How to build a media kit that event planners actually use
Most speaker media kits are either too thin or too long. Here is what event planners actually look at, the six things your kit needs, and how to format it.
Why Great Leaders Are Built, Not Born
Leadership isn’t a gene you’re born with. It’s a skill built through discomfort, failure, feedback, and daily reps. Here’s how nearly 30 years in construction built me as a leader.
What my DNC speech taught me about finding your voice
I was quiet about my mother's death for 36 years. The DNC speech changed that in four minutes. Finding your voice is about deciding silence costs more than speaking.
What Construction Taught Me About Resilience
I learned about resilience on rooftops in Wisconsin winters, not in conference rooms. Nearly two decades in commercial roofing taught me that real resilience isn't a mindset. It's a set of habits built where mistakes cost money and bad calls get someone hurt.
The Science Behind Sheet Metal Fabrication in Modern Roofing
From metal selection to CNC precision cutting, here’s what goes into the sheet metal fabrication that keeps buildings dry and standing for decades.
How Grief Changes the Way You Lead
My mother died by suicide when I was 20 months old. I didn't talk about it for 36 years. During that time I built companies and managed hundreds of employees, making every leadership decision with unprocessed grief running in the background.
Why your best employees are quiet quitting and what to do about it
Quiet quitting isn't laziness. It's your best employees telling you their extra effort doesn't matter. Fix the recognition and you fix the problem.
Leadership Lessons From Building in High-Stakes Industries
I learned leadership on job sites, not in classrooms. Twenty years in commercial roofing, sheet metal, and home improvement taught me that the best leadership lessons come from industries where your team knows immediately whether you're real.
Why Most Teams Do Not Need Motivation, They Need Clarity
Most teams that look unmotivated are actually unclear. Gallup's research shows 70 percent of the variance in team engagement comes from the manager, and the biggest factor is clarity of expectations. Pep talks are a waste of time compared to clear direction.
How to Lead When the Numbers Are Not Good
Every leader has had the moment: you open the report and your stomach drops. After growing businesses to $15M and $35M, I've learned that bad numbers aren't a leadership failure. How you respond is what separates leaders who survive bad quarters.
What Leadership Under Pressure Looks Like in Real Life
Real leadership under pressure doesn't look like a keynote speech. It looks like making payroll when the numbers don't add up, or keeping your team together when your best project manager walks. The leaders who survive are the ones who adapt fastest.
The 5 Leadership Lessons I Wish Someone Told Me at 25
After nearly 30 years leading in the construction industry, Khary Penebaker shares the 5 leadership lessons he wishes someone had told him at 25.