Keynote Speaker, Author & Reinvention Architect
“I want to be happy.” Ask someone what they want, and that’s the answer ninety-nine times out of one hundred. It was one of my answers, along with freedom. It’s a solid-sounding response that’s hard to argue with; who doesn’t want to be happy? Only one problem, it’s not a solid answer; it’s vague and…
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 younger self. It’s the…
“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 constant comparison; it’s a…
Purpose. Purpose. Purpose. You have to find your purpose. There is a lot of content out there about finding one’s purpose, and there is a lot of pressure to do so. Because if you don’t, you’re doing life wrong. Many fall prey to the belief that their life is incomplete without it, so they chase…
When I worked in corporate sales, life felt one-dimensional. Chase deals, land deals, spend commission checks on a luxurious lifestyle. It was one chase after another, with constant anxiety that there wouldn’t be another deal around the corner – or even worse, I’d lose a client. The luxurious lifestyle was my attempt to give meaning…
“Craig, you have a blank canvas. Paint whatever picture you want.” I was leaving prison and reentering the real world, a world filled with so many unknowns and overwhelming fear when I heard these words. They came from my mentor, Ed, as I expressed those unknowns and fears. The words reframed my entire perspective; they…