Work
Focused. Driven. Determined.
Out for retribution.
That’s what we all want after a down year.
I’ve had losing streaks throughout my life. It’s miserable when you’re in it. But those seasons become fuel. They either break you — or they sharpen you.
“Losing” always felt like confirming the doubts other people had about me. Like proving them right.
Unacceptable.
2018 was one of those down years. I didn’t meet my own standards. But even in that season, there was progress. And more importantly, there was clarity.
That year forced growth. It forced the lock-in.
Going into 2019, I made a decision: keep things stupid simple.
Zoom out and most answers in life aren’t complex.
Fundamentals.
Persistence.
Doing the right things every single day.
The hard part isn’t knowing what to do.
The hard part is waiting long enough to see results.
I’ve always had a big vision. Big goals. Aggressive timelines.
Life rarely moves on your terms though.
It moves on persistence and patience.
My mantra for 2019 was simple:
Work.
Since 2016, I’ve used a “monster” theme to represent my mindset each year.
In 2019, the monster changed.
Instead of battle-ready aggression, I chose a tiger in a Zen meditation pose.
That was the shift.
The monster was built.
The war was understood.
Now it was about controlled intensity.
Energy applied deliberately.
Recruiting Is a Numbers Game
At the end of the day, recruiting is activity-driven.
So I leaned into volume.
More calls.
More emails.
More conversations.
Recruiting = calling candidates about opportunities.
Marketing = cold calling companies about “Impact Players.”
That’s where the action is. That’s how you generate job orders and MAPs (matches and presents to existing jobs).
Was it perfect quality every time? No.
But activity creates opportunity.
And opportunity compounds.
Pipeline health is everything.
I remember early in my career when my daughter Kiwi looked at the office “Send Out Board” — where first-time interviews were tracked — and asked:
“Daddy, why don’t you have anything next to your name?”
That hit me.
From that day forward, I vowed to always have something going.
If she ever looked again, she’d see momentum.
That board has been full ever since.
Another major shift from 2018 was operational discipline. I started writing down every fleeting thought — follow-ups, referrals, next steps — and tracking daily activity against clear metrics.
I’ve always been a process person.
Set the goal.
Execute daily.
I love the work.
As Vice President of Management Recruiters of Coeur d’Alene (MR Cd'A), my role evolved.
It wasn’t just about my desk anymore. It was about culture.
Leading by example.
Formalizing standards.
Elevating expectations.
After conversations with the President of MR Cd'A, my role was restructured and my base salary increased from $24,000 to $36,000 — a tangible reflection of growth and responsibility.
Momentum spread.
Two of our Recruiters Kevin (Banking) and Brian (Construction) both had career years.
We set office records — including $237,187 in cash-in for the month of July — contributing to one of the top five years in company history.
During my time at Management Recruiters, I watched cycles of quick hires and slow exits. The company had boom years followed by decline. From 2011 until I started in 2015, MR Coeur d’Alene had struggled.
2019 felt different.
It felt like the next wave had arrived.
We weren’t chasing the past anymore.
We were building something sustainable.
We leaned heavily into current Head Football Coach at the University of Minnesota, previously Western Michigan, PJ Fleck’s “Row the Boat” philosophy — consistent effort, shared direction, daily discipline.
The culture hardened. In a good way.
Performance followed.
Individually, I made 17 placements for $404,169 in billings and $385,169 in Cash-In
I hit my second Pacesetter — earning a trip to Maui, Hawaii.
Third consecutive Account Executive of the Year.
Set the monthly cash-in record.
And one more thing…..
Years earlier, I left North Idaho College frustrated. I had told myself that one day I would earn more than the Vice President of Student Services and the entire Financial Aid Office combined — and that I would prove to myself that betting on me was the right call.
Petty? Maybe.
Fuel? Absolutely.
When I hit those numbers, I sent Director of Financial Aid and the VP of Student Services a handwritten letter.
Some of it was bitterness — but also a marker of growth.
That fire helped me buy my house.
It helped me level up.
Sometimes ego is destructive.
Sometimes it’s rocket fuel.
That same year, I was invited by my brother Eric to serve on a Strategic Task Force evaluating the Cascadia College Foundation.
Back in a higher education boardroom.
Different seat at the table.
I still felt like I had to prove I belonged.
It’s interesting to climb, hit the top, falter, rebuild… and climb again.
In my experience, staying on top is harder than getting there.
Consistency is the separator.
Ups and downs are part of the game.
Don’t stop when you fail.
Don’t stop when you win.
Just keep learning. Keep refining. And Keep Working