Keynote Speaker, Author & Reinvention Architect
After prison I landed a job at a gym in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. I worked at the front desk at first but eventually moved my way up to general manager. I was grateful for the job, and I met some of my now closest friends thanks to the job. But it wasn’t…
“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…
It was around October 2012 when I made the choice that would shatter my life. I was a successful Senior Enterprise Account manager for a large tech firm, working with some of the world’s most prominent banks and hedge funds. The products I was selling were becoming commoditized, profit margins on deals were razor-thin, and…
You’ve got big dreams and goals completely outside your career. They’re the dreams and goals that light you up inside and terrify you simultaneously. You’re finally going to write your novel, become an artist, or maybe master the craft of Japanese woodworking. All of which are firmly on the other side of your comfort zone. When…
We like to put things, especially people, in boxes. We like to slap a label on that box and “know” what that person is. Notice I said what, not who. “What” is easy. “Who” involves a deeper level of understanding most people aren’t willing to explore. They’re either afraid to confront their own humanity or…
I beat myself up for the choices that landed me in prison. I verbally thrashed myself with the cruel viciousness that only comes when you know your target so well. I knew the mental buttons to push and what would inflict the most pain. I even punched myself and whipped myself with a belt. Because…