I was never destined to be an engineer.
Sure, I studied industrial engineering at Cornell, but my only A+ came in public speaking. (Yes, at Cornell, we actually had A+ as a grade.) That was the first academic clue that I wasn’t meant to be in a lab—I was meant to be on a stage.
But I knew that long before college. I started playing the saxophone and studying magic at the age of nine. By ten, I was performing improvisational music, getting comfortable with an audience, learning how to read a room, and adjusting in real time. The stage felt like home. It was the one place where I could fully express myself.
Then came The Gong Show.
I was twelve years old when I first saw Chuck Barris hosting that wonderfully chaotic circus of talent and absurdity. For those who never saw it, The Gong Show was essentially the grandfather of the “Got Talent” shows Three judges watched performers—some brilliant, many… let’s say “enthusiastic”—and if the act got too painful, someone would bang a giant gong to send them packing.
And I loved it.
But what really drew me in wasn’t the acts. It was Chuck Barris. He wasn’t your typical buttoned-up host. He was wild, unpredictable, fully himself. I thought: That’s what I want to do. I want to be a game show host. Not just on a stage—on a TV stage. Engaging with people, having fun, being in the moment. That childhood dream stuck with me for decades.
Fast forward to the creation of Personality Poker.
When I developed the game, it wasn’t just about innovation or team dynamics. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I saw an opportunity to fulfill that old dream. A real game, with real people, in front of a real audience. Maybe, just maybe, this could be my game show.
In 2012, I pitched a TV show based on Personality Poker to ten different cable networks—USA, TLC, A&E, GSN, SPIKE (now Paramount Network), CMT, and more. And while it never got picked up, something remarkable did happen: in 2014, I got to play Personality Poker on a USA Network television show. It wasn’t the dream I imagined as a kid… but it was a taste.
These days, I may not have my own televised game show—but I get to bring Personality Poker to life on stages across the world. I run the game live, with real people, in real time. There’s laughter, tension, revelation, and most importantly: transformation. It’s a game show of sorts… but one with a purpose.
That’s why I love Personality Poker so much. It’s not just a tool for collaboration and innovation—it’s the living embodiment of a childhood dream. I found my own version of The Gong Show. And it’s better than I ever could’ve planned.
What about you?
Think back to your childhood. Was there something you dreamed of doing that didn’t pan out the way you expected? Maybe you wanted to be an astronaut and ended up teaching science. Maybe you wanted to be a rock star and now run a podcast. Or maybe, like me, you wanted to host a TV show… and found yourself playing a game with the power to change lives.
Sometimes our dreams come true in disguise. And when we follow what lights us up, we often land somewhere even more meaningful.
So go ahead—dust off that old dream. You never know how it might still be playing out in your life today.
P.S. The picture associated with this post is of me and Chuck Barris back in 2005 at Book Expo America.