Category: personal

Morning Pages: January 21, 2026

[while writing ‘morning pages’ today I got stuck and jotted down what I believe about the intent, process, and output of work. these scribblings are raw and from the heart, but have a sprinkle of manifesto-like thinking that can be clarifying and powerful.]

I want to do interesting work. I want to do work that matters.

I want to come alongside business leaders to help them connect with their people -> employees, customers, clients, partners, communities. And for that connection to be so meaningful that it transforms the business – and those connected to the business.

I believe in serving others. I believe in setting a standard. Delivering on that standard. Reviewing and improving that standard.

I believe in looking closely at the details and making things better. About giving a damn. About not settling.

I believe in under-promising and over-delivering. I believe in making it easy as possible. I believe it takes a full suite of resources to help from every angle. I believe in preparing, equipping, empowering, and supporting others.

I believe it takes a full, unified team approach. I believe there must be a clear, documented north star and understanding/agreement of how our individual work comes together to help us get there. I believe we must know how our team contributes, but also how all the teams’ play their respective roles to achieve the goal/vision.

I believe we all have a “zone of genius” that we should foster, protect, grow, and utilize to help others.

I believe we must truly care about people. And be willing to sacrifice our wins for theirs.

I believe there are no dumb questions. I believe in humility to listen deeply and respect others’ perspectives and opinions. I believe in finding common ground.

I believe the answers and solutions are out there, if we let go of our ego and expectations and work together.

WE WORSHIP THE SHINY AND IGNORE THE SACRED

We scream for celebrities.
We repost luxury.
We envy the curated lives.

But no one claps for:

• The father who admitted he was struggling.
• The girl who stood up to her own friends.
• The artist who kept creating when no one was watching.
• The co-worker who said “I need help” instead of “I’m fine.”

Today, my friend Joshua Henley, MBA, CSM said it best: “We’re celebrating the wrong things.”

We’ve made fame the ultimate currency.
But fame doesn’t feed the soul.

We’re hypnotized by bling, and blind to bravery.

Let’s flip the script.

FREEDOM

Freedom isn’t stolen. It’s traded.

For comfort.
For status.
For someone else’s idea of “making it.”

One quiet compromise at a time,
you forget what you wanted in the first place.

Be careful what you give up to feel safe.
It might cost you yourself.

REMIND, GROUND, AND RESET

I do this personal visual thinking and mapping often.

To remind and ground myself. To reset.

And right now I’m leaning more and more into building something new. Creating something. Something that helps others, creates value and money to fuel a beautiful, interesting life.

The “what” of it all is still an unknown, a mystery. But regardless, I’m stepping out of the shadows of fear and taking the next step forward – admitting it both to my self and sharing it publicly.

Let’s go.

WHAT REALLY MATTERS

TO GET SUPER PERSONAL FOR A MOMENT…

I’m super proud of all of our kids. And my wife.

They’re each doing hard things. And they’re amazing at the things they take on. I’m so UNBELIEVABLY grateful and proud of them.

But in this long a** text to my son, I’m very clear on my POV on what REALLY matters in life…

And I’ll throw this encouragement out to everyone…

$20, given to a stranger, who’s asking for help. We’ve all needed help.
Maybe today you can be someone who helped someone else.

And if you give $20 to someone, but can’t really afford it right now… let me know. We got you.

Much love. Always and all-ways.

YOUR LIFE IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

**How one decision changed everything—fast**

It’s September 2015. Almost ten years ago.
After a two-hour visit at a local animal rescue, I had a new sidekick.

A scruffy, sweet-faced Bedlington Terrier.
Nine months old. I named him Solomon.

He was the kindest creature I’d ever met.

And I had no idea this one random decision would launch an entirely new chapter of my life.

But first—let’s rewind.

Solomon’s first photo, moments after adoption

A few months earlier, I’d started working with a career coach.
Trying to figure out what I wanted next.
I didn’t know it then, but I was six months away from a major company layoff.

And my divorce had been finalized earlier in the year.
The adjustment was hard.
The silence was louder.

But credit to Angela, my coach—she cracked something open.
The exercise that did it:
“Describe your life 10 years from now.”

No rules. No limits.
Career, family, relationships, experiences—anything that mattered.

I grabbed a pen and started dreaming.

Near the top:
“I’ll have a dog at my side.”

And two months later?
Boom. Solomon.

From day one, we brought each other joy.
My son adored him too.
And somewhere in that whirlwind of fur and feelings, I had an epiphany:

If one thing on my ten-year vision happened in two months…
What else could happen?

So I went back to the list.
And I started moving.

That one small decision wasn’t small.
It was momentum. It was proof.
It was the spark that got me unstuck then—and still fuels me now.

So I’ll leave you with this:

Do you know what you want?
Good.
Now go get it. Full steam ahead.

Oscar (my son) and Solomon on their first walk together