4 Years on Substack
What I've gained, learned, and a collection of resources
Four years ago, I decided to start this Substack. At the time, I was interviewing for new full-time roles while also considering whether to pursue my side business full time.
That business had grown significantly during the pandemic. I saw the newsletter as a way to keep sharing ideas and stay visible in the broader leadership and workplace conversation, regardless of which path I chose.
Through a mix of writing, reflection, and a few unexpected turns, I ultimately turned down the full-time offers and made the leap into entrepreneurship. I launched my own leadership development consulting firm and used this Substack to share my ideas, lessons from my work, and personal insights from my entrepreneurial journey.
Fast Forward: 4 Years, 212 Editions Later
Today marks four years and 212 editions. In the early years, I published almost every week, sometimes twice a week, with only occasional breaks for holidays.
Over the past year, as life has changed as we welcomed a newborn into our family I shifted to a bi-weekly cadence.
Most Saturdays, you can still find me up early with a cup of coffee, writing and reflecting. This ritual has become much more than a creative outlet. It has offered tremendous personal and professional benefits. Here are a few:
Personal Benefits
Becoming a better writer I never really thought of myself as a writer. I enjoyed English class growing up but mostly got by on effort and participation. After writing two books and publishing countless words here, my writing has improved a lot, though my grammar still has room for improvement.
Creating space for creativity and synthesis
Saturday mornings, often quiet except for occasional baby sounds from my five-month-old, give me a dedicated space to think and create. This habit allows my mind to breathe, helps me synthesize ideas, and fuels new projects and opportunities.Building meaningful relationships
Through this newsletter, I’ve connected with other writers, readers, and professionals from around the world. These connections have enriched both my work and my life.
Professional Benefits
Business opportunities
Readers have reached out to hire me for keynotes, leadership development programs, and advisory work based on topics I have shared here. (If this is you, Thank you!) If you are interested in collaborating, I am always open to new conversations.Content creation
Some of the most popular pieces from this newsletter have become core content for leadership programs, keynotes, and conference talks.Book and podcast projects
Many of the themes explored here helped me write my second book and launch additional an additional podcast on entrepreneurship.Advisory and consulting work
Organizations that discovered my writing have hired me to consult and advise on projects that align with my expertise.
There are probably more benefits I’m forgetting, but this is a pretty good list. Most importantly, I am deeply grateful to everyone who has read, subscribed, shared, or engaged with my work over these past four years.
What’s Ahead
I plan to continue the newsletter at a bi-weekly pace. As more people subscribe, I realize that newer readers may have missed earlier editions. Soon I will share a curated list of some of the most popular posts organized by topic.
The focus will remain on sharing practical, actionable insights to help leaders navigate the evolving workplace, along with broader observations on leadership, talent, and organizational trends. I will also aim to share book recommendations and other resources on a quarterly basis.
The Best Hits
The following is a collection of some of my “best hits” from this newsletter from the past four years. I’ve broken these up into 5 categories that I tend to write about. Consider favoriting or saving this and going back to it when you need it. And of course, please do share these with your peers and colleagues if they are helpful.
How to Lead Others and Succeed at Work
My pieces related to how to lead others and be successful in the workplace
How to Manage Your Career Successfully
My ideas about how to manage and grow your career successfully.
How to Be a Good People Manager or Develop Good People Managers
My ideas around what makes a good manager, how to be a good manager, and how to develop good managers
My Takes on AI and The Workplace
My thoughts on trends in the workplace and AI.
My Entrepreneurship Journey
My reflections and learnings from my entrepreneurship journey
Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who reads, engages, shares, and provides thoughts and insights. I’m grateful for your support and hope you find this valuable. If you’ve got comments, suggestions or ideas I’d' love to hear them.
And if you are interested in working together please see the details below.
Call To Action
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this newsletter and found it valuable and would like to work together, here are three ways. If you’re looking for some help for your learning and development, leadership development, I’d love to work with you: Here is how I might be able to assist:
Leadership & Learning Programs: Formal training and leadership development in your company, such as new manager or new leader training, or skill-based programs. (See Here for more details)
Keynote Speaking - Do you have a conference, offsite, or event and in need of a speaker? I’d love to hear more and see how I can assist
1:1 Executive Coaching - Are you looking for an executive coach for 1:1 leadership support? Let’s chat about how we can work together
Feel free to contact me directly for more details!
P.S. The newsletter is and will remain free. If my work resonates and you would like to collaborate or support my work, there are several ways we can work together.
P.P.S. I am not always great at asking for help. If you have found value here and want to support my work even if you are not in a position to hire me, I truly appreciate any support, whether it is sharing, subscribing, or referring my work to others.