I have over 30 years of experience helping people who have no idea what to do next

From a very young age people came to me for advice and counsel. I’m not exactly sure why, they just did.

My presumption is that my father passed on his teaching nature and mentorship personality and over time it just became my thing

I was also a middle child so when the four kids got stir crazy on long car rides, I was responsible for stopping the conflict. My earliest technique was tickle fights…very effective up until about the age of 12

I was the captain or unofficial leader of most of the sports teams I played on and most people I came in contact with called me a “leader”...and other not so nice things sometimes

Then I went to college, had a lot of fun and met many great life long friends. I also drank and smoked pot too much and played copious amounts of intramural basketball

I majored in marketing and got a degree in 4 years. I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do so I tried different things and failed a lot. It was during these postgraduate years that I learned that most people didn’t…and still don’t know what they want to do

I also learned that I was much better at counseling others than I was at counseling myself.

Also true of most of us

After I knocked up my girlfriend at the age of 26, I woke up and started to get my own shit together. I don’t discount my wandering years at all. Those years made me who I am today as much as any others

I remember being ecstatic when I heard the news…she was petrified. I credit three things for my lack of petrification

I completely shifted my focus to supporting my new family at the expense of all else (most of us wait for some significant challenge before we step up and seek a fix)

There’s a pretty cool personal story about how I landed in the recruiting business, but suffice to say I did. I’ll tell ya later if you want

Recruiting is the ultimate combo of coaching, agency, brokering and negotiation.

I had found my professional home. The in between slot. The middle guy

But it started rocky

Being pregnant out of wedlock leaves both parties vulnerable and the shit flew up and down personally while I was trying to learn this responsibility thing. And the recruiting thing too

My personal and professional journey overcame the bruises and we ended up getting married and having three beautiful children

I started two staffing companies and sold them both for over 3 million dollars each.

Lot’s of personal and professional hardship, a ton of fun and a “drinking out of a garden hose” learning experience

Years later we got divorced ugly style and today I am teaching, coaching and building content and courses around my experiences and subsequent skills

After my divorce, instead of scotch, drugs and promiscuity, I went with church, yoga, meditation, exercise and solitary confinement (almost).

And I got a dog…Farley (My eldest and I loved Chris Farley)

Let’s call it my reflectionary period

A few years back I started helping my young adult children find work and then start their own small businesses. They all told me that I was in possession of a unique set of skills and approaches and that I needed to figure out how to help others. They told me no one else knew what I knew nor taught like I taught.

My children and I are magically close

Although I know many great teachers and coaches, I also knew people kept telling me I had a unique knack for this shit

And I also knew that I loved it. I love helping people who are stuck and watching them progress and shine.

I’ve had many people thank me for saving their lives…pretty cool

I am always trying to improve my online skills, but I’m figuring that out a little more every day

How to find your thing is my thing.

Doing it with humanity and kindness appears to be my unique bent

I hope we get a chance to cross paths

Peace

Mark