If You Fire Before You Aim, People Die
Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win. ~Sun Tzu
Love, Laughter, Logic: Why Southwest's New Direction Could Ground Its Soul
Southwest Airlines ended its 54-year "bags fly free" policy on May 28th, 2025, trading a vision that inspired loyalty for a business model that generates revenue and in doing so, committed the fastest way to ruin a historic brand: betrayal.
Habits, Identity, and the Cybernetic Self
We wear our habits as surely as we wear our skin. Understanding the connection between identity and behavior is the key to lasting change.
The New Luxury Is Permission
Modern luxury has nothing to do with price tags and velvet ropes. It's about designing spaces where people finally feel allowed to be themselves.
Another Brick in the Wall: Shattering the Silence and the Spaces That Save Us
On loneliness, belonging, and the quiet rebellion of spaces that remember what it means to be alive together
Why Tipping Is Killing Hospitality
We live and die by our people, yet built an industry on their instability. Time to pay living wages and let sincere generosity breed generosity.
The Andes Mint Solution
Most brand experiences are forgotten within hours. Some stick for decades. What makes the difference?
Simple ≠ Easy
We confuse easy (familiar, low effort) with simple (few moving parts). This creates complexity debt that compounds. True simplicity requires ruthless subtraction.
The Mirror Problem
Why we can't see our own blind spots (and what to do about it)
The Physics of Breakthrough: Why Small Actions Create Exponential Results
Each hammer blow transmits energy into the stone's molecular structure, accumulating in an invisible reservoir. The breakthrough isn't caused by the final blow; it's the inevitable release of all that stored energy reaching critical mass.
The Most Expensive Thing You'll Never Sell
This is the most expensive thing you'll never see on a balance sheet: the moment someone decides you don't understand them or their world. The most expensive mistake you can make is failing to recognize the person in front of you as the hero of their own story.
Seeing Around Corners: The Power of Perspective
The smallest change in perspective can transform entire outcomes. Someone once said, 'If you don't have leverage, create it.' That's the ultimate perspective shift; refusing to accept apparent limitations and instead asking what you're missing.