Tracy Davidson on why the best stories aren’t found on the screen, but within ourselves. “Whatever it is they’ve been afraid to do or thought that they couldn’t do it, I hope they leave braver than when they came in.” — Tracy Davidson I recently sat down with Tracy Davidson, […]
Thoughts from a First-Time Grandfather There is a specific kind of “noise” we all carry. It’s the hum of unfinished emails, the pressure of quarterly targets, and the mental weight of a to-do list that never ends. We spend so much time sprinting toward the next finish line that we often forget to look […]
Grant Otto on what 1,000 feet underwater can teach us about career purpose and the power of “waiting.” “The biggest ‘career moves’ don’t start with a resume; they start with curiosity.” I recently sat down with Grant Otto, a marine scientist and researcher specializing in marine robotics. If that sounds like […]
Leaders spend a lot of time thinking about strategy, hiring, and growth. But culture is often shaped by something much smaller: the expectations we reinforce every day. Over the course of my career, I’ve sat through more bad meetings than I care to count. Meetings with no agenda. Too many people in the […]
A conversation with community banker Marc Pelletier on trust, credit, and how entrepreneurs can walk into the bank with confidence I’ve met many people over the years who have helped shape my business, but today’s guest holds a special place in my story. On this episode of Outside Insights, I sat […]
The Placers 500, the race to our critical number, and how we win by putting people first Every year at Placers, we choose a theme that’s more than a phrase on a slide or a poster on a wall. It becomes a lens, a story, and a way to see our work, our people, […]
Why slowing down, listening better, and taking the long way still matters I sat down with Jeff Ton expecting a conversation about leadership and history. What I didn’t expect was how much we’d end up talking about attention, where we place it, how rarely we slow down, and what happens when we […]
Why looking back honestly is the best way to plan what’s next Every year, I set goals. I’ll be the first to admit I have an overcomplicated way of thinking about my year. You don’t need to do it my way. Do what works for you. The point is to choose a path […]
What building, letting go, and choosing life taught Sam Maddula about leadership, values, and what really matters I had the opportunity to sit down with Sam Maddula, a founder whose career does not fit a clean headline. What stood out immediately wasn’t the size of the business he built, but the decisions […]
A reflection on ownership, leadership, and what actually moved the needle this year When you spend a year in conversation with leaders, professionals, and thinkers across industries, as I have through Outside Insights and Placers, you start to notice what actually sticks. Not the trends. Not the headlines. The patterns. And the […]
