Christmas Night, 1999The next twelve hours completely altered the trajectory of my entire life... Growing up, I was so blessed with parents that showered me and my three sisters with love. Unfortunately, they also gave all of us a genetic code that LOVES to store fat, and our home was always stocked with enough sugary sweets to cater an impromptu three-year old’s birthday party. As a result, my youth was spent either pretty chubby or borderline obese. Then, in 2001, I discovered natural bodybuilding, stepped on stage, and completely changed my physique. My love for physical fitness was born.The instant I set foot on CMU’s campus, I knew I wanted to study something quantitative. But, I didn’t want to study MATH (who does that anyway?) So, I needed something numerical in nature to quench my intellectual thirst, and finance gave me just that. After earning my PhD, I went into academia, where I published research in market microstructure and institutional trading and taught both undergraduate and MBA classes. I’ve now joined tastytrade as a derivatives trader, show host, and content producer. So, what happened that Christmas Night? My two best friends and I left the house in a snowstorm, where my buddy fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a tree. I was knocked unconscious, broke my right femur bone, lost the hearing in my ear, and limped away with tinnitus. To this day, I have a titanium rod running through my thigh, my hearing in that ear is gone, and my head still rings. That event, where I teetered on the brink of despair and endured the darkest days I’ve ever lived, still stands alone as the single greatest source of inspiration this world has given me. In fact, forget fitness or finance. Do your people need motivation for their work or inspiration for their lives?Bring me in to tell that story. This incredible example of pulling remarkable triumph from extraordinary failure will leave the audience with an experience they will not forget.