I first encountered Simon Sinek when he was the keynote speaker at an International Fitness Convention in 2008. I was managing a health club at the time, leading a team of departmental managers and salespeople. Simon shared that a sense of belonging is the most basic human desire, and that people don’t buy what we do—they buy WHY we do it. He explained there are two ways to get people to do something: manipulate or inspire. The goal, he said, is to do business with people who believe what we believe. Simon’s discovery of Starting With WHY profoundly changed the way I saw the world. It shifted my perspective on health club sales and our role in helping people pursue better versions of themselves.
This mindset shift impacted how we advertised our facilities, and membership plans and how we engaged with both new and current members. After spending many years in the fitness industry, I became the co-founder & CEO of GIVE Fitness, a purpose-driven gym that committed to giving 50% of net profits back to the Atascadero community. I owe much of my success in fitness to that pivotal moment of understanding the value and importance of Starting with WHY.
In the early stages of my career transition into leadership development, I decided to experience coaching from the client’s perspective. I also sought guidance on my next steps and where I was headed. Thanks to some mutual connections and, perhaps, divine intervention, I met Chris Failla, whom I hired immediately. Chris re-introduced me to Simon Sinek, but this time through a different lens: not an organizational or corporate WHY, but an individual WHY statement. This was core purpose language that transcended personal or professional—something that grounds and guides. It’s intended to be a north star and anchor point. I had somehow missed that Simon wrote a follow-up workbook called Find Your WHY. At its core, the WHY is an origin story, and discovering it is like panning for gold. It’s a deeply personal journey born from pain.
Chris and his wife, Sarah, guided me through this journey. They followed a structured process of listening, identifying feelings, and pulling out meaning from themes and consistent language. We spent hours together, talking about my highs and lows, laughing, and crying. At the end of the session, they grouped words from our conversations into potential contributions (unify, influence, see, serve, show up, care, love, protect) and impacts (together, feel special, put God’s love on display, change the world, worthy), matching Simon’s specific framework for a WHY statement. We played with the words, moved things around, and iterated, trying different versions. Chris read drafts aloud, and I would close my eyes to see how each version felt. After several iterations and a reminder from Sarah about the importance of a powerful statement, Chris read this version:
“To show up courageously and bring people together, so that we can find freedom in our brokenness and change the world.”
A tear ran down my cheek, my chest got warm, and I knew that was it. That was the purpose of my life. It is who I am and why I do everything I do, both personally and professionally.
Today, I have the great privilege of calling Chris & Sarah friends and colleagues. We discovered that one of the best ways for me to live out my WHY is by helping others find theirs. Chris and I have teamed up on a few occasions, and my wife and I were honored to facilitate Sarah’s WHY statement. It’s a profoundly rewarding process, and we hope to help many others gain the same clarity that we’ve found.
As the CEO of Lighthouse Institute, I see this as a platform where I can fully live out my WHY and help others discover theirs. In helping people grow as leaders—by showing up courageously, fostering connection, and empowering people to become their best selves—I get to see firsthand the impact of bringing people together. Our Leadership Series explores Core Ideology and encourages participants to put language to their WHY and Core Values. It’s a privilege to serve in this capacity, knowing that our work touches lives in ways that resonate with my purpose.
I’m eternally grateful to Simon Sinek, Chris & Sarah Failla, my incredible wife, Brianna, and Tim & Jolean Rhoades.
My WHY allows me to Go SHINE BRIGHT!
