The things you do when nobody would blame you — those are the things that define you. I spend more time trying not to f*ck things up than I do anything else. That’s not a complaint. That’s just the job when you lead people you actually trust. And lately, one of my personal rules got tested hard. I held the line. But it wasn’t easy,…
Bad things happen to you. They happen to me too. They happen to everyone — the leader, the follower, the CISO with a $50M budget and the analyst grinding through alerts at 2 AM. Loss, betrayal, bad luck, unfair systems, people who lied to you, people who left you holding the bag. Real things. Things that hurt. None of that is the problem. The problem…
RANT WARNING Someone I know watched a million-dollar deal die last week. Not because the terms were bad. Not because the other side walked. Not because the market shifted or the numbers didn’t work. It died because one person in the room couldn’t shut up. A board member — someone with zero context on the negotiation, no seat at the table where the real work…
I saw this post that said Amazon plans to replace 600,000 workers with robots. The response? “We’ve got to fight back.” Let me say something that might irritate both sides: You can’t fight back against technology. You never could. And you never will. History Doesn’t Care About Your Slogans We tried this before. We tried it with the printing press. We tried it with…
If nobody read my shit, I’d still write my shit. That’s not bravado. That’s not a flex. That’s just the truth. And I know it because I’ve lived it—long before anyone was listening. The Talk Nobody Came To The first public talk I ever gave after starting FRSecure was at a big conference. This was probably 2009 or 2010. I was new to speaking, nervous…
Let’s get something straight right out of the gate. 2026 doesn’t owe you a damn thing. It’s not going to be easier just because you’re tired. It’s not going to slow down because you’re overwhelmed. It’s not going to wait until you feel “ready.” If you drift, 2026 will absolutely make you its b*tch. But here’s the good news— It’s early, and you still get…
Mental Health Without the Bullsht – Entry #10 IMPORTANT NOTE: I am NOT a mental health professional. If you need help, I STRONGLY encourage you to seek it, and you can start here. This series of blog posts is me candidly sharing my deeply personal experiences with you (with some tears along the way). Here’s the Lie We Were Sold If you want to lead,…
Mental Health Without the Bullsht – Entry #9 IMPORTANT NOTE: I am NOT a mental health professional. If you need help, I STRONGLY encourage you to seek it, and you can start here. This series of blog posts is me candidly sharing my deeply personal experiences with you (with some tears along the way). Let’s Talk About the Tough Guy Lie “Man up.” “Don’t cry.”…
Mental Health Without the Bullshit – Entry #2 IMPORTANT NOTE: I am NOT a mental health professional. If you need help, I STRONGLY encourage you to seek it, and you can start here. This series of blog posts is me candidly sharing my deeply personal experiences with you (with some tears along the way). The Ones Who “Have It Together” You’d never know by looking…
WARNING: This post is blunt, short, and sweet. Shitty leaders and/or politically correct people may get offended by this post. There’s a lot of nonsense out there about what makes a good leader. People love to throw around buzzwords—visionary, transformational, servant leader—but most of it is just fluff. In reality, leadership comes down to a few simple (but often ignored) principles: Shit flows uphill. Always…