I grew up on Long Island in a very Jewish neighborhood, where the only gay people I knew of were on TV or stories of those relatives who had died of AIDS. In fact, in high school, we had a speaker come in to discuss how he married a woman and had children and had affairs, which caused him to contract HIV/AIDS.

It wasn’t until I went to the George Washington University that I met my first set of gay Jewish friends, who are still some of my closest friends to date. They taught me that I could be myself, be close with my family and have successful relationships. I also met a lot of people who were a lot different than I was, who taught me how different people can be. From there, I learned to love and appreciate people from different cultures and backgrounds and accept people for who they are.

Unfortunately, coming out to my parents was not as easy as I had hoped, and we had a few months where we did not speak, but now my mom and dad are my biggest fans and I tell them everything. I have grown into a confident, out and proud man, who continues to assist others recognize that they can be the same as me.

When did you become interested in the law?

I was interested in the law from an early age. My grandpa was the oldest practicing attorney in the State of Connecticut my whole life and practiced up until three months before he died at 96.

What inspired you to begin a career in legal recruiting?

I began practicing law because I like arguing for, and helping, people. I then left the law to discover my innate ability and passion for sales. When the start-up I was working at failed, I reached out to a legal recruiter to help me navigate my career. Rather than hearing about job opportunities, I heard my calling to be a legal recruiter and help others find their dream jobs while continuing to sell our services and roles.

 Who has had the biggest impact/influence on your career?

My biggest influence has always been my parents who taught me to work hard but also to chase my dreams. They have supported my every move and continue to be there to recognize my accomplishments.

As a member of the LGBTQIA community, how can you educate your coworkers to be more accepting and open-minded?

As a member of the LGBTQIA community, I can educate co-workers on being more accepting by leading by example. Internally, I continue to speak to my colleagues and have them recognize who I am and where I come from to normalize my friendships and relationship. I also mention diversity when submitting candidates who are also part of the community to roles. Externally, I continue to mention my background and my relationships to demonstrate the normativity of being LGBT and try to always have an eye and an ear out for LGBT candidates.

What barriers have you had to overcome in your career?

The biggest barrier for me has always been trying to get along with straight white male co-workers as I don’t care about sports and sometimes differ in political views. As someone who works in a team environment, I have had to adjust my work style to find common ground, which isn’t always easy.