Chris Do's Recent LinkedIn Posts

The counterintuitive nature of design. Design, at its best, feels almost obvious—the byproduct of a series of intelligent decisions that reaches a natural conclusion. Young designers add. Experienced designers subtract. “Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible,”  — Don Norman "If you think good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design." — Ralf Speth "Good design is obvious. Great design is transparent." — Joe Sparano "A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry "Simplicity is not the goal. It is the by-product of a good idea and modest expectations." — Paul Rand "Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." — Steve Jobs "Good design is like air conditioning. We only notice it when it's missing." — Jared Spool You often don't notice something until it's done poorly.

"You can be good and loud." —Magdiel Lopez They're not mutually exclusive ideas. Magdiel has a really strong visual style in his work that's also highly sought after. But he didn't stop there. He went on to build a massive social following. On Instagram alone, he's amassed over 290k followers, which has gotten him opportunities to work with brands, clients, and be a keynote speaker. Do great work. Be different. Don't be the best kept secret. Also, be a good human. He checks all the boxes. Not bad for a kid from Cuba. Well done Magdiel.

Can an old dog learn new tricks? Maybe. I'm old school. I admit it. I set goals. I work on said goals. I don't need affirmations… or additional motivation. The goal itself is the reward. Each time I achieve a goal, positive things happen apart from the goal itself. I feel a sense of accomplishment. I learn new skills. I build on my self story that I have the skills to do anything I set my mind to. So it comes to a surprise to me that other people don't work this way. They like gamification. They like challenges. With rewards and scorecards. Okay. Let's try something new. Starting March, members of my Pro Community score points for engagement. Post. Comment. Engage. Spend time sharing. Spend time helping. Good for them and for the community. Can an old dog learn new tricks? Woof! Points on the board: Ayka W. Maestro Stevens Michael Hotz Christina Theo Eric Grotenhuis Adam Jones Leigh Aschoff Let's see who emerges on top at the end of the month. Who you got your money on? Or maybe some dark horse will emerge and take it. #futurpro

This challenge had a diabolical twist. Is your message so simple, a kid can understand it? Not a 5th grader. A 5 year old. That's what these entrepreneurs didn't know until it was too late. If you were in their shoes, how would you describe your business to a 5 year old? How confident would you be in their ability to repeat your story? Here's a snippet from season 2 of "60 Day Hustle". Watch now on Amazon Prime. #60DayHustle Sonic Gods

NO means Next Opportunity. Got this gem from professor Errol Gerson. No is not the end of the world. Get comfortable with No. Your aversion to hearing No is costing you money. So how do you get a No? Ask for more. Not in an aggressive, entitled way, but in a calm, matter-of-fact way. When's the best time to ask? After you hear too many Yeses. How many is too many? 3 in a row is a good rule of thumb.

Do you feel like you're being "shadow banned"? Content on life support? I know this is hard to hear, but it could be your content, and not the algorithm or platform that's broken. Chances are, you're doing one or more of the following: • Using "content" as a disguise for SPAM • Sharing too much personal content that's not relevant to your expertise • Sharing empty platitudes or TBU (true but useless) content • Regurgitation of copy-paste-content • Over reliance on AI generated "phone it in" content (you know, the "it's not this, it's that, or… "hard truth no one tells you") There's a solution. Here to help. Your content might be good, but the ratio could be all wrong. Think 9-1-1 (as in, what's your emergency?) - 9 pieces of pure value (transformative content, tell me something I didn't know, or something I knew but got wrong) - 1 personal piece (show us who you are, your story, your personality) - 1 promotional piece (you've earned the right to "ask" for something, give people a chance to repay you for the value you've generated) This avoids the hidden agendas and incessant CTAs. What is your current ratio of value to ask? What's keeping you from sharing personal content on this platform? #personalbranding #contentstrategy #permissionmarketing

This was an experiment… I asked nano banana to merge a photo from 2019 with an illustration that my son Mattias made (that referenced the same photo). Make it fun, creative. Composite the two together to make a hybrid doodle collage. After a few attempts, it produced something that captured what I wanted. The references are obvious (Jean-Michel Basquiat & Dan Eldon) & a little Mattias Do. A little clean up using Adobe Firefly was needed. What do you think? Is this an appropriate use of AI? What could you use this for?

Hourly pricing is outdated and doesn't represent the value of what you create/buy. When you price hourly, you are doing the following: • measuring time, not quality, not impact, not results • reward slower outcomes • punish efficiency and innovation • create anxiety for the buyer because of price uncertainty • invite scrutiny of time spent on tasks In a world of commoditized labor, hourly pricing makes sense. It doesn't for everything else, especially creative endeavors. This video has had over 60m+ views on social media and was responsible for catapulting The Futur™ onto the global stage. The other voice on the video is my late friend Jung Hong (California State University, Northridge professor) who wanted to know "how much for a logo"? I'm here all day if you want to debate this. Some OG thought leaders you will want to follow on this topic: Blair Enns Ron Baker Jonathan Stark David C. Baker

Some event organizers get it. And, well… some just don't. Last week, I flew 14 hours from Los Angeles to Sydney. I gave a 30 minute keynote. Took a few pictures. Shake a few hands. And got back on the plane to go home. 28 hours of flying, a few hours in an uber to give a 30 minute keynote. Doesn't seem like a good use of human capital. Not to mention the fuel consumption. As crazy as this sounds, this is exactly what happens at many events. Luckily, this isn't what happened at RISE TO GREATNESS— the brainchild of Robert Theodoridis & Connie Theodoridis. After an initial kickoff call, I asked if they wanted me to do more than deliver a keynote. We bounced around some ideas. Rob: "Give us a few weeks to put together a new idea." And so they did. Their proposal— 90 minute keynote 3 hour Q&A 8 hour Masterclass No speeding through content. No watered down ideas. I can teach and engage the audience. I can crack jokes and do call backs. Stories can breathe and the audience can relax. I can't say this enough— Do less but better (Dieter Rams) People don't want higher volume of speakers and talks. They want deeper conversations and connections. Or maybe that's just me? Anyhoo, if you were at the event, my buddy and AI whiz kid, Dave Katague, put together some great notes from my talk. Comment "RTG" and I'll send you the link. Photo: Jocelyn Fong

Why did this video got over 1m views on Instagram? Was it his insight? Was it his experience? Or, was it his "homeless" vibes? You be the judge. But there's no denying, he's the OG coach. And when I approached him to ask him "how much he charges an hour", his answer shocked everyone. Taki Moore is a legend in the coaching space. Been at this game longer than most. There's a high probability he's coached the coach you're working with.

I planned for 5, but stayed for 7. Sometimes, the best things happen when you allow for unplanned moments to take place. My SXSW plans were nearly locked when Dr. Sunny Shuoyang Zhang pinged me and said, "Speak at our event." It was sent via DM, but if you know Dr. Sunny, you can imagine the cheerful and excitable energy she projects. I tried to get out of it… "I wish I could, but I'm flying home Sunday," I said. The event was on Tuesday. I would need to extend my stay for 2 more days. She said, "Is it just a hotel issue? No problem." And just like that, I extended my stay. Monday rolls around, the night before Born Global, I end up having Omakase sushi at a speak-easy style restaurant above Hokkaisan Japanese Deli Sushi. At first, I kept checking my map to make sure I was in the right place. I had walked pass this spot many times in the past few days. This was a deli, not a restaurant. When asked, no one at the counter seemed to know what I was talking about. That's when Jessie Wang Ph.D. came out from the back. She ushered Dr. Sunny and later Phoebe W. to the converted storage space upstairs. Discreet and unassuming. Quiet. Intimate. Exclusive. No loud music pumping. No side chatter to compete with. The night capped with a heated debate about product vs. brand, with Jessie and I locking horns. With her background in consumer psychology, I may have met my match. Finally, I don't have to hold back. We make plans to pick up the debate for a future podcast episode. Stay tuned. Tuesday. I'm at the Long Center for the Performing Arts for the Asia x Austin & Born Global summit. I do a new Talkshop on "Unbland Essentials" to a full room and warm reception. That's my second Born Global event in Austin. Received an award from Dr. Sunny. Got to meet some great people including Mark Duval (Asian Creator Collective). Some ideas were definitely hatched thanks to those 2 extra days in Austin. Nothing I could've planned for, but made space to happen, opening myself up to whatever the universe wants to bring. How was your SXSW experience? When have you benefited from 'going with the flow'? #sxsw2026 #bornglobal

A workbook a week? Is it possible? That's the challenge I'm on right now. My hypothesis is this: people don't have the time or patience to sit through multi-part, hour long videos nor read a book cover to cover. They are reluctant to spend a lot of money only to find out that what they bought doesn't work, or is poorly made. They have a problem. They want a solution fast. They have been burned before. If the offer delivers a clear outcome, makes it easy to do, then the likelihood that someone will buy, increases. Unbland Yourself™ has sold over 1000 copies and is $99. (thank you) Is it worth more than this? Yes. Should I charge more? Maybe. However, I'm testing this idea of "micro products" based on my own consumption habits. If something is so cheap (say $9-$99), the price relative to the outcomes becomes inconsequential. I buy templates, mock-ups, textures, brushes, digital downloads in this price range and don't have to agonize over. Rarely have I been disappointed by the value to price ratio. One thing I realized is that they often deliver too much, which is a lesson I'm still learning. I don't want 100 mock-ups or brushes. I just want the 3 best ones. Less is more (valuable). I am an educator. My goal is to help people achieve a result faster and with less pain. But I can't if they don't enroll in a course, watch a video, attend a workshop or keynote, or join my coaching community. Rather than build big, all encompassing solutions, at a high price point, I am releasing a series of micro products that help solve 1 specific problem at a price everyone can afford. (I think) Unbland™ Essentials $39 is a workbook to help you hone your "Core 3" brand essentials: • The one thing you want to be know for (keyword) • The thing you want to rid the world of (enemy) • A catchphrase that bridges the keyword + enemy (rallying cry) For example, Brené Brown— vulnerability, shame, "Be brave" & "Dare greatly" Want to try? Tell me what your Core 3 are (keyword, enemy, rallying cry) and I'll run it through my Claude bot to help you improve it. Comment "UE26" and I'll send you a link to get your copy of the workbook. #UnblandYourself #personalbranding

The surprising reason why most people don't learn… They don't follow directions. It's that simple. There's a kind of student who asks for advice from a teacher, coach, consultant, or peer. When they're given the answer, they do one of the following: • Reject. It doesn't confirm what they want to hear. • Modify. They believe they have a better way. • Sabotage. Half hearted attempt. Years ago, I was introduced to a Japanese concept called "Shu-Ha-Ri"— It describes the stages of learning to mastery. "Shuhari is usually translated as "follow the rules, break the rules, transcend the rules". In the Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso is desperate to learn Karate from Mr. Miyagi, who initially refuses him, but eventually agrees on one condition. "Do exactly as I say. No questions." Daniel agrees. How it begins— Wax on. Wax off. Oooooooo-kay. Despite his skepticism, he does as instructed. When Mr. Miyagi is satisfied, he moves on to… Paint the fence. He's very specific about how to hold the brush. Which makes no sense to Daniel, but he complies. Until… one day, he's frustrated and has an outburst. "I thought you were going to teach me Karate! All I've been doing is your chores." Mr. Miyagi, with some contempt, says "Wax on!" right before attempting to strike Daniel. "Wax off!" Again. Another punch. Another block. Daniel doesn't fully comprehend what he's just been able to do. But he's been learning Karate the whole time. The master teaches. Do exactly as the master says. Not kind of. Not close enough. But exactly. This is the step that most people have difficulty doing. They want to adapt. They want to improvise. They want to rush to advanced skills. And therefore, become terrible students. Eventually Daniel wins the All Valley tournament and is able to vindicate himself. If you're unfamiliar with Asian martial arts "Grind House" films, they all follow this formula. An undisciplined person with moderate skills seeks a master who initially refuses him. The master takes pity on the student and agrees to train them. It seems cruel at first. The training is unrelenting. (Carrying buckets of water up the stairs, striking a board until their knuckles bleed, and other impossible tasks, while the master shows little compassion for the student). Ultimately, the student gains the discipline, skills, respect and affection of the master. Until one day, the master is killed by a villain in a fight to the death. The student tries to avenge his master but fails. Naturally, since he is his master's student. Dejected, the student serendipitously learns a new way of fighting (drunken fist, eagle claw, exploding heart technique, etc…) and is able to beat the villain and avenge his master. Shu-Ha-Ri. As a kid, I got the message. Pick a master. Do as your told. Master the skills. Find a new master. Learn new skills. Combine them to find your way. Surpass the master. In this exact order. Try this next time. The difference will be night & day.

Brendan Kane watched my content and said three words: "Where's the format?" I didn't know what he meant. I thought I was doing fine. Views were decent. Engagement was okay. But "okay" isn't viral. And Brendan knew something I didn't. After further discussion, here's my take. Every popular short or reel that has gone viral is using a "format." And every format needs 4 components: 1. Constant (the thing that never changes—what the audience can expect) 2. Variable (what changes to keep things fresh) 3. Tension (how you create and maintain suspense) 4. Payoff (the reward or conclusion) Here's a breakdown of Max Klymenko very popular "Career Ladder"— • Constant: Max on a ladder waiting for someone to step up. He guesses their career in 2 minutes or less. They can tell him or just walk away. He sings a jingle. • Variable: Different place, time of day, and participant. Each person responds differently. Some avoid the ladder. Some seek it. • Tension: 2-minute clock counting down creates immediate urgency. Lots of will they/won't they moments. Will he figure it out? Will they give him clues? Did they fool him with vague answers? Will they even get on the ladder? (This is the genius part.) • Payoff: Sometimes he guesses it immediately. Sometimes, he has no clue. We, the audience, get to play along. Very satisfying. Why does this work? It's repeatable. It's predictable. We know what to expect. It's easy to consume. No heavy brain work. It's easy to produce. Doesn't get stale. All he needs is a ladder, a busy place, and a willing participant. Max has the receipts. Almost 2m followers on IG, and over 4m subs on YouTube. All from using 1 format. Despite having done a few "man on the street" interviews myself, I still had room to grow. Brendan suggested: - Approach strangers, not just people familiar with you. Why? - Tension. The pursuit. The rejection. How you respond and adapt. All good for content. - Film the entire process. Not just when you get a willing participant. No tension. No story. Noted. Even if you don't ever want to go viral, these 4 components will help your content get greater reach, higher completion rates, and make your life easier. You don't have to stress about "what next." You'll already know. P.S. What content are you hooked on right now—and what format are they using?

The rule: "You can't fire the client. We can't. So you can't either." Challenge accepted. Mo Ismail wanted to see how I would handle a really difficult client with rather unreasonable expectations. And we was more than happy to play the role of the client. It was almost as if he were born to play this part. And boy did he. He channeled every nasty, cheap, short sighted client he'd ever encountered and built a composite character to test me. This was an Academy worthy delivery. He threw everything at me. "I don't want to pay. I don't want to take the risk. I don't want you to make too much money if this works." Yep. It's that video—the one that has been seen over 20m times across multiple channels. I have to admit, it took a lot for me not to blow a fuse. But I kept the rule in mind. Don't quit. Stay in the pocket. So I dealt with each sales objection, one at a time. For a moment, I had him contradicting himself. He went from "I don't think this is going to work" to "I think this might be too effective." What do you think? How would you have handled this situation? Do you think this is unrealistic? Guess what? I've had multiple people who saw this video offer me the same deal that I had proposed—50% of the new clients. So for those who think this is preposterous, think again. #salescoach #salestraining

Hiding behind the professional mask? Afraid to tell your story? You could be doing the very thing that is needed to build meaningful connection on social platforms and in real life. By showing up as you— 100% you (mask off), imperfectly perfect, weird, eclectic, divergent, fully embracing your story and culture, you create the space for others to say, "Hey, I'm just like you." What's holding you back from showing up more as yourself? Video podcast with Neel Dhingra #UnblandYourself

Rise To Greatness. That's a bold name for a conference. But if you met Robert Theodoridis & Connie Theodoridis and learn about their heart-centered approach, big mission, and no-nonsense approach… then it makes perfect sense. On Saturday, I hop on a plane and make my return trip to Sydney. Excited to share more on how to— Unbland Yourself™ (world tour) (new framework I've been working on to make developing your personal brand fast, fun and hopefully fulfilling) Make sure you grab a ticket if you're going to be anywhere near Sydney (Feb 26-27) There's a fantastic line up of speakers including: • Katrina Kavvalos • Luke Hannan MBA • Adam Axford • Arena McLellan • Karms Fung • Tina McGlinn • Todd Polke • Myrto Mangrioti Of course Rob & Connie will be there. Who is ready to Rise to Greatness? #Sydney #unblandyourself

I froze on national TV. Brain completely blank. Cameras rolling. Strangers staring. This was during the taping of season 1 of "60 Day Hustle." My friend Olivia Owens at Teachable had recommended me as a guest mentor to talk about branding. Day of the shoot, I'm in Burbank at the studio. The director counted down, 5-4-3… I jogged up the stairway into the incubator— bright minimalist set, red walls, desks, whiteboards. And then… nothing. I was experiencing the strangest deja-vu. Like I'd been here before, seen this exact moment, this exact setting. My brain was short-circuiting. Silence. An eternity of it. Finally, I said to the director Ian, "I'm having a brain freeze." He reassured me. "Take your time. You're good." Luckily, my YT producer Mark Contreras, was there. He quietly googled a reference I had made and fed it back to me. I was good after that. He saved my butt. When season 1 premiered, I was cringing at how this was going to look. Everyone reassured me it came out great, but that's not how it played in my mind. The team at Sonic Gods Studios did an amazing job in the edit. Not only was I not embarrassed by my segment, but I was invited back for season 2 with a bigger role— and got a co-executive producer credit. None of this happens without Mark in that moment. None of this happens without the editors who made me look competent. None of this happens if Michelle Delamor doesn't give me the shot. None of this happens without Olivia who believed in me enough to recommend me. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Turns out, it also takes a village to save a mentor from himself. I'm proud of how season 2 turned out. The production, challenges, editing, and storytelling are next level. And in case you're wondering— no brain freeze this time. Who's saved you when you needed it most? #60dayhustle

↙️ #SXSW2026 Join us on March 17 for the most consequential gathering for global investors and entrepreneurs at SXSW - Born Global Summit & Awards! An official SXSW program In partnership with Asia x Austin Long Center for the Performing Arts – Gallery 701 We have brought together an incredible lineup of speakers: 🌐3:30 PM Opening Remarks Community as Infrastructure: The Invisible Engine of Global Innovation By Dr. Sunny Shuoyang Zhang Chair of Board, Born Global Community Founder and Chief Evangelist, TrueLeap Inc. 💸 3:40 PM Investor Forum Global Venture Landscape: Where Fund Returns Are Really Created Featuring Daniela "Dani" Terminel – VP Network, Kauffman Fellows Anderson Thees – Managing Partner, Redpoint eventures Phoebe W. – Chief AI Officer, nuvini Nikos Iatropoulos – Managing Partner, IA Global Ventures ⚙️ 4:30 PM Founder Forum UNBLAND™ Essentials The 7 Point Map to Owning Your Lane Featuring Chris Do, Founder, The Futur™ 🗺️ 5:30 PM Consul Generals Forum Diplomacy Meets Innovation: How Nations Power Global Entrepreneurship Featuring: Ruth Hughs – Former Texas Secretary of State | Attorney Carlos A. Martinez – Deputy Consul of Argentina in Houston Susan Harper – Consul General of Canada in Dallas Humberto Hernández Haddad – Consul General of Mexico in Austin Carlos Ealy – Assistant Secretary of State for Mexican and Border Affairs 👩‍🚀 Special Guest: Maria Noel de Castro Campos, Astronaut Candidate & Bioastronautics Engineer 🎤 6:20 PM Startup Lightening Pitch Hosted by Marcus DeVane at Dell Technologies 🎉6:30 PM Born Global Awards Followed by Asia x Austin After Dark with food, music, and networking 🙏Huge kudos to Lucas Chaya del Pino and Flor Llaudet for chairing the Summit & Awards and for taking Born Global to new heights year after year. 🙏Many thanks also to LeapSpace.AI by TrueLeap Inc., CHL Rentals - RentinTEX, Christian (Chris) Mahoney, and pixyit Yang Cheung for the generous support. 🙏Shout out to Mark Hanson Erich Pelletier at Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce and Joshua Sewell at SXSW for the amazing partnership. If you are in Austin, come join us — and feel free to share this with someone who should be in the room. 🔗 Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/gz4gwNyy 🎟 Register here: https://lnkd.in/gzX2GzMa #BornGlobal #GlobalInnovation #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #AsiaAustin #Austin

As an educator, nothing makes me happier to read posts like this. Yohannes Mulugeta made a gamble. And kept at it until it worked. Read his story here.

Wabi-sabi. The Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection. A cracked bowl isn't broken—it has character. An asymmetrical vase isn't flawed—it's interesting. The worn edges of a well-loved book aren't damage—they're proof of life. Western culture teaches us to hide the cracks. Polish everything. Smooth out the rough edges. Present the "professional" version of ourselves. Perfect, poised, polished— all forgettable. Your weird obsession with the perfect cut of Helvetica? That's memorable. The way you quote verses from 90s hip hop? That's connection. Your unconventional path into the industry? That's your story. The professional mask is comfortable. It's also invisible. Wabi-sabi says: the imperfection IS the beauty. Personal branding says the same thing. Your quirks aren't bugs. They're features. What "imperfection" are you still trying to hide? #UnblandYourself

Turning silence into liquid gold. For 100 years, cleaning product companies sold fear. Fear of germs. Fear of judgment. Fear of being the person with the dirty bathroom. Then two guys in their twenties (Adam Lowry, a climate scientist, and Eric Ryan, an advertising expert) showed up with dish soap. Their radical idea? Make it beautiful. Method didn't try to out-clean Softsoap. They hired world famous product designer (Karim Rashid) to create a bottle you'd actually want on your counter. Not hidden under the sink—too ugly to display. The lesson? Big Soap customers weren't complaining. Sales were steady. Market research showed no demand for "beautiful cleaning products." Because you can't survey people for what they haven't been shown is possible. The incumbents mistook silence for satisfaction. Customers bought out of habit. Out of inertia. They couldn't articulate what was missing—until Method gave them the language for it. The moment a beautiful alternative existed, people understood retroactively what they'd been tolerating. This is how most category disruption works. Not inventing new desires. Naming desires that already existed without articulation. Method didn't beat Big Soap at what they were doing. They made them feel irrelevant. Every commodity category sits on assumptions about what customers want. Those assumptions are invisible to incumbents because it's the water they swim in. Don't fix what ain't broke right? Wrong. The successful insurgent surfaces the assumption and asks: Does this still hold? Additional takeaways: 1. Different is better than better (Sally Hogshead). Method didn't make a better product. They made it fit in people's decor. 2. Aesthetics matter. We assume beautiful things are better, non-toxic, gentler on our skin, and eco-friendly. By 2012, Method Soap had surpassed $100m in sales, and was acquired by S. C. Johnson & Son in 2017 (estimated to be worth north of $300m). You could say they cleaned up nicely. Do you want to learn more about how to be different? Should I share more case studies of unremarkable industries/categories being disrupted by remarkable brands? What silent tolerations are your customers living with right now?

Is she charging too little? Are you underpricing your services? How will you know if you never push to see where the ceiling's at?

Los Angeles Friends… March in-person event is stacked. My guests are changing the game, and they're dropping free game. If you'd like to attend a live-taping in our Santa Monica studios, RSVP and grab your ticket to one of the stellar speakers we have lined up. Matt Gray March 4 Joanna Wiebe March 7 Marie Forleo March 9 Tyler Chou March 9 Yasir Khan March 10 Event is free to attend (in-person only). Donation only. Attend one. Attend them all. Tag an LA friend. Eventbrite links in comment below.

My business coach asked, "There are two types of people. Those who run towards change, and those who run away. Which are you?" I've always said I run towards it. But lately? I'm not so sure. I drifted into what I'll call my "retirement phase." Running a lifestyle business. More maintenance, less growth. The hunger wasn't there. We were comfortable. My boys are almost done with college. We had enough. At 54, I should be thinking about taking it easy. Travel. Hotels by the sea. Watch the sun set. Go quietly into the night. But I don't do quiet. And I've never been good at following the status quo. Looking back at the last 30 years: • Built two businesses • Early pioneer in the LA Motion Design scene • Reinvented myself more times than I can count (designer → motion designer → director → brand strategist → educator → creator → speaker) Here's what I realized: I can't be pushed into action. I have to be pulled. And nothing was pulling me. Until now. Late last year, my wife and I made a decision that scared us back to life. We made an offer on a house. But not to live in. A compound for TheFutur—a space to host, create, and test ideas I've been sitting on too long. My wife asked, "Are you sure? Because you'll have to work again." Without hesitation: "Yes. You find the financing. I'll make the mortgage payments." So here's what I'm building toward. For 8 years, I've traveled the world—conferences, conventions, workshops on sales and branding. (See the photo of lanyards) Now I'm bringing it home. The experience: One hour of private 1:1 coaching with me. Then join 9 other guests for a curated dinner party—private chef, open California sky, great food, and conversation you won't forget. Maybe a surprise guest. 10 seats. $5k per person. I know that's not nothing. But neither is what happens when the right people get in a room together. This is my season to kick butt. Retirement can wait. Have you ever made a decision that scared you back to life? Let me know if you want to get on the waitlist. Fingers crossed, we close on the house and I write the next chapter.