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THE POWER OF AND
I realized something in a coaching session a while back. Not one I was running. One I was in. The realization was this. Earning income and expressing purpose are two separate things. I’d been treating them like the same thing. When you build a business around what you believe your purpose is, it’s easy to…
TWO ROLES ON THE TABLE
Two roles on the table. One pays $125K. Big title. Big responsibility. The other pays $75K. Smaller on paper. I asked him which one he’d take if both came through. No hesitation. The $75K. In a heartbeat. Not because he doesn’t want more money. Because the mission of that organization lines up with his purpose.…
THE FOG OF TRANSITION
I looked up one day and realized I should have more clarity than this. Four years at the Academy. 22 years active duty. Commanded a squadron. By any measure, a successful career. And yet I woke up in this new chapter asking myself, Why don’t I know exactly what to do every day? That’s what…
FIRST THINGS FIRST
One of the first realizations when you step into a new role or a new organization: What worked before isn’t going to be enough here. That’s uncomfortable. Because the habits, instincts, and expertise that got you here are still part of you. But the environment is different now. The context is different. The expectations are…
IT’S ALL LIFE
One phrase that stopped resonating with me over time: Work–life balance. I understand what people mean by it. But it assumes work and life are separate things. They’re not. It’s all life. If you’re working, that’s your life. If you’re with your family, that’s your life. If you’re leading a team or making decisions that…
LEADING CHANGE
Leading change isn’t just about new plans or structures. It’s about what happens when leaders feel pressure to act like they have all the answers, even when uncertain. In today’s Leadership Ready Room Chats, Tom and I talk about: • Communicating clearly what’s changing, why it’s changing, and what’s not • Admitting what you don’t…
WHEN SMALL THINGS FEEL HEAVY
You know that feeling when small things start to feel heavier than they should? You get frustrated by things that normally wouldn’t frustrate you. Little decisions take more energy than they should. For me, that’s usually the tell. Not that the team is the problem. But that I don’t actually know the best next step…
COPILOT
There’s a kind of uncertainty that feels familiar to me. I spent 22 years flying helicopters in the Navy. One of the biggest shifts wasn’t learning the controls. It was learning to fly when it wasn’t clear. Instrument flying is what you trust when your body is telling you one thing and reality is telling…
CLARIFY YOUR WHY
Why am I even doing this? Sound familiar? Have you spent years climbing the career ladder but never stopped to ask ‘why?’ I did after 17 years in the Navy. And what I realized changed everything. Committing to self-discovery and understanding my Blueprint was a game-changer. It allowed me to: Unearth the ‘why’ behind every…
DO YOU HAVE A SIDE BUSINESS?
Is a side business just about extra cash, or is it a gateway to personal and professional transformation? Beyond extra income, side businesses: 1. Offer a platform for self-reflection and realignment with one’s Blueprint. 2. Are integral to career and personal development. 3. Can complement and enhance overall performance at your primary job. A side…
PLAY YOUR OWN GAME
Are you playing your own game or getting lost in someone else’s? Compete with yourself, not the world. Play your own game. Here are 4 reasons: Embracing self-competition propels personal growth. It shifts focus from external benchmarks to internal progress. You avoid the exhausting race of constantly comparing with others. It nurtures a mindset of…
IS YOUR PATH CHOSEN? OR INHERITED?
There’s a pattern I keep running into. A lot of the paths we’re on weren’t really chosen. They were inherited. Encouraged. Rewarded. Modeled. And for a long time, they work. You’re productive. Capable. Even successful. Until there’s a quiet moment where something feels…off. Not wrong. Just unexamined. This clip captures how I’ve been thinking about…