Starting With Nothing but Work Ethic
I started working at 14 years old. Not because I wanted extra spending money, but because I had to support myself. My parents were immigrants who worked blue-collar jobs. My mom came from Ecuador, and my dad brought his German and Polish roots to Long Beach, California, where I grew up. We were low to middle class, and if I wanted something, I had to earn it.
That early lesson stuck with me through high school at Long Beach Wilson Classical, where I played varsity baseball and water polo while keeping my grades high enough to graduate top of my class with honors. It followed me to California State University, Long Beach, where I double majored in Rhetorical Theory and Global Economics. I worked through college and spent my summer and winter breaks as an unpaid intern at Salomon Brothers, assisting brokers and learning the business from the inside. I graduated with full honors at the top of my class.
Looking back, those early years taught me something critical: you don’t know what you don’t know, and the only way forward is to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.
After college, I was recruited by Morgan Stanley Private Bank in New York. I spent years working with high-net-worth clients, learning the mechanics of private banking and financial services. Later, I moved over and helped build what is now the Chase Private Client program. I spent around seven years in private banking and advisory roles.
The experience was invaluable. I learned how to serve demanding clients, how to structure complex services, and how to manage relationships at scale. But after seven years, I realized I wanted to build something of my own. I wanted to take what I’d learned and apply it in a way that gave me control over the outcome.
So I left banking and founded PayFacto, a credit card processing company based in Montreal.
Building and Selling PayFacto
PayFacto grew steadily. We built systems, hired the right people, and scaled the business year over year. In 2019, we sold the company to Visa at an estimated valuation of $300 million.
That exit changed everything. It gave me the resources to do what I’ve always wanted: start another company on my own terms, with the lessons of the first one baked in from day one.
One of the biggest lessons I learned from PayFacto was this: just being able to realize my weaknesses and rely on those I hire to fill the gap. I measure success by the financial outcomes they produce, but I also measure it by how well I can let go and trust the people around me to do what I can’t.
Building Iron Rock Payments
After the sale, I founded Iron Rock Payments. Today, I serve as President and CEO. We’re an Inc. 5000 company, we employ 15 people, and we generate strong annual revenue.
Iron Rock Payments is built on everything I learned in banking and at PayFacto. I set goals by reverse engineering. I start with the end result I want and work backwards through the steps needed to achieve it. That approach keeps the team focused and the business moving in the right direction.
But I also know that you can never be set in the belief that you have all the answers. The payments industry changes constantly. Regulations shift. Technology evolves. Client expectations rise. Staying competitive means staying curious and staying humble.
What Success Really Looks Like
People ask me how I define success. For me, it’s the ability to understand that you must accept being wrong to eventually be right. That’s not just a philosophy. It’s a survival skill in business.
I measure myself against those I admire, and I’m motivated by living the life I’ve always envisioned for myself. Success in business provides the means necessary to achieve a personal life of fulfillment. For me, that includes golf. I’m a member at Stonebriar Country Club here in Frisco, Texas, where I play at a plus 2 handicap. I often compete in Monday qualifying tournaments for major PGA events. Golf gives me space to think, compete, and reset.
Advice for Anyone Starting Out
If you’re early in your career or thinking about starting a company, here’s what I’d tell you: you must be able to accept that there are things you don’t know or understand, and be willing to learn. Don’t assume your first idea will work. Don’t assume your instincts are always right. Test, listen, adjust, and keep moving.
Surround yourself with people who know more than you do in areas where you’re weak. Hire well. Trust your team. And remember that the financial outcome is the scoreboard, but the way you get there matters just as much.
I started with nothing but a work ethic and a willingness to show up. That’s still the foundation of everything I do today.