Frequently Asked Questions

Anyone who feels the tension between who they’ve been and who they’re becoming. Many readers are in their 30s–60s, balancing work, family, faith, career, and the desire for a more intentional way of living.

The desert is where distractions fall away and identity becomes clear. FI stands for financial independence, but also for freedom, intention, and inner formation. It’s a metaphor for the quiet, honest work of becoming who you were meant to be.

FINE stands for Financial Independence, Next Endeavor. It's a way of thinking about financial freedom that focuses less on escaping work and more on moving toward meaningful work you actually enjoy. The short version: a small amount of purpose‑filled work can dramatically reduce the amount of money you need to reach freedom — and often leads to a more fulfilling life. I've written about FINE in depth in How FI Led Me to FINE and laid out the math in The Harder Trail.

I've spent two decades in corporate leadership — the last fifteen years at the senior executive level — in strategy, operations, and large-scale team leadership at a Fortune-150 company. Before that, nearly a decade in nonprofit work: coaching college students, leading international service teams, and helping people navigate seasons of genuine change. I also hold an MBA. Those experiences shaped how I think about identity, purpose, money, and the transitions we all move through.

I keep Desert FI anonymous because of my high-profile corporate role and the season of reflection I’m in. Anonymity creates space for honesty, clarity, and grounded writing without the noise of titles or public identity. It lets the ideas stand on their own—and gives readers room to focus on their own story, not mine.

Desert FI is for people who are exploring spirituality in their own way—whether they’re curious, active, or somewhere in between. I write about meaning, identity, and purpose in a way that’s accessible to anyone. Some reflections draw from my own faith experience, but the goal is to offer grounding and clarity—not pressure. My hope is that readers see their own story more clearly and have space to explore what matters most.

Identity, purpose, financial independence, midlife reinvention, spiritual grounding, emotional clarity, and the practical steps that help people build a life that feels aligned and whole.

I publish on a steady twice-weekly rhythm — a Tuesday post and a Sunday reflection. I haven't missed or been late on a single one since I began.

If you're new here, these will give you the clearest sense of what Desert FI is about:

• The Five Questions Every FI Journey Eventually Forces You to Answer — the questions underneath the numbers

• The Moment I Realized the Life I Built Wasn't the Life I Wanted — where this journey began

• How FI Led Me to FINE — the framework behind the freedom

• Your Financial Road Map: 10 Signposts to a Rich, Meaningful Life — the full path, signpost by signpost

Not yet — but yes, eventually. The platform is being built now to support speaking, retreats, and other ways to walk the trail with people. For this season, the focus is on the writing.

Join Weekend Reflections below — it's where I share new posts, reflections, and questions worth sitting with each week.

Many of the photographs are mine, but not all. I sometimes use images from friends or Southwest photographers (with permission), and occasionally a licensed image when it better reflects the story I’m telling. Every photo is chosen with intention — to support the tone, place, and meaning of each piece.