In Review: Q1 2026
The birds are singing eagerly today as they rejoice the fragile return of spring. Maybe I’m projecting, but I sense an underlying hesitation in the birdsong. “Is this the real spring?” they ask. Can we trust the sun as we close our eyes and feel the much-needed warmth on our eyelids? Or will we experience yet another shock back into the dry, frigid air of winter?
This yearly dance we witness between the changing seasons feels tumultuous — a tug-of-war between air masses that feels deeply unsettling to experience, surfacing evidence of our innate desire for frictionless change. Our desire for clarity — is it this or is it that? We don’t want an in-between; we don’t accept the gray area.
I felt this back-and-forth, this bumpy changing of hands, deeply this year as it mirrored what I experienced internally.
January did not bring the focus and progress I’ve become accustomed to in previous years. Instead, it was the beginning of something more intense, more crucial — a transformative period to prepare for the life ahead.
Q1 was the death rattle of an old life — the final surge of outdated perspectives, habits that no longer serve me, and versions of self that have proven to be limiting. It was a convergence of all of the work that I’ve been doing over the past seven years — healing, growing, learning — with all of the pieces of me I thought I had released, like meeting Achilles in battle but having all that I needed to take him down.
I found myself engaging in old habits, but experienced ease in replacing them.
I noticed old mindsets coloring my days, but my new mindset was stronger, more aligned.
I felt past versions of myself showing up in daily moments, shaping my reactions and emotions. I held space for them. I cared for them. I loved them.
Healing and personal growth are non-linear. Your best day may be followed by your worst. One old wound will heal quickly, while another festers and wears you down. But persistence pays off — it’s about the willingness to stand by your own side, no matter the moment’s challenge.
I end the first quarter of 2026 feeling a deep sense of calm — serenity after navigating the rapids. I am more myself than I have perhaps ever been, made possible through presence and persistence.
Life
Louisville remains home for us. We get asked often if we plan to stay, which is fair given our track record of spontaneous moves. The answer is yes and no. We regularly explore other options, but what Louisville has to offer is exactly what we need in this moment. Family and friends are near, cost of living and doing business is reasonable. We’ve built community here.
I’ve spent a lot of time lately reflecting on how Taya and I have progressed over the last five or so years. In many ways, we are living the life we used to dream of — a vision board actualized. A recent calculation reminded us that from 2021 to 2025, we increased our income by a factor of six. If projections hold, 2026 will be even bigger. I reflect on this with pride, knowing that it is thanks to the persistence of our younger, broke selves that we now live a life filled with so much joy and enough to share.
One of my hopes for this year is that we begin to share our story. Beyond the numbers, the larger impact appears in our mindsets and our actions. It is felt by those we love as we work to show up for them in better ways. Because that is what it is all about — a life lived for the benefit of all.
Business
We spent Q1 dissecting our mindsets and goals around business, challenging ourselves to think deeper and, in many ways, go against the status quo.
In January, we established that we would go all-in with Lowtide, giving it the time and capacity it had been lacking. But as I mentioned, the “lock in” I had anticipated in January did not come.
Instead, we realized that the destination we were working toward had been determined by old versions of ourselves. We had outgrown them, and the destination was no longer aligned. We don’t dream of running a large agency, so why are we putting all of our capacity into pursuing that path?
What do we really want? Why are we doing all of this?
These are heavy questions, but, given our obsession with introspection, we found that we already knew the answers.
Here’s where we landed:
We want a life that is not lived behind a desk, or even behind a screen on a beach. For that, we need choice — the ability to decide when and how we work.
We’re doing this, again, for the benefit of all. We are in a unique position to help others significantly through the work that we do as well as opportunities within the businesses. This is our north star.
Here’s how we’re taking action:
Lowtide will continue to get a healthy amount of our capacity. It’s a source of abundance for us and allows us to invest in others through our partnerships.
We’re planning to build a community that sits at the intersection of ambition, values, and wellness. Our goal is to use our lived experience, our connections, and our leadership to help others find the life and community they’re seeking. We’re hoping to host a retreat in the fall or next spring.
In the background, we’re working on two businesses. One has been in process for nearly a year. The other is relatively new. While we aren’t building in public at this time, both of these projects align with our core business values.
Looking Ahead
I can say with strong conviction that the first few months of this year have set me up to have one of the most defining years of my life. But it won’t be measured in dollars or milestones.
It will be measured in laughs shared with Taya when we’ve stayed up far past our bedtime. It will be measured in smiles from my youngest nephew as he discovers the world around him. It will be measured in coffee dates, hugs from friends, unexpected phone calls, and letters in the mail.
These moments that we call small are, in actuality, the big moments. They can be impactful and defining, as long as we are present enough to witness them.