Stop Chasing→Start Creating
Success Without Self-Abandonment


You can be successful by every measure and still feel disconnected from the life you built. 


Not burned out. Not lost. Just quietly off.


You did what you were supposed to do; you checked the boxes, you built the life you believed you should.


And yet something feels missing.


What’s missing isn’t more success.


It’s you.


Somewhere along the way, you learned to trade alignment for achievement, and belonging for performance. 


You didn’t fail. You adapted.


But when success is built from the outside in, it eventually costs you on the inside.


Reinvention isn’t about starting over or becoming someone new.


It’s about reclaiming and restoring who you were before fear, scarcity, proving, and expectation took over your decision-making.


The problem isn’t success. The problem is how that success was achieved.


You followed a blueprint that wasn’t yours.

It was a hand-me-down of shoulds, opinions, and supposed-tos from family, friends, and society.


When you stop chasing and start creating, you seize authorship of your life and design a blueprint that aligns with who you are.


Not who you believe you’re supposed to be.


The life you’ve built doesn’t have to change; the fuel you use has to change.


When you stop self-abandoning, you don’t become less driven.


Quite the opposite.


You tap into previously untapped potential and become clearer, steadier, and more decisive.


Energy spent performing, proving, and protecting an identity is redirected into creativity, focus, judgment, and follow-through.


Life feels cleaner and quieter, less proving, less pressure, more clarity about what’s worth your time and what isn’t.


The result is not just a better personal life.


It’s better leadership, better decisions, and organizations built on self-trust rather than fear.


When people reclaim authorship of who they are, performance doesn’t disappear.


It’s transformed and expanded.


This is the work behind my keynotes and writing.


If this resonates, you’re in the right place.

Speaking Engagements

With a deeply personal story of overcoming federal prison and hitting rock bottom, Craig delivers powerful keynotes that resonate with anyone seeking to unleash their potential, discover purpose, and live authentically.

Midlife Reinvention Newsletter

Are you professionally & financially successful yet woefully unfulfilled? Are you ready to craft your authentic and extraordinary second half? Join the “Midlife Reinvention” newsletter for weekly tips, insights, and inspiration.

Blank Canvas Book

This book isn’t just a memoir; it’s a roadmap for anyone who has ever felt lost inside their own life, a guide back to authenticity, and a call to action to reinvent. Hear more about Craig’s memoir and purchase Blank Canvas.

Hear from Craig

Craig is a regular contributor to numerous blogs and publications and has been a guest on many different podcasts. To read and hear the latest from Craig, see the latest blog posts and our in the media section.

The Latest from Craig

  • What Are You Asking Success to Fix That It Never Can?

    What Are You Asking Success to Fix That It Never Can?

    What are you really chasing? The corner office, the German sports sedan, the Swiss watch, the latest release of the newest gadget, the club membership. Really, deep down, what are all the externals you’re chasing? Are they indicators of success? Are they what proves you’ve made it? Are they what you…

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  • The Truth Men Learn Too Late

    The Truth Men Learn Too Late

    This is what men get wrong all the time. I know I did, so I don’t judge. They think their identity comes from external sources. They are their job title, their brokerage statement, their home, their cars, their net-worth. When you source your identity from externals, you’re outsourcing your self-worth. Your…

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  • I Wasn’t Building a Life, I Was Building a Prison

    I Wasn’t Building a Life, I Was Building a Prison

    I’ve been thinking about my pre-prison fears. And I had them wrong. Pre-prison, I had a corporate career and built what would be considered a successful life. The cars, the clothes, the watches, the houses, the status. The truth is, I didn’t like my career; I liked the lifestyle my career…

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  • The More I Let Go of Control, the Safer I Become

    The More I Let Go of Control, the Safer I Become

    It sounds backward, but the more scary things I do, the safer I become. I had this realization a few months ago. It runs counter to everything I’ve thought about my life. Chasing Safety Through Control Before prison, I lived like so many high achievers do, chasing safety through control. Control…

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  • Control is An Illusion, I Did This Instead

    Control is An Illusion, I Did This Instead

    Perfectionism. The need to be right. Shrinking so I’m not seen. Rehearsing future conversations in my head. For me (and I’m guessing for most), these are protective actions I take to control the situation and, even more so, the outcome. I’ve done all these to varying degrees throughout my life and…

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  • James Altucher’s Book Recommendations Include Blank Canvas: How I Reinvented My Life After Prison

    James Altucher’s Book Recommendations Include Blank Canvas: How I Reinvented My Life After Prison

    James Altucher, best-selling author and host of The James Altucher Show, recently recognized my memoir, Blank Canvas: How I Reinvented My Life After Prison, as one of the most impactful hybrid books ever written. He placed it alongside some of the world’s most influential best-sellers and James Altucher book recommendations he…

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