Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I've been thinking about what I'm most grateful for this year. It's not the business wins or the revenue numbers. It's you. The professionals who've spent 30, 40, even 50 years building companies, leading teams, and solving problems that most people will never understand. The leaders who've made the tough calls, weathered the storms, and carried the weight of responsibility that comes with senior leadership. The professionals who've mentored countless people,...
7 days ago • 1 min read
As we approach Thanksgiving, I've been wrestling with what gratitude looks like when life hits you with a sledgehammer. I'll be honest, 2025 has tested me in ways I never anticipated. In just six weeks, we lost three incredible matriarchs of our family. Aunt Magda at 98, Aunt Dee at 96, and Cousin Marina at only 78. These weren't just relatives - they were forces of nature. Powerful, opinionated women who spoke their minds when that wasn't always welcome. They blazed trails, shaped...
9 days ago • 2 min read
You can skip today's Mastermind Book Club meeting with Alastair Dryburgh this Thursday. It’s just another hour out of your busy day, right? But what’s the real price of that hour? It’s not just 60 minutes. It’s the cost of every proposal you’ve underpriced this year. It’s the revenue you left on the table because you were guessing, not strategizing. It’s the deals you lost to a competitor who wasn’t cheaper, but who framed their value better. Think about it. How many times have you set a...
13 days ago • 1 min read
I’m deep into Alastair Dryburgh’s The Pricing Genius, and he drops this military strategy bomb called the OODA Loop that completely changes how you think about pricing. OODA stands for Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. Air Force Colonel John Boyd created it for fighter pilots making split-second decisions. Luckily, we don’t have to make many split-second business decisions in business that could be fatal. Here’s the genius part of the OODA Loop. Alastair shows how this combat framework transforms...
14 days ago • 1 min read
For years, I've left a lot of money on the table. I'd charge $5000 for a project while my competitors were charging $10,000, $20,000 and even $50,000 for similar projects. Why didn't I charge the same as my competitors? Remember when you were a kid and your mom would say, "Because I said so"? That was the end of the discussion, right? Well, here's what Alastair Dryburgh taught me about pricing: Most of us are still waiting for permission to charge what we're worth. We're waiting for someone...
16 days ago • 1 min read
After decades in the C-suite, most executives underestimate their most valuable retirement resource: their accumulated expertise. While financial planners focus on portfolio management, the real question isn't how to manage your money, it's how to transform your knowledge into lasting impact. There's a natural evolution that happens when executives leave corporate life, a shift from building resume virtues that advance careers to developing eulogy virtues that define how we're remembered. The...
21 days ago • 1 min read
I remember a project early in my consulting career. I poured my heart and soul into it, working late nights and weekends to deliver something truly exceptional for the client. The results were fantastic, far beyond their expectations. But when I sent the final invoice, based on my hourly rate, it felt… hollow. The number on the page didn’t come close to the value I had delivered. It was a tough lesson: just doing great work isn’t enough. My clients frequently share a similar story with me....
23 days ago • 1 min read
I remember the moment like it was yesterday. I worked for IBM in its consulting division. Like clockwork, I would jump on a plane on Sunday afternoon for my next project. Every week it was another destination where I would work with a client then fly home on Friday night. It was the first time I became a member of United's 1K club, meaning I flew over 100,000 miles in a year. In my mid-40s, I was a road warrior living on planes and in hotels racking up frequent flyer miles and hotel points. I...
26 days ago • 2 min read
My recent health challenges have me thinking about legacy. And no, I don't mean the touchy-feely kind or getting a library named after you. I'm talking about the real part. The one that keeps you staring at the ceiling at 3 AM, asking, "Will any of this matter in ten years?" After I left my corporate role, I thought my legacy was set in stone. I led big projects and built strong teams. But I soon realized those corporate wins were resume virtues. They get you ahead, but they aren't what...
27 days ago • 1 min read
