The Season of Yes (Until It Wasn't)

"The truth?!?! You want the truth?!?! YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!"

Or however the quote goes.

Here’s my truth this week:

I’m tired, boss. Another quote. Another mood.

It’s been another wildly busy week (tis the season eg?). After a morning of back-to-back calls and way too much quality time with my computer screen (which somehow fries my brain worse than the most brutal workouts), I was deep in the weeds—running due diligence on a property Josh and I are about to purchase. Our first ever. HUGE progress.

After a liquid lunch (protein shake, not bourbon—although the latter did sound mighty tempting), I wandered out to the deck and decided to sprawl out for 10 minutes. Snake-in-the-sun style. You know, like the ones down here in Texas that risk getting pancaked by a semi just to warm up.

For me, it was more about recharging my batteries than warming my skin, stepping away from the desk, and clearing away the thousand thoughts racing through my brain. And going back to the snake in the road, for a second, getting squished by a semi didn't sound so bad. Just for a second.

Tired has been the theme. Every time someone asked, “Hey bud, how ya doing?” all I could think was: Tired. Just that. Just... tired.

As I’ve mentioned before, this season of life has been a Season of Yes™️.

Yes to being the most dialed-in Community Manager I can be for Gobundance Emerge. Yes to the flood of leads from being the Gobundance Emerge Brand Ambassador (grateful, yes—but they have been pouring in like an avalanche). Yes to Land Stream Capital. (We have a website now!) Yes to Stacked Property Holdings with Greg. Yes to workouts. Yes to jiu jitsu. Yes to a 90-day reset (no processed foods, no alcohol, no THC, no social media on my phone, etc)...Yes. Yes. Yes.

Oh, and yes to preparing for the baby. Because apparently everything that needs to get done before they get here doesn’t happen with a snap of the fingers…although Amazon and wonderful friends and family help. 

I’m not complaining. Okay, maybe I am. But I’m also trying to be honest:

Yes sounded good and was necessary, until it became too much. 

Until I found myself fantasizing about a beer and a joint just to take the edge off. Until the thought of lying facedown in a dark room for 36 hours actually sounded appealing. Until I was like... wait, isn’t this exactly what I said I’d stop doing?

The plan was simple: say yes to all the right things through 2025, carry all the boats with my strong back and weak mind, and then say no to what no longer fits.

TOO EASY.

Except, nope. Turns out, carrying all those boats was more realistic for a 100 yard race, not a marathon. 

And burnout? That sneaky little bastard crept back in like an old roommate who never pays rent but somehow eats all your swiss cake rolls. “Clever girl…” Jurassic Park. Come on, hopefully you got that one. 

So I hit pause. I wrote it all down. All of it.

Here’s what’s on my plate that I could potentially eliminate:

• Workouts

• Jiu jitsu

• Land Stream Capital

• Stacked Property Holdings

• Emerge Community Manager

• Emerge Brand Ambassador

Then I looked at what each gives me—money, energy, health, energy, alignment, long-term vision.

Workouts & Jiu Jitsu – Not even a question. I’ve already condensed these and cut back, but cut back even more? Nah. These are essential. They’re part of who I am. Cut them, lose myself. A yes that will always remain. 

Emerge Community Manager – I love leadership. It’s also my only stable paycheck (first of the month, every month). But I’ve made this role WAY bigger than it needs to be. Remember when this was my “ONE THING” for the year? Yeah. Maybe I overdid it. I can scale it back... or maybe step away.

Brand Ambassador – I love the convos. And it pays the most per hour. Plus, my incredible mother-in-law now handles my emails and scheduling—bless her heart. She holds herself to a high standard. Huge win for me, extra money for her.

Land Stream & Stacked Properties – HELL NO I’m not stepping away from this!  They’re the heaviest right now but these are the legacy plays. These are the keys to a 10-hour workweek and a life of rich, unhurried experiences with my family. They cost me now time and energy now, but they’ll pay dividends later.

So the hard decision?

Say no to the only thing that brings in guaranteed income right now…6 months before our first kid comes. 

Yep. I’m stepping down as Community Manager of Gobundance Emerge.

Talked it over with Kallie—my North Star. She gets it. She supports it. Even when I’m spiraling about existence and wondering if I’m just a W2 guy impersonating an entrepreneur (a legit question I had this week).

I still need to iron out the logistics with HQ, but it’s happening.

And yeah, it’s scary. But it’s also freeing.

It’s a no that creates space for more aligned yeses. It’s a no that allows me to dedicate more time to my own businesses. 

It’s also a baton pass to the next leader who will carry build upon what I have already done within Emerge and keep increasing the value in the community. 

All the yeses lead to the wealth. And the wealth? It’s the ability to be intentional with my yeses and no’s in the future. 

Yes to the vacations. Yes to the experiences. Yes to spending my time learning along side my children. 

No to what no longer serves. No to the cycle of burnout. No to the heavy boats that aren’t mine to carry anymore.

As always, thanks for reading,
Kyle

Bonus Beat:

If you need a soundtrack for this letter—especially the "strong back, weak mind, burnout creeping in" part—give Under Pressure by Queen & David Bowie a listen.

The bass line alone feels like juggling all the yesses. The lyrics? Straight from the storm.