In Her Light

It’s Eliza’s birthday, and she isn’t here to celebrate it.

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of her or quietly ask myself if I’m living up to the way she lived. Eliza was inspiration. Her love for her family and friends ran deep. Her beliefs were rock solid. She didn’t just talk about what mattered — she lived it.

When I reflect on her memory, on our friendship and the many conversations we shared, I’m grateful for how much she taught me and how deep her impact still runs. Eliza lived with urgency, not out of fear, but out of clarity. She understood that time isn’t promised, and that you don’t wait to become who you’re meant to be.

That way of living has stayed with me. It’s shaped how I think about leadership, responsibility, and focus — about choosing what matters most and letting the rest fall away.

That clarity is what finally gave me the space to bring my next book to completion. The D-Max Effect will be published on March 18, my dad’s birthday. Stories of both Eliza and my dad are woven through the pages of this book, because they each modeled a kind of leadership rooted in conviction, presence, and showing up fully for the people you love.

It feels fitting that later today we’ll be gathering teddy bears to make sure kids feel remembered and celebrated on their birthdays — a small act of care that feels very much in her spirit.

Happy heavenly birthday, Eliza!