This weekend, my 9-year-old son reminded me of something that’s easy to forget as adults: the power of resilience, and the courage it takes to face your fears—whether on a soccer field or standing in front of the Tower of Terror.
His team had worked hard all season. They were a group of kids who started out just learning how to move the ball. But week by week, game by game, they got better. And then this weekend, they found themselves in the championship after a hard-fought semifinal that came down to penalty kicks. It was a nail-biter, and they came out on top.
In the final, they left it all on the field—but fell just short. As a dad, I watched my son’s face crumple in that moment of heartbreak. But then something incredible happened. He picked himself up, high-fived his teammates, and smiled through tears. And that moment—that bounce-back—taught me more about leadership than any seminar I’ve ever attended.
Then came Disney. And the Tower of Terror.
This ride had been his fear for years. But something about the weekend changed him. He looked at me and said, “I think I’m ready.”
And he was.
He stepped into the unknown. Heart racing. Nerves high. And when that elevator dropped, so did his fear. He walked off that ride taller, prouder, transformed. Not because the fear went away—but because he faced it anyway.
As entrepreneurs and leaders, we often forget that some of our most important lessons were learned when we were nine. We learned how to lose. We learned how to get back up. We learned how to try things that scared us.
It reminded me of a recent morning hike up Camelback Mountain in Arizona.
We started at sunrise—Rob, Blake, and I—pushing each other to reach the summit. The climb was steep, the air thin, the pace relentless. There were moments when I wanted to turn around. But we didn’t. We kept going. And when we got to the top, it wasn’t just the view that took our breath away—it was what it took to get there.
That’s business. That’s leadership. That’s life.
You climb. You fall short. You take risks. You get uncomfortable. You celebrate the wins. You learn from the losses. You do hard things not because they’re easy—but because they shape you.
This weekend, I watched my son lose a game with grace, face a fear with courage, and grow right in front of my eyes.
And I was reminded: we’re all still that 9-year-old kid. Still learning. Still leading. Still climbing. Still becoming.
Whether you’re staring down a business challenge or a drop tower at Disney, remember this: your next level of growth lives on the other side of fear.
So keep climbing. Keep showing up. Keep facing the hard things.
And whatever you do—don’t miss the ride.
