A Voice of the Customer case study showing how disciplined listening helped a legacy custom manufacturer refocus operations, delivery, and customer experience.

Over time, I’ve written a series of reflections on work. Some were prompted by questions I was wrestling with, others by conversations, experiences, or seasons that asked for words.

I’ve gathered them in one place. They aren’t meant to be read in order, and they don’t argue toward a single conclusion. They’re simply offered as reflections for those who may find them useful.

A short fictional correspondence exploring work, responsibility, attentiveness, and the quieter questions that accumulate over time. The complete Alex & Claire series, collected in one place.

A winter walk, a flashlight, a backyard full of deer, and one determined Labrador. George doesn’t run from fear or for survival. He runs because he can and because it’s fun. A reminder that motivation isn’t always about pressure. Sometimes the best work comes from simple joy and steady presence.

When a brush-pile fire met a Carolina downpour, neither wanted to lose. Hours later, a single kick brought it roaring back. Leadership isn’t always about adding more fuel; sometimes it’s just knowing where to make space for air. The Reignition Principle—nature’s reminder to breathe.

A simple tool reminded me how easily we confuse one thing for another—especially when it comes to names. From Bill Bill to Dale Carnegie, this one’s about the small courtesy that means the most: getting it right.

Each season reveals its own lessons. A 10-point buck survives not by speed or strength, but by restraint and rhythm—the same quiet discipline that sustains great work and lasting impact.

Sometimes the hardest part of change isn’t the cutting — it’s knowing where the pressure lies before you begin. A dead hickory on my farm reminded me that tension always tells a story: which way things want to go, what resists, and what’s ready to give. The trick isn’t to fight the lean, but to read it — and work with it.

Ready to Be Picked? | Field Notes on Career Growth

What began as quiet feedback from a few project teams became the catalyst for a smarter support model at CBRE. This case study explores how risk reviews, embedded coaching, and client-facing innovation helped shift the way project delivery was supported—and how the right platform model can drive both internal and client success.

Scaling isn’t just about getting bigger. Many small businesses stall when growth outpaces systems, people, or cash. This post explores the common traps and introduces a white paper that shows how to build smarter — not just faster.

How do you earn credibility as a new leader?
Not with strategy decks or speeches—but by tackling the thing no one else will touch.
Here’s how one tough decision sparked a high-performance culture.

A small firm asked me to help them scale. What they really needed was to stop guessing and start listening — to their team, their clients, and their own instincts. This post reflects on what we changed, why it worked, and how “doing less” created the space they needed to grow.

After 40 years in corporate life, I took a seasonal job at Lowes—and dropped 20 pounds, found purpose, and nearly touched my toes. This personal story reflects on humility, health, and unexpected rewards. Turns out, it's never too late to move, to help, and to find joy in mulch therapy.

Before tripling sales volume, CCBCC needed a smarter way to scale operations. This post shares what they did first — and how it paid off. Download the case study to learn more.

Humility practiced not preached

When business processes go unchecked, they morph into tangled messes of workarounds and inefficiency. The result? Chaos, burnout, and lost margin. In this post, we explore the “Bumble Ball Effect” and how to eliminate it with a few practical steps to restore order—and profit.