Health

Four months ago, I made a commitment to my friends and family to prioritize my health. Like many promises we make to ourselves, it started with the best intentions. I've built some new habits, and grown stronger in the gym... but the hard truth is that it hasn't been enough. The numbers on the scale tell a story of maintenance when what I need is total transformation.

Sometimes in life, half measures don't suffice.

We can't simply adjust our course.

We need to chart an entirely new one.

That's why, after deep contemplation over the holidays, I've made the decision to step down from my role as Chief Strategy Officer at AudioEye. Today is my last day.

The past four years as an executive at AudioEye have been extraordinary. When I joined, we were a company finding its footing – unprofitable, with a market cap under $45 million, facing significant cultural challenges.

It was a turnaround project, and I knew that going in.

Today, we're a ~$300 million company. We're cash flow positive, sustainably growing, and we've achieved the coveted "Rule of 40" milestone that defines elite software companies.

I'm proud of these accomplishments. But they've come at a cost.

Turning around a publicly traded company demands more than just your days. It claims your nights, your weekends, your mental bandwidth. Even when you're present physically, your mind drifts to the next challenge, the next quarter, the next milestone. It's the nature of executive leadership – all-consuming in ways both obvious and subtle.

And while I've tried to balance it all – health, family, work – I've come to realize that some goals require undivided attention. My health is one of them.

The next three months will be different. I'm setting aggressive targets – losing 40-50 pounds while preserving the strength I've built through consistent training. By summer, I aim to be 70 pounds lighter. Hitting these numbers will change my body. Pursuing them will change who I am as a person.

I'm stepping toward something better. Toward mornings with my family without the weight of urgent emails. Toward evenings and weekends that belong truly to us, not to quarterly reports or strategic planning sessions or 6-pager reviews.

Yes, I have ideas about what's next professionally. There are experiments to run, research to conduct, new ventures to explore. But for the next 90 days, those will simmer quietly in the background while I focus on what matters most right now: my health and my family.

Leaving a successful executive position looks like a risk to many. I see it differently. The real risk would be continuing to compromise on the one thing we can never get back: our health.

This stands as my commitment. To myself. To my family. To the future I want to create.

The time for half measures has passed. Now begins the real work.