Not a vacation. Still working. But I needed to break the loop. There is actual science behind this. When you live within the same 2 mile radius, your brain stops generating new input. Same commute, same desk, same four walls, same coffee shop. Your nervous system reads it as safe and familiar and it stops paying attention. Neurologically, you go on autopilot. And autopilot is the enemy of clarity. Studies on creativity and cognition consistently show that novel environments force your brain to wake back up. New sights, sounds, and stimuli activate parts of your mind that routine quietly shuts off. It is why your best ideas rarely come at your desk. For people trying to escape corporate and build something new, this is especially dangerous. You are trying to think differently while living exactly the same life that built the old thinking. The environment is working against you. I am heading out to recalibrate. Still building Escape Corporate. Still in it. But I need fresh air in my brain, not just my lungs. Can anyone relate? Have you ever noticed that your thinking gets sharper the moment you change your surroundings, even just for a day or two? Drop it below.

Happy Easter! 🐣 If you celebrate, I hope it’s a great one. Take some time today to actually be with the people you love. Something hit me recently. Over the last 6+ years of grinding, I let a lot of relationships slip. Friends. Extended family. I told myself I had reasons. Things they posted. Life moving in different directions. Whatever. But after 3+ months removed from the daily grind, the truth got clear: most of those people weren’t drifting because of something they did. They were just fighting their own battles. Sobriety. Career stuff. Divorce. The same weight we all carry. Life is short. The last thing I want is to look back at 40 years of work and realize I traded the people that mattered most for a calendar full of meetings. So here’s what I’m asking of you today. Think of the person who just came to mind. Call them. Not to say “happy Easter” but to say “hey, I’ve been thinking about you and I want to stay in better touch.” That’s it. You’ll be surprised how much lighter you feel after. The work will be there tomorrow. Today just go be a human.

Today I got the chance to interview my friend Amanda Sapp. Amanda used to work corporate, and now consults for brands but also self published her own novel: Something of Yourself. What began as a tactical conversation about career transitions and self publishing a book quickly evolved into something far more meaningful: a wide ranging exploration of how modern society has quietly steered us away from contentment, and what it actually takes to find our way back. Amanda brings a sharp, thoughtful lens to human behavior that makes this one worth your full attention. You can find the full episode in the "Past Experts Section" of the classroom. You can check out the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Something-Yourself-Amanda-Sapp/dp/B0FHCW5B3T Read Amanda's substack: https://amandasapp.substack.com/ Chapters 00:00 From Corporate to Creative: Amanda's Journey 02:53 The Art of Writing: Amanda's Path to Authorship 05:57 Exploring the Book: Something of Yourself 09:00 Happiness Beyond Corporate: Finding Fulfillment 11:52 The Impact of Social Media on Happiness 14:59 Self-Publishing: Navigating the Indie Route 25:45 Creating a Book Cover: The DIY Approach 30:39 Navigating AI in Writing: Authenticity vs. Technology 35:17 The Viability of a Writing Career in the Age of AI 38:57 Exploring Substack: A New Era of Blogging 40:45 Optimism in Uncertain Times: Embracing Delusional Hope

Real talk: the Instagram algorithm right now is rewarding 7 second reels with onscreen text and trending audio. Do I think it’s low effort? Yes. Do we play the game anyway? Also yes. I ran my own test and the proof is in the screenshot below. The short text reel is absolutely destroying my longer talking videos in reach. If you haven’t dug into the social media section inside the classroom yet, go there now. I break down my exact strategy in both video and written form so you can start applying it today.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​