
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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Life Advice From Today for Me 12 Years Ago

Dear Craig, I would say, “I hope this letter finds you well,” but I already know how it finds you. I know better than anyone else on the planet ever could. How? Because I’m you, only 12 years in the future; we’re currently 50, with 51 approaching faster than we want in a…
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I’m Still Learning How To Embrace My Impact

On April 10th, 1996, Alice in Chains recorded a live album for MTV Unplugged. Not only was their performance one of the best in the Unplugged series, but some rock critics (Metal Hammer) also claim it to be the greatest live rock album ever recorded. Alice in Chains didn’t lose their…
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Finding Calm in the Rush: Slowing Down Life
Yes, there are things to do. The list never ends. There are goals, and dreams and visions I want to create and live. And the shadow of my mortality grows longer with every day. I feel the mounting pressure to finish everything before I can’t do anything again. I feel the…
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Crafting A Meaningful Life Outside Of Work
When I worked in corporate, I was trading 5 for 2. Life was all about the weekend. Which I’d spend chasing the next high at the bottom of a bottle and inside the magnetic strip of my Amex Platinum card. My job had no meaning, and I didn’t like it, so…
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6 Simple Steps to Reinvent Your Career
Your career isn’t (right now) going anywhere. You need it to meet your family and financial obligations. So the question becomes: How do you live a purpose-driven, meaningful, and fulfilling life when most of your time, energy, and attention is focused on a career that provides little or nothing of what…
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How To Handle The Passing Of Time Gracefully
There’s more sand on the bottom of the hourglass than on the top. The days before us are less than the days behind us. We’re on the back nine. There are many ways to acknowledge we’re getting older and the mounting pressure we feel to create the lives we’ve always dreamed…













