In college, I played softball for UNLV. We were one of the top-ranked teams in the country, and during the regional finals against Oklahoma, I found myself in a moment every athlete dreams about: bottom of the seventh, two strikes, with the game on the line. It would decide whether we were headed to the College World Series or going home.
When I stepped up to the plate, I wasn't just hoping to connect—I was locked in to make it happen. I had spent years preparing for that pitch. And when the riseball came in, I didn't hesitate. I crushed it.
What I remember most wasn't the home run itself, but what happened next. As I rounded the bases, I saw my teammates losing their minds—jumping, screaming, celebrating. At that moment, it didn't feel like my home run. It felt like ours. Because the truth is, it was. Every drill, every practice, every shared sacrifice led to that swing.
Years later, when our team at Rafter set out on a ziplining adventure deep in the redwoods, I found myself facing a very different kind of challenge. I'm afraid of heights, so standing on a narrow ledge 150 feet in the air, strapped into a harness and terrified to take the leap, felt like the opposite of that confident moment in the batter's box.
The guide clipped me in. "You ready?" he asked.
I wasn't. But I jumped anyway.
Both moments—the confidence on that diamond and the fear on that redwood platform—would eventually inspire how we built the mission, vision, and team at Ziplines Education.
When the metaphor found us
That day in the redwoods stuck with me for years. Each platform was a challenge. Each leap required trust. And every time I landed, I had more confidence than before. It wasn't about preparation this time—it was about courage. About putting yourself out there knowing you might fail, but taking the risk anyway.
When the time came to reimagine our brand, I called our early product concept "Project Ziplines." It was almost accidental—a code name that stuck. But the metaphor kept showing up everywhere I looked.
Adult learning isn't that different from ziplining. It's scary, intimidating, and takes courage. Our learners face their own platforms—career changes, skill gaps, new beginnings. And they need more than knowledge. They need something that helps them take the leap.
Just like that softball team, no one succeeds alone. That day in the redwoods, I had guides, safety equipment, and a team cheering me on. The fear was mine, but the support system made the difference.
Building culture one swing at a time
People often ask me, "How do you build a strong culture?" The answer is simple, but not necessarily easy: consistency, authenticity.
That home run happened because of years of preparation—thousands of swings, not just the one that counted. Culture isn't just built during all-hands meetings or company retreats. It's built in the daily effort you make to help your team do better—how you handle feedback, how you treat missed goals, how you respond when someone's having a hard day.
At Ziplines, we make it a point to celebrate steady progress, not just final results. Whether it's a team member finding new ways to support our learners or an instructor personalizing a live session to better meet student needs, those small, everyday actions add up. They create an environment where people feel supported enough to take risks—just like having that guide check your harness before you step off the platform.
When our team launched a new certificate in AI Prompting, it wasn't built in isolation. It came together through cross-functional collaboration, continuous feedback loops, and a shared goal: helping learners build confidence in a rapidly evolving field. That's the kind of adaptability today's workforce demands—not just individual brilliance, but collective alignment.
Learning to land together
There's a part of both stories people rarely ask about. Yes, we made it to the College World Series—but we didn't win. We finished third. It was a tough loss, and it stung. And yes, I conquered my fear of heights that day—but I also learned that the scariest moments often lead to the most growth.
Just like we celebrated together as a team, we also processed that loss together. That's what great teams do. They don't crumble after a setback—they recalibrate and keep going.
The strongest cultures are those that acknowledge hard truths, adjust with transparency, and recommit with purpose. At Ziplines, we're constantly navigating evolving market demands, university partnerships, and learner needs. Not everything lands perfectly. But when we miss, we learn. And we do it as a team.
Confidence comes from preparation
That swing at the plate wasn't luck. It came from confidence earned through years of focused effort. And that leap in the redwoods? It happened because I had to shift my mindset, push past my fears, and take the risk—even when I was terrified.
Today, I see that same transformation in our learners. Many are mid-career professionals looking to pivot into new industries, re-enter the workforce, or gain skills to stay relevant in a tech-first economy. What they need isn't just a credential—it's confidence.
That's why we focus on interactive learning with hands-on experience. Transformation comes from doing, not just knowing. Careers today aren't built rung-by-rung like a traditional ladder. They're navigated midair—leaping from one platform to the next, often without a clear view of what's ahead.
We want our learners to feel ready when they take their next career leap—not paralyzed by the unknown, but prepared and supported.
The view from here
Leadership is about building momentum over time, through mutual trust, sustained effort, and a shared belief in the value of working toward something greater than yourself. Whether you're rounding the bases or flying through the trees, the best moments happen when you're not trying to be the hero—when you're focused on getting it right, together.
At Ziplines Education, we see this every day: learners stepping into new challenges, instructors shaping confidence through action, and teams behind the scenes making it all possible. That's how transformation happens—not in the highlight reel, but in the commitment to help people navigate their next leap with confidence.
