Right now, I spend my working hours running a marketing team that publishes a magazine, hosts a conference for K-12 leaders around the country, and supports a burgeoning edtech startup at Apptegy. Much of my day is spent thinking about how superintendents and other school leaders can lead better, build a strong culture within their schools, and build a school brand that engages their entire community.

In 2023, I've been working in my personal life to have the honesty to confront bad habits, character flaws, and "the weaknesses that haunt" me. I call these my (our) fatal flaws. There's an ongoing reminder on my calendar that pops up every few weeks with this quote, "A fear that the weaknesses that have dogged you are not just temporary challenges to cope with, but a permanent part of who you are."

To tackle my fatal flaws, I try (and often fail) to be brutally honest with myself and then find small triggers or deliberate nudges to help. As a real example, I have a bad habit (aka fatal flaw) of trying to relate to someone's story by telling one of my own. This is otherwise known as "one upping." I've developed the habit of saying "go" or "no go" internally as a trigger to decide early if I will or won't share my own story. Once I say "no go" internally it's a promise not to speak or one up. Small nudges like this are what have been most helpful to me to identify and start whittling away at my fatal flaws.

At this stage in life, I'm learning and struggling to slow down, let things be as they are, and reliquish (or acknowledge that I never had) control.

The most important part of my life now and for the next 17 years are my kids. Spending time with them, drawing trash trucks, playing Five Crowns, teaching them to love reading, and teaching them how to be self-aware are the highlight of every day. As much as I love working and driving towards a goal, I want to use the energy and momentum I build at work to pour into my kids.

This is a Now page. Now pages are inspired by Derek Sivers. It is similar to an about page, but it tells you what I am doing now (how I am spending my time and what I am focused on)— not just what I have done in the past. This entire site is inspired with that in mind.

Last updated: September 4, 2023