Endurance Through the Winter
In the winter of 1777, George Washington led a ragtag army into Valley Forge. Freezing, hungry, and outmatched, the odds were against them. Many thought the cause was lost. Yet through persistence, grit, and teamwork, they emerged months later transformed—not broken, but battle-ready. That moment of endurance kept the dream of America alive.
Launching this website has felt like my own Valley Forge. Not because I lacked shoes or food, but because the road to getting this space live was long, full of trials, and often discouraging. After many attempts, countless conversations, and more than a few setbacks, I’m thrilled to say—it’s here.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Just like Washington didn’t carry the burden alone, I didn’t either. My greatest ally in this battle has been my designer and wife, Shanon. Together, through patience, teamwork, and persistence, we pushed this project over the finish line and out the door.
Let me tell you, like Washington who went through the winter, we started out last winter on another journey—doing AI art as a business model. I took it back to my photography roots and my love of the National Parks of America, creating close to 500 images of places I loved.
Through a careful curation process, my art curator—Shanon, who has a sharp eye for design and aesthetics—cut that number significantly, and then I made more images based on her recommendations. That business model propelled us forward because it expanded our learning muscles.
Training Under Pressure
Just like Washington’s ragtag army learned discipline and strength under the training of Baron von Steuben, we trained ourselves on many things—Shanon being the chief trainer and me learning from her.
The biggest takeaway from that endeavor for me was realizing that my imagery was never meant to be a standalone product but was to be fully integrated into my greater heart’s desire: helping people lead themselves to greater purpose and significance. In that sense, it pushed me to further create The 318 Way.
Strategic Pivoting
After talking about that reality with my wife, art critic, designer, and best partner ever, we made a strategic shift: we decided to align all my products and services under one brand rather than fragment them across different brands and websites.
The formidable challenge lay ahead, and we accepted it for what it was. Or stated another way, Baron von Steuben’s training started all over again. Patience, resilience, focus, determination, perseverance, grit, fortitude—you name it—had to show up as we started to recreate ourselves. Nothing like restarting yourself after you just did it four months ago.
It turns out we are not unlike many startups: 70% of successful startups have pivoted from their original idea. Far from being a sign of failure, adapting early is often a sign of future success. That statistic gave me perspective. It reminded me that retooling isn’t weakness—it’s leadership. It’s the willingness to step back, re-evaluate, and say: this is where we need to go next.
The Power of Collaboration
Like Valley Forge, the pivot wasn’t easy! Business plans were rewritten and rewritten again. Shanon and I leaned on each other for our different talents, having harder conversations, late-night brainstorming sessions, and the vulnerable work of asking, what is best for us?
What came out of that was not just a new business, but a stronger sense of purpose and clarity about the work I truly want to do for our family and how best to represent it.
I am sure Washington leaned on many during the winter of 1776. We know he did, leveraging the talents, minds, and heartbeats of Nathanael Greene, Henry Knox, Alexander Hamilton, John Glover and the Marblehead Mariners, Congressional envoys like Robert Morris, trusted generals, young talent, and even ordinary fishermen to carry the cause through its darkest days.
Trust me when I say: this was a mutual effort by my wife and me to get this up and running the way we, both saw it. And now I can say, like Washington did to the British Army—I am here!
Lessons from Valley Forge
More than just letting you know the website is live, I’m sharing two stories about leading oneself to greater heights than one thinks possible. What ties these stories together?
1. Endurance through adversity – Washington’s army endured extreme conditions; we endured setbacks, long nights, and pivots.
2. Teamwork and collaboration – Washington leaned on others; we leaned on each other, combining strengths to overcome obstacles.
3. Persistence and resilience – Both stories show the value of grit, patience, and sticking to the mission despite discouragement.
4. Learning and growth under pressure – The army was trained and transformed; we trained our creativity, business acumen, and decision-making muscles.
5. Vision and purpose driving action – Both efforts were anchored in a bigger goal: liberty and nation-building for Washington and helping others lead themselves to purpose for us.
6. Strategic pivoting and adaptation – Washington adapted his strategies; we pivoted our business approach while staying aligned with our ultimate vision.
Join the Journey
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. The journey isn’t over—every day brings new challenges, new lessons, and new opportunities to grow.
If you want to follow along, get insights, and receive weekly inspiration for leading your life, your career, and your business sign up for our newsletter. It’s the best way to stay connected, learn from our journey, and get tools to help you lead yourself to your own breakthroughs.
And of course, feel free to explore the site, check out our curated collections, and see how this work might inspire you in your own path. The journey continues, and we’d love for you to be part of it.
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