A new morning ritual

Sunshine, Crawfish, and visiting with Mom

Saturday afternoon. Writing this one a little later than usual. Sitting by the lake. Sun’s out. Kallie’s doing yoga. Got a nice walk in with the dogs. Workout crushed. Life’s feeling good.

It’s been a great day—and honestly, a great few weeks.

Last week I was in Austin connecting with some amazing people and having some big breakthroughs. This week, my mom came down from Cleveland and stayed with us all week. Got to cross off a bunch of firsts for her—first time at The Gulf of America? Mexico? Whatever. first time seeing gators in the wild, first Houston Rodeo experience (which we have to redo because we didn’t actually see the rodeo part...note to self, check dates and times of events).

But my favorite moment of all?

Thursday night. We went to a crawfish boil, came back to the house, and sat out on the deck. Me, Kallie, my mom, and her mom. I kicked it off by asking everyone: “What’s your favorite childhood memory?”

It’s one of my favorite questions to ask the people I love now. Even when you talk all the time, there’s always more to learn. That conversation will stay with me forever.

What won’t stay with me? Mindlessly binging TV. Not that I’m against it entirely—there’s a time and place for everything. But that deck conversation? That’s the kind of stuff that makes life slow down for a while which is a beautiful thing. 

A Lighter Load

Usually when I sit down to write, something heavy’s on my mind—something I’ve been carrying, struggling with, or trying to sort through. I sound like some depressed artist which made me smile as I typed it. But this week… nothing. 

Not in a numb or disconnected way. Just… nothing weighing me down.

That’s a fucking incredible feeling.

Gratitude has been hitting different lately. I’m grateful for the struggles I’ve gone through. Grateful for the people I’ve got in my life. Grateful to feel like I’ve finally landed on a path forward. Grateful to feel confident in trusting that I won’t quit when shit inevitably gets hard. Grateful for everyone who reads this newsletter, sends me a message, or shares how something I’ve said helped them take action.

Hell, I’d say anyone would feel grateful in my shoes right now.

But I also know that’s not true.

There are people who wouldn’t feel this way—because I used to be one of them. I used to think gratitude would come after I achieved more. Now I know: gratitude is a choice.

And I’m damn grateful I made the choice to change my perspective.

If I can do that, I believe anyone can.

How We Didn't Fall Apart

Alright, thanks for letting me ramble. But here’s the point I landed on while writing (isn’t that how the pros do it?)...hey, imperfect action often leads to something great. Or at least… decent...hopefully. 

One thing I’ve been especially grateful for lately is my relationship with my wife.

I was talking to someone recently about how most relationships don’t survive stressful seasons. And man, the last two years have been by far the most stressful of our eight years together. But we’ve only grown stronger.

That’s not the norm. I know that from experience—I’ve been divorced before.

Our first few years were rough (that’s a story for another day). But I left a $130K job with zero plan, and two years later, we’re still standing. Stronger than ever.

So I started asking myself: how did we do it?

Here are a few things that stood out. These aren’t hacks. They took time. We are not perfect. Never will be. But we love each other—flaws and all.

Be vulnerable.
We don’t bottle things up. We don’t wait for the “right” words. We just spill it. Talk it through. Help each other sort it out.

Set expectations when venting.
This one’s still in progress (for me, mostly). Sometimes I just need Kallie to listen. Other times, I need advice or her perspective. If I don’t tell her what I need, how can she show up the right way?

Push each other—gently (at first).
Early on, I pushed hard. She pushed back. My mindset coach helped me realize that pushing someone who's not ready usually makes them resist. So instead, I started pulling—focusing on my own growth. And when she saw the results, she got curious. Now, we’re both obsessed with growth. Spiritual, personal and mental. 

Have fun.
I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but damn—this has been a game-changer. Entrepreneurs love to grind. But the grind can make you miserable. And when that happens, guess who feels it first? Your partner. Scheduling time for fun has lightened things up and brought us even closer. It has helped me keep my stress low and that makes the ride of early entrepreneurship much more enjoyable. 

The Morning Ritual

Let me leave you with one last little nugget—something I picked up from a guy at the last Gobundance event. He does this with his son, and I repurposed it for Kallie.

Every morning since last Friday, I wake her up by pulling the covers back, kissing her on the head, and whispering:

I love you.
 I’m proud of you.
 I’m grateful for you.
 Today is going to be an amazing day.

And she usually mumbles it back to me, line by line, in her morning, very much still asleep, voice. 

Way better than yanking the blankets off and sticking my cold hands on her back. (For her, at least. That was usually very enjoyable for me)

It takes ten seconds. It sets the tone. It’s the little things that make a relationship last—especially when you're building a business and battling stress daily.

Thanks for reading,

Kyle

The Eagles - Take It Easy: This is just another classic feel good song. I picture a sunset cruise in the Javelin with Kallie and my parents back home in wine country. Windows down. Just jammin’.