Stones and Scrolls This summer, I stood at the Acropolis, reflecting on what unfolded there 2,500 years ago. Athenian democracy was revolutionary in its day—citizens gathered directly to decide policy. But citizenship was narrowly defined, industry as we know it had not yet emerged, and access to power was tightly controlled. Democracy was real, but it […]
The Power of The Pause My colleague Renee uses a phrase I’ve come to value: peace in the pause. It reminds me that in the rush of professional life, deliberately stepping back—even briefly—can change the quality of our thinking. I’m fortunate that focused vacations give me space to reset. But peace doesn’t only come in
On the day you’re reading this, I will be standing at the Acropolis, looking down over the ancient Agora where Athenians once gathered to debate and decide the future of their city. This isn’t just a travel milestone—it’s a deliberate moment to connect my PhD research, focused on executives’ perceptions of barriers to Congress and
Last week, I wrote about how campaign fundraising shapes access, strategy, and influence in Washington. It’s a billion-dollar environment—and it’s not going away. But if you really want to understand why the system functions the way it does, you have to look deeper. The year-round congressional calendar—and the absence of term limits—create the conditions for
The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles was built to project power—an architectural echo chamber where everything reflected back the grandeur of the monarchy. It was beautiful, persuasive, and entirely one-sided. Step inside, and you’d see what you were meant to see. Centuries later, we’ve built digital versions of those halls. They’re called newsfeeds, podcasts, and
Reflections on Bias: Versailles, Video, and the Voices We Choose Read More »
Trade associations are often where professional missions intersect with volunteer governance. In theory, they allow like-minded individuals to advance industry priorities by uniting around shared values and institutional knowledge. But when left unchecked, some associations can also become examples of inertia, diluted leadership, and power without real accountability. Boards and committees—designed to uphold process and
You look back at your plans and your ambitious 2020 event schedule and see all the trade shows and seminars you had lined up but missed. You might think, “Hey, I’ve gone without those events this year…do I really need them after all?” You might have reallocated those 2020 travel and event funds towards capturing
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