Time to Level Up

June 21, 2025 — 6:30am

Before I dive in today, I just want to say—Kallie and I have been overwhelmed with love since announcing the little nugget last week. Our hearts are full. Before we made it public, we told our parents and in that moment,  something really hit me: this kid will never know a life without love. That alone… man, that’s abundance.

I’m watching the sunrise from the couch today. Not exactly where I love to write, but it’s already 80 degrees with 90% humidity, and I’m not about to donate blood to a swarm of mosquitoes before 7am. I love nature, but I also love not scratching my ankles raw while trying to be intentional with my words. Even though I’m inside today, the view out the sliding door isn’t too bad.

Returning to What Grounds Me

Early mornings are my sweet spot for writing. Always have been. The quiet. The stillness. The clarity.

But lately? That time has been harder to find.

When I first started writing this newsletter, and up until recently, I only wrote when inspiration struck—when some thought or feeling demanded to be processed on paper. Now? I write when I can. My calendar is full. Overflowing, really. And most of it is filled with things I chose. Opportunities I said yes to. That’s a gift. But I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t tested me.

So here I am—writing when I probably “should” be doing something else. But, this is the thing I need to be doing. Writing, drawing—these aren’t hobbies. They’re pressure release valves. They’re how I stay grounded in the chaos. They remind me who I am when everything feels like too much.

And here’s what I’m learning: if I can protect these sacred moments now, during the craziest season of my life… I can protect them in any season. That’s how I build the unhurried life I’m after—not by waiting for things to slow down, but by learning to slow myself down, no matter what’s swirling around me.

Overflowing Plate, Overflowing Lessons

Let’s talk logistics. Like I previously mentioned, my plate right now? Overflowing on to the table.

I'm up at 4am six days a week. I give myself 2.5 hours for the deep work—meditation, gratitude, reading, vision, desire statement, stretching and just sitting with music as the sun rises. Then it’s off to the races: a run or a workout, a chaotic breakfast (when I have time), and straight into build mode. 

My day is split between my roles with Emerge, two land businesses, real estate licensing, business coaching, Jiu Jitsu, and an inbox that seems to refill itself the second I close my laptop. Some nights I don’t wrap until 9pm.

And here’s the surprising part: I’m grateful for it.

Because it’s forced me to evolve.

The old me would’ve kept pushing until I cracked—grinding myself into dust, burning out, dropping everything in frustration, then picking up the pieces and starting the cycle all over again.

This version of me is different. Because I finally asked: What if I did it better instead of just doing more?

Rewriting the Playbook

A little over a month ago, I sat down with everything I have going on, all of the things I want to do and asked: What actually matters right now?

I wrote it all out. Ranked my priorities. Estimated how many hours I wanted to give each week. Then I wiped my entire Google Calendar and rebuilt it from scratch.

It wasn’t perfect—just my best guess at the time considering this is my first swing at some of these tasks. I’d never structured my time this intentionally before. I’d also never followed a calendar very well before. Every time I hit resistance with something I had schedued—like cold calling land sellers—I’d suddenly decide now was a great time to scroll Facebook on my phone  for the 47th time that day.

So I deleted every social media app off my phone, every little game, every escape. Problem solved. No temptation. Just me, the work, and a calendar I’m learning to trust and discipline. 

Does stuff still pop up? Of course. Just this week, I had to choose between sticking to my licensing study time or helping my partner with our customer relations management software (CRM) so he could start calling leads. That’s where the rubber meets the road—pausing, reflecting, and making a conscious choice instead of just reacting.

Now, after a month of working this calendar to the best of my ability, it’s time to reset it again—this time with more clarity, better delegation, and sharper priorities.

And here’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned: sustained progress beats short-term sprints. Every time. You couldn’t run a marathon at the same pace as a 40 yard dash right? 

I’ve tried to grind through seasons of overwhelm, and all it led to was burnout. These days, I build in space for breaks. I schedule time to think. To write. Even to doodle (ok sometimes I do that when it isn’t scheduled too). Because for me, that’s not wasting time—it’s sharpening the blade. It’s pacing my mind so I can finish the marathon. 

When the Emotions Catch Up

Earlier this week, before realizing I needed to readjust,  it all started to feel heavy. Not just “I’m tired” heavy. Existential crisis heavy. Like, is this the life I really want to live, heavy.

After a breathwork session, I broke down. The tears came fast—like they’d been waiting in line for weeks.

I questioned everything.
Why am I doing this?
Why now?
Why not just quit, get a simple job, sell everything, and coast?

I could. I really could.

But then I talked to Kallie. And then to my business partner—and friend—Josh.

And I remembered: I’m not doing all this for money or pride or ego. I’m doing it because I want to earn the life I see so clearly in my mind. A life where my family gets the very best of me—not what’s left of me after work. A life where presence isn’t a luxury, it’s the standard. That unhurried life where I don’t have to rush from task to task. 

That reminder shifted everything.

Buying Back Time

The question became: How do I keep pursuing these income-producing opportunities… and get more of my time back?

Let’s take Emerge for example. Leads have been pouring in, and I’m grateful for that. But I spend at least an hour a day emailing, following up, updating our CRM, and repeating that cycle six days a week.

That’s six hours a week I could reclaim.

So I hit up Jamie—my mentor—and asked how he handled it.

His response?

“Proud of you, brother. I hired an assistant and paid them a commission for every deal I closed.”

Boom. Problem solved. Simple. Scalable. Smart.

A Soft Exit Plan

That conversation sparked a new level of intentionality. I sat down and mapped out a slow transition out of roles.

As the land businesses grow, here’s my plan:

• Step back from the Emerge Community Manager role.
  

• Then Membership Renewal Outreach.
  

• Then Brand Ambassador.
  

Each handoff creates opportunity for someone else in the community. I get to mentor them. They get to grow. The community thrives. And I get more time back to pour into what’s next.

Eventually, that allows me to hire the right people inside the land business too. People who align with our values. People who are better at certain things than I am. People I can learn from and want to learn from me. That cycle gets repeated over time. 

That’s how we grow.

If You’re In a Build Season, Read This Twice

If you're feeling overwhelmed or stuck or like your calendar is running you instead of the other way around, here's what I’d offer:

• Say yes to aligned opportunities. Having a full plate isn’t always bad. More aligned opportunities = more options. And options are freedom.You will learn what fits and what doesn’t and eventually start saying no.
  

• Use your calendar as a compass, not a prison. Realize when you need to push through and when you need rest. And schedule time every 90 days to review what’s working. Sometimes you’ll need that reset after 30.
  

• Be brutally honest about what actually moves the needle toward your vision. Prioritize those things.
  

• Start planning now how you’ll buy back time later. Delegation isn’t just a luxury—it’s a lifeline.
  

• Stay grateful. The weight you're carrying might just be the resistance needed to make you stronger and more intentional.
  

• And lean on people who’ve been there. If you don’t have them, go find them. Seriously. One conversation can change everything.

As always, thanks for reading,

Kyle

Song

Joe Walsh, Life’s Been Good:Another classic—and it just felt right this week. With all the incredible opportunities showing up and our first little one on the way, I’ve been reflecting on how full life really is. Not always easy. Not always smooth. But man… life’s been good. And it’s only getting better.