The First Battle Every Warrior Must Win: Learning to Give to the Right People There’s a fundamental battle that every warrior must fight and win before any other meaningful progress becomes possible. It’s not the battle against external enemies or physical challenges, it’s the internal battle of learning how to give—and learning who deserves your gifts. This might sound simple, even obvious. But here’s the truth, the two reasons that most people never understand about success: It’s because...
2 days ago • 9 min read
Never Be Taken Advantage of Again: The Art of Conscious Choice and Authentic Expression "The best way to avoid being taken advantage of is to never do anything you don't genuinely want to do." - Unknown Standing outside that Subway sandwich shop years ago, holding a rejected meal intended for a homeless man, I felt like a fool. The anger in his eyes as he turned away my "generous" offer stung more than I wanted to admit. But that moment became one of the most valuable lessons of my life—not...
3 days ago • 11 min read
The Slippery Slope of Comfort: How Boredom Kills Excellence and What to Do About It "The enemy of excellence is not failure—it's comfort." - Unknown In my 35-year career as an electrician, I never worked for any contractor for longer than four years, and that was only twice with very big contractors on multi-year projects. Other than those exceptions, I would only stay with a shop for 6-18 months because I didn't want to get comfortable. This wasn't restlessness or an inability to commit—it...
4 days ago • 11 min read
Bitches, Bullies, and Badasses: The One Thing That Separates Leaders from Losers "The true mark of a leader is not how high they climb, but how many people they bring with them." - Unknown I was responding to some posts on Instagram when a photo stopped me cold. There he was—one of my BJJ professors, Alex—standing alongside two legends of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Renzo Gracie and John Danaher in a packed NYC gym. The next time I saw him at training, I had to ask about it. What he told me changed...
5 days ago • 10 min read
The 360-Degree Leader: Mastering the Art of Leading Up, Down, and Sideways "Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less." - John C. Maxwell Long before I earned the title, rank, and paycheck of a foreman, I discovered a truth that most people never learn about leadership: Real leaders don't wait for permission to lead. They don't need titles to create influence. In fact, the most challenging and revealing test of true leadership happens not when you're managing down to your direct...
6 days ago • 9 min read
The Leadership Blind Spot : Why Smart Leaders Fail to Build Smarter Teams "The best leaders are those who understand that leadership is not about being the smartest person in the room, but about making everyone else in the room smarter." - John C. Maxwell I've worked under countless foremen, supervisors, and project managers throughout my construction career. The vast majority were technically competent—they knew their trade inside and out, could solve complex problems under pressure, and...
7 days ago • 9 min read
The Power of Words: How Your Internal Dialogue Creates or Destroys Your Life "Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny." - Lao Tzu Every morning, before you even step out of bed, a crucial battle begins. It's not fought on any external battlefield, but in the realm of your thoughts and words. This internal dialogue—the constant...
8 days ago • 11 min read
The Employee Trap: Why "Get It Done and Move On" Kills Entrepreneurial Dreams "The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity." - Peter Drucker For thirty-five years as a "card-carrying union electrician," the formula for success was crystal clear: Assess the situation quickly Make a game plan Work the plan Get it done Then move on This approach made me a "badass" employee — the guy supervisors called when they needed someone who could handle...
9 days ago • 9 min read
Your Problem Isn't Your Problem: The Transformative Power of Perspective "The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill Jensen Huang sits before the camera, radiating the quiet confidence of someone who has navigated through storms that would have destroyed lesser leaders. The CEO of Nvidia, with a market capitalization exceeding $5 trillion and a personal net worth of $179 billion, making him the 8th wealthiest...
10 days ago • 11 min read