New friends, old friends, new biz, old biz.
Sunday began with a 26km long run. The furthest I've run to date. While my pacing can certainly improve, I am very proud of my fueling strategy. I no longer return home non-verbal. I even feel "full" after some runs. A win is a win.
We also connected with Jeff and Janette, a lovely couple we share a lot in common with. US connections, entrepreneurial pursuits and young children. They're very smart, and it reminds me of our smart friends back home in Silicon Valley. I miss smart people. This hang was refreshing and revitalizing.
On Monday, I met up with Jazz at Wyrd - a brand I admire. Wyrd is at an inflection point. It's a "small" brand headed solely by Jazz with a growing number of stockists around the world. There's a cult following (myself apart of this cult) and there's potential for global recognition. I definitely believe it can be. Jazz is also another dad navigating parenthood in HK, and it's nice to have a homie facing similar experiences.
On Tuesday, I met with Brendan to discuss crmb - our upstart F&B creative agency. Brendan is family. Literally, his mom is Karen's cousin. There's something grounding about working with family. I'm sure there are countless examples of working with family being a messy affair...but there's also counter-examples, especially in the East, of the family business running supremely. I'm excited about our potential. Brendan is graduating university soon, and working with someone eager and hungry is a privilege.
Family-wise, we had an observation day at Dove's kindergarten. I love how settled she is. She's confident, she has friends and she genuinely likes school. Time moves so quickly. It felt like yesterday she was taking her first steps...and now she's on the path of graduating kindergarten in a few short months. I vaguely remember graduating kindergarten myself, and how it marked a new shift in me being a "real kid" now. No longer a baby. But Dove will always be our baby. Now and forever.
I have been blessed with so many connections and great experiences lately. There's a lot of work to be done for sure. Financially, I want to grow tremendously this year...but as cliche as it sounds, I am rich in life. I know I will reflect on times like these when I'm much older as my "golden years". I'm so grateful for this opportunity to live life on these terms.