Words have come naturally to me from a young age.

In eleventh grade, my literature teacher assigned a book report. I don’t remember the book because I didn’t read it. The night before the deadline, I asked my friend Adam if I could see what he wrote. I promised not to plagiarize; I just needed an idea of what the book was about so I could complete the assignment (this was before SparkNotes). He graciously agreed.

After Mrs. Arnold graded each book report, she expressed deep disappointment in her class, dismayed in the overall effort and lack of comprehension of the assignment. We sat solemnly as she passed each report back. With only one remaining report in her hand, she stopped to address the class. “The only person who understood the assignment was Aleks.” I was the only one to get an A. Adam got a C.

Although I felt a little bad for Adam, this moment illuminated my secret power—words, writing, editing, but more so, taking ideas that may not be my own and presenting them in a way that is clear, well written, and resonates with the right audience. This experience launched me to pursue a career in writing.

After graduating from the University of California, Irvine with a degree in Literary Journalism (and a minor in Italian Studies—ciao!), I landed my first job at a daily newspaper, where I started as a copy editor and ended as the editor-in-chief of the entire special publications department—the most prestigious being the area’s Business Journal. In 2010, I moved to a tiny ski town called Mammoth Lakes to launch an alternative weekly, but within three months was promoted to editor-in-chief of the entire editorial department.

I got my first taste of book publishing in 2012, editing a book for a pharmacist. Later in 2014, as a part of the newspaper, my staff and I published our own book about hiking in the local area. These experiences piqued my interest in the book publishing world. Since then I have helped write, edit and publish more than 125 books across topics like business, finance, real estate, health & wellness, memoir, psychedelics, cryptocurrency, and self-help, to name a few.

In 2015, I helped launch a whiskey distillery with my family where I’m in charge of media, design, and social media. We only produce barrel-aged spirits, namely bourbon and rye—i.e., spirits we like to drink! Check us out at devilscreekdistillery.com.

I have a deep curiosity for the world, which bodes well in my line of work, but also has led me to a variety of soul-feeding experiences and a collection of hobbies. Daily sun exposure is a must. I love to adventure outside, whether that’s hiking, road biking, cross country skiing, biathlon, snowboarding, or camping. Since having kids, I’ve taken up gardening and now have apps on my phone to identify plants, birds, and insects. I’m an amateur mycologist and forage for wild mushrooms, namely porcinis. I’m a retired musician and a wannabe graphic designer. I hate the gym but love yoga. At one point in my life, I spoke three languages. We are all energetic beings having a human experience, and I enjoy exploring all levels of consciousness. I’m also an amateur biohacker and find the emerging technology helping us better understand our bodies fascinating. Ask me what I’m trying this week; I may have a story for you.