10/09/2026
Seventeen years ago, I couldn’t drive, couldn’t get out networking, and could barely work.
I could never have imagined where that year would lead.
The photo on the left is from when I had surgery for a herniated disc at C5–6 in my neck, rebuilt with titanium.
The surgery relieved the constant pain and restored the use of my right arm.
But recovery was tough. The way I’d always done business—getting out, meeting people, building relationships—was suddenly out of reach.
So I started learning something I could do from home: digital marketing.
First, websites.
Then social media.
Now AI.
At the time, I was simply trying to find a way forward. Looking back, that difficult year became one of the biggest turning points of my life.
Seventeen years later, I’m still learning the skill I started learning in that neck brace.
The tools keep changing. There’s always something new to understand, test, and put to work. And I still get a kick out of figuring out how it can help someone’s business.
I’m a serial learner. Apparently, that part of me hasn’t changed.
Looking at these two photos, I feel grateful: for the surgery, for getting the use of my arm back, and for the opportunity to build a whole new chapter.
I wouldn’t have chosen that tough year. But so much of the work I love today began there.
Has a difficult chapter ever taken your life in a direction you didn’t expect?
