In this episode, I slow things down and start doing something new: learning from myself instead of defending myself.

I open with a reflection on Tony Stark—not the superhero, but the man behind the suit—and why that character has always resonated with me. What draws me in isn’t power or spectacle, but the idea of someone who repeatedly fails, adapts, and grows. That becomes the lens for this episode: recognizing patterns, learning from mistakes, and accepting that this podcast is part of my own origin story.

From there, the episode shifts into something more personal. I talk about finally writing things down, recording with intention instead of impulse, and letting go of the need to justify why I’m doing this at all. If you’re here, it’s because you chose to be—and I’m learning that I don’t need to perform or persuade to be worth listening to.

The core of this episode is football. I start what will become an ongoing series about “my football life,” tracing how deeply the sport shaped my identity—from playing, to coaching, to organizing my entire life around the season. I walk through my early coaching years, the frustration of working under poor leadership, the chaos of youth football, and the rare moments of joy that made it all feel worth it.

But this isn’t a highlight reel. It’s about burnout, disillusionment, and the quiet realization that something that once defined me may no longer fit. I reflect on success, failure, ego, loyalty, and the emotional weight of possibly walking away from a passion I never imagined living without.

The episode closes on a metaphor from Assassin’s Creed: reaching a point where you’ve seen enough, done enough, and have to decide whether to keep chasing power—or leave it behind. This is me standing at that crossroads, thinking out loud, and inviting you along as I figure out what comes next.