Struggling with a cheap drill bit taught me a hard lesson about quality—one I’m sharing with martial arts students and mentors alike. I connect this experience to mentoring youth on choosing excellence in decisions, training, and life. Drawing from my book, Mentor Them or They Will, I offer practical tips to inspire high standards.

Memorial Day - Honor & Remember

Martial arts instructor Chad Carmack uses a balloon-juggling activity to reveal a key leadership lesson: focusing on fewer big goals leads to greater success. When young leaders shifted from managing four balloons to two, they saw how simplifying their efforts made them more effective — a practical reminder that less truly is more.

Driving home after a pleasant visit suddenly turned tense when an aggressive motorcyclist expressed road rage over a traffic stop. I recognized the adrenaline rush and calmed myself through deliberate breathing and mental control. This experience reinforced valuable lessons shared at a recent Learning Pursuit Leadership Academy workshop about managing stress effectively through awareness and proactive strategies.

This is a friendly reminder that our leadership class is scheduled for Monday, March 24, 2025, at 5 p.m. I hope all leadership team members can participate.

Endurance is the ability to last. People with endurance continue and remain in the fight. They don't give up.

Our Leadership Academy has come full circle! During our final session, we reflected on the goals participants set at the very beginning and celebrated how far they've come.

The birds I feed —  not seen in the picture —  demonstrate situational awareness by spotting a problem and leaving.

As we develop training opportunities for ourselves or others, making the learning experience as real-world as possible is essential.

On January 27, 2025, we had an excellent leadership academy workshop! Our objective was to analyze the importance of trust and relationships. The team identified a few "seeds of trust." Ideas shared: …

Dive into the world of highly effective mentoring with Mentor Them or They Will, a must-read for anyone committed to guiding young people facing self-discipline challenges.

Ready to grow as a leader? Join your school’s student council and make an impact!

Happy Veterans Day! On November 1st and 2nd, I was honored to participate in Flag Placement Ceremonies at Veterans Memorial Cemetery and across six local cemeteries in the Newark area.

In our recent leadership class, students explored the impact of reflection on achieving success. Through a hands-on tower-building activity, participants learned that reviewing strategies after each attempt leads to significant improvements.

On October 12, 2024, Hockessin United Methodist Church held its annual Pumpkin Patch Event, and it was a day filled with fun, laughter, and community spirit! The event was a resounding success, thanks in large part to the efforts of our dedicated volunteers.

Dealing with a challenging supervisor requires more than patience—it demands high-level thinking and self-discipline. By approaching the situation like a wise investor, we can choose strategies that yield long-term success rather than reacting emotionally. Learn how to make informed decisions, stay calm under pressure, and control what you can to navigate workplace challenges with confidence and clarity.

Challenges and stress are a part of life, and learning how to manage them is essential. This post discusses how instinct and preparation can help students overcome obstacles, such as the dreaded combination lock, and how these lessons can build resilience for future challenges.

Take action today to control your time where multiple objectives can occur. Make your creative efforts fun, and watch your productivity improve. Time is way too short to waste. Effectively using time makes sense.

People who get to the top of their profession display confidence. They have a plan, take time to prepare, and expend energy on activities that help them reach their goals. Therefore, they are confident. They can visualize what they are going to do.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American writer, shared "Thoughts are things." Considering what we know about the human brain, his statement is true.