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The high road isn't always clear, but hindsight is. Here are some moments that gave me perspective:
One week into my job teaching English in China, I almost quit. I was 19, before smartphones, the only white guy in a small industrial town where the air tasted like minerals. The culture shock hit differently than I expected. I thought I could handle it, but I cracked. Walked into the director's office ready to leave.
She met me with encouragement and convinced me to stick around. So, I studied Mandarin and gradually felt myself adapt. That was a big shift. I learned that sitting with discomfort long enough is how I transform through it.
Years later, something pulled me back. I found myself teaching 8PM English classes in Busan, South Korea to kids who'd already been in school all day. The structure was relentless and demanding for everyone involved.
The pressure was real, so I built a sandbox: games, playfulness, permission to fail. Students had a safe space to sound stupid in front of their friends. I learned that if I can't change the system, I can arrange a framework inside it.
I’m the son of a carpenter, so I know where the pencil goes – behind my ear. Building houses from the ground up taught me to be practical. Measure twice and cut once, because some rules don't bend.
Renovation work taught me the flip side, exposing bad decisions made years before. Shortcuts get expensive. I learned that when my foundation is solid and I follow the code, I move faster.
I started 2016 with a long road of recovery ahead, after breaking eight bones in a motorcycle accident. But it’s not really in my nature to sit still. My hands need something to contribute. Stained glass became that outlet.
The real work was internal, facing a voice that whispered, 'you're broken.' The inner critic is a quiet killer. I learned that when I pick my battles, I control my growth.
I returned to digital work with clarity about what really matters. As a parent, I’m aware of the thinking that I pass to my daughter, because I see it reflected back at me. I’ve learned that sometimes what’s needed is presence over productivity.
Professionally, the right team, the right stakes, that's what I'm looking for. I’m finding where I fit in the industry as the ground keeps shifting. My bet is, more people will build their own things as AI automation handles the grunt work. I'm curious about working with builders on meaningful problems, developing the digital experience of something new.
