Taking over a business doesn’t arrive with fireworks and a marching band. There’s no cinematic moment where everything snaps into focus. It shows up quietly—usually early in the morning—when you realize the decisions start before anyone else is awake and don’t stop when the day ends. This is another reason I love the fire pit in our backyard and the alone time to think about what’s next, where things may go, and then trying to analyze the millions of details — only to know that I will miss the other million later!

People often assume leadership is about having the answers. In reality, it’s about carrying the questions. A hundred of them, every single day. Some are small and operational. Others carry real consequences, and that can affect the entire company. Most don’t announce themselves as “important” until it’s too late to pretend they weren’t.

What surprises me the most isn’t the pressure, it’s actually the loneliness that can exist even when you’re surrounded by incredible people. We have an amazing team with decades of experience that checks all the boxes to ensure we run soundly every day. I have a coach and wife who is the best sounding board a spouse could ask for. Plenty of friends and former colleagues in the network to reach out to. And still, there are moments when the responsibility sits squarely on my shoulders. Not because others aren’t willing to help—but because the final call, the accountability, the risk, the change that needs to be made is my call. It’s not something I complain about. I chose this. I wanted it. But that doesn’t make it easy.

This may seem very strange to describe a typical day; however, I often refer to a normal working day as the Hulu TV show, “The Bear.” In season one, they don’t know what kind of “meat” will show up each morning. It’s never the same with different cuts of beef, quality, and quantities. Yet, the Bear opens the door every morning and serves hundreds of loyal and happy customers in downtown Chicago. Yes, I understand it’s a TV show; however, deep down at the core, the parallels of owning a business are quite similar. Whether you’re making Italian beef sandwiches, selling a product or service, or shipping cargo, there will be problems you didn’t plan for. You have to make it work, and customer expectations need to be met.

At United Transportation, we are hellbent on service, every day, every minute. Our customer always deserves excellence. The team always deserves clarity. The operation still needs to run. So we adapt. We make do with what we have, and we create something worthy of what’s in front of us. Not because it’s perfect, but because that’s our job, and to ensure our employees and customers remain satisfied with what we provide.

Leadership isn’t loud. It’s not performative. It’s a series of quiet decisions made when no one’s watching—decisions that shape outcomes long after the moment passes. We carry this because it’s our responsibility to do so.

And tomorrow morning, when the doors open for business, we will see what showed up, and we will figure it out again. Not because it’s easy, but because that’s what ownership demands.