What the Wait Actually Buys You
Two expected payoffs don't materialize when you wait to ship something whole. Three quieter ones actually do. On what the wait actually buys you.
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Clarity before the climb.
You've led well. Now something's shifting. Before you make the next move, get clear on who you're becoming.
Sound Familiar?
The Mountain You Didn't See
You built a career, led teams, raised a family. Now the terrain is changing and the old map doesn't fit. The next chapter won't look like the last one.
In Fieri
You're in the middle of becoming something - but you're not sure what yet. The Latin phrase in fieri means "in the process of becoming." That's where you are.
Clarity Before Courage
You don't lack courage. You lack clarity. Before you can take the next step, you need to know who you're becoming - not just what you're doing.
Four Ways In
Ad Alta is formation for leaders in transition. Not a course and not a framework - a set of doors at different depths, and you pick the one that fits where you actually are.
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Free, every Tuesday
An essay on vocation, leadership, and the work of building something that matters. Start here if you're not sure where to start.
The Boardroom
$150 a year
Monthly notes with the real numbers behind two businesses, plus a quarterly call where I put them on screen and take questions. For people who'd rather see the mess than the highlight reel.
An Hour with Michael
$250
One conversation about the thing you're stuck on. No program, no follow-up commitment.
October cohort
The Ascent
$1,000
Six sessions over three months with a small group of people deciding whether to make a move - or already in the middle of one. The October cohort is enrolling now.
Meet Michael
I spent 30 years in media, marketing, and technology leadership - including 18 years at Adobe leading teams of 100+. I've been ordained a permanent deacon. I've navigated career changes, built companies, raised four sons, and learned that the biggest transitions in life aren't about strategy. They're about identity.
Ad Alta is what I wish existed when I was in the middle of becoming something new.
Read more →Recent Writing
What I'm Not Doing This Week
Last week I promised a new offering would open for booking today. It isn't. Here's the decision behind the delay - and why the delay is itself the essay.
The Long Middle
Last week I wrote about the two ways honest people answer the identity question wrong - the role trap and the wound trap. A lot of you wrote back. Some of you s
The 5 Questions Before the Climb
A free guide to help you get clear on who you're becoming - before you decide what to do next.
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