12/19/25
Welcome to the world, little homie. We’ve waited a long time for this moment. We are really happy, scared, nervous, grateful — and most of all, excited. It’s going to be a roller coaster in these coming years, decades, and lifetime ahead. Roller coasters are fun.
I trust that one day, these words will be meaningful and helpful as you navigate the world.
The bad news. You’re coming into a world of chaos, strain, and negativity. It’s looking grim out there.
The good news. In OUR little world, you’re coming into an environment of peace, positivity, stability, joy, and love. Your mom and I have worked hard to create a life and community that embraces the good in the world. We’re surrounded by supportive, loving, caring, kind, and awesome humans. Parents, siblings, nephews, friends, and colleagues.
You’re in a good spot.
I want to share with you, the learnings, principles, values, and reflections that I’ve picked up on my journey. I hope these will be helpful in yours.
We got you for these first couple years — but very slowly, with each year, you will learn how to become your own person. With your own life experiences, influences, musical taste, and perspectives of the world. That, to me, is the most exciting part of this journey as your dad.
::
In no particularly order,
Dogs
A dog is a mans best friend. The truest cliche out. Unconditional love. Always there for you. They live for your love (and treats). It’s important to have that in your life. Every single day, Blu brings joy into my life.
In full honesty — I am convinced that there’s a zero percent chance I will love you more than Blu. My love for Blu is infinite. As my love for you will be infinite.
You have big paws to fill.
Life Partner
On the topic of truest cliches, marry your best friend. It’s truly the single most important decision you’ll make in your life.
You are a bi product of the people you spend the most time with. Your life partner is the single biggest influence on you.
Find someone who shares your values, has a great work ethic, positive attitude, cares about health, has ambition, has good friends, knows how to banter, knows how to quiet, has their own hobbies, loves dogs.
But also know that all humans are deeply imperfect. No one on this planet gets a 10/10 on all those things above. You’re going to have to deal with their imperfections. And remember this: They’re going to have to deal with your imperfections (I learned this late because I was an immature ding dong).
So most important, and the single non negotiable. Marry your best friend. Someone you want to spend all your time with. You will find happiness is you get this one right.
Mosh Pits
A big part of life is figuring out how to take punches. In every area of life, you’re going to have to figure this out. Life is hard. School is hard. Work is hard. Friends are hard. Family is hard. You’re going to struggle and you will fail and you will be frustrated. It’s a never ending carousel of challenges. As soon as you figure out one challenge, the next one will be waiting for you. That is a reality for every human on this planet.
You gotta figure out how to deal. And it’s not something you ever fully figure out. The challenges evolve. You evolve. Your coping mechanisms and tactical strategies evolve. You’re always tweaking the dial.
Mosh pits are the right reference point for healthy and productive dealing. You get knocked down. You get picked up. You hug a stranger. You both smile. And you keep going. Repeat, repeat, repeat. The spirit and secret of life, found in a punch. I seek this.
Some people are scared to take a punch. Scared to get knocked down. Scared of the risk. Scared to get hurt. But if you can figure out how to love the punch, you win. In mosh pits it’s very straight forward. In life it’s much more opaque. Learn it in the pit. Apply it to your life.
Nature + Skiing
Nature is the best outlet to clear your head. Fresh air. Open deserts and vast oceans and trees and views and sunsets and sunrises and campfires and stars. Disconnecting from the world. Hitting the reset button. Thinking without constant distractions.
You can so easily get caught into the weeds of life. Sucked into the granular bullshit of work problems, errands, and “busy”. Nature is the outlet to take an eagles eye view. Ensure you are climbing the right mountain. Finding the reset button is a massive life hack. Nature is an easy outlet to find it.
Skiing is the best form of nature. The closest you can get to flying. Floating down a mountain at 20 miles per hour, with the crisp air, and your favorite music blasting, and big epic views. Peak life moments can easily be found on the ski slopes.
If it’s not nature and skiing (and know, that very selfishly, I am going to be trying hard on this) — find your version of nature and skiing. Somewhere you can find your reset button and unlock those peak life moments.
Airplanes
Writing is one of the most important skillsets you should develop. It’s good for you. It serves you in work. It’s a big piece in how you communicate with the world.
Here’s a framework. Thinking + reflection —> mindset + Intention.
Write it down when you’re on the plane. Putting it on paper makes it real. Articulate all the stuff. Compartmentalize it. And you’ve got a plan. For a better you.
As I sit in this very uncomfortable airplane seat, I am disconnected from the world. And I’m able to compartmentalize the swirl of thoughts in my head. It’s a ritual. Something that I love. My guess is that you, like me, will be one to see the world and stack many epic experiences. Which means lots of airplanes. Use the airplane as a sanctuary for reflection, writing, and self improvement.
Privilege
You are being born into privilege, and you have an advantage in life. That's okay. You didn't choose that. You got lucky right out the gates.
Make sure to work hard and earn your own success. Don't take advantage of it.
Use your privilege to help others. In whatever you choose to do in life, make sure it’s something that’s making the world better.
Your Mom is Awesome
I’ve heard this phrase from my parents — “we used to be cool, until you came!”. My hope is that I will always be cool. I’m pretty determined to make that happen, more than most. But in the event that I stop being cool. Just know that we were really fucking cool for a really long time.
And your mom is the coolest. Some things I think you should know about her:
— Pilates, Fashion, Cooking. I don’t believe there’s any combination that beats that. She’s fit, she looks great, and she’s the best cook I know. When you get into your late 30s, that’s like the holy trinity of cool.
— She found a kick ass job. Stuck with it. And is still at the same place 14 years later. She makes good money because she was consistent, patient, and hard working. And she found a great mentor. A mom figure, that has been her ride or die. She works with good people and she’s a great team player. She is polished and sharp.
— We partied hard. On her 21st birthday, there were heads in trash cans. We indulged at music festivals and danced late into the night. We’ve had late nights and made bad decisions and had epic memories. We’ve traveled all over the country. Our martini game is top tier.
— Her friends are low in quantity and high in quality. The depth of friendship that she shares is something to admire. Quality and depth is everything. In life, you only need 5 good friends. And her 5 are a good bunch.
Money
When you’re comfortable buying groceries and going on modest vacations, you’ve made it.
Making lots of money is a trap. Money corrupts. Society will lure you with greed. They all got it wrong. If you’re motivated by money, you’re hurting yourself.
Money is a means. Live simply and frugally. It’s all the other stuff that matters. Purpose, doing something you enjoy, working with good people, making an impact on the world. Chase that. It’s likely that the money will follow those things. Money is the secondary layer and least important factor to all that matters.
Swing the Bat
The best thing I did for myself was Stay Positive and Chill Charters. Early endeavors in entrepreneurship. I took a big swing, I learned a lot, I was challenged, and I got the most value from that. For me that was experienced through entrepreneurship. If you’re into playing music, do the band thing. If you love art — pursue it. Whatever that “spark” becomes — go for it. Take big swings, especially in your 20s.
The unconventional path creates a better life story. There will be a point when “stability” matters. But you don’t need stability in your 20s. You don’t need money. You don’t need to figure out your career. You don’t need a lot of the stuff that society will tell you.
Fail! And then fail again! That’s how you learn!
The more you live, the higher likelihood you’ll find the path that is right for you. “Figuring it all out” is something you can push to your 30s and 40s.
You do need ambition. You need creativity. You need resilience. You need flexibility. These are all things you will develop. And those happen to be the same things that will serve you in whatever you stumble into. Both in work and outside of work.
Dodgers
Baseball is objectively the best sport. I don’t care if sports become your thing or not. But we are Dodgers fans. And October is for Dodgers baseball. You’re coming into this world after back to back World Series wins. It’s a big deal. You had a heartbeat when the Dodgers beat the Blue Jays in Game 7. You were technically part of it. And it was epic.
You can also be a Padres fan because we live in San Diego. I will not join you, but I will be supportive. Just not in October. In October it’s a house rule that we are Dodgers fans first.
Music
Deep down I have a desire for you to be piano playing savant. Busting out every piano piece I cherish. Someone who can play to the tune of George Winston or get nice and nasty with a throw down piano piece in a metal core band.
I was never one for patience and process. I seek instant gratification. Learning new languages or instruments is a slow, methodical, patient process. I always cut to the chase. Just play the track and let me jam. Air instruments were always my thing.
When I was little, I was so attracted to the church because I loved the music. I “felt the spirit” (as they say). But then I went to a Slipknot concert and felt that same spirit. And realized that my faith and spirituality was tied to music more so than church.
Spirituality is one of the key pieces in life. And my spirituality is unlocked in nature and in music.
The range of connections and emotions that you can discover. From the heaviest of Lamb of God to the rhythm of the Grateful Dead to the big stomp of Rage Against the Machine to the quiet holiday jazz of Coleman Hawkins to the Justice electronic throw down to the celebration of life with the Beatles to the cowboy sing along of Charley Crockett. And tens of thousands of songs that fit into any area of life that you experience. Music connects to the soul. And music connects to every little nook of your emotional spectrum.
Music provides energy and inspiration and purpose and friends and memories and joy.