Awesomeness Abounds

What if some of the best memories in your life are the ones you decide to create? Sometimes an opportunity appears that is completely unnecessary, completely spontaneous, and completely worth it. In this episode, I’m sharing one of my favorite memories: the time I booked a last-minute flight to surprise my mom for her birthday. What started as a random thought before Labor Day turned into an early...

What if making life a little better didn't require changing your life at all? Sometimes, the difference between ordinary and awesome is incredibly small. In this episode, we're talking about pens. Really good pens. From an unfortunate encounter with Barbie-pink meeting notes to a beautiful fountain pen inspired by Starry Night , we'll explore why the little things we use every day can matter more...

What if everyone says something is great, but you just don’t see it? In this episode, I share an unexpected lesson I learned in an Intro to Fine Arts class from a famous piece of abstract art that, honestly, I couldn’t stand. When I was assigned to compare three pieces of abstract art, one of them completely baffled me. Instead of pretending to appreciate it because it was famous, I wrote an essay...

What if one of the best experiences of your life isn't part of the plan? In this episode, I share the story of an Iceland adventure that involved an unexpected volcanic eruption, three kilometers of ankle-breaking terrain, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and one of the most incredible things I've ever witnessed. When a volcano erupted shortly before my trip, a tour I'd already booked suddenly...

What good is learning something if it never changes anything? There are stacks of books on my bedroom floor. Leadership. Psychology. Biography. Philosophy. Business. Travel. Fiction. The Bible. Books I'm reading, books I'm going to read, and books that haven't quite made it onto the shelf yet. Some people are bookworms who devour books. Others are "book dragons" who collect them. Apparently, I'm a...

When did growing up start meaning we had to stop acting like kids? There’s something about snow that seems to transform adults. The roads may be messy, the driveway may need shoveling, and work still needs to get done, but somewhere underneath all those responsibilities is a voice yelling: “SNOW DAY!” Maybe we should listen to that voice a little more often. In this episode, we explore the differe...

What happens when the textbook answer about leadership doesn't match the needs of the actual person standing in front of you? Leadership principles matter. Frameworks matter. Policies matter. But people aren't multiple-choice questions, and real leadership gets complicated when abstract principles collide with actual human beings. In this episode, I share a lesson I learned during a leadership cla...

What do you do when your thoughts start feeling bigger than the world around you? Sometimes the answer isn’t to think harder. Sometimes you need to go somewhere that reminds you just how big the world really is. In this episode, we explore the power of perspective through a story from a trip out West, walking through an ancient river channel surrounded by enormous walls of rock. Standing there, fe...

What if the secret to extraordinary results is doing ordinary things over and over again? In this episode, we explore the power of consistency and why discipline is often far less exciting than people expect. Inspired by a quote from Craig Groeschel, we examine the idea that successful people aren't necessarily doing extraordinary things every day. They're simply doing the right things consistentl...

What if the thing you're afraid of isn't dangerous at all... just unfamiliar? In this episode, we explore the idea of "standing on the edge" and what happens when we intentionally step outside our comfort zones. Through stories of skydiving, hiking in Canyonlands National Park, and a lifelong agreement with her dad to text, "I'm alive," after every adventure, we examine the relationship between fe...

What if the key to better teamwork isn't finding people who think like you, but finding people who don't? In this episode, we explore a powerful lesson inspired by a Danish legend and a visit to Kronborg Castle. What began as a travel experience and the discovery of Denmark's sleeping hero, Holger the Dane, became a deeper reminder about human perspective, culture, and understanding. Every person...

What if the very thing that makes you extraordinary is something you can never turn off? In this episode, we explore a simple comic strip, an unexpected gift in the mail, and a life lesson that has become a personal philosophy: There is no kill switch on awesome. From a nickname earned years ago, "Captain Awesomeness," to a Dilbert comic that still sits proudly on a desk today, this episode dives...

What matters more: making an impression or making an impact? In this episode, we explore a powerful idea that challenges the way many of us think about success, leadership, and influence: "Kings make a larger impression, but servants make a larger impact." We live in a culture that often celebrates titles, recognition, and visibility. But when we look closely at the people who truly change organiz...

What if one of the most powerful tools for personal growth is something you see every single morning? In this episode, we explore how a simple feature on an alarm clock became an unexpected lesson about motivation, identity, and intentional living. What started as curiosity and a habit of "pressing all the buttons" led to a discovery that transformed an ordinary morning routine into a daily source...

What does real bravery actually look like? In this episode, we explore a powerful lesson from an unexpected source: a hiker who was terrified of heights. While hiking to Inspiration Point in Grand Teton National Park, she faced one of her biggest fears every step of the way. She wasn't fearless. She wasn't confident. She simply kept moving forward. Her story challenges the way most of us think abo...

What if the scratches, scars, and worn-out places in your life are actually evidence that you're living it the way it was meant to be lived? In this episode, we explore an unexpected life lesson that came from an old pair of hiking boots. After years of adventures, difficult trails, and miles of exploration, the boots were torn, scratched, and full of holes. Before throwing them away, one simple p...

What if the moments that shape us most are the ones we never planned for? In this episode, we explore a simple experience from a trip to Boston that became a lasting reminder about attention, presence, and the unexpected moments that stay with us. While the famous landmarks, historic sites, and planned activities made the trip memorable, one unplanned encounter stood above the rest: standing benea...

What if failure isn't the thing standing between you and success, but the thing helping you get there? In this episode, we explore a powerful idea inspired by Ray Dalio's Principles: the cycle of setting ambitious goals, failing, learning, improving, and trying again. While most people try to avoid failure, some of the most successful individuals understand that failure is often the mechanism thro...

What if the way you take a vacation reveals more about your character than the work you do every day? In this episode, we explore a simple but powerful lesson learned early in a professional career: Vacation is earned three times. First when you earn the time off, then when you prepare others before you leave, and finally when you return and take ownership of getting back up to speed. What begins...

What if the thing you're struggling with today becomes the foundation of your future success? In this episode, we explore a personal story about being behind in math as a fourth grader and how that experience eventually led to studying mechanical engineering, working as a mechanical designer, and even earning recognition in a published mathematics textbook. Many people assume that being behind mea...

What makes confidence grow faster: experience, or having someone show you the way? In this episode, we explore an unexpected teacher: a giant office plotter named Big Bertha . What started as an intimidating piece of equipment became a lesson in learning, asking questions, documenting knowledge, and helping others succeed. Many of us face our own version of Big Bertha: a new role, a complicated sy...

What do you do when you're surrounded by unfamiliar words, unfamiliar processes, and unfamiliar expectations? In this episode, we explore a simple lesson learned while navigating subway systems in Washington, D.C., New York City, and eventually Saint Petersburg, Russia. The experience revealed an important truth: you don't always need to understand every word before you can start making progress....

What if your favorite food isn't really about the food at all? In this episode, we explore the powerful connection between food, memories, relationships, and the moments that shape our lives. What starts with a simple pumpkin chocolate chip muffin becomes a reflection on family traditions, childhood memories, hospitality, and the importance of slowing down long enough to connect with the people ar...

Are you staying busy... or are you being intentional? In this episode, we explore a phrase that often gets a laugh: "I'm staying busy and staying out of trouble." But the trouble we're talking about isn't breaking laws or bending rules. It's the everyday distractions that quietly steal our focus, energy, and purpose. From gossip and comparison to endless scrolling and wasted emotional energy, we'l...

What would change if you truly believed you only get one life? In this episode, we explore a powerful mindset shift: living intentionally rather than drifting through life on autopilot. While many people spend years waiting for the perfect moment, meaningful lives are built by those who choose to act now, even when circumstances aren't ideal. This conversation challenges us to reconsider how we're...