About
How I think
I am a member of Mensa, which means I fulfill the technical requirements to call myself a “genius”, i.e. IQ over 130. But my greatest intellectual strength is not an IQ in the 140 range, but rather than over the last 15 years I have trained my brain to spend as little time as possible thinking about the obvious, which lets me jump straight to the creative problem solving step while most people are still grasping the basics of a situation.
If you come to me with a problem, I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you are smart enough to have considered all the obvious answers. So my process focuses more on broad trends and root causes, as well as making sure that you are asking the right questions, and trying to solve the most relevant problem. I also rely on a global network of thousands of professional contacts from all walks of life to either provide inspiration, or to help refine crazy concepts into workable solutions.
If this all sounds a bit vague, that’s understandable. My process is different for each client and in general if you are coming to me, it’s because you haven’t been able to find your answers using conventional methods. Or you simply haven’t liked any of the answers you’ve been given.
I don’t offer free consultations because most people disregard free advice, even when it’s good advice. But I do offer a flat rate of $50 for up to 2 hours of my initial time. If I can’t help you with your problem, or if you don’t need or aren’t open to a creative solution, I will generally cut the initial consultation short and return your money.
I have also traveled extensively throughout my life, and have had meaningful conversations with over 10,000 people from all walks of life and cultures. This exposure has helped me understand what makes people tick, what they are afraid of, and what they wish they had the confidence to pursue. I’ve also extensively studied the field of Happiness; most people are unaware that there are 7 distinct types of happiness. They are also unaware that many of the things they are currently doing to be more happy either don’t actually contribute, or the positive effect is less than the negative effect on a different area of happiness.
My NGO work
The World Spirit of the Game Foundation was formed to help individuals and organizations take Personal Accountability for their Impact on the world.
SpiritoftheGame.org (Co-Founder, Managing Director, and Lead Philosopher)
10 Million Discs uses the unique sport of Ultimate frisbee to teach conflict resolution, gender respect, and personal accountability all over the world, with many of our programs focused on helping to bridge gaps in society.
10MillionDiscs.org (Founder and President)
My Hobbies
I am an amateur board game designer with over 40 games in various levels of development, most simply waiting for me to find the time to get them published. Almost all of my games have a strong theme and storyline and are designed with multiple levels of difficulty so that even people who don’t normally play games will find them enjoyable, but experienced gamers can also play the more complicated versions. One long term goal is to create a division of Creative Solutions which designs games specifically for individual companies or industry associations. When I find the time 🙂
Another unique hobby business is making flower pots without using any tools other than fire and air. Stumppots.wordpress.com
I’m a retired semi-professional Ultimate frisbee player and run coaching clinics for beginners all the way up to world elite players.
My final hobby is my 2 ½ year old son, who is amazing, aggravating, wonderful, and confusing; sometimes all of the above in the space of a few moments.