There are a lot of ways to measure a life.
Career milestones. Titles. Money. Wins people can screenshot and post.
I’ve done enough of that to know those things matter—but they are not the center.
The center is this: who you build your life with.
For me, that person is Wendy Zettersten.
We’ve been married for 12 years—since September 7, 2012. And if I had to summarize those years in one sentence, it would be this:
Marriage is amazing when it is built on commitment, humility, and a partner who keeps showing up no matter what.
Start: before all of this, we were just two kids at Herndon
Wendy and I went to prom together at Herndon High School. I graduated in 2006.
That still messes with me a little—in the best way. We didn’t just meet in some polished adult chapter after everyone had already become who they are. We grew up through parts of it together.
There’s something powerful about loving someone through seasons where both of you are still becoming.
No highlight reel. No curated “we have it all figured out” phase. Just real life, in sequence.
Wendy’s calling: care under pressure
Wendy graduated from JMU with a nursing degree and stepped into work that is equal parts technical, emotional, and exhausting.
She worked at Fairfax Hospital in emergency pediatrics. Anyone who has seen that world up close knows what it demands:
- calm in chaos,
- precision when stakes are high,
- compassion for families on their worst days.
She later worked as a school nurse and across other nursing roles, and she currently works at an infusion clinic.
I have massive respect for nurses in general. But watching Wendy do this up close has taught me what service actually looks like when no one is clapping.
It looks like consistency.
Middle: four kids, real life, and why I think parenthood is amazing
We have four children:
- Lucy (7)
- Lily (6)
- Michael (3)
- Zoey (1.5)
Parenting four young kids is not “easy mode.” It is loud, beautiful, sometimes overwhelming, and constantly humbling.
And I genuinely think it is amazing.
Not because every moment is easy. Because every day matters.
Because it forces perspective.
Because it teaches you to stop worshiping convenience and start investing in people.
Wendy is an amazing working mom. Full stop.
She holds professional standards at work and still brings deep care and attention at home. She carries a level of daily load most people never see, and she does it with strength and grace.
That kind of steadiness is rare.
Marriage is not magic. It is disciplined love over time.
One thing I’ve learned: strong marriage is less about one grand romantic gesture and more about repeated, ordinary faithfulness.
- Choosing each other when you’re tired.
- Choosing respect in conflict.
- Choosing unity when life feels crowded.
- Choosing gratitude instead of scorekeeping.
The world likes flashy narratives. I’ll take durable love.
I can look at our life in Ashburn, Virginia, and say this clearly: what we have didn’t happen by accident.
It was built—together.
Shared discipline, shared mission
Wendy and I train at Burn Boot Camp together every day.
That routine matters. It’s not just fitness; it’s a rhythm of discipline we share.
And Wendy is a beast competitively too—she placed 8th in the world in Hyrox with a rucksack.
That result is not luck. It’s work ethic, consistency, and mental toughness.
Same traits she brings to motherhood, nursing, and marriage.
Faith and community are part of this story too
We attend and are part of the community at Reston Bible Church.
That community has been meaningful for our family. In a culture that pushes isolation and constant performance, being rooted in a strong faith community creates a different kind of stability.
You remember what matters.
You remember you’re not supposed to do life alone.
The professional side of gratitude
Wendy has supported me throughout my professional life.
Through risk, long hours, pivots, uncertainty, and every inflection point that came with building things in tough environments.
A lot of people only see the public outcomes. They don’t see the private support structure behind those outcomes.
I do.
And I want to say it plainly:
Whatever I’ve accomplished professionally has been strengthened by the fact that I have a partner at home who believes in me, challenges me, and keeps our family anchored.
End: grateful, not just for what we have, but for who she is
I love being married to Wendy.
I love raising our kids with her.
I love the life we’re building in this season.
And I’m deeply grateful—not just for milestones, but for her character:
- strong,
- grounded,
- compassionate,
- resilient,
- relentlessly committed to our family.
Marriage is amazing.
Children are amazing.
And I am grateful every day that Wendy is my partner and my wife.