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Lessons learned, tricks and tips
It is only July, but I have already racked up quite a few flights to DTW (Detroit Wayne County) airport. I started off by flying out of San Antonio, but as it turns out, there are a lot more options if I head north and fly out of Austin. I always fly into Detroit so I have stuck with Delta as they have a huge hub out of that airport. As a part of my role I need to fly out to visit with my team a couple of times a month until we have built in the routines and performance and then fly out at least once a month.…
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35,000 feet above ground
It’s amazing how much thinking you can do when you’re flying above the clouds. I have been traveling now a couple of times a month from Texas to Michigan since March for my role with a new organization and it has truly been a learning experience. When I was little I used to travel by plane a few times a year, but I would say that the last two decades prior to this new role I have maybe gotten on an airplane 3 times. It is humbling to think about what human ingenuity and genius have been able to accomplish in such little time. I have been given a once…
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Fireplace Project
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A Most Thoughtful Gift
On my 39th birthday I received what is to date the most thoughtful gift I have gotten from any one of my siblings. My sister gave me a necklace. Not just any necklace, but a necklace that for me is the meaning behind what I have attempted to do my entire life…. LEAD. It is a necklace of meaning beyond words. “The necklace made me think of you, ” she said, “I’ve always looked at you as the leader of our family and the one we want to follow.” Life will at times throw you a curve ball, and it will even appear to be insurmountable. Believe in yourself, keep…
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Leather unlike any other
Over 10 years ago, my buddy Jordan gifted me a wallet. He told me that I would love it, and that it would last forever. I had been buying Fossil wallets since I was in high school and replaced them practically every year. Jordan told me that I would never buy another wallet again… but I did. The catch is that I bought another wallet by the same leather goods company because I loved the new design, not because I needed one. I also happened to own a briefcase, portfolio and various other goods from the same company. That company is Saddleback Leather from right here in the state of…
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A love everlasting
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2022 Is the start of something new
Last year was a whirlwind of change for my family and I. Sold our home, and were blessed with a third miracle to humble us and make us the parents of 3 beautiful children. Lucy was born on 8/20 and sparked a whole world of emotions. I realized for the third time in my life what an amazing thing it is to have babies in your home. The diapers, late nights, and having to learn zone defense are something I am soaking in every step of the way. The process of pregnancy and delivering a child into the world is something that I cannot even begin to imagine, I cannot…
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Sometimes you get a sign
You never know what impact your words will have on someone. I was going about my day a couple weeks ago, and had a conversation with someone that made me realize that people may actually care what I say. This person doesn’t fully know what a profound impact our conversation had on me. It was a simple comment about this site. Someone actually read what I had to say, and it lit a fire within me to keep going. It made me think about my role as a leader. Am I doing enough to appreciate my team? Do they know that I think about their futures and truly have their…
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Everybody has a story
One of the very basics in leadership in my opinion is understanding that we are all human beings. Never judge a book by its cover. It is the easy path to simply assume the whole based on the basic first glance, or first encounter, but people are multi-dimensional beings that transcend what is simply on the surface. If you really want to be a leader, know your people! If you want to be a great leader… care about them! As human beings we tend to worry and care about ourselves first, and then others. It is a basic survival instinct that has been passed down from our evolution. We know…
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Modern Pergola Build
Recently I realized that I do a lot of home improvement projects around the house and I decided that I would share and maybe help someone avoid the pitfalls we all go through and maybe get some good advice along the way. I spent about 2 weeks building the initial structure to include someone coming in to pour a cement slab. I used 6x6x16’and 2x4x16′ Douglas Fir rough cut beams. I found this company online TojaGrid, and loved their product! It shipped quickly and delivered the quality I expected. The only thing I will say is that I did not ensure that the wood I got was finished, so I…