Before you build anything, you have to be present. Leonardo da Vinci called it Sensazione—the sharpening of the senses. Mastery isn’t just about practice; it’s about awareness. The hand follows the eye, the eye follows the mind, and the mind follows presence. In a distracted world, the builder’s true edge is stillness, focus, and attention. Sharpen your senses, and the work will sharpen itself.

The idea of the self-made builder is a myth. Every builder is shaped by others—mentors, teammates, hard lessons. Real strength isn’t doing it all alone; it’s knowing when to ask, who to trust, and how to build relationships that hold under pressure. After decades in the field, I’ve come to believe this: you can build alone, but you’ll build better with others—and you’ll last longer, too.

In a fast, digital world, I still sketch by hand—because clarity often arrives through the pencil, not the screen. Sketching slows the mind just enough to reveal what matters. It’s not about aesthetics—it’s about presence, trust, and thinking through your hands. For me, and for the clients I serve, drawing is more than a tool—it’s a way back to clarity, and often, the beginning of real solutions.