I used to judge people more simply. One filter: professional or not. Can they actually work, or are they just performing busyness? I thought solid competence was enough to shake hands and start a project.
Lately, my approach has fundamentally shifted.
I look at values, not credentials
Now, when I choose an expert, a partner, or a specialist, the first thing I look at is who they support in life. What they stand for when the lights go down. Which side they are on in the eternal argument between good and bad. How they behave when nobody is watching.
A person can be a genius in their field three times over, but if we are not aligned on the basic settings, on how we relate to life, to integrity, to what matters, I will not choose them. They are simply not my kind of person.
A Personal Brand Rests on Character
A personal brand in 2026 includes not just a flawless professional record, but above all the person themselves: their position, character, backbone.
That is why I write so much here not only about courts and legal statutes, but also about life and principles. It is the best filter I have found, and it works automatically.
The ones who stay are the ones who feel that same resonance and breathe the same air.
The wrong ones drift away on their own, and that’s fine.
I no longer want to prove the obvious or persuade the unconvinced. The better answer is simply to stay close to your own people, and the work becomes something else entirely.
What About the Old Ones?
With new people, it’s simple: I already know what to look for, and I choose upfront.
It’s harder with old clients, friends, and colleagues I genuinely used to align with. And then some of them decided that being comfortable mattered more than being themselves. Conformism is a choice too. Just not mine.
The hardest part isn’t even the break itself. It’s the attempts to convince me that I don’t understand something. I understand, guys. I understand everything. That’s exactly why I’m not around you anymore, and I never will be.