The Illusion of Progress

Back in the Sun

Some of you may have caught on to this by now but a majority of the time the picture I post with the letter each week is completely unrelated to the letter itself. I mostly just like taking pictures of the sunrise over the lake and sharing them so if you didn’t know, now you do. 

Grateful for our time in Cleveland last week—celebrated my parents’ 40th anniversary, caught up with friends, and hit our favorite food spots. But I’ve gotta say… it feels good to be back in Texas.

Right now, Kallie, the pups and I are sitting on the deck, soaking in sunshine and stillness after a jam-packed week. Monday, we made the 15-hour drive from Cleveland to Texarkana (a little border town between AR and TX). Got some much-needed sleep, then hit the road again at 4am to finish the trip home.

Less than an hour after we got back, the week launched into motion:

• Partner calls
  

• Sales calls
  

• Admin work
  

• Reading
  

• Our Tuesday night book club
  

• New member calls for Emerge
  

• Networking with guys who want to add value to the community
  

• And progress on both land businesses
  

It’s been a full sprint. I’ve felt stretched and tired at times (ok most of times this week), but deeply grateful. Grateful for the work. Grateful for the opportunities. Grateful for the choices that this life allows.

And grateful for this moment right now—to rest, reset, and reconnect with Kallie and slow down.

Doubt > Reflection > Momentum

Funny enough, last week I was swimming in doubt about our land business. But writing last week’s letter helped unlock something—and this week has been a whole different story.

We decided to keep the business simple for now. Stay intentional. Take it one step at a time. We are going to focus on one exit strategy and build from there. 

Now we’re building outreach lists and prepping to make our first seller calls. I’m confident that within the next month, we’ll be doing wholesale deals—getting land under contract and assigning it to other investors for a profit. That fast.

The key shift?

We asked for help.

Josh and I always believed we could do this. But meeting Greg (author of Dirt to Millions—an absolute must-read if you’re interested in land) gave us the guidance we didn’t even realize we were missing. His insights helped us connect the dots.

Now the three of us—Greg, Josh, and I—are the founding partners of Stacked Property Holdings.

What a journey. Fired up for what’s ahead. 

Little note here…we are all one connection away from completely changing the trajectory of our lives. If you aren’t investing in masterminds, going to networking events and meet ups, you are increasing the time line on your success. Plain and simple. 

The Real Work: Working on Yourself

Over the past year, I’ve realized that this letter is really about one thing: personal growth. Yes, I talk about entrepreneurship—but you can’t separate the two.

If you want to build a great business, build a better version of you first.
When you do that, the rest starts to align: the opportunities, the relationships, the wins.

Social Media: The Sneakiest of Snakes 

Today marks 37 days without social media on my phone (when I no longer need it for work, I may eliminate it completely but time will tell) —and I’m not sure I will ever download it again.

Life has felt lighter. Quieter. More real and man have I felt tremendously more productive. 

But in the few moments I’ve hopped back on, I noticed something:

Social media is slick.

It gives us the illusion that we’re doing something meaningful.
You read a quote. You share a reel. You comment “fire” on someone’s story.
And for a moment, it feels like progress.

But it’s not. Not really. Not for most. 

For most tt’s a digital high five with no follow-through. Nothing more than a dopamine hit that makes you give yourself a little pat on the back. “Nice work, I did something!”

And hey—I’ve been there. I used to post inspirational content all the time. It made me feel like I was doing the work. But behind the screen, I wasn’t changing a thing. I was stuck.

A Moment I Rarely Talk About

There was a season in my life—long before Texas, long before Emerge—where I felt completely lost.
Stuck in a job I hated. Drowning in anxiety. Going through the motions.
I knew I needed to change… but I was terrified of what that would mean.
So I stayed. For too long.

I masked the discomfort by reading personal development books and bingeing podcasts.
And I told myself that meant I was growing.

But deep down, I wasn’t doing anything different.
And the more I stayed stuck, the darker life felt.

There was a moment where it got so heavy that I started to wonder…
What if I just gave up altogether?
I don’t say that for shock value—I say it because someone out there might be in that same headspace. And if that’s you, I want you to know something:

There’s always another option.
And that option begins with one small, real-life action. Not a post. Not a share. Not a like. A step.

From Consuming to Creating

These days, I still share. I post this letter. I write. I talk about the journey. But now it’s from a different place. A grounded place.

I don’t do it for validation—I do it for clarity.
I don’t do it to feel productive—I do it to stay productive.

And I do it because maybe, just maybe, someone out there is watching and thinking,
“If he can do it, maybe I can too.”

That’s why I’m sharing this with you now.

Not to point fingers. Not to guilt trip. But to extend a hand.
To say: Come with me.

Progress Looks Like This

I still believe social media can be a powerful tool—but only if it’s backing up your real-life action, not replacing it.

So if you’ve been stuck in consumption mode more than creation mode, know this:

You’re not behind.
You’re not broken.
And you’re definitely not failing.

But you do have a choice.

You’ll have to face the fear—that quiet resistance that whispers:
“What if I fail?”
“What if I go broke?”
“What will they think of me?”

But here’s the truth: That fear comes from others and you’re not them!
And you’re not meant to live a watered-down version of your life just to keep others comfortable.

You want more.
You desire more.
And that desire exists for a reason.

At some point, you’ll have to decide:
Will I let the fear of failure stop me?
Or will I let the fear of regret push me forward?

Because once you start choosing small, consistent action…
That’s when things start to shift.
That’s when your story begins to change.

That’s when your words start to carry weight because they are backed by real progress. 

As always, thanks for reading, 

Kyle 

Song 

MGK - Sun to Me: This is actually a cover of a Zach Bryan song. I love the original version but in my opinion MGK killed this one. He does an incredible job of putting emotion into his voice and while Kallie and I were driving through the hills of KY this sone really hit.