Cultura Coaching, LLC

Founder and leadership coach helping service-based business owner/operators grow their business with clarity, structure, and purpose—one business at a time. 

Through my initial 90-day Growth & Profit Accelerator ($3,995), I deliver a proven, strategic framework that aligns teams, improves culture, and drives measurable results. 

Clients consistently see 25%+ revenue growth, 3%+ profit increases, and stronger retention through clear SMART goals, actionable steps, and full accountability.

Profitable Growth Coach

Cascadia Global Security

Led regional security operations across Oregon, managing 60+ client accounts, 90+ employees, and $5.2M+ in annual revenue with a consistent 18%+ profit margin. Achieved a 47% gross margin improvement within 3 months by optimizing workforce scheduling and reducing labor inefficiencies. Successfully lowered direct labor costs by 9.8% and overhead by 58% while maintaining 100% client satisfaction through strategic hiring and responsive service delivery.

Regional Operations Manager (Oregon)

Premier Services Group

Directed administrative operations for a $40M+ company servicing 110 Lowe’s stores across 6 states, overseeing 800+ daily activities for 1,500+ weekly customers. Led a 30+ person scheduling team, HR, and training functions, enabling 300% revenue growth by formalizing recruiting, onboarding, and customer support systems. Improved customer satisfaction scores by 11% and eliminated overdue scheduling commitments through strategic process design, data-driven accountability, and scalable operational structures.

Director Of Operations

Dovetail Coffee

Brought in by a potential investment group as a business operations expert to partner with the CEO in scaling a specialty coffee business. Oversaw 3 café managers, 12 staff, and 1 roaster while developing and executing a growth strategy that led to the opening of two new locations. Built and optimized internal processes for recruiting, hiring, and training, resulting in a 100% increase in trained team capacity prior to COVID-19-related closure.

Vice President of Operations

G.W. PAULSON COMPANY

Managed operational projects for a construction services provider, leading a team of 12 installers and overseeing all estimating, ordering, and scheduling functions. Handled 100+ daily requests from project superintendents while streamlining processes to increase home builds by 85% and set a 30-year department revenue record at $1.5M/month. Maintained 100% client retention through consistent, high-level service and execution.

Account/Project Manager

Renewal by Andersen of Oregon

Led and developed a high-performing sales team of 15 for a premium window installation company, generating 90+ quality leads per month and driving 30%+ revenue growth in just 6 months. Recruited and trained 25+ new team members in one year, built client satisfaction tracking systems to improve NPS, and optimized field rep placement to achieve record-breaking monthly sales. Recognized by leadership for strategic execution and sales excellence.

Marketing Manager

First Response Security

Oversaw organizational strategy, vision, and execution of operations, client services, human resources, accounting, and business development processes, people, and systems.  
Primary driver of B2B firm delivering 5K+ weekly guard and security services with team of 4 direct reports and 130+ customer-facing security officers. 
Generated revenue by performing all sales activities. Conceived of and implemented new recruiting structure. 

> Executed organizational goals through business process improvement resulting in 842% growth over 8 years and 2 highest years of revenue and profit in 25 year history.  
> Led, coached, and motivated 8+ critical client-facing operational staff and managers overseeing 130+ employees, providing 3 different services to 500+ clients at 6,000+ accounts exceeding client expectations, resulting in 95% client retention and 10%+ annual growth. 
> Analyzed operating budget of $5M+ annually focusing on P&L opportunities resulting in 10% revenue growth and 1%+ of increased net profit year over year.  
>  Increased revenue from -16% loss during recession (2007 -2011) to 27%+ growth over 5 years through strategic planning and execution
>  Improved customer satisfaction and mitigated business risks through the project management,  strategic planning, budgeting and implementation of a proprietary customer facing software and technology for 50+ accounts

Vice President of Services

Negotiated and sold B2B contracts growing revenue by 842% from $360k annually to $3.25M. Achieved 84% revenue growth in 2 years after 3 years of negative profit. Recruited, trained, and onboarded a staff 
of 4 direct reports and 95 security officers.

Oversaw all branch operations to include administration, operations, human resources, customer services, sales and scheduling. In addition, played a leadership role in the client services approach for the company.

Sr. Director, Client Services | Branch Manager

Customer Service Representative

You didn’t start your business to stay stuck—scrambling to make payroll, buried in the weeds, guessing at your margins, and wondering why your bank account doesn’t reflect your hard work.

Yet here you are.

When it comes to building a profitable business, there are two common paths:

1.  Keep pushing, hoping next month will be different—ignoring your numbers, chasing more sales, and reacting to cash flow chaos.
2.  Get strategic—plug profit leaks, build a financial system that works, and create a scalable growth plan based on data, not gut instinct.

Most business owners fall into the first camp.  Not because they’re lazy—but because no one ever taught them how to manage the financial side of the business like a CFO.

Even if you're brilliant at what you do, the numbers can feel intimidating.

Margins are shrinking. Cash is tight. Expenses creep up. And you’re not even sure where the money goes.

You know how to work hard.

You just don’t have a route—a clear, proven path to take back control.

Now, imagine this instead…

▪️ You know your numbers—and exactly where your profit is leaking
▪️ Your cash flow is steady, predictable, and growing
▪️ Your pricing, margins, and offers are optimized for sustainability
▪️ You have time to think, plan, and lead—not just put out fires
▪️ You finally feel in control of your business—and your future

That’s what I help growth-focused business owners do.

What I Offer: The 90-Day Profitable Growth Route™

Inside this high-touch 1:1 program, I guide you from 'Basecamp' to 'Peak'—through a proven route to gain clarity, confidence, and control over your business finances.

Here’s what we build together:

▪️ A clear financial map—so you know what to track, fix, and measure
▪️ A 25%+ increase in profit by plugging leaks and optimizing your pricing
▪️ A cash flow system that ensures you're never surprised by your bank balance
▪️ Operational clarity so you stop spinning and start scaling
▪️ A repeatable, scalable 90-day growth framework to stay on track year-round

Backed by Two Guarantees:

1.  Confidence: If after 2 sessions, you don’t feel confident in the value I bring—I refund you in full.
2.  Completion: If by Day 90 you don’t have a complete plan and time to execute it—I work with you up to 2 additional sessions, at no extra cost.

You Deserve a Business That Pays You Well—Not One That Drains You

If you’re ready to fix your financial foundation and start building toward real, sustainable growth—I invite you to shoot me a DM or schedule your 20-minute clarity call.  

Start your profitable growth journey today!

Damien Foglio

I had a tough chat with a new client yesterday. He asked his top employee to perform a task, and the response was: "Nope." 

This pattern only happens because it’s been allowed to happen before. 

I told him, "Your business will only be as good as what you tolerate." 

Tolerate poor behavior, sloppy work, or low standards — and you’ll keep getting the same results. 

No amount of warnings or conversations will change that. 

Change only happens when you decide enough is enough and stop accepting what’s unacceptable. 

Leadership isn’t just about messaging — it’s about setting clear standards and holding your team accountable. 

Because growth begins where tolerance ends. 

What’s your take on how leadership sets the boundaries that drive success?

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Cash Flow Freedom - Dec 1

Workshop

📌 On Monday, January 19th at 7 pm EST I am hosting a 1-hr workshop: Profitable Gameplan helping business owners get a jump start on achieving their 2026 goals. 

https://calendly.com/coach-damien/workshop

It's only $25 to join. 
Includes bonuses and a replay.


Hands-on help for $300k-$3M Service Owner-operators to ditch the COO hat, fix their cash flow, and finally get paid | All Inside the 8-Wk Profitable Growth Accelerator™

Meeting with a prospective client yesterday, one thing became apparent: 
He had great revenue ($1M+), was even making 5%+ profit, but had no cash flow to float payroll. 

Truth is, every small business owner wants steady cash flow, 
but not all of them have it. 

Start with this fact: 
The biggest reason small businesses struggle to keep the lights on is because they don’t have enough profit.

Sounds simple, right? 

But here’s the kicker: 
Even if you’re making a profit, you’re not necessarily staying afloat. 

Why? 

Because most business owners are spending that profit right away:
Debt payments, owner draws, bonuses, or just plain old overspending.

If you want to build predictable cash flow, you need to control what you’re extracting from your business.

Here’s my advice: 
Review your monthly financials like a hawk. 

Understand where every dollar is going.
If you’re not doing that already, you’re flying blind.

Profit isn’t just an end-of-month number. 
It’s the fuel that keeps your cash flow alive.

Stop spending your profit like it’s Monopoly money. 
Reclaim your financial clarity, and your cash flow will follow.

Are you ready to take control? 

Do this, starting today: 
1️⃣ Start by reviewing your numbers weekly.
2️⃣ Review your P&L's by percentage (in accordance to revenue) monthly. 
3️⃣ Make decisive actions to improve the outliers. 

Because no matter how busy you are, 
if your profit isn’t growing, your cash flow isn’t either.

Let’s get real about your numbers. 
Your business depends on it.

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Here's a super unpopular opinion that might ruffle some feathers...
Sometimes, the best move is to just fire your employees and move on.

My client had one admin , the person who handled all the tasks he hated doing, didn't want to do, and honestly, wasn't great at.

That admin let him focus on what he loved: the field, the customers, growing his business.

But earlier this week, she vanished.
No calls, no texts, nothing. 

The next day, still nothing.

My client reached out, asking how to handle it when she comes back.
Wait, what?!

I told him straight: don't bother having her come back.

In my world, employees have three jobs:

1. Show up ready to work
2. Do the work
3. Leave on time

When they nail those, you usually win.

But when step one, showing up, is broken?
You're already losing.

It's trust. Confidence that your team has your back.
When that trust is gone, every day becomes a question mark.

Is my team gonna show up today?
That's not a team I want my clients to be part of.

A team where you can count on them, every single day.
Not one where you wonder if they'll even bother to show up.

In this case, no-call/no-show? 
That's job abandonment. Self-termination.

Sometimes, the toughest decision is letting go.

Many service-based business owners are scared to bring me into their business. They fear being judged for a messy business — no clear financials, no clear direction, and no clear goals. 

I’ve talked to many owners who are nervous — almost scared — about what I might discover when I dig into their books and systems.

Here’s the truth: 

That mess? It’s exactly where I thrive.
That chaos is a goldmine.

It’s where the real story lives — the hidden leaks, the missed opportunities, the profit leaks buried in the clutter.

And here’s a secret: Just because the data looks bad doesn’t mean the business is bad.

Problems are honest messengers.

They tell us where we need to fix things, where to tighten margins, where the profit leaks are hiding.

The key isn’t solving everything at once — it’s starting with ONE thing, the biggest challenge, and knocking it out.

Like pushing snow downhill, solving one frustration snowball makes everything easier moving forward.

So, if your business feels like a mess, remember — that’s where growth begins.

Tackle the biggest pain first, and watch how momentum builds.

Ready to turn your chaos into clarity? 
Let’s start cleaning up those profit leaks today.

One of my favorite follows here on is Blake Harber. 
Building a business from scratch, while sharing his journey along the way. 

But he recently asked a question that I love answering: 
How do you set up your week on Sunday? 

Here's my answer with a little more detail: 

Every Sunday afternoon, I take 1-2 hours and plan out my week: 

1️⃣ Confirm and schedule all personal items with my wife: Work schedules, pickups, drop offs, dates, following weekend plans, etc. 

2️⃣ Schedule all my client coaching appointments in my calendar and notebook. (I love analog). This is my "working" schedule for the week and must make times. 

3️⃣ I then plan all my workouts (4 x /week, 40 min ea) around those items. Day 1 through 4. With what I am going to work out and when. 

4️⃣ With the remaining time I build in my "business building" hours. 

I choose 3 strong objectives (My big 3) each week to accomplish by Friday afternoon. 

I then do 3 small tasks (My Little 3) each day to accomplish them - and schedule that time around all of the items above. 

5️⃣ And finally, I set out my clothes, grind all my coffee, and food prep for week (even though I work from home). 

Doing this every Sunday gets me motivated to get out of bed and start tackling everything every Morning. 

Do you have a Week prep routine? 
If so, let me know what works for you!

I say a lot of things on LinkedIn, but never did I expect something I said to turn in to a "mini-viral" moment.   At least in my small world.  

But apparently my post on Sunday struck and nerve and invited new people into the conversation of leadership.  

In this case, an employee was asked by the owner of the company (his dad) to perform a client request, to which the employee (the son) refused to do. 

The requested service was well within the scope of work and the owner felt it was helping a long term client out.  The employee felt it was a waste of time.

So, who is right in this situation?  

I might argue that as long as the work order and service request is within the scope of work the company provides, the employees are to do what is requested of them.  

That's what this conversation is all about.  

However, part of what I learned from this post is that context matters.  
And I completely agree with that.  

Without context there is a cliff hanger.  A desire to know more. 

But then the question is: 

With more context would it have gotten the response that it did?  
Did the fact that my post lacked context create the curiosity to join the conversation?  

Not really clear, but one more thing I learned: Keeping up with a post like this, providing context and responses to every single comment is a lot.  

Almost overwhelming, but worth it.  

Here is the link to the original post: 
https://lnkd.in/g-x5QhwM

Merry Christmas from the Foglio's! 

I hope everyone got to spend time with the people they wanted to.

Ever been so unhappy with your business that just the thought of another day doing the same thing made your stomach turn? 

That’s exactly where Will was when he found me. 

He wasn’t clear on what his goals were. 
He didn’t have a plan. 

All he knew was: 
He hated where he was and refused to stay there. 

Sometimes, that’s all it takes to get moving. 
A little dissatisfaction with the status quo. 

So, even without a specific target, we agreed on one thing: 
Things had to change. 

We started by digging into his frustrations. 
The sleepless nights. 
The dread when he drove to the office. 

Turns out, there were two main issues holding him back: 

1. Job and work order intake. 
2. Employee scheduling and assignment. 

Fix those, and everything else becomes easier. 

Once we hammered out those pain points, we moved to the next stage. 

My 3-Step System to optimize and scale businesses in 90 days or less: 

Step 1️⃣: Identify & Eliminate Bottlenecks 
→ What’s slowing you down? 
→ We audit where your time and money are leaking. 

Step 2️⃣: Systemize & Automate 
→ We ditch manual work. 
→ Implement automation and delegation so you can grow without burning out. 

Step 3️⃣: Scale with Strategy 
→ We craft a custom 3-year roadmap. 
→ Double your revenue—without sacrificing your sanity. 

This isn’t some fancy theory. 

It’s the exact system my clients use to boost profit and free up time fast. 

If you’re tired of spinning your wheels, let's talk. 

What’s holding your business back? 
Drop a comment or send me a message. 

Let’s make change happen.

If I was frustrated with how my business ran in 2025, here are the 8 things I would do to get it back on track and hit the ground running in 2026. But most owners are not doing #2. 

1. Set Goals: I would set my goals for 2026 based around my three primary metrics: Revenue, Profit, and Time. 

Fix these and many other items fall into place. I would review these quarterly to ensure I am on track for my 1 year goal. 

2. Measure Weekly: I would set up a recurring 45-min meeting to review these 3 items weekly. 

What did it cost me to run my business this week (payroll, overhead, cost of goods, etc.)? Make 1 decision each week that is going to improve each of these and by the end of the quarter, your business should start to look quite different. 

3. Monthly review: Each month I would review my P&L and make up to three decisions to improve it. Cutting costs and/or expenses, negotiating discounts, improving pricing, etc. 

4. Manage Cash: I would use 4 bank accounts to manage my cash so I know where it is at all times and how much runway I have each month. 

Have a savings account for taxes and emergency expenses, along with profit. 

5. Fix Pricing: I would improve and increase my pricing for new customers when getting too many “yes’s”. 

By building a pricing model for the business, it often just takes one lever to make an improvement. 

6. Add Services: I would add any new services in which I get regular requests about. 

Tracking these as they ask and add them up each quarter and add that service to my menu of services. 

7. Generate Revenue: now that I have all of these items in place, I would focus any remaining time, with a minimum of 4 hours per week, focused on creating content, placing ads, and reaching out to potential customers. 

8. Define done: Each day and each week I would define what done looks like. 

Each week I would have 3 primary objectives to accomplish by Friday each week. And each day I would define 3 secondary objectives to accomplish prior to leaving for the day. When these are done each day and when the weekly objectives are done each week, I am done. 

In the end, I want a business I am running, not one that is running me. 

By setting the direction and doing everything I can on a daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis, there is no way to not achieve my one year goals. 

Anything you would add to this?

Profit isn’t just a dollar amount. It’s a percentage.
Focusing solely on a number can be dangerous...

Why? Because numbers don’t grow or scale with your business.

A big profit figure today might look impressive, but what happens when your sales double?

Will that dollar profit stay the same?
Probably not.

But if your profit margin — that percentage — is solid, it scales with you.
It grows as your revenue grows.

That’s the real key to sustainable, profitable growth.

Managing a percentage gives you a clear view of your business’s health
regardless of size.

If you want to grow without losing margins, focus on the percentage, not just the dollar figure.

Because percentages don’t just scale—they multiply.

What’s your profit margin?
And how are you making sure it grows with your business?

(Yes, our house has been fully decorated for Christmas since the first weekend in November.)

Time to start thinking in percentages.
Your future self will thank you.

Last week I sat on a call with a client and his brand-new admin.

He’d just had to move on from the previous one.
Clean break. Fresh start.
And one big problem:

The admin wanted to do a great job.
The client had no idea where to start.

So instead of training task-by-task...
or dumping a massive SOP doc on them...

We focused on just three things.

Not forever.
Just to get momentum.

Here’s what we did:

Defined the start of the day
What does “a good day” look like the moment they log in?
Clear tasks. Clear ownership. No guessing.

Defined the end of the day
Before signing off, what must be done for it to count as a win?
This alone removed 80% of the anxiety.

Prioritized the middle
A simple list of the best use of time in between.
Not everything. Just what matters most.

That’s it.

No micromanaging.
No overtraining.
No “let’s cover every edge case.”

And here’s the result:

The admin was up and running by day 2.

Not perfect.
But confident.
And moving.

This worked because most people try to train for completeness…

When what people actually need is clarity.

Clarity creates confidence.
Confidence creates momentum.
Momentum buys you time to refine later.

If you’re onboarding someone right now:

Start with the bookends.
Then fill in the middle.

What’s the first thing someone should own when they start their day?

—

If this was useful, say 👋 or steal the framework.
I share real behind-the-scenes moments like this often.

I am constantly having to remind myself this key fact: 

Consistency > Intensity

Of course it sounds simple, but in reality, its a game changer. 

Combine consistency with review, revision, and action...
And you have the exact formula for success. 

Success in personal life. 
Or in your business. 

I often find myself in, what feels like, a unique spot of coaching my clients towards their success, while also building and growing my business. 

This has caused me to often feel anxiety, like I am not doing enough...

That is why I: 

1️⃣ Break down every one of my annual goals into weekly metrics. (IE: $250k annually is a huge goal, but it’s only $4,800 per week). 

2️⃣ Identify the daily habits that help me achieve my personal and professional goals. (IE: 1 LI post per day, 5 prospect follow ups, 1 x 40-min workout, etc)

3️⃣ Track my progress in a habit tracker I have on my desk at all times (A Small grid of the items I know, that if done daily, will move me closer). 
Review weekly and make necessary pivots or improvements. 

Doing this, helps me define “done”. 

If I do my daily items each day, and weekly tasks each week, I can be confident that I did what I needed to do to move closer towards my goals. 

For me, it’s all about accomplishing what I need to do, while having time for what I want to do. 

But hey, I'll be the first to admit—this path isn't for everyone.

For me, spending time with family is not just about eating, drinking, gifts, and games. It is much deeper than that. 

Getting together with family is great, but that is not the point: 
Just being together. 

It's a start, but not the reason. 

The point (for me at least) is to grow together, to learn more about each other, to support each other, and let them know they are very important to us. 

When we get together, I try and be intentional about this, engaging in conversations and asking questions.

This year, while on our annual trip to the mountain with my wife's family, we went around the table and discussed our 2026 BHAG's (Big Harry Audacious Goals). 

Some we work and career related. 
Others, personal goals. 
No wrong answers. 

To me, you learn the most about people when you learn what their goals are. 

It shows me what is important to them. 
It expresses what area(s) they want to grow the most in. 

For those curious...
My BHAG: Double my income without doubling my time. 

What is yours?

Part of me wants to raise daughters who are great team players and dependable employees: self-aware, responsible, respectful, and willing to go above and beyond.

But another part of me dreams of raising entrepreneurs.

Ones who push boundaries, question things to better understand, and aren't afraid to forge their own path.

Honestly, either path works for me, as long as they are happy.

Every Thursday night, on the way to hip-hop dance class, my 11-year-old Harper and I talk about the business she wants to build.

It's become our weekly ritual, reviewing her "business plan," updating it, and figuring out what's missing.

And since I promised to be her first investor and biggest supporter, it's crucial we build that investor-entrepreneur relationship early.

Right now, we are building "Fit & Fashion" where local ladies can gather, purchase Alo quality items at Rack prices, while joining in fitness classes. 

The real question: are we empowering her to chase her dreams or just teaching her to follow orders?

Either way, I know one thing , what she learns now will shape her future.

And honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

What about your kids? Do you want them to follow a well-trodden path or blaze their trail?

Let's talk about it in the comments.

Last week I was looking at a client’s numbers and had to pause.

Not because they were flashy.
But because of how quiet the growth was.

In 2023: $160k revenue | $60k pay/profit

In 2024: $652k revenue | $130k profit

This year? On track for $800k with $200k profit.

Same business. Same market. No hype.

So what actually changed?

We didn’t add more chaos. 
We removed it.

Here’s what we did:

1️⃣ Restructured pricing
2️⃣ We stopped winging it.
3️⃣ Built a firm pricing list.
4️⃣ Then increased it intentionally each year. 

No apologizing.
No custom quotes for everything.

Focused on the most profitable services
Not the busiest ones.
The repipes that actually made money.

If it wasn’t profitable, it stopped being a priority.

Changed how talent was paid
Instead of bloated fixed costs,
we paid a fixed % per job.

Cheaper access to great talent.
Costs stayed predictable.
Margins stopped getting crushed.

That one shift did two things at once:

More jobs completed per week

Cost per job finally stayed under control

This worked because most businesses try to grow revenue first...

When the real unlock is structuring profit before scale.

Revenue is loud.
Profit is quiet.
But profit compounds.

If you doubled revenue tomorrow, would your profit double too — or disappear?

—

If you want help tightening the engine before pushing harder, say the word.
I share what’s actually working behind the scenes.

This week was... loud.

Multiple client calls.
Same issue. Different employees.

People asking for more money —
using every tactic in the book to get it.

Market rates.
Past titles.
What their friend makes.
What they feel they deserve.

So here’s how I look at it:

Compensation = the value the position brings to the company.

That’s it.

Your prior experience?
Relevant to getting hired — not getting a raise.

Your prior pay or title?
Relevant to your resume — not your compensation here.

Other companies paying more for “the same role”?
Then that role might make sense... at that company.

Titles, responsibilities, leadership, expectations —
they vary too much for pay-by-comparison to mean much.

So what’s the real goal?

Stop playing their game.
Play your game.

The one built around:
1️⃣ Profit
2️⃣ Growth
3️⃣ Sustainability

If someone materially contributes to those —
work to keep them.

If they don’t —
don’t take the easy road and pay more for the same value you already had.

When I evaluate compensation, I come back to two questions:
1. What would it cost to replace them in their current role?
2. Knowing what I know now, would I hire them today at the pay they’re asking for?

Those two answers solve a lot of future problems.

One more thing most people don’t like hearing: When someone worked for me, compensation was discussed once per year.

That’s it.

Not open-ended.
Not ongoing.
Not emotional.

Because compensation should:

1️⃣ Align with responsibilities
(As clearly defined in the job description.
If responsibilities change → comp gets reviewed.)

2️⃣ Scale with growth
Every role should have a clear formula for what growth with the company looks like.
When compensation is tied to revenue and/or profit percentages,
most “raise conversations” disappear.

Clarity beats negotiation.
Structure beats pressure.

Curious — how do you think about compensation when emotions enter the room?

Investment diversification can look a lot different for a lot of people. 
But the truth is, there is no one size fits all approach. 

Some people invest in the stock market. 
Many invest in real estate. 
Others into bullion (Have you seen gold prices lately?!) 

One of the approaches I coach is that your business is your income generator. Your money making machine. Both in income (through payroll) and through owner draws (from profit). 

It makes you money, which then allows you to build personal wealth and invest it. 

And, when it comes to personal investing, I stick to one rule: 
𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁. 

Not what the influencers say you should invest in. 
Not what ads you are seeing on social media. 
Not what your broke friends or family say you should. 

But in what you know in and out.

So, what do I know best? Vintage Baseball Cards. 

A collector as a kid, reinvigorated over the last 8 years to really learn more. 

Just like many investments, there is risk:
Risk of decrease in value. (Vintage has less risk than current players)
Risk of something being stolen or damaged. (I keep them in a safe)

But there is also reward: 
This year the vintage sports cards market is up 6.18%
One investment of mine has 10x since 2017. 
A good conversation. 

What ever your investment approach is, I encourage you to be intentional about it. 

Know your risk tolerance. 
Focus on growing your business to grow your wealth. 
Be relentless about making the most of your money. 

What are some of your alternative or diversified investments?

Where are you on the side of New Year's resolutions? 
Personally, I love them, but I know they are not for everyone.  

An old friend of mine was anti-resolutions. 
They said that people should not wait to new years to set new goals.  

I can agree with that, but they also didn't set any sort of goals.  

For me personally, here is what I do: 
1.  Review last year's goals.  
2.  Build upon those.  

Did I hit my goals?  If not, what's the next level? 
If not, are they are still important?  
Do I need to pivot?  

Professionally, every goal is an annual revenue, profit, and time goal: 
1.   Revenue: How much money I make in my business? 
2.  Profit: How much of my revenue to pay myself?
3.  Time: How much time am I willing to put into to achieve those two?

Any thoughts or feedback on this format?  
What is your approach?

Are you the type to make New Year's Resolutions, or do you skip them altogether?

Honestly, I believe everyone needs at least one goal, because real growth only happens when there's change.

We don't need more information. We need transformation. 

But here's the catch: Change doesn't just happen.
It starts with a clear, measurable goal, a timeline, and a plan.

Whether your goal is to lose 20 pounds or grow your business by 20%, breaking it into 90-day chunks makes it manageable.

Want to drop 20? Focus on 5 pounds every 90 days.
Looking to scale? Aim for a 5% growth each quarter.

It's not about WHEN you start, 
it's about HAVING a goal and a plan to reach it.

Goals for 10 years, 3 years, and 1 year are important.

But the real magic? 
Breaking them down into actionable steps for the next 90 days.

Know where you are now, define where you want to go, and map out your 90-day milestones.

Set your goals today , whether it's New Year's or a random Tuesday.
Grow in every aspect, and make this year different than the last.

One goal at a time.
One 90-day sprint.

Struggling to define your next 90-day goals?
Reach out, I'd love to help you turn big dreams into achievable plans.

Let's make this year your best yet.

PS: My goal is to help 100+ small service-business owners build better businesses in 2026. Improving pay, satisfaction, and profit - all without adding more hours.

My wife and I have started the process of looking for a new family vehicle. 

We simply cannot fit our family of 4 and our luggage (We all have a tendency to overpack a bit.) in either of our two current cars. 

But while talking to sales people and dealerships one thing stood out. 
This dealership 20 min south, does not negotiate. 

They go by a one-price motto. 

I was a bit used to this when purchasing Audi's in my previous life, but for a Toyota? 

But that's it. 

The price they give you in store is the price they sell it. 
Everyone gets the same price. 

Then I started thinking about all of the positives of this...

Eliminates possible discrimination. 
Levels the ground for different levels of negotiations. 
Allows each person to get the same deal, no matter their purchasing power. 

I hated it as a buyer, as I wanted to negotiate. 
I want to feel like I am winning something more. 

But as a business, I love it. 

Too many times, service-based business owners build their price, but are open to negotiation. 

They lower their price to make a customer happy. 
Or provide a discount to help get the sale. 

But this can work in the opposite direction. 
It cheapens the service. 

1️⃣ Build your perfect profitable price for each service. 
2️⃣ Stick to it. Don't negotiate. 

Some of my clients are hesitant to tell clients their pricing. 
When that is the case, we...
1️⃣ Post it to a website or landing page. 
2️⃣ Point every client to that page. 
3️⃣ Have them book a call at the bottom. 

Easy peasy.

(PS: This was last night's sunset from the dealership. God's creation is beautiful!)

The Professional Independence Academy by Nathan Pearce

The days of job security through company loyalty are over. In today's economy, your safety doesn't come from being a "good employee"—it comes from building professional independence that no employer can take away.

The Professional Independence Academy teaches ambitious professionals how to break free from corporate dependency and build careers that thrive regardless of market conditions, layoffs, or industry disruption. We don't help you become a better employee; we help you become professionally antifragile.
Our proven methodology transforms high-performing professionals from vulnerable corporate dependents into strategically independent authorities who control their own economic destiny. Through our three-pillar system, you'll build the foundation for a career that gets stronger with every challenge.

▶︎ Pillar 1: Professional Authority
Establish industry recognition and thought leadership that exists beyond any employer. Build a reputation, network, and expertise that belong to you—not your company. When opportunities arise, they come to you first.

▶︎ Pillar 2: Financial Independence
Create multiple income streams that reduce dependency on any single employer. Develop 3-5 revenue sources providing 30-50% of your current income, giving you the economic foundation to make career decisions from abundance rather than desperation.

▶︎ Pillar 3: Strategic Independence
Gain the freedom to make career decisions based on your goals and values rather than circumstances. With authority and financial security established, you control your professional trajectory—choosing roles strategically, taking calculated risks, and designing your future rather than reacting to it.

Stop being at the mercy of corporate decisions. Build professional independence that lasts.

Founder

Aviatrix

Responsible for the GTM strategy for the Aviatrix Cloud Firewall offering:
* Messaging
* Pricing
* Sales Enablement

Product Marketing

Prosimo.io

Research, create, and execute brand and product marketing strategy.
* built prospect/customer enablement program
* built and delivered Prosimo Labs (certification program)
* planned and executed marketing campaigns w/ Creative Director

Director of Product Marketing

HashiCorp

Global Subject Matter Expert Lead for HashiCorp’s Networking products. 
* Create Sales Plays and run Field Enablement sessions
* Support Regional Sales Teams major opportunities
* Aggregate Field Requirements and prioritize with Product Management

Emerging Products GTM Specialist

REDtalks.live

Host

Balanced Blends

In the age of the digital economy, customer engagement is the intersection of marketing and software engineering. At Balanced Blends we strive to delight our customers with a focus on transparency in our communications supported with the delivery of customer-centric, software-based services.

Head of Customer Engagement

F5 Networks

Working with customers on developer experience working with F5 product and solution. Focussed on 'systems thinking' and building sustainable integrations. Collaborate with me on prototype solutions!

Developer Advocate, Office of the CTO

Customer interfacing workflow validation, inter-departmental liaison, and AR/PR spokesperson.

Product Development, Solutions Architect - Orchestration

Public speaking, blogging, writing, organising.

Sr Technical Marketing Manager

Responsible for influencing product development strategy as it relates to the EMEA market and for evangelising F5's product roadmap & vision. Involves working with Press, Investors, speaking at conferences and interviewing customers.

Product Manager - EMEA

UK Subject Matter Expert on Next Generation Datacenter agility & virtualisation technologies.

Next Generation Datacenter Expert

Technical design support for named major account list.

Technical Account Manager

ApplianSys

Responsible for the Web Acceleration business unit covering sales, technical development strategy and marketing.

Business Manager

Microbits

Network design, implementation and support.

Network Engineer

Minter Ellison Lawyers

Systems Administrator

Helping you build your personal brand. Multiple Startups and IPOs. Entrepreneur, angel investor, Fractional COO, dad.

I help people build Professional Independence: the ability to thrive professionally regardless of corporate decisions, market conditions, or industry disruption.

After witnessing countless talented professionals devastated by layoffs despite their dedication and performance, I realized the problem isn't individual failure—it's systemic dependency on employers for income, recognition, and career progression.

Traditional career advice tells you to be a better employee. I teach you to become professionally antifragile through three core pillars:

▶︎ Professional Authority: Build industry recognition and thought leadership that exists beyond any employer. Your reputation, network, and expertise belong to you—not your company.

▶︎ Financial Independence: Create multiple income streams that reduce dependency on your salary. Develop 3-5 revenue sources providing economic foundation to make career decisions from abundance.

▶︎ Strategic Independence: Gain freedom to make career decisions based on your goals, not desperation. Control your professional trajectory rather than reacting to external circumstances.

Through The Professional Independence Academy and Layoff Recovery Accelerator, I've helped hundreds of professionals break free from corporate dependency and build careers that strengthen with every challenge.

Your professional future shouldn't be at the mercy of someone else's decisions. Let's build something that belongs to you.


Entrepreneur.
Angel Investor.
Fractional COO
Founder of The Professional Independence Academy: https://professionalindependence.com

Nathan Pearce

The worst career advice I ever followed: "Be indispensable to your employer."

I watched it backfire spectacularly.

The better I got at my job, the more trapped I became. My expertise was company-specific. My network was internal. My reputation existed only within those walls.

When restructuring came, being "indispensable" meant nothing.

Here's what traditional career advice gets wrong:

▶︎ "Be a better employee" - This deepens your dependency instead of reducing it. You become more valuable to one company while becoming less marketable everywhere else.

▶︎ "Build an emergency fund" - Financial cushions help you survive job loss. They don't prevent the cycle from repeating. You're still one decision away from starting over.

▶︎ "Network more" - Most professionals network only when they need something. It feels transactional and desperate because it is.

▶︎ "Update your resume" - When everyone's using the same strategy, standing out becomes nearly impossible. Your resume gets lost in ATS systems with thousands of others.

These aren't solutions. They're band-aids on a broken system.

The real problem? Single-point-of-failure career design.

Your income, reputation, and opportunities all depend on one employer's decisions. That's not security. That's vulnerability.

Professional independence means building what they can't take away:

Authority that exists outside company walls. Income streams that don't disappear with your job. Strategic options that let you move from strength, not desperation.

Stop optimizing for one employer. Start building what you actually own.


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I ghostwrite for Series A/B founders who need their product story to hold up with buyers, investors, and the market.

Finding a job in 2026 requires a different approach.

To prove this, I created a brand new LinkedIn profile with ZERO connections.

Within 4 weeks, recruiters were reaching out directly.

No existing network. No fake credentials. No inflated experience.

Just focused on being discoverable.

The traditional job application process is more about luck these days.

Because the process is completely broken:

▶︎ AI-powered tracking systems evaluate your resume in seconds - and they're getting it wrong. These systems can't read context, transferable skills, or career pivots.

▶︎ You're one of 200+ applicants for every position. Your carefully crafted resume gets lost in a digital pile that no human will ever see.

▶︎ Recruiters are drowning in their workload. They're managing 30+ open roles simultaneously and scanning applications for 10 seconds each.

Being discoverable breaks you out of this chaos entirely.

When recruiters find you through LinkedIn search, you skip the broken system and go straight to a human conversation.

This is THE most valuable tip I can give anyone in a job search.

To prove it works, I ran this exact experiment. Started a fresh profile from absolute zero. No connections to leverage. No referrals to lean on.

I built the profile to be discoverable for specific roles. Strategic keywords in my headline and summary. Clear, searchable job titles. Skills that matched what recruiters were actually searching for.

The results? Multiple recruiters reached out within a month. Real conversations about real opportunities. No applications required.

Every application you submit puts you in competition with hundreds of others.

Every time someone discovers you, you're the only candidate in that conversation.

Stop playing the numbers game. Start playing the visibility game.

Your next role is actively looking for someone like you. Make sure they can find you.

---

Want to learn more? Join our Layoff Readiness webinar on January 6th. 

Layoff season is coming (Jan/Feb) and now is the time to start working on being discoverable! 

Register now: https://lnkd.in/gneZawTg

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Taking a counteroffer is admitting you're willing to be bought.

You've probably heard the advice: "Use that outside offer as leverage with your current employer." 

This is terrible advice.

The moment you threaten to leave, you're marked. Not as valuable. As disloyal. A flight risk who can't be trusted with the important projects anymore.

Sure, they'll give you the raise. Maybe even the promotion. But here's what they don't mention: most people who accept counteroffers are gone within 18 months anyway.

Why?

Because your company starts planning your replacement the moment you accept their counteroffer.

That offer isn't about keeping you. It's about buying time to replace you on their terms, not yours.

You've shown your hand. You've revealed that you're looking. And in today's layoff culture, companies are always ready to cut loose anyone who isn't fully committed.

The harsh reality? The moment you accept that counteroffer, you've started a countdown clock. They'll find your replacement, train them, and then you'll be the one getting walked out.

Don't negotiate with people who see you as replaceable.

⸻

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Founder | Builder of Personal Brands for Professional Independence & Career Security | Entrepreneur, Fractional COO, dad.

This year taught us one thing: job security is a myth.

But here's what it also taught us: community isn't.

To everyone in The Professional Independence Academy – our newsletter subscribers, community members, and everyone building their professional resilience alongside us – thank you.

You showed up. You asked hard questions. You shared your wins and your struggles.

And we learned right alongside you.

The career landscape shifted faster than ever this year. We adapted. We evolved. We built new frameworks together.
2026? We're just getting started.

More frameworks. More training courses. More custom GPTs. All designed to help you thrive, not just survive.

But first, let's talk about January.

Layoff season is coming. Here's how to enter 2026 ready (links and more in newsletter):

🔹 The At-Risk Professional Self-Assessment (2-min check on your career resilience) 
https://lnkd.in/geWYjKEX 

🔹 Layoffs - The First 7 Days (immediate action checklist/guide) 
https://lnkd.in/ed7BUKYD 

🔹 From Invisible to In-Demand (my 4-action system for recruiter visibility) 
https://lnkd.in/gYKrNYyw

🔹 Job Market Analyzer GPT (align your resume with what's hiring NOW) 
https://lnkd.in/gH2suC8s

🔹 Layoff Readiness Webinar (free live training) - January 6th - Register now
https://lnkd.in/gneZawTg

What's your #1 career goal for 2026?

Read now 👇

https://lnkd.in/gbDpV9HP

You can't prevent layoffs. But you can control how they affect you.

I've been laid off multiple times. Never relied on applying for jobs to bounce back.

That's not luck. It's professional authority.

When you develop real authority in your field, layoffs become temporary setbacks instead of career disasters. The right opportunities find you because you've become the person companies think of first.

Most professionals believe building authority takes years of networking and resume updates. Wrong. It takes the right system and focused action.

Building that authority takes far less time and effort than people think.

I'm launching the Layoff Preparation & Recovery Operating System (LPR OS) on Monday, January 12th to prove it.

Here's what makes LPR OS different. It covers both sides of the equation. Preparation AND Recovery. Both matter equally.

The system delivers through four formats:

→ On-demand Training - Build authority without guesswork
→ Community - Access professionals & coaches who've navigated this successfully
→ Meetups - Regular live Q&A sessions
→ 1:1 Coaching - Get specific guidance for your unique situation

Everything centers on one goal. Developing the kind of professional authority that makes you indispensable to your industry, not just your employer.

We can't stop layoffs. But we can limit their impact and accelerate recovery.

Whether layoffs are looming or you're already in recovery mode, you have more control than you think.

Learn more on January 6th at the Free "Layoff Readiness" webinar:
https://lnkd.in/gneZawTg

Pre-order LPR OS today:
https://lnkd.in/gfgDkZs9

Image: a small sample of the LPR OS training videos recorded on the awesome Tella platform. Great product, Grant Shaddick - love the squirckles!

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January layoffs aren't a maybe. They're a when.

Layoff season peaks in the first quarter every year, yet most professionals wait until they get the call to start preparing.

I've seen this pattern repeatedly. Smart people, high performers, caught completely off guard because they thought preparation meant updating their resume the weekend after getting laid off.

That's backwards thinking.

The time to prepare isn't when you're walking out the door. It's now, when you still have access to your network, your reputation is intact, and you can make strategic decisions with a clear head.

This isn't about fear or denial. It's about recognizing reality and responding intelligently.

On January 6th I'm hosting a free live training event specifically for mid-career professionals who want to enter 2026 prepared for anything.

The Layoff Readiness Webinar covers:

→ The Real Warning Signs of Layoffs (what's noise vs. what actually matters)
→ The Layoff Readiness Checklist (protect your stability, access, reputation, and finances)
→ Career-Damaging Mistakes to Avoid (that kill your negotiating power and confidence)
→ How to Build Emotional Readiness (so your professional identity doesn't collapse)
→ A Clear Strategic Plan for Any Outcome
→ Q&A

Whether you're sensing instability at work, anxious about restructuring rumors, or simply someone who values proactive planning over reactive scrambling – this is for professionals who refuse to be blindsided.

You can't control whether layoffs happen at your company. But you absolutely control how ready you are.

Register for the free Layoff Readiness Webinar – January 6th:
https://lnkd.in/gneZawTg

Founders: Your personal brand is most vulnerable when you're winning.

Here's one example I see constantly:

Startup founders build followings sharing the real stuff. Late night coding sessions. Rejected pitches. Breakthrough moments at 2am. Raw, unfiltered updates from someone actually building.

Then they make it to Series B... time for systems and scale.

Now they need "proper" marketing. Professional communications. Polished messaging that won't scare institutional investors.

The founder who used to post screenshot updates from their laptop at coffee shops suddenly goes quiet. Posts become rare. When they do show up, something feels off.

→ The authenticity that built their audience becomes a "brand risk" to manage
→ Professional growth systematically removes what made them interesting
→ They optimize away the very voice that created their community

You've seen this happen. That founder you used to follow religiously? When's the last time they posted something that felt real?

Their communities notice. Engagement drops. The personal connection that drove early believers gets lost in the professionalization process.

This isn't unique to founders. It happens at every growth phase where authenticity gets sacrificed for "business best practices."

It's important to remember, and prioritize, what built the momentum in the first place.

Stay visible.

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I'm terrible at setting goals. Even worse at celebrating wins.

I know this isn't healthy. Every productivity "guru" screams about the importance of reflection and goal-setting.

But then I saw that ChatGPT had analyze my year of conversations...

Three clear themes emerged that should have been my January 1st goals:

→ Building the Professional Independence Academy - Turned a rebrand into a full ecosystem guiding mid-career professionals from corporate captivity to confident creators.

→ Crafting Systems for Creative Growth - Built repeatable workflows to scale ideas without losing authenticity or burning out.

→ Finding Balance Between Work and Life - Kept family at the center, proving professional independence only matters if it makes space for rest and connection.

(Regarding that 3rd point - yes, ChatGPT is my therapist)

The irony? I built all of this WITHOUT setting these as formal goals.

Maybe the obsession with goal-setting is overrated. Maybe just showing up and doing meaningful work is enough.

Or maybe I'm making excuses for my terrible planning habits...

What's your take? Do formal goals actually drive results, or does consistent action matter more?

Happy New Year!! 🥳

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I spent 10 years making myself replaceable. Best career move ever.

While everyone else fought to become "indispensable," I did the opposite. I documented every process. Trained my replacements. Built systems that worked without me.

The result? Complete career freedom.

I watched others who worked much harder than me get passed over for promotion, while I climbed the ladder.

That's when I realized: being replaceable doesn't make you vulnerable. It makes you powerful.

The math is simple. When you're the only person who knows how to do something, you can't move up, move out, or even take vacation without everything falling apart.

Here's what "making yourself replaceable" actually looks like:

→ Document everything - Create step-by-step guides for all your responsibilities. When promotion opportunities arise, you're ready to hand off immediately.

→ Train continuously
Always be developing someone beneath you. This shows leadership and creates internal advocates who want you to succeed.

→ Build external authority
Share your knowledge publicly. Write about your industry. Speak at events. When you're known outside your company, internal leverage follows.

→ Systematize success
Create processes that generate results without your constant involvement. This proves you're strategic, not just operational.

The payoff? During a time of mass tech layoffs, I had three job offers within two weeks. Not because I scrambled to network, but because I'd spent years building visibility and proving I could scale operations, not just run them.

My employer at the time fought to keep me with a 30% raise, a promotion, and an offer of a sabbatical should I "just want a bit of a break". 

In 2026's job market, replaceability equals mobility.


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I won't wish you luck next year.

I hope to be completely free of luck in 2026.

Because luck is the enemy of progress.

I've never been one to hope that luck will get me through anything, but I will admit I have looked back on moments and thought "wow, that was lucky."

No more.

Because hoping for luck means you're absolving yourself from planning and accountability.

Luck is the antithesis of leverage.

What did you just say, captain fancy words?

If your progress depends on luck, you don't control the outcome.

If your progress depends on leverage, you do.

Luck is borrowed momentum. Leverage is owned momentum.

The professional who gets promoted because their boss happened to quit? That's luck.

The professional who gets promoted because they've been systematically building relationships, documenting wins, and positioning themselves as the obvious successor? That's leverage.

The entrepreneur who succeeds because they launched at the perfect market moment? Luck.

The entrepreneur who succeeds because they built systems that adapt to any market condition? Leverage.

One disappears overnight. The other compounds.

In 2026, I wish you no luck!

⸻

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Open article: Layoff Readiness Webinar | Protect Yourself Before January Layoffs by professionalindependence.com

Layoff Readiness Webinar | Protect Yourself Before January Layoffs

I started a YouTube channel as an experiment. Had no idea what I was doing.

My first video was 6 minutes of me explaining a new product feature. Poor audio quality. No storytelling. Just me, nervous, trying to share something technical that nobody else was covering.

But I found the courage to hit publish anyway.

While my coworkers talked about "someday creating content," I kept uploading. Video after video, despite the imperfections.

After posting over a dozen videos, something unexpected happened at our billion-dollar, publicly listed company.

I bumped into our CTO while walking across the campus. Surprisingly, he recognized me immediately.

Not only did he know about my channel, he walked over specifically to talk about it. Turns out he'd been watching every single episode.

"I think what you're doing is awesome," he said. "I watch every episode and learn cool things about our technology I never knew we could do."

That conversation changed everything.

Nine months later, I – formerly a low-level grunt – was reporting directly to the Chief Architect. I was invited to pitch new business unit ideas to the CEO and his direct reports.

Why? Not because my videos were ground-breaking.... but because they liked the way I approached challenges! That is all...

Take a moment to think about the ROI of those roughly chopped together, low-quality videos.

The only thing that had been holding me back were irrational personal limiting beliefs.

→ Personal branding isn't about perfection
My videos were amateur. My setup was basic. But I was the only person consistently putting our expertise into the world.

→ Courage matters more than skill
That first imperfect video, published despite my fears, created visibility that no internal presentation ever could.

→ Small experiments create massive opportunities
Starting with zero experience led to executive recognition at a billion-dollar company.

Your personal brand is your career insurance. When layoffs hit, when recessions come, the people who invested in their professional authority have options. 

Their skills are known and visible.

The courage to start imperfectly beats the paralysis of waiting for perfection.

⸻

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🏋️‍♀️ Work with me, I'll do the heavy lifting: https://nathanpearce.co/

You've heard of SEO. Maybe even GEO or AEO for AI optimization.

But have you heard of REO?

Recruiter Engine Optimization.

It's the practice of structuring your LinkedIn profile so it surfaces in the search systems recruiters actually use.

Here's what most professionals don't realize:

According to LinkedIn, 93% of recruiters use the platform to source candidates. 

But they're not browsing randomly—they're running targeted searches with 40+ filters you've never seen.

Profiles without the right keywords get buried on page 15.

Where no one will ever find them.

The data backs this up: complete profiles receive 21x more views and 36x more messages. Members who enable #OpenToWork receive 40% more recruiter InMails.

I tested this. Created a brand new LinkedIn account from scratch. Used AI to analyze 200+ job postings and identify the exact keywords recruiters search for. Rebuilt the profile using those insights.

Within 4 weeks, recruiters were reaching out asking if I'd be interested in positions.

Not jobs I applied to... positions that found me.

Your LinkedIn profile is a 24/7 job application.

Make sure it's actually being seen.

What's one change you've made to your profile that increased recruiter outreach?

P.S. This week's newsletter breaks down the full REO framework plus the tools I used. Get it now 👇

https://lnkd.in/g_-bmUzz

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I realized my resume was like a cross-section of an old tree. Each job a slice in time, with its own requirements, language/terminology, tools and tech stack.

That's when it hit me.

You're not applying for a job from 10 years ago. You're applying for a job NOW.

But most people treat their resume like a museum exhibit. They stack new roles on top and call it a day. Never going back to refresh how they describe the older stuff.

Big mistake.

You end up sounding outdated before anyone even calls you.

→ The language completely changed
"Digital transformation" wasn't even a thing in 2015. Neither was "customer success" as an actual job title. Your old descriptions are using yesterday's words for today's hiring managers.

→ What matters shifted
That 2018 project management role? You probably wrote about "streamlining processes." Today's market wants to hear about "driving cross-functional alignment" and "stakeholder engagement."

→ Context is everything now
Remember describing remote work as "adapted to virtual collaboration" in 2020? That was impressive then. Now it sounds like you just discovered Zoom.


I discovered this the hard way.

I ran my resume through my free Job Market Analyzer GPT. It analyzed over 200 job postings in my target market and compared them against my resume.

The results? Brutal.

My experience was solid. My language was stuck in 2012.

(You can try it yourself here: https://lnkd.in/gH2suC8s)

Here's my question: When was the last time you went back and updated how you describe your OLD jobs?

I'm not saying lie about it. Don't slap "AI implementation" on a 2015 role that had nothing to do with machine learning...

I'm saying don't sound like you've time travelled from the past...

Your experience from 5 years ago is still valuable. Just make sure it sounds like it happened in this decade.

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I used to choose loneliness over feeling awkward. Until I realized that wasn't good for the soul.

Signing off for the next couple of days.

I've earned what you might call the nomad badge. Visited more countries than I can honestly remember, relocated internationally more times than most people change jobs, collected multiple citizenships along the way. Filled several passports before they expired.

I'm practically Jason Bourne.... (if he were a computer nerd that likes to read books.)

The lifestyle sounds romantic until you pay the tax.

First comes the loneliness. Then you start cutting yourself off emotionally as a survival mechanism. You become a bit of a robot because it's easier than constantly saying goodbye.

But that's not sustainable...

So I went full parasite and adopted a new family.

They welcome me in like I'm one of their own. No questions asked. Any holiday, any celebration, any random moment when I need somewhere to belong.

Spending Christmas with them once again. Currently posting this from an unfairly small seat on a Boeing 777, somewhere over the Atlantic.

When your original family is no longer around, far too geographically distant, or too much drama to bare... choose a new one.

Start decanting the wine, Nick!

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