Small Business Law & Estate Planning Attorney ~ I Help People and Businesses Protect their Legacies through Planning

I help families and small business owners protect their legacy and avoid costly legal pitfalls with clear, customized estate planning and business law solutions.

Many of my clients feel overwhelmed at the thought of “getting their affairs in order.” The legal jargon, the complexity, the time commitment; it all feels intimidating. I get it. That’s why I focus on making legal planning simple, efficient, and tailored to your real needs, not a stack of unnecessary documents you don’t understand.

Whether you're looking to create your first will, update your estate plan, or ensure your business is legally secure, I work with you at your pace to develop a plan that works for your life, not the law firm's billable hours.

One client put it this way:

“Andrew is a fantastic attorney. He was empathetic, deliberate, and professional—always quick to respond and extremely knowledgeable. He helped us navigate a stressful situation with clarity and confidence.”

I founded my firm to bring a more personal, transparent approach to legal services. No pressure. No sales pitch. Just smart, practical advice that protects what matters most to you—your family, your business, and your future.

Ready to take the next step? Schedule a Legal Strategy Session or download free planning tools at www.AndrewMAyers.com.

Andrew Ayers

My client's kids found a shoebox in the closet. Inside? 40 years of marriage in receipts.

Her husband died on a Tuesday. By Thursday, their three adult children were excavating his home office like archaeologists at a dig site.

They expected to find bank statements. Maybe some old photos.

What they found was a paper trail of secrets.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵. 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐'𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦.)

Mystic Lake Casino receipts from 2003. A credit card Mom didn't know existed. Withdrawal slips from an account no one knew about. A letter from a collections agency dated six months before their 35th anniversary party.

The oldest daughter called me in tears. "Did Mom know about any of this?"

She didn't. Forty years of marriage, and she was learning about her husband's financial life for the first time—from her children.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀:

→ The secret account that funded a gambling habit
→ Debts paid off quietly, never mentioned at dinner
→ Life insurance policies with beneficiaries who aren't family
→ Business loans co-signed decades ago, still outstanding
→ Storage units full of purchases that were "on sale"

The grief of losing a parent is hard enough. Discovering who they really were while sorting through their closet? That's a different kind of loss.

These kids weren't just settling an estate. They were rewriting their understanding of their parents' marriage.

Every receipt was a sentence in a story Mom never got to read.

The families who avoid this? They have the uncomfortable conversations while everyone's still alive. They share the passwords, the account numbers, the truths that feel too awkward to mention.

Your kids shouldn't learn your financial history from a shoebox.

Tell them now. Or let them find out later.

One conversation is hard. The other is devastating.

Lawyer for Estate Planning & Small Business Law | Legal Protection for Families, Founders & Futures

Dylan's $500M problem.

Bob Dylan is 83 years old. His estate is worth roughly $500 million. He's sold his song catalog to Universal for $400 million. His masters to Sony for $200 million. He's got a compound in Malibu, a castle in Scotland, and the kind of wealth that should make estate planning simple.

It won't be.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴.)

Dylan has six children from two marriages. One daughter he kept secret for years. Kids ranging from their late 30s to early 60s. Some famous. Some not. Some who grew up with him. Some who didn't.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱:

→ Six kids from different eras of his life
→ A daughter whose existence wasn't public until 2001
→ Multiple ex-wives with their own expectations
→ Decades of complicated relationships
→ A father who's notoriously private about money

The best estate attorneys in the world can draft airtight documents. Trusts. LLCs. Dynasty planning. Tax strategies that would make your head spin.

But no document can prevent a sibling from feeling slighted. No trust can stop resentment that's been building for forty years. No LLC can fix the kid who visited every week feeling cheated by the kid who showed up twice a decade.

Dylan wrote "Blood on the Tracks" about his divorce. His estate might write the sequel.

The families who avoid this? They have the hard conversations while everyone's still alive. They explain the "why" behind the plan. They address the elephants in the room before the elephants start hiring attorneys.

$500 million can buy a lot of things.

Family peace isn't one of them.

That takes planning. And talking. And the kind of honesty that makes everyone uncomfortable.

Even living legends aren't exempt from family dynamics.

Especially living legends.

I paid a lot of money for law school. The most important lesson wasn't in any textbook.

It was in the coffee shop conversations. The study group debates that went off-topic. The professor who met with us for drinks to talk about the actual practice of law.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘶𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘦.)

The relationships I built in those three years? I use them every week.

The classmate who became a tax attorney. The professor who still answers my questions fifteen years later. The study partner who now sends me referrals because she knows how I work with families.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗠𝗲:

→ Cases fade. Connections compound.
→ The person sitting next to you in Torts might be the one you call when a client needs help outside your practice area.
→ Professors aren't just grading your exams. They're watching how you think, how you treat people, how you show up.

I could have studied alone. Kept my head down. Focused purely on grades.

Some of my classmates did exactly that. They're fine lawyers.

But the ones who invested in relationships? They practice law differently. More collaboratively. More genuinely.

The bar exams tested what I memorized.

The real practice of law tests who I know and who trusts me.

That money bought me a degree.

The conversations outside the classroom? Those built a career.

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After hundreds of estate plans, here's the question that makes couples go silent.

"If you both die tomorrow, who raises your kids?"

Most couples have an answer. They'll say Mom's sister, or Dad's brother, or their best friends from college.

Then I ask the follow-up:

"Why don't you agree?"

That's when the room gets quiet.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥.)

She wants her sister because they share the same parenting values. He thinks his brother is more financially stable. She doesn't trust his brother's wife. He's never said that out loud, but he doesn't fully trust hers either.

Suddenly we're not talking about guardianship anymore. We're talking about everything they've avoided discussing for years.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀:

→ How you each define "good parenting"
→ Which in-laws you actually trust (and which you don't)
→ Old resentments about how you were each raised
→ Financial anxieties neither of you has named
→ The unspoken hierarchy of whose family "wins"

Here's what most people don't know: you don't have to agree. Minnesota law lets each spouse name a different guardian. Whoever survives longer, their choice prevails.

But that's not really the point.

The point is that this question forces couples to have the conversation they've been avoiding. About values. About trust. About what really matters when everything else is stripped away.

The silence in my conference room isn't uncomfortable. It's necessary.

Because the couples who sit with that silence? They leave with more than an estate plan.

They leave understanding each other better than when they walked in.

"Dad, we need to talk about your second family."

My client thought she was settling her father's estate. Instead, she was meeting her half-brother for the first time.

He was 34. She was 41. They shared a father neither of them really knew.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵. 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐'𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦.)

Dad died at 72. Heart attack. The will was straightforward: everything to his three kids.

Except there were four.

The paperwork told the story Dad never did. Child support records from 1991. A life insurance policy with a beneficiary no one recognized. A letter from an attorney in another state asking about "the minor child's share."

His daughter sat across from me, holding a manila folder. 

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗲:

→ Half-siblings discovering each other through legal notices
→ Spouses learning the truth from court documents
→ Children from different eras competing for acknowledgment
→ Decades of silence ending in a conference room with attorneys present
→ Grief mixed with betrayal mixed with confusion

The half-brother didn't want money. He wanted answers. He wanted to know why Dad sent birthday cards until he was 12, then stopped. Why he'd been erased from the family story.

The daughter wanted to grieve her father. Instead, she was rewriting her understanding of who he was.

They're not fighting over the estate. They're fighting over something harder: the truth about a man they both called Dad.

The families who avoid this? They have the impossible conversations while everyone's still alive. They tell the stories that feel too shameful to mention. They introduce the siblings before the funeral forces it.

Your kids shouldn't meet each other for the first time in a probate attorney's office.

Tell them now. Or let the paperwork tell them later.

One conversation is brutal. The other is devastating.

Her Husband's Will Was Perfect. His Power of Attorney? Written in 1998.

"Richard" built a manufacturing business over 40 years. $3.2M in assets. Updated his will every five years like clockwork.

His Power of Attorney? Signed during the Clinton administration.

When the stroke hit last March, his new wife "Linda" discovered the nightmare hiding in their filing cabinet.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 "𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳" 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. 𝘏𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘵.)

The 1998 POA named his brother as the agent. His brother died in 2019.

It didn't include digital asset authority. His online banking? Locked.

It referenced "checking and savings accounts." His brokerage accounts? Inaccessible.

It predated every cybersecurity protocol his bank now requires.

Richard couldn't sign. Linda couldn't act. The mortgage was due in 12 days.

𝗣𝗢𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗴𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁:

☐ Signed more than 5 years ago
☐ Backup agent is deceased, estranged, or unavailable
☐ No digital asset or online banking language
☐ No HIPAA authorization attached
☐ References account types that no longer exist
☐ Your bank has never seen or approved it
☐ Doesn't include business authority provisions
☐ Missing real estate transaction powers

Check two or more? Your POA is a liability, not protection.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗢𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸:

• Banks reject old POAs constantly (they're terrified of liability)
• Digital assets didn't exist when some POAs were signed
• Named agents die, divorce, or disappear
• State laws change, making old documents questionable
• Medical facilities want current HIPAA releases

Richard's will would have distributed his assets perfectly (but thankfully hasn't needed to yet as he recovers from his stroke).

His POA couldn't pay the electric bill.

The most dangerous estate planning document isn't the one you don't have.

It's the one you think is working.

It's a new year. Pull your POA. Check the date. Check the names. Check the language.

Because your family shouldn't need a judge's permission to keep the lights on.

Estate Planning Attorneys Understand This Instantly

When the widow shows up with a piece of paper she thinks is a valid will.

You know the one. Handwritten. "Give everything to Tommy." Signed with her husband's nickname. No witnesses. No date. Found stuck in the back of the filing cabinet.

You smile. You nod. You get her a coffee from the office Keurig machine.

Inside? You're calculating probate timelines.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗨𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆:

1. "We found Dad's will in his email drafts."
Unsigned. Unsent. To himself. From 2019. But it says exactly what they want it to say, so surely it counts?

2. "Mom updated her beneficiaries. She told us at Thanksgiving."
No paperwork. No forms. Just a verbal announcement over turkey that her IRA now goes to the grandkids. The ex-wife from 1987 is still on the actual form.

3. "He recorded a video on his phone explaining everything."
TikTok-length. Filmed in his truck. Complete with background music and a filter that makes him look 20 years younger. "This is my last will and testament, y'all."

4. "They had a handshake agreement about the business."
Two brothers. Forty years of partnership. $2M in equipment. Zero documentation. Now one's dead, and the surviving brother is explaining their "understanding" to the widow's attorney.

You sit there. Professional smile locked in place. Already mentally drafting the retainer agreement for the litigation that's coming.

Because you've seen the napkin wills. The text message "promises." The screenshot of a Notes app that someone swears is legally binding.

(𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘯𝘢𝘱𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵 "𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘴," 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵.)

The general public thinks estate planning is about death.

We know it's about preventing families from destroying each other over a Post-It note.

If you know, you know.

New Side Project: If you've got photos of actual client "estate plans" (redacted, of course) – napkin wills, email screenshots, sticky notes – drop them in the comments. Let's build the unofficial museum of documents that made us die inside.

70% of their business comes from referrals!!! 

At last week's INC Group meeting, Donato Bataglia from Ispiri Design-Build-Renovate explained how they got there.

It wasn't marketing. It wasn't a sales funnel. It was obsessing over what "winning" actually looks like for their clients.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.)

Ispiri started in 2007 when Donato's cousin, Jason (a Northwest Airlines pilot), was told his layoff would last four years after 9/11. Instead of waiting, he started a remodeling company with a simple premise: construction doesn't have to be chaos.

Jason brought a pilot's mindset to an industry known for missed deadlines and disappearing contractors. Checks and balances. Clear handoffs. Documented processes.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 "𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴" 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀:

→ No regrets about the project
→ Feeling understood, respected, and heard
→ Comfortable at every step
→ Satisfied they got their money's worth
→ A space that mirrors their style and story
→ Becoming the house where their kids and friends want to hang out

That last one stuck with me. They're not just building kitchens. They're building the place where Thanksgiving happens for the next twenty years.

The proof? 13 of their 44 jobs last year were repeat clients coming back for more work. They've won the Guildmaster Award (97%+ client satisfaction) almost every year since they started tracking it.

The construction industry has a reputation problem. Ispiri decided to solve it by defining exactly what their clients should feel when the project ends, then engineering every touchpoint to deliver it.

Most businesses focus on what they do. The ones that build referral machines focus on how their clients feel.

If you're in the Twin Cities area and are interested in learning more about our INC Group, shoot me or Tony Rubin a DM.

My New Year's Gift: 12 Estate Planning Disasters You Can Fix in Under 10 Minutes

While everyone's making resolutions they'll abandon by February, here's something that actually matters. Twelve fixes. Ten minutes or less each. Your family's financial future is protected before the year gets away from you.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯'𝘵.)

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟮 𝗙𝗶𝘅𝗲𝘀:

1. 𝘜𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 401(𝘬) 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘺 (3 minutes)
Still listing your ex from 2016? Your will doesn't override this. The form wins. Every time.

2. 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘺 (5 minutes)
Your deceased parent is still listed? That payout may end up in probate, not with your spouse.

3. 𝘈𝘥𝘥 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 (2 minutes per account)
Primary dies first? Without a backup, welcome to 18 months of court.

4. 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 (8 minutes)
That business partner who left? Still has signing authority. That ex-spouse? Might still access joint accounts.

5. 𝘈𝘥𝘥 𝘛𝘖𝘋/𝘗𝘖𝘋 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘴 (5 minutes online)
Transfer-on-death designations skip probate entirely. Free. Takes one form.

6. 𝘚𝘦𝘵 𝘶𝘱 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 (4 minutes)
Your spouse as emergency contact. 48-hour waiting period. They get everything if something happens.

7. 𝘈𝘥𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 (10 minutes)
Crypto wallets. Domain names. That PayPal balance. If it's not documented, it's gone.

8. 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘐𝘙𝘈 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 "𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦" (3 minutes)
Congratulations, you just turned tax-deferred into immediately taxable.

9. 𝘜𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘏𝘐𝘗𝘈𝘈 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 (5 minutes)
Your spouse can't always get medical information without this. Hospitals don't want to run your marriage certificate past their legal department.

10. 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 (5 minutes)
That sister you named 8 years ago? Still the right choice? Still capable? Still willing?

11. 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 (2 minutes)
Banks may reject POAs older than 3-5 years. Doesn't matter if it's "still valid." They don't care.

12. 𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵 (1 minute)
"Hey, you're still my executor. Documents are [location]. Just wanted you to know."

Total time: Under 2 hours spread across the week.

Total cost: $0.

Total protection: Priceless.

Pick one. Do it today. Because the most expensive New Year's resolution isn't the gym membership you won't use.

It's the 3-minute fix you didn't make that costs your family everything.

Happy New Year. Now go update your beneficiaries.

You and your spouse don't have to agree on who should raise your kids.

Most couples don't know this.

You can each name a different guardian in your will. Whoever lives longer, their choice prevails.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦.)

Here's the thing: if you have kids under 18 and you haven't named a guardian, a probate court judge will decide who raises them. Unless you hang out with your local probate judge on the weekends, this is someone who's never met your family, who doesn't know your values, your concerns, or why your brother-in-law absolutely should not be in charge.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻:

→ 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴. Do they parent the way you'd want your kids raised? Education, discipline, faith, these matter.

→ 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺. Emotionally and financially. You can fund their care through life insurance or a trust, but they need to be able to manage it.

→ 𝘙𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴. Familiarity helps. A stranger on paper is still a stranger.

→ 𝘈𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩. Grandparents may be loving, but can they keep up with a 6-year-old for the next 12 years?

→ 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. Ask them first. Surprises are great for birthdays. Not for guardianship.

→ 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. Moving across the country during grief is hard on everyone. Closer is usually better.

Name an alternate, too. Plans change. People change.

The conversation with your spouse might be uncomfortable. You might not agree. The good news is, the law accounts for it.

What it doesn't account for is silence.

If you haven't named a guardian, your kids' future is in the hands of a judge who's never met them.

Don't let that happen. Get it done.

A LinkedIn message from a college classmate turned into a referral partnership.

Jeff Becker and I lived in the same freshman dorm at St. John's. Different floors. Different majors. We probably passed each other a hundred times without ever having a real conversation.

Twenty-five years later, we reconnected.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦. 𝘞𝘦'𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 "𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘵'𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵" 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.)

We spent thirty minutes on Zoom talking about Tommy Hall, the Wolf Bros show at the Palace Theater, and whether we had any classes together. We couldn't remember a single one.

Then we got to the real stuff.

He works with clients nationwide on financial planning. I do estate planning. His clients need wills and trusts. My clients need financial advisors.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗻𝗶 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀:

→ Shared history builds trust faster than cold outreach ever could
→ You don't need to have been close in college. You just need to have been there.
→ The person you barely knew at 19 might be exactly who you need to know at 49

A thirty-minute call. Two decades of dormant connection. Now we're building something useful for both our clients.

That LinkedIn message I almost ignored? Glad I didn't.

The alumni network isn't about nostalgia. It's about finding people who share your foundation and building something new on top of it.

Go Johnnies.

A 19-Year-Old Inherited $400K. Here's Why That Was The Worst Thing That Could Happen

Grandpa built that money over 40 years. Careful investments. Frugal living. A legacy meant to launch his grandson's future.

The trust had no age restrictions. Just "distribute to grandson upon my death."

Grandson was 19. Sophomore in college. Never managed more than a part-time paycheck.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘱𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘱.)

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗲:

Month 1: $45,000 BMW. Cash.
Month 3: $28,000 "investing" in a friend's clothing brand. Gone.
Month 5: Spring break in Miami. VIP tables. Hotel suites. $12,000 weekend.
Month 8: Dropped out of college. "I don't need a degree anymore."
Month 14: Loaned $35,000 to a girlfriend. She left. So did the money.

By month 18? $340,000 gone. What remained went to credit card debt he'd racked up living like the money would never end.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘁:

His parents watched it happen. Powerless. The money was legally his.

Thanksgiving dinner? Silent. Christmas? Separate houses.

Grandpa's legacy didn't launch a future. It destroyed a family.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝘶𝗹𝗱'𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴:

An age-restriction provision. Simple language:

• 1/3 at age 25
• 1/3 at age 30
• Final 1/3 at age 35

Or distributions tied to milestones: college graduation, first home purchase, matching funds for retirement accounts.

Cost to add this clause? Maybe $200 in attorney time.

Cost of skipping it? $400,000. A college degree. A family.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲:

→ Staggered distribution ages (not just 18 or 21)
→ Milestone-based releases (education, home, business)
→ Discretionary trustee powers for emergencies
→ Spendthrift provisions preventing creditors and bad decisions
→ Incentive clauses rewarding responsibility

A couple of years ago, I worked with a client who was the "Gallant" to this 19-year old's "Goofus" (Highlights magazine anyone?!?)

My client inherited millions at age 18 through his father's insurance policy. His first move? Talking to his financial advisor, who recommended he talk to me and set up a trust to help manage the money. 

We got it all set up and funded before he started college in the fall, and he's now got a system in place to protect that insurance money.

Because the most expensive trust provision isn't the one you add.

It's the one you leave out.

Because a 19-year-old with $400,000 isn't inheriting wealth.

They're inheriting a test they haven't studied for.

And most of them fail.

Review your trust provisions. Today. Before your generosity becomes someone else's cautionary tale.

A Living Will Isn't About Dying. It's About Controlling Who Decides When You Can't.

Mom was in the ICU. Couldn't speak. Couldn't write. Couldn't blink twice for yes.

Her husband wanted to keep fighting. Her daughter wanted to let go. Both claimed they knew what she would have wanted.

Neither had proof.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭. 𝘈 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.)

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀:

It speaks when you can't.

• Ventilator decisions? Documented.
• Feeding tube preferences? Clear.
• Pain management vs. consciousness? Your call, not theirs.
• Resuscitation wishes? In writing.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗢𝗻𝗲:

Your family fights in hospital hallways. Doctors make decisions based on liability, not your values. Courts get involved. Lawyers bill by the hour while you're on life support.

The people who love you most become adversaries.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟯𝟬-𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝘅:

1. Get a living will (also called an advance directive)
2. Name a healthcare proxy who actually knows your wishes
3. Have the uncomfortable conversation with them
4. Give copies to your doctor, your proxy, and your family

The most expensive healthcare decision isn't the treatment.

It's the family relationship destroyed because nobody knew what you wanted.

Your regular will distributes your stuff.

Your living will protects your dignity.

And your family's sanity.

Don't make them guess.

My 2025 Content Journey: Castles, Shields, and Keeping Your Family Out of Court

I had a little fun with AI over the weekend, and it created the image below.

2025's theme? Protection.

Not the "buy more insurance" kind. The "your family won't end up in court fighting over a Post-It note" kind.

𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴
Wills, trusts, and why your filing cabinet probably contains a ticking time bomb. (Spoiler: that document from 2008 isn't protecting anyone.)

𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀
Your crypto wallet, PayPal balance, and that domain portfolio you forgot about. If your family can't access it, it doesn't exist.

𝗟𝗟𝗖 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Because filing paperwork with the state isn't the same as actually being protected. (The DIY LLC dream is alive and well... until someone sues you.)

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
The broken partnerships, napkin wills, and "handshake agreements" that keep me employed. I'd rather you not need me for those.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘹. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.)

The Grateful Dead wrote a song about everything that can go wrong in estate planning.

They just didn't know it.

"Me and My Uncle" is a murder ballad about a nephew and his uncle stealing gold in the Old West. Gunfights. Double-crosses. Shallow desert graves.

It's also a masterclass in what NOT to do with your wealth transfer strategy.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴. 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦.)

𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗱:

𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦.
If the inheritance depends on surviving a gunfight in New Mexico, the plan is too fragile.

𝘑𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦.
If you and a relative are "in this together," spell it out in writing—preferably before anyone gets shot.

𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴.
Assets buried in the desert are hard to probate, hard to value, and easy to lose. Vaults beat shallow graves.

𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩-𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺.
High risk, low documentation, terrible tax consequences.

The song ends with the narrator riding off alone, gold in his saddlebags, uncle dead in the dust.

No witnesses. No paperwork. No plan.

Just a story that's been sung at Dead shows for 60 years as a cautionary tale.

Your favorite songs are full of planning disasters hiding in plain sight. The drama that makes great music? It's the same chaos that keeps estate attorneys employed.

If your estate plan relies on trust, memory, and a revolver, it needs revision.

Preferably before the next verse.

(𝘒𝘶𝘥𝘰𝘴 𝘵𝘰 Ernie Svenson 😎  𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘰𝘣 𝘞𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘥...)

I help lawyers make ChatGPT their best legal assistant —by using it effectively & responsibly.

It's 2026. That contract you downloaded from the internet? It's not protecting you.

It's protecting whoever wrote it.

I see this constantly. Business owners grab a template, swap in their company name, and assume they're covered. The document looks official. It has legal language. It must work, right?

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘭. 𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘱. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.)

Here's what that template is probably missing:

𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸
Vague deliverables lead to scope creep. Scope creep leads to disputes. Disputes lead to my inbox.

𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘀
When is payment due? What happens if it's late? If your contract doesn't spell this out, you're chasing invoices with no leverage.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆
Your client list, your pricing strategy, your proprietary process. Without an NDA clause, none of it is protected.

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Mediation? Arbitration? Courtroom battle? If you don't decide now, a judge will decide for you later. And it'll cost more.

𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲
How do you get out if things go sideways? Without clear exit terms, you're stuck in a bad deal with no escape hatch.

The template might be free. The problems it creates won't be.

Every clause you skip is a decision you're letting someone else make for you (a judge, an arbitrator, or the other party's attorney).

Your contracts should work for your business. Not against it.

Review what you're actually signing. Or have someone who does this for a living take a look before you need them to fix it.

Three daughters, no sons. All hell breaks loose.

Jason Bernloehr and I talked about this over coffee this week. He's been doing this for years, and he's seen how smoothly an elder care situation will go based on family structure alone.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐'𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦.)

An ideal scenario? One daughter, one son. The daughter takes charge. Done.

A nightmare? Three sisters. No brothers. Parents who never talked about money.

I asked why. He laughed.

Everyone has opinions. No one has authority. And nobody wants to be the one who "put Mom in a home."

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱:

→ Blended families where the kids don't like the new stepmom (but Dad loves her)
→ The "reliable" sibling who lives closest and resents it
→ The sibling who shows up with spreadsheets calculating their "sacrifice points"
→ Parents who fight like cats and dogs but have been married 55 years
→ The father-in-law whose finances are a mystery to everyone, including his wife

I see it from the legal side. He sees it from the caregiving side. Same patterns. Same chaos.

The families who do well? They had the uncomfortable conversations before the crisis hit.

The ones who don't? They're communicating through attorneys. Or worse, through silence.

Your family structure isn't destiny. But it is a warning sign.

If you've got a complicated family tree, you need a clearer plan. Not less of one.

And if you've got parents who could use some quality in-home care in the Twin Cities? Reach out to Jason and get that conversation started...

Your Dog Can't Call a Lawyer. Plan Accordingly.

We plan for our kids. We plan for our spouses. We even plan for our businesses.

But our pets? They're "just animals." At least that's how the law sees them.

Property. Like your couch.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥? 𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳.)

Here's what happens when you pass away without a plan for your pets:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝟰𝟴 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀:

Your family is grieving. Overwhelmed. Making funeral arrangements. Handling immediate crises.

Your dog needs to be fed. Your cat's litter box is overflowing. Someone needs to take them.

But who?

Your sister has allergies. Your brother lives in a no-pets apartment. Your adult kids are three states away.

Nobody was asked. Nobody was prepared. Nobody knows what food they eat or which vet they see.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝘄 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀:

Whoever grabbed your pet "temporarily" is now stuck. They didn't sign up for this. They can't afford the vet bills. They don't have time for daily walks.

The "temporary" solution becomes permanent neglect.

Or worse: a one-way trip to the shelter.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆:

→ Pets end up with people who aren't equipped to care for them
→ Diet, medical needs, and routines get ignored
→ Senior pets with special needs? Almost impossible to rehome
→ Your 12-year-old golden retriever could spend his final months in a concrete kennel

You wouldn't leave your kids' future to chance. Your pets deserve the same consideration.

A pet trust takes about 15 minutes to discuss with your attorney. It names a caregiver. It funds their care. It gives instructions.

Your pet can't advocate for themselves. That's your job.

And that job doesn't end when you're gone.

Bob Weir Died This Weekend. It Hit Me Harder Than I Expected.

If you've been around me long enough, you know the Grateful Dead isn't just background music in my life. It's woven into the fabric. That feeling when Jerry's guitar would slide into a solo and the world would just... slow down.

The band was never about perfection. It was about being present. Alive. Messy, real, communal.

And Bob, his rhythm guitar and that voice, he held it all together.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵.)

When someone like Bob passes, you don't just think about the music. You think about time. About how short and fragile it really is. About the people who shaped you, and what you've done to make sure the things that matter will still matter when you're gone.

That's legacy.

It's not just about what's in a will. It's about the stories, the lessons, the quiet ways you impacted someone else's life.

The Dead taught me that. Bob taught me that.

Thanks for letting me share a piece of my heart this week.

I've got "Standing on the Moon" on heavy rotation.

And to Bob... thanks for the ride.

I always love hearing the Grateful Dead's version of "Peggy-O." It's 500 years old. And it still doesn't have a clear owner.

The song started as a Scottish ballad. Then it became Irish. Then English. Then American folk. Then Jerry Garcia got his hands on it.

Each generation changed the melody. Rewrote the lyrics. Made it their own.

No documentation. No clear lineage. Just transformation after transformation.

(𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘥'𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦.)

Folk songs evolve because there's no plan. No instructions. No structure to preserve the original intent.

Estates work the same way.

Without a trust, your legacy passes through probate, through courts, through family arguments. Each handoff changes it. Erodes it. Transforms it into something you never intended.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗸 𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝘀:

I had a client last year who did it right. Both parents passed within eighteen months of each other. Three adult kids. A house, investments, and a small business.

No probate. No court hearings. No siblings fighting over who gets what.

The trust spelled out everything. Who gets the house. How the business transfers. When distributions happen.

The kids grieved their parents. They didn't grieve through attorneys.

That's what proper planning looks like. Not a folk song passed down through centuries of reinterpretation. A clear, documented transfer of exactly what the parents intended.

"Peggy-O" is beautiful because it evolved organically over 500 years.

Your estate shouldn't work that way.

The families who plan? They preserve what matters.

The ones who don't? They leave behind a melody that changes with every generation until nobody remembers the original.

Your legacy deserves more than oral tradition and good intentions.

Write it down. Put it in a trust. Make sure it stays yours.

Nick Palomba ☁

I don’t just help people lead better I help them lead with purpose, coach with clarity, and protect what matters most.

Across 35+ years in IT including 29+ years at Microsoft I’ve learned a simple truth:
Technology doesn’t transform organizations. Leaders do.
AI creates value only when humans trust it. Cybersecurity succeeds only when leadership owns it. And clarity beats complexity every time.

Today, I serve as the Managing Director of Customer Success for AI, Cybersecurity & Leadership in Microsoft’s Retail & CPG sector, leading nearly 200 experts who support some of the world’s largest, most complex enterprises. Our mission: help customers modernize, secure, and scale while turning every Microsoft investment into measurable business value.

🔥 My Leadership Story

Some leaders count projects.

I count impact missions secured, teams elevated, organizations transformed.

During the COVID-19 crisis, I helped lead mission-critical deployments for:
• Navy Flank Speed
• USAF CHES & Collaboration Pathfinder
• CVR (Commercial Virtual Remote)

These initiatives ensured national mission continuity and protected cloud infrastructure for hundreds of thousands of service members. They reinforced my belief that leadership is the ultimate security control and clarity is the multiplier.

🎤 Industry Presence

I speak globally from Microsoft Ignite to the Gartner Security & Risk Summit shaping executive conversations on AI adoption, cyber resilience, cloud transformation, and modern leadership. My passion is helping leaders build organizations where technology empowers people, not replaces them.

🏛️ Leadership Beyond Tech

I also served as Vice Mayor of Indian Rocks Beach, FL, where governance, fiscal responsibility, and community-first leadership strengthened my commitment to service. Leadership is bigger than business, it’s stewardship.

💡 What I Believe

• Great leaders create more leaders
• AI + cybersecurity are now core leadership skills
• Clarity fuels momentum; momentum fuels transformation
• Purpose isn’t a tagline! it’s a strategy!

🚀 Why Follow Me

If you want bold, practical insights on leadership, AI, and cybersecurity delivered with clarity, energy, and real-world experience you’re in the right place.

Follow me for weekly leadership frameworks, AI strategies, and cybersecurity wisdom.
Let’s build the future of leadership together.

Senior Director, Customer Success - Modern Work - Retail & CPG

Nick Palomba

Bagging a ₹2.5 crore package, Edward’s journey shows extraordinary consistency.

It interested me personally. Do you know what made me interested?

His consistency and dedication.

He reportedly solved 371 coding problems in a single year and practiced at least one problem every day for three straight years.

The success of Edward Nathan from IIT Hyderabad is a powerful reminder that big achievements are built on quiet discipline, not luck 👏.  

This level of dedication sharpened his problem-solving skills, speed, and confidence, which top global recruiters look for. 

His story inspires students everywhere, proving that daily effort, patience, and persistence can turn long-term practice into world-class success.

#edwardnathan #iit #jobs #salary

Nick Palomba 

A young girl falls when her stool collapses — then gets up and finishes the routine without missing a beat.

The clip now has 2.3M views.
And people are divided.

Some see grit.
Some see resilience.
Others notice something else —
no one pauses to check on her.

Carol Dweck says growth comes from how we respond to failure.
But what about how others respond when someone falls?

What do you see?
💪 Determination
or
❤️ A lack of empathy

Comment one word.

Most people think public speaking is about confidence.

It’s not.
It’s about control — of attention, energy, and structure.

What struck me in this framework is how practical it is. No theory. No drama. Just behaviors that work in real rooms, real meetings, real boardrooms.

A few that every leader should internalize:

• Pause is power. Silence after a key point is not awkward — it’s authoritative. It tells the room, “This matters.”
• Structure beats spontaneity. The Rule of Three and callbacks make your message memorable long after the meeting ends.
• Your body speaks before you do. Open palms, grounded posture, and stillness project trust even when you’re nervous.
• Openings decide outcomes. If you own the first 30 seconds, you earn the right to be heard for the next 30 minutes.

The biggest myth we were taught in school?
That speaking well is about fluency or vocabulary.

In reality, great communicators: • design attention
• rehearse intentionally
• let messages land
• and respect the audience’s cognitive limits

For CXOs, founders, and leaders — this isn’t about stage presence.
It’s about decision influence.

Because in leadership, ideas don’t fail on merit.
They fail when they’re not heard, not felt, or not remembered.

Which one of these strategies do you consciously use today — and which one do you need to start practicing this week?

Injustice anywhere does not remain contained — it spreads beyond boundaries and impacts us all. 

We are connected in ways we may not always recognize, bound together by a shared future that rises or falls as one. 

When one person is harmed, the effect ripples outward to everyone. 

When one person stands up, that single spark has the power to ignite an entire movement. 

Choose courage. 
Choose unity. 
Your voice, 
Your actions, and 
Your presence matter more than you realize.

Work smart, not hard.

Hard work fills your day.
Smart work builds your future.

Busy is not productive.
Effort is not impact.

Clarity, systems, and focus
will always beat burnout.

What are you choosing today — effort or outcome?

The AI Revolution: It’s an Upgrade, Not a Replacement
There’s a lot of "the robots are coming for our jobs" energy in the air lately. It’s understandable—change is loud, and AI is the loudest change we’ve seen in decades. But if we shift the lens, a different picture emerges: AI isn't the finish line for your career; it’s the starting block.

Here is why the future belongs to the "Centaur"—the professional who blends human intuition with machine intelligence.

1. The Death of Drudgery

➔ Think about your average workday. How much of it is spent on "the work about the work"? Formatting spreadsheets, drafting routine emails, or summarizing long meetings.
➔ The AI Shift: AI handles the baseline. It takes care of the repetitive, the mundane, and the time-consuming.

The Result: You get your time back to do what humans do best: strategize, empathize, and innovate.

2. Supercharged Creativity

➔ Writer’s block and the "blank page syndrome" are becoming relics of the past. AI acts as a world-class brainstorming partner that never gets tired.
➔ The AI Shift: You can generate 50 outlines, 10 mood boards, or 5 code snippets in seconds.

The Result: You aren't starting from zero; you’re starting from 90%. You become the Editor-in-Chief of your own output, refining and injecting personality into raw data.

3. Closing the Skill Gap

AI is the ultimate "force multiplier." It allows a marketer to understand basic Python, a developer to write compelling copy, and a small business owner to act like a data scientist.
➔ The AI Shift: Complex tools are becoming accessible through natural language.

The Result: Your "tool belt" just got infinitely wider. You can execute high-level tasks that used to require a whole department.

The Reality Check

➔ AI is a tool, and like any tool—from the steam engine to the internet—it rewards those who learn to wield it.
➔ "AI won't replace humans, but humans who use AI will replace humans who don't."
➔ The goal isn't to compete with the machine's speed; it's to direct its power. You provide the context, the ethics, and the "why." The AI provides the "how" at scale.

Bottom line: Don't fear the upgrade. Enjoy the partnership. You aren't being replaced; you're being liberated to do the work that actually matters.

#FutureOfWork #AI #Innovation #Upskilling #TechTrends

Whether you’re a CXO, a founder, or an emerging leader, people don’t look to you for constant answers.
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬.

Leadership isn’t learned in classrooms. It’s learned in moments of pressure.

After 30+ years working with boards, building businesses, and leading teams at different stages, one truth has stayed constant—titles change, roles evolve, but human behavior doesn’t.

Here’s what experience teaches—often the hard way:

• 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬.
The urge to fill every pause fades with maturity. Silence, used well, builds authority. When you speak less, your words carry weight.

• 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝.
Dashboards, reports, and KPIs don’t replace lived reality. Credibility begins when you take time to understand the work, the pressure, and the people behind the outcomes.

• 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥. 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬.
In conflict, volume doesn’t win—composure does. Your tone becomes your credibility long before your logic is heard.

• 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞.
Rushed decisions may look decisive, but they often cost weeks of correction. The best leaders slow down to move sustainably forward.

• 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐱 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.
Force creates resistance. Clarity and patience create ownership. Leadership is about direction, not domination.

• 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠.
Teams mirror your emotional temperature. Panic spreads fast. Belief steadies people when uncertainty is high.

• 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝.
Every reaction teaches someone how to lead—or how not to. Culture is built in small moments, not big announcements.

The biggest lesson across decades?

Leadership isn’t about presence.
It’s about the peace you bring when everything shakes.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲—𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥—𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

Choose what you teach.

Generative AI vs. Traditional AI

Microsoft SkillUp AI

CSU Coaching Circle Facilitator

Copilot for M365 Achiever Badge - Fundamental

Career Essentials in Generative AI by Microsoft and LinkedIn

Get Ready for Generative AI

Leveraging ChatGPT for Smarter Cybersecurity

Generative AI for Business Leaders

edX Verified Certificate for Introduction to Connected Strategy

Certificate for Remote Work Revolution for Everyone

Career Advisory Board - Alumni

Certified Innovation Leader (CIL)

Blockchain Fundamentals

Verified Certificate for Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies

Verified Certificate for Blockchain Technology

Blockchain Basics

Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals

Microsoft 365 Certified Fundamentals

Accessibility in Action

Kellogg: Modern Marketing

Crucial Conversations

Executive Presence

Microsoft MBA Course

Public Media and Communications Training

Blockchain Fundamentals
Blockchain Technologies
Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies 

As a senior leader, you are no stranger to strategy, planning and managing others. But leading a large function or operation requires something more. 

Leading at this level is about spanning the silos that limit growth. It's about grasping the trade-offs between today's needs and tomorrow's priorities — and making the tough calls that affect the organization.

Leading for Organizational Impact enhances your ability to lead while balancing short-term and long-term strategic perspectives. With the advantage of a comprehensive, global, day-in-the-life business simulation, you'll gain a clear view of how your leadership impacts organizational outcomes

10x LinkedIn Top Voice | General Manager - Azure Infrastructure, Copilot, Modern Work & Security | Former Vice Mayor, Indian Rocks Beach, FL | Keynote Speaker | Board Director | Industry Influencer | 19K+ Followers

With over 30 years of IT experience, I am a seasoned and successful leader who drives customer success and business growth through cloud and change management solutions. I am currently the Senior Director, Customer Success - Modern Work, Cybersecurity, Azure Infrastructure - Retail & CPG at Microsoft, where I lead a team of nearly 200 professionals who help our largest enterprise customers realize value from their investment in Microsoft 365 and Security solutions. 

My core competencies include cross-functional team leadership, strategic planning, employee development, account management, and problem-solving. I have a proven track record of delivering outstanding customer satisfaction, ensuring superior 24/7 support, and leveraging IT performance to drive business transformation and modernization. I am passionate about mentoring employees, securing cost savings, and fostering collaboration and innovation. I am also a Prosci-certified change management practitioner, a motivational speaker, a former vice mayor, and a board director. I am committed to serving my customers, my community, and my industry with integrity, excellence, and vision.

Board of Directors of this non-profit, 501(c)3 Amateur Radio organization. The West Central Florida Group, Inc. operates the NI4CE Amateur Radio Repeater Network. The NI4CE system provides an Amateur Radio communications infrastructure along Florida's Gulf Coast and assists the National Weather Service SKYWARN severe weather spotter program during severe weather events. The NI4CE system also operate a full-time NXDN digital repeater near Tampa that is connected to a growing number of other NXDN repeaters in North America.

Support Our Troops

Bob Williams started Our Troops Online to send support items to our troops stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, the Kyrgyz Republic - all places where the nearest drug or discount store is about 12,000 miles away. Much of what ships is snack items donated by generous companies. All of which are enormously popular with the troops. Williams uses the donation money particularly for postage and to buy the “special order” items, requested by the troops, such as Q-tips, CDs, DVDs, batteries, school supplies, and toys. He also sends feminine and personal hygiene items such as; deodorant, shampoo, and cigars, to name a few. - By: Nancy Montgomery European edition, Stars and Stripes. 

IRB Action 2000, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, seeks to transform the Gulf Boulevard Corridor of Indian Rocks Beach, FL and other selected adjacent commercial, tourist and residential areas into vital, thriving, ultra-attractive and highly-desirable areas within which to live, conduct business, shop, dine, vacation and simply enjoy the finer qualities of life.

7 rules of leadership no one teaches you

Microsoft GM & RCG CISO | LinkedIn Top Voice | Agentic AI & Cybersecurity Executive | Fortifying Fortune 100 Resilience in the Autonomous AI Era | Keynote Speaker | 34K+ Leaders Following

Leadership isn’t revealed in what you decide.
It’s revealed in what you say—especially under pressure.

This list looks simple, but it captures something many leaders learn the hard way 👇
Words don’t just communicate intent. They shape behaviour, trust, and outcomes.

When mistakes happen, asking “What can we learn?” keeps ownership alive.
When deadlines are tight, asking “What resources would help?” prevents silent burnout.

When goals aren’t met, asking “What’s blocking our progress?” keeps the focus on systems, not blame.

Great leaders don’t lower standards.
They raise clarity.

What stands out to me most is this shift: ❌ Control-driven language
✅ Capability-driven language

Because:

- Fear creates compliance
- Trust creates commitment
- Curiosity creates performance

In fast-moving environments—whether you’re leading tech teams, business units, or transformations—your phrases become signals:

- Is it safe to speak up?
- Is learning encouraged?
- Is ownership shared?

Leadership is not about having the loudest voice in the room.
It’s about choosing words that make others stronger.

If you’re a leader today, here’s a simple reflection: 👉 Which phrase from this list will you consciously start using this week?

Because sometimes, one sentence can change the direction of an entire team.

High performers don’t have more confidence.

They just rely on it less.

They:

Act before certainty
Decide once instead of renegotiating daily
Use action as a thinking tool

Instead of asking: “Am I confident enough?”

They ask: “What’s the smallest action that gives me feedback?”

That shift changes everything.

Most people don’t get value from Microsoft Copilot for one simple reason.
They don’t prompt it well.
Copilot isn’t magic. It’s precision.

This visual breaks it down beautifully — 15 best practices for writing Copilot prompts — and honestly, this is what separates casual users from power users.

A few reflections from real-world usage 👇

🔹 Copilot works best when you think before you type
If you’re unclear about the objective, Copilot will mirror that confusion.
🔹 Role + context = quality output
When you assign a role (leader, recruiter, marketer, analyst) and add context, the output shifts from generic to usable.
🔹 Constraints are not limitations — they’re accelerators
Word limits, tone, format, exclusions — these help Copilot stay relevant and business-ready.
🔹 One prompt ≠ one question dump
The best results come from focused, single-intent prompts. Clarity beats complexity every time.
🔹 Iteration is part of the process
The most effective Copilot users test, refine, and give feedback — just like working with a high-performing team member.

The biggest mindset shift leaders and professionals need to make is this:

👉 Copilot is not here to replace thinking. It rewards structured thinking.
If you want better outputs:
- Be clear
- Be specific
- Be intentional

And suddenly, Copilot becomes a real productivity partner — not just another tool.

Curious to know 👇

Which of these 15 practices do you already use — and which one are you going to start applying immediately?

#MicrosoftCopilot #PromptEngineering #AIAtWork #FutureOfWork #Productivity #Leadership #DigitalSkills #AIThinking

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 “𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐈” — 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲?

Here are 9 AI Skills to Master in 2026 (If You Want to Stay Relevant)

AI is no longer a single tool you experiment with.
In 2026, AI is a skill stack — and those who treat it casually will be replaced by those who master it intentionally.

Here’s what truly matters:

1. Prompt Engineering
Not asking more questions, but asking the right ones. Precision beats curiosity.

2. AI Workflow Automation
If you’re still doing repetitive tasks manually, you’re wasting human intelligence on machine work.

3. AI Agents
The shift from “AI assists me” to “AI executes for me.” This is where scale begins.

4. Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
Generic answers don’t win. Contextual, data-backed intelligence does.

5. Fine-Tuning & Custom GPTs
AI that sounds like your brand, understands your business, and works for your outcomes.

6. Multimodal AI
Text alone is outdated. The future is text + image + audio + video — working together.

7. AI Video Generation
Content velocity matters. Those who can produce faster will dominate attention.

8. AI Tool Stacking
One tool won’t save you. Systems will. Integration is the new productivity skill.

9. LLM Evaluation & Management
Knowing what AI produces is easy. Knowing how well it performs is leadership.

The real problem?
Most professionals are learning AI tools randomly — not building AI capability deliberately.

In 2026, the winners won’t be the most technical.
They’ll be the most strategic.

Which of these skills are you actively building — and which are you still ignoring?

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝.
At some point, you realise failure isn’t loud or dramatic.
It’s subtle.

- A message left unanswered.
- An effort that didn’t get noticed.
- A decision that didn’t work out the way you hoped.
- And that’s okay.

Failure isn’t a sign to stop.
It’s often a sign that you’re stretching beyond what’s familiar.

What matters isn’t how clean the attempt was.
It’s whether you’re willing to return—
with more clarity, a steadier mind, and less fear of being wrong.

Most meaningful growth comes from repetition, not perfection.

So if today felt like a setback, don’t let it define you.
Reflect. Reset. Re-enter.
Try again.
Not because it’s easy—
but because it’s how real progress is made.

What’s something you kept going with, even after it didn’t work the first time?

Do you believe a wrong hire can break your team? 
Or you have a different experience! 

Let's talk in the comments.

This week, we’re choosing good energy on purpose. 

More peace, more laughter, more small wins adding up, and absolutely ZERO entertaining anything that drains us. 

If you needed a sign that this week is about to be way better than the last one — this is it. 

Send this to your colleague who’s also manifesting a drama-free, blessed, productive week. ✨🐣

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐲, 𝐀𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫.

This "𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐀𝐈" is a fantastic roadmap for anyone looking to build a global personal brand in the tech-driven era.

🗺️ 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩-𝐛𝐲-𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐩

To master AI, you need a solid foundation across several domains:

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐬: Start with an intro to AI trends and move into the "language" of AI: Mathematics (Statistics, Linear Algebra) and Programming (Python, R).
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲: Learn how to handle Big Data (Hadoop, Spark) and the core principles of Data Science, from acquisition to manipulation.
𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬: Deep dive into Machine Learning, Neural Networks, and Deep Learning using frameworks like TensorFlow or Scikit Learn.
𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Use tools like Tableau or PowerBI to turn AI insights into Business Intelligence.

🧠 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝
Understanding the terminology is half the battle:
𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: Algorithms that learn from data to make predictions.
𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: Neural networks with many layers used for complex patterns.
𝐍𝐋𝐏: Interpreting and generating human language—the tech behind the tools we use daily.
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐈: Focuses on text generation, summarization, and language modeling.

🛠️ 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧

The infographic highlights incredible resources to get started today:
𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐓𝐮𝐛𝐞: 3Blue1Brown, Sentdex, and Krish Naik for visual learners.
𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬: FreeCodeCamp, Udacity, and Google AI for structured courses.
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬: Practice your skills using Kaggle or Hugging Face Datasets.

Whether you are a talent partner or an entrepreneur, understanding this roadmap helps you stay ahead of the curve.

Which part of this roadmap are you most excited to explore first?

#ArtificialIntelligence #LearningPath #PersonalBranding #TechEducation #FutureOfWork #MachineLearning

Most New Year resolutions don’t fail because people lack intent.
They fail because leaders confuse ambition with execution.

Every January, I see the same pattern in leadership teams:
• Bigger targets
• More initiatives
• Aggressive timelines
And by March, quiet exhaustion.

From a leadership lens, resolutions fail for one simple reason:
They are declared, not designed.
Strategy without structure is hope.
Goals without systems are pressure.

If you want real results this year, here’s what actually works:

3 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬

1. 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 “𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬” 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 90-𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
Leaders overestimate what teams can sustain for 12 months and underestimate what they can execute in 90 days.

Short cycles create:
• Focus
• Accountability
• Faster course correction

Ask this instead:
What must be undeniably true 90 days from now?

2. 𝐓𝐢𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐫, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬
Revenue targets don’t change behaviour.
Operating habits do.
Instead of saying:
“Grow faster”

Define:
• What decisions change?
• What meetings stop?
• What gets reviewed weekly?

Execution improves when expectations are behavioural, not aspirational.

3. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲
Strong leaders plan for disruption, fatigue, and learning curves.
Weak plans assume perfect execution.

If your plan has no buffer for:
• People learning
• Mistakes
• Market shifts

It’s not ambitious — it’s fragile.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬.

Because sustainable performance is not about motivation at the start of the year —
It’s about disciplined leadership every week after.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫?

The 2030 Talent Strategy: It’s Not About Replacing Humans, It’s About "Steel-Manning" Them.
In my 30 years of scaling global teams and IT, I’ve seen many "game-changers." But what we are facing by 2030 isn't just a shift in tools—it’s a shift in the very nature of professional value.

If you want to stay relevant in a borderless economy, you need to understand two things: which skills are gaining momentum and how to use AI to make your own logic bulletproof.

1. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 2030
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫:the most valued skills by 2030 are high-level human-tech hybrids:
𝐀𝐈 & 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞: This is the #1 skill expected to matter more by 2030.
Idea Generation & Critical Thinking: While basic coding and manual tasks lose importance, the ability to generate and stress-test ideas is becoming a top-tier asset.
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞: In a global market, the ability to pivot is no longer a "soft skill"—it is a core survival requirement.

2. 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 "𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥’𝐬 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞":
To lead in this new era, you must stop viewing AI as just a "helper" and start viewing it as a strategic partner to find holes in your logic:
𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐢𝐚𝐬: Use AI to flag confirmation bias and emotional blind spots in your decision-making.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐦: Ask AI to assume your project fails in 6 months and list the top 5 reasons why. This forces you to address vulnerabilities before they happen.
𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐥-𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: The ultimate goal is to use AI to challenge your hypotheses so that you can build a robust, hard-to-defeat argument by addressing every AI-found hole.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞
The future doesn't belong to the person who works the hardest; it belongs to the person who thinks the clearest.

By combining Global Brand Authority with AI-driven logic, you aren't just filling a role—you are becoming a non-negotiable leader in the global marketplace.

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐭𝐨 "𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬-𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭" 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 2026 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲? Let's discuss how you're upskilling in those communities.

#FutureOfWork #AILeadership #GlobalTalent #2030Skills #StrategicThinking

𝐇𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞: 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐬 "𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐓 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭," 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝.
24% of organizations have deployed AI company-wide. 
Another 24% are scaling fast. Meanwhile, 70% of AI pilots are dying in the lab—not from lack of technology, but from lack of leadership.
🚀 𝐒𝐨 𝐂𝐈𝐎𝐬, 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

The game has changed. CIOs are no longer infrastructure managers. 
You're business strategists. 
You're transformation leaders. 
You're the architects of competitive advantage.

Here's what separates winners from the rest:

1️⃣ Foundation First (or Fail Fast)
You can't build a skyscraper on quicksand. 70% of AI pilots fail because of weak data governance and security gaps. Period.

Before you chase the shiny AI use case:
Lock down your data quality and compliance
Shut down oversharing & insider risks
Build a culture where responsible AI isn't optional—it's automatic

2️⃣ Break Down the Silos (Yes, ALL of Them)
27% of data leaders say their biggest roadblock is... drumroll ...lack of business stakeholder buy-in.

AI transformation can't live in IT alone. Your success depends on deep partnerships with:
HR (talent transformation)
Finance (ROI measurement)
Marketing (customer experience)
Legal (compliance and risk)
Sales & Ops (revenue impact)
The shift: Stop asking for a seat at the table. Own the conversation. Make AI strategy everyone's priority, not just yours.

3️⃣ Tools ≠ Transformation
Giving employees AI tools without enablement is like handing out gym memberships & expecting instant six-packs.
69% of CIOs plan to upskill employees on AI. Only 15% feel their workforce is actually ready.

Close that gap:
Create clear learning paths & AI fluency programs
Build safe spaces for experimentation (failure is feedback)
Embed AI into daily workflows, not one-off projects
Empowered employees = scalable impact. Every time.

4️⃣ Show Me the Money
Adoption metrics are cute. ROI metrics get board approval.
Track what actually matters: 
📊 Readiness – Are your systems & people prepared? 
📈 Adoption – Are teams actually using AI consistently? 
💰 Impact – What's the measurable lift in productivity, revenue, & satisfaction?
Stop talking about AI potential. Start proving AI performance.

5️⃣ The Next Frontier: Intelligent Agents
Personal productivity AI was phase one. We're entering phase two: autonomous intelligent systems that reason, act, & complete complex workflows.

Think AI researchers, analysts, & collaborators embedded directly into operations—expanding capacity, accelerating decisions, and driving innovation at machine speed.

Frontier Firms are already there. Are you?

So here's my question for you: Are you managing technology, or are you leading transformation?
Drop your biggest AI challenge in the comments. Let's solve it together.

CIOs Generative AI Playbook

Watch the video!!!

“How am I supposed to get better if I only get two reps?” 🤔

Tom Brady asked that long before he became Tom Brady.

We’ve all been there — watching others get the big projects, the visibility, the trust…
while we’re stuck with the leftovers. 😤
It feels unfair.
It feels limiting.
It feels like you’re being overlooked.

But here’s the truth:
Your response to this moment determines whether you ever break through.

View newsletter: Nick Palomba's Leadership Lens

“How am I supposed to get better if I only get two reps?” 🤔 Tom Brady asked that long before he became Tom Brady. We’ve all been there — watching oth

Open article: Leadership Is Built in the Two Reps You’re Ignoring 💥 by Nick Palomba • 3 min read

Leadership Is Built in the Two Reps You’re Ignoring 💥

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The Battle

Andrew Ayers

Nick Palomba

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taplio

The Battle

Andrew Ayers

Nick Palomba

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Andrew Ayers's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreNick Palomba's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreAndrew Ayers's LinkedIn Performance