The people who inspire us
When we work hard to surround ourselves with the people who inspire us, the things that we aspire to have a way of working themselves out. It’s important to choose wisely the people who take up our space, time, and energy. Where our attention goes, our direction flows.
Jobs: How to find work going into 2026
Why is it so hard to get a job right now? Despite the lag in BLS data from October and November, the markers we’re seeing combined with the general sentiment suggests a very tough job market in the US. The unemployment rate has hovered around 4.4% as of September 2025, up slightly from prior months, … Read More
‘It Begins With You’ Jillian Turecki on The Rich Roll Podcast
Sharing a few of my favorite snippets from Rich Roll’s interview with relationship expert and bestselling author Jillian Turecki, published on November 3, 2025. On relational accountability “There are only two things that determine the quality of your relationships: who you choose and who you decide to show up as.” On selflessness “The highest form … Read More
Don’t wait
Don’t wait. On your ideas, your plans, your goals. That trip you’ve wanted to take, that career change you’ve considered making, that course you’ve considered taking, that skill or hobby you’ve always wanted to pick up, that person you’ve wanted to be honest with, that loved one you care about but haven’t reminded lately. Because … Read More
Bridging tools & perspectives into actionable strategies
How to polymath in a world biased toward linearity and specialists Being a generalist or polymath can be…frustrating. 😂 But, it’s rewarding if we’re able to bridge the diverse set of tools & perspectives into actionable strategies. Here’s one example of this in the context of storytelling that I’ve encountered lately: https://travisandrewtatman.substack.com/p/bridging-tools-and-perspectives-into I don’t have the answers … Read More
A generalist approach to problem-solving
Research shows that generalists—those who draw from diverse sectors—are less prone to cognitive “tunneling,” the narrowed focus that stifles innovation. Ancient Roots and the PolymathThe value of range isn’t new. Ancient thinkers such as Aristotle and Plutarch championed the polymath—a person who studied and connected multiple disciplines as a path to wisdom. The term polymath … Read More
Black Swans and Why We Keep Getting Blindsided
Reading The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb drives home a brutal truth: it’s not just rare, world-shaking events that throw us off — it’s how our brains work. We’re wired to see the world as linear. We expect change to be steady, incremental, predictable. And when it isn’t, we freeze. Neil deGrasse Tyson nailed … Read More
Some Tuesday thoughts for you
“You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius “The more varied your training, the more creative your solutions.” – David Epstein (author of Range) “Dark horses win not by beating others at their game, but by figuring out their own game and playing it better … Read More
On path selection
Quotes to inspire and share.
On “What’s Next?” Cycles and False Fulfillment
Tim Ferriss was asked about success on his podcast (#813) and this was his answer, paraphrased: “Becoming successful (financially) makes the successful more predisposed to depression and anxiety. The reason is that when you’re striving you have two things: 1) you have the hope/belief that the vast majority of your problems, the things that keep … Read More
On Street Corners, Kicks, and the Choice to Feel Anger
My therapist recently tossed me a hypothetical. Picture this: You’re walking down the street. On the corner stands a man—just standing there, minding his business. Out of nowhere, another guy walks up and kicks him. Hard. No warning, no reason. Now, she asked me, do you feel angry for the man who got kicked? I … Read More
4 Ways to Help Folks Grapple with Retirement (While It Still Makes a Difference) | The Financial Brand
A new piece in The Financial Brand shows how financial institutions can better support retirement readiness — with strategies that align with how people actually make decisions. Read: 4 Ways to Help Folks Grapple with Retirement (While It Still Makes a Difference)
Sludge, Part 1: The World Is Drowning in It | Freakonomics Radio
I was recently featured in a Freakonomics Radio episode on “sludge” — the bureaucratic friction that makes life harder than it needs to be. I haven’t listened to it yet, but I do recall ranting about the unsubscribe process of a news publication for a few minutes. Enjoy my ranting, now available for streaming. 🎧 … Read More
We are who we choose to be
We are what we watch. We are what we listen to. We are what we speak. We are who we spend our time with. We are what we eat. We are what we believe. We are our devices, our instruments. We are our homes. We are the places we frequent. We are what we practice. … Read More
Behavior and Behavioral Neuroscience Book List
A few folks have asked me for book recommendations in the field of behavioral science. I tend to lean toward behavioral literature and research for practical application in socioeconomic development, and also toward behavioral (or cognitive) neuroscience. Here’s a short list of sources I’ve found relevant and useful over the years. I’ll keep this list … Read More
Public business
Public business, my son, must always be done by somebody. It will be done by somebody or other. If wise men decline it, others will not; if honest men refuse it, others will not. – John Adams to his son Thomas Boylston Adams, September 2, 1789.
Lessons in Kindness and Care: Reflections from Professor Yumi’s Class
While studying at Columbia, I had the pleasure of studying under Professor Yumi Shimabukuro, Director of Urban & Social Policy at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Professor Yumi is such a kind and optimistic professional and educator. She works tirelessly on systemic policy design and analysis to help marginalized populations around the … Read More
Stuck
If you want to do something that you’re passionate about, but you find yourself stuck in a cycle of uncertainty… Practice the process of taking one small step in the direction of your passion. Considering all the possible outcomes–plausibile and implausible–has a way of immobilizing us. And the time spent being stuck is time you … Read More
Fear, Choice, and the Journey Beyond Comfort
In the distant past, our ancestors had no choice but to fear—fear of being chased by predators, fear of starvation, fear of sickness. But today, fear is largely manufactured in our minds. Fear is a choice. Apathy is also a choice. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re not in a place where your work, … Read More
Outrage vs. Engagement: How Purposeful Action Rewards the Brain Beyond the Click
Outrage pulls us in. Each scandal or absurd headline sparks a quick dopamine rush. It’s much like a gambler “loss chasing,” finding an excuse to keep playing, hoping to break even. But here’s the twist: while these spikes feel powerful, purposeful action—like voting, volunteering, or learning about the issues—feeds the brain in ways that truly … Read More
if everyone is doing it
When everyone is doing something the same way, it might be a good time to try something different. The job market is tough right now. LinkedIn and social channels are flooded with stories of job seekers spending months and sometimes years looking for the next job. Hundreds of thousands of applications are going into ATS … Read More
Subliminal
When I first got into behavioral science, I was all about the work of Tversky and Kahneman or Thaler and Sunstein—guys whose names come up in any serious conversation about decision-making and human behavior. But if I’m honest, it was my deep dive into psychology and neuroscience that really kicked things off for me. One … Read More
Just work
Full podcast episode here.
The world’s opinion
Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson from Society and Solitude, published in 1870.
on feeling optimistic again
I came across a post in the r/self Reddit community that inspired me to write today. The OP, a 40 year old male, wrote that he had visited a college with his young daughter recently, and the experience had made him feel sadness. The idea that the beautiful and hopeful experience that is being a … Read More
Moonshots
We often start with the easy stuff. It feels productive—small wins, minimal risk, a sense of momentum—but in reality, it could be a distraction from tackling the harder challenges. As Astro Teller, Director of X (a Google company), said on Simon Sinek’s podcast, A Bit of Optimism, most people solve the easiest problems first because … Read More
Why we love hero stories
Hero stories are everywhere—movies, books, news headlines, even social media. Whether it’s a fearless leader changing history or a viral video of someone stepping up for a stranger, our culture is obsessed with tales of extraordinary people doing extraordinary things. They capture our attention, stick in our minds, and keep us coming back for more. … Read More
Growth vs. fixed mindset
Growth mindset is the ability to see opportunity in struggle, to learn from experiences, to adapt to changing circumstances. Less emphasis is placed on outcomes, more emphasis on process. Growth mindset assumes the principle of impermanence, that much like life itself, experiences do not occur in perpetuity, but last for only a limited period of … Read More
Pick something and ‘send it’
Just left a doctor‘s office and the physician’s assistant was a young undergrad unsure about what he wanted to do with his career. My advice: pick anything, literally anything you’re interested in. Work your ass off for 2-3 years, and reassess. If you are fulfilled by it, if it gives you purpose, keep going. If … Read More