WTF is dead drift Consulting??
WTF is “Dead Drift Consulting??”
It took me a long time, well over 20 years working full time as a sworn policeman. It was due to a young man’s desire to be a bad ass, to find excitement and adventure, and to prove himself, to himself. It was showing his family that he was for real. It followed an enlistment in the Marine Corps that started during the Cold War, progressed through Desert Storm, and ended in the middle of our nation’s 2nd war in the crotch of the world. And it took the death of a brother to bring it all into focus. What is it? PRIORITIES!
I’m about 6 years removed from that incredible day in 2013. My younger brother suffered a massive, unrecoverable, and totally unexpected heart attack that killed him damned near instantly. He was having fun and doing something he was passionate about. As a huge Formula 1 fan he was driving fast on an indoor go-cart track here in Phoenix and died behind the wheel, against a last turn wall. He was successful and on the brink of big things. And then, gone… It was an epiphany in the truest sense of the word. It changed my life; of course it did. Suddenly, in a moment, things snapped into crystal clarity. Not right in that instant, during the phone call from my mom while I was at work being a bad-assed SWAT cop. But weeks, months later when the whole thing became real. Suddenly I was an only child, minus the dude I’d cheated death with as a boy and with whom I’d discovered what “adventure” means. And I realized I’d been living my entire adult life BACKWARDS: more concerned with my own contrived image and definition of what I should be and less focused on what allowed my personality and soul to develop in the first place. Gettin’ deep? You bet it is, this is some deep shit.
Your job supports your life, not the other way around. The guys I’ve worked with are no doubt sick of hearing me say it, like its something profoundly insightful or clever. No, it isn’t and those of you who have figured it out already are probably rolling your eyes. Good. I’m overjoyed you’ve discovered what it took me FAR too long to figure out. It’s embarrassing, because I’ve always known who I am and what makes me happy. But the sexy, dramatic tractor beam that is police work and specifically, tactical police work, combined with the brilliantly arrogant ethos of the Marine Corps created a monster. I was obsessed with professional competence, comprehensive proficiency, and a level of commitment and dedication that required the sacrifice of everything and everyone else. Outside of work everything suffered, including a marriage, relationships with my children, and a loss of touch with reality. Noble pursuits: all that professional competence and proficiency/commitment stuff? Of course they are. But being “driven” doesn’t excuse neglect. You can agree with me or not, you do you. What I’m saying though is that as a 51 year old man who enlisted at 18 and became a cop at 21, you have got to be true to who you were before all those outside influences skewed your perspective. There is a degree of BALANCE that is critical to your professional survival. These jobs will eat your soul and without that balance, you will plow into the earth at 121 mph.
Dead Drift Consulting is the manifestation of these life experiences, these come-to-Jesus moments that clarify the manner in which we should be living our lives. Since the time I lost my brother I’ve reacquainted myself with the passions that drove me a boy: fly fishing, exploring the woods or a mountainside, shooting a bow, and living outside, around a campfire and a freestone creek. Remember those days when mom told you to get out of the house? There’s value in that! I’ve combined these experiences with the skills gained in my professional career to create an environment where outdoorsmen, hunters and fishermen, and those seeking comprehensive understanding can immerse themselves in an experience. A place where learning is accomplished in context and the boundaries of life-quality prioritization are preserved as hallowed ground. Join me and allow me to help reunite you with the things you’ve set aside in your quest for material success. I promise, your life will be richer and more fulfilling. And you’ll have less wrinkles and furrows in your brow… Thanks for listening. –Jeff.