Once You See It

I recently found out that one of my friends is taking her family abroad this summer. Not some fancy adventure to Europe, but a deeply cultural experience in a place most Americans will ever see. "This will change your kids' lives forever!" I exclaimed. She wholeheartedly agreed.

Something powerful happens when we see parts of the world that are extremely foreign to us. When we leave our little bubble and get a glimpse of the bigger picture, it has the potential to melt our minds. Everything we know and believe can be turned upside down in a matter of days.

I didn't have one of these experiences until my 30s, but when I did, it permanently shifted my life forever. It's one of the reasons my family lives in a one-bathroom house and drives aging vehicles. No matter how we live here in our bubble, we're rich. Period. There's no way around it. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

People are hurting. People are sick. People are hungry. People are cold. People are hot. People are unsafe. Yet, here we are, whining that our house isn't big enough, our cars not new enough, our clothes not sylish enough, and our technology not fast enough.

Here's a thought that often crosses my mind. If I had the choice between improving my family's standard of living and helping hundreds (possibly thousands) of people attain a livable standard of living, which would I choose? It turns out, we have that choice every day of our lives. It's easy to think we don't actually make that choice, but not making a choice is still making a choice.

This isn't meant to elicit guilt. Guilt is a terrible master. Rather, this is my encouragement for each family to seek out new perspectives. Let's step out of our bubbles and truly see what's going on around us. Let's get uncomfortable. Let's challenge ourselves to open our eyes. Let's get an up-close view of how the rest of the world lives. Then, and only then, can we be in a position to make some of these difficult choices (without guilt!).

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Systems and Standards

One of my friends, a fellow business owner, recently asked me what our goals are at Northern Vessel. We've never actually set any goals. In fact, we never discuss goals. There's no set of expectations for what we'd like to accomplish. Instead, it's more aspirational, directional. Continue to push the boundaries of excellence and find ways to exhibit hospitality in new and unexpected ways. To what end? No end. We're seeking the journey, not the destination.

This entire conversation reminds me of a quote I heard about a decade ago. "We don't rise to our goals. We fall to our systems and standards."

The NFL is a great example. All 32 teams start the season with the same goal: to win the Super Bowl. However, only one team will accomplish that goal. It's not that one team has a better, more cemented goal. Rather, a handful of teams simply have better systems and standards. Eventually, through the ebbs and flows of the season, each team falls to its systems and standards, and the team with the best systems and standards (plus a little luck) prevails.

Systems and standards. That's something we obsess about at Northern Vessel. It's an ongoing discussion with our team. It's a never-ending pursuit that impacts every guest interaction and every drink we prepare.

Saturday was the second week of the Des Moines Farmers' Market, the country's second-largest market. I heard there were north of 25,000 people present. Our team was excited and well-prepared. After spending three years obsessing about our systems and standards (including building our wonderful team), they are clearer now than ever.

I've attended many market Saturdays, and it never ceases to amaze me how locked-in and excellent the team is. Despite a seemingly unending line stretching 100+ people deep, our team strives to meet each guest with enthusiasm and hospitality. This week, the team served one drink approximately every 13 seconds for 5 hours. It's a pace that still boggles my mind, and I'm continually grateful for every person who decides to spend part of their market Saturday engaging with us. It's never lost on me, nor do I ever take it for granted, when a market patron decides to get into a coffee line (for a vendor that sells just one drink option) that wraps around the block.

I still feel like I need to do a better job at setting goals, but every time I feel that wave of guilt, I come back to the idea of systems and standards. The relentless pursuit of excellence. I don't know where we'll be a year from now, but regardless of what that looks like, I hope the systems and standards are higher than ever, we pursue an even grander version of excellence, and the hospitality pushes the boundaries more than ever.

Systems and standards. Whatever you're jumping into this week, please keep this in the back of your mind. We'll all eventually fall to our systems and standards, so we ought to raise them in the meantime.

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For What?

I received a question from a blog reader after yesterday's post. I don't know this man personally, but based on my handful of e-mail interactions, I respect him a lot. He's very insightful and always brings wisdom to the conversation. I also know by now that his intentions are always honest. Therefore, when he asked me a fairly intense question, I received it with the utmost respect and care.

In short, he asked why I'm so personally interested in my investments. It would appear to be an obvious answer, culturally and financially speaking, but he added some additional context based on my prior content:

• I don't believe in retirement.

• I don't plan to leave my children a large inheritance.

• I believe and practice joyful and sacrificial generosity.

• I'm anti-hoarding

• I don't care to "build wealth."

• Money, stuff, and status don't interest me.

Therefore, his sincere question has so much merit. If all that is true (and I testify that it is), why do I personally care about having investments? He didn't say this, but based on the fact pattern I shared above, it's possible that I'm a liar, a hypocrite, or don't quite follow the principles I teach. Again, this is me saying this (not my friend!). Why, then, do I personally care about investments?

I responded to his message, but after pondering it more, I thought it might make for an interesting blog post. Why do I believe all those things above, yet still have personal investments?

It's a two-part answer:

• A day will come when I'm no longer physically or mentally able to do good work. I hope that time doesn't arrive until my 80s, but it will most certainly arrive at some point. When that happens, I want to ensure we can financially care for ourselves.

• A day might come when I leave this planet before Sarah does. Statistically, men typically die sooner than women. As such, I want to make sure Sarah will be financially cared for after my passing.

Both of these factors lead me to pursue investment assets that can someday achieve one or both of these objectives. Something interesting happens along the way, though, when we perceive retirement investing through this atypical lens. The math looks different, easier. When you won't need retirement funds until later in life, the math says we need to contribute less money for a shorter period of time (since the wonders of compounding have more years to cook).

What that means in my household is that nearly eight years ago, we realized that if we are good stewards and ensure our investments are well managed, we might not need to contribute much more (if any) to meet our two long-term goals stated above. In other words, we're probably going to (eventually) be fine with what we already have invested, so investing more would only serve our own materialism, pride, or selfish endeavors.

Therefore, we made a very odd but definitive decision approximately eight years ago. We will commit to never investing again. No more contributions. No more pushing. No more building. No more more. Enough is enough because enough is enough.

It's a weird journey to follow, and oftentimes difficult given my strong bend toward finance and "winning," but living life with an external focus rewires our souls. It connects us to people unlike anything else I can compare. I'm not necessarily advocating that people try to adopt this way of viewing life, but perhaps it will give you something interesting to ponder today.

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The Line

Yesterday's post drew the ire of many. Well, one excerpt, anyway: "I don't care to sell things that can be shared. Several of these possessions have added value to my life, and now they can add value to someone else's. That's how we're created to live, not peddling our used stuff for cents on the dollar."

That one comment fired up the comment train. I partially saw this coming, as the mere idea of not selling our possessions when parting ways with them is a countercultural approach. Several people applauded this mentality, while many others criticized it. One curious reader asked a really thought-provoking question:

"Where's the line? How far do you take this? At what point would you stop giving something away and sell it instead?"

I haven't thought about this question, specifically, but I do have a very clear answer: a house. For Sarah and me, the line is a house. We will sell a house. Everything below that shall be given away. The last two cars we parted ways with were given, not sold. Well, in the case of Sarah's previous vehicle, the recipient insisted on paying us $500, which we honored. No trade-ins. We have something of value, and it served us well for a season of life. Now, we get to share it with someone else; the cycle continues.

When we sold our four-bedroom house and moved into a small two-bedroom townhome, nearly everything was given away. 2/3 of all our furniture. All the lawn equipment. The patio set. My home office. Most of the decor. Each of those interactions with the excited recipients was a gift. I remember the looks on their faces. The relief in their eyes. The gratitude in their voices. That's worlds better than selling something on Facebook Marketplace for pennies on the dollar.

I get it, this is a weird way to live. It's a stretch. It feels like we're leaving money on the table....because, well, we are. However, it's not about money. It's about carrying a posture of possession, not ownership. I possess objects in my life, but I'm not the ultimate owner. He is. That's what it looks like when we actually live in faith. We are called to give from what we have, and uniquely enough, what we have is what we have. Therefore, give it. Give it freely. Give it joyfully. Give it sacrificially.

I dare you to give it a try. Start small. Find something you value, and give it to someone else. It will mess with you in the best of ways. Then, watch how it changes you.

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Ignore the Bar

“The bar has never been lower.” It’s a saying my friend TJ and I talk about often. We live in a society where the bar, the standard, the excellence, continues to diminish by the day. We settle for mediocrity because, well, mediocrity is often one of the few choices available.

Frankly, I don't care what the bar is. The bar sucks. The bar is a fraud. "Industry standards" and “best practices” are buzzwords to justify complacency and apathy.

I live in a town with 197 restaurants, according to Google. Competition is high, and businesses are fighting for attention, yet the bar remains low. Restaurants regularly offer a medioce product, inconsistent results, bad service, and virtually no hospitality, nonsensical pricing, and then play the victim card when they eventually close their doors. There are definitely some solid places in my town, but so many are missing the mark. The bar has never been lower.

That's why what happened to my family yesterday stands out even more. We were out of town for a lacrosse game. After the frigid game concluded, Sarah suggested we find a restaurant to celebrate. Problem: There were virtually no restaurants between the game and our city. I pulled up Google Maps to see what I could find. Interestingly, there was a town of 1,000 people nearby, and the only restaurant in the town was rated a 4.7 (which is typically a pretty high mark for a restaurant).

We were hungry, so why not?!?! From the moment we walked in, we had a stellar experience. The building was old, but clean. The parking lot was full. Our server was beyond friendly. The drinks and food came out quickly. Drinks were refilled like clockwork. The prices were good. The food was perfectly executed. The staff had a posture of gratitude for us stopping in. In other words, they crushed it!

In a town with 197 restaurants, steep competition, and nearly endless options, the bar is low. Yet, in a town of 1,000, with ZERO competition, the bar is high. This little restaurant ignored the bar and decided "good enough" isn't good enough. This is exactly how small business should be done. I don't know anything about this business other than what I experienced yesterday, but I wish I could shake that owner's hand. Well done!

We (you, me, and everyone we have some level of influence on) need to ignore the bar. We shouldn't care what everyone else is doing. We shouldn't care what's good enough. Instead, we should reestablish the bar. Set a new standard. Raise expectations to a new level. There are two modes by which to live life: Follow along or carve a different path. When it comes to excellence, I suggest we carve a new path. Following the crowd is like discovering a chunk of fool's gold. It looks valuable at first glance, but once you look a bit closer, you realize you lost.

Provide excellence. Demand excellence. Force a higher bar.

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Where’s a DeLorean When We Need One?

I taught three high school classes last week. My favorite part of any talk is always the Q&A at the end. As the frequency of questions started to diminish, I said, "We have time for a few more questions. C'mon, guys, give me something spicy. Spicy is good."

A young lady on my far left raised her hand. "What is your net worth?"

I said spicy....I didn't mean SPICY!!!! That one caught me off guard, as it's the first time I've ever been asked that publicly. I froze for a second. What do I say? What do I say? What do I say?

"Wow, that was spicy! I don't feel comfortable answering that." Then I moved on.

A missed opportunity! Of everything I experienced last week, that was my biggest regret. I beat myself up for hours! I had such a beautiful opportunity there, and I whiffed. I could have shared something profoundly important, but I didn't. I could nearly see Reggie Miller giving me the choke sign like I was Spike Lee at MSG (IYKYK!).

If I could step into my DeLorean and get a do-over, this is what I'd say:

I'm not going to share my net worth, and here's why. Sharing numbers like that one is the quickest way to spiral into the curse of comparison. Either my number is higher than yours, and you're jealous, or my number is lower than yours, and you judge me as less than. Either way, nothing good can come from it.

Net worth is a great way to keep score.....if we're basing our measuring stick on the world's way. Instead, I tend to measure success by how intentionally and meaningfully someone is living their life. Do they wake up every day excited for what's to come? Are they making a difference? Do they find meaning in their work? Do they lie their head on their pillow at night knowing they left it all on the field? Some of the most successful people I know have low net worths, and some of the biggest failures I know have huge net worths.

I do find value in net worth, but only through the lens of that particular individual. In fact, I make every client track their net worth each time we meet. NOT because that's the ultimate goal, but rather, because it's usually a solid barometer to understand if they are or are not achieving their desired goals. It's a tell; it's not the be-all end-all. If a couple is trying to get out of debt, there should be a natural increase in net worth over time as the debt is paid down. If someone is starting a business, there should be a natural increase in the value of that business as NOI improves. In other words, net worth makes a good comparison tool under the same roof, not under different roofs.

Lastly, and most importantly, net worth measurements have a negative correlation with the greatest use of money: generosity. A decade ago, Sarah and I made the decision to give away every single penny we have. Nothing is ours. Everything is to be shared. The natural outcome for this way of life is that our net worth will eventually dwindle to zero. That's a weird way to perceive life, but I enjoy the dwindling more than I do the building.

I'd do anything for a DeLorean right now! Have a great day, all!

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New Fear Unlocked

It's been a few months since I've been scared out of my mind. One would think I'm finally on the other side of crushing fear, but alas, here we are again. Tomorrow, I'll be leading a 4-hour workshop for 25+ Christian non-profit organizations; some of the most prominent, impactful organizations in my state. The topic of the workshop: The relentless pursuit of God-honoring excellence.

As I was telling Sarah about the workshop, she asked a very innocent question: "How much of those four hours will you be on stage? 30 minutes? An hour?"

"All 4 hours! It's literally just me!"

Her eyes got really, really big; I think she got scared for me! I don't blame her. This is far bigger than me. Heck, I should be in the audience learning from some of these organizations. I look up to many of these people and would be honored to sit in front of them for four hours to learn. Yet, here we are, in reversed roles, with them in the chairs and me on stage with a microphone. Yeah, you bet I'm terrified!

I'm about to reach the point where I wonder why I said "yes" to this. My life would be so much simpler, safer, and stress-free had I NOT signed up for this endeavor. I could have avoided the risk of utter failure. I could have eliminated the possibility of letting people down. I could have reduced the risk of a massive heart attack striking me at any moment.

There's a shadow side to that, though. Saying "no" would have removed any possibility I have of making a difference, moving the needle, or otherwise positively impacting people. Saying "no" would have been an intentional forfeiture of my opportunity and responsibility to use my skills, experience, and insights to serve others. Saying "no" would have debilitated my ability to gain experience and personally grow.

No, I'm not a fan of my heart possibly ripping through my chest, and I'd sure appreciate a full night's sleep (instead of restless hours and constant nightmares), but I couldn't be more grateful or excited for this opportunity.

Have you recently experienced self-inflicted terror? If so, congrats, as both you and the world are better for you having done that. If not, perhaps now is as good a time as any to say "yes" to something bigger than you. Unlock something totally new within you. Make an impact. Use whatever experience, talent, insight, and wisdom you have to offer the world. It might suck in the lead-up (and maybe even in the moment!), but you'll soon look back as one of the most wonderful decisions of your life.

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Tank Filler

The last few days have felt like a mental and emotional beating. Nothing significant happened, but everything involved in my days fell on the difficult side of the ledger. My tank was running low. That's when I decided to do something that nobody should do on an empty tank: aimlessly scroll TikTok. However, what I stumbled into filled my tank to the brim.

I found a series of videos of a man who approached homeless people and asked if they would like to come over to his house for dinner. Over and over and over again, people were creeped out by this invitation. Some politely declined, while others reacted rudely. In each video, though, someone accepted the invitation.

It wasn't as simple and streamlined as dinner, though. The man behind the camera tried to meet people right where they were. One man expressed his embarrassment at only having the clothes on his back. Immediately, the generous man decided to swing by Target on the way to dinner so he could pick out some clothes: pants, shirt, shoes, socks, underwear.....an entire outfit. The homeless man was stunned.

As soon as they arrived at the stranger's house, he invited the man to enjoy a hot shower. Some time later, the homeless man stepped out of the bathroom looking clean and refreshed, with a giant smile on his face. Then, they shared a homemade meal together. Toward the end of the video, the homeless man said, "I've never had an experience like this before."

It was simple. It was unique. It was powerful. These videos moved me so deeply. It reminds me of the biblical principle that we're called to give from what we have, not from what we don't have. We all have something to give, and all it takes is keeping our eyes open and being willing to step in when the moment arises. Or, better yet, seek the moment.

Each of us has something to give, and in our own unique ways. We don't have to copy the generosity of others (such as the man in these videos). Rather, we need to find our own generosity journey. Who we serve and how we serve them is one of the greatest Rubik's Cubes of life. It might seem confounding at first, but after some intentionality and repetition, we discover another side of ourselves that we never knew existed. It's one of life's greatest opportunities, greatest responsibilities, and greatest joys.

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Anti Tipping Fatigue

Years ago, I realized I was living with a conflict of interest. On the one hand, I love dining out so much that I want to maximize the number of times I can do so each month. On the other hand, I like to be extraordinarily generous with my tipping. The tension between these two desires is that the larger I tip, the more I spend on dining out, the fewer times I get to dine out. See my dilemma?!?!

That's when I came up with a little hack I'm about to show you. If I give a normal-ish tip (call it 20%), that comes from our Dining Out category, as any normal restaurant meal would. However, if I decide to go big on my tip (for whatever reason), that tip comes from our Other Giving category. Now that I had a resolution for my constant conflict of interest, it unlocked a new gear in our giving rhythms.

Having this newfound outlet for giving opened so many doors for Sarah and I. We started keeping our eyes open for special opportunities to move the needle in someone's day/life. It gave us additional reps to exercise our giving muscles. It created powerful little moments to engage people in a direct and meaningful way. It forced us to keep giving at the forefront of our daily lives. In other words, this little hack to unlock more and better dining experiences surprisingly played a revolutionary role in building our heart for joyful, sacrificial generosity.

I couldn't recommend this enough. In a culture where people are experiencing tipping fatigue, push the pendulum all the way to the other side via outlandish giving through the lens of tipping. When most servers are expecting to be neglected, shine an even brighter light on their good work.

Wanna feel alive today? Go out to eat at a local restaurant. When you wrap up your meal and leave the tip, walk out of the restaurant (out of sight) and watch your server’s knees buckle as they discover what you just did. You don't need a thank you, acknowledgment, or a pat on the back. You just smile, get in your car, drive away, and know that you might have made a difference in that person's life today. If you ask me, there's nothing better we can spend our money on than that.

Wanna get on the other side of tipping fatigue? Use tipping to create impact on this world, one dining experience at a time.

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Different, But Valuable

During a recent conversation with a friend, I was asked about the podcast, blog, speaking, coffee shop, and other consulting work I do. In short, this friend was applauding my contribution to the world, but then immediately began lamenting that they don't have anything worthwhile to offer. What?!?!

This friend is absolutely brilliant, and ultimately, I'd argue, has the potential to make a much bigger impact on the world than I. To me, this person is a legend!!! I wish I had even a fraction of this person's composure and intellect. Therefore, you can only imagine how confused I was when this individual lamented that they wished they had something to offer the world as I do.

This is the poisonous consequence of comparison. It's so easy to compare ourselves to other people, putting their skills and talents on a pedestal, while simultaneously demeaning our own. My friend does it, I do it, and you probably do it, too.

Every single one of us has something valuable to offer the world. It might be different than mine or other people in your life, but just as valuable! If I can convince people of one thing, it's this. Every single person has something valuable to offer, and if that's true, we have an opportunity and responsibility to share it.

For years, I sat around unfairly comparing myself to other people who were making a difference. If I only had his humor! If I only had his education! If I only had his good looks. If I only had his height. If I only had his wealth. If I only had his connections. If I only had his stage presence. In the midst of my wallowing and self-pity, I sat on the sidelines, not sharing my gifts with the world. What a shame!!!!

Therefore, I'm the biggest advocate for people to share their gifts with the world. Yeah, you might suck at first. You might be terrible. But doing something poorly is the admission price to eventually doing it well. We all start somewhere, but where we start isn't where we finish......that's why it's called the start.

Some of you need to hear this today. Some of you have been sitting on your gifts for years, even decades. Perhaps today is the day to get over yourself, quit comparing your gifts to other people's, and start sharing your gifts with the world. I don't know what that looks like, but I bet you do.

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A Packed House

We celebrated the life and mourned the passing of my friend Chuck yesterday. It was one of the most beautiful services I've ever attended.

Typically, large funeral services are reserved for the young, the tragic, and dignitaries. At nearly 70 years old, my friend Chuck was none of those. However, as Sarah and I walked into the sanctuary, we were met with a packed house. I don't mean to sound hyperbolic, but attendance was closer to 1,000 than not. Anyone and everyone was there. As I scanned the crowd, I saw so many people that I never would have guessed even knew Chuck. People from all different areas of my life, gathering for a common purpose: To honor, celebrate, and say goodbye to an amazing man.

The irony of yesterday's service is that Chuck never lived in the spotlight. He was best known for his behind-the-scenes work, or, as I often think of it, leading from behind. He was the epitome of humility and God-honoring integrity, modeling it in every area of his life. One of the biggest lessons I've ever learned from him is that you don't need to be the loudest voice to make an impact. All that's required of us is to use whatever we have to serve those around us.

For Chuck, impact was the result of one conversation, one interaction, one act of service, one relationship at a time. For decades, he quietly moved the needle in people's lives. The result? Thousands of people mourn his loss. Thousands of people celebrate having known him. Thousands of people are better off for having learned from him. Thousands of people laugh as they share stories about him.

Chuck taught me one more thing yesterday. I want to live a life that warrants a packed house. I want to use whatever I have to serve others well. I want to live with humility and know that moving the needle in small ways can yield a large impact. I won't soon forget what I saw and experienced yesterday, and that's a great thing.

Chuck, you will be missed. Chuck, you will be remembered. Chuck, we will continue to share stories and laugh. Chuck, your impact will be felt for generations. Well done, good and faithful servant.

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The Minions Learned the Hard Way

Like every spring, the tornadoes are upon us here in the Midwest. When the crazy storms hit the other night, and the kids experienced their predictable freak-out, we gathered in the basement to ease their fears. I took advantage of that time by snuggling with them in the guest bedroom and watching a movie on the portable projector: Minions!

I hadn't seen that movie in ages, and as expected, it was silly. Something stood out to me, though. In the opening scene, the Minions bounced from serving one evil entity to the next. From the T-Rex, to ancient Egypt, to Napoleon. Then, while between evil masters, they found refuge in this little utopic ice den. They created a sanctuary for themselves, built beautiful shelters, and lived their lives in comfort and safety.

Then, something happened. They got depressed. Too much of a good thing became a very not good thing. Endless fun, games, relaxation, and safety lost their luster, and they literally became depressed. The narrator stated, "Without a master, they had no purpose." In their world, a master represented a boss, and through the boss, they had work. Without work, they had no purpose. They didn't need money. It wasn't a necessary evil (no pun intended). Work wasn't a means to an end. The work, in and of itself, was the meaning.

I think this is such a beautiful metaphor for what we talk about on this blog and on the podcast. Work has meaning; it matters. We weren't created to be idle, living our little lives of leisure. We were created to be productive, add value, and pursue purpose. Sure, we're probably not all called to serve evil villains, but we're called to serve someone. We're probably not called to steal the British Royal Family's Crown Jewels, but we are called to be productive in some other ways.

Leisure is great, in doses. Comfort is great, in doses. Relaxation is great, in doses. All of these things are tremendously valuable, and equally important......in doses. However, when they become THE pillars of our lives, we lose meaning and purpose.

The Minions learned the hard way, but luckily, we don't have to. Meaning and purpose can take a million different shapes, but I guarantee it looks different than the endless pursuit of leisure, comfort, and relaxation.

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To What End?

I wrote two other pieces this morning, neither of which may ever see the light of day. Ultimately, they seemed a little too spicy. While I'm not opposed to pushing a little harder and risking a mini wave of unsubscribes, I always try to ask myself an important question: "To what end?"

We live in a culture that tells us to say anything and everything we want. Say it like it is. Be honest, even if it hurts. Say what needs to be said. Stand up for what you believe in. Draw a line in the sand. We've taken those sentiments and ratcheted them to an entirely new level. We'll verbally bludgeon someone into the dirt if we disagree with their opinion about Taco Bell's newest menu item! There's no limit to the amount of spouting off we do these days. But to what end?

Yes, I like to challenge people. Yes, I regularly push against our culture. Yes, I'm constantly trying to bend the needle for what we consider normal. However, it doesn't do any good for me (or anyone!) to just spout off with any and every comment imaginable.

Here's a rhetorical question. How many people do you think have completely changed their minds about a topic after seeing a loved one write a long, scathing social media post about how terrible someone or something else is? Very few, I'd suspect. Why, then, are we all so quick to burn all the bridges in the name of "standing up for what we believe in?"

Yes, we should stand up for what we believe in. There are some versions of that taking shape every day when I write this blog and record the podcast. But just lighting a torch on people isn't an effective approach. Sure, it might feel good for a few hours, but then we have to clean up the pieces from the damage we caused. Or, in some situations, mourn the loss of relationships, influence, and impact.

To what end? For me, this is a critical question to answer each day. I so badly want to bend the needle in people's lives and constantly push back against our prevailing culture. There's a dignified (effective) way, and a gross (tremendously ineffective) way.

I hope I continue earning the right each day to challenge you and make you think. You might not always agree with me (and that's okay!), but I hope you see a sincerity and dignity in my approach. I don't always get that part right, but I sure try. I hope you do the same. People need your relationships, influence, and impact. Please don't throw it away or burn it to the ground. It's not worth losing all that trust and goodwill for a few moments of dopamine-inducing, anger-filled rantings.

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Reminder

I gotta admit, I rarely feel like I have this whole life thing figured out. I wake up, try to make whatever impact I can, squeeze every ounce of meaning out of the moment I can, then repeat. I live an amazing life, and I'm grateful for every single bit of it, but I sometimes go to bed wondering if I actually moved the needle today.

Finn, one of my third graders, has a dress-up day today with the following theme: "Who or what you want to be when you grow up." What do you think he chose? A firefighter? A "mowin' man"? A professional athlete? Nope, he's dressing as me. He’s going to school dressed as his Dad! Wow, just wow! That pulled on the heartstrings, for sure! What does dressing up as Dad entail? Well, according to Sarah, he's wearing a Northern Vessel hat, a shacket, casual boots, and a Chicago Bears shirt. Not bad!!!

I still don't know what impact I've made recently, but Finn really put me in my place there. It's a reminder that while I'm out there in the world trying to move the needle in people's lives, I'm still investing in those two little lives at home, too. And oddly enough, it's working!

I'm not sure if Finn will try to accessorize with a podcast mic or a cold brew latte in hand, but it will be interesting to find out! I'll try to share a pic one of these days. In the meantime, don't miss those little reminders that you are, in fact, moving the needle in people's lives.....especially those living under your roof. Wake up, make a difference, find meaning, repeat. Enjoy!

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The Tale of Two Neighbors

I'm good friends with two people, but I don't think either of them knows I'm friends with the other. These two individuals are both business owners, and as luck would have it, their retail locations are adjacent to one another. They share a wall!

During one of our recent conversations, one of these friends was expressing excitement about how amazing business has been lately. The business is hitting record numbers and has new customers coming out of their ears. 2025 was the most profitable year ever, and by the looks of the first two months of 2026, this year will crush those records. Every conversation revolves around their team culture and its customer experience.

During a recent conversation with the other friend, the theme of the conversation revolved around the idea that nobody supports small businesses anymore. Everyone just wants to eat at chain restaurants, shop at big-box stores, and order their goods from Amazon. In other words, people suck, and the stupid actions of these sucky people are driving all small businesses into the ground. Closure seems imminent, which I suppose is the natural outcome when people stop "supporting local." It's always a pity party, and this person (and their business) is always the victim of the situation.

You'd think these businesses are located on different planets, but remember, they share a wall! Same street, same foot traffic, same weather patterns, same landlord, same everything. One thing sets them apart, though. The first business is laser-focused on being excellent, offering a fantastic product, practicing unreasonable hospitality, and serving those whom they have the privilege of serving. They have a posture of gratitude and constantly have their foot on the gas.

The second business operates with a sense of entitlement, constantly asking people to come support them. They don't operate with excellence, and the staff treats people poorly. They don't have a keen sense of the numbers and are always looking for a novelty idea to get people in the door. Further, they are known to spout off about political topics.....which is likely driving away 50% of their prospective customers.

It's never really about "supporting" small business or not. People naturally gravitate toward excellence.....period. People are largely agnostic about big vs. small, national vs. local. If anything, I'd say people naturally bend toward small and local, but said small and local businesses must earn it through excellence.

Whatever you're doing today, whether you run a business or not, focus on excellence. Excellence always wins....always. Yes, there are many forces and factors at play. There's no doubt that externalities play a role in our lives, finances, careers, and businesses. However, at the same time, we must control what we can control. And today, we can control our pursuit of excellence.

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Don’t Forget to Look Down

I was recently working on a project for a client when one of the senior executives blurted out, "I can't believe you know how to do that. That's insane!"

"Well, I didn't know how to do this a year ago."

He laughed. I wasn't kidding. The truth is, some of the things I'm working on today are miles above what I could accomplish just one year ago. Think about that! At 44, much of my work involves skills that 43-year-old me had zero chance of executing......never mind 33-year-old me!

It's moments like this that remind me how important it is we look down. We're often so busy climbing this proverbial mountain of growth that we lose sight of just how far we've come. Sometimes, we need to take a little peek down the mountain to jar ourselves back to reality of just how far we've actually come.

In a world that consistently tells us we're not good enough and encourages us to unfairly compare ourselves to others, perhaps we need to start (fairly) comparing ourselves to where we've come from. I don't want to be the next xyz. I want to be the best me I can be. Therefore, instead of comparing myself to someone else, I need to compare myself to where I've come from.

Am I more skilled at x than I used to be?

Am I wiser than I used to be?

Am I a better decision-maker than I used to be?

Is my emotional intelligence better than it used to be?

Are my blog posts and podcast episodes sharper than when I first began?

Am I more effective in my coaching than I was in the past?

Are my speaking skills better honed than in my earlier talks?

These should be the measuring sticks I use to assess myself, not some celebrity version of what I do on social media. As for you, you need to create your own measuring sticks. You need to look down that proverbial mountain and see just how dang far you've come. Go ahead, take a peek. Be honest with yourself. How far have you come in the past year? 5 years? What about 10 years!?!?

Great, now just imagine how cool and awesome it's going to be 10 years from now! That version of you is really going to move the needle. Keep moving forward.

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(Un)Limited Digital Footprint

A few days ago, one of my buddies made a declaration to me that caught me somewhat offguard. What seemed out of nowhere, he definitively said, "I'm trying to leave a limited digital footprint." The heart of his message was that he is trying to stay relatively off the radar, with the intended goal of having as little about him as possible findable on the internet.

I have old high school friends with ZERO digital footprint. Seriously. I was trying to find a few people recently, and to my shock, they were digital ghosts. How is that even possible?!?!

Everyone can navigate this digital footprint however they choose, but today, I want to share my perspective. Here's how I responded when my buddy said he wanted to leave a limited digital footprint. "I'm trying to leave an UNlimited digital footprint!" I laughed. He laughed. We laughed.

Seriously, though, I mean it. I want to leave the largest digital footprint possible. Perhaps we need to define the term "digital footprint." The entire concept has morphed over the years.

In 2008, a digital footprint looked something like this on Facebook: "Travis Shelton is taking a poop and hitting the gym. It's gonna be a great day!" Yes, very insightful!

Over time, we got more serious (and gross) about this whole digital footprint idea. Here's what it looks like in 2026. "Trump is evil!" or "I love Trump!"

Again, very compelling! To most people, this is what a digital footprint consists of. It's a collection of random thoughts, gut reactions, and potshots. This is not what I'm talking about when referring to my aspiration for an "unlimited digital footprint."

Instead, what I'm shooting for, and advocating others similarly pursue, is a tangible legacy that will linger long after we're gone. Photos, video, wisdom, art, and impact. That can take many different forms, but the results are similar. When we're no longer here, we're creating the opportunity to continue making a difference in other people's lives. It's a simple, but profound idea.

My family recently watched the new Twenty One Pilots movie, More Than We Ever Imagined, at the theater. I was blown away. It touched me at a very deep level, and I've been thinking about it ever since. But I keep thinking about this concept of a digital footprint. If bandmates Tyler or Josh were to pass away today, this gem would remain with us forever. This film is a masterpiece representation of their brilliance and craft. They spent their time, energy, resources, and creativity to put it together, then shipped it to the world to enjoy. It’s here permanently….forever.

To me, this is a perfect representation of this idea of leaving an unlimited digital footprint. If I get hit by a bus today, I will leave a massive digital footprint. Not some ridiculous political potshots that will be loved by half and hated by half, but sincere, authentic, (hopefully) value-add content that will make a difference in other people's lives for years to come. Will it make an impact? Hard to say, but the opportunity is there. That’s all I’m asking for.

I hope everyone takes advantage of this same opportunity. Those who come after you deserve to maintain a piece of you after you're gone. What a gift!

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An Open Postcard, Revisited

During a recent speaking event, someone in the audience asked me, "What's your origin story?" Such an intriguing question! Mere hours after that talk, I received one of those Facebook notifications about past posts "on this day." This particular post caught my eye. It was a blog post I published six years prior. In fact, it was one of the first things I ever published on my website, nearly three years before The Daily Meaning was born.

As I read that post last night, it seemed, in and of itself, the heart of my origin story. It was framed through the lens of a postcard I wrote to my then-toddler kids on the eve of resigning from my 15-year career and starting over. I was scared, excited, and queasy.....did I mention scared?!?!

As I re-read the words I wrote to my kids all those years ago, I don't think I would change a thing. I encourage you to read it, and I hope those scared words add value to you today just as I hope they someday add value to my grown kids. You can find it HERE.

Have a great day!

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Just Ship It

I don't know why this caught my eye, but once it did, I couldn't ignore it. Immediately upon opening the app on my phone that helps me control my website, I saw something strange. It was a website visit to a page I didn't recognize. I clicked the link. Ohhhhhh, yeah, now I remember. It was a blog post that I wrote more than three years ago. I clicked "back."

Wait, what?!?! In total, 37 different blog posts were read on the website yesterday from eight different countries. I can't even begin to describe how weird that feels. People from all over the world are still reading pieces I wrote years ago. Were the pieces good? Not sure. Were these people positively impacted by what they saw? I hope so, I may never know. However, the fact that I somehow earned the opportunity to play a role in the life of a faraway stranger is something I never take for granted.

I know I say this a lot, but I can't encourage people enough to create. Just create. Whatever it is, bring it to life and send it into the world. Is it good? Who cares. Will it make an impact? There's only one way to find out.

Here's one thing I know. Regardless of how much impact I make with my creative endeavors during my life, it's going to make one heck of a treasure trove for my kids someday when I'm gone. By my math, there is somewhere in the range of 650,000 words of writing and 150 hours of podcasts floating around cyberspace. I don't know what my legacy will be from all that, but those who come after me can decide that.

Whatever your thing is, please don't hesitate to put it into the world. Share it. Someone out there needs and/or wants what you have to offer. Your good work might be the linchpin to someone else's next step. Without even knowing it, your idea, your inspiration, your gift, your art might be the gasoline to someone else's flickering flame.

It took me nearly 40 years to finally gain the courage to ship my art. I regret not doing it sooner, but now, with the benefit of hindsight after these past five years, I can confidently say it's the best thing I've ever done. I wish the same for you.

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Two Scared Little Boys

What comes to mind when you hear the word "Trees"?

For me, this word brings a rush of emotion. Funny, I know. Trees is the title of an iconic Twenty One Pilots song. For the past 15 years, nearly every live show has ended with this song. It's one of the most iconic endings to one of the most iconic live shows performed by (what I believe) is one of the most iconic bands in the world.

It's not just the song itself that makes it iconic, but how it's performed. There's a moment, right at the very end of the song, where both band members (Tyler and Josh) navigate into the crowd and perform dual drums. Then, right as the end nears, confetti rains from the sky. It's a euphoric ending to a breathtaking show.

Check out this image:

This is a photo from a live show approximately 15 years ago, in what appears to be someone's living room. You can see the dual drums of the Trees performance. I'd like to imagine that the dozen people in that room were as mesmerized then as I am now.

Now, check out this next image.

Same song. Same moment. Same dual drums. This time, though, they are in the midst of 65,000 loyal fans in a sold-out Mexico City stadium.

The juxtaposition of these two images gives me chills. 15 years, same song, same moment, same dual drums. It's the same, but at the same time, it might as well be on a different planet.

A movie is coming to theaters next weekend about this Mexico City show. Our family is eagerly awaiting its release, and we have an entire night planned around it. Yesterday, I stumbled upon a short video clip of the two band members explaining the movie. Josh was explaining everything you can expect to see. Then, suddenly, Tyler interrupts: "Let's be honest, the movie is about two scared little boys."

"Two scared little boys." That's a pretty wild thing to say for being one of the most successful bands of all time. They've performed thousands of shows worldwide, released eight albums, produced more than 50 music videos, and earned the trust of millions of fans. Yet, as they describe the show featured in the movie, they use the phrase "two scared little boys."

The fear doesn't go away. Fear shouldn't be the barometer by which we gauge our "yes" and "no" decisions. Rather, the presence of fear is a telltale sign that we're growing and making an impact.

The world says to pursue comfort, but I believe we should aggressively pursue discomfort. Not only discomfort, but pushing it far enough that we allow fear to be the sidekick I mentioned the last few days (HERE and HERE). I'll go out on a limb and say that Twenty One Pilots probably wouldn't have progressed much further than a house show with a dozen people if they let fear be the boundary of their decisions. Instead, they leaned into the fear, for 15 years and counting, to the point they are "two scared little boys" ripping out an iconic show in front of 65,000 fans whose lives have been impacted by their courage.

That's a story worth living, and we each have the opportunity to live our own version of it today.

Oh yeah, one last thing. If you want to see what all this Trees talk is about, below is an excellent version of the song performed at a live show. It’s one of my favorite music videos of all time.

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