Writing
In my own words.
Straight talk on leadership, gun violence prevention, resilience, and building things that last.
01 / Writing
When the words are hard to find.Help me find the words
Featured post
Featured / Asking for Help
What EMDR changed for me, and why I wish I’d started sooner
EMDR changed how I felt when I remembered finding my mother's death certificates at 18. The painful memory stayed, but it stopped hitting me the same way. I'm still working on my reactions, and I wish I had started sooner.
Oct 24, 2026 / 3 min read
02 / All posts
174 posts
Asking for HelpWhat EMDR changed for me, and why I wish I’d started soonerOct 24, 2026 / 3 min readAsking for HelpI have called 988 more than once. Here is why I’m telling you.Oct 17, 2026 / 3 min readFatherhood and FamilyPaula raised me as her ownOct 16, 2026 / 3 min readLeadership Under PressureLeading a team when you are the one strugglingSep 28, 2026 / 7 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsYour crew should understand the safety program, not the hazard aloneSep 21, 2026 / 7 min readHome Improvement IndustryScaffold planning starts on paper before anyone climbsSep 19, 2026 / 9 min readHome Improvement IndustryThe crews least familiar with electricity are often the most exposed to itSep 18, 2026 / 8 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsHand and power tool safety starts with the habits nobody correctsSep 17, 2026 / 8 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsOnboarding a first year roofer takes more than a safety videoSep 13, 2026 / 8 min readResilience and AdversityOne incident investigation misses what a pattern would showSep 12, 2026 / 8 min readLeadership Under PressureHazard communication only works if the crew has read itSep 11, 2026 / 7 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsA training library only helps if foremen know what is in itSep 10, 2026 / 7 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsWorker participation belongs on the schedule, inside paid hoursSep 9, 2026 / 8 min readLeadership Under PressureAssigning safety responsibility without authority sets people up to failSep 8, 2026 / 8 min readHome Improvement IndustryWhat a commercial roof submittal should tell the ownerSep 7, 2026 / 8 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsTraining for a new task starts before the first production daySep 6, 2026 / 8 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsCross training your crews is the cheapest insurance you can buySep 5, 2026 / 7 min readHome Improvement IndustryWhy the manufacturer’s final inspection belongs in the project planSep 5, 2026 / 8 min readHome Improvement IndustryWhat building owners should ask before signing a roofing contractSep 2, 2026 / 8 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsHow to promote your best foreman without losing themSep 2, 2026 / 9 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsWorksite demonstrations beat instructions people cannot applyAug 22, 2026 / 8 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsThe hazard you walk past becomes the standardAug 19, 2026 / 8 min readLeadership Under PressureThe annual safety review should end with assigned workAug 14, 2026 / 7 min readLeadership Under PressureA safety commitment without resources is only a sentenceAug 13, 2026 / 7 min readLeadership Under PressureManagement walkthroughs that find problems instead of staging a tourAug 11, 2026 / 8 min readLeadership Under PressureWhy injury counts are not enough to measure a safety programAug 10, 2026 / 7 min readHome Improvement IndustryWinter roofing in the Midwest: what can be done and what should waitAug 9, 2026 / 8 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsToolbox talks that people actually listen toAug 8, 2026 / 8 min readHome Improvement IndustryThe real reason building owners defer roof maintenanceAug 7, 2026 / 8 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsWhy the best field crews are built in the winter, not the summerAug 6, 2026 / 8 min readPersonal Brand & CareerHow to build credibility in a new industry when nobody knows your nameJul 24, 2026 / 8 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsWhy your best performers are probably underchallenged and how to fix itJul 23, 2026 / 9 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsWhat I learned about hiring from 20 years of getting it wrong and rightJul 20, 2026 / 9 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsHow to build accountability culture without micromanaging your teamJul 19, 2026 / 6 min readLeadership Under PressureHow to reset a toxic team culture without blowing it upJul 18, 2026 / 7 min readPersonal Brand & CareerWhat a Wikipedia entry actually does for your career, and what it does notJul 17, 2026 / 7 min readHome Improvement IndustryUnderstanding building envelope failures: how a roof leak becomes a structural problemJul 9, 2026 / 7 min readHome Improvement IndustryRoof asset management for facility managers: a practical primerJul 7, 2026 / 8 min readHome Improvement IndustryCommercial roofing warranty coverage: what owners think they have vs what they actually haveJul 6, 2026 / 7 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyFrom personal loss to public advocacy: how I found the work that chose meJul 5, 2026 / 7 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyHow I talk to my kids about gun violence without making them afraidJul 4, 2026 / 6 min readPersonal Brand & CareerHow to negotiate your next executive role without underselling yourselfJun 30, 2026 / 7 min readPersonal Brand & CareerWhy your resume is not your personal brandJun 29, 2026 / 7 min readResilience and AdversityHow to lead well when your personal life is falling apartJun 27, 2026 / 8 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsDiversity in construction: what actually moves the needle and what is just opticsJun 25, 2026 / 9 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsHow to build a team that runs when you are not in the roomJun 24, 2026 / 7 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsThe right way to give feedback that people actually useJun 23, 2026 / 9 min readLeadership Under PressureMaking decisions with incomplete information: how to stay decisive under pressureJun 20, 2026 / 6 min readLeadership Under PressureWhat nobody tells you about running a division inside a larger companyJun 19, 2026 / 8 min readLeadership Under PressureHow to run a performance conversation when the person is a friendJun 18, 2026 / 8 min readLeadership Under PressureAuthority vs influence: why new executives confuse the twoJun 17, 2026 / 8 min readLeadership Under PressureWhen your best foreman quits mid-project: a field guide to not panickingJun 16, 2026 / 8 min readResilience and AdversityHow to come back from a bad quarter without losing the teamJun 15, 2026 / 8 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsPerformance management in the trades: what works when nobody is sitting at a deskJun 14, 2026 / 8 min readLeadership Under PressureDecision speed vs decision quality: what running an operating company taught meJun 13, 2026 / 8 min readLeadership Under PressureFiring well: the leadership skill nobody teaches and everyone judgesMay 31, 2026 / 9 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsRetention in roofing: why the third year is when you actually lose peopleMay 28, 2026 / 8 min readHome Improvement IndustryInsulated metal panels are eating the wall: where IMPs make sense and where they do notMay 27, 2026 / 9 min readHome Improvement IndustryPre-buying steel coil: when speculation makes sense and when it sinks youMay 26, 2026 / 7 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsBench strength in the trades: building your next three foremen before you need themMay 26, 2026 / 8 min readHome Improvement IndustrySheet metal flashing is where commercial roofs leak: a field foreman primerMay 26, 2026 / 8 min readLeadership Under PressureCrisis communication when the safety incident is real: a field guideMay 26, 2026 / 7 min readResilience and Adversity30 years without a mother: what I learned about not turning grief into a personalityMay 26, 2026 / 7 min readHome Improvement IndustryCool roofs and reflective TPO: how 84 percent solar reflectance changes the HVAC mathMay 26, 2026 / 8 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsHiring sales people from outside the trades: what transfers and what does notMay 26, 2026 / 9 min readLeadership Under PressureManaging up to a parent-company CEO in your first 90 daysMay 26, 2026 / 7 min readHome Improvement IndustryWhy 75 percent of commercial roofers expect growth in 2026May 24, 2026 / 6 min readHome Improvement IndustryWhat the $24 billion metal roofing market means for sheet metal contractorsMay 24, 2026 / 6 min readHome Improvement IndustryPrivate equity bought a roofing platform every 48 hours in 2025May 24, 2026 / 7 min readHome Improvement IndustryIECC 2024 raised the R-value bar for commercial roofsMay 24, 2026 / 6 min readHome Improvement Industry349,000 workers short: how commercial roofers actually hire in 2026May 24, 2026 / 8 min readHome Improvement IndustryTPO took the market, EPDM did not die: a 2026 spec writer’s callMay 24, 2026 / 8 min readHome Improvement IndustryHow the 50 percent metal tariff is reshaping commercial roofing bidsMay 11, 2026 / 7 min readGun Violence Prevention & Advocacy988 saved more than 4,300 young lives. Here is what we still owe the rest.Apr 25, 2026 / 10 min readHome Improvement Industry5 Signs Your Roof Needs Attention Before It’s Too LateApr 16, 2026 / 6 min readHome Improvement IndustryWhy Customer Experience Is the Future of Home ServicesApr 15, 2026 / 6 min readHome Improvement IndustryWhat homeowners get wrong about contractor estimatesApr 14, 2026 / 3 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsHow to give feedback that people actually hearApr 13, 2026 / 3 min readPersonal Brand & CareerHow I Balance Being an Executive, Advocate, and FatherApr 12, 2026 / 5 min readResilience and AdversityGrief does not follow a schedule and neither does healingApr 11, 2026 / 3 min readResilience and AdversityWhat getting engaged at 48 taught me about patience and timingApr 10, 2026 / 3 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacySurvivor to Advocate: Turning Pain Into PurposeApr 9, 2026 / 6 min readLeadership Under PressureThe first 90 days in a new leadership role: what actually mattersApr 8, 2026 / 3 min readResilience and AdversityThe lie we tell ourselves about being self madeApr 7, 2026 / 2 min readLeadership Under PressureThe difference between managing and leading and why it mattersApr 6, 2026 / 2 min readResilience and AdversityThree things my mother never got to teach meApr 5, 2026 / 3 min readLeadership Under PressureHow to evaluate a roofing company before you sign anythingApr 3, 2026 / 3 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsThe meeting that should have been an email and what it reveals about your cultureApr 2, 2026 / 2 min readLeadership Under PressureWhy resilient leadership matters more than talent in a downturnApr 1, 2026 / 5 min readResilience and AdversityHow to build resilience after personal tragedyApr 1, 2026 / 6 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyFirearm suicide prevention: what every family needs to knowApr 1, 2026 / 5 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyThe conversation about guns that America refuses to haveApr 1, 2026 / 3 min readLeadership Under PressureFrom $1.5M Startup to Regional GM: The Mindset Shifts That MatterMar 30, 2026 / 7 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyIn Wisconsin you can buy a gun faster than a mental health diagnosisMar 29, 2026 / 5 min readLeadership Under PressureHow to run a productive one on one meeting in 20 minutesMar 28, 2026 / 3 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyThe 5 leadership lessons from running for Congress that no one talks aboutMar 25, 2026 / 7 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsWhat the home improvement industry gets wrong about leadershipMar 25, 2026 / 6 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyA father’s fight: Why I advocate for gun violence preventionMar 25, 2026 / 5 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsWhat scaling a $15M construction company taught me about leadershipMar 23, 2026 / 6 min readResilience and AdversityHow I stopped letting imposter syndrome run my careerMar 22, 2026 / 3 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyWhat I tell people who say gun violence is not their problemMar 21, 2026 / 3 min readLeadership Under PressureWhy the skilled trades shortage is a leadership problem, not a labor problemMar 20, 2026 / 4 min readResilience and AdversityThe phone call that changed how I think about fatherhoodMar 19, 2026 / 3 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyWhat happened when I stopped pretending to have it all figured outMar 17, 2026 / 3 min readLeadership Under PressureWhy the Trades Are the Best Career Path Nobody Talks AboutMar 16, 2026 / 9 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyInside the Wisconsin Fake Electors Lawsuit: Why I Became the Lead PlaintiffMar 15, 2026 / 10 min readWritingInside the Home Improvement Industry: What Most People Don’t SeeMar 14, 2026 / 6 min readPersonal Brand & CareerThe Career Pivot Nobody Talks About: Lessons from 20+ YearsMar 13, 2026 / 6 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyThe Intersection of Business Leadership and Community AdvocacyMar 12, 2026 / 6 min readHome Improvement IndustryMetal Roofing vs. Asphalt Shingles: Which Is Right for Your Home?Mar 11, 2026 / 6 min readWritingWhat Homeowners Should Know Before Starting a Major RenovationMar 10, 2026 / 6 min readPersonal Brand & CareerBuilding Your Personal Brand While Working Full-TimeMar 9, 2026 / 6 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyHow One Person Can Change Policy: A Practical GuideMar 8, 2026 / 7 min readLeadership Under PressureI wrote this when I walked away. Five years later, it saved my life.Mar 7, 2026 / 6 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsLessons From Turning Around Broken TeamsMar 6, 2026 / 8 min readResilience and AdversityWhy I talk about my mother’s death on stage in front of strangersMar 5, 2026 / 2 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyHow gun violence prevention became the center of my careerMar 3, 2026 / 3 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsWhat remote work got wrong about team connectionMar 2, 2026 / 2 min readLeadership Under PressureThe hidden cost of cutting corners on a construction projectMar 1, 2026 / 3 min readPersonal Brand & CareerWhat I learned from getting rejected by 200 event plannersFeb 28, 2026 / 3 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsWhy Culture Fails When Leaders Avoid Hard ConversationsFeb 27, 2026 / 7 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsWhat Scaling a Large Team Taught Me About AccountabilityFeb 26, 2026 / 7 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyWhat Corporate America Can Learn from Grassroots OrganizingFeb 25, 2026 / 6 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsHow to Rebuild Team Trust After a Bad QuarterFeb 24, 2026 / 7 min readLeadership Under PressureHow to fire someone and still sleep at nightFeb 23, 2026 / 3 min readResilience and AdversityWhat Audiences Ask After I Share My StoryFeb 22, 2026 / 7 min readResilience and AdversityWhat I would tell my 25 year old self about money, risk, and starting overFeb 21, 2026 / 3 min readResilience and AdversityHow to Talk About Trauma Without Turning It Into PerformanceFeb 20, 2026 / 7 min readPersonal Brand & CareerHow to build a media kit that event planners actually useFeb 19, 2026 / 2 min readLeadership Under PressureWhy Great Leaders Are Built, Not BornFeb 18, 2026 / 6 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyWhat my DNC speech taught me about finding your voiceFeb 17, 2026 / 3 min readResilience and AdversityWhat Construction Taught Me About ResilienceFeb 16, 2026 / 7 min readHome Improvement IndustryThe Science Behind Sheet Metal Fabrication in Modern RoofingFeb 15, 2026 / 7 min readResilience and AdversityHow Grief Changes the Way You LeadFeb 14, 2026 / 9 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsWhy your best employees are quiet quitting and what to do about itFeb 13, 2026 / 3 min readLeadership Under PressureLeadership Lessons From Building in High-Stakes IndustriesFeb 12, 2026 / 7 min readLeadership Under PressureWhy Most Teams Do Not Need Motivation, They Need ClarityFeb 11, 2026 / 7 min readLeadership Under PressureHow to Lead When the Numbers Are Not GoodFeb 10, 2026 / 6 min readLeadership Under PressureWhat Leadership Under Pressure Looks Like in Real LifeFeb 9, 2026 / 7 min readLeadership Under PressureThe 5 Leadership Lessons I Wish Someone Told Me at 25Feb 8, 2026 / 6 min readLeadership Under PressureWhat Running for Congress Taught Me About Building a BusinessFeb 7, 2026 / 5 min readResilience and AdversityWhat 36 Years of Silence Taught Me About Vulnerability in LeadershipFeb 6, 2026 / 5 min readLeadership Under PressureA Homeowner’s Guide to Roof Replacement: What to ExpectFeb 5, 2026 / 6 min readLeadership Under PressureWhat Business Leaders Get Wrong About Psychological SafetyFeb 4, 2026 / 6 min readLeadership Under PressureThe State of Home Improvement in 2026: Trends to WatchFeb 3, 2026 / 8 min readPersonal Brand & CareerWhy Every Professional Needs a Personal Website in 2026Feb 2, 2026 / 6 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyThe Real Cost of Gun Violence Beyond HeadlinesFeb 1, 2026 / 8 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyWhy I Still Fight: My Story of Gun Violence PreventionJan 31, 2026 / 10 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsWhat Building Operations at Scale Taught Me About Leading PeopleJan 30, 2026 / 9 min readLeadership Under PressureHow to Scale a Construction Company: Lessons From the FieldJan 27, 2026 / 15 min readBuilding High-Performing TeamsHow I Build High-Performing TeamsJan 26, 2026 / 8 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyWhen you voted for Trump, you have to know that you voted the same way as the KKKNov 26, 2017 / 1 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyKHARY PENEBAKER’S DPW 2017 DNC SPEECHJun 28, 2017 / 2 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyPenebaker: Permitless carry bill would make Wisconsin a more dangerous placeMay 16, 2017 / 2 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyEarly Voting Starts Today, March 20, 2017!Mar 20, 2017 / 1 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyThe Cost of Domestic ViolenceOct 22, 2016 / 2 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacySensenbrenner Dodges DebateOct 18, 2016 / 2 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacySensenbrenner Bears Responsibility for Trump, and for Trump’s Betrayal of Republican ValuesOct 11, 2016 / 2 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyRep. Sensenbrenner Silent on Request for DebatesSep 23, 2016 / 1 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyPenebaker Statement on National Suicide Prevention MonthSep 10, 2016 / 1 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyKhary Penebaker Challenges Rep. Sensenbrenner to Five DebatesSep 8, 2016 / 2 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyPenebaker Praises First of Its Kind Gun Violence Prevention PartnershipAug 31, 2016 / 1 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyResponse to Trump Statement on Gun ViolenceAug 29, 2016 / 1 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyParty in Cutler Park with Russ, Khary & Sen. Mary Landrieu!Aug 13, 2016 / 1 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyKhary Penebaker Wins Primary, Will Face Jim Sensenbrenner in NovemberAug 10, 2016 / 1 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyCandidate Khary Penebaker to Cast His Vote in the Wisconsin PrimaryAug 9, 2016 / 1 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyCongress Fails to Protect AmericaJun 23, 2016 / 2 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyWe Need More From Our LeadersJun 13, 2016 / 1 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyPenebaker to #WearOrange for National Gun Violence Awareness DayJun 2, 2016 / 1 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyHire A HeroMay 30, 2016 / 1 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyOur Leaders Should Fight for Affordable HealthcareMay 13, 2016 / 3 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyKhary Penebaker Values Diversity in all Communities.May 11, 2016 / 2 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyKhary Penebaker Proudly Stands with Jack McCain and Interracial FamiliesMay 3, 2016 / 2 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyPenebaker Calls for Improved Mental Health Care After Antigo High School ShootingApr 26, 2016 / 1 min readGun Violence Prevention & AdvocacyKhary Penebaker Announces Wisconsin’s 5th CD BidApr 26, 2016 / 1 min read