Professional overview...
Thanks for stopping by. My name is Dan Smith aka 'Dan the Can Do Man.' As I push into my fourth decade, I have had a chance to travel an amazing professional and personal journey. I grew up in a small historic town in beautiful southeast Ohio, on the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers. Marietta was a great place to grow up...with lots of outside play, beautiful scenery, good friends, and warm hearts. I then headed off to the US Army where I had the privilege of going through two elite training schools: Airborne and Air-assault. Hoo-ah. After the Army, I got my undergraduate degree from Ohio University with a double major in Adventure Recreation and Outdoor Education. I was the student manager of the indoor rock climbing facility while getting my degree and that's when I knew I wanted to run a University Outdoor Adventure Program. To work on my technical skills I moved to West Virginia for a season as a professional white water raft guide and high ropes course instructor. My 'days off' were filled with backpacking, climbing and whitewater kayaking. What an incredible season. I then moved to Columbus, Ohio to work at a high-end Outdoor Retail shop called the Benchmark. A great group of professionals who were all really into the outdoors in one way or another. It was here I met the love of my life Jessica. She is such a super star and my best friend. She hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in 1994, she is strong and talented, has a loving heart, and a most awesome beautiful spirit and faith in the Lord. Truly a blessed man!)
After Columbus I went to graduate school at Ohio University as a Teaching Assistant instructing outdoor technical skills in their college of Health and Human Services. This was a big season in life: I got my masters degree, had a life changing experience with the Big Guy in the Sky, got married, and was offered my dream job running the Outdoor Adventure program at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. Another great season. After 7 years at NC State, with profound memories and the confirmation I made an impact in other’s lives, it was time to experience a new adventure and avenue for my growing family which now consists of 4 beautiful children.
I decided to put my climbing and adventure shoes up for awhile and jumped into the corporate world with one of the many tech focused companies in the Raleigh, NC area. I landed at Global Knowledge and became a top producer in education solutions for clients. I spent some time at one of the fastest growing Oracle training companies in the industry and worked with a great group of guys. I am now a part of the emerging downtown Raleigh tech scene and landed at a position at Citrix. Overall a fairly interesting professional journey…you can check out my resume link for more details on the journey. The adventure spirit didn't end when I jumped into the corporate landscape...the skills I have learned through adventure recreation have transferred very well into a professional environment; especially in sales where you need a get it done. This is a part of the DantheCanDoMan adventure. Thanks for stopping by. Success and Blessings! Dan Smith
After Columbus I went to graduate school at Ohio University as a Teaching Assistant instructing outdoor technical skills in their college of Health and Human Services. This was a big season in life: I got my masters degree, had a life changing experience with the Big Guy in the Sky, got married, and was offered my dream job running the Outdoor Adventure program at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. Another great season. After 7 years at NC State, with profound memories and the confirmation I made an impact in other’s lives, it was time to experience a new adventure and avenue for my growing family which now consists of 4 beautiful children.
I decided to put my climbing and adventure shoes up for awhile and jumped into the corporate world with one of the many tech focused companies in the Raleigh, NC area. I landed at Global Knowledge and became a top producer in education solutions for clients. I spent some time at one of the fastest growing Oracle training companies in the industry and worked with a great group of guys. I am now a part of the emerging downtown Raleigh tech scene and landed at a position at Citrix. Overall a fairly interesting professional journey…you can check out my resume link for more details on the journey. The adventure spirit didn't end when I jumped into the corporate landscape...the skills I have learned through adventure recreation have transferred very well into a professional environment; especially in sales where you need a get it done. This is a part of the DantheCanDoMan adventure. Thanks for stopping by. Success and Blessings! Dan Smith