.svg)
.jpg)
I remember a night in 2005 or 2006 I was a young dad, just starting my company. Our church was doing a Halloween trunk-or-treat, and my kids were lit up about it. Costumes, excitement, the whole thing.
I showed up mentally, emotionally, and physically empty.
What came out of me that night was anger. I wasn't angry at anyone. Nobody had done anything wrong. Nobody had done anything to hurt my feelings or make me mad. They were just kids excited about an evening. But I was miserable, walking through that gym, bitter about being there, and I couldn't even explain why.
Looking back, that night tells a harder story. I had spent so much energy trying to be successful, trying to earn credibility, climb the mountain of entrepreneurship, provide for my family — that I was actually failing at home. I wasn't emotionally available for my kids because I had nowhere to take my struggles. No one to share my questions and concerns with. No one to remind me I wasn't alone. My tank was empty, and my kids were asking for something I had nothing left to give. When someone needs something from you that you don't have, it can make you feel bitter. I wished I had some for myself, let alone for them.
And the hardest part was that I could see it happening. It was almost like being outside my own body, watching myself and knowing I shouldn't feel this way, knowing I shouldn't be treating them this way, and yet I couldn't get out of my own way.
That is a big part of why Live & Lead by Design exists. Not just to teach leadership content or provide coaching, but to create a community where entrepreneurs and leaders can tell the truth about how they feel, find others who understand, and go back to their families full-hearted, present, and fully themselves.
.svg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
In 2015, I hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim in a single day. About 26 miles, starting at 3 a.m. in the dark, down the North Rim, across the bottom, and up the South Rim. It's like hiking a reverse mountain. You start by going down, and the hardest part is at the end, climbing nearly seven miles of switchbacks straight up a rock face in the sun.
The real work is learning to actually notice what’s driving you. When you take the time to strengthen the inner system that carries everything else, you can stay steady, clear-headed, and connected to your people even when the stakes are incredibly high. That is the real foundation.
Curtis Rippee joins the Decision Points podcast to discuss the Entrepreneurial Operating System, the value of understanding natural talents and unique abilities, and how EOS can help businesses address people-centered challenges and improve long-term value.
.svg)
Curtis Rippee joins The Driven Crowd Podcast to discuss his path from accounting and entrepreneurship to becoming an EOS Implementer. In the conversation, Curtis shares practical insight on business growth, leadership team alignment, solving issues, and why outside perspective can help entrepreneurs get more of what they want from their business.
