Life of Ken – Vol. 24

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Happenings from the Homefront

The month opened the way the best months do — with purpose before profit. Amber, Kai, and I joined a group of GoBundance families in Dallas for a day of volunteering at Love Pacs, a charity dedicated to fighting food insecurity in our community. No agenda, no networking, just rolled-up sleeves and a few hours of honest work.

We started by sorting, labeling, and organizing pallets of donated food — the unglamorous backbone of every good operation. Then we shifted into assembly-line mode, packing hundreds of bags that would make their way to families who needed them. It was methodical, physical, and quietly moving. Standing shoulder to shoulder with other families who could have been anywhere else that Saturday, choosing to be there instead — that sticks with you.

Days like that have a way of recalibrating everything. Gratitude stops being an idea and becomes something you feel in your hands.

From the food bank to Aunt Pat’s table, Easter weekend didn’t slow down.

Pat has been my favorite aunt since I was a kid, and getting out to her place for the holiday felt like exactly the kind of reset the soul needs. She is legendary in our family for her homemade chicken and dumplings, and she delivered. There is something about that dish that no restaurant will ever replicate. The kind you can only get at someone’s grandmother’s or favorite aunt’s house.

But the real signature of an Aunt Pat Easter is that nobody gets left out of the fun. She organized an egg hunt for the kids, then turned around and ran one for the adults too. That is just who she is. Perpetually, unapologetically a kid at heart, and better for it. The whole afternoon carried that rare combination of good food, easy laughter, and the particular warmth of family you don’t see nearly enough.

Kai cleaned up on his hunt. No surprise there.

April also brought our 7th annual 24Xtreme Challenge, and if you want the full dramatic saga (including a cool re-cap video), I documented it on LinkedIn. The short version: 24 hours of walking, somewhere north of 51 miles, 1,000 pushups, rain, wind, lightning, and a 3:30 AM appearance by Amber with coffee and homemade sausage balls that may have saved lives. This year we had 27 walkers in Fort Worth, another 16 in Lubbock, 5 in Austin, and representation from Michigan and South Africa. Together we raised over $67,000 for three incredible charities. I swore after the first one I would never do it again. That was six years ago. Apparently I am a slow learner, and I am completely fine with that. 

The rest of the month ran at the pace it always does when you have a kid in multiple sports. Kai is wrapping up his spring football and baseball seasons, and both teams are pushing toward the playoffs. Fingers crossed.

I mention it often, but I have believed for a long time that one of the best things you can do for your kids is put the right people around them. Not just family. Coaches, mentors, guides who see something in your child and call it out. Kai has been fortunate in that department, and I do not take it lightly. The coaches in his corner this season have been exactly that kind of people, and I am genuinely grateful for each of them.

Work, work, work!

The month opened with a road trip to Houston. Schuyler and one of our advisors joined me for a visit with a well-respected laundromat operator to explore what a potential partnership could look like. Nothing is locked in yet, but the initial conversation went well. More importantly, we left feeling culturally aligned with shared values, which is always the right place to start. If things manifest, details to come in a future edition. 

We also hosted a different kind of Discovery Day this month. Two of our investor partners came to Fort Worth to get inside the operation, not for a dog-and-pony show, but to genuinely understand how things work so they can put their resources to use in the right places. That kind of partner is rare. They are not writing checks and waiting for updates. They are rolling up their sleeves and looking for ways to help you grow. We do not take that for granted. 

We wrapped up the month with our quarterly EOS meeting, live and in person in Austin. It was a humbling one. We missed some of our big rocks, and sitting with that as a team is never comfortable. It was a good reminder of two things: the long sales cycle that comes with franchising, and how much alignment matters when the road gets slow. We did not leave discouraged. We left with clearly defined rocks for the next quarter and a shared understanding of the work ahead. There is no shortage of it. 

One of the most rewarding parts of this business is what it makes possible for the people around us. This month, Matt King, CEO of GoBundance, rode through San Angelo as part of his training for an upcoming mission called The Ride. The goal is audacious: ride from Mexico to Canada in 15 days, raise $1 million, and donate those funds directly to people, families, and organizations in need that he encounters along the route. When Matt came through San Angelo on a recent training ride, he stopped at our Laundry Luv location and was able to bless three different families on the spot. There were tears. Probably a lot of them. Days like that are why we do what we do. If you want to follow along or donate to the cause, you can find everything at gobundance.com/theride. 

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

Daily Bible reading has remained a constant this month. I am using the Holy Bible App and on track to complete the entire Bible within a year. It has become one of those quiet anchors in the day that I did not know I needed until I had it.

On the book front, I went deep this month. I read The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr, then immediately started it again. That should tell you everything about how it landed. There is something about Father Rohr’s teachings that cuts through in a way that is hard to articulate. He has a gift for taking ancient truths and making them feel immediate and personal. On my most recent trip back to San Angelo, Amber and Kai got to experience the message with me the second time through, which made it that much better. If you have not read it, I would put it on your list.

The All In Podcast has remained a steady companion this month, as it has for a while now. Beyond that, I have been spending a lot of time diving into Claude and the CoWork tool, watching dozens of videos on how to implement and use it at a high level. I am very much in my infancy with it, but the learning curve is steep in the best way. More to come on that front as I get my footing. 

Kaizen

This month’s Kaizen is about consistency over inspiration. I have been using the Strides app to track my goals, and more importantly, I have built an evening reminder into my routine to make sure I am actually looking at it. Every night I review where I stand, log wins where they are earned, and make a plan if something is falling short. It sounds simple because it is. But simple done consistently beats complicated done occasionally every time. Having the right system is one thing. Showing up to it every evening is another. That is the work. 

Random Musings

These boxes are headed to families who are in need of food. Someone made sure they also got a reminder that they are loved, beautiful, and amazing. Cost: a few markers. Impact: immeasurable. 

Until next time.

Take action and be grateful!

-Ken

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