The Power of Returning to the Hard Places

This weekend, I had the privilege of sitting down with my friend Solomon Dabe, founder of A Bright Future for Kids.

We talked about our trip this summer to Ethiopia and Kenya, where I got to see firsthand where Solomon grew up. Walking those streets… hearing the stories… meeting the people… it brought his journey to life in a way no story ever could.

Solomon grew up in a tough environment — the kind most people would’ve run from and never looked back. But instead of leaving, he returned. Not just to visit — but to build something better. He created opportunities for the next generation right where others only saw obstacles.

That kind of intentional leadership hit me hard.

Because if you’re like me, when things get tough — a strained relationship, a broken process, a disappointing result — it’s tempting to move on and start fresh.

But Solomon reminds us that impact is often found in the places we’d rather leave behind.

Great leaders don’t just chase new opportunities — they redeem old ones.

- Where’s the “hard place” you’ve been avoiding — a person, problem, or project that needs revisiting?

- What would it look like to go back and rebuild it stronger?

Because in business and in life, legacy isn’t built by leaving.

It’s often built by returning and restoring.