More than anything, I am someone who loves to learn and knows how to do it. When presented with a new challenge, new opportunity, or new objective, I actively seek to educate myself and others, to ensure that new information is well understood and can be easily applied.I use this affinity for learning in all paths of my life, personal and professional. Since the age of 15 I have worked countless jobs that are entry level positions. By educating myself, I have gone above and beyond in each of my roles, allowing myself to advance to a leadership role in each specific environment. Importantly, I have been able to translate what I have learned to effectively position those I manage, by streamlining their own education and training, and allowing them to perform their duties fully prepared in a well-structured environment. As a Business Development professional, I have had many client-facing opportunities where my approach is one of a problem solver, rather than a salesmen. I inquire about pain points to see if our solutions will be able to address the stresses the customer faces. By doing so, I make sure I am facilitating conversation with customers whom I/we can benefit. By fully educating myself on the products and capabilities of whatever vendor I represent, I am able to plug solutions in to problems, allowing for proactive and productive outreach. In turn, this enables me to educate the customer on the genuine value and fit of the product offerings, and, through product demonstrations, address the pain points at hand and alleviate their unique problem.Though I am much more than a learner, I believe education (self-led or organizationally-structured) is the first step in turning knowledge into applicable understanding. With a well-rounded and deep understanding in any industry I enter, I am able to best leverage situations to benefit all who are involved. This mindset has allowed for personal growth and success, permitting me to be in a position of leadership where my mentor-ship helps benefit my team as a whole.