There’s cake-and-candles gratitude, and then there’s getting another birthday after wondering from a hospital bed if you would see another. This year, I’m feeling that second kind. I get more time with Leslie. More conversations with friends. More chances to help somebody see what’s possible. More opportunities to do the work I believe I’m here to do. At 51, if I know anything, it’s that stuff collects dust. Our relationships are a gift. The people who show up, tell us the truth, believe in...
14 days ago • 2 min read
Last October, I was too busy planning The Thing to celebrate my 50th birthday. Less than a month later, I was lying in a hospital bed wondering if I would get another one. On October 17th, I turn 51, and I want to celebrate by helping you get into that room. I know it’s my birthday and I’m the one giving the gift. Before I give you the details, I want you to understand why this matters so much to me. Last November, I was in Orlando for The Thing. We’d spent months preparing. People had booked...
19 days ago • 2 min read
“Yesterday I walked in not knowing quite what to expect, and I left knowing I had been in the kind of room I have been hoping to find.” That’s what Caroline Tiell of Pinnacle Counseling Institute shared after The Thing Roadshow. She ended her note with this: “At the end of the day, I walked away feeling like I had found the kind of community our organization needs as we continue to learn and grow into this next season.” That’s why we took The Thing on the road. That's why I personally do this...
29 days ago • 1 min read
Nashville, showed up yesterday, and what happened in that room was powerful. Mike Brennan challenged us to consider what we can do with a single day. Ryan Holck helped us uncover the core story that communicates the value of our work. Heather Holmes broke down how to capture the media’s attention and get our messages heard. And I shared how to rise above the noise—the noise of the world and the internal noise that convinces us to stay quiet. But the most important part wasn’t only what...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Three months ago, I was in the ICU, not sure what was ahead. I had just had an ambulance ride, which I still have no memory of. What I did know was that the event had started 9 years before, and was going on without me. I was supposed to be on stage, and instead I was fighting for my life. I was 100% dependent on my community to pull off the event I dreamed of, and the medical team to take care of me! I was living what I’ve been preaching for years. If you want to go fast, go alone, but if...
9 months ago • 2 min read
Leslie and I talking with the Big Cheese. It’s hard to believe it’s already February. It’s been just over two months since I was released from the hospital, and we’ve learned a lot since then. One of the biggest lessons is that healing from sepsis doesn’t follow a simple or fast timeline. Post-Sepsis Syndrome is real, and getting my body back to “normal” has taken far longer than we ever imagined. We spent most of January in Florida doing exactly what doctors recommended. Rest. Heal. Breathe....
9 months ago • 2 min read
Greetings from the frozen tundra that is Nashville. I’m back from sabbatical in Florida and we are currently on day 5 of being iced in. Based on the weather, we should have stayed a few days longer. I'm still healing and trying to get my strength and energy back. Some days I feel like I can run through a wall, and some days I feel like the wall ran through me. While we were gone, we spent time relaxing and dreaming about the next year. A few friends from the Thing community even joined us for...
9 months ago • 1 min read
Hey friends, I want to share the full story of what happened at The Thing this year. Many of you have heard bits and pieces, but I want you to hear it directly from me. What Happened at The Thing Tuesday night started like every other amazing kickoff. We hosted our VVIP Welcome Dinner in our suite, and it was special. One of the attendees said something that hit me hard: “I knew I’d get a ton of help. What I wasn’t prepared for was how much everyone cared for each other… and how much you...
11 months ago • 3 min read
We’re just over a week away from The Thing Orlando 2025, and this is your moment to decide if you’re going to get in the room where remarkable leaders gather — or watch it unfold from a distance. This is my last email about the Orlando event until I tell you how it was. You have until Friday (that's tomorrow) to book your room and secure your spot. Here’s the truth: what I’ve really been building isn’t just an event. It’s an assembly — a gathering of the kind of people who make things happen....
12 months ago • 2 min read