Momentum in Motion

Training for my first half-marathon became an unexpected masterclass in career growth. The miles, the mindset, the music — all reminders that progress isn’t about pace, it’s about persistence.

When I crossed the finish line of my first half marathon last week, I was at the back of the pack. I wasn’t in any way fast.
I wasn’t flashy.
But I finally let it sink in during that last difficult mile - I was faster than 95% of people who never start.

That realization stuck with me — because it mirrors everything I’ve been seeing lately: in leaders, in teams, in this whole new world of work. Starting matters more than perfection. The real work is staying in motion when it’s messy, slow, or uncertain.

We’re all running our own version of this race.
The old playbooks are gone. The future of work (and frankly society) is being written by each of us, one bold move at a time.


This is our moment. Time to lace up. Let’s go!

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Lessons from the Road:

Some runs are fueled by training plans; others are powered by people, belief, and a few clutch essentials.

Big shoutout to my daughter Lea, whose “can do, will do, have done” energy gets me off the couch and back on the starting line. Thanks to everyone who said I could - and to those who doubted. You all fueled the miles more than you can know.

Other MVPs: Brooks running shoes (get fitted; your feet deserve it), Kind Bars (weirdly perfect for long runs), And I can’t forget the Nike Run Club app — Nike’s Global Head Coach, Coach Bennett, has a way of turning running into a philosophy for life.
His guided runs sound less like fitness training and more like mindset work — the kind that sneaks up on you mid-stride and stays with you long after you stop. Here’s what stuck with me and may inspire you:

Acceptance & Effort

“If you can’t do the run you want, do the run you can.”
“Every run has a purpose.”
“It’s okay to be scared... It’s okay to be stressed... It’s okay to be confused.”
“Being scared is an opportunity to be brave.”
“Struggling is a sign of successfully not giving up.”

🔑 Running (and work) isn’t about getting it right — it’s about getting out there. The effort is the win.

Growth & Self-Compassion

“Running is about lifting yourself up and celebrating yourself, not punishing yourself.”
“Don’t run to lose something. Run to gain something.”
“One run won’t fix everything... but one run can help.”
“If I want to continue to learn and become better, I first need to acknowledge my own limits and shortcomings.”

🔑 Perfection is boring. Growth happens in the middle miles — where you face the limits, feel the doubt, and keep going anyway.

Recovery & Sustainability

“If you’re always going as fast as you can, you’re not going to get very far.”
“Great running depends on great recovery.”

🔑 You can’t sprint your way to sustainable success. Progress requires pacing, pause, and the guts to rest before the next climb.

Purpose & Gratitude

“Fill your life with great verbs. That will surround you with the right nouns and you will live a life that merits the best adjectives.”
“Stopping isn’t quitting — quitting is when you stop starting.”
“Gratitude runs: for the people in your life, the body that carries you, and the planet you get to run on.”

🔑 It’s not about achievement — it’s about meaning. And gratitude, in motion, becomes its own kind of strength.

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Final Inspirtion

🎧 The “Main Character” Playlist

My running playlist carried me through 140 miles of training and a lot of reflection.
It’s fuel — for momentum, clarity, and remembering who the heck you are! I have pulled a few songs for an exercise to unlock your “Main Character Energy”.

Try this:
Play a few songs and listen as if you’re both the singer and the subject.
Recongize that the lyrics are speaking to you and about you . . . you are . . . living your life like it is golden, or giving yourself praise as you should. You are falling in love with yourself, and will do whatever it takes. . . etc.

🎵 Apple Music 🍎

🎧 Spotify 🟢

Song List

• Don’t Want to Be — Gavin DeGraw

• Golden — Jill Scott

• Praise You — Fatboy Slim

• I Believe — Stevie Wonder

• Whatever It Takes — Imagine Dragons

• Heroes — David Bowie

• Bulletproof — La Roux

• Like a Star — Corinne Bailey Rae

• Sometimes I Get a Good Feeling — Etta James

• Ah Yeah — Robert Glasper

• All I Do — Stevie Wonder

• Tell Me Why — Gotts Street Park & Olive Jones

• All Over the World — ELO

• Take Yo’ Praise — Camille Yarbrough

• Don’t Let Me Down — The Chainsmokers

• Here Comes the Sun — Nina Simone

Hope you enjoy.
And let me know if you have other songs that motivate you. I would love to add them to the list.