How to build resilience after personal tragedy
Resilience after tragedy is not about "getting over it." It is about building a life that carries the weight without collapsing under it. Practical lessons from someone who has rebuilt more than once.
Firearm suicide prevention: what every family needs to know
Firearm suicide accounts for roughly 60% of gun deaths in America. Safe storage, honest conversation, and recognizing warning signs can save the people you love. Here is what families need to know.
The conversation about guns that America refuses to have
We are having the wrong conversation about gun violence. The real solutions are practical, proven, and underfunded. Here is the conversation America refuses to have.
The year everything fell apart and what I built from the wreckage
In one year I lost the business, the marriage, and my sense of who I was. Rebuilding was not inspirational. It was one small decision per day until momentum returned.
From $1.5M Startup to Regional GM: The Mindset Shifts That Matter
Each growth stage demands a different kind of leader. The mindset shifts from startup founder to $35M operator to corporate executive.
In Wisconsin you can buy a gun faster than a mental health diagnosis
Gun suicides account for more than half of all gun deaths in America. I have been waiting seven months for an ADHD diagnosis in Wisconsin. In that same state, you can buy a gun the same day. Something is backwards.
How to run a productive one on one meeting in 20 minutes
A productive one on one takes 20 minutes and a simple structure: employee update, blockers, your input, what's next. The employee talks more than you do.
The 5 leadership lessons from running for Congress that no one talks about
I ran for Congress in Wisconsin in 2016 against a 38-year incumbent. I lost. But the campaign taught me five leadership lessons that changed how I run teams, make decisions, and show up.
What the home improvement industry gets wrong about leadership
After 20 years building teams in construction and home improvement, I can tell you the industry does not have a hiring problem. It has a leadership problem. Here is what needs to change.
A father’s fight: Why I advocate for gun violence prevention
Khary Penebaker lost his mother Joyce to firearm suicide when he was 22 months old. That loss shaped everything. Now a father of three and Everytown fellow, he fights to keep other families from learning the same grief.
Why I resigned from a $35M company I helped build
I helped grow a roofing company to $35M in revenue with 180 employees, then resigned due to a breakdown in the partnership. Here is what the experience taught me about partnerships, identity, and knowing when to go.
What scaling a $15M construction company taught me about leadership
I grew Penebaker Enterprises from $1.5M to $15M in nine years with 50 employees. These are the leadership lessons I learned the hard way on commercial rooftops, not in a boardroom.