$96,000.

That was how much money I made in my start-up sales job right after I dropped out of college.

$10,000.

That was my entire income in my first full year of running On Purpose Adventures, plus whatever I scraped together from demolition work and random gig projects.

Can you guess which year was one of the best of my life?

I recently had a post go viral on LinkedIn where I shared a video from Keith Barry, the mentalist and performance expert.

Click here to watch.

Keith's daughter hit a roadblock with a school project. Instead of telling her how to fix it, he guided her through a process:

• Doodle freely for a few minutes.
• Look for new connections between the drawings.
• Then walk away from the problem. Go rest, listen to music, anything but think about it.

When she came back, she solved it. Keith still doesn’t know what the problem even was. But the point wasn’t what she solved. It was how she solved it.

This system created an "aha" moment through reflection and incubation.

And it's something leaders need to use more often to help their teams.

Low 70s. Warm water. Ready to kayak?

Fall in Charleston is peak adventure season. The crowds thin out, the humidity chills out, and the outdoors calls your name. This is the sweet spot for teams to trade fluorescent lighting for sunlight and reconnect with each other — and themselves.

If your people have been stuck in the “boredroom,” this is your moment.

A Cohesive Kayaking Experience gets everyone moving, communicating, and laughing while working toward a shared goal. Or, if your crew needs something a little more mellow, Nature Adventures eco tours offer a calm paddle through Charleston’s scenic waterways — still rich with moments of connection and discovery.

Either way, your team comes back recharged, more connected, and a lot less stressed.

When was the last time your team really laughed together?

Not a polite chuckle on Zoom. Not a nervous laugh during an icebreaker.

I mean the kind of guffaw laughter that makes your sides hurt and your cheeks sore from smiling so hard.

Laughter has long been called the best medicine, but it turns out it’s also one of the most underused leadership tools.

Have you seen Chris Hemsworth's show Limitless on Disney+? I highly recommend. While enjoying the extreme stunts and peak physical fitness is fun, the show is a great reminder that stretching yourself, mentally and physically, is essential to growth and longevity.

Hemsworth, aka Thor, has plenty of money and could spend the rest of his life taking it easy. He could relax with his family, go surfing, act when he feels the inclination, and enjoy life at his own pace. But that's not the drive he feels. Chris understands that not challenging himself could limit his potential, reduce his vitality, and ultimately shorten his lifespan. Pushing boundaries, learning new skills, and staying active are his ways of ensuring he not only lives longer, but lives fully.

In the last Leading On Purpose blog post, I talked about The Great Stay from the employee's perspective. Workers aren't exactly rushing for the exits right now. Due to economic uncertainty, hiring freezes, and layoff fears due to AI, people are staying rooted right where they are.

The Great Stay is this current period in the job market where employees are choosing stability over risk. Fewer workers are walking away from their jobs. The U.S. quit rate has dropped to just 2.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a sharp contrast to the height of the Great Resignation, when over 4 million people were quitting every month.

But there's a hidden trap... Stability for employees doesn't automatically equal growth for organizations. If organizational leaders simply take advantage of this season by doing nothing, what you’ll really get is a stagnant culture, and when the job market swings back, those “stable” employees will be gone in a heartbeat.

Layoffs fueled by AI are splashed across headlines daily. Families whisper at dinner tables, wondering if tomorrow will be the day their breadwinner’s role gets swallowed by a machine.

Software engineer? On edge.

Customer service rep? Scared.

Travel agent? Worried

Sales representative? Nervous

And you are probably right to be concerned. In the Federal Reserve’s August survey, workers said they only had a 44.9% chance of landing a new job if they lost their current one. That’s the lowest confidence level since the survey began in 2013. People aren’t exactly optimistic about bouncing back right now.

While maybe this isn’t the time to storm into your boss’s office demanding a raise or handing in your two weeks’ notice. But standing still isn’t the move either.

Lawnmower parents suck. Yeah, I said it.

Feel free to hate me.

I'm not a parent. I'm also not a helicopter pilot, but if I see a helicopter in a tree, I know that someone messed up.

For those who don't know the term, lawnmower parents, also known as snowplow parents or bulldozer parents, are those who actively remove obstacles and hardships from their child's path, ensuring a smooth and easy journey for them. No bumps. No challenges. No struggles. Their mission? Make life as smooth as possible.

This proactive approach, while often stemming from a desire to protect and support, can hinder a child's development of essential life skills, resilience, and problem-solving abilities.