Most people look at a resume and search for “stability.” They want to see ten years at one firm, a steady climb, and a predictable path. But my resume has a secret history that doesn’t show up in the bullet points: I attended 14 schools before I graduated high school and I graduated at just 16 years of age.
From Southern California to the state of Washington, and back down through the gold country of Northern California, my childhood was a series of “new kid” orientations. While others were building lifelong childhood friendships, I was learning a much more rare and valuable skill: How to read a room in thirty seconds or less.
The Survivalist as a Consultant
When you move that much, you don’t have the luxury of settling in. You have to assess new environments, new energies, and new personalities instantly. You learn who the “squishers” are, who the “bridge-builders” are, and where the power actually lies.
This instability wasn’t a deficit; it was my apprenticeship. It gave me a Humanity-forward perspective that you simply can’t learn in an MBA program. It taught me that:
Context is everything: What works in one “school” (or corporate culture) will fail in another.
Resilience is a muscle: You don’t just “get over” change; you learn to leverage it.
Authority isn’t a title: It’s a presence that comes from being secure in who you are, even when the ground beneath you is shifting.
Building The Good Measure
This is why I named my leadership and consulting firm The Good Measure. In my world, “The Good Measure” isn’t just about spreadsheets or Six Sigma metrics—though we use those, too. It’s about the Bridge.
The bridge in our logo represents the transition from the “Dark Tuesdays” of instability and poor leadership to a place of Alignment and Empathy. It represents the Bridge Leader—someone who can stand in the middle, recognize the value on both sides of an opinion, and collate the goodness from differing perspectives to lead to the best possible outcome.
Why Not You?
I moved out on my own at 16 because I refused to be squished by the blustering energy of an insecure household. I’ve spent the rest of my life proving that you don’t need a “stable” beginning to build a “stable” empire.
Whether I’m coaching a small business owner in Folsom or drafting a leadership fable, my message is the same: You are already enough. You have a right to be, a right to want, and a right to lead.
If your “path” has been messy, don’t hide it. That mess is your measure.
Explore the Pyle of Goodness Ecosystem
Master Your AI Partnership
- The Free Tool: – Why Better Prompts Stop Working.
- The Master Guide: THE DIGITAL CLONE – Get the full 3-in-1 system for $29.47.
The Heart & The Grind
- Gratitude Series – Resources to anchor your soul.
- Free the Bean – Coffee for those who do the work.
Clothed in Kindness – Apparel that carries a message.