What Admire Means

Five years ago, I wrote an article for Fast Company about easing into a healthful and sustainable digital detox.

It was during the pandemic when we all huddled at home and left the real world for one of Zoom meetings and Slack channels. We were glued to our screens and effectively poisoning ourselves with technology. The mental health fallout was severe and well documented.

Now, here we are in 2026, deep in the AI Uncanny Valley together, and I’m writing this on our AI company’s website. So have I sold my soul to technology? No. I’m not here to ride the hype train. I’m here because I think this is exactly the moment where balance matters most.

AI has value, but we need to draw out that value and shape it for people and communities so we can progress together the right way.

To do more with more.

Admire is our way to contribute with AI by helping people define clear expectations and find and close skill gaps. Especially leadership skill gaps. Too often we have seen these lead to destructive work environments and poor business outcomes that could be avoided.

We know we can help people achieve real capability progress in a healthy way. Through a system designed for growth through positive reinforcement. That is what Admire is to me.

So why “Admire”?

The word Admire comes from the Latin ad (meaning at or toward) and mirari (meaning to wonder). Together they mean to wonder at. To be amazed by. To be inspired.

It is the perfect name to hold our vision to make developing people easier. To help individuals and leaders grow effectively and become admirable.

That is the path ahead: helping people, and the leaders and enablement professionals who develop them, close the distance between where they are and who they could become.

I hope you’ll come along for the journey.

-Keith