26: The New Guy

Historically, I haven’t been a great “new guy.” People that have gotten to know me would probably commend me for being eager, ambitious, and attracted to the spotlight. But as I’ve transitioned into new environments in the past, these same three qualities have often upset the apple cart. For example, entering middle school as aContinue reading “26: The New Guy”

25: Leadership and fatherhood

I don’t know if my experience as a new leader shaped how I am as a dad, or if my experience as a new dad shaped how I am as a leader. Either way, the combination of navigating both at the same time brought more fulfillment and personal growth than anything I’ve ever experienced. FridayContinue reading “25: Leadership and fatherhood”

24: The Godfather

Dear Leila, For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be known as the “Godfather.” For years, “Godfather” meant being recognized for my social and recruiting efforts as a brother of Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE) at Penn State. There was no greater honor than a freshman pledge asking, “Is Janiec the Godfather?” AfterContinue reading “24: The Godfather”

23: Wedding Season

There aren’t many things as exciting as when all of your friends and family begin checking into the hotel for the big weekend. There aren’t many moments as special as the final minutes spent with your fellow groomsmen before the ceremony. There aren’t many words as moving as an officiant’s speech, an exchange of vows,Continue reading “23: Wedding Season”

22: Mid Year Review

I spent last week at work delivering Mid Year performance reviews for the advisors on my team. The review’s objective is to reflect on first half accomplishments, analyze what’s going well and what’s not going well, provide clarity on progress relative to the goals set at the beginning of the year, and establish an urgentContinue reading “22: Mid Year Review”

21: Celebrate the wins

In our daily grind, we set ambitious goals. We fear failure. We hate losing. We stress about meeting expectations. We make sacrifices. We burn ourselves out. Then, we get our results. After briefly acknowledging the results, we move on, and we repeat the process all over again. Something seems to be missing from this neverContinue reading “21: Celebrate the wins”

19: Cinco de Jordo (Austria style)

Dear Jordo, Your 27th year will be historically tough to beat. You crushed the game this year as a wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, and sales woman. But I know you don’t like the spotlight, so I’ll keep it short. Im proud of you, I’m grateful for you, and I’m lucky to have you. IContinue reading “19: Cinco de Jordo (Austria style)”

18: Defining your super power

It doesn’t matter where it is, when it is, or what it is. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Nashville bachelor party, wedding dance floor, summer barbecue, late night conversation with friends by a fire pit, playtime with Charlie, breakfast with Jordan, happy hour on the beach, weekly reflection, client appointment, lunch with a colleague,Continue reading “18: Defining your super power”

17: Let’s keep building

Growing up, my role models were all builders. My Pop-Pop built houses for a living and built a pond, tennis court, and many other things for fun. My Dad started building houses with Pop-Pop, and then built out his own real estate development company. My father-in-law built parks, ball fields, and rec centers throughout hisContinue reading “17: Let’s keep building”