Most leaders don’t need another coach. Coaches are great at pushing you harder, holding you accountable, cheering you on from the sidelines. +Energy, +motivation, +structure. But here’s the minus side: motivation fades. Accountability doesn’t always fix misalignment. And sometimes the last thing a visionary needs is another person telling them to run faster when they’re already sprinting toward burnout. What visionaries really need is a navigator . Coaches Motivate. Navigators Guide. A coach says, “Run this play. Do it again. Push harder.” A navigator says, “Let’s look at the horizon together. Here’s the fog. Here’s the opening. Here’s the safer way through.” Coaches help you train. – Navigators help you steer. Coaches focus on performance. – Navigators focus on alignment. Coaches push you. – Navigators walk with you. That distinction changed everything for me. The Word That Finally Fit For years I tried to force myself into roles that didn’t feel right. Coach. Consultant. Mentor. None of them fit. Then one day I asked Gino Wickman what he calls the work he does. He paused, smiled, and said, “I’m a navigator.” That word hit me like a freight train. Not coach. Not consultant. Navigator. A guide. A presence. Someone who doesn’t just hand you a map but stays on the journey with you. Why Leaders Don’t Need Another Framework The founders I walk with aren’t broken. They’re not lazy. They don’t need to be fixed. What they need is clarity. They: Feel stuck in businesses that technically work but quietly suffocate them. Carry the weight of a thousand ideas with no space to breathe. Know they’re meant for more but haven’t slowed down long enough to name it. A framework won’t solve that. More hustle won’t solve that. A louder cheerleader won’t solve that. What solves it is alignment. And alignment happens when you’re seen, understood, and guided with perspective. That’s what navigation does. Why This Matters to Me (and Maybe You) I’ve lived the misalignment. I’ve built businesses that drained me, led teams where I felt like the odd man out, and carried weights I wasn’t meant to carry. I’ve also tasted what happens when I step fully into my lane as a Visionary Navigator and let others carry what they’re designed to. That’s when life started to breathe again. That’s when leadership felt lighter, freer, more aligned. So when I say, “Stop looking for a coach. Start looking for a navigator,” it’s not marketing. It’s survival. It’s the path I’ve lived, and the path I walk with others now. If you’re a founder who feels the fog rolling in, who’s tired of more playbooks, more pressure, more pushing, maybe you don’t need another coach, maybe you need a navigator. Let’s chart the next chapter together.

I met Jesus when I was seven years old. That moment did not save me from pain. It did not stop the hard things from coming. But it planted a root that later became the only thing strong enough to hold me when everything else fell apart. Walking Through Fire I have walked through things I never thought I would survive. I lived through drug felonies in my late twenties. In 2017 I overdosed and should not have lived to tell the story. In 2021 my brother was murdered. And in 2023, my wife and I lost our baby, Ellie Hope. I have stood in the hollow place where grief lives and tasted the hard, honest ache of loss. Through it all, I have learned something that feels contradictory but is deeply true. Pain can be present and so can Presence at the same time. Pain in the Presence There is pain in the presence. That phrase is not a contradiction. It is an invitation. While the wound is real, presence can transform the wound into a doorway. Presence does not erase the scar. Presence makes the scar a story of something greater. And here is the thing: God shops in the gutter. He shows up in the broken places, in the messy places, in the parts of our story we wish we could erase. That is where His grace has met me again and again. The Bible says God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called. Moses was slow of speech. David was a shepherd boy. Paul was a persecutor. Yet God called them, equipped them, and used them. That truth has anchored me: I do not need to have it all together to walk in my calling. For me, that calling is rooted in Jesus. He is the only one who has been there and knows how to carry the ache without minimizing it. He is the calm voice in the storm. He is the way back to meaning when everything else feels meaningless. How Faith Shapes My Work My work with founders, with The Pond, with the podcast, and with Navigator clients is an outflow of that conviction. It is not secondary to business. It is a spiritual practice in disguise. When I sit across from a leader who is tired, when I sit at a dinner table with guests who need to feel seen, when I help a founder choose mercy for a teammate instead of the quick cancel, I am practicing presence. I am showing, in small practical ways, what compassion looks like when it has structure behind it. Faith for me is not private. It is not a note in a bio. It is the electricity behind every decision I make as a leader. It teaches me to give more than I take. It teaches me to see people before projects. It teaches me to invest in the long game of character more than the short game of quarterly results. That is why The Pond is built the way it is. That is why my Navigator work places people first. That is why gifting matters. A Movement for the Kingdom I am building this for a reason that is bigger than me. I believe in multiplying the work of mentoring, presence, and courage. I believe in training 12 Navigators who will each lead their own Pond. I believe we can change how founders lead by putting soul work at the center of strategy. I believe we can build a movement for the kingdom where people flourish and families heal. And while my faith in Jesus shapes everything I do, The Pond welcomes people of all backgrounds and faiths. I am not here to hit anyone over the head with a Bible. I am here to live in a way that reflects how Jesus lived: loving people, serving them, walking with them. I am not perfect. I fall short every day. But that is the goal when I wake up each morning. My Invitation If you are a founder who has tasted the hollow feeling that success sometimes brings, or if you are tired of being the only strong one in the room, know this: you are invited to a different way. You are invited to bring your whole story, not just your resume. You are invited to a table where faith, honesty, and high standards live together. I do not have all the answers. I do have presence. I do have a life that has been shaped by resurrection, not by avoidance. I will walk with you. I will help you hold your business lightly enough to save your life and hold your heart firmly enough to keep it from fracturing. This is not just leadership training. This is a call to become people who can hold pain and carry presence at the same time. This is the work I am willing to fight for with everything I have. If that calls to you, let us start the conversation. Let us build something that lasts!

Most leaders don’t need another coach. Coaches are great at pushing you harder, holding you accountable, cheering you on from the sidelines. +Energy, +motivation, +structure. But here’s the minus side: motivation fades. Accountability doesn’t always fix misalignment. And sometimes the last thing a visionary needs is another person telling them to run faster when they’re already sprinting toward burnout. What visionaries really need is a navigator . Coaches Motivate. Navigators Guide. A coach says, “Run this play. Do it again. Push harder.” A navigator says, “Let’s look at the horizon together. Here’s the fog. Here’s the opening. Here’s the safer way through.” Coaches help you train. – Navigators help you steer. Coaches focus on performance. – Navigators focus on alignment. Coaches push you. – Navigators walk with you. That distinction changed everything for me. The Word That Finally Fit For years I tried to force myself into roles that didn’t feel right. Coach. Consultant. Mentor. None of them fit. Then one day I asked Gino Wickman what he calls the work he does. He paused, smiled, and said, “I’m a navigator.” That word hit me like a freight train. Not coach. Not consultant. Navigator. A guide. A presence. Someone who doesn’t just hand you a map but stays on the journey with you. Why Leaders Don’t Need Another Framework The founders I walk with aren’t broken. They’re not lazy. They don’t need to be fixed. What they need is clarity. They: Feel stuck in businesses that technically work but quietly suffocate them. Carry the weight of a thousand ideas with no space to breathe. Know they’re meant for more but haven’t slowed down long enough to name it. A framework won’t solve that. More hustle won’t solve that. A louder cheerleader won’t solve that. What solves it is alignment. And alignment happens when you’re seen, understood, and guided with perspective. That’s what navigation does. Why This Matters to Me (and Maybe You) I’ve lived the misalignment. I’ve built businesses that drained me, led teams where I felt like the odd man out, and carried weights I wasn’t meant to carry. I’ve also tasted what happens when I step fully into my lane as a Visionary Navigator and let others carry what they’re designed to. That’s when life started to breathe again. That’s when leadership felt lighter, freer, more aligned. So when I say, “Stop looking for a coach. Start looking for a navigator,” it’s not marketing. It’s survival. It’s the path I’ve lived, and the path I walk with others now. If you’re a founder who feels the fog rolling in, who’s tired of more playbooks, more pressure, more pushing, maybe you don’t need another coach, maybe you need a navigator. Let’s chart the next chapter together.

I met Jesus when I was seven years old. That moment did not save me from pain. It did not stop the hard things from coming. But it planted a root that later became the only thing strong enough to hold me when everything else fell apart. Walking Through Fire I have walked through things I never thought I would survive. I lived through drug felonies in my late twenties. In 2017 I overdosed and should not have lived to tell the story. In 2021 my brother was murdered. And in 2023, my wife and I lost our baby, Ellie Hope. I have stood in the hollow place where grief lives and tasted the hard, honest ache of loss. Through it all, I have learned something that feels contradictory but is deeply true. Pain can be present and so can Presence at the same time. Pain in the Presence There is pain in the presence. That phrase is not a contradiction. It is an invitation. While the wound is real, presence can transform the wound into a doorway. Presence does not erase the scar. Presence makes the scar a story of something greater. And here is the thing: God shops in the gutter. He shows up in the broken places, in the messy places, in the parts of our story we wish we could erase. That is where His grace has met me again and again. The Bible says God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called. Moses was slow of speech. David was a shepherd boy. Paul was a persecutor. Yet God called them, equipped them, and used them. That truth has anchored me: I do not need to have it all together to walk in my calling. For me, that calling is rooted in Jesus. He is the only one who has been there and knows how to carry the ache without minimizing it. He is the calm voice in the storm. He is the way back to meaning when everything else feels meaningless. How Faith Shapes My Work My work with founders, with The Pond, with the podcast, and with Navigator clients is an outflow of that conviction. It is not secondary to business. It is a spiritual practice in disguise. When I sit across from a leader who is tired, when I sit at a dinner table with guests who need to feel seen, when I help a founder choose mercy for a teammate instead of the quick cancel, I am practicing presence. I am showing, in small practical ways, what compassion looks like when it has structure behind it. Faith for me is not private. It is not a note in a bio. It is the electricity behind every decision I make as a leader. It teaches me to give more than I take. It teaches me to see people before projects. It teaches me to invest in the long game of character more than the short game of quarterly results. That is why The Pond is built the way it is. That is why my Navigator work places people first. That is why gifting matters. A Movement for the Kingdom I am building this for a reason that is bigger than me. I believe in multiplying the work of mentoring, presence, and courage. I believe in training 12 Navigators who will each lead their own Pond. I believe we can change how founders lead by putting soul work at the center of strategy. I believe we can build a movement for the kingdom where people flourish and families heal. And while my faith in Jesus shapes everything I do, The Pond welcomes people of all backgrounds and faiths. I am not here to hit anyone over the head with a Bible. I am here to live in a way that reflects how Jesus lived: loving people, serving them, walking with them. I am not perfect. I fall short every day. But that is the goal when I wake up each morning. My Invitation If you are a founder who has tasted the hollow feeling that success sometimes brings, or if you are tired of being the only strong one in the room, know this: you are invited to a different way. You are invited to bring your whole story, not just your resume. You are invited to a table where faith, honesty, and high standards live together. I do not have all the answers. I do have presence. I do have a life that has been shaped by resurrection, not by avoidance. I will walk with you. I will help you hold your business lightly enough to save your life and hold your heart firmly enough to keep it from fracturing. This is not just leadership training. This is a call to become people who can hold pain and carry presence at the same time. This is the work I am willing to fight for with everything I have. If that calls to you, let us start the conversation. Let us build something that lasts!

I want to talk directly to you. You are carrying more than anyone knows. From the outside, you look strong. Your company is moving, your team relies on you, your family looks up to you. But inside, you feel the weight. The pressure. The questions you don’t say out loud. I know that feeling. I’ve lived it. And I need you to hear me: you don’t have to carry it alone. The Builders There is a different kind of leader rising right now. Leaders who don’t just want more capital, but more connection. Leaders who don’t just want bigger numbers, but deeper meaning. Leaders who care less about being the loudest voice in the room and more about being the most authentic. I call them Builders. Builders don’t settle for surface-level community. They don’t hide behind their titles. They don’t cling to the illusion of control. Builders are men and women who are willing to do the work on themselves, in their families, in their companies, and in their communities. And the world needs more of them. What We’re Building That is why I’ve poured my life into creating this movement. The Podcast shares the stories that give people hope. The Pond creates the family where founders can breathe again. Visionary Navigator Services give leaders clarity, structure, and peace in the fog. Together, these three form an ecosystem that does more than build businesses. It builds lives. I believe in three years we will fill The Pond with 150 founders. I believe in ten years there will be 12 Navigators, each leading their own Pond. I believe this movement will ripple into thousands of families and communities. And I believe you could be part of it. The Call So here’s my question: will you join me? Not just as a client. Not just as a member. But as a Builder. Someone willing to step into the mess, do the work, and help create something that outlasts both of us. I cannot do this alone. I was never meant to. I need other Builders who believe what I believe: That freedom fuels creativity. That creativity fuels joy. That real community outlasts cash. That faith, family, and purpose matter more than numbers on a spreadsheet. If this stirs something in you, pay attention. That stirring is not an accident. My Invitation I am calling you to build with me. Bring your story. Bring your scars. Bring your hunger for more than business as usual. Step into The Pond. Step into navigation. Step into a movement that is just beginning. Because this is bigger than me. It is bigger than you. And if we do it together, it will outlast us both. So here’s my question again. Who will join me?

On their own, the Podcast, The Pond, and Visionary Navigator Services are powerful. But together, they’re unstoppable. This isn’t three separate projects. It’s one living ecosystem. Each part feeds the others. Each part makes the whole stronger. That’s why it works. The Podcast: The Megaphone The Big Fish Cares Podcast isn’t just about downloads or interviews. It’s about story. Every story builds trust. Every conversation gives leaders permission to believe change is possible. Those stories inspire, they attract, and they become the entry point into something bigger. The podcast shines a light on Navigators, Collaborators, and Pond members. It tells the world what we’re building, one voice at a time. The Pond: The Heartbeat The Pond is where belonging happens. It’s where visionaries gather, not just to grow businesses, but to grow as humans. It’s not a networking group. It’s not a mastermind. It’s a family. Founders Calls set the rhythm. Sub-Ponds create depth. Retreats and BBQs bring it to life. And gifting creates moments that will be remembered forever. The Pond takes the trust built through the podcast and turns it into connection. Visionary Navigator Services: The Engine of Clarity Navigator work is where transformation happens. One-on-one with founders. In rooms with leadership teams. At the table with families. It’s where fog clears, decisions sharpen, and leaders find peace again. Navigator Services give people the structure and clarity to live differently. They take the energy of the Pond and channel it into action. The Cycle That Sustains Itself Here’s where it all connects: Stories flow from the Podcast into The Pond. The Pond builds the relationships that fuel Navigator work. Navigator transformations become stories that flow back into the Podcast. It’s a cycle of story, belonging, and clarity that sustains itself. The Long-Term Vision In three years, the flagship Pond will be full at 150 members. Collaborators will be teaching, Sub-Ponds will be thriving, and the Navigator Hub will be refined. In ten years, I’ll mentor 12 Navigators. Each will have their own Pond of 150 leaders, their own podcast, their own clients. Together, that’s nearly 2,000 entrepreneurs directly impacted, with ripple effects to tens of thousands of families and communities. It’s multiplication. It’s legacy. It’s movement. Why It Matters When I look at these three pillars, I don’t see projects. I see pieces of a puzzle that finally fit. The Podcast shares the story. The Pond creates the family. The Navigator brings the clarity. Together, they form an ecosystem that changes everything. Because the truth is, success alone won’t change the world. Connection will. Clarity will. Story will. And when all of that works together, the impact doesn’t just add up. It multiplies!

I’ve been on the receiving end of gifts that changed me. John Ruhlin , the founder of Giftology, has sent me gifts over the years that stopped me in my tracks. They weren’t random. They weren’t about him. They were about me. And that’s what made them unforgettable. Around the same time, I jumped into Gary Vee ’s VeeFriends NFT project. One of the tokens I bought was called the Gift Goat. For four years, I watched gift after gift arrive, which was creative, intentional, and always designed to build connection. Those experiences marked me. They showed me the power of gifting when it’s done with thought, with heart, and with purpose. It’s why gifting has become a leadership strategy for me. Why Gifting Matters Most leaders get gifting wrong. They send out swag with their logo stamped on it. They hand out cookie-cutter baskets at Christmas. They check the box. But real gifting isn’t about the object. It’s about the moment it creates. When you give someone a gift that’s personal, thoughtful, and useful, you’re telling them something powerful: I see you. And isn’t that what leadership is? Seeing people. Honoring them. Creating moments of dignity and connection that outlast the transaction. How I Practice It Sometimes it looks like gifting a set of Cutco knives engraved with a personal message. Sometimes it’s an Artifact mug designed to hold memories. Sometimes it’s a strong box filled with keepsakes and meaning. Other times, it’s simple: a blanket for someone who’s down, or a basket of soup and meals when someone’s not feeling well. It’s not about the price tag. It’s about the thought behind it. The best gifts make people feel seen, honored, and loved. That’s what sticks. That’s what lasts. The System Behind It Here’s the thing: generosity works best when it’s consistent. That’s why I’ve built systems into my life and business to make gifting part of the rhythm, not just a once-in-a-while gesture. And I don’t do it alone. I have a Giftologist! Kami , who makes the whole process simple. She helps me think creatively, manage logistics, and keep generosity flowing. If you’ve ever wanted to build a gifting system but didn’t know where to start, email me directly and I’ll make a personal connection to Kami. She’s been a game changer for me. The Legacy of Generosity Here’s the truth: strategies fade, markets shift, deals come and go. But generosity leaves a legacy. A well-chosen gift can echo for decades. A simple act of kindness can ripple through families, communities, even generations. That’s why I believe gifting isn’t just a leadership tactic. It’s a spiritual practice. It’s a way of multiplying presence, creating memory, and honoring people in a world that too often forgets them. Stop sending swag. Stop checking the box. Start creating moments that people will never forget. Because leadership isn’t about being remembered for your title. It’s about being remembered for the way you made people feel. That’s legacy.

When I launched The Big Fish Cares Podcast , I didn’t do it to chase charts or brag about numbers. I did it because stories matter more than strategies. Here’s the truth: entrepreneurs don’t need another five-step framework. They need hope. They need proof that the pain they’re walking through can actually turn into purpose. They need to hear from someone who’s been in the storm and found a way through. That’s what the podcast is all about. Why Story Matters Strategies tell you what to do . Stories remind you who you are . When you hear someone else talk about losing everything and then rebuilding, you realize you’re not alone. When you hear about resilience, faith, and transformation, it unlocks something inside you that a checklist never could. That’s why the podcast exists. Every episode is a megaphone for hope. It gives leaders permission to believe that change is possible, that their lowest moment might become the soil where their greatest work grows. What the Podcast Is Really About At its core, The Big Fish Cares Podcast is three things: A spotlight for people who’ve turned pain into presence. Founders, authors, builders, dreamers: each one with a story worth telling A bridge into community. Every guest connects with The Pond, with our Navigators, with a growing ecosystem of entrepreneurs who refuse to do life alone. A storytelling engine for the movement. Clips, episodes, conversations: they flow into our retreats, our communities, and our Navigator work. It’s not just content. It’s culture. Where It’s Going Right now, we’re recording in-person conversations, long-form, unfiltered, heart-forward. And as the movement grows, the podcast will grow with it. One day, the stories won’t just connect listeners to me. They’ll connect ponds to ponds, Navigators to Navigators, communities to communities. Eventually, I believe this podcast will help fill stadiums with people who come not for me, but for the collective story we’re telling, the story of what it means to live with purpose, peace, and freedom. Why It Matters Community is built on trust. And trust is built on story. That’s why the podcast is not a side project for me. It’s the megaphone. It’s the part of the movement that shouts hope into the noise, gathers the right people, and weaves together something bigger than any one of us could create alone. And my favorite part is when the podcast isn’t just about the microphone at all. Especially when it’s in Pittsburgh, I love inviting people over, sharing dinner, introducing them to my wife and kids, spending time at my house. No phone, no rush... just being present with the soul on the other side of the table. That’s a lifetime connection. If my kids were the only ones who ever listened to an episode, I’d still be a happy man. Because that’s why I do it. Not for charts, not for downloads, but for the connections, the conversations, and the legacy of story that will outlive me. So here’s my ask: if you’ve found value in these stories, share them. Invite someone into the conversation. Or, if you know someone with a story that could inspire others, send them my way. Because together, through the power of story, we’re building something that can change the way leaders live and lead.

I have carried a sense for years that there is a book inside of me. Not just a collection of words. Not just another business book, but a story that weaves together the pain, the lessons, the tragedies, the faith, and the victories that have shaped me. The Arc of a Story My life has not been neat. It has been marked by tough stories, tragedies, and lessons that cut deep. I have lived through drug felonies in my twenties , an overdose in 2017, the murder of my brother in 2021, and the loss of our daughter, Ellie Hope, in 2023. I have built businesses that thrived, and I have had partnerships that fractured. I have seen what happens when people stand by you, and I have seen what happens when they walk away. Those experiences are all my chapters. Each one carries pain, but also a lesson; each one reveals a truth I want to pass on. More Than One Book The first book I imagine might be called Pain in the Presence. A story about grief, redemption, and the God who meets us in the gutter. But I know there are others too. A book on Visionary Navigation, that talks about the clarity, peace, and presence leaders need to build lives they do not want to escape from; a book on community building, and the power of family, authenticity, and generosity to change the way we lead; and why not even a book on my years in roofing and construction: the industry that shaped me, stretched me, and gave me the foundation for everything I do now. Each of these books would stand on its own, but together they would tell the story of a life lived fully: the mistakes, the miracles, and the mission. Waiting for the Right Time I know this will be a big deal. Not because I am special, but because I believe these stories are meant to serve others. I do not want to rush it, I want the right timing and the right people to help me shape it. When the time comes, I know this will not just be a book, it will be part of the movement. A megaphone for the message of Visionary Navigator, a way to take what we are building in The Pond and bring it to leaders who may never sit across the table from me. Why It Matters A book can go where I cannot. It can travel into homes, offices, and hearts, it can sit on shelves and wait for the right moment, when someone needs it most, it can multiply the impact far beyond what I could ever do on my own. And that is why I believe so strongly that this book inside of me is not just for me, it is for every founder, every dreamer, every leader who feels stuck, broken, or alone. My Invitation I do not know when the first page will be written and I do not know who will help me shape it, but what I know is that t he book inside of me will come out. And when it does, it will be raw, it will be real, and it will be written to change lives.  If you have followed my story, you are already part of this journey. Thank you for walking with me. This is only the beginning.

I believe ten years from now, community will matter more than money. Capital can be raised in a night. You can close a round, wire funds, or sell your company in a matter of weeks. But authentic connection, real trust, and real belonging take years to build. And they cannot be bought. I’ve sat with founders after exits, after eight-figure deals, after what most people would call success. And do you know what I’ve seen? Restlessness. A hunger for something more. Money met the financial need, but it could not touch the ache for meaning. Because at the end of the day, it is not the size of your exit that shapes your legacy. It is the strength of your relationships. Why Capital Isn’t Enough Money is powerful. It gives us options, freedom, and tools to scale. But money is also shallow. It solves problems in the moment but never satisfies the deeper longing for belonging, peace, or purpose. Community, on the other hand, carries you. When the storm hits, when betrayal cuts deep, when health fails, when business feels fragile, capital will not hold your hand. People will. That is why the work I am building through the Podcast, The Pond, and Visionary Navigator Services is not just about business growth. It is about people. It is about connection. A Different Kind of Investment When I created The Pond, I was not building a networking group. I was building a family. A place where founders could show up without their armor on. A place where kids run in the yard at BBQs, where dinners stretch late into the night, where retreats do more than sharpen business. They heal the soul. I want founders to experience what happens when they stop leading alone. When generosity and gifting become the rhythm. When vulnerability is not punished but honored. Because when leaders are surrounded by that kind of community, their impact multiplies. Their families flourish. Their teams feel it. Their legacy deepens. The Way of Jesus My faith anchors me here. Jesus did not gather 70 million. He gathered twelve. He poured into them, lived with them, and walked with them. Those twelve multiplied the message. That is the model I see for leadership today. Not just scaling companies, but pouring deeply into people. Not chasing capital alone, but choosing connection. Because capital will fade. But community will echo for generations. My Invitation You can chase money your whole life and still feel empty. Or you can build relationships that outlast you. That is why I am building this movement. Not because money does not matter, but because money without community is hollow. If you are a founder who is ready to invest in connection, to surround yourself with people who will walk with you through every season, then I invite you to step into The Pond. Because at the end of the day, it will not be the wire transfers or deal sheets that define your story. It will be the people who sat at your table, the family who knew you fully, and the community that carried you. Community over capital. Always.

The Right Fit Leader Podcast