Day 18 of Give the Gift of MORE is personal.

In this episode, I share 18 moments that taught me more — moments of loss, resilience, rejection, generosity, love, leadership, and growth.

These experiences shaped who I am and ultimately led to The MORE Effect.

From being abandoned at 10, to being raised by two strong women, to early work, rejection, layoffs, fatherhood, coaching youth sports, understanding unconscious bias, women’s health, and three decades of therapy — these moments forged the framework. T

he MORE Effect didn’t come from theory.

It came from lived experience.

Giving the gift of MORE is more than giving a book — it’s giving someone the opportunity to understand themselves, reflect honestly, and become more.

The 18 moments that taught me MORE:

1. Being abandoned at 10
2. Being raised by two women
3. Working since age 11
4. Losing my grandfather
5. Playing sports (catcher)
6. Rejection from Notre Dame
7. Jewish generosity
8. The day I met my wife
9. Losing my mother
10. Being laid off twice
11. Becoming a father
12. Learning human-centric leadership
13. Coaching youth sports
14. Being told I was in the “old boys network”
15. Thursday night Zooms during COVID
16. Reading the Women in the Workplace report
17. Understanding menopause
18. 30 years of therapy

These moments didn’t weaken me.

They shaped The MORE Effect.