Will Luera

Cross-cultural creative collaboration. I like to travel, eat, laugh, and to make stuff up. Die-hard White Sox fan. I believe in the Human Right to Laugh.

[Will Luera @wluera]

Country before Party; Compassion before Everything

[Will Luera @wluera]

In one week, @lifelineproductionsinc will premiere @beginagainbadge and I couldn’t be more proud.

As Producing Artistic Director of Lifeline, and as the writer of last year’s world premiere of Entangled, it means so much to help bring another deeply human, meaningful story to the stage. This one feels especially personal. I’m also proud to support my friend @jusumgirl, whose talent, honesty, and heart make this project incredibly special.

At Lifeline, we believe in the power of storytelling to open hearts, deepen empathy, and create space for healing and conversation around mental health. Begin Again Badge is part of that mission, and I’m so excited for audiences to experience it.

If you’re local, I’d love for you to join us for the world premiere in just one week. You can buy tickets through our website at https://t.co/KyMttTym8K.

And if you’re farther away and can’t attend in person, I hope you’ll consider supporting Lifeline Productions with a donation as we continue creating bold, compassionate new work.

Thank you for cheering us on.

[Will Luera @wluera]

A fun milestone to share! Two of my essays - which were originally shared on Facebook - have been selected for publication in Calista’s Paradox, a new book by Elaine Stirling and Erik Åkesson exploring the concept of legacy through both storytelling and practical leadership insights.

The book combines a novella with lessons and perspectives from contributors across a wide range of fields, including business, healthcare, aviation, psychology, and the military. I’m honored to have my work included alongside so many thoughtful voices.

As someone who spends much of my time helping people communicate, lead, collaborate, and tell meaningful stories, being invited to contribute to a conversation about legacy feels especially meaningful.

Grateful to the editors, fellow contributors, and everyone who has encouraged my writing along the way.

Calista’s Paradox is now available. More information at https://t.co/f2s9ZGWRnT.

[Seen on the Internet @FunnySight]

When the information from your eyes doesnt match your brain

[Will Luera @wluera]

An old but important article by a former student of mine. #alzheimers

https://t.co/dPhiHaXIMR

[Will Luera @wluera]

Thank You, Kenny Williams, For Running the Greatest Baseball Card Nostalgia Trip in History - By A Grateful, Confused, and Occasionally Heartbroken White Sox Fan

There are baseball general managers who build dynasties. There are GMs who develop young talent, who draft brilliantly, who construct championship contenders year after year through patience and vision. And then, in a category entirely his own, there is Kenny Williams, the man who somehow turned U.S. Cellular Field into a live-action Beckett Baseball Card Price Guide.

Kenny, this one's for you. Pull up a rocking chair. You've earned it.

For a certain generation of White Sox fans...those of us who spent childhood summers hunched over three-ring binders stuffed with plastic card sleeves, carefully organizing our collections by team, position, and "mint condition" status, the Williams era defied conventional sports logic. Sure, the team wasn't always easy to watch. Sure, there were seasons where checking the standings felt like peeking at a medical diagnosis you already suspected was bad. But at least when you walked into Comiskey (sorry, U.S. Cellular, sorry, Guaranteed Rate), there was a decent chance you'd look up from your hot dog and see someone you had a rookie card for.

Kenny Williams didn't just sign aging superstars. He curated an experience. He was a GM, a curator, and a baseball card shop owner all rolled into one.

The Art of the Sentimental Signing

Let's be honest about what was happening here. Ken Williams had a gift...a truly rare and special gift...for identifying players who were 70% done being great and saying, yes, that's our guy. Not because the on-field results were necessarily going to be spectacular. But because there was something deeply human, deeply Chicago, about giving a legend one more curtain call. Even if the curtain was a little frayed. Even if the lighting wasn't great. Even if the crowd wasn't entirely sure what they were applauding for.

And here's the thing...it worked. Not always in the win column. But in that ineffable quality that makes baseball more than a sport. The nostalgia. The "wait, is that who I think it is?" moment. The nine-year-old in you suddenly snaps to attention because Ken Griffey Jr. just trotted out to center field, and you once had his Upper Deck rookie card tucked between your mattress and box spring for "safekeeping."

A Letter to My Baseball Card Collection

Here is something I never expected as a kid, carefully peeling open wax packs and comparing stats on the backs of cards...that one day, those players would show up on my team. Not in their prime, not as the players depicted on the cards - hair perfectly airbrushed, uniform pristine, stats still accumulating - but as real human beings in the winter of their careers, playing for a sometimes-mediocre team on the South Side of Chicago.
And you know what? It was better than any card.

You could argue the baseball was better when Griffey was hitting 56 homers in Seattle, or when Manny was terrorizing the American League in Cleveland and Boston, or when Roberto Alomar was making impossible plays in Cleveland, Toronto and Baltimore look effortless. You'd be right. But watching those same players wear our black and white? That was something cards could never give you. That was time, folded back on itself. That was the strange, generous magic of a GM who apparently had a soft spot for legends...and maybe, just maybe, for the kids who collected their cards.

Editor's Note! It should be noted that Kenny Williams also assembled the 2005 World Series champion White Sox, who swept the Houston Astros and ended an 88-year championship drought. This is mentioned here primarily to avoid sounding entirely ungrateful. I am, in fact, deeply grateful. For the championship AND for all the twilight stars.

[Will Luera @wluera]

Looking back at that moment when @OliSchaedLuera realizes how much the government is taking out of her paycheck. We’ve all been there Olivia…

[Will Luera @wluera]

3x155 Clean Grip Shoulder Shrugs #crossfit

[Will Luera @wluera]

3x135lbs Hang Clean

[Will Luera @wluera]

Spacex

[Chicago White Sox @whitesox]

listening to this on repeat until further notice

[Will Luera @wluera]

I’m excited to share that I am now an Everything DiSC® Certified Practitioner.

I’ve used communication, collaboration, and leadership tools for years through improv, facilitation, coaching, and organizational work, and this certification gives me an even stronger framework to help teams understand how they work, communicate, make decisions, navigate conflict, and build trust.

What I love about DiSC is that it is not about labeling people. It is about creating a shared language to understand ourselves and others so we can work together with greater clarity, empathy, and effectiveness.

Looking forward to bringing this into future leadership workshops, team trainings, coaching conversations, and organizational development work.

Many thanks to my colleagues at @GameOnNation for helping me achieve this certification.

#EverythingDiSC #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamBuilding #Communication

https://t.co/jPrKEHKDtm

[MLB @MLB]

Baseball bragging rights reside on the South Side of Chicago! 😏

[Will Luera @wluera]

Feliz Cinco de Mayo! 🇲🇽

[Mike @ChiSoxFanMike]

I think the White Sox fanbase will legitimately revolt if they don’t extend Mune. He’s completely changed the trajectory of this franchise and he needs to stay here for a long time.

[Will Luera @wluera]

I'm excited to be a part of another Storytelling night at the Jack Kerouac House in St. Petersburg. I look forward to sharing another story and opening for Maria. https://t.co/4h0W9kZxNl

[Will Luera @wluera]

We’re in the final hours of the #GivingChallenge2026, and there’s still time to support Lifeline Productions before noon today.
Unique gifts from $1 - $100 are doubled. And as part of this final push, we’re also premiering our Impact Video for the first time. #BeTheOne

https://t.co/XDLi9Rb2K0

[Will Luera @wluera]

Lifeline Productions is a part of The #GivingChallenge2026 and it ends at 12pm EST. Today, April 16th, 2026.

This org changed my life and helped inspire me to write Entangled, a show about how mental health affects all of us, whether visible or not. If Lifeline’s work speaks to you, gifts from $1 to $100 are doubled today. #BeTheOne

https://t.co/XDLi9Rb2K0

[Will Luera @wluera]

Religion Lesson | https://t.co/FJw61PKtmh via @YouTube

[Chicago White Sox @whitesox]

13 forever belongs to Ozzie Guillén.

[Will Luera @wluera]

Thank you, @GameOnNation, for inviting me to be on the podcast! Always a pleasure to work with this team, and I appreciate the opportunity to discuss my Improv background and broader body of work. | Laugh with...Will Luera https://t.co/BpeVES1wo6 via @YouTube