And at the end of the first quarter...

<insert Verne Lundquist voice and cue SEC on CBS theme>

If you were to sit in this very spot at my desk your gaze would immediately be directed to a 3rd monitor containing my Google Calendar.

It’s an explosion of colorful time block that (mostly) keeps me on track throughout my day.

One of the grey blocks “Substack blog” has been gradually shifting to the right and into the next week for multiple weeks now. Needless to say the previous number of weeks have been incredibly busy and all-consuming of my time.

If you know me, I don’t think that’s a bad thing but it’s nice sometimes to find a moment to unpack my mental suitcase.

Growing partnerships & friendships

In February, my wife (Brooklyn) and I spent a few days in Miami celebrating the wedding of some great friends of ours. Really, they are friends of mine that Brooklyn had never met but I very much enjoyed introducing her to a circle of people that I greatly value.

If you’ve read any of my past writings then you’ll understand the importance I place on intentionality. These relationships are all a product of intentionality and trying my best to put the Golden Rule into practice: Doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Curt and Ivie (the newlywed happy couple) have shared their relationships and partnership with me with The EDGE Foundation. At least 1x per year I find myself in East Tennessee putting on a fantastic kickball event for at-risk youth in Knoxville.

I love Knoxville, Tennessee and helping young people find a positive direction in life so the work is not at all difficult to get up for. I’m always appreciative of Curt giving me the opportunity to serve on the BoD for The EDGE Foundation.

Being intentional and losing the urge to be self-serving in relationships always goes a long way - remind yourself today to value the important relationships in your life. The relationships and the the people in them exist for a reason.

Ps… The EDGE Foundation values your financial partnership - if you feel the urge to give then please donate here via our website.

More gained leadership lessons while coaching 4 year olds

Speaking of intentionality - I’ve had to practice a lot of what I preach over the previous 6 weeks coaching my middle son’s soccer team.

We’ve had a few train wrecks in both practices and games with the team as a whole. I’m just happy youth coaches don’t have to face the media sharks.

I’ve found some satisfaction throughout these moments of intense frustration as a couple of the boys have had their soccer lightbulbs begin to illuminate above their heads.

No matter what level of coaching or management I still find those “ah-ha!” moments to be immensely satisfying. I get to see it with my professional 9-5 software development team - they usually don’t cry as much as my soccer boys.

It continues to be a joy actively coaching another one of my sons while coaching this team. His lightbulb is gradually getting brighter as well as he’s navigating the lessons of organized youth soccer.

His only problem is that he likes to wave to mom while running down the field - some players may never overcome stadium distractions.

Getting back into EntreLeadership

I’m always interested in content that Dave Ramsey produces and not everyone knows that he actually talks about more than just cutting up your credit cards.

I continue to find even greater value in his EnterLeadership content and try to gain insight on a weekly basis from his YouTube channel.

Always good lessons hearing from businesses owners who are more experienced than myself but I recently came across a new teaching from one of the Ramsey personalities, Dr. John Delony, entitled “Leadership is lonely”.

I look forward to listening in and sharing my thoughts.

I’ve heard lessons on this in the past and they didn’t necessarily resonate with me at that stage in my life as I wasn’t in a leadership position.

I can empathize more with that now as leadership and running a business can be one of the most isolating experiences imaginable.

Dr. Delony is a smart cookie and I’ve previously listened to his book “Redefining Anxiety” - fantastic read/listen if you find yourself struggling here.

Another ps… don’t use anxiety or stress as a crutch OR label of shame in your own life. Recognize it, address it, and begin working through it. Don’t let it consume you NOR let it stop you from continuing to move forward.

Some final thoughts - certainly might be a smatter of randomness

It’s been while since I’ve written so I feel a bit out of shape here - I guess I need to flex my writing muscles more often and stop kicking my blogging can further down the road - I enjoy it and it’s therapeutic to me.

Anyone else becoming fatigued with the “AI revolution” that’s taking place? It’s cool and fun and I use it myself but if I receive another “check out our new AI…” email then I might scream. A lot of poorly done and half-assed work being thrown about in this space and it’s really degrading quality for customers.

My wife and I are moving soon - just a bit further north (10 miles or so). We found a great community to build a house in. I’m sentimental so I expect my emotional connection to our current home to shake a bit when I close and lock the door for the final time. We’ve had wonderful times in this home.

I’ve grown to love the Shawn Ryan Show. Fascinating content and guests that touch on so many fringe topics. I love Joe Rogan but Shawn Ryan brings on guests that discuss things so far out there at times - I’m always down for learning more.

Anybody out there getting killed during tax season? Get yourself a good accountant - no, get yourself an expert accountant. Contact mine today and tell them Nick Uzoni sent you. Yes, I’ll get a referral bonus but that’s a small reward for me for sending you a greater reward.

Packed up my Playstation to prepare for our move - I haven’t played it in 1.5 years. I’m still hooked on Football Manager and see no end in sight. It’s a good 15-20 minute brain release for me while I wait for my kids to fall asleep at night.

Motek Cafe in Coral Gables, Florida might be the best Mediterranean restaurant I’ve ever enjoyed. My life was altered by two delicious meals at this place.

That’s enough randomness for now - I might incorporate this more into my writing.

Continue pushing and plowing forward. Embrace your challenges and try to embrace your failures to. Holler if you need web design services or just want to chat about cool stuff.