• The Mentor Who Shaped My Association Career – And Why It Led Me to Launch Tying It Together Consulting

    “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – When I first heard that Mark Twain quote, I wasn’t sure what it meant. I was fairly certain it didn’t apply to working in tobacco fields during middle school, baking bagels at Bruegger’s in North Hills…

  • A Realistic Weight-Loss Story: Progress, Setbacks and Staying Healthy

    The guy who asked, “Why?Are you being chased?” If you’ve known me for less than 10 years, you probably wouldn’t guess that I used to be the guy who, when someone said they were going to run a 5K, would respond with, “Why? Is someone chasing you?” But in 2016, and every year before that,…

  • Five Suits, One Mentor and the Start of My Career

    As I mentioned in last week’s post about Tim Kent, he hired me as the first NC Association of REALTORS® Director of Business Development. And from the moment that happened, one thing became very clear: Tim was going to invest in my success. He was determined to give me the tools not only to thrive…

  • Don’t Mistake Kindness For Weakness

    Last week I shared my first experience with a GORUCK Basic. Once I got a taste of what these events were like, it became clear it was time to step up my game. Several of my F3 guys were signing up for the granddaddy of GORUCK events: The Bragg. And this year was special because…

  • When He Walked In

    When He Walked In

    My first role in the association profession was with the NC Association of REALTORS®. And although it wasn’t Tim who hired me, it would be him who ultimately influenced my future career path. I vividly remember the day it was announced that Tim was being hired as the Executive Vice President of NCAR. When I…

  • What the Ruck?

    What the Ruck?

    During the pandemic, I was introduced to the concept of “rucking” by a few of the guys in my men’s workout group. What is rucking? According to GORUCK, the company that popularized the activity, “Rucking is walking with weight on your back and turns an everyday walk into a full-body workout.” When I first started,…

  • Law of Addition

    Law of Addition

    Over the last few weeks, my men’s group has been reading John Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. On Saturday we were discussing the Law of Addition, and it sent me down memory lane, back to the origin story of Tying It Together Consulting. In my first blog—and in my opening post on LinkedIn—I…

  • Hello world!

    Hello world!

    It is hard to believe that it was over 25 years ago when I sat down with a career counselor at my alma mater, UNC-Greensboro, to talk about what I wanted to do with my life. I had graduated with a degree in English and Political Science, with a concentration in Journalism, and for the…