I had to get brutally honest with myself: what I’ve been doing hasn’t been working.

So instead of waiting for the new year, I decided to lock in now.

These next two months are my Q4 Lock-In—a season to rebuild momentum, refocus on growth, and stop drifting.

For me, that means tightening the system behind how I run Hallway Media—the podcast and video production business I launched earlier this year. Like most freelancers, I’ve had ups and downs. A few steady clients have kept the dream alive, but I realized I’d slipped into comfort mode.

And comfort quietly kills progress.

So I went back to what’s worked for me in the past: writing clear goals.

Two frameworks guide me—SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) and what I call the Apollo 13 Framework—starting from the end and working backward.

It’s simple:
👉 Instead of “I’ll start running,” say, “I’ll run a half marathon by December 31.”
👉 Instead of “I’ll grow my business,” say, “I’ll add two new clients and $2,000 in recurring revenue by January.”

From there, I reverse-engineer the steps to make it happen.

My current goals fall into three buckets:
1️⃣ Business Growth: Add two new clients and $2K in monthly recurring revenue by January.
2️⃣ Content Creation: Publish one YouTube video per week and post twice weekly on LinkedIn + Instagram.
3️⃣ Family: Unplug on weekends—no scrolling, no work, just presence.

The first two feed the third. A consistent schedule means Friday uploads, and fully present weekends with my family exploring Florida’s parks, trails, and beaches.

It’s all connected.

If you’ve felt yourself losing focus lately, maybe this is your cue too:
Don’t wait until January to reset.
Start now. Build momentum. End the year strong.

🎥 I shared more about my Q4 Lock-In, the frameworks I use, and how I’m setting up my business for 2026 in my latest video.
👉 Watch here: How I’m Locking In To End The Year Strong

Yesterday wasn’t a headline kind of day.
No major wins. No big breakthroughs.
Just steady movement in the right direction.

I ran errands. Groceries, dishes, meal prep.
Not exciting, but clearing the small clutter clears my mind too.

I finally wrote out my Q4 goals and daily schedule for my business after going through the motions over the last three months.
Built a routine that actually fits my life right now — not the one I wish I had.

Texted a client I haven’t heard from in a while to discuss upcoming work (not fired, so we’re counting that as progress).

Bought the microphone I’ve been eyeing for months — finally on sale.
That one click means I can film more simple, talking-head style videos without the overwhelm of heavy editing and get back to uploading consistently, the very thing that kickstarted this whole journey in the first place.

Signed up for my local chamber of commerce’s newsletter, looking for ways to get involved locally again and network in my backyard.

And started scripting my first video back about the goals mentioned above (subscribe to my YouTube Channel so you don’t miss it 😉).

None of it felt big.
But I think that’s how you build momentum, step by step, choice by choice.

Where are you building momentum today?

Sticky Note: You don’t always need a breakthrough. You just need a day that moves you forward.

P.S. Over the past year I’ve been building behind the scenes — producing podcasts, editing videos, and helping creators and business owners tell stories that actually connect.

If you’ve ever wondered what I’ve been working on (or want to follow along as it grows), I finally pulled everything together in one place

My YouTube channel

The podcasts I produce

My Sticky Notes newsletter

And all my social links

Check it out, follow wherever you hang out most, and subscribe if you want to keep up with the journey:

My Linktree

Today is a special issue of Sticky Notes.

My computer started slowing down because of all the video footage I’ve downloaded while working on my YouTube Channel. While scrubbing and exporting to an external hard drive I came across this random folder saved on my iCloud called “blogs” and this was one of two entries in there. I wrote this in 2017, but it felt equally poignant today. Enjoy.

I’m a man of seasons. I get into bits of running, then weightlifting, then boot camp, heck even yoga and on and on it goes. I start reading more, but specifically non-fiction, then I’m tired of drudging through those so I commit to reading more fiction, then more biographies, then leadership development books and on and on it goes. I eat hearty breakfasts, then just bulletproof coffee, then just oatmeal, then fast and on and on it goes.

When you’re committed to constantly experimenting and making yourself better like I feel I am, seasons are constantly changing and that’s because of these weird pressures I put on myself.

I’m currently working through a goal of listening to 100 TED talks this year. I’m in a pretty good pattern right now of watching one a day, but the problem is I’ve also committed to reading 18 books this year so you know what happens during those 20 minutes I spend watching a TED talk and trying to accomplish one goal? I start to think to myself, “Oh man, if I have enough free time to watch this TED talk, I should probably be reading.” Guess what happens when I start to read? “Should this be the book I’m reading? Should I commit the next two weeks to reading this popular novel when I could be reading a book that will help me further my career?”

This stress is what I believe leads us to give up on goals altogether. We convince ourselves that there’s something better we can be doing than WHATEVER it is we’re currently doing, even if that current act is guaranteed to have a positive outcome on our life.

You know why that grass is always greener? It’s because we let it be for a while and it’s been given the time to grow while we consume the field we’re currently in. Live into these seasons and appreciate the time you spend in each one. Be present and commit to the goals you’ve set and understand the picture of your life that will be painted with each new seasonal brushstroke.

T. S. Eliot wrote that we are “distracted from distraction by distraction.”

He wrote that in 1936! How timely does that feel for our world today?

Busyness ≠ progress.

We stack diversion on diversion — scroll after scroll, task after task. It feels like forward motion, but often we're just spinning until all of a sudden we find ourselves laying down wondering what we actually accomplished that day.

Fulfillment doesn’t come from more activity. It comes from focus, stillness, and choosing depth over noise.

👉 What’s one distraction you’ve cut recently that gave you more space for what matters?

Last week, my family and I took a trip to Acadia National Park for my wife’s birthday. It wasn’t meticulously planned months in advance, it was more of a “Hey, let’s go for it” kind of decision.

Family on the Wonderland Trail in Acadia National Park

Here’s the part I’m grateful for: I didn’t have to request PTO.
No approval chain. No awkward “who’s covering for you” conversation.
I just messaged my clients: “Heads up, I’ll be unplugged this week.”

And that was it.

It was a reminder of why I’m willing to work hard as an entrepreneur—not for a fancy title, but for the ability to shape my days and say yes to moments like this.

Freedom isn’t the absence of work. It’s the ability to decide when and where you work, and who you work with.

A few years ago, I made a video about what it’s like to travel without a job. It’s still true today, even though my work looks different now. You can watch it here: What It’s Like Traveling Without a Job

Pass it on → Who do you know that’s chasing a title instead of a life?

Curiosity doesn’t have to just be for kids.

I want to chase ideas, ask better questions, and stay open. That’s how growth happens. That’s how fun happens. When something grabs your attention—lean in. Explore. You never know where it’ll take you.

And here’s the good news: curiosity doesn’t vanish with age—it just changes shape.

Research shows that while our overall “trait curiosity” (the default drive to seek new knowledge) tends to decline as we age, our “state curiosity” (the momentary spark when something grabs our attention) actually makes a comeback later in life. Especially once the busyness of midlife slows down, people tend to zero in on what really lights them up.

They dive deep.

They ask better questions.

They learn for the joy of it.

So no, curiosity isn’t a phase. It can become a skill. A mindset. A quiet rebellion against stagnation.

Stay curious. Stay alive.

— Kevin

👉 What’s something you’ve been curious about lately and dove deep into? Hit reply and let me know—I read every message.

"When people ask me how to raise their level of performance, the first thing I ask is, ‘How important is it to you?’" – Dan Gable

Dan Gable isn’t just a legendary wrestling coach, he’s a blueprint for dominance. Olympic gold medalist. 15 NCAA titles as head coach at Iowa. And still, when people ask him for the secret to performance, he doesn’t give a training regimen.

He asks a simple question.

“How important is it to you?”

Because most of the time, we don’t need a better plan.

We need a better reason.

If it matters…
you’ll wake up early.
you’ll stay up late.
you’ll fight for it.

If it doesn’t…
you’ll make excuses.
you’ll stay “busy.”
you’ll keep waiting for the perfect time.

There is no shortcut.
No hack.
Just the truth:
You will rise to the level of your priorities.

So start here:
How bad do you want it?

👉 If this made you pause or nod—pass it on. ➡️ Pass it On

It’s one of my favorite quotes—and one of the most useful.

So much of our pain doesn't come from life itself. It comes from our thoughts about life.

From fear.
From overthinking.
From imagining worst-case scenarios.

There’s another line, often credited to Mark Twain, that nails this:

Maybe you know someone like that.
Maybe you are someone like that.

You worry about what’s coming. Even good things.
You play out all the ways it could go wrong.
You wait for the other shoe to drop—
instead of just…waiting to see what happens.

Here’s the truth:
You can’t prevent pain by pre-living it in your mind.
You only suffer twice.

Let this be your reminder today—
Imagination is powerful. Don’t let it become your enemy.

Stay steady,
– Kevin

Know someone who worries too much? Forward this to them as a reminder: not every thought deserves your energy.

Luctor et Emergo.
I struggle and emerge.

Last year, I lost two jobs.
I tore my calf muscle.
And I had an emergency appendectomy.

One hit after another.
Physically, emotionally, professionally.

I felt like I was in a pressure cooker with no off switch.

But here's the thing: I’m still standing.
A little bruised, sure. But clearer. Calmer. Stronger.

Struggle isn’t failure.
It’s the training ground. The fire. The test that shows you who you are—and what you’re capable of becoming.

If you’ve made it through something hard, don’t brush it off.
Don’t downplay it.

Remember it.
Use it.

You’re stronger than you think.

Pass it on
Know someone who’s been in the fire lately? Forward this to them. Or better, remind them how far they’ve come.

We love the idea of freedom.
Time freedom. Financial freedom. Creative freedom.

But freedom without responsibility?
That’s just chaos in disguise.

Viktor Frankl survived the Holocaust.
He lost his wife, his parents, and his unborn child to the Nazis.
He endured starvation, forced labor, and the stripping of all dignity.

And yet, he emerged not bitter—but deeper.
More honest. More awake.

In Man’s Search for Meaning, he wrote:

If a man who lived through humanity’s darkest hour says that choice—not circumstance—is where power lies…then maybe what’s happening in your life isn’t so big.
Or maybe it is—but blaming won’t save you.

Only responsibility will.
That’s the other half of freedom.

And when you embrace it—
you don’t just survive hard things.
You transform through them.

🟡 Pass this on to someone who needs a reminder: they may not control their circumstances, but their response still belongs to them.

That’s it. Three blanks.

When life feels overwhelming, I come back to this simple reset. It’s not magic—but it is clarity.

It’s a quick gut check:

• What’s worth your energy?

• What’s already good?

• What are you carrying that you no longer need?

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s perspective.

Try it today. Write it down. Whisper it before bed. Say it in the shower. See what shifts.

🔁 Pass it on
Know someone who could use a reset today? Forward this their way. You never know what one simple prompt might unlock.

There are quotes that gently tap you on the shoulder.
And then there are quotes like this one — that hit like lightning.

It stopped me in my tracks.

Because how often do I say later?

“Not right now.”
“Let me finish this.”
“Maybe tomorrow.”

But what if there is no later?

No extra hour.
No guaranteed weekend.
No someday when things finally slow down.

When my kids ask me to play, I want to start saying yes more.
Not always. But more.

Yes to kicking the ball.
Yes to reading the book again.
Yes to practicing silly dances they saw online.
Yes to now.

The dishes can wait.
The phone can wait.
The world can wait.

This — right here — is the good stuff.
And I don’t want to miss it.

— Kevin

🟡 Pass it on →
You never know who needs the reminder.

The Genius of Simple

After spending time with six time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick for an article, Andy Benoit came to this realization about how Coach Belichick succeeded:

Read that again. It’s a blueprint for success — and a relief if you’ve been trying to overcomplicate things.

You don’t have to invent something new.
You don’t have to have a massive breakthrough.
You don’t even have to be the smartest person in the room.

You just need to notice what others miss — and do it consistently.

That’s what made Bill Belichick great.
He didn’t reinvent football.
He just spotted tiny inefficiencies, predictable patterns, and hidden advantages — and then built entire game plans around them.

This works outside the NFL, too.
A tweak to your morning routine that clears your head.
A question you always ask at the start of meetings that shifts the tone.
A simple process you repeat when starting a new project instead of rethinking everything every time.

Small wins.
Repeatable patterns.
That’s where the magic is.

🟡 Pass it on
If someone you know is stuck chasing “the big idea,” send this their way. The best ideas are often the simplest ones — we just need to notice them.