Today I’m doing what I’ve done just four times before. I’m filing paperwork to create a new business. In this business I intend to engage as a coach, consultant, and facilitator with people, in service to their success. As a young CEO, in over my head, I reached out for a lot of coaching and human development experiences, and loved them. I still have multiple coaches and mentors. I’ve learned I can also be of service to others, and I love paying that forward.

Some people I admire have given me some very kind endorsements. And here’s some info about services I’m offering.

There’s a ton of uncertainty in what I’m starting, and I feel it. The outcomes were just as uncertain the last four times, and I felt it then too. Those turned out to be some of the best and most life-changing decisions I’ve made so far.

I’ve never regretted sucking up the fear and going forward into something I wanted to do. I don’t think you will regret doing that either. Cheers.

This is how the Sears store in my local mall looked this morning. All of a sudden, it’s empty. It’s sobering to me to see the slow fall of a once-dominant company.

Rise and fall is the pattern of history. What goes up must come down. As leaders we set out everyday to beat gravity for a little longer.

Let’s not be complacent based on past success. Let’s not pretend change will avoid us if we ignore it. Let’s be intentional about where we want to end up and what we want to do between the rise and the fall.

These three videos are hot off the presses from Paulos Group in Haiti. I’m privileged to be part of this work. Enjoy these glimpses of something special.

It comes from engagement. Trying things. Entering into relationships. Having conversations. Confronting conflicts.

Thinking can help us determine what questions we intend to answer.

Engaging gives us the information we need, and clarifies the questions.

After engaging, we reflect to find meaning in what we learned.

Thinking long and hard can be a cop out — avoiding the risks, and the clarity, that come with engagement.

A big thank you to Ishita Gupta for engaging with me and sharing her wisdom about this.

Edgar Papke is a speaker, consultant, and a remarkably generous mentor to me. I’m a big fan of his life’s work around how leaders can align customer emotion, brand strategy, company culture, and leadership style for exceptional results. His book, coming out now, offers a clear framework for understanding any organization, regardless of their strategy and style. It doesn’t advocate one style, it steps back and explains how each style fits particular competitive strategies best. Here’s a link to the book on Amazon.

I’ve been privileged to learn and practice the content of this book before it was a book – from speeches, workshops, and one-on-one conversations with Edgar. Because Edgar has more opportunities than he can fit in his schedule, I will also be presenting and consulting based on this book.

If you lead an organization I suggest you read this book. If you want to go deeper with it in your organization, I invite you to contact me. As always, my intention is to share what I’ve been given and contribute something to your success.