The Power of Progress

We recently snuck away for a long weekend to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, which is one of our favorite spots to unwind and reset.

It's one of those places where you can set an "I will have limited access to email" out-of-office reply message and mean it.

When we go to the UP, we like to hike. And on this occasion we chose a rigorous ascent up Hogback Mountain to a summit that offers 360-degree views of endless forest to the south and Lake Superior to the north.

Read More
Escaping the Insufferable Status Quo

In the last decade, my wife, Heather, and I have made some significant changes in our lives.

Nine years ago, I stopped practicing law.

Eight years ago, we ditched our bricks-and-mortar office and shifted to a virtual business model.

Six years ago, we moved our family from a suburb of a large city to a small town in northern Michigan.

Each decision was excruciatingly hard to make. I conjured up all types of reasons not to make them. Fear is a powerful form of resistance.

What if I can’t support my family? What if our employees quit? What if we don’t make any friends? What if we come to regret our decision. What if?

But looking back, the fear I felt was totally unfounded and the change we wrought has been almost universally positive. The events of the last 12 months have served as a reinforcing exclamation point. When COVID-19 hit, we were already set up to work remotely from a location, Traverse City, Michigan, that has been a hot spot for pandemic relocation because of its low density and beautiful natural surroundings.

Read More
Stepping into Quiet

Last Sunday we met two other families at Brown Bridge Quiet Area for a late morning hike. Brown Bridge is one of my favorite parks, although I hadn’t been in a while. It’s located just outside of Traverse City.

The morning was crisp but the sun was out and quickly warmed the day. As the name of the park suggests, the atmosphere was quiet, peaceful and serene. There were only a few other people in sight.

Read More