St. Vrain Valley Schools

The Innovation Center is the next step in public education. We are a catalyst, incubator, and bridge between education, industry, and our community.

Assistant Superintendent of Innovation

Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consultant

Chief Technology Officer

Adams 12 Five Star Schools

Director of Instructional Technology

Boulder Valley School District

Senior Operations Manager

Carrier Access Corporation

Sales Engineer & Technical Trainer

#leadership  #personaldevelopment #technology #edtech

Joe McBreen

Purpose Searching

Every job I’ve ever had…sales in hospitality, managing a territory, and everything in between…has built the foundation for what I do today. 

I’ve swam in the ocean of unfulfillment, drowning in bullshit tasks and activities, believing the only way to achieve more was to do more. 

I lived it. I proved it wrong.

The truth? 

Growth doesn’t come from doing everything. It comes from doing what matters. That’s why I focus on mindfulness as the key to growth; so you and your business don’t have to make the same mistakes. 

Let’s build your path forward…one that’s aligned, impactful, and purposeful.

No niche.
No funnel.
No 5am routine.

Just stillness.
Some breath.
A dog.
A parrot.
And a post when it feels real.

That’s the whole thing.
Follow us for mindfulness, LinkedIn, food & beverage tech/AI stuff!

Kyle Faulkner

Right when I started doubting myself…

LinkedIn hit me with this.

#7 worldwide in Meditation (Favikon)
On a platform I spent almost 20 years on
before anyone noticed I was even here.

Wild.

Because meditation isn’t my “topic.”
It’s the thing that built my new life.

It’s how I landed my first real traction here.
(It literally came from working with the guy ranked #1…guess who.)

It’s how I met my soulmate.
How I’ve found the work I love.
How I’ve stayed open in moments
Where I used to shut down completely.

Meditation didn’t give me answers.
It gave me capacity.

Capacity to stay.
To breathe.
To not spiral.
To move forward when every part of me wanted to bail.

So yeah…seeing my name on this list?
It feels friggin’ surreal.

But it also feels like a reminder:

The thing you think you’ve “lost”…
is probably the thing that’s been holding you up.

If you’re questioning yourself right now,
this is your sign:

Return to the practice that made you.
Not the one that went viral.
Not the one everyone else celebrates.

The one that carried you here.

Kyle Faulkner, MA 💼

li_at

JSESSIONID

Breathing ​> Burnout | F&B Tech, AI and Virnika.ai | Exhale & Follow Us

Banned from a LinkedIn group

…because of Farrah.

Yep.
One accidental poodle post
and I’m exiled like I violated international law.

Turns out the group had a “1 post per week” rule.
Did I read it?
Absolutely not.
I was too busy running polls, building connections,
and apparently being the only human posting anything remotely engaging in there.

What really stings?
When you get banned, you also lose the metrics.
Thousands of poll votes.
Tens of thousands of impressions.
All the operators I was quietly building a long-term database around.
Gone.
Like they never existed.

I wasn’t just posting.
I was experimenting.
I was learning.
I was actually changing how I sell.

And then?
Boom.
Farrah hits “publish,”
and suddenly I’m LinkedIn-persona non grata.

So what now?
Do I throw a fit?
Send a grumpy email?
Stage a peaceful protest outside the group admin’s house?
(Satire…mostly.)

Honestly?
I’m just going to breathe.
And maybe laugh a little.

But banning me over a poodle?
That feels…extreme.
Possibly unconstitutional.
Definitely personal.

Anyway...
if anyone sees me wandering around LinkedIn looking dazed,
just know I’m recovering from digital exile.

And Farrah?
She sends her apologies.
Kind of.

If your dog is happier than you, 

You should at least be asking yourself “Why?”

According to Grandma, a lady at the golf course officially declared Farrah is “Champagne” in color. 

Not cream.
Not tan.
Not “golden-ish.”

Champagne.
Which honestly checks out…she does trot around like she’s late to her own gala.

What does this have to do with LinkedIn?
Absolutely nothing.

But here’s the little truth Pumpky just shared:

If you aren’t enjoying your pets —
or your people —
or your actual life…

Maybe your job is the problem.
Not you.

Farrah’s out here living like a luxury beverage.
Might be time the rest of us stopped living like flat soda.

🥂 Cheers from Champagne Farrah.

I know I post a lot.

But so do the people I learn from.

And the funny part is…
when you post this much, you start noticing the three camps of LinkedIn:

Camp 1: “Please get this man off my feed.”
No hard feelings.
The algorithm tucks them in and hides me.

Camp 2: “Kyle posted? Clear my schedule.”
I don’t know how you keep up,
but thank you for pretending I’m worth it.

Camp 3: “I’ll get to it when I get to it.”
You’re my people.
Because I have creators I love…
and even I can’t keep up with their chaos.

But here’s the part no one talks about:

When you post a ton,
and I post a ton,
we silently forgive each other for not keeping up.

There’s this unspoken agreement:

“I see you.
Even when I don’t see you.”

It’s one of the strangest, softest dynamics here on LinkedIn…and one of the reasons I keep showing up.

If you feel this,
you’re probably one of us.

The algorithm didn’t love you.

(It loved the mask you wore.)

You thought the traction meant truth.

But it wasn’t mastery.
Or skill.
Or alignment.

It was performance.

Right hook.
Right tone.
Right spacing.

And LinkedIn clapped.

“Good boy. Do it again.”

But mindfulness whispers:

Look deeper.

That wasn’t expression.

That was:
🧩 A voice shaped for approval
🧩 A strategy fueled by vanity
🧩 A post designed to be liked, not felt

It worked.
But at what cost?

You looked successful.

But you felt hollow.

I did too.

Then I stopped chasing the algorithm.

And started honoring myself.

Because the real win isn’t reach.

It’s self-return.

Let go of the mask.

Let presence speak.

What version of you are you done performing for?

PS - Yes, I used the exact same formatting on this post to see what happens 🤣

PPS - Perspective is still very, very important!

There’s a heaviness I’ve been carrying for years…

(And you have too.)

this pressure to “get it right.”

In life.
In love.
In work.
In healing.
In everything.

And I think I’m finally accepting
that “right” doesn’t exist.

Just aligned.
Just honest.
Just present.

This post is me choosing presence over perfection…

one more time.

You disappeared from LinkedIn…
Does anyone care? No…no they don’t. 
But that’s ok…here’s how to get back into it. 

I disappeared from LinkedIn for a bit.

Not intentionally.

Life just yanked me off the platform like a 3 day worn sock.

And if you’re a #LinkedInLunatic like me?
(Well I hope to be on Reddit one day)

You know the guilt:
“Did the algorithm file a missing persons report?”

“Are my LinkedIn friends mad at me?”

Here’s how I crawl back every time…
ridiculous, but also genuinely useful:

1. Accept your fate.
You vanished.
Poof.
LinkedIn didn’t send a search party.
It’s fine.

2. Skip the dramatic “I HAVE RETURNED” entrance.
You’re not Gandalf.
Just post a thought and keep walking.

3. Drop something tiny and unserious.
One line like:
“Life grabbed me by the shirt collar. It sorta hurt, but I’m back now. Anyway…here’s a thought.”

4. Don’t overcorrect.
Resist the urge to write an 87-section manifesto to “make up” for being gone.
Start with something snack-sized.
(Like a sexy dog pic…where’s Farrah?)

5. If it’s not fun, it’s not sustainable.
Pretend you’re texting your favorite person.
Quick. Unfiltered. Slightly chaotic.
(Tag your favorite person!)

6. Do not try to catch up on the feed.
You missed stuff.
Let it evaporate.
You’re here now. That’s enough.

7. Treat your next post like a reintroduction to your own creativity.
Not a performance.
Not a penance.
Just…you being weird and useful again.
(Yes, Dad, some people find me useful!)

Life’s gonna pull you away.
It should.
But when the posting itch comes back?

Scratch it with a sentence and a smirk.

Mindfulness thought:

The algorithm doesn’t hold grudges.
Only you do.

PS - Where the hell have I been lately?

The power of LinkedIn:

Narrated by Kyle Faulkner. 

Day one back on #LinkedIn
and apparently the platform said:
“Oh…he lives.”

I posted ONE little comeback post.
(My post advised against posting comeback posts, yet here we are)

- 209 impressions.
- 18 comments.
 - A humble 13 reacts.

Classic LinkedIn starter pack.

Then everything went sideways:

Bray Jaks drops a 0.5x forehead-megachad post
→ I leave one comment
→ Suddenly I’m back on the radar of a LinkedIn OG who wants an updated data file from me like it’s 2024 again. 

(I’ll get back with you asap Jasmin Alić!!!)

Dean Kuhn….
wake up. We have work to do sir! 

Geo Maria Bughani 🐐✍🏽 tags Pumpky in a sad-parrot meme
→ which frankly is the crossover event Netflix has been waiting for. 

My DMs?
A lot of networking, 
and “is Pumpky available for freelance?”

And now I’m 5 followers away from 4,000.
Which means LinkedIn has approximately 5 more chances to pretend it didn’t miss me.

But the truth?

I kind of love this platform.
It’s weird.
It’s chaotic.
It rewards the brave, the dumb, the satirical,
and occasionally…the mindful.

So yes, im ignoring my own advice and saying it…I’M BACK. 

And apparently so is Pumpky’s career.

If day one was like this…
day two better stretch first.

PS - Don’t forget the power of the repost, people!

What the hell are you even using LinkedIn for?

Seriously.
What’s your actual agenda here?

Refreshing your coworker’s new title
like it’s breaking news?

Trying to “network”
but somehow pitching by sentence two?

Sliding into DMs
with a calendar link taped to your forehead?

Launching another course
because the last one “wasn’t aligned”?

Posting about discipline
from the comfort of your 11am nap?

Collecting connections
like you’re assembling a virtual infinity stone?

Or the classic:
“I’m taking a break from LinkedIn.”
(…said while posting on LinkedIn.)

The question nobody wants to touch:

How are you showing up?

Because me and Farrah?
We’ve been half-present lately.
Floating.
Lurking.
Posting when the spirit moves

Some days we’re everywhere.
Some days we’re a myth.
Some days we show up by accident.

But the only pace that actually works?

Your pace.
With intention.
Not pressure.

So whatever you’re here for…
opportunity, community, out of boredom, or a little digital “relief”…

Are you showing up like it matters,
or just scrolling like it doesn’t?

Mindfulness myth: “It makes you calm.”

Mindfulness truth: It makes you honest.

Calm comes later.

Right after you admit you’re stressed,
annoyed, tired, overstimulated,
or one comment away
from becoming a menace.

Honesty is awareness.
Awareness is peace.
Peace is power.

Start with the truth.
Everything else follows.

Let’s stop pretending.

You’re not here to “add value.”

You’re here because you want STRANGERS to like you. 

Tell me I’m wrong.

Tell me you don’t check your notifications like a raccoon digging through the trash for scraps.

Tell me your heart doesn’t skip when a blue-profile-ringed “influencer” likes your post.

Tell me you’ve NEVER thought:

“Wow…only 12 likes?
Is this what failure tastes like?”

We’re all sick.
Every single one of us.

LinkedIn is a socially acceptable slot machine for people who think they’re above TikTok.

We call it “building a personal brand”
but really it’s:

“Please God let me matter today.”

And you know what?

I WROTE THIS POST TO EXPLOIT THAT.

You’re reading because I’m poking the insecurity you bury under “content strategy.”

I’m tapping the bruise you hide behind those Canva templates.

I’m literally dangling the shiny objects you secretly crave:

ATTENTION.
VISIBILITY.
RELEVANCE.

And guess what?

I want it too.

I want you to read this.
I want you to gasp.
I want you to send this to someone and say…
“yo this guy is UNHINGED.”

I hope you are asking:
“What the hell is Kyle doing?”

I’m testing whether calling out the addiction…
feeds the addiction.

If shaming the hunger gets me more reach,
I WILL DO IT AGAIN.

But I’ll leave you with the only mindful truth I believe:

Visibility without intention is just another form of self-harm.
A dopamine casino.
A digital coliseum where we fight to the death for…what?
A follower count?

So the only real question worth asking is:

Are you here to be seen…
or are you here to be consumed?

(One of those will cost you your sanity.
The other will give it back.)

Now be honest…
why do YOU post on this blue hellsite?

While you're still editing your Monday post,

Bray just dropped his 6th in 1 hour.

And no, he ain't gone mad.

He's just not overthinking it.

Most people treat LinkedIn like some high-stakes exam:
→ One post a day, maybe, perhaps, maybe.
→ 90 minutes polishing the hook
→ Refresh for the next 4 hours
→ Stress about engagement

Bray treats it like a sandbox.

He posted six times in one morning.

1. Tested what works.
2. Learned from it.
3. Moved on.

Then when he needs a week off?

He just takes it.

Here's what he said to me quoted!

“I make as much progress daily as I can…
but if I truly need to take the week off, I do.”

And then starts again when he's ready.

That's the real difference in how he does it.

Anyone can scream "hustle" and burn out.

But most people can't move fast w/out losing sanity.

LinkedIn doesn't need more people scared to post.
- It needs more people willing to use it in a way (that actually works for them).I

Don't follow Bray because he posted 5 times.

Follow him because he did it
without losing himself.
#mindfulness

ChatGPT just said to me: 
“I’d bet my life on it.”
And I believe it.

Nobody warned me that 3,000 → 4,000 followers would feel like climbing a greased wall.

2,000 → 3,000?
A breeze.
A fun little jog.
Like LinkedIn handed me a participation trophy for showing up.

But 3,000 → 4,000?
Different beast.
Suddenly the algorithm became my strict relative who “loves me dearly” but never calls. 

And here’s what I realized (the hard way):

I changed.
My posting cadence dipped.
My style shifted.
My comments went from 300–500 a week… to “I’ll get to it later.”

And when your input changes, your output does too.

So here’s what actually moved the needle for me — and what I’m returning to right now:

🧩 Follow the energy, not the trends.

🧩 Post like you mean it. Not when you feel guilty.

🧩 Comment like you’re part of the ecosystem. Not a tourist.

🧩  Find your reason for being here. Not the one people expect you to say.

🧩 When you drift, reassess. Intention is a living thing, not a contract.

Because I’ll be honest:
I got confused about what I wanted.

Am I the mindfulness guy?
The restaurant-tech guy?
Farrah’s dog-dad and occasional parrot spokesman?
A sales operator?
A storyteller?
A weirdo who posts five times a day because it feels like breathing?

The answer is: yes.
But also… I’m building a personal brand, and the intention behind that slipped a bit.

So I’m re-anchoring.
Re-clarifying.
Re-showing up.

And if you’re stuck between follower milestones, confused about your content, or trying to figure out what the hell you’re even doing on this app…

You’re not alone.

Intention slips.
Identity shifts.
Output fluctuates.
Growth stalls.
Then it restarts — louder.

Now I want to hear from the real LinkedIn powerhouses:

What was the HARDEST 1,000-follower milestone for you?

And what actually helped you break through it?

Drop your best wisdom in the comments.
Someone scrolling today needs your version of the truth.

(And selfishly… so do I.)

Who’s out there scrolling the LinkedIn video feed?

One of the coolest dudes at the show!

Florida Restaurant Show

Helping Pizzeria Owners Build Teams, Train Leaders & Grow Profits | Host of The Pizza King Podcast | Author of ‘Next Level Leadership’ & ‘Idea to Open’

Orlando reminded me:
Folks in #restaurants are more aware than you think. 

I kept hearing versions of the same thing:

“We know change is coming.
We just don’t want to get burned…again.”

Fair.

Because the booths looked shiny,
but the conversations?
Those matter more. 

Operators were straight-up telling me where their systems fall apart.

Vendors were admitting what their product can’t do.

Partners were trying to separate signal from noise before 2026 hits them sideways.

No bull. 
No “AI is the future” sermon.
Just people wanting something that actually works on a Friday night when the phones don’t stop ringing. 

It felt good.

Not exciting.
Not glamorous.
Just…grounded.
Like the industry finally exhaled and said,
“Alright, let’s stop pretending and actually fix this.”

If we talked in Orlando, 
glad we crossed paths.

If we didn’t — I’ll see you soon.
I’m not exactly hard to find.

One thing was clear in Orlando:
everyone’s asking what’s next in restaurant tech

Florida Restaurant Show.
Pizza Tomorrow Summit.

Two days of operators, consultants, and tech partners looking for clarity. 

Paul Pedrow invited our team into an education session,
where Logan Whitehouse and Cameron Long broke down the questions driving the industry:

• What’s real vs hype with AI
• How to think about ROI
• How guests are responding
• Which concepts benefit most
• What responsible vendor selection looks like

Practical.
Straightforward.
No #AI buzzwords.

And the strongest moments happened after:

Focused conversations.
Operators sharing real challenges.
Vendors comparing approaches.
Partners connecting opportunities.

The takeaway?

Everyone is headed toward the same future,
just from different angles.

If we met you in Orlando…
we’re glad we did.
If not, we’ll cross paths soon.

You’re not behind.

You’re becoming.

Nobody warned you that growth feels like confusion
right up until it doesn’t.

You wake up some days clear.
Other days tangled.
Some days you feel like ten different versions of yourself
trying to share one body.

And that’s normal.

You’re not supposed to have “the real you” figured out by now.

You’re supposed to outgrow the person you were last season and then wonder what the hell to do about it.

Everyone on LinkedIn is pretending to have one neat identity.

You don’t need to join that performance.

You’re allowed to shift.
To change your mind.
To drop old parts.
To let new ones in.

You’re not inconsistent.
You’re evolving.

If you feel in the middle of something…
good.

That’s usually the moment
right before everything clicks.

Keep going.
You’re becoming more you
than you’ve ever been.

I tried meditating today
and my mind said:

“Cute. Anyway, here’s every thought
you’ve avoided since 2009.”

Mindfulness isn’t calm.
It’s a psychological jump scare.

But the second you stop running
and actually look at the chaos?

It shrinks.
Like the LinkedIn algorithm
when you post something real.

Breathe.
Face the madness.
Watch it lose its power.

Spirituality, but make it feral.

LinkedIn is the only place you’re still dependable…

(and you know exactly why.)

Here, every reply earns you something.

Visibility.
Attention.
A tiny drip of digital oxygen.

Real life doesn’t give you that.

Nobody measures your “response rate”
when your friend texts.

There’s no algorithm boosting your family
when you call them back.

No dopamine hit when you answer a coworker’s Slack.

That’s why you’ll leave people hanging for days,
but respond to a LinkedIn comment
before your brain fully loads.

The algorithm rewards
what real life never celebrates:

Consistency.
Presence.
Curiosity.
Conversation.

LinkedIn gives you points.
Life gives you consequences.

And you’ve learned which one feels better.

Scroll down.
Say something.

Watch how fast the most reliable version of you
comes sprinting out to play.

taplio

The Battle

Joe McBreen

Kyle Faulkner

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreKyle Faulkner's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Joe McBreen

Kyle Faulkner

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Kyle Faulkner's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreKyle Faulkner's LinkedIn Performance