Havasupai Gardens, Grand Canyon Great nonfiction I read this year Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams Fantastic title that would make for a great dystopian novel, except it's our shared reality. It's an insider's story of Facebook—the greed, myopia, and hypocrisy of Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, and their accomplices. 'Careless' describes their apathy toward anything other than profits and privilege, but it's also the most charitable thing you can call them. That, or 'innovators.' It's...
6 months ago • 3 min read
The Aspen Nature Loop, Flagstaff, AZ (trip in October '25) Hello? Is this thing still on? I'm dusting off and reviving my long dormant newsletter with the intention of more consistent publishing in 2026. This week and next I'll share some of my favorite movies and books from the year that left an impression. One thing I did this year more than years prior was going out to the theater to see movies. In particular, I want to shout out the great arthouse cinema in Chapel Hill called The Chelsea....
6 months ago • 4 min read
The High Return Activity of Raising Others' Ambitions This is the title of a Tyler Cowen blog post that I've thought about a lot recently. It applies to coaching, but I also think it has broader relevance to our day-to-day lives and encounters. Here's the salient paragraph from Cowen: At critical moments in time, you can raise the aspirations of other people significantly, especially when they are relatively young, simply by suggesting they do something better or more ambitious than what they...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Ayr Mount, Hillsborough, NC Annual Review & Goal Setting Templates Each year I put together an annual review and goal setting process to help draw perspective from the prior year and frame how I want to focus my time and effort in the new year. For me, this year is about finishing the reader manuscript for my novel, growing my coaching business, building and strengthening community in North Carolina, and continuing to chisel away at my exceptional physique. I'm also putting a premium on...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Favorite Books of 2024 When the clock strikes midnight on 2024 I'll have come damn close to accomplishing a goal of reading 50 books. Of those books, below were the ones that left the biggest impression. Listed in no particular order, except for the first one. James by Percival Everett was far and away my favorite of the year. Not a bold choice since according to LitHub it was on more 'best of 2024' lists than any other book. Everett is brilliant and so is this captivating and funny twist on...
over 1 year ago • 6 min read
Photos from Tepoztlán, Mexico Five Things to Share: Roger Federer Lost 54% of His Points: During his 24-year career, tennis legend Roger Federer won 20 grand slams and 80% of his matches. He's universally regarded among the greatest to ever play the sport. And yet, even with all that success, he only won 54% of the points he ever played. From his recent Dartmouth commencement address:When you lose every second point, on average, you learn not to dwell on every shot...When you’re playing a...
almost 2 years ago • 3 min read
Five Things to Share: In honor of James Baldwin's 100th birthday this weekend, I'm sharing his quote from a 1984 Paris Review interview describing the meaning and weight behind turning 40:INTERVIEWER: This brings us to your concern with reality as being history, with seeing the present shaded by everything which occurred in a person’s past. James Baldwin has always been bound by his past, and his future. At forty, you said you felt much older than that.BALDWIN: That is one of those things a...
almost 2 years ago • 2 min read
Photos from Puerto Vallarta Five Things to Share: Tadej Pogačar and Netflix's Tour de France: Maybe the greatest athlete you've never heard of, and a show you should probably add to your queue. I'll write more soon about the fun of following and learning much about the Tour de France for the first time, but for now wanted to share praise for the best cyclist in the world. As the 21-stage Tour de France concluded today, the 25-year old Slovenian stood atop the podium with his third yellow...
almost 2 years ago • 3 min read
Plaza Luis Cabrera, Roma Book Recommendations The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride A human skeleton is found at the bottom of a well in 1972 in Pottstown, PA. An investigation ensues but Hurricane Agnes abruptly destroys the town and any evidence of the crime. The story travels back in time to the 1930s when blacks and Jews lived together in a tense harmony. The origins of the crime are revealed through the community's interconnected stories. The book is an inspiring reminder...
about 2 years ago • 1 min read