Welcome to Off the Cuff

I’m Not Your “Thought Leader.” I’m Your Co-Conspirator.

Off The Cuff starts now.

Kill your darlings, as the saying goes. I’ll start!

While The Clear Leader may have served someone, it wasn’t my authentic voice. It was my business-y, thought leader-y, play-it-safe voice—saying little of real substance.

Did you know I used to read poetry at open mics? Did you know I was once the lead singer of an absolutely terrible garage/emo band? Did you know I have almost no idea what I’m talking about?

It’s time for me to get real with you and go Off The Cuff.

For a few months now, I’ve experimented with writing in my authentic voice on Substack while maintaining The Clear Leader with my “business” voice here on LinkedIn. Whatever the hell that means.

Actually, I do know what it means: obsessing over whether I’m saying things the right way, for the right reader, at the right time—for LinkedIn’s “professional” audience.

Meanwhile, I’ve been writing more honestly over on The Coach Dave Digest, a Substack experiment that—like any good experiment—gave me useful data. And with that data, it’s time to iterate.

Writing in two voices is burdensome—and probably unnecessary, maybe even unwanted. I don’t want to hedge my language all the time any more than most people want to read just another safe and buttoned-up laundry list of tips and tricks.

I’m not that guy anyway. I can’t even tell you the last time I wore a tie. Maybe my wedding? 2017! I’m off the cuff as a coach, colleague, and friend—sleeves rolled up, hands dirty, working through the real-world puzzles.

Off The Cuff, as the new and future shape of this newsletter, allows me to own my style—casual, inviting, thoughtful, hopefully playful, occasionally provocative, definitely imperfect. I hope it leads to your clarity, confidence, and action.

Speaking of, there’s a new vision in town. Off The Cuff will be a space where we can all engage with a movement I am spearheading: #NoMoreGoodSoldiers.

No More Good Soldiers exists to liberate people from the identities, routines, and expectations they’ve outgrown. It is a rallying cry for those who’ve spent years serving missions that were never truly theirs—and are now ready to trust themselves and build a future of their own design. This movement starts with one clear message: You’re not alone anymore.

Here’s my promise: I’ll be real, honest, and involved.

And here’s my request for you:

Get involved. Get inspired. Get going.

Coach Dave

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P.S. I've Got Something In the Works For You: The Defectors

Ready to join the ranks of those who've left the "good soldier" life behind? Keep an eye out for The Defectors - my upcoming community for professionals breaking free from outdated identities and creating futures on their own terms. Stay tuned for exclusive content, conversations, and collaborations that will fuel your journey of authentic self-discovery. Because the world doesn't need more good soldiers - it needs bold defectors ready to rewrite the rules.

In the spirit of being real with you, I want this community, your community, to expand! Please consider sharing this newsletter with your network. Click here.