Lately, I’ve been trying to find the right way to articulate the through-line that connects the various expressions of my work.
To me, it makes perfect sense that I am simultaneously running Almond Surfboards, launching Ranger Bison Jerky, and fueling the best parts of culture and community through our Windward potluck dinners (and everything that club/brand/blog represents).
However, when I meet someone new, I dread the inevitable question, “So, what do you do?”
Even though these different businesses make sense to me and feel like distinct expressions of the same mission, it’s not the easiest thing to explain in a brief cocktail-party conversation.
Surfboards, Bison Jerky, and the potluck dinners we hold are all—each in their own small way—pushing the world toward a future vision that, at times, feels clear and at other times, opaque. It’s a vision I want to experience and invite others to participate in.
I listened to a great podcast episode by Donald Miller about how to write a book. In the episode, he mentioned that the most important part is identifying your controlling idea. From there, you can develop stories, chapters, and ideas, but everything must serve that central idea. If it doesn’t, no matter how interesting it may seem, it has to go.
I applied that framework to rewrite Almond’s Guide to Your First Year of Surfing. The controlling idea gave me clarity on what to include and what to cut. Then, I started to think: what if I could come up with a controlling idea for all of my work? Something that embodies the purpose and guides what stays, what goes, and helps articulate where I’m heading.
So, I’m test-driving a new controlling idea. Something I can refer back to often and that ties together the various opportunities in a way that’s easier to understand—and easier to know what to say yes or no to.
Master your craft. Live with curiosity. Share the table.
In the coming months, I’ll continue to elaborate on how this controlling idea takes shape, but for now, here’s my definition:
Master Your Craft: I deeply admire craftsmanship, timeless design, and people who have put in their 10,000 hours. Products that are still coveted decades after they were made. Great design stands the test of time because there’s an intrinsic utility paired with beautiful form, making it something thoughtful. In a previous article titled Be a Specialist In Your Work and a Generalist in Your Leisure, I went into more detail about the value of being a specialist in your field.
Live With Curiosity: Staying curious about the world around you is one of the best ways to remain hopeful and sharp. Find wonder in the little things. Try new disciplines. Stay an eager novice in a variety of activities—and invite others to do the same.
Share the Table: This can literally mean sharing the table—our potluck dinners have been one of my favorite things over the last several years. I’ve said it a million times and I’ll keep saying it: working hard to procure something for the table and then sharing it is a rewarding cycle that more people should participate in. It’s a rhythm that has been present for all of human history.
Beyond food, what else have you accumulated? Wisdom, insights, knowledge, experience. Don’t hoard it. The community needs what only you can bring.
Master your craft. Live with curiosity. Share the table.
That’s it. Those are the three “buckets.” That’s the controlling idea I’m trying to serve through the various tasks required to make surfboards, bison jerky, bring people together, and use my limited time, resources, and influence to guide my community toward a direction that I believe serves people better than the prevailing cultural narrative.
