Like of Ken – Vol. 18

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Happenings from the Homefront

October kicked off with a 5-day water and black coffee fast, which I began during my long road trip back to Fort Worth from Boonville, MO, after the Kemper reunion. I went the full five days, and while it wasn’t easy, it proved deeply grounding. The fast forced me to slow down, move deliberately, and deepen both my morning meditation and my spiritual practice. I dropped 10 pounds in the process—but the real weight that lifted wasn’t just physical. You can read more about the week-long journey here, if you want to dive deeper.

During the fast, I dedicated Day 4 entirely to deep “thinking time.” It was about ten hours of completely unplugged reflection—on a Wednesday, no less. Just me, a journal, a pen, and the quiet company of nature. I pondered eight different questions, spending a full hour on each, and between every block of contemplation, I took time to walk, breathe, and reconnect with the natural world. It was a powerful day of clarity, solitude, and deliberate intention – one that reminded me how transformative stillness can be.

If you’d like to learn more about how I structure my thinking time or even see the questions I reflected on, you can read the Substack post I wrote about the day.

We spent a wonderful weekend at the ranch – mostly downtime and relaxation, though “relaxation” at the ranch usually involves a fair bit of work. But honestly, that kind of work clears my mind better than anything else and keeps me grounded in nature. This trip was extra special because my dad and brother came out for the day. They made the drive down for some skeet shooting and range time, and it was great to share the day together out in the open air. As a true “bonus” for the day, Kai blasted his first “clay pigeon” with his 410 shotgun (and we caught it on video)!

Then came Amber’s birthday weekend – one for the books. We flew to Las Vegas on Saturday morning, kicked things off with a pool party at Tao Beach Club, and later that night caught the Unity show at the Sphere, headlined by Subtronix. We had brunch at the Wynn, dinner at Maggiano’s, and spent the entire weekend laughing and making memories with some of our great friends.

On Monday morning, Amber and I (along with Matt and Carmen) traded the desert for the mountains, flying from Vegas to Colorado. We grabbed lunch in downtown Golden, then capped the night at Red Rocks Amphitheatre for an incredible evening of live music – Flatland Cavalry headlined, with Kaitlin Butts and Angel White both delivering outstanding opening sets. Amber likes her birthday celebrations to stretch across the whole month, but I think we nailed this one pretty good!

The month wrapped up with a trip to Dallas to see my dear friend Scott Hawkins. We first met years ago at a real estate conference and immediately bonded over our shared interests – Tesla, Elon Musk, and, believe it or not, fine pens. Over the years, that connection has grown into a deep friendship. Scott and his family join us every year for our annual crawfish boil, and we make it a point to break bread together whenever we can. He’s been a Dallas Mavericks season ticket holder for over 40 years, and once a year, we keep our tradition alive by catching a game together. Some friendships just get better with time.

Work, work, work!

Schuyler and I attended the Laundry CEO Forum hosted by Waleed and Jessica Cope – and let me go on record saying it was a masterclass in execution and attention to detail. They absolutely nailed it. The speakers were excellent (including Schuyler, who crushed it), the breakout sessions were engaging and full of practical insights, the facilities were top-notch, and the food was fantastic. Even the seating – plush couches and oversized chairs – was thoughtfully designed for comfort and conversation. We’re already looking forward to next year’s event!

We held our quarterly EOS session for Laundry Luv to plan our Q4 initiatives and big rocks, and it was an awesome meeting. It was great having Jack Lypka, our controller, join us for the first time – he brought fresh insight and perspective to the table. These sessions always leave us feeling energized, aligned, and crystal clear on our goals for the next 90 days.

Big things are happening at Laundry Luv! Construction is well underway on our 4th corporately owned location, architectural plans are in motion for store #5, and we’re deep in lease negotiations for corporate store #6. And in huge news – we’ve officially signed our first franchise agreement! It’s a five-unit development deal with exactly the kind of people we want to be in business with – fully aligned in values, leadership, and a service-first mentality. The momentum is real, and the future of Laundry Luv has never looked brighter.

Building on this momentum, we hosted our first in-person Advisory Board meeting for Laundry Luv – and it was incredible. We’re blessed with an outstanding group of advisors representing a wide range of industries, from laundry operations and private equity to franchise development and brand strategy. We spent a full day diving deep into our progress to date, setting clear targets for the upcoming quarter, and tackling our challenges, headwinds, and hidden opportunities head-on. The energy, insight, and collaboration in the room were nothing short of inspiring.

We wrapped up the month by hosting a Discovery Day for two highly qualified candidates interested in exploring our franchise opportunity. They came ready to dive deep – looking at how Laundry Luv could align with their long-term goals around wealth building, real estate ownership, and creating leverage through others. It was an energizing day filled with great questions, meaningful conversations, and a shared vision for what’s possible.

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

This month, I found myself spending more time in podcasts and on YouTube than in books. I’ve continued slowly working my way through The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom (I love it so much that I’ll honestly be a little sad when I finish). I also listened – again – to The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran on Audible and kept up my daily rhythm of reading one page of The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday.

On the podcast front, I went deep into several episodes of The All-In Podcast and The Joe Rogan Experience. Two standout listens were The Future of Flight and the Interview with Captain Justin “Astro” Elliott – both from the American Operator Podcast.

YouTube was its own kind of classroom this month. I dove into content centered around spirituality and growth, including The Real Purpose of Life, The Most Powerful Lessons on Trusting the Universe, and The More You Let Go, The More Life Gives You. Each one offered a unique reminder to slow down, surrender, and stay open to what life has to teach.

Between the books, podcasts, and YouTube deep dives, October became a month overflowing with wisdom–from the grounded to the transcendent–all showing up right on time.

Kaizen

This month, I had the privilege of speaking at the Freedom Founders (Passive Income for Dentists & Doctors) event in Dallas – a reminder of why I continue to do this work and invest in my own growth. I wasn’t there just to teach, but to live by example – to show that the process of becoming better never stops. My talk focused on helping others find clarity through systems, habits, and intentional action, and the energy in the room was electric. Dozens of attendees shared how they planned to implement these ideas, and our breakout session with Dr. Jeremy Krell was standing-room only. What filled my cup most, though, was witnessing people take immediate steps toward change. These moments reaffirm that real wealth isn’t measured in numbers – it’s measured in impact, connection, and who we’re becoming along the way.

Random Musings

RIP Molly. Our dear friends had to say goodbye to their beloved dog, Molly, this week. She was only seven years old, and her passing was sudden and unexpected. Our hearts go out to their entire family as they grieve the loss of such a loyal and loving family member. We will all miss her dearly.

Until next time.

Take action and be grateful!

-Ken

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