articles
I wrote a LinkedIn post once that flopped so badly I considered apologizing to it. It turns out the flop post revealed a blind spot… I was thinking only about the human reader. I wasn't thinking about the system that decides who sees what.
articles
The best role model for how I want to live in Portugal wasn't a person. He was a 90-pound loaf of bread named Don.
articles
A lot of senior leaders treat public writing the way my Embassy colleagues treated kumis. They circle around it. Study it. Analyze it. Think about it. But never actually try it.
Personal Development
Apparently the key to a career pivot isn't confidence. It's surrender. My wife broke that little life nugget to me a few nights ago.
At some point during my unexpected career pivot, I realized I was spending an impressive amount of time thinking about… myself. Things changed when I shifted from obsessing over my own situation to helping other people with theirs.
career
Nothing rewires your idea of "good writing" faster than an Ambassador handing your first diplomatic cable back bleeding red.
For a stretch in 2025, I went unusually quiet on LinkedIn. What slowed me down was not a lack of ideas. It was something more basic. My LinkedIn profile itself. I bored myself reading about myself. Seriously.
articles
Work will take everything we give it—unless you set boundaries. Burnout isn’t success, and work-life balance isn’t a luxury. It’s time to work smarter, set limits, and prioritize what truly matters.
professional development
Who do I need to drop everything and reconnect with today? Not to ask for a favor, not to angle for advice, and certainly not to climb the proverbial career ladder—just to reconnect for the sake of it. And voilà, this top-10 list was born.
Fun at Work
Heading into 2025, we might all need some ways to up our professional and personal game. Here are some thoughts...