Author: True North Team Consulting

About Charles Reynolds I’ve spent my career at the intersection of sports business, leadership, and entrepreneurship—working inside fast-moving organizations, advising teams and founders, and learning firsthand how pressure, ambition, and uncertainty shape decisions. Over time, my work has evolved beyond titles or industries. What consistently shows up is this: people don’t struggle because they lack talent or drive—they struggle because they lose clarity about what matters, where they’re headed or results they're after, or how to move forward without burning themselves out. That’s where I focus my work. I help leaders, founders, and high-performing individuals think clearly, align their actions with their values, and make better decisions when the path isn’t obvious. Sometimes that looks like strategic advisory. Sometimes it’s coaching. Often, it’s simply creating the space and structure for honest reflection and momentum. Travel has played a quiet but important role in shaping how I see the world. Experiencing different cultures, systems, and ways of living has reinforced my belief that growth—personal or professional—comes from perspective as much as performance. That belief shows up in my work, my writing, and how I engage with others. I care deeply about transparency, holistic sustainability, and lifelong learning. I’m drawn to questions around purpose, leadership under pressure, ethical and personal growth, and what it means to build something meaningful without losing yourself in the process. This site is a home for my thinking—across leadership, business, life, and direction—and a place to connect with people navigating similar questions. If you’re building, leading, or re-orienting or just exploring, I’m here to help.

Recapping Travels: Backwards & Forwards

2 weeks, 8 flights, 20,000 Fitbit steps and approximately 7 miles per day, numerous shuttles, metro rides and even a few Uber and Lyft rides thrown in, my girlfriend and I have returned safely to Utah.  Just with feet and cankles that feel like a whale carcass off of Guadalupe Island after the Great Whites found it. Long live #SharkWeek, I will refrain from mentioning shoe brands for fear of losing future endorsements.

A story of the new meets the old.

Our family on my mom’s mother’s side arrived in this country in Maine in 1607.  Thanks to elaborate genealogical research done by the family, we’ve traced relatives who arrived to Casco Bay off of the Portland coast (part of the Calendar Islands, 365 in sum), not to mention more than a few from the Mayflower. While I joked with my mom about the recipe to a great nap being playing the audiobook on the Mayflower settlers in the car, it was fun to share lobster with generations of the Furlong, Leighton, and Knowlton clans dispersed across this great land. We commemorated my legendary grandfather, who passed last summer and had adopted Maine as his, for reasons we grew to know well every summer growing up.

After a quick Boston visit, reuniting with Study Australia study abroad friends in the South End and Back Bay, it was off to Europe.  TAP Portugal, along with Norweigan have offered great deals from certain locations (keep an eye out on Twitter for these), which we capitalized on over Hawaii or South America.

To avoid ridiculous roaming charges, it was Airplane Mode from then on (except for emergencies).  Here’s to testing the claim that millennials can’t operate without consistent WiFi and outlets.

Chebeague Island, one of the Calendar Islands located in Casco Bay outside of Portland Maine. Genealogically traced relatives back to the Mayflower. This group landed in Maine in 1607.
Washington spotted at the Boston Common.
Starý královský palác – the old palace at Prague Castle looms, like the clouds. Our relatives moved from Bratislava before the Czech/Slovakia split two generations ago.
Wandering through Barri Gotic (the Gothic Quarter) of Barcelona.
Taking aim at the unknown at São Jorge Castle in Lisbon.

Although my Airbnb “mom” in Prague might tell you otherwise, it worked out okay without WiFi in foreign speaking lands, despite being a 1st timer on a number of fronts.

Once a property of the U.S.S.R. with major city statues of Stahlin, Czechoslovakia split from the red grasp in 1989 and a few years later, the Czech Republic and Slovakia (where my father’s mother’s Demovic relatives hailed) split from each other a few years later.  Not more than a few years ago, Prague was supposed to be the place to go to live like a king on the cheap.  Not so much anymore as the secret is out.  The history and architecture is amazing, walkable, and German-like food and beers are still cheap though (under $2 at most places for premium local beers).

On to Barcelona, where we felt the ramifications of an airline services strike that started in France (see previous blog post).  Thanks to Marriott Rewards, we stayed at a hotel so modern that we didn’t figure out how to turn on the lights until we checked out.  Glass, Palm tree motif and live foliage throughout.  My kind of place minus the uppity service. And oh, the pool:

We spent five nights soaking in the infectious laid-back culture, the modern (read: oh-so topless) beaches, tapas (too many good places to rely on recommendations) and Gaudi influence of all the different neighborhoods and their tiny, walkable corridors. We met some newlywed Americans while wearing my authentic Nike USA Soccer polo (from Team USA), Californians in Portland who happened to be big Timbers fans that checked out Camp Nuell (F.C. Barcelona stadium) backstage.  No peanut gallery comments while taking US&A photos around town. My New Orleans Hornets dry fit the day before got more banter from an enthusiastic NBA fan yelling across the Metro stop for 20 minutes about his love for basketball, us, and mostly himself.

pool
Our Barcelona Renaissance hotel & pool view.

Because our flight was round-trip via Prague, we had to fly back there despite our Lisbon connection being only an hour away.  We made the best of it by stocking up on more Czech Absinthe.  We were pretty worn by the time we touched down in Lisbon, and the WiFi-less Metro to walk all over a town filled with cobblestones with slopes like San Francisco to find our Airbnb was a chore.  We made the best of the next morning, checking out an ancient castle in scenic Lisbon, grabbing a local bite, a few gifts and a real sweat before our flight of which we made by the narrowest of margins after getting lost on the walk back.

My takes? Yes, millennials can survive in unfamiliar lands (nearly) devoid of WiFi.  With a little bit of Spanish, some luck and a sense of adventure, we proved that.  The Spanish and Portugese are tremendous folks, but lack the sense of hospitality that we have here (it wasn’t just that I was wearing my new FC Barca shirt on the TAP Portugal flight back with Portugal just making it to the Euro Cup Championship).  Using plastic is a chore unlike in the States.  Living like a local via Airbnb is the way to go, doing more than the tourist traps even if it means getting lost in a neighborhood etc. while getting to know the Metro to save $.  Airports were much easier to navigate there then here (I didn’t have issues until having to go through Security twice in Boston on the way back). JetBlue rocks kind of like Southwest used to.

It was quite the adventure, getting acclimated with the lineage on and mostly off-the-grid.  With a good international cell/WiFi service, a Tim Ferriss “4-Hour Workweek” lifestyle can be had rich in life experiences in places where you can find new perspectives, which was fully put into view when arriving back in a country full of mass shootings and race wars.

Obrigado (“thanks” in Portugese).

 

 

Travel, connectivity and global business rants from abroad

I jinxed myself.  I had just praised (and Tweeted) about how pleasant the Prague airport was comparatively.  Clean, modern, upscale with cars on display tastefully on the concourse (for you advertisers).  Security was a breeze despite the international destinations and I put my shoes right back on, realizing I didn’t need to take them off.  5 flights, countless Uber, Lyft, metro and shuttle rides in the past 2 weeks and aside from a mysterious “maintenance” issue causing us to wait in a hot bus for a new plane in Lisbon, it was smooth sailing.

When the lady at the Vueling front desk suggested checking my bag, I thought twice as I hadn’t had to check it yet.  Being a 1st time Vueling customer, she waived the fee and I thought my good traveling luck had continued.  Upon arriving in Barcelona, I was blown away by how clean, modern and turnkey the airport was.   Impressive.  At least until we got to the graveyard that is Baggage.

The scene was eery.  A turnstile full of bags left there and no turnstiles operating with fresh bags circulating.  Many international travelers sat there with blank looks.  To top it off, the WiFi situation was dismal.  Two open connections, but no way to connect unless through a rabbit-hole of signing up and sharing personal contact information for a “free gift.”  Despite the modern, shiny amenities, we’ve entered into a dark abyss with no exit in sight.

I had heard murmurs the other day of an airline service worker strike in France.  With no announcements about what was going on, I wondered if there was a tie-in to the strikes.  On my 3rd trip trying to find out from the Spanish staff how to find light in the situation, I found out that the strikes caused cancelled flights, which set off a chain of delays, more labor disputes in places like Barcelona and a short staff of employees to handle bags.  Thousands effected, all to probably save a few Euros on wages or benefits.

bags
The island of lost bags and tortured souls.

Days after the “Brexit” decision, Brits working as foreign nationals were worried about keeping their jobs as they’re now not protected by the European Union.  As I took a crappy 35 Euro cab ride of which I had been able to avoid thus far thanks to connectivity, I realized that decisions made by a greedy few are felt by many and will inevitably come back around to bite you.

Moral of the story: appearances can be deceiving and shiny things aren’t always the most sound.  Decisions made jeopardizing connectivity for the sake of short-term gains for a few will do a whole lot more harm over the course of time than good.  With 4 more flights within a tiny window in the next week, here’s to information transparency.

 

New Salary / Overtime Rules: Ramifications Faced in Sports, Sales & Life

The state of our economy has pivoted in a big way. My story and strategic recommendations.

After a happy holiday season back on the home front, I returned to the office and found myself suddenly unemployed and lucky I didn’t pull the trigger on buying my first place. Despite contributing millions to the company’s bottom line, I was sent packing in preparation of a major recent legislative decision: the United States Department of Labor’s changes in the Fair Labor Act (FLSA) basically doubling the salary required for exemption from overtime pay requirement.

What the U.S. government initially intended to have benefit the employees of the country proved quickly capable of doing the opposite. The legislative decision will have profound effects for employers and employees in every sector. I gave up the chance to follow in my grandfather’s steps in playing collegiate football at his alma mater, instead choosing to go to the University of Michigan and get involved in the business side of the sports industry, which has largely operated on a pay / volunteer to play system – especially for those looking to get an initial foot in the door and possibly a salaried job. 13 years, three degrees, countless unpaid internships, and five sports later, I have seen all sides of the system that capitalize on a huge surplus supply of candidates hungry to sacrifice for the sake of experience in pursuing a life passion. Operating budgets outside of player-related expenses are shoestring.

Our shared economy had already been skewing towards the freelancer, intern, or (fill in the blank) way to avoid paying a minimum annual salary of $47,476 of which up to 10% of that can come from commissions. The game has now changed in a big way especially for those regularly putting in 40+ hours per week or tied to commissions and lofty revenue goals. In sports, this affects everyone in a big way by threatening profits. Yes, winning may be the goal, but it is still a business.

Gone are the days a salesperson would pick up a phone book to sell. The NBA’s consulting arm, Team Marketing and Business Operations (TMBO), launched in 2000 by the likes of Bernie Mullen, Bill Sutton, and others under the direction of commissioner David Stern.  16 years later, it is still setting the industry standard for best practices by compiling, analyzing, developing, and communicating winning ways to generate results to all teams.  Despite convergence, when it comes to sharing and training, the standard and disparity between leagues are still vast along with revenue disparities largely due to differences in media rights,another dynamically evolving area of concern for organizations.

Collegiate athletic departments have even more of an issue because they are oftentimes public institutions that cannot legally pay commissions and operate under uniquely governed legislative circumstances. Where will those hundreds of thousands of extra dollars come for those hundreds of small schools? The answer is grim: more sports will be cut while scholarships and jobs are lost.

Sports and sales in general will have to pull best practices of training, onboarding, and technology from other industries to become more strategic.  Proven practices include maximizing the number of two hour blocks without distractions or diversions.  Prioritizing one’s day with the most important tasks early, check email twice per day at 10 and 4 and schedule 2 hour blocks to get in rhythm on calls.  Schedule outside meetings on one day or early/late in the day in coordination with commute.  Eliminate/trim meetings and being on the clock on game day unless necessary.

“Frankenstein” solutions involving a mishmash of workflow technology will no longer work because the returns for the employees and organizations will be inefficiently surmised. Knowing this, one company I have chosen to get involved with is Sponsorship Buddy, which pulls best practices of marketing automation, cloud services, and project management to rights holders and clients alike into one intuitive platform. Such a solution has proven to take staffs from reactive and day-to-day to strategic saving thousands of hours while providing process transparency and great calculated ROI / ROO.

On the surface, average salaries are sure to rise in correspondence, however, the ramifications will be widespread and force us all to become more calculated and strategic.  How will you adapt?   

Here are a few more takes on the matter:

USA Today: “A new expense looms for college athletic departments”

FanGraphs: “Major League Baseball and the New Overtime Rules

The Migala Report: “Did this cost your salespeople money?”

If you have caught on to any outside or developing trends, tools, or techniques to best capitalize on the circumstances, I encourage you to share them here.