When you read the sages on calling, you understand how important it is to understand your story. Your story leaves clues to who you are, where you’ve come from, and where you are going. If you ignore your story, you leave a big piece silent that is meant to be speaking about your calling.

In the spirit of story, I’m going to share a very personal one that may help to explain why we’re shifting to a more Christianly approach to our work. As I announced in a previous blog, our...

^{Photo by Alexas Fotos from Pexels}

If you’ve been following me, you know that our family is facing a lot of transitions:

• Being fully self-employed after working full-time for EnergyCAP
• Moving to Virginia from Pennsylvania this summer
• Preparing for our daughter to start college in the Fall

While we’re at it, why not throw more transition on the pile?

Two memories from my childhood stand out as especially significant to who I am. When I think back on moments when I felt fully...

When I started working for myself full-time, it opened new possibilities. My wife (Colette), and I began imagining what this job change could mean. What was now possible that wasn’t possible before? One of things we pondered was where to live.

I was no longer tied to an employer and a locale.

Sure, this was my hometown, and my parents and my brothers’ families were here. Also, many dear friends whose hearts were part of ours. And a church that we loved. But we felt hungry for a...

I've been sharing quotes from my reading lists. As was true for Winter 2021, Fall 2020, and Summer 2020, this latest lineup features diverse characters:

• Human behavior researchers
• Businesspeople
• University professors
• Lawyer
• Catholic saint
• Leadership coach
• Holocaust survivor
• Pastors

Thanks to them, living and deceased, for their works:

“More often than not, our values are what lead us to the arena door—we’re willing to do something uncomfortable and daring because of our...

As of today, I’m no longer working full-time at EnergyCAP. I’ve moved to part-time status to make room for growing Chris Heinz Co. and the Life Calling Institute. I’m grateful for my history and excited about the future.

Five years ago almost to the day, I posted this on Facebook:

It was an opportunity to shift my career from software marketing to personal development. Like new steps, I didn’t know how it would go, but I knew that personal development was the kind of...

My Winter 2021 reading list was made possible by many exciting and diverse people. There were athletes and activists, scholars and entertainers, preachers and businesspeople. Some were a couple of these at once!

I'm grateful for their lessons, stories, and inspiration, which all came at a cost to them. Their marks have made their way into my life and work, and if you follow the Life Calling Institute or other blog posts, you'll see them too. 

We previously shared our Summer 2020 and Fall...

One of my top strengths is being committed to growth and progress in my life and others' lives. (In CliftonStrengths®, this is called Developer®). If you looked at me, you would find various ways this strength plays out, including reading books. But not just any kind of book.

I don't read e-books because e-books don't feel real to me. Reading a book is a sensory experience, like making coffee or gardening may be to others. I need to feel the book in my hands, hear the sound of...

This summer I read a lot of great books on coaching, professional development, strengths, Enneagram, and spiritual growth. There was a lot that moved me. Here are 10 impactful quotes from my reading list. I resisted commenting and instead let them speak for themselves:

“Friends are people you make part of your life just because you feel like it.”

Frederick Buechner, Listening to Your Life

“Sustained success comes only when you take what’s unique about you and figure...

Today is July 1, which means it’s now the second half of 2020. This year isn’t going the way we thought it would when it started. But we thought it worthwhile to look back at the first half of the year and then look forward to what's coming.

Developments

Although this year has been really hard for a number of reasons, there were good leaps forward. Thanks for sticking with us.

This year we:

• Launched our new website
• Launched our online Enneagram course
• Started the Enneagram +...

I came across the speech I wrote as a senior in high school. That was 1995 and I was 17. Popular were the “Things I Learned…” books, so in 1995 I wrote the 95 things I’ve learned so far. Here they are in original form, that is, unedited. I still agree with most of them, although I would love to rewrite a few.

When I was assigned to write a speech about my experiences thus far, I immediately felt overwhelmed. How could I possibly include every moment that has been...