2026, for me, is about selling the truth in its actual size.
Not bigger.
Not louder.
Not optimized for attention.
Just honest. Complete. Accurate.
Actual size doesn’t mean “in your face.” Often, it means the opposite. A whisper can land harder than a shout. An action can outweigh a declaration. Timing matters more than volume.
Authority decides momentum.
And authority always comes first.
Before I go any further, it’s worth saying this plainly: I’m a multi-faceted person.
Last year, I celebrated 600 workouts at 9Round, a circuit-training kickboxing gym, and even had its founder on YES, BRAND!. I’ve done deep personal development work in the quantum consciousness space. I value energy healing and the kind of inner work that doesn’t announce itself.
There are also things I don’t do.
Plant medicine doesn’t always agree with my system. I enjoy the occasional martini or premium whiskey, but I’m no longer the connoisseur I was in my forties. And while cigars show up in this story, I’m what you’d call a seasonal aficionado.
Living in the Midwest has a way of clarifying preferences. After enough snow shoveling, the ocean starts calling. The beach starts making sense. Which is why the Marketers Cruise landing in January feels less like indulgence and more like timing.
Discernment is part of authority. Knowing what fits, what doesn’t, and when something belongs.
The work I do lives upstream of marketing, PR, and sales. I’m not an agency. I’m not a CMO. Though I’ve owned agencies and run creative teams, my role today is clear and deliberate.
I’m an Authority Advisor.
I help successful, ever-evolving achievers align their voice, vision, and strategy so momentum follows naturally. Not forced. Not manufactured.
That rhythm shapes my year.
I begin preparing for January in October. By New Year’s Eve, the work is done. Client visions are aligned. Strategies are crafted. My own campaigns are already in motion. When January arrives, it’s not a scramble. It’s execution.
“Rolling in the Deep” came to me in February 2025, shortly after returning from the Marketers Cruise. It’s a powerful working vacation that brings together 450-plus genuine, heart-centered, hard-working innovators. Since my first cruise, my business has transformed. More importantly, I’ve stepped fully into my own voice.
That matters, because those adjustments are exactly what I help others make.
One of my favorite rituals on the cruise is something we call Stogies & Strategies. Late evening. Open air. Sharp minds. Real laughter. Honest conversations. No posturing. No pitches.
During days in port, I usually explore local cigar rollers and lounges. At some point, the question became obvious: why not connect the dots? Why not do the research ahead of time and choose where I’ll land in places like Mazatlán, La Paz, and Cabo? Why not bring those discoveries back to the evening conversations?
When I tested this idea on the New Media Cruise last November, I stopped by Aromas Cigar & Martini Bar in Tortola, BVI. I liked what I saw. I texted a few friends. They showed up. We picked up rare finds. That night, back on the ship, we compared notes.
It wasn’t about cigars.
It was about presence.
While there, I also sat down with the owner of Aromas and shared a few ideas for increasing the visibility and impact of a perfectly positioned, one-of-a-kind spot. There was no sales pitch. No transaction. Just clarity offered in an environment I enjoy.
That’s how this works.
Beginning January 16, 2026, I’ll be doing more of exactly that. Rolling in the Deep isn’t a tour in the traditional sense. It’s a rhythm. A series of intentional gatherings. A reminder that authority doesn’t require noise, only alignment.
There are more adventures ahead this year: Europe, the UK, West Asia. And while cigars happen to be part of this chapter, they’re not the headline. Music, comedy, family all have their place too.
Actual size includes range.
Stay tuned.