Another week in the books! We’ve had some huge wins this week so I’ll share those before we hop into this week’s concept of sticky spaghetti. We’ll keep it brief.
First up, my long-awaited 6 week follow-up for the most recent knee surgery. My doctor expected me to have between 90-95 degrees of knee flexion by then. However, due to my painfully productive PT schedule, I was able to show off my new 110 degrees of flexion.
Monday, I met with a podiatrist who works with some of the world’s best athletes. Ronaldo, LeBron, etc. This guy is world-class and now he’s joined my team of medical "Avengers” to help get my body back on track. The first step? (pun intended) Getting me into two normal shoes. No straps, no assistive devices. Not going to lie, it’s felt really strange this week, BUT we are so back.
I’m collaborating with one of the most creative people I know to host a leadership development workshop in Venice, CA on Nov 13. My co-facilitator, Van, and I have known each other for years and knew we’d eventually get a chance to create some magic together. If you’d like more info, just reply!
Nov 13 | Venice, CA | 9a-5p
Alright, let’s get to the real reason you’re still here… finding out what the hell sticky spaghetti is. You’ve likely already heard of this concept, but this is the CE remix.
In our personal and professional lives, we constantly reinvent ourselves based on what life or “the market” demands. But how do we decide which version of us is the one we show to the world? This week’s wins have me thinking about persistence, trial and error, and the spaghetti we all throw at the wall…
Ok, a quick history lesson on why this is the idiom I’ve chosen to work with this week. For years, there was a theory that you could throw spaghetti at the wall to see if it was ready to eat. However, this has obviously been debunked and I strongly discourage throwing pasta at your kitchen wall.
BUT, that doesn’t mean that the iterative process of such a silly thing should be ignored. Let’s actually “double click” that for a closer look at why there’s a key life lesson in a metaphorical scenario.
We talk about instant gratification a lot in today’s world. Attention, in the form of view time and likes, is the number one currency in 2025. With that being said, more people are likely to try throwing their spaghetti within 46 seconds of putting it in the water just to say they did it “first.”
I’m no Gordon Ramsay, but I can tell you that great spaghetti is not an instant food.
Some people just throw uncooked noodles!
Now let’s dive deeper into the lesson here. Persistence as a vehicle in pursuit of the perfect pasta. As someone who’s been working on his “spaghetti” for nearly a year now, I’m finally ready to serve it. But here’s the catch, there is A LOT of spaghetti on the floor in front of the wall that didn’t stick.
Let’s run down the list. The first noodle I threw at the wall came in the form of modeling. One of my best friends, Dom, and I would do photoshoots in hopes of landing paid modeling or commercial gigs and living the “LA dream.” I definitely tried… but that noodle had no chance of sticking. FLOORED.
The next noodle was my first “big boy” job after retiring from pro basketball. I became a director for a YMCA here in SoCal. Salary, benefits, structure… now we were cooking. But then COVID hit, I was laid off, and that noodle slowly slid down the wall to join the first one on the floor.
After a couple more noodles in the form of tech sales and restaurant hosting, I was beginning to get tired of tossing them at the wall. It was only ending in defeat and, especially in the midst of an international pandemic, finding work was not easy.
Finally, I landed a job with a tech company in 2021. During my three-year tenure, I learned more than I ever imagined about finance, interpersonal dynamics, and… contract negotiation? It was an odd mix, but it definitely added some sauce and spice to my spaghetti. I had thrown this iteration at the wall and, for a while, it was sticky.
I could see this version of my spaghetti becoming my marquee dish. However, it turned out to be a mirage. I was laid off in early 2024, and this time it wasn’t just one noodle hitting the floor. It was the whole pot. A massive mess after years of cooking.
Damn.
Metaphorically speaking, it was time to buy a new stove, new equipment, and new ingredients. I needed to remodel the whole process and finally create something I was truly proud of. Something that would stick to the wall.
That stickiness came in the form of my company, Overtime Solutions. It was something I truly felt passionate about cooking. I spent endless hours tweaking the recipe until it was perfect for both personal and public consumption. Today, it’s my best dish yet — sticking to the wall like a Spider-Man web at Uncle Ben’s house.
Here’s the truth about sticky spaghetti: your arms will get tired. There will be days when you don’t feel like cooking, when it seems easier to just order takeout and settle. But if you want a dish that truly sticks, one you’re proud to serve, you’ve got to keep stepping into the kitchen.
Not every noodle will hold. Most won’t. But every attempt teaches you something about the recipe, the process, and yourself. The secret isn’t in finding the perfect batch on your first try. It’s in showing up, trying again, and adjusting until you create something that lasts.
Keep cooking. Keep throwing. And when your spaghetti finally sticks, you’ll know every failed noodle on the floor was part of the masterpiece.
Chef’s kiss 🤌🏼
Have a great week and see you next Sunday! 🏁
PS: Today’s the LAST DAY to vote for my 2026 SXSW submission! If you’ve already voted, thank you! If not, feel free to vote here: https://participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw26/community-voting-sxsw/page/community-voting/session/1750895941291001iNWu