What inspired you to join Bernstein?
My time with the Seattle Seahawks organization left me with a simple standard that still guides how I show up: “Always Compete.” For me, that means treating a client’s goals like they’re my own—preparing relentlessly, getting the details right, anticipating issues early and following through until the job is done.
I joined Bernstein because I wanted to serve clients from a place where excellence is the baseline and where the work is as human as it is analytical. I’m wired to ask, “Is this the optimal move?” Bernstein’s depth of thinking, team-based approach and commitment to long-term relationships aligned with how I naturally serve—consistently thoughtful, tenacious, and deeply client‑centric.
I’m also drawn to roles where you’re trusted to represent something bigger than yourself, whether it’s community-facing work with the Seahawks or now as an advisor. That responsibility keeps me grounded; it’s about earning trust, protecting what clients have built and helping them make confident decisions at the moments that matter most.
How have your values and personal background shaped your work?
Some of my earliest perspective on resilience and resourcefulness came from my family’s roots in the Philippines. Growing up, I heard stories of making do with very little, even hand‑pumping water from a ground well in my parents’ village just to cook or bathe. That upbringing didn’t just teach gratitude, it also emphasized responsibility. It shaped my values early: don’t take opportunities for granted, do what you say you’ll do, and use success to take care of people.
Having built a company myself, I understand the pressure experienced by entrepreneurs, who are constantly weighing risks, trade-offs and responsibilities. That background helps me empathize with business owners, executives and families who balance opportunity with complexity. And I know how freeing it is to move forward with clarity from a set of optimal decisions, especially for founders, athletes and entertainers contemplating a “second act.”
If you didn’t work for Bernstein, what else would you be doing?
I’d be building something rooted in sharing others’ stories and impact. Through experiences like representing Washington on the Miss United States stage and the community work that came with it, I’ve met incredibly impressive people and have always been fascinated by what drives them.
I’d start a podcast interviewing uniquely successful individuals to explore the human condition, highlighting the discipline they practice, the pivotal moments that shaped them and the values that keep them steady. I love “collecting people”—meeting someone while traveling, at events, or even through a conversation with a restaurant server—and mentally filing away their character and story. The podcast would turn that curiosity into a mosaic of conversations meant to inspire others to build a meaningful life with heart and intention.