blog – September 25, 2023
A couple of years ago, I had a vision of somehow getting out on the Ka'iwi Channel - the body of water separating the Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Molokai - in either a rowboat or to maybe swim it. Then, I discovered the 'Molokai2Oahu Paddleboard World Championship Race' causing me to arrest our current summer plans and to try to get into the race. I pulled my family headlong into my hastily conceived dream, only to find that the Ka'iwi Channel is known as the 'Channel of Bones' for a reason. In this episode, my family and I discuss our perspectives on surviving this adventure...
Read More ›
blog – August 25, 2023
In this episode, we talk about our 158 mile row down the entire length of the Potomac River, from Gravelly Point Park, in Arlington, Virginia, to Smith Point Marina, in Reedville, Virginia, in the summer of 2023. It was the best of times.
Read More ›
blog – June 20, 2023
My first rowing single was a Coffey, which I had bought from a woman in Indiana somewhere near Indianapolis (if I recall correctly). This was back in 1993. I had just finished graduate school in Germany and had moved back home for a brief period of time trying to get my bearings and to build a strategy for the next steps of my life. My dream was to row in the '96 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, and I had no idea how to go about achieving that...
Read More ›
blog – June 13, 2023
What do you think it takes for an immigrant to become a citizen in a foreign land, with virtually no money and precious few contacts, to go on and create a multi-billion dollar company? For the majority of mere mortals, even in the best of circumstances, this feat is hard to even imagine. Yet, the life of Frank Hasenfratz, founder of the Linamar Corporation, is a wonderful example of how to achieve the near impossible. In this Dream 10X post, we do a quick review of the Rod McQueen and Susan M. Papp book, 'Driven To Succeed', about the life and success of Hungarian-Canadian, Frank Hasenfratz.
Read More ›
blog – May 15, 2023
After discovering that metal could be shaped according to one's vision and physical effort, blacksmith artist, Ellen Durkan, decided to start making wearable art out of forged metal. Discovering this path less traveled, she decided to trail-blaze her own career path in the field of blacksmith art. Where others more commonly forge items such as knives, swords or cooking utensils, Ellen uses her forging and welding skills to create beautiful, wearable pieces of art. However, as is often the case in traveling the road less traveled, the journey can be challenging at times. Ellen tells us the story of her journey in discovering her authentic self as a blacksmith artist.
Read More ›