For years, I treated my personal LinkedIn like the gym membership you forget you have—nice in theory, but not getting much use. Sure, I’d like a post here, comment there, maybe share a big milestone. But actively posting? Regularly showing up? That felt… well, a little self-promotional.

When people ask me what makes climbing Mount Kilimanjaro so special, they expect me to talk about the views, the challenge, maybe even the bragging rights. And sure, those are great. But the real treasure? It’s the brotherhood.

I had to balance being “trip leader Jeff Ford” with being “dad Jeff.” Some moments, I wanted to swoop in, throw him over my shoulder, and carry him. But I also knew this had to be his climb.

You don’t need to conquer the summit to lead well. You just need authenticity rooted in faith. The Kingdom isn’t made of awards—it’s made of ordinary moments strung together by grace.