You Don’t Need All the Answers to Begin

I’ve Spent Years Writing—But Never Like This

I've never been a fan of the big reveal.

You know the one—where someone pulls back the curtain with a flourish to show you the finished product. I prefer watching things unfold, seeing the process, understanding how we got from there to here.

Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but I love knowing how magic tricks are done.

That’s why I’m starting this newsletter with a small confession: I’ve spent most of my life writing for others—but never quite like this. It started in high school at the Troy Messenger. Continued through college at The Crimson White. Later, at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and CNN.com, my words reached millions. Then in 2011, when I launched my nonprofit, I wrote emails weekly—sometimes daily—to more than 100,000 subscribers.

Each time, I was writing as an extension of something larger than myself.

But this is different. This is just me, writing to you.

No institutional voice to hide behind. No cause to champion beyond the exchange of ideas that might make us both a little sharper, a little more thoughtful. It's simultaneously more vulnerable and more freeing than anything I've done professionally.

There's something powerful about stepping into unfamiliar territory with intention. Whether you're launching a new initiative, adopting a different communication approach, or simply showing more of yourself to your audience, that first step carries both risk and possibility.

The magic happens when we acknowledge both—when we don't pretend to have everything figured out, but instead invite others to join us in the discovery.

I've found that the most effective leaders aren't those who have all the answers, but those willing to ask better questions. They create space for experimentation and learning in public. They understand that authenticity isn't about perfection—it's about presence and transparency.

So, here's my commitment: I'll share personal moments from my professional life every week or so, connecting them to insights you might find useful.

Some weeks will land better than others. That's part of the process, and I'm okay with that if you are.

What new territory are you considering stepping into?

What would it look like if you approached it not as a performance to perfect, but as an experiment to unfold?

Let's make this count.