To view this email as a webpage, click here Entrepreneur Peter Barton was on top of the world. Until he wasn’t. Barton lived a life everybody dreamed of, took pretty damn good care of himself, and was a great husband and dad to his family. And then on one fateful day, his world was shattered: A terminal cancer diagnosis. Work became less important, other experiences stopped holding meaning; he tried to pick up the pieces while mourning a future he wouldn’t get to live. He wouldn’t get to see...
12 days ago • 4 min read
To view this email as a webpage, click here In 2007, Italian police arrested Salvatore Lo Piccolo. This dude was an actual boss from the real life Sicilian Mafia. As they explored his house, they stumbled across what they believed to be their official “10 commandments” of their crew. In other words, “If you want to be a good mobster, follow these 10 easy steps!” No-one can present himself directly to another of our friends. There must be a third person to do it. Never look at the wives of...
18 days ago • 4 min read
To view this email as a webpage, click here I’ve been trying to do a few things differently in 2025. Specifically, moving towards moments or things that make me uncomfortable. (I don’t mean, “avoid thoughts where I’m in physical danger,” of course.) But rather, I’m going to run toward the things that my brain tells me, “This is uncomfortable, I don’t like this, avoid it at all costs.” The email I’m afraid to open. The conversation I’m afraid to have. The question I’m afraid to ask. The...
26 days ago • 2 min read
To view this email as a webpage, click here In 1944, an absolutely fascinating study was conducted. Fritz Heider and Marianne Simme showed a group of people a short video that included two triangles, a circle, and a square. It’s only 90 seconds long, but I can already tell how you’ll probably respond. I don’t want to spoil the outcome, so please watch. It doesn’t even have audio, so you can watch anywhere, and think about how it makes you feel. We Love Stories Now that you’ve watched...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
To view this email as a webpage, click here If you’ve already missed one of your New Year’s Resolutions, welcome to the club! Late January is when most people have already bailed on their goals for the year. Yep, even though those goals were written with a special pen in a cool planner, and scheduled on calendars, and with the best of intentions. Luckily, this is amazing news and an unbelievable learning opportunity… If you have the courage to see it! Be good, not perfect. In East of Eden,...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
To view this email as a webpage, click here Today I’m hitting you with two stories that will make you: First, chuckle. Then go, “oh wait a second.” And then finally go, “damnit Steve did you just teach me a life lesson?” Let’s dive in, shall we? The Christmas Ham A little girl watched her mother bake a ham for Christmas dinner. She noticed that her mom cut the ends off both sides before it went into the oven. This little girl was quite inquisitive, so she asked, “Mom, why do we cut the ends...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
To view this email as a webpage, click here Right now, there are millions of hopeful people hitting the gym for the first time this month. There are also millions of hopeful people who want to go to the gym, but due to social anxiety and fear of being judged, are afraid to go to the gym. They’re worried about looking like the pandas in this meme: As a recovering highly self-conscious individual with a crippling need to be liked, I’ve done a lot of work on overcoming social anxiety and my fear...
about 2 months ago • 6 min read
To view this email as a webpage, click here Today is the most hope and optimism-filled day of the year. That’s great! Whatever goals or resolutions you’ve set for yourself, I’m excited for you! We’re all trying to better ourselves, and even though things haven’t worked out the way we wanted them to in the past, we hope this time will be different. Musician Nick Cave describes hope as “optimism with a broken heart,” and I think that’s beautifully accurate. We’re all trying to be different when...
2 months ago • 3 min read
To view this email as a webpage, click here Stephen Wilson Jr. was a scientist working for Mars, Inc. (Yeah, the Candy company). One day, his boss pulled him into an office and said something that changed his life: “Stephen, you’re about to get promoted.” Normally a cause for celebration, this was instead meant as a warning by his boss. In a past life, Stephen had been a guitarist in a small indie rock band. He also spent his evenings writing songs. His boss knew Stephen was a damn good...
2 months ago • 3 min read