The mountains don’t care about your resume. Whether hiking, hunting, skiing, fishing, or climbing, the common thread is the same: nature punishes complacency. The higher and farther you go, the less room there is for arrogance. In the mountains, confidence is useful. Overconfidence can get you killed.

The memories and lessons learned from challenging adventures are not things money can buy. Without my teammates, some of which have since died in combat, I wouldn’t have had these experiences and learned such valuable lessons. This weekend, take a moment to remember…

I don’t live near mountains. I don’t have ideal training conditions. At some point, a worthwhile adventure will require preparation. Consistency is more important than perfection. Preparation is less about geography and more about discipline. The mountain doesn’t care where you’re from…

How I prepared for Denali and Aconcagua at sea level on flat ground. Couldn’t train at altitude or even hike steep hills. So I had to get creative.

We left High Camp, perched at roughly 20,000 feet, at 4:00 a.m. It was dark, brutally cold, and the wind cut through every layer we had. Miserable would be the right word. At that altitude, everything becomes difficult. Breathing. Thinking. Walking. Even the smallest tasks require effort.

We started the climb on May 7. The first movement went from the glacier base camp up toward 7,800 feet, and it was a brutal wake-up call. Our packs weighed around 35 to 40 pounds. Behind us, we pulled sleds weighing roughly 75 more. The route started by going downhill first, which felt insulting. Lose altitude now so you can gain it back later under load. This was the ‘easy way’ up Denali?

We had just finished another brutal day on Denali. That night, I wrote two words in my journal: “Death March!” We had moved from 11,200’ to 14,300’ – a 5-hour uphill grind in crampons, carrying heavy loads. After arriving at camp, we spent the next 3-hours setting up camp – flattening the snow, pitching tents, and building snow walls to protect us from the incoming store. By the time I laid down in my sleeping bag, it was already -20 degrees INSIDE my tent. My sleeping bag was rated to -20 degrees F and the temps were dropping….

Complacency kills. It’s one of the biggest risks facing a high performing or successful team. In this article, I talk about how to deal with it. Hint: you don’t eliminate it. You manage it!

The biggest problems cannot be solved alone. The solution requires a TEAM. So the team exists to SOLVE problems. The bigger the problem - the greater the opportunity!

Employers want people to be more ‘entrepreneurial.’ But how do you do that without actually being an ‘entrepreneur?’ Here are some of the things I learned while running my own business and how to apply them at work, even if you work for others!

Skills and Traits are both important. Skills are what you do. Traits are who you are. Skills are more easily learned. So decide who you want to be and prove it to yourself daily. Most importantly, start young. It takes MUCH longer to develop a trait than a skill!

Skills and Traits are both important. We need baseline skills to function individually and as a member of a unit or team. We also need to develop certain traits (or values), and they take longer.

Football taught me many important lessons. These hard lessons helped me in the military, and beyond. Football may have not worked out, but I am grateful for what it taught me. Most of all, I’m grateful it DIDN’T work out for me….

Whenever I speak, I usually have some Q&A at the end. I enjoy answering questions more than ‘presenting’ as it gives me a chance to interact with the audience. I really like to learn more about what others are interested in, working on, or even needing help with. One question I’m commonly asked: What advice would you give younger workers? Below is my best attempt to answer…

Fitness has ALWAYS been a passion of mine. The goals have changed along with the methods of achieving them, but ‘working out’ or ‘training’ has been a constant. In fact, in my 44 years of life, I cannot remember a time when I wasn’t ‘training’ for something. I have had varying levels of ‘fitness’ along the way. In some seasons of life, I was much more ‘fit’ than I am now. But ‘fitness’ or the ‘pursuit’ of fitness has been a constant in my life.

Of all the challenges I’ve faced, and of all the scary things I’ve done in the military as a Navy SEAL, nothing prepared for the challenge of leaving the SEAL Teams and NOTHING was scarier than leaving the ‘comfort’ of the military for the unknown of the ‘civilian world.’

Not EVERYTHING I learned in the SEAL Teams applies in a business setting or to the private sector. Sure, there were LOTS of lessons from the Teams that have transcended the battlefield for me. But there are also some things that do not. Below I’ve outlined a few of the differences along with a brief oversimplification of what works in BOTH worlds…

There is power in having and KNOWING your purpose. Whether you are making a DECISION or taking ACTION, knowing your purpose is vital. As Vince Lombardi once said, “Success demand singleness of purpose.” Couldn’t have said it better myself! But what is purpose? How do we discover our own purpose? Why is it important? How does it impact our lives? Keep reading to find out…

Having an identity is crucial. Knowing who I am or who I strive to become has been instrumental in my life. But what is identity and why does it matter? How does self-awareness impact life in a positive manner. Keep reading to find out…