Walking In My Forever Phase

As we kick off 2018, I want to inspire and empower all of you to step into 2018 with a renewed Forever Phase ! This means fully realizing the power of YOU to change the direction of the path you're on -- or to create an entirely new one from scratch. Don't be afraid of the work involved if you select the latter option. Think of it as a new project, adventure, and opportunity to prove to yourself that you can put your mind to something and SEE IT THROUGH! For me personally, 2018 is going to be all about beginning with the end in mind . I'm using this framework when approaching my job, speaking opportunities, relationships, networking, vacation planning, waking up in the morning lol and pretty much every aspect of my life. The end is SO important because it marks the completion of a task. If you can clearly visualize what you want the end to feel like, navigating the highs and lows of the journey becomes much more manageable. Here's a quick exercise you can do to hel

Last weekend I went on a hike in LA and became stronger. Today, I wrote this original poem straight from the heart to help us keep our heads up. To encourage us to fight for what we believe. To lift us higher and remind us, we're STRONGER! ¡There's Power in Strength!  Strength is owning your power appropriately using it for GOOD Strength is recognizing that with tons of power comes an overwhelming amount of responsibility Strength is intellect. Strength is to behead your hubris and gun down your hate Strength is realizing violence isn't beautiful Strength is knowing fear isn't sensational  Strength is LOVE Strength is to see the truth Strength is to speak the truth Strength is to seek the truth Strength isn't abuse Strength is divide and conquer without division as a means to conquer Strength is whole Strength is building on a foundation of innovation Strength is building confidence, hope, and optimis

So recently I've been put into various situations (in and outside of work) where it's been very important for me to choose my battles. Yes, I used the word battle but not all of these situations have been physical. For example, there was a portion of my rent that I felt could be negotiated down due to the fact that my roommate and I aren't directly responsible for the expenses. I did some research on the expense which was correlated to our waste water bill and made the choice to fight the cost. I proved my case and the outcome was that expense being wiped from our bill.  I'm sure you're already aware that not all battles go that way. Just a bit of experience with everyday life will teach you that. However, many more battles could go your way if you put a bit more work into the process of choosing whether or not to pursue them. This upfront analysis is critical in determining the outcome of you either becoming the winner or loser.  Before any battle, you sho

The power of mentorship should never be underestimated. It's a tool that yields an unlimited supply of knowledge and opportunities - if you happen to find the right mentors and manage the relationships correctly. So how do you know if you've stumbled across [the one]? You may think a great mentor is someone who's obviously at a place in life that you're actively pursuing. Others may rely on having a mentor who shares their ideal characteristics but not necessarily the same ultimate goals in life. I believe it's good to have a mixture of both. I look for guidance from mentors who share both personality traits I admire as well as career paths I'm interested in. This isn't to say however, that opposites don't attract. Some of the best lessons I've learned have been from my relationships with avid engineers and passionate athletes which are both careers that don't necessarily spark my Forever Phase lol. More important than who or what your mentor i

Exploring London When I think about what I want out of life, there's never a specific image that pops into my mind that I can honestly pinpoint as my ultimate objective. Yes - I want to give back and change the world through inspirational entertainment, Yes - I want to become an innovator in the tech space and leverage all it has to offer, & Yes - I want that six pack by June  May 1st (rigorous goals never hurt right?) With that being said, as humans, we have the tendency to look at our lives and the decisions we make as needing to be one way or the highway. Either you're going to get an MBA OR you're pursuing acting. Perhaps you're debating writing a book OR taking foreign language lessons. Maybe you're stuck between running a mile and going to McDonalds... okay I'm sure we all can agree the former is the healthier option! However, in the other cases I'd encourage you to Explore it ALL . Get that MBA while investing in some evening technique cla

SO... you've won the game, completed the mission, got the job, wrapped up the project and you feel like there's not too much left to do but celebrate! Actually, there's more left to do than you could ever imagine. I won't lie, I sort of thought I was in for a bit of a "break" once I turned the tassel 6 months ago. I thought work would be a little more relaxed than college given there wouldn't be exams, homework, or RESIDENTS to manage lol. Man was I wrong. Work is SO much MORE! More work, more people managing, more risks, more FUN...a lot more fun, and definitely more responsibility. I'm still learning what this post-grad life is all about but one thing's for sure, it's absolutely not about becoming complacent. Don't allow the win, the final round, or the offer to ever get to your head in a way that slows you down. This doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy your accomplishments and celebrate as much as you deserve to. I'm just enco

Life after graduation = just the beginning & the journey with my Forever Phase continues!  So the piles of syllabi came and went as I'm now officially an alumnus of The Ohio State University! Those four years swept me up in a time filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows and after it all, I must say I'm thankful for every second of it. Primarily, I felt college would be where I'd come to learn about my specific area of interest (business) while gaining some new friends and leadership here and there on the way. It turned out to be SO much more. The challenges were elevated to a whole different level because at the end of the day I knew deep in my heart that I truly had the freewill to determine the man I was becoming. There was never a bar of achievement created by the college, my professors, family or friends that said "Greg, you need to perform this well." or "You should work this hard to get the outcome you desire." It didn'