As the plane floundered dramatically from left-to-right, plummeting nose up and tail down, with an auditory symphony of gasps, screams, prayers, and expletives, the seeds of Shift to Succeed were firmly planted within me, as I wondered if this would be the last chapter in my life story. 

With my head in my lap, I reached for my phone, typed, ‘I love you,’ and pushed ‘Send.’ If that was going to be my last moments on this beautiful planet, I wanted my final message to my wife and kids to be, ‘I Love You.’ After pushing ‘Send,’ my phone said, ‘Not Delivered.’ 

The plane began shaking badly and making such erratic swings in every direction that all I could do was hold on tight to the seat in front of me, knowing my message was not delivered. Miraculously, the pilots landed the plane. As the emergency crews arrived, all the passengers and flight attendants sat in their seats in complete silence. I reached for my phone and noticed my text message still read, ‘Not Delivered.’ The 8 letters of ‘I Love You,’ remained locked in my phone. I became very aware in that moment that I was still alive and my life needed to be the communicator of that undelivered digital message, not a cell phone thousands of miles away. 

The shift had begun, soon to be met by numerous challenges, including a PTSD diagnosis with an inability to fly, which was detrimental to a person who made a living as a public speaker. With relationships, career, and health hanging in the balance, my responses to all that faced me would determine my future. I knew one thing for sure; the quality of my life would depend greatly on the quality of the questions that I asked.  

This journey of asking and answering better questions ultimately led to the High Performance Institute, where I earned the esteemed title and endorsement of “Certified High Performance Coach.”  I began the long process of bringing healing to my body, mind, spirit, family, and career. The doctors and therapist I worked with were amazed at the healing that took place, but I was both determined and equipped to facilitate it. I later founded Shift to Succeed so that I could offer High Performance Coaching and be an instrument of positive change.