March 2025

Exciting news to share! Today marks a special milestone for me as I venture into the world of fiction writing. The journey of crafting a captivating story arc has always seemed like a daunting task, but today, I am thrilled to announce the release of my first two historical fiction children’s books.

Historical fiction presents a unique opportunity where the foundation of a compelling narrative is laid, allowing me to infuse my creativity into the intricate details. This endeavor has been a delightful side project, and I am genuinely pleased with the outcomes. Leveraging AI technology, I not only improved the quality of my writing but also brought the stories to life through full-cast audiobook adaptations.

A special shoutout to Andrew Schwilling for his remarkable artwork and to the dedicated historical researchers whose factual insights served as the backbone for my storytelling. For more details, click here

These engaging books are now accessible through various online book retailers or directly from my website.. Dive into the world of historical fiction and embark on an adventure with these (hopefully) captivating reads!

It seems like everyone is trying to figure out what role we humans will play in the future of work. The incredible advances of artificial intelligence over the past several years seem to imply that there’s almost no job that machines won’t soon be able to perform better than those of us with flesh and blood. “More Human” by Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter is the latest book to cross my desk that seeks to help us understand how best to make the most of our humanity in this evolving reality.

The bookpresents a framework for combining the best strengths of technology and our humanity to be the best leaders we can be. Specifically, the authors focus on strengthening core human qualities of Awareness, Compassion, and Wisdom by using AI to develop and enhance the mindsets and skills underlying those qualities.

“More Human” is largely conceptual in nature and it strongly promotes the authors’ worldview. If you don’t buy in to their worldview (as I don’t), you may be tempted to reject the book outright. At the same time, the framework it presents is helpful for thinking about important human qualities that technology may never replace, and practical ways that AI can help us in nurturing and developing these qualities in our own leadership practices. The authors try hard to give the book a long shelf-life by avoiding specific technology details that will quickly be surpassed, and yet, like many, they are making unproven hypotheses about how humans can continue to play valuable roles in the workplace as technology continues to advance and perform a wide variety of tasks better than humans have been able to do it in the past. 

Some will likely find the book helpful as they work to become better leaders in the age of AI.

Read my full review here.

Farmers have been harvesting hazelnuts in the Pontic Hills region of Turkey for thousands of years and today they export more than $1 billion of the crop annually. More than half the world’s hazelnuts come from the region. Millions of people are involved in the industry and it is the backbone of the regional economy.

However, the system is broken and many of the farms are failing. Ninety-nine percent of hazelnut farms are less than 5 acres. There are 500,000 orchards in 10,000 villages. These farms are too small to fully support the families that own them, so the owners need to leave their homes to find work, only returning for harvest time. Since their farms are neglected most of the year, yields are falling and profits have dropped 30% over the past decade, creating an out-of-control spiraling problem for these families. Many are considering whether or not they can justify continuing to operate their farms.

Jeremy Welty started Full Harvest Agricultural Solutions to solve this problem. Jeremy and his team have developed a model that is saving small family farms. They evaluate candidate farms, identifying those that could be operated together more efficiently. They sign long-term leases with the owners to provide guaranteed income and often hire the owners to work their own land, providing year-round employment. They make investments in the orchards and patiently wait the years it takes to earn back a return on the investment. They are the only ones offering a turnkey solution that is saving these farms that have been in families for many generations. They bring in professional management, but also train the owners in new skills and modern techniques. Yields are tripling and quality is improving.

Read the full story here.

A popular saying suggests that “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This notion is evident in society, where individuals with significant power often succumb to arrogance and intimidation to fulfill their desires. However, that’s not God’s way. The only truly absolute power is God and God is holy, the opposite of corruption.

As we grow in godliness, through the Holy Spirit’s sanctification, we aim to reflect qualities like gentleness, kindness, and graciousness in our lives. Unlike a bully who relies on intimidation due to insecurity, a godly leader exhibits gentleness rooted in confidence in God’s power, without the need for validation from others. True confidence breeds peace, secure in our responsibilities, and wanting the best for others.

Read more about how gentleness interacts with other God-honoring character traits and how we can use gentleness to glorify God in our businesses here.

Gentleness, far from indicating weakness, actually showcases real strength and security.