What I tell people who say gun violence is not their problem
Gun violence isn’t someone else’s problem. My mother died by gun suicide in a suburb. Here is what I tell people who think it doesn’t affect them.
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Metal Roofing vs. Asphalt Shingles: Which Is Right for Your Home?
Metal or asphalt shingles? A nearly 30-year roofing industry veteran breaks down cost, durability, climate factors, and how to choose the right material for your home.
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I wrote this when I walked away. Five years later, it saved my life.
Five years ago, I told the world I was stepping away from advocacy to deal with my mother’s suicide. I was scared of a life without the spotlight. Here’s that post, unedited, and what I see when I read it now.
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What Homeowners Should Know Before Starting a Major Renovation
Before you start a major home renovation, read this. Nearly 30 years of home improvement industry experience distilled into practical advice.
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Building Your Personal Brand While Working Full-Time
You don’t need to quit your job to build a personal brand. Start with what you already know, who you already help, and the problems you’ve already solved. Here’s how to build credibility on the side without burning out or getting fired.
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How One Person Can Change Policy: A Practical Guide
Changing policy is not about being the loudest voice in the room. It starts with showing up, learning the process, and building relationships with the people who have the power to act. Here’s how one person can actually move the needle.
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Why the Trades Are the Best Career Path Nobody Talks About
I have watched people spend four years and six figures on a degree they never use while electricians and plumbers half their age were buying houses. The skilled trades are not a fallback. They are a legitimate, high-paying career path that more people should consider.
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Inside the Wisconsin Fake Electors Lawsuit: Why I Became the Lead Plaintiff
On December 14, 2020, I walked into the Wisconsin State Capitol to cast my Electoral College vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. It was my second time serving as a presidential elector. The first was in 2016 for Hillary Clinton. On December 14, 2020, I walked into the Wisconsin State Capitol to cast…
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Lessons From Turning Around Broken Teams
I have walked into broken teams three times in my career. The first time, at Penebaker Enterprises, I broke the team myself through poor hiring decisions and then had to fix it. The second time, at Roofed Right America, I inherited a division that was underperforming because the previous leader had checked out months before…
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Why Culture Fails When Leaders Avoid Hard Conversations
Every team culture problem I have ever encountered can be traced back to a conversation that should have happened and did not. A manager who noticed a pattern of missed deadlines but kept waiting for it to fix itself. A leader who heard secondhand that a team member was undermining colleagues but decided it was…
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What Scaling to 180 Employees Taught Me About Accountability
When Penebaker Enterprises had 12 employees, accountability was simple. I knew everyone. I knew what they were working on. I could walk a job site and see whether the work met our standards. If something was off, I had the conversation that day. There were no layers between me and the work. That directness was…
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How to Rebuild Team Trust After a Bad Quarter
A bad quarter does not just show up in the financials. It shows up in the hallway. In the way people avoid eye contact during meetings. In the silence where there used to be banter. When the numbers go south, trust is the first casualty, not because the leader did anything wrong necessarily, but because…
