Outside the Rat Race

Some Days I Feel Like a Phony

2026-05-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I was working on the listing for our new vacation rental. The photos look great, the descriptions are written, and the unit is ready. And yet, running a short-term rental is new for me. I know there will be bumps in the road, and I find myself worrying that people will realize I don't fully know what I'm doing.

I’m not certain this is the correct term for how I feel, but I sometimes (often?) struggle with what’s called Imposter Syndrome. It’s when you feel unqualified to be doing something (a “phony”), and you fear that people are going to figure out you’re not qualified to be doing that thing.

Apparently, there are several forms of imposter syndrome (I just learned this while double-checking my definition was correct):

The Perfectionist: Sets crazy high goals and feels like a failure even if they meet 99% of them. 
The Natural Genius: Feels like a fraud if they have to work to master a skill. It should come... naturally, right? 
The Solist: Feels that asking for help is a sign of weakness. So, they must do everything themselves to prove their own worth. 
The Expert: Constantly seeks more certifications/training, feeling they’ll never know “enough” to be truly qualified. 
The Superhero: Pushes themselves to excel in every role (worker, parent, spouse) to cover up perceived insecurities.

Jessi (my wife) and I often fall into the first type: perfectionists. Actually, one of the things I appreciate about Jessi is that she sees the flaws. Not because she's negative, but because she genuinely wants things to be better. When I ask her for feedback, I know I’ll get her brutally honest thoughts and a clear map of where to improve. There’s a time and place for cheerleaders, but I’m finding them less helpful. Don't get me wrong, encouragement is nice, but I often want accurate feedback.

I appreciate the harsh truth from others, but it’s potentially destructive when done to myself because I see all the imperfections. Even if something turns out well, I can nitpick the process and my mindset. Yikes!

As a small business owner, I find myself regularly wading into the unknown and fighting perfectionist thoughts (and the natural genius... discounting years of practice to get to where I am today). For example, as my property management business grows, I keep wondering when people will realize I’ve never scaled a business before. It regularly feels like we’re just staying ahead… which is a classic imposter syndrome feeling! Of course it feels that way — growth, by definition, puts you into inexperienced territory.

Another example: I can no longer keep every unit and tenant in my head. Things fall through the cracks, and we’re building new processes (and ways to store/access info) while still maintaining daily operations. I keep thinking, “We just have to stay ahead for a bit longer… then it’ll be OK.” But, according to owners I respect, it’ll still be hard; it’ll be a different hard, but still hard.

The more experienced I get, the more I suspect most adults are just making it up as they go. Parents are raising kids they've never raised before. Managers are leading teams they've never led before. And business owners are solving problems they've never encountered before. The people I admire most aren't the ones who always know what to do, but the ones willing to move forward despite not knowing.

I suppose this is more of a note to myself to remember that, even though I sometimes feel like a phony. I still have things falling through the cracks, I still disappoint people occasionally, and I still find myself thinking that if I can just stay ahead a little longer, I'll eventually feel qualified. But perhaps that's how this works. Maybe competence isn't the absence of uncertainty (and mistakes). Perhaps a large component of competence is continuing to move forward despite the errors.

So, on the days I feel like a phony, I'm trying to remember: I may not be perfect, but I'm not starting from zero either.

The Baker Tower Penthouse Vacation Rental

2026-04-29T17:23:56.894-07:00

Last year, we bought the Baker Tower and have been waiting for the top-floor tenants to move out so we could turn it into a vacation rental. Well... they moved out, and this last month we furnished the place — and it looks awesome!

I’m... shall we say... designed challenged. I care about functionality and have virtually no eye for what “looks good.” So, I hired an interior decorator to help. I gave her a video of the place, a budget, and let her loose on the IKEA website.

 She picked out everything, and we had it delivered right before we showed up to assemble it. It was her and one of my investors (who gets credit for introducing me to her) who put it all together over a weekend. Then the following weekend, I returned with another friend (and real estate photographer) to do some finishing touches and get the photos below.

The Airbnb listing isn’t live yet because we still need to do a test run and identify missing items. But I’m too excited about it not to share it.

The view is amazing! It’s the tallest building in Oregon east of the Cascades. And on the 9th floor — the penthouse — the nearby Elkhorn Mountains look incredible. And now we have an interior to match.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen. Check it out:

I Built An AI Agent. It was Both Amazing And Underwhelming

2026-03-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Good news, kind of. I think it’ll be a while before AI starts taking over swaths of jobs and displacing people, or at least I think it’s true at the small-business level.

I've been playing around with different AI tools recently, trying to figure out ways to incorporate them into my business, and it's been an interesting adventure. On the one hand, there are things AI can do that are helpful, and I think most of us have experience with: drafting messages, summarizing large documents, and creating cool images (like above). It's genuinely useful but not transformational.

So I've started experimenting with more agentic types of processes, specifically using lindy.ai, and the experience has been interesting. The basic idea is that you can create a workflow that's based on a trigger. It could be off a timer, an incoming message, a webhook, or whatever. If you’ve ever used Apple Shortcuts, it’s the same idea. Here’s a simple example:

Every morning, my team discusses ongoing maintenance and tenant issues, and then we create a plan for the day. We record those meetings, transcribe them, and save them in a Google Drive folder.

Now, every Monday morning at 9am, it grabs all the new transcripts from the past week (that’s the purple loop) and compares them against our existing knowledge base (KB) articles. In the final blue-circled-magical-AI step, it looks for gaps and missing information and sends me an email with suggested article topics.

At this step, it's not fully written-out articles; it's just internal and external topic ideas. Eventually, Lindy will write full articles on approved topics, let me edit them, and save them to our KB. The KB, by the way, is what we use to automate message replies (therefore, in the long-run, saving time while keeping a consistent communication style).

But here’s the deal: this “simple” flow took me an hour to build. And really, it started with a prompt to Lindy’s Agent Builder, which took a first (second, third, fourth,...) pass. I had to enter some manual data (like my KB’s API Token), but most of the time I copied/pasted errors from a test run and the Agent Builder to try to fix them.

At one point, the Agent Builder told me:

“I need to stop and be honest with you. We've been going in circles for a while, and the core issue is clear... [reasons why it’s not working] .... The real fix is a different architecture. Instead of a separate LLM node, the analysis should happen inside an AI State node — which DOES have context accrual and can see all upstream data naturally.”

You see, that magical blue box used to be four separate steps that didn’t work. Which, for the record, the Agent Builder created! This current version works, but it was a process to get there, and it’s still not what I fully want...

AI Agents Are Both Amazing And Underwhelming

On the one hand, creating this was amazing because I just typed in a prompt for what I wanted, and it made it (eventually). Without the Agent Builder, I would have struggled to even get started.

On the other hand, it's a strange combination of doing something fairly simple, but in an overly complex way. It reminds me of Adobe’s Dreamweaver in the early 2000’s. Sure, it was a drag-and-drop website builder (easier to make vs coding), but in an effort to match your design exactly, it fixed everything in place with a ridiculous number of nested elements. It easily doubled or tripled the file size of a “human-made” version while being less responsive (yikes!).

I get it — there’s a balance. Dreamweaver enabled more people to build websites, but those websites were fragile. Lindy feels the same way (and Make, and n8n). It enables normal people — like me — to automate workflows, but it’s not as robust or flexible as writing code in my own server environment.

And to be clear: this is just an automation; I wouldn’t call this an “AI agent” (I mean... I will, because it sounds cooler, but strictly speaking, I don’t think it is). There’s no feedback, learning, or figuring out its own path. It’s funny, the Agent Builder feels like AI, but this output doesn’t.

I’m fairly certain it’s worth my time to create these automations, but it’s not an obvious win. It’ll partly depend on the maintenance requirements, but it’ll mostly depend on how close it gets to my quality requirements. Is it worth the eventual productivity gains if it’s only 80% as good? What about 95%? It probably depends on the process.

That’s Why AI Isn’t Taking Your Job Anytime Soon

For these reasons — it’s hard to implement/upkeep and fragile — I don’t see AI taking thousands of jobs this year. Instead, I think it’ll continue to be a solid multiplier on existing efforts. And let’s be honest, no healthy company is going to say, “let’s just do the same with less.” Instead, they’ll use the efficiencies to tackle new opportunities (because if they don’t, their competitors will). That’s what happened with calculators, personal computers, and smartphones.

Over time, automation tools will get easier and more robust, just as Squarespace does today with drag-and-drop responsive websites. But it’ll take a while to get there, and chances are good that healthy companies will adapt along the way.

My Trip To Uganda Taught Me About Active Patience

2026-02-28T15:01:00.000-08:00

I recently returned from a trip to Uganda to visit some missionary friends. It was my first time in Africa, and while I loved the sights and people, what stayed with me most wasn’t the experience itself — it was what I learned about patience.

I expected to be inspired by my friends’ big vision of a new retreat center. What surprised me instead was their attitude toward failure.

One person we visited moved to Uganda 32 years ago, and she’s a legend! She brought peace between warring tribes through her veterinary work. It’s incredible! (There’s even an Adventures in Odyssey episode about her.)

Her vehicle, which helps people know it's her.

During the trip, we visited three places that told the story of her life’s work:

the location of her first assignment, where she regularly washed her hair in a waterfall,
her (and her husband’s) current home and ministry,
and the site of their future retreat center.

The retreat center is just getting started. A few small buildings stand now, but their vision includes a massive A-frame space that’ll serve as a training ground for mission training, veterinary education, and farming instruction.

The retreat center at night.

But working in Uganda is hard.

For example, the land they purchased is being contested by the seller’s son, and title protections aren’t the same as in the US. They also have to deal with antics like neighbors trying to plow their land to claim it as their own. At one point, they built a fence, but raiders stole the fence materials. So they hired a guard, bought all new materials, and built another fence.

It’s regularly two steps forward, one step back.

What struck me most wasn’t their vision, but their patience. Yes, they have enormous goals, yet their daily focus remains simple: take steps each day, even if it’s a repeat of yesterday’s steps. Again and again, they spoke about trusting God’s timing and finding God’s purpose in setbacks.

How many dudes does it take to fix a broken tractor?

Be Patient

Reflecting on their work reminded me of something I had read many times but never fully felt: the steady faithfulness described in the book of James.

Unlike some early followers, James stayed in Jerusalem through decades of hardship. His letter was written to believers scattered by persecution: people facing loss, poverty, and uncertainty, wondering how long their suffering would last.

In response, James points to a farmer:

'Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.'
James 5:7-8

The image would have resonated immediately. Most were from agrarian communities in Palestine and knew there were two rainy seasons: planting and harvest. The farmer couldn’t control the rain, but he could prepare the soil, sow the seed, and wait in trust.

The farmer’s patience wasn’t passive. It was active.

He worked while he waited.

Digging up a root to make medicine for a sick goat.

James, like my friends, knew this firsthand. He led the struggling Jerusalem church with limited resources and many trials, including political tension, famine, and persecution. When he writes:

' Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. '
James 1:2-4

He isn’t offering theory. He’s describing a life shaped by endurance.

Growth takes time. But waiting isn’t inactivity. The farmer tills, plants, and prays. In the same way, James calls us to active patience: a quiet trust combined with faithful action. Delays aren’t signs that God has forgotten, but signs that He is ripening something precious in time.

Burn dry grass to make way for new grass when rain comes.

Count It All Joy

Just as the early church learned to persevere through hardship, and just as my friends continue building despite constant setbacks, we are invited into the same kind of patience.

Most of us aren’t building retreat centers in Uganda. But we’re all waiting for rain somewhere.

Maybe it’s a business that’s growing slower than expected. A relationship that feels stuck. A calling that hasn’t produced visible results yet. A season where faithfulness feels repetitive and progress feels invisible.

Active patience means doing today’s work well while trusting God with tomorrow’s outcome.

We prepare the soil.

We plant the seed.

We keep showing up.

And in time — often longer than we’d prefer — the rain comes, and the harvest arrives in ways only God could produce.

I can't believe she washed her hair in this waterfall...

2026 Annual Letter: Exciting Growth!

2026-01-17T08:59:00.000-08:00

If 2024’s theme was survival (with Jessi’s brain tumor and saying goodbye to our dog). 2025’s theme was new growth! I grew a new business, learned new skills, grew our rental portfolio, watched our new dog grow, and visited new places. Lots of new, exciting growth areas!

Property Management

At the tail end of 2024, I started a property management company, but didn’t get my first owner/client until January 2025. Since then, I’ve been on what feels like a steep growth curve with 87 units under management (in addition to managing 105 of my units). I spent considerable time building out my systems and team to keep up with growth (while occasionally going to fix something). It’s been fun solving new types of problems (like setting up payroll), but finding the balance between working in my business versus working on my business is challenging.

All of my growth has come through word of mouth, and this year I’d like to be more intentional about generating leads. One idea is to provide valuable rental tools/insights for real estate agents, since they’re often the ones making recommendations to investors. The goal is to build a liking/trust with them so they recommend my company.

I’m excited to keep growing here!

Drone Pilot License

I like flying, but it isn’t the best use of my time or money to learn to pilot airplanes. So, a second choice was to get my Part 107 license so I could fly my drone. I took the class through the Pilot Institute, and it was fantastic. I enjoyed learning about the different airspaces, how to read aerial maps, and so much more. And now I can legally take photos for my business.

CCB License

It turns out that in Oregon, if you build a house with the intent to sell it, you’re required to have your contractor’s license. So, I got my general contractor’s licence from the Construction Contractors Board (well... almost, I’m still waiting for final approval from the CCB). Beyond letting me do development projects, it might also be useful for my management company.

Baker Tower

I syndicated my first deal, and it’s awesome. At 10 stories, the Baker Tower is the tallest building in Oregon east of the Cascade Mountains. It’s a historic mixed-use building (built in 1929) with residential, commercial, and a ballroom. It’s just cool. The only downside is that it’s a six-hour drive from my house.

I syndicated the purchase to five investors, each of whom owns an equity stake, and the plan is to hold it for a while. We visited in November and plan to visit regularly as a family. My not-so-secret hope is that this becomes a place with many family memories.

Raising the funds and structuring the deal is significantly more complicated than offering private money loans on short-term flips, but the upside and impact are worth it.

Chuck!

As I wrote in June, we got a new dog this year. Chuck has been a genuine joy... despite his fondness for chewing our clothes. We all love having him around the house, going on walks, and playing fetch. It’s so fun having a dog who actually listens and does what you want (85% of the time).

One funny thing: when I’m on the couch, he’ll lie down beside me... Then he’ll put his head on my lap... Then his front paws... until he’s slowly wiggled his entire self on top of me! I think it’s hilarious and reward him with plenty of pets.

Travel

We traveled a bunch, which I love. Here are some pictures of places we visited.

Spain

As part of Jessi’s sabbatical, we visited Barcelona and Málaga. It was so wonderful speaking Spanish and enjoying some sun.

Alaska

A friend from college wanted to visit, so we went for it!

Camping In The Redwoods

We spent time with my side of the family during an extended camping weekend. So much fun. We had Chuck for about a week at this point.

Backpacking Part of the Corvallis To The Sea Trail

The kids did amazing! We hiked 5 miles each day for 2 days. I’d like to keep exploring parts of the 60-mile trail.

Tucson, Arizona

We finished the year with my family in a vacation rental. My favorite part (besides being with family) was swimming in the heated pool each day. We also got some nice family photos.

Looking Ahead

2025 was a great year, and I’m looking forward to 2026. The kids keep growing and becoming more independent (like staying home alone). We also have more travel planned (like Uganda, Mexico, and Boston) which all of us enjoy.

I'm also having a blast growing my property management company and have a great team helping me. Growing it is major focus this year because I believe we can help lots more owners and renters.

Finally, I’m listening to books that collectively span American history to celebrate the US’s 250th birthday. Right now I'm listening to George Washington's biography and next will be about Lewis and Clark. I have to listen to 40 minutes a day on average to hit my goal, and so far it's been fun.

I'm excited!

Pictures From 2025

Samson likes to dress up. This time as Harry Potter

A sign for a new storage facility

The boys having fun together

Chuck doesn't love to have his nails trimmed. So we got this...

We took a tour of the USS Blueback submarine at OMSI.

Elinor's piano recital

The kids served parents books that they read aloud

A Year with James Bond (and Other Books I Read)

2025-12-27T11:03:00.000-08:00

I’m a highlighter/notetaker with books I’m learning from, so my audiobooks are just-for-fun entertainment. And, for the last couple of years, I’ve picked a theme for my audiobooks. Two years ago, I listened to classics. Last year, I listened to biographies.

This year, I listened to all 14 of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels (and short stories).

I listened to them in published order and enjoyed hearing his progression as a writer. For those of you who watched the movies, there are a few general differences:

There’s no Q! In fact, 99% of the time, it’s just Bond, his wits, and his gun. If there is a gadget, it’s something simple like a miniature Geiger counter for detecting radiation.
My favorite books are those in which Bond meets the main villain early on. I found the psychological battle of wits even more entertaining than the physical battles.
There are women in the novels, and romance happens, but it’s a lot more PG than the movies.
I’m pretty sure Fleming liked playing cards because all of the card-playing scenes are detailed and fantastic.
I’m also fairly certain Fleming liked the Caribbean because a large percentage of stories took place on those islands.

The Bond Books In Published Order (and My Reading Order)

Casino Royale

Bond is sent to Royale-les-Eaux to face Le Chiffre, a Soviet agent whose power comes from money. The mission is simple in theory: beat him at cards and collapse his influence. Much of the story happens at the card table.

Since it’s his first book, the writing is so straightforward that it feels sparse. I’d almost recommend skipping it and just watching the fantastic movie, but it’s fundamental, so it’s worth a listen.

Live and Let Die

Bond investigates Mr. Big, a Harlem crime boss suspected of funneling funds to hostile powers. The trail moves from New York to Florida and into the Caribbean (the first many trips there).

Felix Leiter joins Bond on a US adventure. The beginning and middle were entertaining enough, but the finale was really fun. There were two action scenes that were particularly well written.

Moonraker

Britain’s Moonraker missile project is overseen by national hero Sir Hugo Drax. Bond is brought in quietly after noticing inconsistencies that don’t add up. The story is unusually domestic, focused on investigation, observation, and the danger of misplaced trust. Spoiler: Bond never goes to space!

The book is far superior to the movie. The opening card-playing scene is amazing. It’s just... so different than the movie. I think that’s because there isn’t a ton of action, but I think a modern remake of Moonraker could be fantastic. It’s my second-favorite book.

Diamonds Are Forever

Bond goes undercover to break a diamond-smuggling pipeline run by a ruthless American syndicate. His journey takes him from Africa to London to Las Vegas, revealing how crime scales when it’s treated like a business rather than a racket.

It’s OK. Parts of it were almost too far-fetched, but it’s a fun (though forgettable) standalone adventure.

From Russia, with Love

Soviet intelligence orchestrates an (overly complicated) plan, with Bond as the intended pawn. Much of the tension comes from watching the machinery of espionage turn, long before Bond realizes he’s caught inside it.

The second half of this adventure unfolds on a train, and now I want to take an overnight ride with my family. I wish there were more interaction with the main bad guy... or something. I felt the tension, but the end wasn’t quite as thrilling as I expected. But I 1,000% want to ride a train now.

Dr. No

Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate disruptions linked to the reclusive Dr. No. His search leads him to Crab Key, an isolated island ruled by intellect, surveillance, and control. Along the way, Bond meets Honeychile Rider, who becomes his first love interest and plays a significant role.

This feels like classic Bond. He’s sent to look into something semi-mundane, and it turns out to be a world-ending villain. To get to Dr. No, Bond survives some highly elaborate trials. I just wish there were more of Dr. No himself in the book.

Goldfinger

By far, this is my favorite book; it’s fantastic. Bond encounters Auric Goldfinger, a wealthy industrialist with a massive gold obsession. What begins as financial surveillance escalates as Bond pieces together the scope of Goldfinger’s ambitions.

What I love about this novel is that Bond interacts with Goldfinger from the beginning and gets wrapped up in Goldfinger’s crazy steal-all-the-gold scheme. It’s got everything you’d want from a Bond novel. If you only read one Bond book, this is the one. The movie is also great, but the book is even better.

For Your Eyes Only

This one is a set of short stories. These stories place Bond in tighter, more personal assignments. The focus is less on spectacle and more on judgment and restraint. They’re fun. Quantum of Solace, which is nothing like the movie, was my favorite because it ended with a sweet life lesson about judging people too quickly.

Thunderball

Enter SPECTRE with another classic Bond novel. Led by Emilio Largo, SPECTRE steals nuclear weapons to extort the World (yep, it’s about money). Bond is tasked with tracking the threat under intense time pressure, relying on endurance, intelligence work, and persistence rather than clever tricks.

I re-watched the movie, and the book is much better. I really enjoyed the investigative feel since Bond (and Felix) don’t really know for sure if the stolen warheads are in the place they’re looking. I felt the high-stakes in this one.

The Spy Who Loved Me

This one is written from the perspective of a woman Bond rescues. Bond appears as a catalyst rather than the protagonist. It’s a standalone novel in which Fleming experiments with a different writing style. It was fun.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

More SPECTRE! Bond resumes his pursuit of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, leading Bond to an alpine research facility. Along the way, Bond meets Tracy di Vicenzo, introducing a more personal dimension to his otherwise professional mission.

Again, I enjoy the ones where Bond is in the thick of it with the main villains a majority of the time. The ending is super sad.

You Only Live Twice

This picks up right after the previous book. The sad ending leaves Bond adrift. So, M assigns Bond to Japan under diplomatic cover. There, Bond gets roped into another classic adventure and gets a chance for revenge.

There are some fun characters, and I enjoyed hearing Bond embrace Japanese culture. Yet, once again, it’s not the happiest of endings. You can tell Fleming is getting better at writing cliffhangers.

The Man with the Golden Gun

My third favorite book. Bond gets brainwashed (which seemed to get resolved too easily) and has to prove his loyalty with a seemingly impossible mission: to confront Francisco Scaramanga, a legendary hitman whose reputation alone creates tension. The story narrows its focus to identity, skill, and direct confrontation rather than elaborate plots.

I can’t help but say “Scaramanga” the way Oddjob says it in the movie (who is only in Goldfinger). This one felt like a finale with many classic characters making an appearance.

Octopussy and The Living Daylights

And his final book is actually a collection of short stories. They’re good, but not required reading. If anything, I interpreted them as an epilogue teaser — “James Bond will return” — showing Bond continuing his spy work after the previous adventure.

Final James Bond Thoughts

As someone who enjoys Bond films, I was surprised by how different the novels are. The novels are procedural and often inward-looking. Bond succeeds because he prepares, observes, endures discomfort, and makes hard calls — not because he uses clever toys. That doesn’t exactly translate into cinematic entertainment. So, instead of Fleming’s Bond being competent under pressure, we got the film Bond who handles spectacle under control.

Both are good. They’re just different. I expected to be thrilled by the descriptions of the action scenes, but I was pleasantly surprised by Fleming’s focus on Bond’s inner dialogue.

Other Books

I read a few more books this year. Here’s the list with short descriptions:

Faith & Theology

Beyond Biblical Integration - Faith shouldn’t merely be added to the classroom; it should fundamentally reshape how everything is done.
Prayer Begins with Relationship - Treat prayer as an ongoing relational posture with God rather than a technique for asking for things.
The Measure of a Man - Biblical character traits, like integrity, humility, and responsibility, are the true benchmarks of maturity.
Orthodoxy - A philosophical (and non-traditional) defense of Christian belief by G.K. Chesterton presented as a personal journey.
Why We Ask - A practical, faith-rooted guide to building meaningful relationships by asking open-ended questions.
Bible - A unified story that leads to Jesus, showing how God’s covenant love keeps moving forward despite human failure.

Business & Systems

Main Street Millionaire - How to build wealth through buying stable, ordinary businesses.
Buy Back Your Time - How to reclaim time and energy by systematically removing yourself from low-value work.
$100M Money Models - The core financial structures and business models behind building scalable, cash-efficient businesses.
$100M Lost Chapters - Additional frameworks and clarifications that expand on earlier books.
The Reporting Revolution - How to make modern-day reports; we can do better than slides and PowerPoint.
The Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge - Read parts of it for my remote drone pilot’s license class.
NASCLA Contractors Guide - To get your contractor’s license, you must read this manual, which covers the laws, math, safety, and business principles.

Self-Improvement

Validation - How to show people you’re there, you get it, and you care. My favorite book of the year.
Money For Couples - Shared values, communication, and trust matter more than tactics when couples manage money together.
67 Day Year - How to leverage the latest in neuropsychology to wire your mind to achieve goals. The concepts are good, but I didn’t love the repetitive writing style.

Next Year’s Theme

For the US's 250th birthday, I thought it would be fun to listen to books that collectively span American history. I divided the last 250 years into quarter-centuries and picked one or two books per era that looked interesting. I think it’ll be a fun way to celebrate and learn more about this country.

Spending Thanksgiving in Baker City, Oregon

2025-11-29T17:32:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving — and Jessi’s birthday — in Baker City (or, simply... Baker, as the locals say). One shop owner asked us what we were doing there, since it’s pretty small (~13K people) and lacks major attractions.

Except, of course, for the Baker Tower, which my company recently purchased with a group of investors.

The Baker Tower is the tallest building east of the Cascades. It was built in 1929 and is 10 stories tall. I’ve tried describing it, but I usually resort to showing a picture so folks can see how magnificent it is.

It’s incredibly cool. I have plans to revamp the ballroom and turn one of the living spaces into a vacation rental (because the view is genuinely awesome).

So, this trip was for a few reasons.

First, my family hadn’t seen it yet. It’s a 6-hour drive, so it’s not exactly something you just pop over to. I think my kids partially understand what I do, and trips like this help. The vacation rental won’t be available until summer, so we stayed at the iconic Geiser Grand Hotel, which is only two blocks away. All the rooms have a Victorian look and are pet-friendly.

Second, Jessi’s birthday landed on Thanksgiving this year, and we wanted to get away as a family. You know how it is when you’re home: there’s always something that needs to be done. And on Thanksgiving, there’s the pressure to cook something epic. So instead, we enjoyed Geiser’s feast. The kids dressed up and looked quite dapper.

Third, I used to be adamantly opposed to having “a place” we regularly vacationed at. Instead, I always opted to go somewhere new. But I’m starting to appreciate the idea of having “a place” that gets fully explored. Baker wasn’t really on the list, but buying the Baker Tower quickly shot it to the top. So, we’re seeing if this could be it. A six-hour drive is a lot, but it’s not impossible. I’ve already made multiple day trips (yes, driving 12 hours for 4 hours of meetings), so a weekend trip isn’t unreasonable — especially if we have a cool place to stay each time.

Here are some fun things we did:

We hiked near Philips Reservoir, where Chuck went swimming.

We played at Geiser Pollman Park.

And we visited the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, including walking on part of the actual Oregon Trail!

Overall, it was a fantastic trip, and I’m looking forward to going back to explore even more places.

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2025-10-18T05:46:00.000-07:00

Touring the USS Blueback Submarine at OMSI

Yesterday, Elinor asked me, “How do you write a good book? You know, a book or movie that other people want to read.”

What an excellent question!

I was already thinking about what I wanted to write for my 42nd birthday, and I kept coming back to the idea of doing 100 reps to get good at something. But it turns out that’s exactly what I wrote about for my 41st birthday. It’s nice to know I’m consistent. :)

In responding to Elinor, I first confessed that I don’t know for certain because I’ve never written a book, let alone a good one. But I have some clues.

#1 Write a Lot

You have to write a lot and be OK with it being bad at first. But if you commit to writing each day and trying to get better each time, you’ll eventually write a good book. You can be impatient with the inputs — like your effort — because that’s what you control. But then you need to be extra-patient with the outputs.

The question I keep thinking about is, how do I accelerate — be impatient with — the reps? I’m pretty sure there isn’t a shortcut other than devoting more time to getting reps in than seems “reasonable.”

When Elinor first started playing piano, she was bad. And that was OK! With daily practice, she’s improved and now plays songs I recognize. If she keeps playing, she’ll eventually write her own songs and will likely create something good. It might be years, but again, that’s OK!

It also inherently requires focus. By devoting time to getting better at one thing, you have to say no to other things. This is my number one struggle. I love shiny objects and do a great job of figuring out how to justify them! For example, in the last year I got my property management licenses, drone pilot licenses, and contractor’s license. They’re all related to real estate investing, which is how I justify it, but I’m not going 1,000 miles deep in any one. Maybe it’s OK... given the next idea I shared with Elinor?

#2 Combine Ideas

The best way to come up with an “original idea” is to combine many ideas. In the book “Steal Like an Artist,” Austin Kleon wrote:

“The writer Wilson Mizner said if you copy from one author, it’s plagiarism, but if you copy from many, it’s research. I once heard the cartoonist Gary Panter say, “If you have one person you’re influenced by, everyone will say you’re the next whoever. But if you rip off a hundred people, everyone will say you’re so original!” (p. 36)”

I often think of myself as a curator. When writing website/ad copy or creating analysis dashboards, I’ll first look at dozens of examples. I’ll pick and choose the pieces I like and then combine them into what ultimately becomes my own thing.

For example, my real estate podcast is styled after the Bible Project Podcast, where one person, me, is the expert and the other person, Jessi, is “normal.” The topics are inspired by other real estate podcasts/articles, economic news sources, and my personal investing experience. Combining them all produced something new.

And in my property management business, we’re vertically integrating maintenance to create a better service for our owners and tenants (hence the contractor license). This isn’t a unique idea yet, but I’m getting there.

Create Good Things

I really like what Elinor is thinking about! The desire to be good at something is admirable and worth striving for. It’s hard, but that’s what builds character. I’m looking forward to another trip around the sun with my kids as we all push to get better.

How Small Promises Build Big Trust — in Business and at Home

2025-09-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

I recently listened to a podcast where they discussed a decision to build a big business. The interviewer asked what his wife thought about his decision. Here’s what they said:

Question:

“What about that conversation with your wife? Was it an easy yes? Was it an easy, let's go?”

Answer:

“Yeah. You know, it was easy. And here, it's because I take the garbage out. And what I mean by that is this: whenever I talk to people about getting their spouse on board, people ask that question: ‘Oh, my spouse isn't on board, or my spouse doesn't really want to do what I want to do, or I want to start this business — my spouse isn't on board.’ It's usually because they don't take the garbage out. And I use that as a metaphor, but it's also a reality. If they say they're going to do things in their personal private life, and then they do not do it. So they have trained their spouse that they are unreliable; non-dependable.”
“They are not to be trusted. And they have trained their spouse over and over and over by saying, ‘I’m going to take the garbage out,’ and then not taking the garbage out! So if you do that year after year after year and week after week and day after day and all that. And then you say, ‘Hey, I got this idea. I'm going to go build this business.’ You have already set yourself up to be untrusted with that. So, of course, I'm not going to support the other person because I don't believe that they're going to do what they say they're going to do because they never do what they say they're going to do. How you do anything is how you do everything.”

This reminds me of a book by Dr. Kevin Leman called “Sex Begins In The Kitchen,” which says great sex is the by-product of the way spouses treat each other all day long. Small, consistent “deposits of care” — like listening, sharing feelings, pitching in, and expressing affection — create emotional closeness, and physical intimacy naturally follows. The kitchen is a metaphor for those mundane, daily interactions.

I love a good metaphor.

So, I’ve been thinking about both of these all week and take three lessons I can apply in my business & personal relationships.

Lesson 1: Keep My Promises

If I say I’m going to do something, do it. It’s so simple, right?! The problem I deal with is underestimating how much I can actually accomplish. So, I tend to overpromise (with good intentions) and then inevitably don’t deliver on something. This is my reminder to give myself margin to do what I said I would do. It’s OK if every day isn’t perfectly optimized for productivity.

Lesson 2: The Small Things Matter

Who cares about the garbage? That’s a small thing. The important thing is that I earned enough money to pay all of our expenses. Well, yes. Important things are... well... important. But it turns out, so are the smaller things. It never fails to bring Jessi a smile when she comes home to find all the dishes done.

I think small things are important because it shows a level of care: I’m not just focused on the big things, I also care about the small ones. Furthermore, Ramit Sethi calls these competency triggers: visible cues that signal to others that I’m skilled, reliable, and worth trusting.

Lesson 3: Victory Happens Before The Start Line

I recently syndicated the purchase of a super cool building. The deal took many months to complete, involving a significant amount of work by multiple parties. It wasn’t easy to get it over the line.

But here’s the deal, I unknowingly started working on this deal YEARS before I even knew about it. This was a mixed-use property, and I happened to have experience with those types of tenants/spaces. So, I had the experience.

I also had a list of investors interested in funding this type of deal.

And finally, I built a great friendship with the broker. We did a previous deal together, I joined him on panels, I sent him referrals, and generally supported his career. So, I was on a very short list of people who knew about the deal before the rest of the market. That gave me the chance to submit an offer before anyone else.

The point is this: I had been doing things that made this deal even possible. Without the experience, resources, or connections, there’s no way I could have bought such a cool asset.

Going forward, I can be more intentional about where I want to go and focus on gaining the experience/skills necessary before I directly pursue the next level.

Final Thoughts

One more quote from Jim Collins in Great by Choice:

"Discipline, in essence, is consistency of action—consistency with values, consistency with long-term goals, consistency with performance standards, consistency of method, consistency over time."

This is what the podcast conversation was getting at. Success is about consistency of action, both big and small. It’s taking out the garbage and making deposits of care. Doing that builds trust with others. It’s a simple idea, but hard to carry out. The best way I know to do that is to not overcommit, so I can keep both my big and small promises.

I Hired My First Employee For My Property Management Business

2025-08-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

Exciting news! I hired my first employee for my property management business. It’s been interesting experiencing a whole new set of opportunities and challenges, but on the whole, I’m loving it.

Why I Hire An Employee (Not a Contractor)

For starters, I need help. As my units under management have grown, it’s simply more than I can handle on my own.

Interestingly, this happens a lot in the property management space. Someone new enters the market and quickly gets 50-100 units almost exclusively from referrals. Somewhere in that range is when you need to hire help, and 90% stop growing because their service suffers (and referrals stop), or they decide they’re big enough to support themselves without the people management complications.

I wasn’t willing to stall, so I brought on an operations coordinator: someone to schedule and coordinate contractors and tenants. And they’re an employee instead of a contractor because of the [economic realities test](https://www.oregon.gov/boli/employers/Pages/employee-or-independent-contractor.aspx/1000):

Is the worker’s task essential to your core operations? Carpenters vs. software developers for a construction firm, for instance.
Who determines schedules, methods, tools, and wages? More control means they’re an employee.
Is it an ongoing/indefinite engagement? Project-based work may indicate a contractor.
Contractor status favors those exercising business skills, not just technical delivery.
Contractors typically bear profit risk; employees don’t.
Contractors typically have more than one client they work for; employees don’t.

For me, the answers were clear: the job is essential. I’m determining the methods, tools, and wages. It’s an ongoing engagement that’s only with me. And they’re not bearing any profit risk (though it is a skilled position).

It’s exciting, but it’s a significant amount of work to set up!

Hiring Is More Than Payroll

I’m using Gusto for my payroll, which has been solid. I think their biggest problem is that they slightly overpromise by making it sound like it’s a 1-click setup. I’m sure it’s significantly easier than doing it manually, but it’s not a 1-click setup.

I do appreciate that Gusto keeps bringing up compliance requirements. For example, they reminded me: to:

Register for a business identification number (BIN)
Get workers’ compensation
Provide employment posters
Set up a retirement account
Submit an I-9 form
Create an employee handbook

Technically, Gusto (and their partners) will handle all of this for me, but it’s significantly more expensive!

Their workers’ comp partner was 4X the cost of Oregon’s SAIF. Though perhaps their coverage is better?
They’ll provide posters for $12-25/month vs downloading them for free off the state BOLI website. I guess it’s nice not to have to check for updates?
Their retirement account partner is $90/month vs OregonSaves’ free plan. Perhaps they offer more options?
They have a partner who will register your BIN for ~$150 vs doing it on Oregon’s Department of Revenue website for free. I suppose it’s nice not having to navigate it on your own?

I get it, I’m trading my time to do it on my own, but those are not negligible costs! That, and I like knowing about the process.

Why It’s Worth It

Despite the compliance rabbit hole, the rest of it has been great! I love that important things that kept getting bumped because of urgent things are now getting done. Plus, there’s an accountability benefit to me, too. Since I know I’m asking others to get this done, I feel the (good) pressure to get my stuff done too.

I’m already planning my next hire, which will likely happen during Q4. I think it’ll be a maintenance person because there seems to be a never-ending list of small jobs that need to be done. Hiring someone will help me get to problems sooner and save my owners’ money. I’m in the process of getting my CCB (a requirement for another project), so we’ll be appropriately licensed and insured.

I think with a team of four — a receptionist, bookkeeper, handyman, and leasing & tenant coordinator — we can scale up to 500 units. Like I said, I’m excited and am seeing what it looks like to scale to the next level.

Why Most Meetings Feel Draining — and How to Make Them Worth Attending

2025-07-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

When I worked for HP, I typically had 4-8 meetings a day. It was a lot! Then, when I left, it dropped off dramatically - sometimes zero meetings in a week. But, as I’m growing my company, I’m holding more and more meetings. Yet, this time round, it feels different. And part of it has to do with this quote from the book Traction:

What makes for great meetings is solving problems. Patrick Lencioni says it best: “Your meetings should be passionate, intense, exhausting, and never boring.” (p. 190)

There were times when my HP meetings were forgettable, dull, draining, and boring. They were typically larger group updates. I’m sure they were great for some people, but I loathed them. HP would hold quarterly all-company meetings, and I usually only stayed on for the first 10 minutes (if not skipping it entirely and only reading the follow-up email).

And yet, I had other multi-hour-long meetings that I loved. Those were the ones where we tackled tough forecasting problems. Or, sometimes it was finding yet another way to say people were printing less (“printing growth is attenuating” was my favorite).

But today, I enjoy most of my meetings. I find many of them directionally similar to what Lencioni described. I had a meeting with the executive director of Love INC to discuss a proposed budget change that wasn’t explicitly addressed in the financial policy document. She wanted my interpretation (as the treasurer) of the policy’s spirit and assistance in updating the relevant section to clarify its application in this situation.

You’d think that would be a horribly tedious meeting, but I enjoyed it. Why?

Rat Race Meetings

One reason people hate meetings is the lack of autonomy.

There’s a neuroscience study called “The Effects of Voluntary, Involuntary, and Forced Exercises on Brain Function after Cerebral Ischemia,” which looked at two groups of rats. In one group of rats, they ran on a wheel whenever they wanted. In the second group, they were forced to run on a treadmill. Both groups ran the same amount. So you’d think, physically speaking, they would have similar effects.

But no.

The voluntary runners had higher hippocampal BDNF (a brain health marker), better motor recovery, and lower stress hormone (corticosterone) levels.
The forced runners showed higher corticosterone (stress) and lower BDNF, with poorer recovery outcomes, typical of chronic stress exposure.

Yikes!

No matter how amazing a meeting might be, if you’re “forced” to go (by, say, a manager), there are built-in negative headwinds. And let’s be honest, most meetings are middling, so in reality, they’re a net negative.

And unfortunately, the person who called the meeting — usually the manager — was the voluntary runner and, therefore, enjoyed it.

I think this explains why I enjoyed my financial policy meeting: I volunteered to join the board. So, even nit-picky policy meetings like that are fun. But I think there’s more to it than just autonomy.

Asymmetric Meetings

Many times, the outcomes are asymmetric. I remember once complaining to my HP boss that our weekly update meeting felt like a waste of time for me (except for my 5-10 minute part, of course). I appreciated her response, “Well, the meeting isn’t for you; it’s for me. By doing it this way, I can get updates from the entire team in a single one-hour meeting instead of holding 7 half-hour meetings. It’s not perfect, but it lets me spend an extra two and a half hours each week tackling other problems. Feel free to multitask when it’s not your turn.”

I think we attend many meetings where the benefits are much greater for the leader than for the attendee. Fundamentally, you have to care about the outcome, or the meeting will feel like a waste of time.

Type II Meetings

Perhaps one way to think of meetings is using the three different types of fun framework. In the same way that there are three types of fun, I think there are three types of meetings.

Type I Meetings:

These are enjoyable in the moment. They might be quick (who doesn’t love it when a meeting ends early?!), energetic, or insightful. I think of meeting someone new for coffee as a perfect example.

Type II Meetings:

These meetings aren’t necessarily fun while in the meeting, but are fun in retrospect. These meetings are what Patrick Lencioni is referring to. You’re solving a problem. Some examples are strategy sessions or negotiations. I find myself wanting to have more of these types of meetings.

Type III Meetings:

These are the worst. They’re not enjoyable during or after. There’s no progress, insight, or closure — it’s just a soul-sucking slog. Ugh! I think group update meetings can get this way if you’re not careful. So can meetings that turn into a one-person monologue, or where the leader is unprepared.

My multi-hour forecasting meetings and that finance meeting were type II meetings - hard in the moment, but fun in retrospect.

Predictable Meetings

In the book Hooked, Nir Eyal explains that “Experiences with finite variability become less engaging because they eventually become predictable” (p. 127). If you’ve ever binge-watched a pre-streaming-era TV show, you notice the show’s pattern, and it quickly becomes predictable and less interesting.

But there’s nuance. Simply changing up the format probably won’t work because only the leader has true autonomy. Eyal continues:

Remember, variability is only engaging when the user maintains a sense of autonomy. People will stand in line for hours to ride the twists and turns of a roller coaster but are panic stricken when they experience a bit of turbulence on an airline flight. Therefore, the job of companies operating in conditions of inherent variability is to give users what they desperately crave in conditions of low control—a sense of agency. (p. 129).

Instead, you want the content of the meeting to be variable. This is probably why weekly team update meetings are the worst: they’re highly repetitive, predictable, and forced.

In my company, I avoid group check-ins and instead do one-on-ones. And, for the most part, I let the other person drive the discussion because I’m already interested in what they’re doing. It’s my small attempt at sharing autonomy. Yes, I’m in four times as many meetings versus doing it as a group, but I find the experience is better for everyone.

And, of course, if you change up the order or topics, some people will enjoy it and others won’t. You’ll never have everyone fully on board unless it’s something where everyone volunteered to attend.

Less Meetings

Another way to limit meeting predictability is to reduce the number of meetings. Here’s the advice from the folks at 37Signals, who only hold meetings as a last resort. In their book Remote, they write:

Meetings. Ah, meetings. Know anyone out there who wishes they had more meetings? We don’t either. Why is that? Meetings should be great—they’re opportunities for a group of people sitting together around a table to directly communicate. That should be a good thing. And it is, but only if treated as a rare delicacy.
When meetings are the norm, the first resort, the go-to tool to discuss, debate, and solve every problem, they become overused and we grow numb to the outcome. Meetings should be like salt—sprinkled carefully to enhance a dish, not poured recklessly over every forkful. Too much salt destroys a dish. Too many meetings can destroy morale and motivation. (pp. 114-115)

They also recommend hiring only smart people who get things done. I mean, obviously, that’s what you want to do, but it’s much harder to do in practice, so the advice isn’t super helpful. “Just have fewer meetings” can also sound like a great theory that’s hard in practice, especially if the alternative is sending more emails. Still, it’s worth remembering and striving for fewer meetings if possible.

Better Meetings

Alright, let’s land this plane. Here’s how I try to make meetings better.

If you lead meetings...

Recognize that everyone else will be walking in with the negative consequence of being a “forced attendee.” You don’t need to apologize; just do the work ahead of time to make the meeting meaningful.
Hold fewer group updates. Go asynchronous or default to 1-on-1s.
Focus your meetings on solving meaningful problems.
End with a “meeting rating” (1–10) to improve feedback loops. I don’t do this often, but I’m trying out Slido.

If you attend meetings...

Find your autonomy: suggest time slots (I blocked out maker hours in Outlook when at HP), ask for the agenda, or volunteer for a meaningful role (like capturing action items).
When possible, choose meetings where you solve problems that you care about. It may not be fun in the moment, but in retrospect, you’ll appreciate them. If you don’t care about the problem, consider not going.
If you’re in a group update, give yourself guilt-free permission not to be 100% engaged because the meeting isn’t for you.
If possible, earn yourself positions where you get to decide if there’s a meeting or not.

Passionate. Intense. Exhausting. Never boring. Meaningful meetings aren’t effortless — they’re earned. Keeping these points in mind can dramatically improve your meeting experience.

Charles Vincent Furlo

2025-06-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

After our dachshund, Vinnie, passed away in December, our house felt empty. I thought that over time, we’d adjust, but it never really happened. So, after a few months, we began discussing the possibility of getting a new dog.

Then, one day during Spring Break, we took a family hike and walked 7 miles! We realized that in Vinnie’s prime, the furthest he walked was 3 miles (technically, two blocks shy of 3 miles, and I’d carry him the last little bit). So we started talking about different types of dogs beyond the short-legged wonder.

But we liked the smaller size... so what to do?

Well, we discovered the Canoe Labrador. They’re British Labs that are bred to be a smaller size (35-50 lbs) — to jump in and out of a canoe without capsizing it. As someone who grew up with Labs, I immediately like the idea. The only catch? There aren’t many breeders, and the one we liked was based in Tennessee!

Talking with the breeder, it turned out she had family in Montana and was willing to meet us there. So, we bought plane tickets, and six weeks later (after he was big enough), we met her in the parking lot at Billings Airport and said hello to our new family member: Charles Vincent Furlo (Chuck, for short).

I realize we spent more on a pet (including plane tickets) than seems reasonable. But Vinnie was an absolute joy, we have particular tastes, and we know he’ll be around for many years. Therefore, the cost seems worthwhile to us. Additionally, there are other areas where we don’t spend much (such as on cars), which allows us to afford such indulgences.

In the weeks leading up to getting him, I’ve never seen our family more unified in our excitement about something. Every night we prayed for him. Everyone helped prepare the house, including fixing a section of the fence.

And now he’s here! So exciting!

One interesting observation: when we got Vinnie, it was just Jessi and me, and I worked from home. So, I spent a significant amount of time alone with Vinnie, and we were best buds. Even when the kids came along, I remained top dog as it were.

This time around is different because the kids are on summer break. So they’re spending A LOT more time with Chuck than I am. Plus, the people working at the kennel were all females, so he’s a bit startled (intimidated?) by me. But he’ll come around, especially in the fall when everyone else is gone.

Here he is thanking Elinor for the blanket she crocheted for him.

I Have A Content Problem And I Don't Know How To Solve It

2025-05-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

This will not be one of those "How I went from 200 views to millions of views" posts. It's quite the opposite because I have a content problem, and I don't know how to solve it.

In my business, the big question I must answer is: "What would it take for someone who found me online to invest $50,000 into a real estate deal with me?" The high-level answer is that I need to create enough trust that I'll do what I say I'll do.

What I'm Doing

My current strategy for building enough trust for that type of investment is a content funnel:

I create podcast episodes and videos to earn trust and attract potential investors.
From those, they visit my website and either download a free due diligence guide or join my mailing list.
That puts them on my email, where I educate them on passive investing & nurture the relationship.
And ideally, they eventually invest with me once I build know, like, and trust.

On a typical week, I produce one podcast, three shorts/reels (from the podcast), and a summary carousel (of the podcast). This is sustainable for me (and Jessi).

My Results

Here are my typical stats:

Podcast audio listens: 10
Podcast video views: 532
YouTube views per short: 1,991
Instagram views per reel / carousel: 215 / 65
LinkedIn views per podcast post / short / carousel: 23 / 7 / 41
Weekly website visits: 62
Email subscribers: 1-ish every 3 weeks
Active investors who found me online: 0

At first glance, those numbers feel... underwhelming. I recognize that subscribers and views are vanity metrics and not my ultimate goal, but they're part of my funnel and feel low.

How Do I Improve?

I have an existing set of investors, which is fantastic, but I'd like to 10X that so we can do more/bigger deals. And for now, my biggest issue in reaching that goal is not having enough people at the top of the funnel. So, I'd like to 10X (or 100X?) each of those results above.

But I'm genuinely at a loss for what I need to improve. Here's an overwhelming list of questions I regularly ask myself:

I've created my ideal customer profile based on current investors. Maybe I need to be more niche?
I've taken classes to improve my video editing skills, but perhaps I need to increase the production quality significantly?
I've gotten help with my YouTube SEO, but the impact isn't meaningful.
I think the topics we discuss are relevant to investors... but maybe not?
Maybe I should do epic real estate things (i.e., hard to replicate at home) and share them?
Should I start or join an engagement pod where 4-10 of us like/comment on each other's posts to kickstart the ol' algorithms to promote them more? (probably not)
Or, should I leave my $1.80 by commenting on 90 posts a day?
I'm posting 1 video and 3 shorts a week. Should I increase to 1-2 a day? Is that sustainable?
I like my titles and thumbnails, but perhaps they're not effective?
Do I need to invest more time in understanding my retention analytics and optimizing what I have?
Should I hire a social media guru? Probably not... But maybe there are folks who could coach me?
Is this answer "yes" to all of them?!

So many questions! And yet, I simultaneously feel like I'm overthinking this!

What Would You Do?

The standard advice is to keep going and improve something 1% each time. I feel like that's what I'm doing, but... I don't know... It's discouraging. I'd like to try putting in 10X the effort, but a) I'm not sure where to put it, and b) I don't have that much time (or money to pay someone else to put in that much time) since this isn't directly related to my revenue.

In reality, if I attracted one qualified investor a month, that would be amazing! So, I don't need a huge following, but having more would be helpful.

So that's where I'm at. I'm open to feedback or ideas. :)

The Seven Dwarves Deserve Their Own Movie. Here's My Pitch.

2025-04-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about the new Snow White movie recently. In my opinion, all remakes struggle because they have to contend with the nostalgia of the first version. The movie can't just be a little better; it has to be orders of magnitude better (like Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy).

Instead, I think the winning strategy is to tell an adjacent story.

For example, Maleficent, Wicked, and Cruella are the origin stories of Sleeping Beauty, The Wizard of Oz, and 101 Dalmatians. It lets the original stand as-is and builds depth into the villain (while often flipping the original's moral framing).

There are also origin stories of side characters:

Finding Dory
Minions
Lightyear

And then there are spin-offs:

The Lego Batman Movie
Venom
Planes
Frasier

These tend to be more lighthearted, which is fine with me.

One obvious concept for Snow White would be the origin story of Queen Grimhilde (aka The Evil Queen). It would follow her journey from royal bride to feared sorceress. Maybe she descends into madness after being betrayed (another moral framing flip). Perhaps her enchanted mirror becomes her only confidant, but ultimately her tormentor. I'd call it "Mirror, Mirror" or something catchy like that.

I'm in! Who doesn't love a well-told anti-hero movie these days?!

The Seven Dwarves

However, one fascinating area to explore is the seven dwarves.

For example, you could go gritty:

Before they met Snow White, they escaped a brutal war in the mountain kingdoms. They were once proud gemcrafters to royalty, but now they live in exile. And they were part of a sprawling underground civilization before the war. Perhaps the gems aren't just pretty but store magic (that was ultimately used in the war). This "band of brothers" swore never to get involved in "human affairs" again... until Snow White.

But I think you could also tell a super fun origin story.

Hear me out: what if they were former thieves?!

Doc is a genius strategist with alchemical skills, but society has rejected him because of a massive mistake. (I know it's vague, but let's keep rolling.)

So, he wants to break into the castle's enchanted vault to steal the Heartstone — a magical gem powerful enough to keep someone eternally youthful and powerful — to change how he looks and effectively create a new identity (it's a selfish reason).

But there's a catch: the only time the vault is being predictably opened is for a wedding ceremony of the King's new wife. His wife died during childbirth, and he found a new wife/stepmother. Unbeknownst to all, she's only marrying to get access to the Heartstone.

To pull off the heist, he gathers six outcast minors.

Grumpy: A no-nonsense bruiser, former royal guard
Happy: A charming con man with a winning smile
Sleepy: Has prophetic dreams, but is unreliable
Sneezy: Can literally sniff out magic traps
Bashful: Quiet and stealthy
Dopey: Silent, but brilliant with gadgets and explosives. A wild card.

I'm making this up without a complete storyline; don't get upset at me.

Act 1 would be recruiting and planning.

Doc has been out of the game until he hears about the Queen's vault. He gathers the old crew - each one reluctant, hiding in exile, or eking out a mundane life. He promises each of them a redo in life because of the stone.

Act 2 would be the setup and challenges.

They do training and recon missions. There are magical hiccups, run-ins with guards, unstable tunnels, and enchanted traps. They discover the magic mirror sees everything, so they must blind it to their actions.

Act 3 would be the heist.

It's a multi-layered plan with parallel timelines. Perhaps Bashful almost sells them out but decides not to. Or, the entire time, Dopey has been accidentally solving problems, but now he deliberately saves the day!

But then they decide NOT to keep the gem and use it to save the newborn princess's life (which, unknown to them, was threatened by the soon-to-be-queen). And an obvious side effect is that it turns her skin as white as snow while protecting her from the Queen trying to kill her in the future (hence the huntsman and the "sleeping death" in the cartoon).

Ultimately, we see them vanish into the woods without rewards, titles, or a redo. But they're content with their decision and start whistling as they go away...

I think some fun titles could be:

Seven and the Stone
Once Upon a Heist
The Seven

That's my idea. Disney, you can DM me for where to send the royalty check. ;)

Why Streaks Work On Me (Even When Motivation Fades)

2025-03-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

I hate to admit it, but streaks—consecutive days of doing something—work on me. And if I’m really candid, most of the time, the loss of breaking a streak is slightly more motivating than the positive feelings I get from seeing a long streak.

A Streak For Streak’s Sake

For example, I currently have a 192-day streak of using Duolingo (language learning).

That’s cool, but I actually think I’m over it. We’re back from Spain, and it doesn’t look like I’m going to Mexico this year. So, my motivation to keep going is relatively low. I know it’s probably good for me to keep going, but if it weren’t for that 192, I would have stopped two weeks ago!

 How crazy powerful is that?!

For The Love Of It

But there are others that I genuinely enjoy doing every day, regardless of the streak counter. For example, DayOne (journaling), Readwise (book highlights), and MyFitnessPal (calorie tracking).

But here’s what’s interesting: these allow for catching up, and I do that occasionally. And it’s not because I want to ensure I journal or get the review - it’s simply to keep the streak alive!

Broken Dreams... I mean... Streaks

And then there are others that I wish I still had a streak in but no longer do, like Quip (teeth brushing) and Fitbod (strength training). Here are the streaks I had in January (when I originally conceived of this post).

Alas, quip connects to my toothbrush via Bluetooth, and it couldn’t handle the time change in Spain. So, on one day, I have 3 brushings, and on another, I only have one brushing. The steak is broken, and there’s no way to “fix it.”

Does it count that I physically did the responsible thing and brushed twice daily in real life? Nope!

And then there’s these sad situations.

Twenty-three weeks was pretty good, but I got sick after returning from our trip. Combine it with bad weather, and well, the streak is broken. I totally own this one, and I don’t even have the satisfaction of knowing in my heart I put in the work.

You’d think the whole “I didn’t work out” thing would bother me, but nope! The loss of the streak is what bothers me!

Sure, I know I can “just start again,” but the whole point of this tirade is my admission that keeping the streak is somehow, inexplicitly, more motivating than the actual thing.

Why Streaks Are Powerful

I wanted to know why this works so well on me (and presumably others). Here’s what I learned:

Loss Aversion

It’s not just the steak I’d lose. It’s the effort, identity, and progress associated with it. And I (apparently) value a loss much more than a win, so I put in more effort to avoid all those losses.

Identity Reinforcement

Streaks become part of my self-perception. “I’m the kind of person who doesn’t miss a day of brushing.” Or “I’m the kind of person who values reading.” The steak acts as an easily identifiable external signal of the kind of person I am. This is why recovering alcoholics track how long it’s been since they had a drink.

The Zeigarnik Effect

Streaks keep a task “open” in my mind. If I don’t get to Duolingo first thing in the morning, I think about it the rest of the day, trying to remember to do it. [David Allen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Allen_(author)) would shed a tear for me. That desire for closure compels me to keep the steak alive.

Progress Triggers Dopamine

There’s actually a physical, addictive component to streaks. Each step releases dopamine, which reinforces my action. Knowing this kind of makes me want to do a streak detox and break all of them for a week. (But I probably won’t, hence the addictive part...)

Commitment & Consistency Bias

Streaks become a psychological contract with myself. I desire to be consistent with things I’ve already done, so a small streak starts creating internal pressure to remain consistent with my prior actions. The longer it goes, the stronger it gets.

So, streaks work because they intertwine behavior with emotion, identity, memory, and even brain chemistry. And thanks to smartphones and apps, streaks are easier than ever to create.

I’m unsure if my situation is a good or bad thing. I suppose since all of mine are healthy habits, it’s good?

But knowing how powerful they are on me, it’s good to be aware of for some not-so-healthy habit-forming apps, like some smartphone games.

PS. In case you haven’t noticed, I posted once a month last year. Here I am in the last week of March, keeping the streak alive...

PPS. This would probably work on me if it weren’t so hidden. Thankfully, Apple’s too concerned about my mental health to put it front and center.

Barcelona And Málaga Offered A Perfect Mix Of Adventure, Art, and Relaxation

2025-02-14T11:24:00.000-08:00

Jessi and I recently returned from a trip to Spain. We ditched the kids with my mom and set out to rest and relax while sprinkling in a couple of mini-adventures. This was part of Jessi’s four-week sabbatical from her job at our church.

Spain has been on Jessi’s shortlist for years because she speaks Spanish and thinks their lisp/accent is fantastic. I’m glad we went, and I think we achieved our goal. Here’s what we did.

Barcelona

We started with a few days in Barcelona. It’s a beautiful city with many things to do. We had three highlights.

La Sagrada Familia

Construction of the basilica started in 1882... and it’s still going! I’m not sure if I should be impressed by their fortitude or shake my head at their abismally slow progress. Either way, the final result is impressive. Here’s the outside:

It was architected by Antoni Gaudí, who incorporated nature into his designs. The whole thing is full of symbolism and contains incredible details. For example, here’s the main entrance.

It’s difficult to describe how massive this thing is, so here’s an aerial photo (from the official website) showing its size.

I actually think the inside is even cooler! Gaudí wanted the columns to feel like trees, and he succeeded. We visited in the morning, and the sun’s rays reflecting off the stained-glass windows were breathtaking.

Eventually, they’ll install these doors with the Lord’s Prayer written on them. The gold “A | G” are the handles.

We also went to the top of one of the towers. The views were incredible!

We rode an elevator up and then walked down a spiral staircase. The last bit of the stairs isn’t for people who are afraid of heights.

Flamenco Dancing

We also watched a flamenco show. The performers’ skills are unbelievable, and you can tell that each one is having a ton of fun.

Mercats

A surprise highlight was visiting some markets, called “mercats”. One was a massive flea market, and the other had food from many vendors. Shopping isn’t typically high on my list, but I enjoyed this window shopping.

Málaga

The rest of our trip was in Málaga, on the Southern coast of Spain.

(image from Britannica)

Our goal was to relax, and our Airbnb apartment helped us achieve that. It was a cozy, relaxing place.

Museo Picasso Málaga

Pablo Picasso was born in Málaga. So, naturally, we visited a museum about him. The way he saw the word was... unique.

I was impressed with his output and the breadth of his mediums. You could tell he loved art (and women).

La Playa De Malagueta

Something about spending a day at a warm beach in February is fantastic.

Apparently, it only rains 40 days a year there. And we happened to be there during a “severe weather warning” day. I wish this were our definition of “severe weather! Here’s what the "destruction" looked like:

Caminito Del Rey

We also took a tour outside the city to walk a 5-mile aerial trail with breathtaking views of the gorge. The trail was initially built in 1901 to access a hydroelectric station. However, the trail fell into disarray when a new hydroelectric station was eventually built in a new location. In 2014, it was restored, made significantly safer, and opened to the public.

This first picture shows the original - dangerous - path under the new one.

Yeah, this bridge moves quite a bit in the wind.

Lots of Walking

One of our favorite things is simply walking around everywhere. It felt like a lot, and it’s nice when the data backs that up.

The good part about all those steps is that we could eat whatever we wanted, like pealla.

And now we’re back, and Jessi is finishing her sabbatical with a couple of snow days.

Life is good.

2025 Annual Letter: So That Happened

2025-01-06T07:00:00.012-08:00

Goodbye, Friend

On Christmas Eve, my best friend, Vinnie, passed away. I did some estimating, and because I work from home, I spent more time with him than anyone else during my lifetime (the next closest are my parents, and Jessi will pass them in a couple of years). I truly enjoyed having him around.

And it's not just the time, like eating lunch together and cuddling at night. It's all the little ways he constantly interacted with us. For example, when I arrived home, he greeted me. He inspected what we bought when we put grocery bags on the ground. Dropped food on the ground? No problem! He'd hoover it up! He also knew when we were sad and simply needed a friend nearby.

We knew it was coming, but it's still incredibly hard, and I imagine I'll continue to have moments of sadness for the rest of my life. Right now, those moments come at unexpected times, when I suddenly realize he's not here. For example, I said goodbye to him when I was the last one to leave the house. Now, it feels like I'm missing something when I leave. :(

We don't have any immediate plans to get another pet. As much as I hate this feeling, I also want to sit in the loss and honor his memory. Plus, as our kids start traveling more with us, it potentially gives us more flexibility in our planning.

Vinnie, you were a good boy. I miss you.

Jessi's Benign Brain Tumor

That's how we ended the year, but we started the year with an initial shock. Here's Jessi on her health situation:

We started the year leaning that I had a benign brain tumor on my pituitary gland. It was causing problems which led to the diagnosis but it was a classic meds caused more side effects than the actual tumor. My friend named the tumor Tina so I could have someone to yell at on the hard days.
Some days I just slept, others seemed halfway normal and still others were riddled with nausea and vertigo. For now the medication seems to be doing its job and I have reached an equilibrium and a new normal. I am about 1 year into a 2-3 year treatment plan so not done but making progress. It has been a blessing too though! Seeing my kids grow up before my eyes handling everything with empathy and maturity. And also learning to accept help. Thank you for all of your prayers and care for our family!

Naming her tumor is kind of goofy, but I'm on board with whatever helps her feel better.

Travel With Kids

2024 wasn't all bad (actually, it was a good year). For example, I took four plane trips this year, each with at least one kid (1 with Elinor, 2 with Samson, and 1 with both). It turns out that both kids are super fun to travel with!

Like me, they think airports and airplanes are cool. Elinor likes window shopping, and both enjoy walking the entire terminal with me. I enjoy seeing where other planes are going and asking if they'd like to go there someday. They usually have no idea where it is, but they play along. All the other parts - the rental car, the hotel, and the reason for going - are also super fun with them.

I want to keep taking them on trips, so I dipped my toe into the credit card hacking game to help afford it. I'm still a n00b, but I'm learning, and I had our last flight wholly paid for with points.

Seeing the Mississippi River

Is Samson a man or a muppet?

A Wonderful Split Summer

We tried a new schedule this summer with the kids.

I worked until 11am, and Jessi watched the kids. Jessi mainly focused on academics.

At 11am, I'd take over, and Jessi would go to work (and stay later). Sometimes, I helped them finish their academic work, but most of the time, we just played. And sometimes, they'd join me in a meeting or tour a property.

It was fantastic! We felt like we had meaningful time with the kids, but it wasn't in day-long chunks, which can feel exhausting by the end of the day. It also offered tons of flexibility and diminished boredom. In short, it was great, and we want to keep that schedule in future summers.

Real Estate

On the business front, we purchased four properties with nine other investors. We got:

A single-family home that was in pre-foreclosure. We did minor repairs and sold it as a fixer-upper.
Another single-family home from an owner with advanced dementia who needed to move into assisted living. We're gutting the place and will resell it as a starter home.
A manufactured home that the park owners repossessed. We're doing cosmetic updates and will resell it.
Two homes on a single lot, which we'll split into two lots and resell.

It's a different type of investing than I've done before, but I love that we can solve more complex problems by partnering with other investors. We plan to buy more in 2025, so if you want to partner with us, you can check out our investment thesis and track record.

I partner with people who may not have the time or expertise to invest independently. It works well because they can earn passive income through real estate without dealing with tenants, toilets, or headaches.

I also know that some folks already own rentals but don't necessarily want to manage them themselves - which I understand because Oregon isn't landlord-friendly. So, I recently started offering property management services. It's another way I'm helping investors earn passive income.

Furlo Capital Real Estate Podcast

Jessi and I started a podcast at the beginning of last year. We committed to doing 50 episodes before even asking if it was worth it. And pleasantly, I noticed two benefits shortly after starting:

It's a fantastic way for Jessi and me to connect on what's happening in the business - so we're better aligned.
I regularly practice sharing what I do, which makes conversations with investors better.

These two benefits make it worth continuing, so that's the plan! We'll also occasionally invite people to do interviews. Thanks to everyone who listens or watches our short clips.

Health

I felt an acute decline in my health last year. Everyone over 40 knows this, but it's harder to stay fit, injuries happen easier, and recovery takes longer. It's lame, but there's still plenty of aging I control. So, I'm doubling down on my health intentionality. For starters, I created a 1-page reminder/affirmation that I'll regularly review to keep things top of mind.

Am I missing something? Let me know.

You'll notice there are no health goals, like losing 20 pounds or having visible abs, because those are results. Instead, I'm focused on my behavior, like tracking my calories and working out. If I do that, my body will do its miraculous thing and take care of the rest. I know I won't do everything on this aspirational reminder perfectly, but that's OK.

The Setting of Time & Priorities

I have a looong list of business and personal things I want to accomplish this year. Some are year-long projects, but many simply require 10-40 hours of focus.

To help me get everything done, I'm experimenting with some new daily rhythms. One area I'm changing is my evening activity.

I'm a morning person with an energy drop-off from 1-4pm. I bounce back until 8pm, and then I'm mentally done. As a result, I tend to default to Netflix (et al.) after the kids go to bed. I know it's not the best use of my time (or great for my health), but it's all I feel like I can muster.

This year, I'm attempting to read, write, or work on a hands-on project (or go to bed early). It's not my "best" time of day, but I'm trying to enjoy the process and not get distracted by "how much better it would be if I did this in the morning."

As a bonus, it should slightly increase my NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) and help my overall health.

Looking Forward To 2025

I modified a Jim Rohn quote that I regularly review:

"Don't pray it was easier, pray I am better. Don't pray for less problems, pray for more skills. Don't pray for less challenge, pray for more wisdom."

One lesson from last year is to be careful of what you pray for - because God answers prayers (that align with His will and are best for you in the long run (Rom 8:28)). I also know I can pray those requests with confidence because if God gives me more than I can handle, it'll be to produce a character that relies on the hope of God instead of myself (2 Cor 1:8-9 & Rom 5:3-5).

All that to say, 2024 was a tougher-than-average year for us, but that's OK.

I don't know what's in store for us in 2025. I mean, I'm an unbounded optimist, so I think it'll be amazing! But even if challenges continue to pile on, that's OK. We'll keep praying to be better equipped to handle it and rely on God. If 2025 turns out to be a year of generosity, we'll REALLY have to double down on our prayers to handle it gracefully.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to check in with us throughout the year to see how things are going.

Elinor's piano recital

A random day in May

One of Vinnie's favorite spots

Every parent's dream

Camping with my extended family

I think we need a bigger pool

July 11 - Slurpee Day

Legoland

He "cleaned" our peanut butter containers

Thanksgiving

Yeah. That's happening.

Ready for a wedding

Classic

Fishing!

Watching the Knights baseball game

The kid's Christmas concert

Vinnie's final resting place. A surprisingly fun time as a family.

A Year Of Reading That Sparked Growth And New Ideas

2024-12-30T07:00:00.017-08:00

I didn't read as much as in previous years (2023, 2022, 2021), but that's OK. My goal wasn't necessarily to read a lot but to apply what I read. I did that this year, which is a win.

I grouped the books into categories with mini-reviews. I hope you're inspired to read one of them.

Business Books

Only one real-estate-specific book?! That says a lot about where my focus area was this year.

Wealth Without Cash: Supercharge Your Real Estate Investing with Subject-to, Seller Financing, and Other Creative Deals

By Pace Morby

This book is a game-changer. It's about buying real estate in unconventional ways. Armed with the strategies from this book, I flipped two homes using creative financing (read about the first one). So, it's safe to say this book had the most significant financial impact on my life this year. Pace is a terrific teacher and lays out his time-tested strategies well. It's a little bit of a pitch to join his mentorship group, but that's OK because he still provides a wealth of information in the book.

The Coaching Manual: Your Step-by-Step Guide To Becoming A Great Coach

By Julie Starr

I started coaching other investors and decided to learn how to actually do it. I found this extremely helpful and detailed. I think The Coaching Habit is a better resource for people who coach informally, but this gives a great foundation if you want to get paid to coach.

I read her other book, The Mentoring Manual, last year, which is fine, but this one is significantly better. You can tell this is where she focuses her time and energy.

Million Dollar Weekend: The Surprisingly Simple Way to Launch a 7-Figure Business in 48 Hours

By Noah Kagan

I talked with some younger folks about starting a business, but I struggled to give actionable advice. Then, I heard Kagan on a podcast and liked how he approached exploring business ideas. His book is a fast-paced guide with clear steps for testing ideas quickly. I loved it and apply his validation step (get three paid commitments) whenever I try something new.

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business

By Gino Wickman

If Million Dollar Weekend is about finding a good idea, Traction is about turning that good idea into an enduring organization to provide that idea. His Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) has six components:

Vision: where are you going, and how will you get there?
People: do you have the right people in the right seats?
Data: what are your key metrics (besides financial ones)?
Issues: are you solving the root cause of problems?
Process: what are your core processes to ensure consistency?
Traction: how are you holding everyone accountable?

I've started implementing this into my business and started using this as a framework when coaching others. It's a simple system, but that's a benefit because it's easy to remember and actually implement (unlike Scaling Up, which can be overwhelming). I highly recommend this one if you have an established business of any size.

This Is Strategy: Make Better Plans

By Seth Godin

Godin thinks differently than I do, so I enjoy reading his works. His writing style provides many loosely connected thoughts that together give a picture (a sense?) of his overall idea. For example, this book is 252 pages but has 298 chapters! So, it's not a how-to book. It's more like a here-are-some-thought-provoking-musings type of book. You'll probably enjoy this if you like his blog.

Harvard Business Review Magazine

I feel like I need to put my pinky out whenever I say I subscribe to HBR. Still, of all the magazine subscriptions I've tried, this is the only one where I consistently learn from an article or two. The articles aren't just business profiles, but they also include research and clear action steps. One of my favorite articles from last year is about building cultural values.

Christian Books

I knew I read fewer Christian books this year, but I didn't think it was this few. That'll probably change next year because each of these was amazing!

God and Money: How We Discovered True Riches at Harvard Business School

By John Cortines and Gregory Baumer

I love this book. Cortines and Baumer have a cool-headed and nuanced approach to Biblically thinking about our finances. I like that it's not just their thoughts on the topic - they start with what the Bible says and then share their findings from surveying other Christians about their financial decisions. Their key insight is that we shouldn't ask, "How much should we give to God?" But instead, ask, "How much should we keep?" It's subtle, but fundamentally changes how we think about ourselves as stewards of God's resources.

Living Fearless: Exchanging the Lies of the World for the Liberating Truth of God

By Jamie Winship

This book is about discovering your identity in God. Too often, we define ourselves by our job, and that's too limiting. This was a quick read (176 pages) with simple, practical steps to work through. God revealed that my identity is a "caretaker." Being a real estate investor falls into that, but it's so much more than property and tenant management - it's a call to care for people. It's a subtle but meaningful difference to me.

The Master Plan of Evangelism

By Robert Coleman

This quick read (162 pages) suggests that we follow Christ's example of evangelism, which he breaks down into eight observations. My high-level summary is this: Focus on a few people and live life with them. Invite them as much as possible - studying, eating, playing, serving, etc! You want to intentionally teach them about Jesus and God during your time together.

This method is critical for new Christians. If all they get is Sunday morning and a weekly Bible study, it's not enough! And the sign that someone is ready to go out on their own is when they start leading (read: living life) others.

I think Coleman gears this book towards church leaders, but all Christians would benefit from reading it.

ESV Bible

This year's reading plan included a bunch of parallel sections. It's nice because each day, I get many parts of the Bible. For example, the last day of the year's reading will be this:

Malachi 1-4
Proverbs 31:25-31
Psalms 150
John 21:15-25
Revelation 22

One thing God showed me this year was His approach to missions. God relentlessly makes himself known to his people. I want a similar mindset instead of compartmentalizing everything I do or simply waiting for opportunities.

Biography Audiobooks

This year, I dove into the world of biographies, and I'm glad I did. The lives of these remarkable individuals are not just fascinating but also offer valuable lessons. Their stories are a testament to the power of resilience, determination, and innovation, and we can learn much from their lives.

The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams

By Stacy Schiff

Narrated by Jason Culp

Samuel Adams is an interesting dude. He singularly focused on freeing himself from the British and justified any (written) means to reach his goal. As a prolific writer, he wanted to influence fellow colonists against Britain, not provide impartial reporting.

Strangely, it's comforting to know that the internet didn't ruin news; it's always been a struggle. If anything, the internet helped expose our biases. Though, I don't see anything changing anytime soon.

I also had a strange realization while listening to this book. If I lived around 1776, I probably would have been against Adams and advocated that we stay with Britain and obey their rules! It's a strange admittance because I like how things turned out. But I also prefer following the rules (because they're in my favor 90% of the time). I suppose it's good that decisions are often made by many people with varied backgrounds.

This is a good book to read for our 250-year celebration in 2026.

Breathe: A Life in Flow

By Rickson Gracie and Peter Maguire

Narrated by Fred Sanders

I practiced Gracie jiu-jitsu before having kids and thought learning about the family that started it would be fun. Rickson Gracie is an intense, proud person! I don't agree with many of his life choices (especially as a husband), but his jitsu focus is unreal! I would have relished getting dominated on the mat by him. I enjoyed the history, and anyone else who's practiced jiu-jitsu would appreciate it.

The Princess Diarist

By Carrie Fisher

Narrated by Carrie Fisher and Billie Lourd

I feel like I'm late to the party on this, but I enjoyed hearing her stories from the set. Fisher is a fun writer who doesn't take herself too seriously. In this case, she kept a diary while filming. So, part of the book contains the original entries, and the other part is Fisher explaining what was happening (mostly in her thoughts, not just the events).

I like it when the author reads their own book because it feels like they're talking to you. If you're a Star Wars fan, you'll enjoy this.

The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts

By Loren Grush

Narrated by Inés del Castillo

I enjoyed this one because it also gives the history of NASA's shuttle program. And, not surprisingly, each of the six women is an absolute all-star who would have been incredible at anything they did. Reading about intelligent, capable people who fulfill their destiny is fun.

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

By Phil Knight

Narrated by Norbert Leo Butz

This was by far my favorite biography. I think it's because Knight is so open about his mistakes and insecurities. He didn't even like the name Nike at first! It's such a crazy story of constantly being on the edge of failure but never giving up and finding paths forward.

My guess is that Knight is a smart person, but if he is, he downplays it and instead focuses on his hustle. I think that's also part of the attraction to his story ("you don't have to be a genius, just work hard"). It's really good, and anyone with a business will enjoy it.

Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation

By Collin Hansen

Narrated by Collin Hansen

I mean this in the best way possible, but Keller's story was rather... boring. Keller was a great writer with a CS Lewis-esk way of explaining theological concepts that resonated with me. So, I was interested to learn more about his life.

One reason why it's boring (compared to, say, Phil Knight) is we don't get nearly as much of Keller's internal dialog and expectations. Pastors would probably find his story interesting because they can better intuit some of his internal thoughts. For example, deciding to lead a new church must be a complex, soul-searching, social-disrupting experience, but I can't relate.

Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living

Written & narrated by Nick Offerman

Before starting this book, I knew little about Offerman. I knew he was an actor in Parks & Recreation, a woodworker, and funny. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy his book.

The primary reason is that we philosophically disagree on many things in life. And things he thinks are funny, I don't think are at all. Plus, he presented his beliefs as obvious truths (and to think differently makes you dumb... or worse), which was a turnoff.

Still, there's value in learning from someone I don't 100% agree with. I felt motivated to spend my evenings more intentionally - to make and do things, not just default to watching shows.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

Written & narrated by J. D. Vance

I was interested in this one because

he's our new VP (and likely the Republican candidate in 2028),
we're almost the same age (he's a year younger), and
most importantly, he wrote it before getting into politics.

I didn't have any expectations going into it. I only heard him speak once or twice (I skipped the debate) and simply hoped for an interesting story.

If you didn't know, his childhood was rough! In some ways, it's inspiring to know that anyone - even someone from the hillbilly backcountry - can make it to the Whitehouse alongside a billionaire. But it's also sad that his story is so rare.

I appreciated his insights on how difficult it is to solve poverty (it's just as much about identity and culture as finances). It reminds me of the book Evicted, which comes to the same conclusion. Given his childhood, I wouldn't be surprised if Vance proposes legislation that seems counterintuitive, but might actually start improving some of the US's poverty issues. Maybe?

Self-Improvement Books (Mostly)

Surprise! I saved two of my favorites until the end.

Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling

By Matthew Dicks

What a great book! If you do any storytelling (and we all do), it's a must-read. Dicks is a fantastic storyteller, and the book is worth reading just to hear his off-beat stories. And it's super practical. Here are my reminders for any story I tell:

Focus my stories on moments of change & growth. Smaller moments are better because they're relatable.
Begin stories with physical movement & a location. This isn't an essay.
Add stakes: There has to be a problem or goal. And it's even better if the "real" goal changes due to that moment of growth!
Share my (eventually to be proven wrong) predictions/thoughts before sharing what happened. Phil Knight regularly does this in Shoe Dog.
For transitions, use "but" and "therefore" instead of "and" - it's more interesting.

I'm still working on this, but I'm getting better thanks to this book.

Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection

By Charles Duhigg

I also love this book! It's on a shortlist of books I'll make my kids read (along with Storyworthy). I tend to quickly jump into problem-solving mode in conversations. Instead, Duhigg shares tools to recognize the type of conversations I'm having: decision-making, emotional, or social. One way to do that is to ask questions to see if the person wants to be helped, hugged, or heard.

And even if it's a decision-making conversation (to be helped), is the person looking for practical solutions (data & reasoning) or empathy (stories & compassion)? This is probably obvious for those with a high EQ, but it was eye-opening for me.

I'm getting better (still not great) at having emotional conversations because I have a mental checklist of questions to ask about feelings, beliefs, values, judgments, and experiences. I know how bad that sounds, but Jessi says that even though she knows I'm working through a checklist of questions, they're good questions! So, our conversations are better (and she appreciates the effort).

How to Be Interesting: In 10 Simple Steps

By Jessica Hagy

This was a quick read with easily digestible thoughts. As I'm getting more into podcasting and videos, one rule is to do epic things and share them. So, I was looking for ways to be more interesting. It was basic, but had some inspiring ideas.

DON'T DIE

By Zero (Bryan Johnson)

This is a weird book. It's an imaginary scenario in which different personalities/emotions discuss health and the future (like in Inside Out). Johnson sold Venmo to PayPal for millions and now focuses on longevity science and technology. This isn't a book of protocols but a philosophical musing. If you're interested in health topics, I'd start somewhere else. However, this could be an interesting read if you want to be inspired to learn more about health.

Superman & Action Comics

Like in previous years, I continue to read two comics about Superman. He's my favorite, and I'm PUMPED for the new Superman movie coming out next year.

Why I Don't Read Physical Books Anymore (and How I Remember What I Read)

2024-11-11T07:00:00.001-08:00

I enjoy reading, but I mostly enjoy nonfiction self-improvement books. For example, my last three books were God and Money, Million Dollar Weekend, and Supercommunicators.

All three are fantastic, with dozens of nuggets I want to remember (101, 97, and 104 nuggets, to be precise). I used to read a book, remember it for a little while, and then its lessons would fade into the background.

But no more.

Kindle

I bought a Kindle Paperwhite in 2013, and it felt magical. Being small and lightweight is nice, but the real perk is the built-in reading light. I love getting books instantly, but the built-in light is still the coolest part. While sleeping in an Indian hostel/camp while hiking in the Himalayas last year, a friend marveled that I could keep reading when it was time to turn off the single bulb in the sleeping quarters. It's such a simple feature, and I love it.

My biggest initial problem with the Kindle was that it didn't show book covers. After a while, all the books started blending together, and I couldn't remember where I read something or the author's name. It's incredible how passively looking at something 30-50 times for 1-2 seconds each time helps information stick.

Thankfully, Amazon eventually fixed my problem by incorporating book covers into the lock screen. (My last request for improvement is the ability to zoom in on graphics, as sometimes the rendering makes them too small to read.)

(side note: I also listen to audiobooks, but only books I don't want to take notes on or highlight. For me, those are biographies and fiction.)

Readwise

In June of 2022, I stumbled upon Readwise, and it's fantastic! The idea is simple: sync your highlights from an eReader, and it'll show you some highlights in a daily email (or the app). Or, manually add any book, and it'll show you popular highlights. You control email frequency and how many highlights are in each email.

The benefit is that it helps you remember what you've read.

Today, one of my 12 highlights was from a book I first read with my mom in 1998 and reread in 2019. Here's the crazy part: in 2019 - before I had Readwise - I highlighted 290 parts of the book!

At the time, I wrote a 4-page summary of the book because I wanted to remember its lessons. It was super helpful at the time, and I still have it saved on my computer, but the last time I opened it was in 2022 (I just looked).

But then today, I got a small reminder:

How cool is that? And it also sparks memories of related passages. Just like seeing a book cover for 1-2 seconds multiple times helps me remember the title and author, these snippets help me remember what I read years ago.

Since getting Readwise, I've used it a lot - 750 days in a row. It's the first or second app I open in the morning.

Physical Books

I like this system so much that I refuse to read paper books. When someone gives me a physical book - and I probably shouldn't admit this - I buy the Kindle version and then give away the physical book!

I figure the point of the gift isn't the book itself, but the knowledge shared by the author.

Though I'll admit, I'm starting to soften my digital-only stance. I'm currently running an experiment of keeping a bookshelf of physical books. My hypothesis is that seeing the books will act as one more memory enhancer and inspiration for other creative work.

My experiment is a little flawed because I read these physical books before buying my Kindle (I added them to Readwise and get popular highlights). So, it might be different to add a book I read digitally, but so far, I like having them in my physical space.

So that's what's working for me right now. If you use a Kindle, I recommend trying Readwise.

41

2024-10-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Celebrating 16 years of marriage... in the DMV parking lot waiting for an HP fireworks show.
Eating a French picnic with some delicious local wine. You can't do crazy stuff every year. :)

Last year, I turned 40 and shared 40 lessons and quotes. I'm amping it up with 41 new lessons and quotes this year!

Just kidding - they'd lose their meaning.

How about just one more from Noah Kagan and Alex Hormozi?

Do 100 reps before even thinking of stopping!

In a culture of increasing instant gratification, I find it hard to accept that I'm initially bad at something and need practice to improve. I'll try it three times, declare (to my inner self) that it's too hard, and stop.

No!

Making valuable things requires skills; frequently, developing those skills takes longer than I think. So, to help me get over the initial slog of learning, I commit to doing 100 reps of the thing before even thinking of stopping.

For example, when Jessi and I started our podcast, we committed to doing it for a year before looking critically at the stats. I figure the first 50 episodes are simply us finding our shared voice. Only after that can we start actually trying to improve and grow it, and then only after that can we assess if it's worth the effort.

Moments before starting our first episode

And guess what?! A few months in, we had a busy week, and recording a podcast felt like one too many things. And it wasn't even growing the business! But then we remembered that business growth isn't the goal this year. It's simply finding our voice and how it fits into our weekly rhythm. We took it as a learning opportunity and kept going.

Success!

Here's a free half-lesson: Translating internet numbers into real life keeps me grounded. When I post a video and "only" get 20 views, I remind myself that if I presented in a room to 20 people, I'd be excited. And when I hit 1,000 views, I imagine the venues required to host that many people—there aren't many in Corvallis. I'd be PUMPED if it were in person.

At the same time, I hold in tension the reality that BILLIONS of people could watch my stuff (and at least 100K ideal customers). So, if only 20 people see it, there's obviously room for improvement.

And that's the key. Within 100 reps of starting something, only focus on improvement. Don't even think about stopping. I'll even say it's better to focus on quantity over quality, and assuming you care about the output (not just doing it to check a box), improvement can't help but happen.

If you're learning something, do 100 reps without any thought of stopping. You got this.

Samson, working on his defense.

Elinor, playing at her recital.

How We Juggle Work, Kids, and Life—Thanks to Our 'Meeting of Life'

2024-09-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Like most families, we have a lot going on: Jessi's job, my business, the kid's school, and everyone's additional activities. It takes effort to stay on the same page! At a minimum, ensuring someone picks up the kids each day can be challenging.

To help, we started holding what we call our "Meeting of Life."

It's a semi-formal meeting between Jessi and me to sync up on things happening in the next few weeks. We started simply by reviewing our calendars together, and it expanded into other shared areas of our lives.

Jessi and I have the meeting after putting the kids to bed on Sunday evening. It's typically 30 minutes, but some weeks, we only sync up on the critical things; other weeks, we spend the entire evening talking. It's been transformational, and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Here's what we do:

1. Pray

We start with prayer. We ask the Lord to guide our week and align us with His plan for the week.

2. Goals & Emotions

We then share our progress toward long-term goals and our emotional state. We talk a lot throughout the week, so there's rarely a surprise, but it's nice to know how each of us feels about our progress and life in general.

This part of the meeting can extend to an all-evening discussion. If it does, that's because it was needed, so it's all good.

3. Calendar

If we have limited time, this is the one we do. I pull up our calendars on my computer - a big screen where you can see the entire week helps. Yes, we have separate calendars for everyone because now the kids do their own activities. We double-check that drop-offs and pick-ups are covered and talk about irregular events - especially ones that impact the rest of the family.

We look at the next two weeks in detail, discussing each day. Then, we glance out a few weeks, looking for bigger upcoming events that might require planning.

Here's an example week. We have several recurring events, so sometimes there will be some overlaps with one-time events we'll need to resolve - and that's where we'll spend our time getting alignment. We're not crazy, right?

For the record, my normal view excludes everyone else's calendars, so it doesn't look this nuts (though, I do add my tasks, so it's a little nuts...). I cannot overstate how helpful it's been to get on the same page with our schedules! We still have double-booking issues or missing things, but they're much fewer.

4. Meal Plan

Once we have a sense of our schedules, we'll walk over to our meal calendar on the fridge. It's a dry-erase poster with five weeks on it. We re-write it once a month-ish, so it's helpful to ensure what we planned for food still makes sense for the upcoming week. We typically shop in two-week increments, so we also decide when to go shopping (and add it to the calendar).

On our meal plan calendar, we also note any big events that might impact the evening meal. So there's a bit of "two sources of truth," but it's super helpful to quickly see the context for any given meal.

And some weeks, we suddenly realize we're at the end of the calendar! Yeah, we're not perfect... We scrounge for a couple of meals (pasta!), or I'll make a quick trip (for pasta!) to get enough food to last us until we can update the calendar.

5. Finances

Now that Mint is dead, we use Quicken Simplifi to track our personal finances. So, once a month, I categorize transactions, and we look at our progress. I find the last six months over time for net income and expenses the most helpful views.

Here's the expense view. We start with this, and then I filter out big categories (like home, food, etc.), which updates the chart to break out more items from "Everything else."

Before we started regularly meeting, Jessi didn't pay much attention to what was going on. It was OK, but occasionally, it caused a problem because we weren't on the same page. Tracking finances is still a pain, but it's much better when we are aligned.

6. Chore List

We have an epic chore chart that needs resetting every week. Chores are daily, weekly, or monthly, so it's helpful to quickly see what's coming up. Sometimes, we look at something that's supposed to happen and decide to bump it because of what's happening that week.

And, I'll be honest: we're not perfect at this. Some days (weeks?!), we punt on it altogether. As long as we do it 80% of the time, it keeps our house in reasonable shape.

7. Homework and Dinner Discussions

We used to align on what the kids had for homework, but we simplified our weekly rhythm and don't need to discuss it during this time anymore. Instead, once in a while, Jessi will drop homework so I can see the kids' progress a pile of finis.

We also used to plan out some of our dinner discussions (especially on Saturdays - our quieter night), but we're working through a theology book with the kids, so we don't need to align on that, either. But, these were good for us to include so we could be intentional.

So, that's what we do. It's been invaluable to our marriage, and I recommend trying it out for the things in your shared life.

Free, Perfect, and Now

2024-08-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

A lesson from business school that I'll never forget is simple: customers want your product or service to be free, perfect, and now. That's it. Simple.

And if I'm honest with myself, that's exactly what I want:

the lowest price/effort possible,
for the highest quality possible,
as soon as possible.

But here's the thing: I typically only get to pick two.

For example, let's say I want to buy my dream house. I will either save up a large down payment over many years, or get it now with a large loan payment. Or, if I'm willing to give up my dream house… dream, I can buy a different house now - in a cheaper location, in worse condition, or in a smaller size - to keep the payments low.

I run into this choice regularly with contractors. Usually, quality is fixed, which means I trade off on price and timing. My default is to be flexible on timing so I can get a better price, but sometimes, a property emergency forces me to pay top dollar to solve a problem immediately.

Keeping these trade-offs in mind helps me make smarter purchasing decisions.

The Business Side

I also find the business side of this framework fascinating. In general, your offering needs to be at least 2X better than their alternative in at least one of those dimensions to get customers to switch.

For example, I target a return for my investors that's 2X better than an alternative investment. And, I guarantee a minimum return that's inherently much better than the stock market.

That's the trick for seeing companies grow: can they offer a 2X or even a 10X improvement? And can they do it in more than one dimension?

Think about when Netflix started streaming movies and shows. They solved for "now," which was 100X better than going to a video store. By setting a fixed monthly price, they also got closer to free than anyone else. The trade-off, at first, was a small A-list catalog, but they solved that too by producing their own shows and buying more streaming rights. It's no wonder they're worth $270 billion!

When Amazon started, it focused on books. You could buy any book cheaply, but you had to wait for it to ship. And, famously, Amazon solved the shipping problem to the point that it's borderline more convenient to order something from Amazon than go to a store (which may or may not have what you want).

So, if you're starting a business, ask yourself how you can be at least 2X better on price, speed, or quality. If you can achieve that, you have the start of a compelling offer.

If you're considering investing in a business, try to understand how it's at least 2X better on one of those dimensions than their customer's best alternative (and how sustainable that advantage is). If you only invest in those businesses, your wealth will grow quickly.

Our Epic Chore Chart

2024-07-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

Jessi and I realized a little while back that our kids could contribute more around the house. So, we brainstormed a list, shared it with the kids, asked if we missed anything, and then divided up the chores.

To our surprise, the kids volunteered for many of the tasks! It was great!

For the ones that nobody wanted to do (like picking up dog poop), we agreed to a rotation.

And then Jessi got super creative and made an epic chore chart:

Why write names when you can custom-make little magnets with our faces?

And off to the side are the extra magnets and a reference list of who does what:

It turns out that our kids enjoy checking off a list as much as we do, so it's been incredibly effective. Sometimes, they'll ask us if they can watch a show, and we'll say yes... after they complete their items (and homework).

And, if I'm honest, it works well to remind me of things I need to do (like pull weeds). When I do everything for the day, I feel a sense of calm because I know I'm caught up. It made something that feels never-ending, finite.

I have a hunch we'll still use this tool years after the kids leave the house.

I Completed a 7 Day Media Fast

2024-06-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

The rules are simple: no media for 7 days. This includes:

TV shows, movies, and short videos (YouTube, TikTok, etc)
Music, audiobooks, and podcasts
Social media
News, blog posts, articles, and books
Video games (physical games are fine)

Basically, it's anything that you consume. It doesn't matter if it's "good" or "bad" because the point is to take a break from it all. This also includes turning off any notifications related to it. On challenges like these, I tend to eschew exceptions (if I'm doing it, I do it all the way), and I'd encourage you to be uncomfortable.

Oh yeah, and only check/reply to email during two 30-minute chunks.

If you've never tried it, I recommend it. I did it 15 years ago and loved it. The difference this time is that I did it with a friend.

The 4-Hour Workweek

I first learned about the idea in Tim Ferriss's book The 4-Hour Workweek. The point is to help us identify how much information and distraction exist in our lives by doing a media equivalent of an elimination diet.

Like most things, distractions sneak up on us. On both occasions, I was surprised at how productive I was. Although I was mentally exhausted at the end of the day, I felt like I genuinely gave my 100% best, which, if I'm honest, isn't something I could say for a long time.

Then, once you're done, you can be intentional about what you allow (or not!) back into your life. For example, I turned off my email notifications during my fast 15 years ago, and they're still off.

My Observations

I found myself reflexively grabbing my iPad to "kill time" and remembering I wasn't supposed to do that. I was doing it a lot! That's something I want to continue now that I'm back to normal. I want to think of a few items I can put next to my iPad, so I grab one of them instead. Maybe a deck of cards?

It turns out that I don't miss the news. I was a little bummed that I didn't get to watch SpaceX's launch, but then my brother gave me the play-by-play afterward, and in some ways, I think it was better. Though, I plan to watch it because he made it sound pretty exciting. As for everything else, I don't know what I missed, and I'm OK with that.

Driving in silence is... OK. I think it's good to let my brain rest and process instead of instantly putting something on in my ears. Though, on a couple of occasions, I had a half-hour drive and found myself bored in the middle. But maybe I need to be bored more often? I might put a 5-minute rule in place: no listening to anything for at least 5 minutes when I get into the car.

Like 15 years ago, I completely caught up on my email and reached that mythical Inbox Zero. I want to get back to having regular, but limited, focused time for email. My 90-day summer goal is to have at most 20 emails after checking my email. I can do that without a problem if I keep a similar email discipline.

The evenings were the hardest. Because of some health issues, Jessi goes to bed pretty early (~9pm), and that's typically when I watch a movie or play video games. I'm not ready to sleep, but I'm also not in the mood to work on something. I never found anything worth doing. Perhaps my next 90-day goal should be to find a new evening pastime.

Doing it with a friend is fun! You can encourage and commiserate together. It also makes you seem less of a weirdo if people know someone else is doing it because it comes across as "I'm doing a challenge" instead of "I have a problem."

It really did shine a light on how much information and distractions are in my life. It's something that slowly crept up, and I'm glad I did this to reset. I'd encourage you to give it a try. I think it would be good for me to do it once a year.

Why Did TikTok Ban Me?

2024-05-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

A strange thing happened to me recently.

My wife and I started a podcast about real estate at the beginning of the year. Like many podcasts, we began sharing short clips from the episode a little more than a month ago. Some are informative nuggets, and others are pure entertainment. I upload them to TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.

It's all perfectly normal, right?

Well, one day, I tried logging into TikTok via the browser to upload a new set of podcast clips, but it wouldn't let me. Instead, a tiny banner told me my account "was currently suspended."

Strange.

I contacted customer service and received an auto-reply instructing me to check my in-app notifications and submit an appeal.

Hi there, Thanks for contacting TikTok! We have received your request about a Content Violation or Ban. If you believe your content was incorrectly removed, please let us know by submitting an appeal in app. Your feedback helps us improve the way we keep our community safe. To submit an appeal: 1. Locate the notification in your TikTok inbox. 2. Tap the notification. 3. Tap Submit an appeal. 4. Follow the instructions provided. Or Go to the video. 2. Tap Community Guidelines violation: See details. 3. Tap Submit an appeal. 4. Follow the instructions provided. For more information on our moderation process, please visit: https://support.tiktok.com/en/safety-hc/account-and-user-safety/content-violations-and-bans#support Please feel free to reach back out if you weren't able to resolve your issue with the steps above. Thank you, The TikTok Team

OK... but I can't log in. I reply to the message saying so. At this point, my thought is that this is only a log-in issue. I sign in with Apple, and perhaps that's the issue?

Nope! Twelve minutes later, they reply with shocking news:

Hi there,
Thanks for contacting TikTok.
We understand how important your account is to you. After further review, your account will remain permanently banned due to a violation of our Integrity and Authenticity policy.
Please note that our Community Guidelines apply to both public and private content, as well as hashtags and links to third party websites. For further information on your account violation, please reference our Community Guidelines: https://www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines?lang=en
Best,
The TikTok Team

Wait. What?

According to their Integrity and Authenticity policy, there are six ways to get in trouble:

Misinformation: Inaccurate, misleading, or false content that may cause significant harm to individuals or society, regardless of intent.
Civic and Election Integrity: Paid political promotion, political advertising, or fundraising by politicians and political parties (for themselves or others). Or, misinformation about civic and electoral processes, regardless of intent.
Synthetic and Manipulated Media: Synthetic or manipulated media that shows realistic scenes must be clearly disclosed. Synthetic media that contains the likeness of any real private figure. Synthetic media of public figures if the content is used for endorsements or violates any other policy.
Fake Engagement: The trade of services that attempt to artificially increase engagement or deceive TikTok's recommendation system.
Unoriginal Content and QR Codes: Content that violates someone else's intellectual property rights.
Spam and Deceptive Account Behaviors: Account behaviors that may spam or mislead our community.

I gave what felt like a reasonable reply:

Thank you for your prompt response. I appreciate your efforts in maintaining the community guidelines. I'm more than willing to make any necessary adjustments to my content to ensure it aligns with the policies.
Also, I must admit, I'm confused. I read the Community Guidelines, and I don't understand how I violated the Integrity and Authenticity policy. I post short clips of my podcast, which doesn't seem to violate the policy—it's my wife and I talking about investing in real estate.
Is there a particular video/topic that's causing a problem?
James

But, alas, I didn't receive a response.

I'm honestly unsure where I ran afoul and am genuinely curious about why TikTok banned me.

On one hand, my views were low, and the probability of reaching a potential investor is low, so it's not a huge business loss. And I only occasionally watched videos, so that's a small loss, too.

But on the other hand, come on! This feels unfair. Banning someone seems like a big deal, but I only received canned responses. I get that I'm a speck of a fish in their sea and that automated systems are valuable despite not being perfect. I'd feel a little better if they gave me the impression that an actual human spent 5 minutes verifying the situation and told me why I was banned.

Or, perhaps I need to Judo the situation and use the ban to my advantage rather than oppose it directly.

"So controversial that TikTok banned it!"
"Results so amazing that TikTok thought it was fake."
"I'm focusing on distribution channels where my ideal investors hang out."
"I believe in investing in America."

My Judo is a work in progress.

Until then, you can enjoy our controversial podcast clips featuring our amazing results by investing in America on the platforms where the best investors hang out: YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. They're so good that TikTok didn't feel worthy to show them.