Derek M. Hansen - December 2025 

If you are like me and get inundated by Instagram reels and YouTube shorts that rail on about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is going to eliminate jobs, dumb down humanity and, generally, destroy our future, you cannot help but get a little depressed.  Just as the Luddites of the 19^th Century were afraid that the use of machines would take their jobs during the industrial revolution, prompting them to destroy textile machines in organized raids throughout England, one can easily be overcome with anxiety by the notion of being replaced by an array of search engines, virtual assistants and predictive algorithms.  It seems like only a few decades ago that visions of the future yielded optimistic outlooks of technological innovation making our lives easier, improving our quality of life and disseminating wealth throughout society.  While some of those advancements have been realized in our everyday lives, why are the recent discussions around AI creating...

Derek M. Hansen - January 2024

As someone who is regularly involved in continuing education events and the professional development of coaches, fitness professionals and rehabilitation practitioners, I consistently find myself asking how I can better contribute to the ongoing education of motivated individuals.  It is one thing to be considered an ‘expert’ or a source of information on a particular topic or area.  It is quite another to actually make a significant change in the motivation, aptitude and abilities of a working professional through a weekend course or a conference presentation.  How can we make a lasting impact on the professional development of a person if you are not consistently around them on a daily or weekly basis, guiding their efforts and providing feedback at key moments?

We often hear about the 10,000 hour rule and the value of apprenticeships and internships to gradually mold young professionals into respected leaders in their field.  An extended period of ti...