Category: Uncategorized

what I’ve created –

• San Francisco with her

what I’ve watched – 

• The Accountant – Accounting made cool. Wild.
• House of Gucci – Crazy rollercoaster with solid storytelling and pace. Very fun watch and great jaw dropper full of gasps. “Can’t believe it’s based on a true story”
• No Cameras Allowed – God bless the 2010-2014 Youtube Doc era of youth and cowboy life. This would’ve heavily influenced 18year old me.
• The Neon Demon – Uninterested at the least, absolutely disgusted at the most. This movie is 7 layers of things I either completely dislike, have no interest in, or make me feel awful and disgusting.

what I’ve listened to –

• Clay Pidgeons – Michael Cera
• from me to u – BABYMETAL
• PIMP DADDY – Kaash Paige
• Woof (feat. Kah-lo) – Sofi Tukker
• 1st of Tha Month – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

travel hack –

Always travel with a water bottle, it’s a non-negotiable.

Pack extra socks but less pants / shorts.

what I ate –

Baked sweet potatoes in a bowl make it more filling and feels higher end.

Sandwiches with one side fried mayo and the other fried pesto with a sweet dill sauce might be one of the best things I’ve ever cheffed.

quote I liked –

“Success is being excited to go to work and being excited to come home.” – Will Ahmed 

“Running one mile has more in common with running a marathon than sitting at home. Investing $100 has more in common with being a millionaire than being broke. Writing one sentence has more in common with writing a book than never writing one. It always feels small in the beginning and the big goals seem far away. It’s easy to talk yourself out of the early attempts because they feel kind of meaningless. But every race starts with one step. Every fortune starts with a small deposit. Every book begins as one sentence. The real question is not “What is my current position?” but rather, “What is my current trajectory?” Doing nothing builds nothing. Put yourself on the path to something better. Start small, but make sure you start.” – JC / Kayla Henry

what I’ve learned –

• Stocks / Property are simpler than perceived but easier to make mistakes than perceived. Watch closely and learn before acting. Measure twice, cut once.
• Old cars require just as much if not more attention. Drive frequently and monitor regularly.
• Getting up pre-sunrise is always worth it and much less draining than expected.
• Project management requires a lot of attention but low time invested. Prioritize the impact over the time.

what I wouldn’t try again –

Hiking during a heatwave with a “normal” amount of water.

Don’t call while biking, the headphones can’t take the wind and you wind up having an unproductive call and a slow ride.

how life is beautiful –

Getting up before dawn to hike the tallest peak in the Santa Monica mountains and sharing the experience with my closest friends was a core memory experience. and all piling onto the couch for a nap afterwards made it even better.

Having a sunset picnic looking over all of Santa Barbara was one of the most peaceful, romantic, and intimate moments of the year.

Slowing down, eating pizza, and piling onto the couch with 5 of my closest friends after a long day hike was much sweeter than I could’ve expected

Laughing with friends through the longest hike with a heat wave to the punch bowls, the life we live really is beautiful and the small moments really make it all.

what I’ve created –

• a letter for her
• ice cream n ink v5

what I’ve watched – 

• Red Eye – All star lineup but felt predictable. If the heist vibe is what you want then watch it. Hilarious to watch on a plane and first time watching a movie at 1.5x speed.
• Venom: The Last Dance – shiny action lured me in but bad storytelling lost me to the point I forgot I watched this entirely.
• Kpop Demon Hunters: A wild recommendation but an incredible film, great theme, art, pacing, and story structure. Borderline too much musical for my taste but still super fun.
• Bad Boys: Ride or Die – Long live the glory of Miami

what I’ve listened to –

• Ave Maris Stella – Benedictines of Mary
• Beam – Slay Squad
• PULL UP – Bankai_lofi
• Until You Came Along – The Visitors
• Eyes (take two) – Baril

travel hack –

Try and book a massage before a red-eye flight but not the same day so you don’t feel like a ball of butter.

Red-eye flights are worth it every 6 months. Don’t try and do it too frequently.

Always slam an immunity shot & Vitamin C before / after traveling.

what I ate –

The Dutchess in Ojai – great atmosphere, pastries, and coffee. plus a point for having a friend that works there.

quote I liked –

“Always have lofty, explicit goals and visualize them intensely. Assume the attitude that if you don’t reach your goals, you will literally die! This type of gun-to-your-head forced focus…survival pressure mindset, no matter how briefly used, stimulates your mind, forces you to use your time effectively… and illuminates new ways of getting things done.” ― The Kekich Credos

“Education teaches you to analyze. Entrepreneurship teaches you to create. The educated mindset is great at dissecting and criticizing. What did Shakespeare mean here? What were the major forces of this historical period? What is the limiting reagent in this chemical reaction? The entrepreneurial mindset is great at building and improving. Design a better product. Craft a new marketing plan. Stop talking about what’s wrong and make something better. The trick is to keep learning, but to never lose your ability to build.” – James Clear

what I’ve learned –

• Health is like injury prevention, it’s easier to do some light stretching and mobility than be out sick and injured for a week or month.
• “The 4 qualities of a great career:
  • I enjoy it
  • I’m good at it
  • I make good money
  • I’m around fascinating people
• Answer in reverse order:
  • Where are fascinating people?
  • In what ways can I make money with them?
  • Which ones am I good at?
  • Which ones do I enjoy?”

what I wouldn’t try again –

Expiration dates on food typically means the food is expired, tread wisely so you can shit quietly.

Bringing any sort of political into the Fourth of July celebrations, taints the whole experience even if you don’t care or affiliate.

how life is beautiful –

Watching the sun set on the green trees on a PA farm with fields filled with fireflies for as far as you can see and rabbits grazing among the horses. Pure calm.

Spending a morning on the ocean filming the way water dances and moves in an abstract flow.

Celebrating a friend’s wedding by all jumping into a pool and cheering and screaming for them was hands down the most fun way to end a wedding.

Spending a whole day logging 70 miles with a good brother, stopping for sights and food and enjoying the place we live.

what I’ve created –

• Museums of People

what I’ve watched – 

• The Phoenician Scheme –  Wes does it again
• The Nice Guys – A fun rewatch and would absolutely recommend, in the same category as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Game Night

what I’ve listened to –

• God’s Army – Skema Boy
• Drug Dealer – Medium Build
• Victory Lap – Fred Again,
• Blue Dream – ZHU
• Tezeta – Mulatu Astatke

travel hack –

Always go deeper into the woods to camp and find a trail less traveled, the less people and light pollution the better.

Buy your camp food the day of. No need to plan it or let it marinate in the car for a few days.

what I ate –

7 Adams in SF – great atmosphere Michelin date night spot in SF. Atmosphere is a 10 but food is only a 7.

Schloks – My favorite bagel shop in SF. One of the best and cheesiest breakfast sandwich bagels I’ve ever had. A must anytime I’m in SF even though the parking sucks.

Seasoned Eggs – Long story short, it’s the best.

quote I liked –

“The father-son relationship is the basic link of continuity in life carrying the male principle and the tradition of responsibility from one generation to the next.” — Max Leonard.

“Boys become men by watching men, standing close to men, manhood is a ritual passed from generation to generation with precious few spoken instructions. passing the torch of manhood is a fragile tedious task. If the right of passage is successfully completed, the boy become man is like an oak of hardwood character. His shade and influence will bless all those who are fortunate enough to lean on him and rest under his canopy.” – Preston Gillian

Relationships are usually the most important thing. If you want to achieve more, there is some relationship that can unlock better results. If you want to make a meaningful contribution, helping others is a great way to do it. If you simply want to be a little happier, life is often more fun when shared with someone.  Whatever you’re trying to accomplish, relationships are probably the key to getting there. Take this idea seriously and spend a little time thinking about which relationships you need to build or invest in.” – James Clear

what I’ve learned –

• The skin is thinnest around the shin, watch needle depth when tattooing here.
• Camping by rivers or lakes is prime mosquito territory, the sound of the water isn’t worth the bug bites.
• A short or quick letter has an exponential return on any relationship.
• Jumping into the deep end relationally is always worth it if both ends are willing to go there.
• When it’s clear it’s clear. Discernment through peace can make a lot known.

what I wouldn’t try again –

Tattooing non-friends isn’t enjoyable / worth the time unless it’s in a party setting.

Going to Yosemite during peak summer hours. Take the back side into the park or skip it entirely.

how life is beautiful –

Sitting beneath the biggest Sequoia trees in the world on a perfectly shaped bench made from an old log the world felt still.

Jumping into an alpine waterfall is always worth it, especially in the mountains of Sequoia.

Driving up a mountain road outside Yosemite and arriving with a 360 view of the mountains just as the sun was setting was one of the most serene campsites I’ve ever been to.

what I’ve created –

• TNA Finals

what I’ve watched – 

• Concrete Cowboy – Incredible artistry and story, top 100
• Mid90s – Another heavier than expected one
• The Lost City – Popcorn Candy Fun
• Ocean’s Twelve – Could’ve been more location focused but we love a heist

what I’ve listened to –

• Gloryland – Marshall Family
• #3 – AphexTwin
• Who do you love – Joe DeVito
• This is your life – Switchfoot
• BLOOD – Caleb Conley

travel hack –

If traveling less than 7 days, bring one backpack, never more.

TSA Clear isn’t worth it but a real eye mask is.

what I ate –

Lazer Wolf in NYC – incredible Israeli food. One of the best steaks I’ve ever had and great date spot.

Yoyo’s Hotdogs – One of the all time best undiscovered food carts in HTX now has a home at POST Houston. I try and go every time I’m in town

Chuys TexMex – Nothing new, but this will always be one of my top spots, even when visiting in Alabama, it feels like home

quote I liked –

“Which expense in your life delivers the least happiness per dollar and which delivers the most happiness per dollar?” – JL Collins

“For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.”
— Jane Wagner

“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.”
— Sydney J. Harris

what I’ve learned –

• When in doubt, eat a steak with an egg.
• Peace triumphs just about everything, all else fades without a centered mind
• Drawing / sketching is one of the best ways to unwind, mentally process, and create stillness.
• one simple & impactful exercise: Set an alarm on your phone for one hour before your ideal bedtime. Label the alarm as “Digital Sunset” and when the alarm sounds, disconnect from all electronic devices, including your phone (unless you use it as an alarm clock, then activate airplane mode). By avoiding these devices, you allow your brain to produce up to 2x more melatonin, promoting relaxation, while also enabling deeper connections with those around you. This small change can lead to more restful nights and enhanced relationships at home.

what I wouldn’t try again –

Traveling for a month straight is too much. it’s less about the duration of the travel and more about the frequency. You can spend a calm month on the beach somewhere but try hopping place to place every two days and you get spent. quick.

Running out of gas. Read the signs and know yourself. Both you and your car will run out of gas.

how life is beautiful –

Driving in my brothers 90s van to Colorado, no AC, huge Texas skies, cold mountain roads, worth the trip.

Slowing down in Alabama and getting to laugh with young boys is always life-giving.

Exploring the Museums of NYC with my mother, moments and conversations I’ll never forget.

what I’ve created –

• easter sunrise

what I’ve watched – 

• About Time – A rewatch of a top 50 best.
• Honey Boy – Heavier than expected, beautifully natural
• 50/50 – Fun!
• Sing Sing – Watched over Good Friday and cried thinking about becoming free from sin, this film is easily in my top 100 and would recommend to anyone

what I’ve listened to –

• Il Mondo – Jimmy Fontana
• Amazing Grace – The Local Honeys
• HEINOUS – UnityTX
• Delicate – Damien Rice
• Honey Bun – Kodak Black

travel hack –

Shave your head at the beginning of a big trip, one less thing to worry about and you’ll feel free for the whole trip

quote I liked –

“The more control you have over your attention, the more control you have over your future. And it starts with having enough courage to protect your time.  It’s so easy to say yes. We want to be agreeable, helpful, liked. That’s how time disappears and attention becomes fragmented: not in big chunks, but in a thousand small concessions. What you trade your attention for is what your life becomes.” — James clear 

Writer and computer scientist Gurwinder Bhogal on how to make a convincing argument: 

“We assume that the more arguments we give, the better our case. In reality, our weakest arguments dilute the strongest. Generally, you’ll only be as convincing as your worst point, so instead of making as many arguments as you can, make only the best.”

“The girl at the Vons check out got them eyebrows I could jump a dirtbike off of” – anonymous brother

what I’ve learned –

• You will never regret hosting a family style meal, but you may often regret going out to eat.
• When giving someone a tattoo, their comfortability, peace, and pace matter most in the process.

what I wouldn’t try again –

If given the choice, most baristas will make you the most expensive beverage on the menu. Ask me how I spent 28 bucks on two drinks n toast. CA is hilarious.

how life is beautiful –

Riding through blooming fields of flowers on a 50 mile ride with my brother was one of the more tranquil and beautiful moments of the year. No sounds but the wind and the warm sun.

Being able to film a unique family for our movie was a moment of realization in calling and impact. Had me weeping over the beauty of that moment.

what I’ve created –

• bergamo
• cdmx

what I’ve watched – 

• A Real Pain – top 100 films I’ve ever seen.
• Idiocracy – unfortunately accurate and fortunately hilarious
• Anyone But You – would recommend to just about anyone
• Game Night – great watch with the siblings

what I’ve listened to –

• O Death – Ralph Stanley
• What Kinda Music – Yussef Dayes
• Luna, amore e no – Piero Piccioni
• Because of You – Kelly Clarkson
• Prepare – Stimming

what I ate –

Bajel in Mexico City – one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Michelin star 9 course experience with the theme of Clarity and Depth. Our meal featured Hibiscus foam paired with Lobster, beetroot, and grapefruit. Braised flat iron with beer cocoa and parsnip puree. Green apple and wasabi-shiso sorbet pickled cucumber and yogurt. Mole blanco with cauliflower and nutmeg. All set in one of the most beautiful high-rises in CDMX.

Mas o Menos in Joshua Tree – is a lovely coffee shop and cocktail bar. Worth the pitstop and the interior design / overall aesthetic is flawless.

travel hack –

Befriend everyone you meet, if only to be kind.

Always pack an extra layer and drive yourself if you can.

quote I liked –

“Mt Sinai in Egypt is 7497 ft.⁣ Estes Park, CO is 7522 ft.⁣

If elevation is the main ingredient in meeting God, then keep an eye out for an ominous cloud strolling the streets of some Rocky Mountain town.⁣”

what I’ve learned –

• Steve Blank compared working in a startup to marines fighting in a war. He put it bluntly: “Startups are inherently chaos. As a founder, you need to prepare yourself to think creatively and independently, because more often than not, conditions on the ground will change so rapidly that the original well-thought-out business plan becomes irrelevant. If you can’t manage chaos and uncertainty… and if you wait around for someone else to tell you what to do, then … you will run out of money and your company will die.” If startups are “inherently chaos,” then it makes sense why early childhood adversity can help build the muscles necessary to handle that chaos.

what I wouldn’t try again –

tattooing myself is more painful than having someone else tattoo you. It’s impossible to ignore the pain and you know when it’s coming which makes it difficult to focus on the art. While I’m proud to have stretched my own limits and grown in ability with tattooing I don’t intend to give myself more.

how life is beautiful –

Coming back from the Channel Islands with a herd of dolphins swimming next to the bow of our boat close enough for each of us to touch one was a tear in the heavens that I’ll always be grateful for.

Being surrounded by 60 of my closest friends in a city I moved to 2 years ago for my birthday was pure love. Gratefulness is the key.

what I’ve created –

• vegas ghost town video
• 30 minute Italy Ambience

what I’ve watched – 

• The Gray Man – big budget action

what I’ve listened to –

• Thug – Slim Thug
• GORE-TEX COVERS MY SOUL – Blksmiith
• Start Here – Damu the Fudgemunk (listen to the album)
• Tired of Fighting – Menahan Street Band
• Jammin – Rubii (Billie Eilish meets Aaron May)
• Open Air – Meditor (ambient / peaceful)

what I’ve ate –

three beef patties with cheese is always cheaper and more filling than a burger

where I’ve been –

Apache Canyon is great for single night camping

quotes I liked –

“You’d rather play checkers on a leopards ass than mess with a guy in overalls”

“I went to school to get my MRS. degree, it just hasn’t happened yet”

“Nerve is a matter of defiance and control. Like: I refuse to acknowledge that. I don’t agree to be intimidated. I resist the temptation to declare this a failure. But nerve is also a matter of acceptance: Well, I guess it’s on me then. I don’t have the luxury of being shaken up about this or replaying close calls in my head. I’m too busy and too many people are counting on me.”

“Each win, big or small, is important, and the more you do the activity of identifying your daily wins, the more you’ll see greater and greater opportunity for wins”

“A disorganized and non transformed past is chaotic and confusing. another word for this is trauma. Trauma happens when your expectations are violated such that you lose your sense of meaning for life and worth as a person. It is a dysfunctional belief about an experience that creates ongoing dysfunction in the present and future.”

what I’ve learned / discovered –

• book the trip.
• pay for audible.
• the prioritization of physical health activates much more in life than expected. the overall mental, emotional, and physical health booth it creates is incredible. it’s the maximization of life and time and the place you live.
• interior design principles: multiple light sources, layers, varied heights, varied materials, varied colors

things I wouldn’t do / try again –

75 hard would be much easier in summer months.

ways life is beautiful –

Biking up the closed mountain road to Pine Mtn climbing nearly 1800ft with no one around was beautiful… until I got a nasty flat 5miles from the trailhead. Within twenty seconds of getting my tire off two older bikers rolled up and helped with the repair then disappeared. The Lord provides.

what I’ve created –

end of 2024 video 

vegas ghost town video 

what I listened to –

• Piano Sonata No.2 in B flat minor “funeral march” – Chopin
• Poppin my Collar – Three 6 Mafia // Project Pat
• To Build a Mountain – Crowbar
• TAKE UP – Caleb Conley
• Hard to Choose One – Future

what I watched –

• The Turnaround (Sundance) – Real film is taking a topic you don’t care about and making you cry about it. This is on Netflix now, go watch.
• Love, Brooklyn (Sundance) – Beautiful portrait of humanity, no trauma, crime, or weaponization of black people, just raw human beings learning relationship while their home changes around them.
• Deaf President Now! (Sundance) – do whatever you can to watch this beautiful film. eye opening.
• Subservience – thought this was going to be an ethical / psychological black mirror type story and turned out to be exactly that with a lot more sex and a thriller ending? Could’ve been better but still fun.
• Butterfly Effect – felt too dark for my taste but then felt like the first time you listen to Radiohead, not sure if it’s your style but describes your life in a way you’ve never experienced before. The butterfly effect concept is one I think about weekly and to watch a film about it just hit.

what I ate –

La Buchetta in Florence- “the wine window” hands down the best gnocchi pasta I’ve had in my life. Was alone for the first 45 minutes and the host gave me lots of history on the building & area and showed me the back rooms and gave me 3 shots of their favorite alcohol. 10/10 experience, perfect spot for a date with yourself, your mum, or your love.

quote I liked –

“you are an artist with business prowess you are dangerous

If you are a business person with emotional intelligence you are dangerous”

what I’ve learned / discovered –

• Hoes don’t get cold”
• I discovered Glorilla. She is now my entire Instagram feed. 

travel hacks –

• Any of the YellowSquare hostels in Italy are top notch. Would highly recommend to anyone traveling in Italy . 
• Find the nearest art gallery or museum and go. It’s always worth it. 
• Stay close to wherever you have a competition / race. Staying in downtown Houston for the half marathon was a must.

ways life is beautiful –

Got to sit in mass in the Florence Duomo and hearing the voices singing in Italian and leading service was beautiful. Makes you realize “why”

Running the streets of downtown Houston along with 30k other people was surreal. Waking up at 5am in 28° weather was crazy. Sitting in the corral waiting for our turn to go as the sun rose then suddenly everyone is throwing their layers to the side and it started.  Running next to people in wheelchairs with no arms or legs, blind people, and folks with bad limps you could taste the sheer determination flowing through those streets. You couldn’t run 100ft without there being more people cheering you on. I  was hoping to hit a dark mental state and force myself to push through but I smiled for 13 miles. Sharing the first 7.5 mi with my brother was beautiful, we would talk or silently weave between people. I cried at the end.