The Book
Built This Way is publishing October 22
There’s nothing wrong with you. There is a reason the pattern repeats.
Built This Way helps readers understand why old patterns repeat, why insight alone often fails, and how awareness and practice make change possible.
Start here if you overreact, shut down, get defensive, or keep repeating something you hoped would change.
Learn more about Built This Way →Reader Tool
Try Why Did I React That Way?
Why Did I React That Way? is a reflection tool connected to Built This Way. Use it after a moment when you reacted, shut down, got defensive, felt hurt, got angry, or repeated an old pattern.
Bring one real moment. The tool helps you slow the reaction down, see what may be underneath it, and receive a personal reflection in a few minutes.
Bring one real moment. The tool helps you slow down your reaction and receive a personal reflection in a few minutes.
Start Your Reflection →Where would you like to start?
Practice the Change
Explore workbooks, classes, guided audio, and practical tools.
Explore Power ToolsLeadership, Forums & Retreats
For leaders, founders, forums, and teams working with patterns under pressure.
Explore Leadership WorkFor Leaders
Patterns under pressure
The same patterns that shape personal life also show up in leadership: conflict, avoidance, over-control, burnout, trust, and difficult decisions.
SkillfullyAware® leadership work helps leaders and groups see those patterns more clearly, talk about them more honestly, and practice better ways of responding under pressure.
SAAQ for Leaders
A private developmental profile that helps you see how you lead, relate, decide, protect, and grow under pressure.
Explore SAAQ Coaching →Forum Retreats
Facilitated retreats for EO/YPO forums and leadership groups ready for honest conversation, deeper trust, and skillful development.
Explore Forum Retreats →Executive Coaching
One-on-one support for leaders navigating pressure, conflict, transition, identity, and growth.
Book a Conversation →Practice the Change
Insight helps. Practice changes the pattern.
Power Tools are classes, workbooks, guided audio, and practical resources for working with real-life patterns.
Meet Dr. Mark Pirtle
Dr. Mark Pirtle is the creator of SkillfullyAware®, author of Built This Way, and creator of the SkillfullyAware Awareness Quotient, or SAAQ.
His work helps people understand why painful patterns repeat, how those patterns shape life and leadership, and how awareness, practice, integration, and compassion make change possible.
Mark’s teaching brings together mindfulness, adult development, shadow work, somatic awareness, systems thinking, and decades of work with clients, leaders, groups, and retreat participants.
What People Experience in the Work
Reflections from leaders, clients, and participants who have used SkillfullyAware® to understand patterns, build trust, and practice meaningful change.
His approach to shadow work and emotional intelligence transformed our team dynamics. If your team needs alignment, bring Mark in—you won't regret it.
Dr. Pirtle's shadow work coaching has been transformative for both my personal and professional life. Through his guidance, I've developed a heightened ability to attune to myself, others, and situations. His insights are practical and profound, transferring seamlessly to any domain. I'm a better version of myself because of his coaching.
Working with Dr. Pirtle has transformed my understanding of my mind, myself, and what it is to live with skillful awareness.
What People Experience in the Work
His approach to shadow work and emotional intelligence transformed our team dynamics. If your team needs alignment, bring Mark in—you won't regret it.
Breaking Bad (habits)
Essays on why painful patterns repeat, why change is hard, and how to practice becoming more SkillfullyAware in daily life.
Breaking Bad (habits)
Essays on why painful patterns repeat, why change is hard, and how to practice becoming more SkillfullyAware in daily life.