I went quiet in the last quarter of last year. Not because there was nothing to say, but because I needed to listen more carefully to what the work had been telling me. I unplugged over the holidays in a way I hadn’t in a long time. No planning.
The pier has become one of my favorite waiting places. Yesterday, as my kid was at art class, I took a seat and just let myself breathe. The tide was coming in, pressing against the pilings, pulling back, and returning again. The water was brackish and greenish-brown, hard to see
I slipped away for a quiet weekend in St. Pete. No agenda. Just space to walk, think, create. It’s amazing what you notice when you slow down. Some people seek clarity through big questions or grand breakthroughs. Mine often arrive in the subtle, ordinary moments—the way light hits
I was driving through a rainstorm, wipers working overtime, water drumming on the roof. In my rearview mirror, a rainbow appeared, arching gently across the gray. A moment later, after a few turns, the rainbow was in front of me instead. It struck me how perfectly a rainbow captures the
Before our upcoming trip, I casually told my son, “Let’s make a mix tape.” He blinked. “A what?” “You know,” I said, “a collection of songs you compile for the road.” “Ohhh,” he said. “You mean… a playlist?” Same concept. Same intention. Different words. Different worlds. It reminded me
On a recent flight, I found myself seated behind a man whose voice was impossible to ignore. He wasn’t speaking to me—he was speaking across the aisle, over someone else, as if the rest of us simply weren’t there. Loud. Oblivious. Relentless. For two hours, the cabin
Sometimes, the smallest things reveal the biggest truths. A while back, I found myself in a negotiation—one that had unfolded carefully over several weeks. The terms were clear, the agreement nearly finalized. And then, a tiny detail surfaced. A technicality. A technicality so small it hardly seemed worth mentioning.
In my early days as an operator, I prided myself on being a generalist. I could build a deck, restructure a workflow, rally a cross-functional team, and troubleshoot an integration—often all in the same week. I wore many hats, not just willingly, but proudly. The speed, the variety, the
There’s a certain satisfaction in automating the repetitive. A few weeks ago, I decided to build a recurring reminder system for my team. Just a lightweight ping before our weekly meetings to make sure everyone remembers to upload their documents. Nothing fancy. Just a nudge. At first, I was
This weekend, I unplugged (for just a bit). Just me, my family, and our paddleboards gliding down the Santa Fe. It was one of those rare moments of peace—and insight. Watching my son gain confidence with each stroke, I noticed how his turns became more intentional, how he learned
You don’t see culture on a balance sheet. But it’s there. In missed deadlines. In regretted hires. In meetings that go in circles because no one feels safe enough to speak up. Culture is the invisible ledger every company keeps—whether they admit it or not. We talk
This weekend in the kitchen, my son picked a recipe that required chiffonading basil. He read up on the technique, determined to try it on his own. When I asked if he wanted me to show him first, he said no. A few attempts in, he realized it wasn’t
A few days ago, I spent hours trying to set up my tech stack to support my writing process. I needed a system where I could seamlessly capture insights, compile research, and organize notes before diving into writing. After exhausting all my troubleshooting ideas, I reached out to a friend.
A few weeks ago, I signed up for a painting class. I thought it would be a great bonding activity with my child—a way to glimpse into his world. I expected we would start with techniques and structure, learning the fundamentals before putting brush to canvas. But to my
This weekend, I learned something about leadership from an unexpected place: a dog bath. Every weekend, I take my pup to the dog park and give him a bath afterward. It’s part of our routine, a moment of bonding. And every weekend, my mother insists on helping me bathe
Like many leaders, I used to resist rest. I felt the need to fill every moment with purpose, to do the most good, to keep moving. Rest felt like a delay, an indulgence, an obstacle to progress. But over time, my relationship with rest evolved. I came to understand that
A lemon, a microplane, and a moment of insight. Who knew these could hold the key to operations excellence? Small changes—whether in the kitchen or in an organization—can lead to big results. In my kitchen, where meal prep often doubles as bonding time with my tween child, this
It was a cold morning, and I arrived at my Barre class only to find I was the sole attendee. What might have been a canceled session instead turned into an unexpected private lesson. The routine itself was familiar, but what stood out was the precision of the experience. With
This morning, we woke up to a ground frosted white. My child, peering outside, remarked that if he hadn’t seen snow before, he might have thought it was snow. His observation lingered with me, a quiet reminder of how easily we can mistake one thing for another when we
This reflection was inspired by a post from Milly Tamati, who beautifully highlighted the historical roots of January 1st as the start of the year. While it has become a cultural norm, for many, the weight of unfinished goals or the residual fatigue of the previous year can make it
Today, I returned to the dojo after a 15-day holiday break. The energy in the room was palpable, but something was off. Forms were loose, stances needed correction, and reminders of focus and discipline were in order. As I coached the kids, it struck me: this wasn’t just about
As a child, one of my favorite activities was watching clouds with my parents. Those fluffy shapes could transform into anything—dragons, gummy bears, or some cartoon character—if I let my imagination take over. Now, I share this joy with my son, continuing a tradition that bridges generations. It’
Frost clings to branches. Morning light ignites the sky. Fire warms frozen ground. Haikus capture life’s essence in three short lines, distilling a moment into 17 syllables. They’re a celebration of simplicity, presence, and clarity—and they hold surprising lessons for leadership. I’ve always been fascinated by
Too often, they’re forgotten—or worse, they drag your team down. But ignoring last year’s OKRs could set your team up for failure this year. Reflection and recalibration are the keys to turning last year’s goals into stepping stones for the future. This reminds me of a