Every four years we individually and materially change, from national elections to special celebrations. It’s not you vs. you, it’s you vs. you four years ago. Why four? Not too short, not too long. Every four years you build on top of the last four. Every four years you have the opportunity to re-invent yourself and grow. It’s you vs. you four years ago. My example below.

From 2022 to 2026

  • Adopted lifestyle medicine and dropped 79+ lbs.
  • Accidentally consulted a contractor that led to lots of post-business strategy sessions and went to real estate school.
  • Wrote The Principles of MESLO
  • Executive management post for a family office with major holdings in commercial real estate and multifamily real estate.
  • Enrolled and attended Outskill for AI Generalist Fellowship track. Got into Python scripts to automate things.

From 2018 to 2022

  • Stepped down from tour of duty at Operation Code after post-9/11 New GI Bill could be used at the majority of code schools.
  • Doubled down on government contracting company to dozen employees, multiple contracts.
  • Did bunch of graduate level executive education and project management courses
  •  Re-started gym membership working on self.

From 2014 to 2018

  • Built a bilingualhire opp to connect employers looking for bilingual talent.
  • Founded and led Operation Code, a veterans nonprofit to petition Congress to expand post-9/11 GI Bill so veterans could learn to code and transition to tech careers and build the future.
  • Ran and lost race for state legislature position.
  • Expanded government contracting company with new projects and employee payroll. Self ran books.

From 2010 to 2014

  • Mobilized to active duty in support of the Families of the Fallen mission focused on planning, training, protocol, and public affairs.
  • Learned Ruby and Rails and use the command line.
  • Launched a government contracting company w/ the support and guidance of PTAC/ GCAP.
  • Purchased SE Portland house using Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan.

From 2006 to 2010

  • Spent lots of time on the road as an aide-de-camp to a general officer.
  • Mobilized to active duty and during time in uniform authored standard operating procedures and a military handbook.
  • Wore a tie daily and worked in the state Capitol staffing the House Committee on Veterans & Emergency Service committee.
  • Co-Founded bilingual staffing company and started a podcast, “Bilingual Talent on the Move” using just an iPod.

From 2002 to 2006

  • First generation graduate at Oregon State University (OSU).
  • Earned Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Commission in Infantry via OSU.
  • Promoted from Army company level support to division-level executive support.
  • Started early career at nonprofit then founded a small consultancy business (RED Consulting Group).

From 1998 to 2002

  • Graduate Mount Vernon High School
  • Transition from working in agriculture to working in services industry
  • Did running start, enrolled and graduate of Skagit Valley College
  • Enlisted and Army boot camp at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and accepted to Oregon State University

From 1994 to 1998

  • Farmhand helping harvest strawberries (Burlington), pickles (W. Mount Vernon), apple (Wenatchee), and oysters (Bow).
  • Went from high school dropout to attending national, regional, and state leadership conferences.
  • First construction job as laborer and working outside agriculture.
  • Learned to code HTML website in a high school class.

Do yours. Reread it quarterly to inspire and fuel you. Not every four years, but often.