Think back to when you were little for a moment. Naivety was like a blanket you would snuggle under on a cold winter night. The world was innocent and simple. You would go to school after a summer break that was always too short and the first project to greet you once you settled into your new desk as a 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade student was an essay about how you spent your summer break.

"An essay?" you thought to yourself. "Why do we have to write an essay on our first day?"

Right about now you are probably thinking, "Why am I reading this and why does he have this on his bio page? I seriously didn't expect a diatribe about school essays."

I understand your probable confusion. Allow me to explain.

If you have ever had to write one of these essays about how your summer was, you know the angst of trying to recap an entire summer of events. Would you write about a family vacation, or like in many of my summers, a lack thereof? Do you explain your trips to the community pool, or how the team you played for performed? Did you get a pet or break your arm? Now imagine having a similar project, but with your whole life.

BOOM! Bio page!

So what could I possibly write here that will sum up my entire life?

That's kind of a big question, but I'll do my best.

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a few core beliefs

I believe that in order to be happy, be it in your job, family life, social life or any other environment, you really only need one thing; To be able to live in the moment. Too often we find ourselves looking back at what we could have, or should have done differently. Regrets or successes can both focus you on the past. Being able to take a breath, accept that there was a chain of events that brought you to this exact moment, and move forward is the most important skill you can learn.

I believe that a successful team needs to be fluid. Leadership is a skill, and like many others it can be taught, but respect must be earned by a leader in order to inspire the team. People often confuse respect and leadership and treat them as if they are the same. But they are not.

A leader asks of his team only that which he is unable to do and should never ask what he unwilling to do. A leader takes responsibility for his team and is accountable to them as much as he is his boss, supervisor, or customers. The process of earning respect of team members and peers is not dependent on always having the correct answers or even exerting control over all situations. Leadership is about relatability, honesty, and transparency and using these skills to focus a team effort toward a goal.

Respect, on the other hand, is an understanding and appreciation for the decisions one makes. Respect does not equal agreement. It is possible to respect someone and disagree with their beliefs or direction. Also, you can be respected, and a bad leader at the same time, but I have found that true leaders always have the respect of their followers.

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creative writing

If you have stayed with me this far, you may have already figured out that I enjoy writing. In fact, I am currently working on 2 novels. Honestly, I'm using the words "currently working" very loosely.

I started the first novel over 15 years ago and it has bounced on and off of the back burner on several occasions. When I first started the novel the idea of a global apocalypse based on economic ruin, caused by a maniacal egomaniac from the private sector rising to political power seemed far-fetched. Now it feels a little bit too real.

The second novel is a coming-of-age story about a runaway. While this story has much less socio-political relevance, it has a relatable character who struggles with her world changing around her and by trying to run from her problems she is faced hardships that force her to grow up very quickly.

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work ethic

Work ethic is a concept that I learned from necessity. As my responsibilities grew, so too did my response to them. There is value in hard work and a lot can be accomplished by jumping in and getting your hands dirty. That being said, it is extremely important to work efficiently.

I am not a proponent of wasting time on processes that are unproductive and ineffective. Working hard is valuable, but working smart is vastly superior and much more successful.

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personal interests

It has been a life-long dream to travel to a few very specific places. Hawaii, a Caribbean cruise, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea off of the coast of Spain, or Italy, and visiting Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, and a few other locations are all on my bucket list.

I enjoy swimming and playing golf, watching baseball, soccer, hockey and football.

Most of all, I enjoy finding creative solutions to problems. For example, at the age of 14, I found it cumbersome that my light switch for my bedroom was on the opposite side of the room from my bed. While in the grand scheme of things turning off the light and walking a few feet in the dark wasn't a real problem, however after a few traumatic injuries including stepping on Lego's and smashing my toe into the dresser it became evident that something had to be done.

I removed the light switch plate and created a tension system to keep the light switch in a constant on position. I then looped a piece of string over the switch and ran it down the wall, through a few eyebolts, and under my carpet to my bed. The end of the string was terminated on my bed where I could increase the tension and turn the light off from the safety of my bed. In the morning, I could turn the light back on by releasing the tension on the string at my bed and voila, the light came back on.

Since the time that I was 14 solutions like this became known as life-hacks. The following years lead me to more and more creative solutions to problems. You can call it thinking outside of the box, or being an idea-guy, but this way of addressing problems has become ingrained in my nature and is as much a part of me as my freckled skin or hair color.

what's left?

Well if you managed to make it through all of the above, you have a pretty good idea of what makes me tick. I like to think of myself as honest and direct. So if there is anything specific you want to know, please feel free to email me at jeff@jmsbydesign.com.