asked to become a pickup coach for a NYC group. From there I was invited to become an instructor for Mystery Method and that led to my developing “Art of Personal Storytelling” and “Art of Conversation Programs” and an invitation to speak at Cliff’s List. I got tired of the scene pretty quickly and decided I had gotten all I needed from that exploration. Then, Neil Strauss called and said he had a new project. That phone call led to my joining the ranks of the yet unborn Stylelife Academy as a senior coach. Shortly after, I met Christian who invited me to record several episodes of Master the Vibe.
During that time, I also served on the board of a Manhattan based charity event planning organization and spent about a year arranging events at some of the best lounges in town. That culminated in my organizing a golf tournament fundraiser at the most prestigious country club in Westchester, NY.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve spent my time primarily studying with my spiritual, martial, and metaphysical teachers, running my company, teaching for Stylelife, and traveling. Along the way, I was also trained as a personal and executive protection professional.
Today, I continue to travel, learn, and teach. I also enjoy the kind of wonderful relationship that I never thought I would find. My coaching work is centered around helping others find the power and harmony of unified living in their spiritual, personal, professional, and social lives. My life has afforded me an incredibly diverse set of spiritual and material experiences from which to drawn in order to help others find balance.
I invite you to contact me anytime. My email is coachdj@gmail.com.
DJ