Maybe grief is just love with nowhere to go yet. If it’s true, then the ache I feel about the state of things isn’t a flaw in my wiring. It’s just my heart still working, still caring. Desmond Tutu said: “My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”
Real curiosity costs something. Every honest question rearranges you a little — and that’s the part no one warns you about. You don’t get to stay the same person and also genuinely want to know. But the rearranging? That’s not destruction. That’s becoming.
Balance isn’t standing still. It’s more like riding a horse — constant micro-adjustments, a quiet conversation between you and the thing that carries you forward. Nobody teaches you this. You just keep showing up until the rhythm finds you. And it does. It always does.
Just had marionberry pie for lunch. It’s my Tina Fay inspired move as response to the word.
There’s a Unitarian prayer that goes: “We gather in the presence of mystery.” Not answers. Mystery.
The theologians knew something we’re forgetting. Uncertainty isn’t a problem to solve. It’s an invitation to go deeper.
If that’s you, if the world’s hurt echoes your own: I’m witnessing you. You’re not alone in this recognition.
When you read the news and your nervous system screams I’ve seen this before, I’ve watched harm go unanswered, this is the pattern—that’s not you being dramatic. That’s you remembering.
I believe our bodies know things our minds haven’t fully processed.
Building in this way—sleeves rolled up, walking side by side through challenges—that’s what true hope looks like. And that's exactly why I’m so passionate about founders and startups.
I feel most connected when I support people with big ideas and open hands—those who believe in abundance and endless possibilities. They show up not just with advice, but with genuine eagerness to learn and accomplish great things together.
I watched Ted Lasso expecting a show about soccer. What I found instead was a reminder: be curious, not judgmental.
That’s it.
That’s the whole post. And somehow that one phrase has rewired how I’m showing up to everything—my work, my kids, the news cycle.
Curiosity feels like hope.
In a universe that doesn’t owe us meaning, we create it anyway. We slow down for the deer. We honor the small lives crossing our path. And somehow, that act of tenderness becomes everything.
That’s not nothing. That’s everything.
I stopped my car for two deer in the middle of the road. No other vehicles around. I just slowed down, rolled down my window, told them to be safe, and made sure they were okay.
Later, other drivers did the same thing.
Moments like these afford me a chance to pause and breathe, reminded of how much I cherish our gentle Foxtrotter brothers.
There’s a genuine, heartfelt concern to find ways to connect with one another.
But what I’ve come to understand is this: feeling the weight means we are still willing to be informed and care.
And that matters, even if nothing ultimately feels certain. Especially now.
If you’re carrying more than ever— career, family, the heavy weight of the world pressing down on you hour by hour, you are not alone in your feelings and heartbreak.
I tried to write this morning with a lump in my throat.
Today, Michelle and I are proud to announce that we will be hosting the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center on June 18th in Chicago, and welcoming the public on June 19th.
We can’t wait for you to visit. Go to obama.org to learn more.
Thank you for sharing our free incorporation offer with your community!
There are people who:
– hold the boundary with you
– hold the line when you’re tired
– hold the light when you’re walking through something unknown
Not loud about it.
Not performative.
Just steady.
May we never underestimate the power of steady love.
The older I get, the less impressed I am with loud leadership.
Show me:
• emotional regulation
• clean books
• sustainable systems
• kindness under pressure
That’s power.
Mentally I’m somewhere between:
• let’s simplify our lives
• SUPER BOOST THE STARTUP ACROSS EVERY CHANNEL RIGHT NOW
• should we start aquascaping
Anyway. Would love a replacement gyroscope for my brain. This one is glitchy.
Every time I try to relax I accidentally start a side quest.
It’s never just one thing. It’s aquarium water, horse tail maintenance, calendar reconnaissance, orthopedic surgeon research, and a surprise drawing class with my hybrid clones.
I don’t unwind. I unlock achievements.
My nervous system keeps suggesting small treats as a coping strategy and honestly it might be onto something.
I just want to live in a country where the leader can’t enrich themselves with our tax dollars, the government does what the people want, and the wealthy have to follow the laws.
You know, like a democracy.
A harbor seal looking up from the water
Waldo the Harbor Seal, Sequim, Washington
"Will you be my fren?"🥹🦭
Oscillating between buying a lifetime supply of heirloom seeds or training myself to survive exclusively on 1990s protein bars and spite.
There is no middle ground.
Giving up boba tea doesn’t appear to be saving me any money.
Turns out I just reallocated those funds to plants, fish supplies, and emotional support errands to the pet store our giant puppy Iroh.
The little kids unearthed two snorkeling masks from some mysterious corner of the laundry room and now refuse to remove them.
I am attempting to motivate two Darth Vaders to pick up their dishes.
The Force is not strong in this kitchen.
More…
• A renewable energy company serving both consumers and mixed-use buildings
This is what gets me fired up. Builders. Operators. People solving real problems.
Momentum doesn’t happen overnight. It compounds — one founder at a time.
Just recently:
• A marketing agency powering minority-owned small businesses came to us interested in banking, cards, and treasury
• An ethical housing developer wants to move over their financial stack to us
• Emerging investment funds focused on sports tech and EV diagnostics
