what can change in 11 years?

Everything.

Same person. Different outlook.

Friday I spent the day at Rice Business attending the Texas Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Conference — a full day of panels, networking, and most importantly, learning.

The first photo was taken in 2014.
Freshly minted MBA, class of 2013 (the best graduating class EVER).
Fresh off a stint in Brazil after getting whacked from a company that I gave a better part of 14 years to.

Oil prices were still strong, I was settling into my new role with NOV, and life felt steady.

What I didn’t know was that two months later, oil would begin its slide — the one that eventually cost me my job in 2017.

Now to photo two.

No tie. Less hair. More miles. More gray.

My daughter picked out my outfit for the conference, she’s so used to seeing me in jeans, t-shirts, and boots that she forgets her dad used to be a corporate mercenary.

Pulling out the “armor” for a day and walking the halls of my alma mater felt good.

Rejuvenating, actually.

The energy at the conference was electric.
Panel after panel echoed the same truth:
Build it. Buy it. Or ride it out.

There’s no single right path — just choices and commitment.

When I started my company in 2017, I didn’t have the clearest plan.
I just knew I was ready to bet on myself.

The years since have been full of ups and downs, twists and turns — more lows than highs — but in that uncertainty, I found something more valuable than stability: clarity and purpose.

I’m still far from the finish line, but I’m having fun running the race.

So here’s my question to you:

👉 What’s holding you back from building your dream?