My word for 2025 was heartsick.
On December 16th, I lost one of the most important people inmy life — Leslie Kathleen Adams. Athlete, philanthropist, Rotarian, Paul HarrisFellow, and more than a friend. She was family.
Before Season 9 goes one episode further, I needed to talkabout her. Because she is the reason this season exists the way it does — andshe is the reason I’m done living small.
In this episode Ishare:
→ Who Leslie was — the athlete, the traveler, the giver
→ What her death cracked open in me
→ What “living small” actually looks like (and howI recognized it in myself)
→ What changes now — travel, business, showing up fully
→ The full-circle story of Uncle Jaysen, volleyball, and aphoto I’d never seen
This one is vulnerable. It’s real. And if you’ve ever waitedfor the “right time” to start living the life you actually want —this episode is for you.
Season 9 is dedicated to Leslie Kathleen Adams. Everyepisode. Every honest conversation. Every time I show up fully instead ofhalfway. This is for her.
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Chapters:
00:00 – “My word for 2025 was heartsick.” — Theopening
01:00 – Who was Leslie Kathleen Adams? How we met:Microsoft, Reno, 2011 — two decades apart, one family
03:00 – The walls of her office: a life already fully lived
04:00 – 2025 — the hardest year, and what grief actuallylooks like
06:00 – The athlete:volleyball, skiing, golf, cycling — she did it all
10:00 – “Anyone who knew Leslie would not describe heras someone who waited.”
12:30 – It’s not about the finish line — it’s about who’sbeside you
13:00 – The honest truth: where I’ve been playing small inbusiness
14:00 – Coaching volleyball and stepping back from grief
15:30 – What’s coming next: travel, business goals, andmoving forward
16:00 – Denver Broncos, birthday football games, and anunexpected connection
17:00 – The full-circle mystery: Reno, UNR, and a pictureI’d never seen
20:00 – The Country Music Cruise: the last big trip together
21:00 – Adding a travel agency license — what’s next for thebusiness
22:00 – “It doesn’t feel like a choice not to playsmall anymore. It feels like I’m responsible.” 22:30 – ⭐THE MOMENT: “The right time is right now. It’s today.”
23:00 – The Season 9 dedication to Leslie
24:00 – The Paul Harris Fellow: Rotary’s spirit of serviceabove self
27:00 – Stop playing small: personal health, community,business — all of it
28:00 – The eulogy moment: Uncle Jaysen, volleyball, and aphoto nobody expected
30:00 – Full circle: the room at the memorial, the throughline of Leslie
31:00 – Final words: lean in, stand up, stand out
