
Success built through self-abandonment is too expensive, no matter how impressive it looks.
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
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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
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5 Simple Tips to Write a Remarkable Life Story

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Transform Your Life: Fulfill Your True Calling

What were you designed to do? The 1973 Porsche Carrera 2.7 RS is widely considered one of the greatest sports cars of the 1970s. The Carrera RS 2.7 was conceived as a 911-derived race car and was the first production street/race 911 widely offered to the public. At the time, it…
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What’s Missing From Your Life is The Real You

What’s actually missing? I’m working on my second book. It’s a prequel to “Blank Canvas: How I Reinvented My Life After Prison.” I’m capturing the journey that landed me in prison and the lessons learned in the decade of reinventing my life. In the chapter I’m writing, I’m speaking to my…
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1 Critical Lesson That Transformed My Life After Prison

Lessons are everywhere if we’re open to seeing them. We have a new water filter/dispenser. It’s one of those rectangular ones with a spout. On Friday night, before going to bed, my wife filled it to the brim in preparation for filling numerous water bottles for our day at the beach…
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I Was Sentenced to Prison 10 Years Ago Today

June 10th, 2014 I’m alone; I’m terrified; I want this to be over. I can’t understand what she’s saying, I get that it’s all English, but the words are a blur and I can’t keep up with them. The gavel comes down, echoing through the room. I don’t know what happened.…
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How to Leave More Than Just Material Wealth Behind

“Keeping up with the Joneses.” The term conjures up images of people displaying their prosperity through their homes, cars, clothes, country clubs, and parties. It’s a code term for materialism and flaunting your wealth, but underneath it lies a desperate need to fit in. Keeping up with the Joneses is a…













