Much of my early journey was shaped by the work of healing from childhood trauma. Along the way, difficult questions emerged, but for years they existed without a clear framework connecting them.

That changed when my mother passed away and I was asked to deliver her eulogy. The church was filled with people whose lives she had touched, and afterward I found myself reflecting on my own life in a deeper way.

A few weeks later, I came across a Winston Churchill quote that pointed me toward a new understanding:

"You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give."

Neither the eulogy nor the quote created the questions that had shaped much of my life. Instead, they helped me recognize the pattern that had been there all along.

What I had experienced as separate interests—writing, teaching, entrepreneurship, coaching, storytelling, service, and helping others navigate life's transitions—began to reveal themselves as chapters in a larger story.

I began to see that my life was gradually moving toward questions of meaning, contribution, wisdom, and helping others uncover what truly matters.

The chapters that follow are a few of the places that path eventually led me.

Looking back, these are a few of the chapters that helped shape the path that led me to Humonera.

Humonera is the culmination of decades spent exploring questions of meaning, wisdom, identity, contribution, and legacy.

Today, my work centers on helping people uncover, distill, and preserve the wisdom life has taught them—and explore what deserves to live beyond them.

What began as an exploration of the non-financial side of retirement gradually revealed deeper questions that had very little to do with retirement itself.

Questions about identity, purpose, meaning, and what comes after achievement eventually became a bridge to Humonera.

My work with Habitat for Humanity, international development work in Haiti, teaching, coaching, and mission-driven organizations reinforced something I was slowly learning myself: achievement matters, but contribution matters more.

Those experiences deepened my appreciation for compassion, service, and the power of helping others discover and share the stories that shape their lives.

Working with bestselling author Stephen Lundin to help launch and grow a company with international reach taught me how to bring ideas into the world.

It was a chapter defined by entrepreneurship, innovation, and discovering what can happen when thoughtful ideas connect with people.

Books, journals, and projects that emerged as I explored questions of identity, meaning, contribution, and what deserves to endure.

A playful exploration of wonder, imagination, and one of childhood's most cherished traditions.