My Story:

I was born and raised in Albany and have many fond memories of being an active youth in a small town. I vividly remember selling my grandma’s old Architectural Digest magazines door to door for 10¢ a piece at 6 years old. At 8 or 9 I started raking leaves and shoveling snow around downtown Albany for a couple bucks a yard and delivering newspapers on my bike in the summers. I think it was easy for my family to see that even at a young age I had a strong work ethic.

I am one of many cousins in a large extended family and we are all very close, prioritizing family gatherings during the holidays and special occasions throughout the year. My two brothers and I were raised in a multi-generational house by my mom, grandma, and great grandma.

My great grandma was born on the Reservation in Lead, South Dakota and always shared stories of our Native American heritage. She moved to Albany in 1950 and settled down here to raise her family.

A couple generations later, I came along. Going to school in Albany, I made many amazing friends who I still cherish to this day. I wasn't ever the top of my class in studies but always enjoyed playing recreational sports like baseball, basketball, football, and even karate. I graduated with the Class of ‘97 from West Albany but was more focused on anything but school as I was really unclear on what I wanted to do and who I wanted to become.

After graduation, some friends had gone off to college, some stayed and started their families and I felt like I wasn't ready for any of the options given. I decided I needed to explore and see the world before I settled down into the rest of my life. So, at 21, I went with one of my childhood friends to visit the college in Montana he was planning to transfer to. I immediately felt like I was where i wanted to be and that week-long vacation turned into a 10 year ride where I grew and learned and met more cherished friends.

While most of my free time was spent hiking, floating, playing softball and rugby, It wasn't all fun and games. I ultimately had to get a job so I could get the most out of my new vacation lifestyle. I held many jobs over that time frame, including UPS driver, bar tender, commercial fisherman in Alaska, and wild land fire fighter, but none was more rewarding than teaching young kiddos gymnastics at the YMCA. The happiness that a little one has for the simplest of tasks is amazing and fills my heart with joy. I learned a lot of really important life lessons on that journey and feel like Montana helped shaped me into who I am today.

Montana was an amazing experience, but it's greatest lesson was how important my family is to me and how empty I felt being so far away. Only seeing them once a year just wasn't cutting it anymore. And so when my great grandma’s health started to decline and we knew the end was near, it made sense that it was time to come home. So on the lay-off date of the 2011 Montana fire season, I packed my two cats and twelve plants into a bag and headed back to Oregon. I picked Portland because it was close enough to home but still offered me the opportunities that I desired.

During my first year back in Oregon, I decided to go back to school. I joined the Trades program at PCC where I got a good overview of basic plumbing, electrical, and carpentry and held a 3.8 and 4.0 GPA for the first time in my life. But for all my excitement, it was a sad day in June of 2014 when the great spirits called Grandma up to heaven. It was at this time that I started picking up odd jobs for friends and anything I could do to learn all aspects of the trades.

Then on Saturday, November 9th 2016 at 1pm I met the woman who would one day be my wife. We met for coffee and walked around the East and West Bank Esplanade, enjoyed the waterfront and each other's company for a total of eight hours. About three months into dating, we were having brunch, and our conversation led us to our career of choice. In an instant, like it was all spelled out for me right there, my dream job was as clear as it had ever been. I was going to be a Professional Handyman! I just needed some money and a truck and tools and clients.

I didn't jump in right away. I decided I wanted some experience working under someone in the field before I went out on my own. By this time, Leslie and I were living in a small studio apartment in a really vibrant neighborhood that we both loved with our dog, Chalupa, and two cats, Han Smeowlo and Joplin. Everything was great and I had learned a lot working with the Lovett crew. But after a year, I was ready to take Fix-N-Scape full time.

Business was great that first year; I was getting great feedback and lots of repeat clients. Then my grandma’s health started to decline so Leslie and I decided we needed move to Albany to take care of her daily needs. We packed up our dog, cats and 28 plants and headed to Albany.

Over the next four years Gram’s health was mostly good with a few really rough patches as dementia is a tough disease to suffer through. Because I needed to care for Gram, I had to manage my time differently than I had previously with Fix-N-Scape. I decided to take a job as a Maintenance Technician with The Conser Group and it turned out to be a really good fit for over three years.

While so many people had such a rough time with COVID, Leslie and I seemed to fare pretty well. We got married on Juneteenth of 2021 and bought our house in SW Albany that August. All the while managing to keep COVID out of our house entirely for the benefit of Gram and my Momma who also moved in to help with Gram. But as we knew it was coming, Gram passed away peacefully in her sleep in April of 2022. That was a pretty tough time for us, but as these things tend to do, it managed to once again bring our family closer.

Since then, I have steadily built Fix-N-Scape back into what I had envisioned it by putting my clients’ wants and needs first and being efficient with my time. I charge a reasonable but fair rate for my services and always guarantee my work. But if I feel like I don't have the time or the skill set to complete your project to your liking, I will let you know as soon as I make that decision.

I believe communication is paramount in my line of work and I always try my best to not talk above or below my clients’ knowledge of the issues. Honesty and trust also play big roles in building the relationships I desire with all my clients. I think of myself as an easy going guy and I like to joke around when appropriate. While I might not always take myself seriously, I take my work and safety very seriously. I am always excited to meet new clients and look forward to becoming your new Handyman!