As we approach our quarterly leadership summit, two Main Thing topics will rightly command much of our attention.

On one hand is the need to ensure relevance in the rapidly changing world shaped by AI. On the other, there’s the ongoing challenge of working together more effectively through stronger communication, greater alignment, and deeper understanding.

If those sound like competing priorities, I’m not sure they are.

One of the messages we’ve reinforced through Messaging Matters is that clarity creates confidence. That’s true whether we’re discussing emerging technology or everyday leadership. In both cases, progress depends on people understanding where we’re going, why it matters, and how we move there together.

Likewise, our work in Notion has been more than an internal technology initiative. It’s been an exercise in organizational clarity. Better access to information. Better alignment. Better communication. In many ways, it’s the same discipline required to embrace AI successfully.

I’ve never viewed AI as something to fear. Quite the opposite. It’s something to understand, learn from, and leverage. But technology alone won’t solve our most important challenges. Leadership still depends on people being aligned around purpose, priorities, and expectations.

I keep coming back to our Core Value of RESPECT: Honoring the Purpose.

Respect requires us to listen before reacting, seek understanding before judgment, and place the collective mission ahead of individual preference. If we can do that, our summit will do more than answer which is the Main Thing, it will connect them.

Most importantly, it will help ensure we’re moving toward our purpose  together.

It is one of the oldest business truths in the book. First spoken decades ago and repeated ever since: nothing happens until somebody sells something.

Today, that idea feels especially relevant.

During our October Kickoff Meeting, there was plenty of discussion about AI and its growing role in our business. Later this month, our leadership team will gather to focus on a simple question: How can AI help us do our jobs better over the next six months? Not someday. Not years from now. Right now.

The answer is not replacing people. It is empowering them.

That point was reinforced as we reflected on the tremendous effort behind recent Open Point Dealer presentations involving current clients. For those unfamiliar with the term, an Open Point represents a highly valued market opportunity for a manufacturer to establish a new dealership where one does not currently exist. The research, mapping, projections, community analysis, and future market planning that go into those presentations are substantial. AI played a part in the process, but the insight, creativity, and determination come from our people.

The same message came through in client interviews recorded during Operation Game Changer visits. Before opening the meeting with these videos, I reminded everybody, “In the spirit of Messaging Matters, I want you to hear what our clients say about you, our greatest resource.” Each interview clip praised our technology, responsiveness, and results, but the common theme was unmistakable: relationships matter.

AI is a powerful tool. But tools do not build relationships, earn trust, or close deals.

People do.

Technologies evolve. Markets change. The fundamentals remain: Nothing happens until somebody sells something.

Last night, I sat on a stage with my 11-year-old son Hudson at the Unbound Grace banquet. Founder and Executive Director John Steakley, who has walked beside me as a mentor and guide through recovery, asked us to share our story. I thought I knew what was coming.

I didn’t.

For the first time, I heard recovery through my son’s eyes. He described the dad he remembered before sobriety. A father who seemed distant. Unfocused. Not fully present. Every word was hard to hear because every word was true.

Then something changed.

Hudson began talking about our life today. He talked about our Hope for Kenya trip to Africa. Days hunting together. Surfing at the lake. Moments that were truly special, but moments I nearly missed altogether.

As I listened, a realization hit me harder than anything else that evening. Recovery didn’t just free me from addiction. Through God’s grace, it restored a relationship. What addiction had slowly disconnected, Christ had lovingly reconnected.

That is the mission behind Unbound Grace, which calls itself “hope in the wilderness of addiction.” Their approach is rooted in faith and dependence on God’s truth, believing lasting renewal comes through Jesus Christ while extending grace, encouragement, and refuge to all who seek help.

If you or someone you love is struggling, I encourage you to visit www.unboundgrace.life.

Sometimes God allows us a moment of truth so we can experience a glimpse of grace. Last night, I was blessed to experience both.

After a week of business travel, it is always nice to return to the home office. And each time I do, I’m reminded that culture is not created by furniture, paint, or floor plans. It is created by people.

Visitors often notice the office first. The open layout, connected spaces, greenery, and bright artwork make a strong impression. They usually comment on how unique it feels. What they notice next, however, is what matters most.

There is a calm energy throughout the office. A great deal gets accomplished by talented professionals working with focus, respect, and purpose. Even on our busiest days, there is a spirit of consideration for one another that is hard to miss. The office may provide the setting, but the atmosphere comes from the people.

It shows up in everyday conversations, teammates helping one another, and our monthly kickoff meetings where Shout Outs give employees the opportunity to recognize a colleague who has gone above and beyond. The twenty-dollar bill is a fun tradition. The real reward is the encouragement behind it.

I’ve come to believe that none of us are truly self-made. Every kind word, helping hand, and expression of appreciation contributes to who we become. The same principle applies at work, at home, and among friends. Positive attitudes are contagious. So is genuine encouragement.

One of the paintings in our office carries a simple message: ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING. I don’t believe that means every day is easy. I do believe it reminds us that we all have the opportunity to lift up the people around us.

Thank you to everyone who helps make Strong a place where people feel valued, respected, and encouraged.

Open spaces may define our office, but positive connections define our culture

Tomorrow, my oldest daughter, Lilly Grace, starts high school.

That sentence alone makes me wonder where the years went.

A few days ago, I invited Lilly Grace and seven of her closest friends over for what they probably jokingly called a “meeting.” Their parents were there too. And yes, I had a prepared agenda. It may have felt a little formal, but the purpose was simple: helping a great group of young people think about the choices ahead of them.

We talked about cars first. Both the independence and responsibility. A bad decision behind the wheel, or a bad decision as a passenger, can change lives forever. Freedom is wonderful. It also comes with consequences.

Next came the digital world. These kids have opportunities my generation never imagined, but they also carry something we never had: a permanent digital footprint. What you post, text, share, or imply matters. It follows you.

Finally, we talked about awareness. The truth is that there are people in this world who do not have your best interests at heart. Understanding that isn’t fear. It’s wisdom.

I don’t know how much of my message landed. Time will tell.

As parents, maybe our greatest fear is that our children will learn from what we did instead of what we say. Still, love means having the hard conversations anyway.

High school should be one of the most fun seasons of their lives. My hope is they make great choices, enjoy every minute, and that all of them are sitting in my living room a few years from now for the “off to college” version of the same talk.

By God’s grace, someone shared those lessons with me. I hope they’ll pass them on one day, too.

The 10,000-hour theory suggests that mastery is built through sustained practice over time. Whether the number is exact or not, the principle resonates: meaningful skill doesn’t happen overnight. If you devoted your very best effort for eight hours a day, five days a week, you’d still spend years accumulating that level of experience before feeling like you’ve truly arrived.

What has evolved since the theory first gained popularity is the recognition that time alone is not enough. Growth comes from deliberate practice, learning from mentors, seeking new perspectives, making mistakes, and staying curious enough to improve when it would be easier to stay comfortable.

As we move beyond the Dog Days of summer and into the second half of the year, it feels like a good time for a personal and professional gut check. Not necessarily about logging more hours, but about how we are applying them.

At Strong, that reflection naturally leads back to our core values: Self, Team, Respect, Optimize, Nurture, and Grow. These principles remind us that expertise is built one decision, one relationship, and one opportunity at a time.

The world can feel a little off course these days. Staying focused, serving clients from the leading edge, and continuing to build momentum requires intention. Maybe this season is not about reaching 10,000 hours. Maybe it is about recommitting to the habits and values that make every hour count.

I’ve often said that attitude is everything. Where I am personally today, the more I realize that attitude isn’t just about what we project—it’s also about what we’re willing to receive.

This morning in my Bible time, I was reading the Parable of the Sower in Mark 4. Jesus describes seeds falling on different kinds of ground. Some never take root, nothing more than birdseed. Some spring up quickly and fade. Some are choked out by thorns. And some fall on good soil, where they grow and produce an abundant harvest.

The lesson applies far beyond faith.

In business, leadership, recovery, and life, we’re constantly being given opportunities to learn and grow. Good advice. Hard truths. Constructive feedback. Encouragement. Yet people receive those messages differently. A closed mind resists. A prickly spirit deflects. A distracted heart lets opportunity slip away. But a teachable attitude allows good advice, hard truths, and valuable lessons to take root.

I’ve seen it in employees, clients, friends, and certainly in myself. As I continue two years of sobriety, I’m reminded that real change begins when we’re willing to receive the guidance that can help us become better than we are today.

Maybe that’s the challenge for all of us this week: not just to share good messages, but to honestly examine the condition of our own soil. The answer today may determine what grows tomorrow.

Because attitude shapes reception—and reception often determines growth.

We all reach for our phones looking for a moment of relief, but what are we really searching for? In this thought-provoking article from Unbound Grace, discover how our digital habits can reveal a deeper longing for connection, purpose, and lasting peace. Read the full story to explore how grace offers something no screen ever can.

Read the full post here: https://unboundgrace.life/blog/what-are-you-scrolling-after/

Today’s Agency Kick-Off Meeting will stay with me—not because of presentations or agendas, but because of what it reminded me to value. It was, in many ways, a celebration built around a few simple numbers.

Two hundred fifty.

As our country reaches this milestone, I’m reminded how fortunate we are. Each time I return home, I feel it—that sense of opportunity and gratitude we should never take lightly. It reinforces perspective and the responsibility that comes with it.

Ten.

Luke Thomas marked ten years with us, and his journey reflects dedication in its truest form. Always contributing, always improving—Luke represents what it means to grow with a company and make it better every day.

Twenty.

Recognizing Connie Marefka for twenty years was deeply personal. Connie represents consistency, trust, and leadership at its best. She has been deeply involved in continually improving our processes—finding better ways to work, making others around her more effective, and strengthening the foundation of how we operate. She sets the standard, and quite simply, she is someone I—and our company—count on without hesitation.

Two.

The two weeks my family and I spent in Africa with Hope for Kenya changed me. The video shared during the meeting was stirring—powerfully showing the needs of the kids and the reality they face. Watching my children connect so naturally reshaped my perspective.

Hope there is real. It’s tangible. And it calls for action.

Building a new boy’s dorm is no longer an idea—it’s a commitment. One I hope many of you will take part in as it unfolds.

In the end, it’s never just numbers. It’s what they stand for—people, purpose, and the privilege to make a difference. Have a great 4th of July holiday.

HOPE FOR KENYA VIDEO: VIEW HERE

Saturday, I did something small that felt monumental—I walked into a Verizon store and walked out with one phone.

For 19 years, I carried two.

That decision didn’t come from efficiency. It came from exposure. There was a time when a dealer prone to lighting me up at exactly the wrong moments—made me realize how quickly business could bleed into everything else. One Sunday, walking out of church with Amy, a line-crossing email prompted me to split life in two: one phone for work, one for everything else.

And I stayed that way—reachable, responsive, always on.

Then came Africa.

Two weeks without the habit of checking. No constant refresh. No pull to respond. Just pockets of quiet that turned into something I didn’t expect—clarity. Not detachment from responsibility, but distance from the noise we too often elevate as importance.

Because the truth is, we all stretch to stay connected. We want to be there for everything a friend, a client, a parent, or a child needs. But I was reminded that even brief moments of disconnection can be one of the most powerful things we have in a world that never stops asking for more.

It made me ask a simple question: are all the things demanding my attention actually worthy of it?

There’s also a passage I’ve been thinking about that leads to an even harder question: am I really that important, or have I just allowed everything to feel urgent?

So, Saturday, I made a change.

This isn’t a step back. I’m still here. Still engaged. If anything, it sharpens the edge—choosing presence when it matters most.

One phone now. Same availability. Better perspective.

And if Verizon sells used devices…there’s one on a shelf in the back that’s been ridden hard.