About
Welcome to Stirring the Pot,
My name is Andrew Segars. I spent more than two decades as a U.S. diplomat working in environments where judgment mattered, ambiguity was constant, languages and culture were often misunderstood, and decisions carried real consequences.
The hardest problems I encountered were rarely technical or even political, however. They were human. Communication would break down. Trust would fray. Incentives would compete. Culture would be misunderstood. Leaders would hesitate… not because the path forward wasn't clear, but because choosing meant owning the outcome under intense scrutiny.
That tension never really leaves you. It shapes how you see leadership, strategy, and communication long after you've left the role.
Today, I help other senior professionals navigate complexity, transition, and change. Much of this work focuses on strategic online presence (particularly on LinkedIn) not as performance or personal branding, but as a practical extension of leadership. A way to signal credibility, alignment, and judgment during moments that matter.
I also serve as a Fractional Executive and Senior Affiliate with The Solarium Group, a strategic advisory firm supporting senior leaders and organizations facing geopolitical complexity, organizational change, and high-stakes decisions. In that context, I work alongside other senior advisors to help clients clarify priorities, assess risk, align stakeholders, and move from uncertainty to action.
This site exists as a body of work. What you'll find here are short essays and reflections that demonstrate how I approach leadership, communication, and decision-making in practice. Some touch on strategy. Some touch on leadership (and reinvention). Many are shaped by my time overseas. All have humor and a bit of self-reflection. And yes, some even include food pics (my wife is a professional chef, so that part of life tends to show up).
A bit (more) personal context, because it matters.
After an unexpected career pivot, my wife asked a simple question while we were figuring out what came next: what if we just moved somewhere we'd love, and figured it out?
We did. And now we're in Braga, Portugal. Don’t hate me.
I'm a firm believer that a life well lived includes laughter, optimism, and a bit of chaos... some of it self-created. That applies to strategic presence too. If that perspective feels familiar, you can learn more about how I work on the Work With Me page.
