There Is No Happily Ever After: How Disney Ruined Your Expectations (And Why You Need to Get Over It) The original fairy tales weren’t bedtime stories. They were survival manuals. And we desperately need them back. Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom I’m going to ruin your childhood today. Not to be cruel. But because the fairy tales you grew up with already ruined your adulthood. And nobody told you. Back before I met Amy, I was taking classes at the local community college. One of the more...
2 days ago • 8 min read
The Hidden-in-Plain-View Secret to Becoming a Badass: Why Sunday Open Mat Changed Everything for Me If you want to up your game, stop training with people at your level. Find the ones who will take you past your line. Open mat Sundays at Meraki I love Sunday open mats at Meraki. And the reason why is the hidden-in-plain-view secret to upping your game at anything. Here’s why. When most people are sleeping in, relaxing, going to the beach or the park—all important things for busy modern life...
3 days ago • 9 min read
If You’re Not Embarrassed by What You Thought Five Years Ago, You’re Not Growing The smartest thing you can do is love being proved wrong. Because that’s the only way you get smarter. There’s a saying that hits like a slap in the face: “If you’re not embarrassed by what you thought or said five years ago, you’re not growing.” On the one hand, ouch. On the other hand, there’s a deep truth to it. I know it’s been true for me. And I’m not talking about small embarrassments. I’m talking about...
4 days ago • 7 min read
Why We Have So Few Real Leaders (And Why the World Needs Them Now More Than Ever) Leaders eat last, think long, and stay quiet. That’s why there are so few of them. In man’s history, being the leader was an honored role. Not taken. Given. The tribe didn’t follow the biggest, loudest, or most aggressive person. They followed the one who provided protection and safety. The one who could forge alliances between conflicting factions. The one who put the tribe’s survival above his own comfort....
5 days ago • 8 min read
The Leadership Blind Spot: Why Smart Leaders Fail to Build Smarter Teams Published on March 11, 2026 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 […] The post The Leadership Blind Spot: Why Smart...
6 days ago • 1 min read
You’re Not a Black Belt—Stop Fighting Like One: Why Maslow’s Hierarchy Is the Blueprint You’re Ignoring If you’re struggling in life, it’s because you’re trying to fight at a level you haven’t earned yet. I’m going to be straight with you today. No sugarcoating. No hand-holding. No “you’re doing great, just keep going.” Because sometimes what you need isn’t encouragement. It’s a wake-up call. And here it is: If you’re struggling in life—constantly stressed, constantly broke, constantly...
6 days ago • 9 min read
Why You’re Frustrated, Frazzled, and Freaking Out (And the Paradox That Will Set You Free) Prepare pessimistically so you can live optimistically. It’s the happiest people who expect the least. I remember the first time my wife and I were visiting Cairo in 2004. We were taking a taxi back to our flat. The driver was navigating a small one-way street. Calm. Relaxed. No rush. Then another car turned down the street. Driving in the wrong direction. Barreling straight toward us. I braced myself....
7 days ago • 8 min read
Surround Yourself With Warriors: How to Keep Your Fire Burning When the World Tries to Put It Out You become who you surround yourself with. So surround yourself with people who make you dangerous. One thing I love about being on the mat is feeling the fire of my fellow warriors. There’s an energy that happens when you’re training with people who are fully committed. Who are pushing themselves. Who refuse to quit. You can feel it. It’s in the intensity of the roll. The focus in their eyes....
8 days ago • 8 min read
Why Leaders Think Differently: The Critical and Probabilistic Thinking Skills Nobody Teaches You You don’t need all the information to make the right choice. You need enough information to make a choice—and then make it right. If you can’t learn to think for yourself and figure shit out on your own, you can never truly be a leader. That’s not an opinion. That’s a definition. A leader, by definition, is someone willing to stand on their own. To stand in front. To go where most others are not...
9 days ago • 8 min read