Straight lines aren't always the fastest way to get where we want to go.

In physics, the Brachistochrone curve proves that the fastest path between two points is actually a curve, not a straight line. In this episode, we explore how this law of physics applies to Steph Curry’s jump shot, workplace feedback, and nonlinear career paths.

Sometimes, we have to be willing to get worse to get better.

Resources:

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Perhaps nothing brings more joy and suffering to our lives than change.

In this episode, Cameron explores Kurt Lewin’s 3-Stage Model of Change: Unfreeze, Change, and Refreeze. While often used in organizational strategy, this model can offer a profound reframe for personal growth.

Cameron shares a personal story about navigating social anxiety as a professor—moving away from the "sledgehammer" approach of forcing change, and toward the gentler, more effective process of "thawing" our fears piece by piece.

The Resource:
For a deep dive into Lewin’s model and other change management frameworks, check out Cameron’s guide: Change Management: The Complete Resource.

The Inquiry:
Where in your life do you feel frozen? Instead of trying to take a sledgehammer to that block of ice to force a radical change, ask yourself: What is one small, practical way you can apply heat today to begin thawing one small part of it?

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Every Thursday, host Cameron Conaway shares a lens that has helped him live with more clarity and courage. No hacks. Just thoughts from a business school professor, former MMA fighter, and investigative journalist trying to wring every last drop out of this wild and precious life.

On October 19, 2025, my wife gave birth to our precious daughter Audrey Jo.

AJ, as we call her, had died in utero a few days prior. Due to complications including sepsis and blood clots, my wife nearly died as well.

In this special, raw episode of 3-Minute Reframe, I share a letter I wrote to AJ on what would have been our induction day. It is an attempt to move through, rather than bypass, my grief.

Note: This episode deviates from our standard format. There is no resource link or inquiry this week—just a father's letter to his daughter.

May you and those you love find value in it.

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Every Thursday, host Cameron Conaway shares a lens that has helped him live with more clarity and courage. No hacks. Just thoughts from a business school professor, former MMA fighter, and investigative journalist trying to wring every last drop out of this wild and precious life.

The poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote a line that reframes suffering: “Let this darkness be a bell tower and you the bell. As you ring, what batters you becomes your strength.”

In this personal episode, Cameron shares how this line helped him move from trying to physically fight his past trauma (as an MMA fighter) to breathing through it. We explore the idea that darkness isn't a comprehensive cage, but a context—a structure where you can build resiliency and "ring your bell."

The Resource:
Read the full poem, Let This Darkness be a Bell Tower, translated by Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows, here: On Being with Krista Tippett

The Inquiry:
Bring attention to 2 or 3 of your life’s “bell towers”—the past struggles that felt defining. Have you found ways to ring your bell inside them? And is the resiliency you built a core part of the story you now tell yourself?

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Every Thursday, host Cameron Conaway shares a lens that has helped him live with more clarity and courage. No hacks. Just thoughts from a business school professor, former MMA fighter, and investigative journalist trying to wring every last drop out of this wild and precious life.

We’ve all heard the corporate mantra: "Don't bring me problems, bring me solutions." While the intention is to avoid complaining, this mindset is actually one of the most efficient ways to inhibit a healthy feedback culture.

In this episode, we dismantle the "solutions-only" mandate. Identifying problems can be a solo sport, but finding solutions rarely is. We discuss why leaders should swap those seven words for an eight-word alternative that completely reframes accountability: Bring me problems, and we will seek solutions.

The Resource:
Read the full blog post here: Don't Just Come to Me with a Problem: A Feedback Inhibitor

The Inquiry:
Where in your work or life have you been hesitant to raise a legitimate concern because you felt you needed the "perfect solution?" What would change if you simply adopted the mantra: Bring me problems, and we will seek solutions?

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Every Thursday, host Cameron Conaway shares a lens that has helped him live with more clarity and courage. No hacks. Just thoughts from a business school professor, former MMA fighter, and investigative journalist trying to wring every last drop out of this wild and precious life.

The Japanese sword saint, Miyamoto Musashi, taught a crucial lesson: "Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling." In the heat of battle, hesitation meant death.

But does this apply to modern leadership and relationships? In this episode, Cameron explores when "partial feelings" are dangerous inhibitors to authenticity, and conversely, when they are actually vital signals to pause and gather more context before reacting.

The Resource:
This insight is drawn from Musashi’s Dokkodo (The Way of Walking Alone). You can buy a copy here: Musashi's Dokkodo on Bookshop.org

The Inquiry:
This week, bring to mind an area of your life where you have multiple, perhaps conflicting feelings. Is there value in holding these partial feelings, or do you need to fully commit to one to take authentic action?

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Every Thursday, host Cameron Conaway shares a lens that has helped him live with more clarity and courage. No hacks. Just thoughts from a business school professor, former MMA fighter, and investigative journalist trying to wring every last drop out of this wild and precious life.

The dominant narrative suggests we must always "crush" our comfort zones. But let's reframe that: Comfort zones are actually vital, dynamic places we enter for good reason.

In this episode, we explore the "Comfort Zone" not as a place of weakness, but as a potential strategic retreat. We look at some research on stress and performance, and why living in a constant state of "dis-ease" isn't the answer. The danger isn't the comfort zone itself—it's letting it expand unchecked like an invasive plant.

The Inquiry:
What is your true relationship with your primary comfort zones right now? Are they serving as pockets of necessary recovery, or are you feeding them to the point where they are inhibiting your growth?

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Every Thursday, host Cameron Conaway shares a lens that has helped him live with more clarity and courage. No hacks. Just thoughts from a business school professor, former MMA fighter, and investigative journalist trying to wring every last drop out of this wild and precious life.