2 — Who would you hire in a heartbeat, and why?
An underdog. Someone who is currently transitioning in life and looking for a second chance. I feel there are so many talented people in the world that often get overlooked due to their personal background or not having a college degree; society needs to do better and show compassion to people.
Not everyone comes from the same place and generally those with a troubled past can bring unique life experience to a situation a more straitlaced person couldn’t.
3 — Which media personality or influencer do you enjoy most in this space? (Enjoy, not necessarily agree with!)
I have a long list of people I admire and who I reach out to if I need help or just a simple pep talk. They are Robert Beadles, Jason Appleton (Crypto Crow), Bitboy (my favorite frenemy), Mark Moss and Steve McGarry. There are more but these gentlemen are really my main ones.
4 — What’s the unlikeliest-to-happen thing on your bucket list?
I have had a very interesting life outside of crypto, some great times, and some tragic. I do not like to think that anything is unattainable or unlikely to happen: if I want something, I will get it, I’m a fighter and will keep fighting until I obtain my goals.
I do want to travel to Europe and see where my ancestors came from. I also want to buy a dive bar on the Central Coast and live a quiet life by the beach… well kinda.
I grew up around musicians and some interesting people, some of the best times of my life were at dingy dive bars, staying up to 4 am listening to music with friends. I want to recreate that in my bar, I think it’s a great way to bring people together.
I envision it having an old jukebox with all the classics, cheap drinks, and a homey vibe to it. Yes, I will host all my meetups there and annoy my regulars with all the nerdy crypto talk, yes there will be live bands, and yes I will serve virgin drinks to people who do not drink!
5 — What are the best and worst aspects of the shelter-in-place orders for you personally?
Honestly, I like being at home with my daughter. I commuted my whole career and it’s nice to be home with her. I will say I miss hosting professional events and meetups in the crypto space. I love my people and enjoy meeting them in real life to celebrate working toward a common goal.
6 — From smart contracts, to DAPPs, to NFTs, to DeFi we have seen so many of the next “killer apps” for crypto, but none have really taken off quite yet. What will stick?
DeFi is a great thing, especially for the poor and lower middle class. Getting a loan or dealing with banks is a nightmare for many people and I think DeFi can help small business or individuals obtain funding and have a better quality of life. With that being said, there is still a lot of work to do, we aren’t there yet, people need to feel safe using crypto.
Wendy substituted questions 2 and 5 with two new ones for our next buidler…
If you were investing in startup companies right now, what kind of business opportunity in blockchain would catch your eye? Note – not a specific project, but a sector or trend.
Tell us about a hidden talent – and give us a link to prove it!
