The crash

I thought I was doing everything right to stay healthy—no red meat, only drinking on weekends, and jogging on Saturdays. Then—bam! One ER trip later, I was on the operating table, having my gallbladder removed. My system crashed. Hard!

Geeks like us are usually early adopters, but it’s easy to fall behind when we stop paying attention. Showing up isn’t enough. We have to build better habits, too! That ER visit was my wake-up call. I didn’t want to spend the second half of my life with shoulda, woulda, coulda regrets. I was determined to fix my glitchy habits. Armed with books, documentaries, podcasts, and dozens of open browser tabs, I took a deep dive—down rabbit holes that kept branching, looping, and going further than I ever expected.

Creating patchOS

Even though I have no medical credentials—and the only letters behind my name are G, double E, and K—I realized I could create a behavior-change system using the same principles I use to design digital experiences—turning complex ideas into clear, simple, and easy-to-follow solutions. So that’s exactly what I did. I reverse-engineered advice from top lifestyle docs into 6 default habits—simple, memorable, and easy to use:

1. Plan Ahead

2. Eat Well

3. Move Often

4. Stress Less

5. Love More

6. Sleep Deep

These habits became patchOS—the operating system designed to patch the habits that hold you back and keep better ones top of mind through simple defaults—easy to remember and use.

patchOS isn’t a biohack—it’s a repeatable system that runs day after day—in any order. Don’t know who to call in an emergency? Plan Ahead. Tempted to grab a donut? Eat Well. Been sitting for a long time? Move Often. Feeling overwhelmed? Stress Less. Want stronger relationships? Love More. Tired all day? Sleep Deep.

Wellness isn’t about perfection—it’s about playing the long game with smarter choices and building strength from the inside out.

Becoming Geek Strong

Day by day, I started making real progress.

Minimize emergencies and maximize preparedness. Done. Switch to a whole-food, plant-based diet and stop drinking alcohol. Done. Build endurance to run 5 miles, 5 days a week. Done. Identify stressors and accept what I can’t change. Done. Stop holding grudges and transcend my ultra-introverted personality to be friendlier. Done. Create a cool, quiet, and dark sleep haven. Done, done, done, done, done, done, and doner.

With patchOS installed and running smoothly, everything started to click—and I mean everything! Brain fog? Gone. Snoring? Stopped. Cholesterol meds? Canceled. Weight? Dropped 35 pounds. Skin condition? Glowing. Energy? Through the stratosphere. Muscles? Back, like a retro bonus level!

Today, I’m building Geek Strong to help people patch the habits that hold them back—with patchOS and story-driven Patches that make it easier to start and stick with change. Let’s patch things up!