There was a time I said yes to everything.
Worked Saturdays.
Worked Sundays.
Took on free side projects to learn from people who barely noticed I was in the room.
I had this fantasy that if I just kept grinding, eventually I’d arrive.
At what? I had no clue. I just figured I’d know when I got there.
What nobody tells you is that you can work your face off and still feel behind.
Some of the most important work I ever did was in the hours nobody saw.
7pm to midnight.
No applause. No likes. Just quiet.
I wasn’t building a business — I was building myself.
That’s real hustle.
It’s not glamorous. It’s not efficient. It’s not even scalable.
It’s just necessary.
But somewhere along the way, the world warped the word.
People started talking about “hustling” like it was optional.
Like you do it only when it’s convenient.
Like it should feel good all the time.
Let me be clear:
Hustle doesn’t care about your feelings.
Real hustle isn’t about passion — it’s about purpose.
You don’t do it because you love it.
You do it because you refuse to be average.
That was me, for years.
Grinding. Winning. Losing. Starting over.
But something shifted the day my first son was born.
That grind I used to glorify?
It suddenly felt hollow.
What’s the point of stacking wins if your kid barely knows you?
I’ll never forget the day my son looked up and said,
“Next time you leave on a trip… I think I’m gonna cry. I miss you when you go.”
That one hit me in the throat.
And just like that, success took on a new shape.
I used to think the goal was to trade time for money.
Now I’m building a life where my money buys me time.
And not just time to lay around — time to be a present dad, a solid husband, a man who doesn’t miss the moments that actually matter.
You know what I realized?
The loudest lies we’re sold are the ones we don’t question:
That your kid’s career path is a reflection of your parenting.
That more money = more problems.
That success is what the world sees, not how your family feels.
All of it?
Bullshit.
I’m done pretending like I’m grinding for legacy when deep down I was just afraid to slow down.
And I’m especially done playing a role just to “look the part.”
From Self Deception → To Mindset Shift
You ever hear that phrase, “Fake it ‘til you make it”?
It sounds slick. It’s everywhere.
But it’s one of the worst mindsets you can adopt.
You know what faking it does?
It kills curiosity.
And curiosity is a superpower.
When you fake it, you stop asking. You stop learning. You stop being humble enough to grow.
I’ve built more in the last few years by admitting I didn’t know than I ever did pretending to have the answers.
Curious people win. They listen. They adapt. They evolve.
Faking it makes you fragile. Curiosity makes you dangerous.
From Mindset Shift → To Life Philosophy
So now? My philosophy looks a lot different:
Fear doesn’t make you a better leader — it just makes people lie to you.
Trust isn’t earned over time. It’s given fast and deep — or nothing ever scales.
Success isn’t “early retirement.” It’s being home in time to wrestle with your kids.
Money’s not evil. But it’s worthless if you’re still a prisoner to your calendar.
Your kids don’t need a manager — they need a coach. One who listens. One who sees them.
Time is the highest form of wealth. And the most disrespected.
From “Lessons” → To Brand Mission
This is what Alpha Before It Prints is all about.
Not just investing. Not just early-stage ideas.
It’s about freedom. Clarity. Leverage. And living a life that actually feels like yours.
I’m not writing from a stage. I’m writing from the trenches.
And I’ve done more wrong than most people will ever admit out loud.
But now, I’m building differently.
I’m not here to impress other founders or win Twitter threads.
I’m writing for the moms and dads who feel like I used to —
grinding too hard, missing too much, and starting to ask:
“What the hell is all this for?!”
If that’s you — this is your place.
Not because I have the answers, but because I’ve lived the questions.
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