Aspens
At our cabin, Carlyn and I love sitting on the deck and watching the quaking aspens, their leaves shimmering and dancing in the wind. If it wasn't for the whining dog and screaming child, we could do it for hours. The thing about aspens is that they don’
Trust Battery
Think of trust like a battery. When you start a new job, that battery shouldn’t be empty or full — it should be somewhere in the middle. Enough juice to give you a fair chance to prove yourself, but not so much that anyone’s betting the company on day
Systems
Systems are everywhere. Your job is a system. Your house is a system. Your car, your company, your investments—systems. I’m German. Systems are our love language. But here’s the thing: if you don’t manage them, systems turn into headaches, heartaches, and liabilities in no time. At
Philosophy
People who have a philosophy on life live a richer life. I don't know if that's true, but I believe it. Why? Because a life philosophy doesn't emerge from isolation – it develops through a combination of learning and experiences. Each new insight and adventure
Overpowered
I drive an old car. I mean not that old. But like 20 years old. To maximize the value I get from that car, I installed a new Apple Carplay stereo and remote starter. It seemed like a great idea. Plug in my phone. Listen to podcasts. Start my car
Loser's Game
I love to play ping pong. It's social. It's fun. It's fast. I'm a top 100 player here in Missoula, Montana. When I tell people ping pong is a loser's game for me, they usually react like: 'Come on,
Tension
People don't like tension. It makes you uncomfortable. It pushes you outside your comfort zone. Something is supposed to be easy, and then along comes tension - now you're having to work hard, deal with conflict, have tough conversations, speak in public, feel like an imposter,
Runway
Early in my career, I quit a full-time job at a mediocre ad agency to become an unpaid intern in a world-class ad agency. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I had been saving judiciously to be able to make this move by living
Belonging
One of the truest truths of being human is that we all want and need to belong in some way or shape. Functioning families are a great example of people belonging. Sadly, oftentimes, people who don't have a functional family are more likely to fall prey to all
Ambulance
I've only been the key actor in the back of an ambulance once, and hopefully, I won't find myself in that situation for a long time. It appeared to be a life-or-death situation, but fortunately, it wasn't. I'll never forget being carried