poster boy for lax.com facebook page.  

look good and win.

(Source: facebook.com)

Like a monkey, ready to be shot into space

(Source: wilkinsky.us)

my dad thanking me for house sitting

Rachel Maddow

(Source: wilkinsky.us)

Hello friends. Today @Kharrari and I celebrated a milestone; the culmination of a few years (lifetime?) worth of work that we are not quite ready to discuss yet. But when looking at your past its hard not to look at your future. I am very excited for the direction we are going. We set sail 3 years ago with no certainty. No certainty. We believed in each other and I find no greater happiness than sharing success with those that believed in me (and vice-versa). I don’t think I’ve ever been witness to, or a part of, success that didn’t require the support of at least one other. I’m very grateful for those that believed in us, supported us, or even if your reading this right now: THANK YOU. However, I don’t believe we have accomplished anything yet. I want more for ourselves. I think there is something incredible building in Philadelphia right now and I’m very happy to be a part of it. I hope our work and energy empowers our peers to achieve their own potential. Stay hungry. Stay foolish. Change the world.

(Source: wilkinsky.us)

What Would William Wallace Eat.

(Source: wilkinsky.us)

My best friend from high school. He was valedictorian. Now he’s one of the Marines training the Afghan National Police.

(Source: wilkinsky.us)

My high school roomate. He’s never allowed to tell me where he is or what he does. I hope he’s safe.

(Source: wilkinsky.us)

This is one of the courses I crushed during my first year in Leadership Education Training (LET) at Valley Forge Military Academy, my high school alma mater.  I was 13 at the time and one of the youngest to ever be invited to LET (see).  

Why it matters: I remember climbing over the top rung of what the military calls ‘Stairway to Heaven’ which looks like this (no, you cannot use the side poles): 

You’re about 40-50 ft in the air with no support and each beam on the ladder gets further apart as you move higher and higher.  

It was probably 60-120 seconds but I remember it feeling like an eternity as I held onto the 2nd to top bar wondering if I was going to be able to make it over the top.  You virtually have to stand on your toes, 40 ft in the air, no harness, no net to catch you, reach up balance on the bar, and pull yourself up and over this horizontal, wooden electric pole… and then ascend all the way back down.  

Obviously… the kid made it.  But it’s interesting because we did a dozen exercises that day and each year during LET but I really only remember that moment.  I remember because I WANT to remember.  I want to remember it because it was a lesson I was fortunate to begin learning at such a young age (you know… overcoming obstacles blah blah blah).

I could say it’s unfortunate we don’t have military designed confidence and team building courses in our everyday lives now.  However, I didn’t accidentally stumble upon Fort Dix’s training facility that day (in… 2000?).  I was sent to Military school.  Military school sent me to Fort Dix.  Fort Dix gave me the outstanding opportunity to exemplify, to myself, how to risk everything in order to achieve something I did not think possible.  

I’m older now and the only place I can get sent is prison.  It’s my responsibility to try and create my own ‘ladder to heaven’ in my life and business.  It’s benchmarking, which is the term I’d like to use to make my point.  I think the ‘ladder to heaven’ is such a memorable event because when you’re sitting [clinging] onto the 2nd to top rung, you’re benchmarking yourself.  First, you’re looking down, terrified, panicing, considering going back.  Then your thoughts start going over how you already went over each rung below you, what I’d already achieved  how easy the first one was and then how I learned and adapted to the growing separation between each level.  Slowly instead of looking down at the ground where you could impact, you’re looking down at what you’ve achieved.  You’re sitting up looking right where you are.  Finally you’re looking up, at what’s next to overcome, and that obstacle becomes so small.

Benchmarking.  (SEE WHAT I’M DOING HERE: a reference to the ladder, my data/analytic/business work today, and life)

It’s been almost 14 years but I still remember: only look back upon what you have done to inspire what you are going to do.

Hey girl, you tryna go on a date to The Nutcracker? (chaperoned by my mom) #tbt

(Source: wilkinsky.us)

Coffee with Noah: (Dark Roast) Komodo Dragon Pour-Over

Black.