What I'm Up To
​Volume 92

Hey friends,
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Here’s what I’ve been up to since Vol. 91…
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1. February Happenings – We kicked off the month with a wonderful dinner party. At last year’s Red Oak Hope gala, Wendy and I won a chef-prepared wild game meal with Chef Cody Kidwell 👨🏼‍🍳 of Verde’s Mexican Parrilla. We started with a tequila tasting, cheese, and charcuterie (including Sambar 🦌 tartare!). Next was bacon-wrapped quail, followed by grouper risotto. The final course was water buffalo Chateaubriand, welted winter greens, and roasted potatoes. Wendy curated questions for every course. What is one of your most embarrassing moments? What’s the most famous person you’ve ever met? What’s a weird skill you have? Dessert was blueberry bread pudding. Good time, great company, and amazing food.
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We could have done a better job with the invites. One person thought we’d be playing board games 🎲 and another thought we were supposed to talk about the Super Bowl. 🏟️
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Speaking of the Super Bowl, it was easily the most boring in recent memory. Wendy and I read books and watched the commercials. Loved the “Ultra Hustle” with William Dafoe and Catherine O’Hara. Also, the Stella Artois ad with David Beckham and Matt Damon stood out.
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This year's KW Family Reunion in Vegas was my 25th. 🤯 Never imagined I’d stay at one company for so long. Gary, Jason, and I kicked things off with the Vision Speech. We went deep into the history of tariffs and how they functionally impact the economy. And, somehow, we kept politics out of it. Ruben, our economist, came down with the flu 🤧 and missed taking a bow for his team’s hard work preparing us.

I was on stage presenting for 10-12 hours over 4 days. We had a podcast🎙️ studio set up for interviews, so when I wasn’t on stage, I was in front of a mic. In future weeks, you’ll hear my conversations with Gene Rivers, my coach Jordan Freed, Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, and Rory Vaden on his upcoming book.
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After Vegas, I retreated to Better Ranch with some friends for some wildlife management and time in nature. The deer were evasive but I enjoyed some good bird watching. Spotted a Cooper’s hawk 🦅, some Cara Cara, an invasion of western meadowlarks, and a ladder-backed woodpecker. Bird watching. How to say you’re getting old without saying you’re getting old….👴
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The final days of February were a blur. I had my final chance to edit my upcoming book, The Rookie Real Estate Agent. Wendy was a huge help, fact-checking our work on the listing and contract-to-close chapters. At the same time, I had less than 48 hours ⏱️ to negotiate a major IP asset sale. I slept less than three hours while reviewing 10 different contracts with my attorney. When we finally signed, I was as mentally exhausted as I’ve been in a long time. At one point I pronounced 111 as “one hundred and oney-one.” 🤣 Time for a long sleep!

2. What I’m Reading
​My only regret about reading the advanced reader’s copy of Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff is that I’ll have to migrate all my notes and underlines to my pristine hardcover. While ostensibly about behavior change and self-improvement, the book is really a love letter to exploring life with your curiosity at the helm. Anne-Laure is a neuroscientist. 🧑‍🔬 The book could have been laden with footnotes and fifty-cent words. She made it light and inviting like her philosophy for living. I highly recommend it. Anne-Laure was in Austin for the book launch and we had a lovely talk on The ONE Thing podcast. The episode drops on 3/24.
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Afterward, we went for an outdoor walk 🥾 to continue one of her “tiny experiments,” a lovely habit Carly and I are also working on. Every day, we get outside for a 15-minute walk. It’s amazing the difference a little fresh air and movement make!
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Resilience from Harvard Business Review required all my resilience to finish. After the first essay, it meanders like an overbudget documentary.
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I listened to the audio version of The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. I think it’s her best book yet, not as repetitive as her previous efforts. She seems to deeply understand anyone who suffers from anxiety, procrastination, or self-doubt. Mel, the worrywart whisperer?
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Finally, I book-ended Family Reunion with Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros. Our team committed to finishing the book before the event, but I just couldn’t find the time. I liked it better than the second book and am interested to see where it’s going. Looks like Yarros fans will be in for a long wait….
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​3. What I’m Watching
​I watched The Order (Amazon) with Jude Law about a string of robberies by a white supremacist group in the Pacific NW and the FBI investigator tracking the bad guys down. I love Jude Law but it was a bit dark. Wendy and I binged the first two seasons of Slow Horses (Apple+) based on Mick Herron’s novels.📚 Gary Oldman’s character, Jack Lamb, is delightfully offensive throughout. We also loved the short, six-episode seasons.
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Before bed, we usually watch a short comedy. Spy thrillers don’t always make for sound sleeping. Parks & Rec is in high rotation. Last month, we finished season seven of Rick and Morty (Hulu). Still bizarre, still funny.
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Finally, we watched the four-part documentary SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night (Peacock). If you’re a fan of SNL, add it to your list. In particular, we loved watching former cast members watch their audition tapes for the first time.

That’s it for this month. Please reply back and let me know what you’re up to!

Be well, do good deeds, and eat tacos!
Jay

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