Qualifications
- Diamond 1996
- Founders Diamond
Success Story
Alan and Michele were both born and reared in Cincinnati, Ohio, and met when they were 16 years old. They have been together ever since.
He and Alan proceeded to the same high school, where Alan graduated as class valedictorian, and then they both went on to study at Ohio State University in Columbus.
Alan finished with honours with a degree in electrical engineering and a pre-medical concentration, and Michele graduated with a bachelor's degree in information technology.
The following year was frantic, beginning with graduation in June, followed by marriage in July, and then a move to Raleigh, North Carolina, in August.
Alan then had his first engineering job, as well as his first corporate layoff, all within a short period of time.
Michele had accepted a position with IBM and was immediately dispatched to Chicago for a ten-week training programme.
Alan and Michele realised at that point that they did not want anybody else to have control over their lives, and they made the decision to create their own business.
Alan, on the other hand, began medical school at the University of North Carolina in the same year, pursuing his childhood dream of becoming a neurosurgeon at the institution.
He was also looking for a greater sense of security and a greater challenge than he had found in his technical profession.
After only a few months, Alan realised that his "part-time" firm had more to offer than he had anticipated, and he decided to drop out of medical school and take another engineering position in order to devote his time and energy to growing their company.
A year later, they found out they were expecting their first child. According to Michele's childhood ambitions, "my dream was never to be a computer programmer; it was always to be a mother.
" Their sense of urgency had now been heightened, and Alan recalls, "The more she showed, the more I showed (the business plan)."
A white stretch limousine carried Michele away from her job only weeks before the birth of their daughter, Laurin, and two years later, a white stretch limousine whisked Alan away from his job, allowing him to focus entirely on growing his business.
Their second daughter, Kristin, and their son, Aaron, were born while they were on their way to achieving success, and their second son, Joshua, was born shortly after.
Having a fantastic time growing up with their children is something they cherish. In Alan's words, "we don't take vacations because every day is a vacation when you're living in freedom in a free country." Alan and Michele are currently residing in their 6,000-square-foot dream home on more than three acres of land in the countryside.
They regard their business as a means of not just achieving their own goals, but also of assisting others in achieving their own goals.
They both agree that "if you pursue something you love, you'll never have to work a day in your life."
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