Interview with Chris Kai

I was honored to be a guest on The Gifters podcast with Christopher Kai. It was a wonderful conversation and I honestly wished we could’ve talked longer. I hope you listen, and then check out Chris’s other podcast episodes as well. Christopher Kai is the founder & CEO of The Mathem Group, a Beverly Hills-based […]

An American Voice

I have taken somewhat of an unplanned hiatus from writing these past few weeks. Unplanned because it has been events that have taken my voice from me in a way they have only two times in my life before. Both times my voice fell silent before it was because the confluence of personal loss and […]

Deer Me

Part of the charm of our new home in Texas has got to be the wildlife. We live near Landa Park and Panther Canyon, and so we see deer, grey fox, possums, raccoons, owls, and scores of songbirds on a daily basis. Despite being in the heart of New Braunfels, we’re still a small enough […]

Use Words If Necessary

There’s an oft-repeated quote attributed a popular saint, St Francis of Assisi, that speaks to the heart of today’s post; specifically that actions speak louder than words. The quote goes: Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.  No, I’ve not turned this into a religion blog; the point is that what we […]

Life Lessons from Surfing

Just take your time – wave comes. Let the other guys go, catch another one. -Duke Kahanamoku, Legendary Hawaiian Waterman Surfing became a part of my life later than most. Other than the one time my Dad and I rented a board in Corpus Christi, Texas to try to surf the Gulf shorebreak, I was […]

Living Life in Balance

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. – Albert Einstein When my son was very young, he would give me the same advice as I left for work each day: “Goodbye, Daddy; have a good day at work. Be sure to drink your water, eat your lunch, and […]

Tourist in My New Hometown

Leaving Hawaii for the second time to return to the Mainland was extremely difficult for my bride and I. Not because we don’t love our family or the land of our birth–we do–but because once you’ve tasted Paradise it’s awfully hard not to compare everything else to that. We lived in a little town on […]

What are Your Aspirations?

Every January we focus a lot on “resolutions” and “goals”–and all that’s good. I think we should step back and think a little bigger; namely: our aspirations. What’s the difference? Why do we need them? Aren’t goals enough? No. Let me tell you why. Aspirations versus Goals Put succinctly, an aspiration is a longing, hope, […]

Give Me Three Goals Mister

There’s a great honor in a failed attempt, but there’s no honor in no attempt. – Laird Hamilton Ah January, that time of year when we can no longer ignore the calories we consumed over the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, and thoughts turn to goal setting and resolutions. The gyms will be […]

Christmas Geekiness and Planning for 2018

The Christmas Season begins at the Vigil (sundown) on Christmas Eve (Dec 24) and continues through the Feast of the Epiphany (Jan 6). We’ll have a short post this week as I’m trying to keep my screen time to a minimum to enjoy the holidays and some time off with my family. I thought you’d appreciate […]

Hurricane Harvey – How You Can Help

I’m sure you all have been watching the coverage of the devastation on the Texas Gulf Coast. Many of you have been asking, “How can I help?” That is the mark of a true leader, to look outside themselves and seek to help others! Thank you to the dozens who’ve already reached out to me […]

What Is Courage? (Part II)

Mickey is moving his household from Hawaii to Texas. While he’s moving, please enjoy these posts from last year, and remember “The Five Be’s” Second Edition comes out in September!  Last week, I brought you Part I of a discussion of courage from my book, The Five Be’s.  This week I conclude with some stories about […]

What Is Courage? (Part I)

Mickey is in the midst of moving his household from Hawaii to Texas, so please enjoy this “classic” post from 2016. Original posts will resume in September. Also, don’t forget that The Five Be’s Second Edition goes live on Lulu and Amazon next month!! In the film, The Bridges at Toko-Ri, the Task Force Commander, Admiral […]