By: Sophia Schwaeble
When I talked to Brad, he was quick to say “everyone has a story” here’s the cliff notes of mine.
Brad was born on October 18, 1975, in Hackensack, New Jersey, but New Jersey was not home for long. When he was very young, his family relocated to Central Florida, and Orlando became his primary home from roughly the ages of two to eight.
His childhood and teenage years, however, were anything but stable. Brad’s family moved frequently, and over the course of his elementary, middle, and high school years, he lived in more than 10 states and attended numerous schools along the way. Constantly being the new kid and having to adjust to new places, new schools, and new people became a normal part of growing up. Looking back, those experiences played an important role in shaping his perspective on life and his adaptability.
At 16, Brad made his way back to the Orlando area and decided to stay. Even when his parents later moved across the country to the West Coast, Brad remained in Florida on his own so he could finish his senior year of high school. From that point forward, he was essentially responsible for himself.
While attending high school, Brad worked a variety of jobs and gained a wealth of knowledge from the classroom as well as life’s lessons. Fortunately, his hard work in the classroom paid off. Brad graduated as valedictorian of his high school class and received several academic scholarships that more than covered his tuition, housing, and other expenses at the University of Central Florida. He originally was interested in pursuing a law degree in criminal law. However, he was hired by Planet Hollywood while attending UCF and developed some really strong relationships with the executive team; and quickly promoted, and a few years into his recruited by the previous GM of Planet Hollywood to work for Margaritaville Enterprises.
Those early years had a tremendous influence on the person Brad would become. Moving frequently taught him how to adapt. Living on his own at a young age taught him responsibility and resilience. He credits both his education and life experience as the foundation for his success.
It was during this same time period he met Rebecca, who would later become his wife and mother of there 3 children, Tyler, Emileigh and Sophia. They have been married for 28 years which is the same time period Brad has been with Margaritaville.
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