I don’t know about you, but 2023 absolute flew by for me.

Perhaps it was the mix of trips, illnesses, big business decisions, and lifestyle changes that, upon reflection, makes everything seem like a blur.

Overall, it’s another year to be grateful for, but it did have its challenges. Starting with…

Two big updates in my professional life.

Since selling LearnDash, my professional path has been a little less clear. I’ve experimented with different ideas, but they never panned out.

In August 2022, I decided to give software another push. Things were going great, until they eventually weren’t.

Shutting down GapScout.

I won’t drain this topic, as I’ve written about it before. But on a whole, I’ll just say that my professional life was a bit of a rollercoaster this year.

I spent a year of my life building the brand, but the software kept experiencing so many technical hurdles that it never got off the ground. When legal complexities entered the equation, I decided to just step away from it altogether. It was costing me a lot of money, and in the end I wasn’t happy.

I talked a lot with Lorena during this time, as I was feeling pretty defeated. These conversations and self-reflection eventually led me to what I am doing (and enjoying) today.

Starting up a business coaching practice.

Despite the disappointment with GapScout, I still find entrepreneurship invigorating.

My strengths are creative thinking, marketing & sales, brand positioning, and outcompeting competition. My experiencing starting, growing, and eventually selling LearnDash puts me in a unique position to help other founders.

In August, I was invited to be certified by the Professional Business Coaches Alliance (PBCA) to become a Certified Professional Business Coach. The certification gave me processes that I have since modified to fit my own style. I’ve also met some other great coaches, who I continue to work with today.

In September, I “opened the doors” for my coaching business, BrightGrowth.

I spent the whole of September and October offering free, 60-minute consultations to entrepreneurs all over the world. Things got so busy, that I’ve had to temporarily stop my marketing efforts to catch my breath and to just focus on serving my existing clients.

I’ve been posting on X about my journey with starting up a coaching business, and I plan to write more on this blog about what has worked and what has not. For instance, I’ve been pretty shocked with how useful Medium has been for finding new clients.

I’ll have my free strategy sessions again in January for the last remaining spots. If that’s of interest to you, then sign up here to book some time.

Personal life had some highs, and lows.

I think it’s pretty normal to have ups and downs throughout a year. All things considered, I am grateful for the positives that Lorena and I have experienced in 2023, but I’d be lying if I said 2023 was easy.

We managed more travel in 2023 than last year.

Lorena and I started our relationship right before the pandemic. This was very formative in ways we didn’t realize. For example, we haven’t regularly booked trips for just us.

We have travel to see family, but less frequently do we plan getaways (big and small) with one another. This year we changed that.

• In February, we went to Seattle. It is such a beauty city, even when it’s cloudy and gray.
• In March, we went to San Carlos for the wedding of Lorena’s friend. The wedding was nice, but for me the trip was defined by the place we rented, which was right on the water of the Sea of Cortez.
• In May, we shot over to Connecticut for a family visit, and then took an extended weekend to go to Big Sur where we hiked, relaxed, and took in the rugged beauty of Northern California.
• In June, we went to Mexico City. This was a family visit, but for me, it’s always special because I really love what Mexico City has to offer. The culture, the people, the food, and the language. I love it!
• In August, we went to Lake Arrowhead for a chance to be in the mountains again. It was our second time there (last time in 2020). We liked it, but probably won’t be going back anymore.
• In September, we went to Cincinnati to visit my grandpa. My family recently moved him there to be closer to my aunt so she could take better care of him. Physically, he does pretty well, but he has Alzheimer’s and needs to live in a facility. Afterward, we went up to Michigan to visit my parents.
• In October, we rented a place in Idyllwild. We really loved the vibe of this town, the hiking, and the scenery.
• In November, we shot out to Connecticut again to spend the Thanksgiving holiday at Lorena’s older sister’s place. Her parents, younger sister, and some extended family from Chicago came out as well.
• In December, we have a visit planned for Cincinnati again to visit my grandpa, then we go up to Michigan before returning to California to host family over the holidays.

We hosted more people at our home this year as well.

This year we had a handful of visitors.

First, Lorena’s friend and fiancé came to visit us in January. It was nice to get to know them more before heading to their wedding in March.

Shortly after, my brother’s family visited us for the first time in California. My nephews loved it, and started working on their plans to move here, ha!

My parents came out for nearly a month in the early Spring, and Lorena’s parents and younger sister for her birthday in July.

In August, we hosted my childhood friends (and their wives) for about a week. We went to the beach, saw dolphins and whales, ate out, and just enjoyed being together (like “the old times”).

Lorena encountered a hurdle with her health.

Earlier in the year, Lorena got a blood test and all was good. However, a few months later, she was experiencing some troubling health symptoms (trembling, rapid heart rate, extreme fatigue, weight loss, and others).

Concerned with what was happening, she had another blood test done, and it showed that she was suffering from a hyperthyroidism, which was later confirmed as Grave’s disease. It’s a scarier name than the reality, but still quite disrupting to normal life.

Thyroid conditions (both hyper and hypo) are fairly common in the population, meaning that there is a well-known path forward — albeit a slow one. Lorena has been on the mend since June, and I’m happy to report that today she is much better (the symptoms aren’t as intense).

We aren’t out of the woods yet, but we are grateful for the positive progress.

Grandpa broke his hip.

My grandpa is 88 years old. As mentioned above, he has moderate to severe Alzheimer’s, but does well in my opinion. For instance, he still recognizes us and knows basics (like that we live in California). He just repeats himself a lot.

Shortly after our visit to him in September, he ended up falling and breaking his hip. He had surgery and the process went well, but it seemed to set him back mentally. His Alzheimer’s has gotten worse, and while it has bounced back a little, it isn’t back to what it was when we last saw him.

The entire situation is a reminder to me to not take life for granted. Embrace the moments of good health, because you never know what is around the corner.

My Spanish fluency is at an all-time high!

At the end of last year, I finally hit fluency, but of course that was just the beginning. I felt like after our trip to Mexico this year, my Spanish again reached a new level. I also continued my private lessons, but admittedly, they haven’t been as frequent as usual this last quarter because of life.

It seems that with each extended stay in Mexico to visit family, I make a leap. We have a few trips already planned to Mexico for 2024, so I think that trend will likely continue. Ultimately, my goal is to be a very solid C1 level of fluency. I’m probably at this level in certain scenarios, but I’d still classify myself as an Advanced B2.

I have some more thoughts on my Spanish goals that probably warrant a separate post in the new year.

I’ve lost about 10 pounds.

This year I was looking at some pictures of myself at the beach and, well, I wasn’t happy. I tried to get back on track with regular exercise, but it just wasn’t sticking.

So, I switched it up. For the first time in my life, I began tracking my macros (calories, protein, fat, and carbs). I am using an app called MacroFactor, and I have to say, it’s freaking working!

At the time of writing this, I’ve lost 9.6lbs (according to my app). I’m pretty close to my goal of 15% body fat, and I’m pretty excited about it! I haven’t weighed this much since college.

While tracking macros certainly works, it’s not sustainable — at least for me. Once I hit my goal, I’ll be going into maintenance mode and will drop the app.

Closing out this year a little tired, but grateful.

It was a big year.

There were ups, but more downs than I am used to.

I suppose that is just the flow of life. I try not to get too consumed by the tough times, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get worn out. All the more reason why I’m committed to resting for the remainder of this year, reflecting, and practicing being grateful for all that I have in life.

I have goals for the upcoming year, which I’ll get to in another post. For now, I’m just focusing on being in the moment, relaxing, and creating some final memories with family to close out 2023.

Have a happy new year, and see you soon in 2024.

#personal

The end of the year holidays always means one thing: traveling to see family.

Lorena and I recently returned from visiting Connecticut for a couple of weeks to spend Thanksgiving with her sister, parents, and cousins who flew in from Chicago. As always, it was great to see everyone and of course to spend time with our nephew and godchild.

We get a short break in California before hitting the road again to Cincinnati to see my grandfather (who, at 88 years old, isn’t doing so well after his recent hip surgery). We then drive up to Michigan to spend time with my parents for Christmas.

Afterward, we then close out the year by hosting Lorena’s parents and sisters at our place in California for the New Year.

Something that is a bit challenging is that our family is located across two countries and various states. California, Illinois, Michigan, Connecticut, and Mexico. There are times when I wish we all lived closer. It would certainly make the holiday planning easier and less stressful for all involved.

#personal

For whatever reason, Choice Juicery Nutrition information for their smoothies is nowhere to be found on their website. Normally, I wouldn’t care. However, I am tracking my macros, so I needed it.

I couldn’t find it when I googled it. I searched in my app (MacroFactor) and there was nothing listed.

So, I asked the staff.

The employee who took my order was really kind, and even let me take a picture of the smoothie nutritional info.

I am including it below in case anyone else out there needs the nutritional information for Choice Juicery’s smoothies. Hopefully this helps!

#personal

As someone who grew up in Michigan, my favorite thing about living in Southern California is the year-round perfect weather.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the seasons, especially Fall, but there is something about the sunshine and ocean that just can’t be beat — especially in November!

Lorena and I will soon be spending holiday time with family. It will be a busy mix of traveling and having visitors. With this in mind, we wanted to get at least one more beach day in before the end of the year.

Fortunately for us, the weather cooperated!

The sun was out, and the temperature was in the mid to high 70s. We enjoyed the sun (something I very much need considering how pale I am) and appreciated how lucky we were to have casual Sundays on the beach in mid-November.

#personal

Lorena and I just spent a few days in a cabin in the mountains. The mountain town, Idyllwild, is quite a charming town. Best of all, it’s just a little over two-hours away from home, making it an easy trip to make.

Just like we did when we went to Lake Arrowhead, we spent some time hiking and just being outdoors in the fresh air, walking around the downtown (which has a really great vibe), and relaxing in our cabin with an absolute incredible view of the treetops on the mountain.

We are doing these little long-weekend trips more often now as we make a conscious effort to integrate with nature, and to add a little variety to our daily lives — which is incredibly important when you work from home.

Our remaining trips this year include Connecticut, and then Michigan again. Both trips to see family. At the New Year, we’ll be having Lorena’s family in town.

2023 has been an eventful year. Some highs, some lows. I look forward to writing the recap! Until then, below are some photos from our trip.

#personal

For most of 2021 and a big part of 2022, Lorena and I would go to the gym in Austin nearly every day. We lived five minutes away from a Life Time Fitness, and during the pandemic, it became the main event that got us out of our home.

We went to the gym in part to work out, and also to record for Lorena’s fitness IG account, which worked its way up to over 100K followers. However, injuries, among other things, got us out of the gym rhythm.

Our bodies needed a change from the rigorous weight lifting we had been doing for practically a year straight. We remained active in different ways since fizzling out of the gym life. I continued to run and do a lot of body weight exercises along with BJJ. Lorena got into Pilates and does it pretty much daily.

We’ve decided to return to the gym.

After the long break, we’ve decided that we’re feeling well enough (no nagging injuries) to go to the gym again to get back into lifting. We won’t go as much as we did before, or lift as heavy, to avoid injuries.

The point is to just add a bit of variety to our weekly routine. I am looking forward to the change, and to getting back into the “gym life” that we enjoyed for so long while we were in Austin.

If I’ve learned one thing in my life about exercise, it’s that you go in and out of activities — and that’s normal. I’m glad we’re circling back to the gym again.

#personal

Lorena and I just returned from a 10-day trip visiting my family in Ohio and Michigan. First, we stopped by Cincinnati to visit my grandpa. He is 88 years old and living in an assisted living facility.

His health is pretty good, but he does have Alzheimer’s, which has become a bit more noticeable. He has 10 or so topics that he loops through in a conversation, but regardless, he is in good spirits and probably the best I have seen him in years (especially since my grandma passed away).

The highlight of that visit was the cookout, where my aunt, uncle, and two of my cousins attended, along with their children. One of my cousins had COVID, so she (and her family) couldn't come, which was a bummer. My brother and his family made the trip from Chicago as well, which gave us an opportunity to all be reunited like when we were kids.

After that long weekend, Lorena and I drove up to Michigan with my parents. We spent the week visiting some friends, enjoying the end-of-summer season in Michigan, and spending some quality time with my parents. After a week there, we came back to California.

I'm back at the grind today, growing my coaching business (which has taken off since recently announcing it). Our next planned trip isn't until Thanksgiving, but that could change!

#personal

This summer I have been chugging along with my Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and this week that consistency has paid off again as I earned my second stripe!

Just a couple of months ago, I got my first stripe, and that felt amazing. This too feels good, but perhaps I’m a little less excited. Not because I’m bored with BJJ, but because I feel like I could have pushed myself to get it sooner.

Life stuff happens, though. And you know, the pace was still pretty good. I can be prone to burning out with this kind of thing, so going slow is better for me.

I’ll be taking a bit of a break again as Lorena and I will be traveling to visit my grandpa who now lives in Cincinnati. Following that, it’s off to Michigan for a week to spend time with my parents (and a few friends), before returning home. At which point, I’ll pick training back up.

#personal

Lorena and I needed a changed of scenery. We have been in our home in southern California for a few months, hosting friends and family. While it has been enjoyable, we started to feel the need to get out for a change of pace.

We landed on Lake Arrowhead. We have been there before, but life was a lot different at that time. It was in the very beginning of the pandemic, and we weren’t even engaged yet!

We returned as husband and wife, and with a deeper connection. It’s funny how a few years can really change your perspective on just about everything.

Mountains, trees, and a lake.

Lake Arrowhead is really worth a visit if you’re in California. You have to drive up a winding road for 30 or so minutes, scaling the mountain from one side. As you slip over the edge to the other side, you enter an entirely different world. In many ways, it reminds me of the forest in northern Michigan (although less flat).

Lorena and I relaxed for a few days in a stunning Airbnb. It was an A-frame cottage that had been completely redone. Honestly, it was probably the best Airbnb I’ve ever stayed in.

During our time there, we went on a few hikes, cooked food, and enjoyed the view from our place (positioned on the side of the mountain, looking out at the tall trees).

The trip itself has given us an itch for more mountain stays across California. Fortunately, we have quite a few to choose from that are all within two to three hours from our home.

Below are just a few photos, including the view from our place.

#personal

You know, it’s not often that I get together with a group of people anymore. There are a few reasons, but mainly because we live in California, and all of our friends and family live in other states. That, and making new friends is hard as an adult!

Recently, that changed when two of my childhood friends (and their wives) visited us for a week.

I’ve known Avis and Mike since elementary school. We played soccer together growing up, and even though we didn’t go to the same college, we always hung out when back to our hometown during breaks.

As life went on, we always kept in contact. I’d see them when possible, but all three of us live in different states now between California, Michigan, and Maryland.

So, this made the trip all that more memorable. As it always is, we laughed a lot. It’s easy with them. They are, in many ways, like family at this point. I love to hear about what they are up to in life, and it’s great to see them successful.

People come and go in your life, but there are always a few that are constant. For me, that’s Avis and Mike.

#personal