Why We Show Up You don’t stumble into the first responder’s life. You get called to it. Sometimes that call is loud—a siren in your soul that says, “This is what I was made for.” Maybe it’s a bell beneath your pillow that wakes you up at night. Other times, it’s a whisper that grows over time. But every first responder I know has felt it: that pull toward service, that instinct to run toward…
Think back to your high school experience. Odds are, the loudest voices—teachers, counselors, media, even family—urged one path above all others: college. Meanwhile, the trades sat quietly in the background, often framed as a “Plan B” for students who didn’t “fit” the academic mold. This didn’t happen by accident. Over the past several decades, traditional four-year colleges won the marketing war. They captured the narrative, redefined what success looks like, and in the process, pushed…
From Back-Up Plan to First Choice Ask a high school student what they want to do after graduation, and you’ll likely hear the word “college.” Ask them if they’ve considered a career school—a program focused on trades, technical skills, or certifications—and many will look puzzled or unsure. That reaction isn’t accidental. For decades, vocational education has lived under the shadow of the four-year degree, seen by many as the back-up option for students who “couldn’t”…
Why Career Education Deserves a Fresh Look Remember when graduating high school and learning a trade was a perfectly respectable, often celebrated, life path? Wanting to become a mechanic, an electrician, a dental tech, or a machinist were suggested paths to building a stable, prosperous future. These roles were seen as skilled, essential, and worthy. But somewhere along the way, that narrative changed. Suddenly, “success” was redefined. A four-year college degree wasn’t just one option—it…
Starting a new job often comes with a flood of paperwork, and the W-4 form is usually near the top of the pile. It might look like just another tax document—but the choices you make here can impact your finances all year long. Starting about the time of the Super Bowl, you see a lot of ads for “maximum tax refund”. In reality, the tax refund you receive is not determined by the tax preparer…
A Simple Guide to Employee On-Boarding Starting a new job can feel like stepping into a whirlwind—new routines, new people, and a mountain of paperwork. Right in the middle of it all? Your employee benefits. From tax forms to health insurance to retirement plans, these choices can have a huge impact on your financial well-being. But most of us aren’t taught how to navigate them—and many people go years (or even decades) feeling unsure if…
A Father’s Dilemma in a World That Demands Both I’m a Black man with a 17-year-old son. He’s a rising senior in high school—bright, kind, curious, figuring out who he is and where he wants to go. And right now, like a lot of parents, I’m trying to guide him through one of the most complex choices he’ll ever face: College… or something else? For decades, the answer was simple. College was the path. If…
In the U.S. today, more than 43 million people have attended college without completing a degree or credential. It’s a quiet crisis with loud consequences—one that disproportionately affects Black, Hispanic, and Native American men. The numbers are sobering. According to the National Student Clearinghouse’s latest Some College, No Credential (SCNC) report, men make up over half of the SCNC population, even though they represent less than 43% of current undergraduates. When we narrow the lens…
When managers handle difficult conversations well, it builds trust. But when organizations set the stage for those conversations to happen with clarity and consistency—it builds culture. Workplace stress doesn’t start with one tough conversation. Often, it stems from unclear expectations, inconsistent leadership practices, or the feeling that issues are handled differently across departments. That’s why the responsibility for healthy communication doesn’t rest solely on individual managers—it belongs to the entire organization. Why It Matters at…
Protecting Both Workplace Harmony and Personal Stability Tough conversations are inevitable in any workplace. Even when handled with the best intentions, they can leave a lingering tension—an awkwardness you can’t quite shake. Maybe you’re second-guessing your tone. Maybe the conversation revealed an uncomfortable truth. Or maybe things just feel… off. Here’s the truth: Difficult conversations don’t mean a relationship is broken. Often, they signal that you’re engaging with real challenges—the kind that make teams stronger,…
Please confirm you want to block this member.
You will no longer be able to:
Please note: This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete.
