That’s what I’ve felt. Literally every single day since AI dropped. Or, more appropriately, since I really started to understand the implications of AI on all of our lives. It’s such a strange combination of emotions. Terrified I’m being left behind. Terrified of being irrelevant. Terrified of obsolescence. All mixed up with a level of excitement that makes me feel like I’m going to burst. Excitement for all of the opportunities I can see (and even those I don’t see yet). It’s enough to drive someone crazy. So, I did what all of us do now when we need someone to talk to. I talked to ChatGPT. (Fun Fact: From the very beginning the #1 use of generative AI has been therapy.) The conversation didn’t start with much direction other than I just didn’t want to be so afraid anymore. I’m already a neurotic, armchair “doomsday prepper” so big shifts like this are designed to agitate the part of me that needs to be ready. The problem is, I didn’t know what to get ready for. So I started asking Chat for analogies (which is wildly ironic for reasons you’ll learn if you keep reading the articles I plan on posting). From an economic perspective, what times in human history are analogous to what we’re experiencing today? I was looking for the frameworks, the mental models, the “if this, then that” equations that would help me understand what to do. The problem: There really weren’t any. In fact, I think that’s where the terror and excitement come from. We have nothing to compare this to. So, I went further back. What times in history (removing the “human” qualifier) are analogous to what we’re experiencing today. You’re not going to like the answer. However, please stick with me past the initial shock. I promise, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. You’ve probably already guessed what Chat said (with a little coaxing and then a lot of disclaimers)… Extinction events. Uh oh. There have been five major extinction events in earth’s history (that we know of).

On Persistance: I'm interested enough in the etymology and philology of words (where they come from and how they change over time) that I run an internet search every now and then when I wonder, "Huh; why do we say that?" That is to say: I trust the first result I read, and only dig deeper if things get interesting (yes; I realize "interesting" is perhaps doing some heavy lifting here.) 😂 Words often change meaning over time, or get pronounced or spelled in different ways. "Ye olde shoppe" is one of my favourites— British spelling for emphasis —because there is a fascinating, yet quite practical reason it looks like "yee" but is actually pronounced "the". But, my message today is about persistence: Roots and History - The Prefix: per-, which means "through". - The Base: It combines with sistere, "to stand". - French Influence: The verb "persister" was adapted to a noun form "persistance". - English Adoption: English borrowed the word, adding a firm or stubborn connotation. Today, the English meaning and spelling essentially reflects the Latin origin! In other words, it has ... persisted! 👏 So have I. I've started negotiations with a client in February. I had an idea for their marketing, communications, and website. It's a bit of a seasonal business: STEAM programming for school children. So, I wanted to get started early, and set a foundation for their Fall operations this year. But they went a different direction. We've kept in touch. I've followed up regularly. They've sent back questions. Yada yada. Essentially, I developed a good bit of rapport (another English word borrowed from the French). Today, I contracted with them to do the work. I couldn't have expected this yesterday, but I feel lighter today. My shoulders have less tension. I'm more harmonious in my interactions with people around me. Something feels right that I didn't even know felt wrong before. I can't attribute that entirely to the completion of this goal, but I'd be ignorant if I didn't realize it's a contributing factor. It's not just the business side of things, either; this is not my biggest client by far.

@Kasim Aslam I just wanted to say: I got more out of your welcome module than I've gotten in some other communities after months of being active. What a testament to the value of what you're building here. In the product development and design world, "time to value" is a big consideration. I'm not even sure it was intentional, or just the result of value emerging from a good framework, but you nailed it!

Hey everyone. I owe this community an apology. I've been quiet here for way too long. I want to recommit to being present and bringing value! I've hired a full time community manager, dedicated to helping this community. Her name is @Gala Rodriguez. She runs operations at Pareto Talent, and she's here to help, serve, and facilitate. Say hi to her below. And thanks for sticking around while I got my act together :-) So much more to come! Just wait 🤪

What I have: I’ve got this mix of creative vision and operational discipline that lets me hold space for founders and teams while also actually building systems that scale. I’m a Chief of Staff who thinks like an artist and a strategist at the same time. I’ve got a deep network, a mind that can zoom in and out from vision to execution, and a way of blending real talk with structure that earns trust fast. I’ve built communities, scaled ventures, and I’m relentless about learning and experimenting. What I want: I want to keep scaling ventures that matter, while codifying my Chief of Staff “operating system” into something other people can use. I want to build products and communities that create real transformation: health, leadership, creativity, family. I want my portfolio of projects to be both wildly impactful and financially abundant, while leaving space for presence, family, and flow. What I need: I need sharper focus and more leverage. The ideas and opportunities aren’t the problem: it’s prioritization and bandwidth. I need the right people, systems, and capital in place so I can stay in my zone of genius instead of getting pulled into the weeds. I also need to protect my energy so I’m not spread too thin between ventures, family, and creative work.