Shepherd's Gate

There are some days when I find myself questioning my own sanity. There’s been a good number of people who doubt me and remind me that it's not every day that someone decides to leave a job with a hefty salary of nearly a quarter million dollars, especially just six weeks before receiving their end-of-year bonus. And yet, here I am, embarking on not one, not two, but now three new business ventures simultaneously, all while juggling the responsibilities of a young family and putting the finishing touches on my first book, set to be published in early August. I am confident in myself and knew this journey would likely be one of the most challenging seasons of my life. Even so, I would be lying if I told you I do not have days where I doubt myself.

But perhaps my inclination to take such risks and pursue multiple endeavors is not entirely unfounded. Throughout my life, I've always had a unique perspective on the world, seeing things differently from most people. And now, with the rapid advancements in technology, the rise of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of work in a post-COVID era, it's no wonder that anxiety, distrust, overwhelm, and burnout have become pervasive in the corporate landscape. It was definitely part of the reason I made my decision to go my own way, independent of a large corporation.

Thankfully, I recently stumbled upon a couple of books that have provided me with some much-needed reassurance and guidance. "The Start-Up of You" and "Thank You for Being Late" have been invaluable resources, offering insightful commentaries on the current state of career development. These authors have shed light on the growing concerns and dissatisfaction that many individuals experience in their professional lives, validating my own hypothesis.

In a world where the rules are constantly changing, it's comforting to know that I'm not alone in my feelings of uncertainty and restlessness. While it may seem crazy to some, I believe that embracing change, taking risks, and pursuing multiple passions is the key to finding fulfillment and success in this ever-evolving landscape. So, perhaps I'm not crazy after all. I am stepping out in faith, daring to forge my own path in a world that is still trying to figure out what the future holds, and ruthlessly focused on fulfilling what I believe God is calling me to do - which is to be a shepherd to help guide people through these volatile times.

You know, a few years ago, I considered myself a staunch and uncompromising capitalist. But then I started thinking about my own career experiences and realized that there were areas where capitalism could use some improvement. Don't get me wrong, I still think that capitalism is the best system we have for encouraging innovation and growth, but like everything else in life, it has its flaws. The biggest flaw, in my opinion, is that money is the main driving force behind capitalism, which can lead to abuse and centralized control, influence, and power. Throughout history, centralized power has been one of the biggest culprits of human suffering. The proliferation and exponential growth of disruptive technology are leading to an inflection point whereby independence and decentralization have never been more accessible as the former barriers have virtually disappeared, but conversely, conforming to a centralized authority has become increasingly convenient and tempting.

Now, when I talk about abuse, I don't mean illegal activities. We already have plenty of laws and regulations in place, and I don't think more regulations are the answer. What I mean is the everyday consequences of people acting solely in their own self-interest. Sure, self-interest isn't always a bad thing, but when taken to the extreme, it often results in injustice and suffering. It does not take a lot of research to find various examples of this, maybe most notably, the Industrial Revolution and the period of Robber Baron Capitalism and how quickly generational wealth and power became concentrated among a very small group of people (to be clear I have no problem with generational wealth, but I do have a problem with using predatory and immoral tactics to hoard resources, money, and power).

For years, I've been trying to come up with solutions to these problems. I've read about conscious capitalism, servant leadership, and other ideas, and while they have a lot to offer, they don't fully address the issue of money and profits being the main, or one of, the main motivators in a capitalist system. Plus, how likely is it that enough people would adopt these ideas to make a real difference? I don't want to criticize well-meaning organizations and ideas that aim to solve big problems in society. In fact, I owe a lot to those ideas for shaping my own philosophy. But where does that leave us?

The truth is profit is necessary. Without profit, even the most well-intentioned enterprise won't be able to sustain itself. I understand that. But is it possible for an organization to exist and thrive without profit being the main objective? And if so, what could be the central objective of the business that would create a more benevolent incentive structure while still being sustainable and driving innovation and growth?

I've struggled with this question for years, but I finally have an idea that I believe may be an answer. Value, but not just any value - shared value. Now, you might wonder, what's the difference between value and profit/money? Well, value represents the worth of something, and while it can be measured in monetary terms, it's not just about the money itself. Value is intrinsic and goes beyond mere financial gain.

Value is typically long-term focused, whereas profits are just one aspect of what comprises value and are typically short-term focused. Value trumps profits.

Second, when I refer to value and shared value, I also refer to values as principles, morals, and ethics. Essentially, from both a B2B and consumer perspective, if we align, partner with, and purchase from organizations, customers, and vendors that share our values, we can, in essence, create a competitive environment that champions a spirit of collaboration. Again, there is no mistaking the importance of competition - but if we look around, we see collaborative competition all the time. For example, when you see professional athletes play contact sports like football, you will see them compete at the highest levels, but you rarely see players try to hurt or injure others purposefully for the sake of winning.

Moreover, I have been in consulting for the majority of my career. While working with a staffing company that had benefitted from rising bill rates during the COVID-19 pandemic, the CFO of the Company was not as enthusiastic about the tailwinds driving up rates because he felt they were unsustainable and were threatening the long-term health of his clients. Basically, he was looking into the future and prioritizing long-term success over short-term profits because he knew if the market forces driving the rates did not reverse, it could leave his customers bankrupt, and that would consequently leave his business without customers.

There’s no guarantee I am right. There’s no guarantee my ideas will work long-term, but I took a leap of faith to chase down my dreams. Not just for my own interests but because I think the answer to the increasing angst in our world is to build up and encourage others to live lives based on value. For me, the opportunity to live a life aligned with my purpose and faith, build innovative solutions that solve some of the world’s biggest problems, transform the businesses of my customers, enhance the enterprises of my partners and value chain, empower and equip my employees with incredible experience, generous compensation, and benefits, and most importantly give back to society through financial aid and education and training opportunities with the potential to leave a lasting imprint on the world was too much to pass up. I may fail and fall flat on my face. But truthfully, it’s not failure that I fear, but rather the regret I would have if I did not try.

All of these are lofty goals, but given the reality of the current and future economic disruption, I will work with anyone who shares my vision to shepherd society forward. After ten years in consulting, I am well aware of some of the potential suffering the mission of Opilio could cause. The economic reality of achieving ROI on AI, machine learning, and automation software solutions will be, at least partly, through reducing employee headcounts. To mitigate these consequences, Opilio, in just three weeks, has already secured multiple partnerships with other industry leaders, meaning any success Opilio has is shared with other organizations. More shared success drives more shared growth, opportunity, and jobs. Lastly, based on Opilio’s unique expertise in healthcare, we are already researching opportunities to solve some of our nation’s biggest problems, namely, finding ways to lower the cost of healthcare in the U.S. through AI and machine learning models.

Moreover, through my coaching platform, we will be offering not only affordable career development, leadership, mindset, and peak performance coaching to help progress the careers and skillsets of our clients but will also offer an unprecedented premier coaching program that will give our clients access to an industry-leading machine learning and AI platform where they will be able to add a tangible, technical skillset including a certification that will give them a highly valuable and marketable skill in the new economy.

Lastly, through my personal brand, I will continue to write books, speak, develop, coach, lead, and serve in my local community. My first book, Resonate - Principles of Peak Performance, is set to be published at the beginning of August, and I have started my second book. I aim to fill my books with quality, relevant, and timely information that encourages, inspires, motivates, and guides readers to realize their full potential in their lives. My books will always remain affordable, and my hope is that they will be a blessing to readers.

Shepherd’s Gate, which is a non-profit organization funded through Resonate, my personal brand, and Opilio, will donate profits to supplement severance packages to people displaced from jobs because of disruptive technology, offer scholarship opportunities to educational resources to learn more relevant and valuable skillsets, including Resonate’s premier course, and advance access to education in developing nations, promote and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and provide other general assistance to the local, national, and global communities by donating and distributing funds to other non-profit organizations aligned with our mission and values.

In the coming weeks, we will make available a link to take donations to help us in our cause. We thank your support of Shepherd’s Gate and believe the ecosystem we are building of complementary businesses and brands that are focused on shared value is the best strategy for us all to thrive together through this disruptive period and remain human in how we act, care, support, and love one another.