In 2014, I joined Emerson Collective as its 12th employee. Over the next decade, I helped build EC's philanthropy and investing practices, the Waverley Street Foundation, and EC’s climate strategy.In late 2023, as I approached my 10 year anniversary at EC, I realized it was time for me to “repot.”The repotting analogy comes from John Gardner, the former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare who engineered President Johnson’s Great Society program. The analogy goes like this: when a plant stays in the same pot for too long, its roots can spiral and its growth can slow. But that pattern can totally turn around when one lifts the plant out of its container, spreads out its roots, and places it in a new pot with fresh soil. Gardner believed the same was true for people. By changing roles or surroundings, people can reenergize, approach challenges with fresh perspectives, and come up with new ideas.For the first nine months of my repotting, I focused on being a full time dad to our newish daughter. I am now exploring and learning about new potential "pots."