Climbing the Wrong Ladder

You’ve got the title, the house, the car, and the LinkedIn endorsements. Congrats! You’re winning the game.

Too bad it’s someone else’s game.

That’s the brutal truth for so many high achievers. You crush quarterly goals, grind out promotions, and stack wins like a pro. But deep down, something’s missing. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you feel it.

This isn’t it. This isn’t what I thought success would feel like.

And here’s the wild part: 70% of executives feel the same way. That’s a lot of corner offices, and more than likely these days, home offices, filled with people who secretly wish they were doing something else.

For some of you, this newsletter might be your wake up call. There’s going to come a moment, maybe it’s today, maybe it’s in five years, when you say, “F it. I’m done chasing someone else’s definition of success.” That moment? That’s when everything changes. Trust me.

Why I Started Meaningful Momentum

For me, that moment came when I realized I’d hit my “dream” and still wasn’t happy. I’d landed my consulting gig, the one I’d fantasized about for years, and I was killing it. Title, paycheck, prestige.

But the same year I made the most money in my career, I lost my marriage, missed my daughter’s firsts, lost a bunch of friends (you know because they weren’t moving fast enough), and felt trapped in this loop.

You may be saying to yourself, well that must have been the year Ned changed everything.

If only it were that easy. It took another year and a half of breaking relationships, missing moments, and waking up dreading my day before I walked away.

But when that day happened, it happened quickly.

It’s wild how the universe works. I had a conversation with a friend about starting a company together, and within 30 days we were selling everything, packing up in a hurricane and driving from Atlantic Beach, FL to Greensboro, NC.

So what was my passion project?

I helped start a solar and HVAC company. And no the work itself wasn’t the passion, it was how we built the company. I wanted to build something my way. I designed it with freedom in mind instead of chasing titles and money.

And let me tell you: freedom hits different.

I built it so I could keep the amazing relationship I was in, stop missing moments, and to gain back friendships that pushed me to be better, not just in my career, but in life.

Now, I’m not saying you need to start an HVAC business. But here’s what I am saying: there has to be a moment when you decide to go all-in on something that lights you up.

Whether that’s solving a problem by building a company. Or finding something like home services that you can build to support your new “Life First” mentality.

Because let’s be honest: you didn’t dream of being a CRO, CFO, or VP of Anything when you were a kid. So what stopped you?

Was it the people who said you couldn’t be a trapeze artist? Or that journalists didn’t make money? Or maybe the ones who told you money mattered more than meaning?

That’s why I started Meaningful Momentum. It’s a rally cry for anyone who’s tired of climbing the wrong ladder. This newsletter exists to help you build a life that aligns with your values, your purpose, and your passions.

And not take 18 months to actually go out and do what really fires you up!!

Today is about setting the stage. More about me later—this is your moment.

Your Purpose Pivot: A Tactical Framework

Most people don’t change because they don’t know where to start. So here’s your starting point:

1. What Would You Do If You Couldn’t Fail?

Forget the naysayers, the fear, and the self doubt. What’s the thing you’d do if failure simply couldn’t happen? Write it down. Say it out loud. Own it.

2. Who Do You Need to Be to Make That Happen?

This is where most people stop. They focus on what they want, not who they need to become. Start with this:

• What kind of habits does that version of you have?

• How does that version of you spend their time?

• Who does that version of you surround themselves with?

3. What Beliefs Are Holding You Back?

Now comes the hard part. Dig into the beliefs that have been running the show in your head. Ask yourself:

• Do I believe I’m not good enough?

• Do I think it’s “too late” for me?

• Do I think I have to work 80 hours a week to succeed?

4. What Behaviors Are Driven By Those Beliefs?

Take a hard look at your actions. Are they aligned with the person you want to become, or are they driven by fear? Are you saying yes to things out of obligation? Are you spending time on things that don’t matter?

This isn’t just reflection, it’s about reprogramming yourself for the life you want.

The Bigger Why

The world doesn’t need more burnt out executives chasing empty goals. It needs people like you, leaders with massive skills who wake up excited to do work that matters that align with their values.

This isn’t just about you. It’s about the impact you can have when you’re living and working with purpose.

Success doesn’t matter if it’s not meaningful.

What’s Next

Here’s the deal: this newsletter isn’t just about inspiration, it’s about action. Every week, we’ll deliver tactical advice, tools, and frameworks to help you build a purpose driven life.

Next week, we’re getting clear on what you actually want. What does success look like for you, not your boss, not your parents, not society. We’ll break it down step by step so you can start building a life you’re excited about.

Until then, ask yourself:

• What’s my “F it” moment? Has it already happened?

• What’s the one thing I’ve been chasing that no longer serves me?

Write it down. Take one step, just one, toward something that matters to you. Then hit reply and tell me about it.

I missed my daughter’s first steps because I was chasing someone else’s dream. Don’t let that happen to you. It’s not too late to pivot, to climb the right ladder, to live a life you’re proud of. Let’s build that together, starting now.

Purpose Over Prestige

This is more than a tagline. It’s a movement.

Let’s climb the right ladder, together.

— Ned
Less than stellar author of, Meaningful Momentum