Life of Ken – Vol. 14

---

Happenings from the Homefront

The month kicked off with a day set aside to rent a U-Haul and move my daughter Grace to Stillwater, Oklahoma, where she’ll be starting her master’s program at OSU this August. Since her lease began in June, we took the opportunity to clear some space—both in my living room and her mom’s—by getting her settled into her new townhome. She also got to meet her roommate for the first time, and we all grabbed lunch together. Fun fact: her roommate, now pursuing a veterinary degree, earned a full ride to OSU undergrad for livestock judging. I hadn’t been back to Stillwater since my Navy buddy Vince graduated way back in the mid-1990s, so the visit came with a dose of nostalgia too.

This month, I had the pleasure of grabbing lunch with my Uncle Bobby at Blue Mint Thai—an incredible spot owned by my friend and fellow GoBundance member, Mike Wilson. After lunch, Bobby gave me a tour of the latest progress at M3 Ranch in Mansfield. It’s amazing to watch a decades-long vision come to life. If you’re looking for a beautiful master-planned community with miles of trails, pocket parks, a community pool, open space, and plenty of water features, M3 Ranch is worth a visit.

We finally cashed in on an Airbnb that Amber had “won” a couple of years ago at a school charity auction and turned it into a full-on family vacation to Scottsdale, AZ. The crew included me, Amber, Kai, Grace, Casey (my bonus daughter), and Cash (our nephew and Kai’s cousin). Flights were pricey, so we went full National Lampoon Vacation style and packed all six of us into the Armada for a good old-fashioned road trip. As expected, Arizona in June brought the heat—but we balanced it out with plenty of water time. The house had a pool, we spent a full day floating the Salt River, and we even joined our friends Nate, Tonya, and Mila Martinez for a day on a boat out at Lake Pleasant. We ate great food, played games, and even had the chance to meet up with one of Grace’s friends from Auburn while we were there.

We never pass up a good live show, and this month we made the most of it. Amber and I met up with a couple of friends to catch Kat Hasty at the Kessler Theater in Dallas—an intimate venue with incredible acoustics. Kat absolutely delivered. If you ever get the chance to see her live, don’t think twice.

Kai headed off to Sky Ranch this month as a third-year camper and soaked up every bit of fun camp life has to offer—plenty of pool time, campfires, torpedo rides on the lake, Gaga ball, paintball, skits, and more. Just as important, he deepened his relationship with God and built meaningful connections with his friends. We’re incredibly grateful he gets to experience all of this in such a positive, faith-filled environment.

While Kai was off at camp, Amber and I went to our own version of “Adult Camp” with a visit to our friends Matt and Carmen Hermes at their beautiful home on Lake Lanier outside Atlanta. Our days were filled with golf, card games, sunset boat rides, competitive cornhole matches, and plenty of meaningful conversation. Carmen made sure we never went hungry—treating us to homemade chocolate chip banana bread, fresh sourdough, and an endless supply of hospitality.

We closed out the month with my birthday weekend, and Amber pulled off an incredible surprise. She flew in Pat Cullinane from Utah and brought Eric Waltermire up from Houston—then topped it off by organizing front-row seats for about 20 of us at Bob Schneider’s show at the Levitt Pavilion in Arlington. Huge thanks to Letatia Teykl for the VIP treatment and for arranging a quick backstage meet-and-greet with Bob himself! The weekend was packed with music, pool time, great food, and even better friends. All in all, a pretty fantastic way to ring in 54.

Work, work, work!

Amber and I represented Laundry Luv at the Houston Franchise Show, where we spent two full days connecting with dozens of interested prospects. We walked away with around 40 new leads and a renewed sense of excitement—interest in the laundromat space continues to grow, and the energy around the brand is strong.

Our franchise pipeline remains strong, with our first couple of prospects now getting very close to the finish line. We’ve still got three more shows on the calendar this year, and leads are beginning to flow in from a variety of other sources as well. The momentum is building—and it’s exciting to see the vision taking shape.

Schuyler, Clay, and I spent a day at Laundry Luv Abilene with the crew from American Operator, filming for an upcoming episode. We’re honored they chose to highlight our business as an example of a Main Street company making a positive impact—serving the community and spreading a little extra Luv along the way.

Of course, not everything is sunshine and rainbows. We’re currently addressing a trademark infringement issue with another laundromat in the Northeast. While we’re confident it wasn’t intentional—more likely a case of not doing their homework—we still have a responsibility to protect our brand. We’re in a strong position, and I’m confident it will all be resolved constructively.

And on the real estate front, Amber’s business is thriving. She’s landed several new listings, picked up a couple of new buyers, and has even more opportunities in the pipeline. She’s a great example of what happens when you make a commitment—and then go out and manifest your destiny.

Brain Food (what I am reading, watching, and listening to)

During our road trip to Arizona, Amber and I listened to the Audible version of The Steady Leader by none other than Schuyler Williamson—yes, that Schuyler, my partner in Laundry Luv. The book is a powerful blend of battlefield lessons, timeless wisdom from his family, and a wealth of models and systems he’s curated from the hundreds of books he’s devoured over the years. It’s thoughtful, practical, and 100% Schuyler.

I’m continuing to slowly savor The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom, and it’s been worth every page. Each chapter delivers a powerful lesson or gentle reminder about what truly matters in life. This one’s definitely earned a spot on the must-read list.

I’ve listened to dozens of podcasts over the past month, but a few really stood out. Jon Vroman’s interview with Mikki Willis was packed with perspective, and Joe Rogan’s conversations with Kash Patel and Oliver Anthony were equally compelling. Each one left me thinking a little deeper and seeing things a bit more clearly.

Kaizen

It was recently suggested that I start posting these monthly updates on Substack. I’ve set up an account, but haven’t taken the plunge just yet—stay tuned on that front.

On the fitness side, I just wrapped up the first six months of my 2025 workout program, and the numbers are stacking up. So far, I’ve run, walked, or hiked over 165 miles and logged 52,786 total reps. That includes 6,534 push-ups, 7,844 ab exercises, 4,614 squats, 1,894 lunges, 3,944 dips, 6,214 jumping jacks, 114 pull-ups, 224 burpees, and 20,736 reps across a variety of other movements. All in all, a solid start to the year.

Random Musings

Day 1 of family vacation – Kai fell into a cactus! Ouch!!

Until next time.

Take action and be grateful!

-Ken

Share