man wearing US flag cape while riding on longboard near body of water during daytime

Figure It Out

In 2005, driving a truly ugly rented minivan, with my best friend riding shotgun and blasting G&R’s “Paradise City” from an L.A.-themed mix CD he put together, I almost ran over a guy skating on a longboard down Melrose in Los Angeles.

As I slammed on the brakes, he rolled right past us, staring us down like we were more of an annoyance than a danger. With his arms stretched wide, and in the most stereotypical surfer/stoner/hippie voice you can imagine, he shouted, “Figure it out!”

This happened during the first hour I had ever spent in L.A.—the opening credits to my next 17 years there. That raggedy skater dude’s pissed-off yet profound imperative stuck with me through thick and thin.

That guy probably didn’t know it—or maybe he did, who knows, maybe he was an angel in the simulation—but he handed me a guidebook on how to achieve success in any endeavor. The title of this book? Figure It Out. True to its title, it wasn’t in book form, it hadn’t been written yet, and as the title suggests, I had to figure out what was in it for myself.

Gemba is that book. Gemba is my turn on the longboard, my chance to help others discover their own personal figure it out.


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