Like of Ken – Vol. 22

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Happenings from the Homefront

February opened the way it probably had to—with one final trip to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. We saved the best for last this year, attending the rodeo finals on the final Saturday night of the season. Hard to believe we’d never done that before.

It was an incredible show, made even better by being there with great friends. There’s something about finals energy—the stakes are higher, the crowd is louder, and the whole place feels charged. But what made the night especially meaningful was the farewell tribute to Bob Tallman, the longtime announcer and unmistakable “voice of the rodeo.”

For so many of us, Bob’s voice is the Fort Worth Rodeo. It’s woven into decades of memories—family nights, client outings, first-time visitors, and traditions that mark the rhythm of living here. Hearing that tribute felt like the closing of a chapter, not just for him, but for the event itself. Icons quietly become part of the backdrop of our lives, and you don’t realize how much until you’re saying goodbye.

It was a fitting sendoff. And a reminder that traditions endure—but the people who carry them matter most.

Kai closed the chapter on winter basketball and, without much of a pause, stepped straight into spring baseball. Just like that, we traded gym shoes for cleats.

He’s now playing with the Blue Rocks, and we’re genuinely excited about this season. The coaches are solid—focused, encouraging, and organized—and the kids are all-in. There’s a different energy when a team really cares about the game. You can feel it in practice.

Our weeks are officially filled with practices and games again. Evenings at the field, folding chairs, and the slow rhythm of baseball settling back into our routine. It’s a full schedule—but it’s the kind of full we’re grateful for.

Amber and I co-hosted a Valentine’s Day couples retreat with our friends Ricky and Chantal at their beautiful Covered Bridge Venue in Springtown. Six couples joined us for the weekend, and from the start it felt intentional—small enough for depth, big enough for energy.

The days were layered well. Breathwork and yoga in the mornings. Feeding the elk and spending time outdoors. Curated meals around long tables. A sound bath that forced all of us to slow down more than we’re used to. And conversations that went well beyond surface-level updates. Saturday night took a different turn—in the best way—with a full-on EDM dance party. Equal parts connection and celebration.

We wrapped the weekend on Monday with Aaron West leading a full-day couples goal-setting workshop. I’d consider myself a fairly disciplined goal setter, but I still walked away with new energy and sharper tools. More importantly, Amber and I took the time to craft our shared five-year vision together. Not just business goals. Not just travel. A true picture of what we want life to look and feel like.

There’s something powerful about stepping away from routine long enough to remember you’re building a life—not just managing one.

Kai and I carved out time for our quarterly “board meeting,” which has quietly become one of my favorite traditions. This time we repeated one of his top picks—Cidercade for a couple of hours of arcade games and zero agenda beyond fun.

To my surprise and delight, he fell in love with Big Buck Hunter, which has long been one of my personal favorites. We played it over and over, talking trash and laughing like we both had something to prove. We mixed in some old-school Street Fighter, a few rounds of Pong, shooting hoops, and whatever else caught our attention. There’s something timeless about standing shoulder-to-shoulder at an arcade machine.

We wrapped it up with dinner at one of our local favorites, Jon’s Grill. And yes, it’s entirely possible that Kai ranks it at the top because of their “You’re Killing Me Smalls” shake. Hard to argue with that logic.

These “board meetings” aren’t about performance reviews or goal charts. They’re about connection. A couple of hours where he has my full attention and we just enjoy being together. Those dividends compound faster than anything else I invest in.

One of my commitments this year is simple but important: dinner with my dad and my brothers at least once per quarter. This month, we made it happen.

It’s amazing how easy it is for life to crowd out the things that matter most. Schedules fill up. Work expands. Kids’ activities multiply. And suddenly months have passed without sitting down together.

This dinner wasn’t elaborate. It didn’t need to be. It was just time together, shared stories, a few laughs, catching up on what’s happening in each other’s worlds. Slowing down long enough to reconnect and enjoy each other’s company.

I’m grateful we’re choosing to make it a priority. Family doesn’t stay connected by accident. It takes intention. And it’s always worth it.

We closed out February with a shared family goal—running the Cowtown 5K together.

Kai has been participating in the Tanglewood running club, so it felt fitting to line up alongside many of the other Tanglewood Tigers and their families on a beautiful Fort Worth morning. There’s something energizing about being surrounded by kids and parents all choosing to do something hard together.

The weather couldn’t have been better. Crisp air, clear skies, and just enough challenge in the miles to make the finish feel earned. More than the time on the clock, it was the time together that mattered. Starting and finishing side by side felt like a small but meaningful win to cap the month.

Work, work, work!

February also kicked off with another Laundry Luv Discovery Day. We hosted a group from Florida that we’ve been in conversation with for the better part of a year. Originally, they were looking to purchase an existing laundromat in their hometown, and I was simply mentoring them through that process.

When that deal fell through, they circled back—not discouraged, just recalibrated. This time, they wanted to explore our franchise opportunity. Fast forward to now, and they’re talking about building a portfolio of Laundry Luv locations across the greater Orlando area.

It’s a reminder I keep relearning: good things tend to happen when you show up with no agenda other than adding value. No pressure. No angle. Just helping people think clearly. Sometimes the long game is the only game worth playing.

I traveled just south of Austin for a live recording of the Matt King podcast. It wasn’t surface-level conversation. We went deep—failure, picking up the pieces, navigating through a mental breakdown, building again, and creating real purpose through business.

It’s not always comfortable to talk about those chapters publicly. Most people would rather skip to the highlight reel. But I’ve found that the most meaningful growth often comes from the parts of the story we’d prefer to edit out.

It was a conversation many are unwilling to have, which is exactly why I’m glad we had it. If you have the time and want something a little more substantive than background noise, it’s worth a listen.

The All-In Comeback: Trading $800K Loss for a Path to Purpose and Profit

I traveled to San Antonio with the Laundry Luv team for ISCS Red River, and it was an encouraging time.

The show validated something we’ve been sensing for a while—there’s significant interest on two fronts. First, people are actively looking to enter the laundromat business as a source of income. Second, retail landlords are looking for strong, stable concepts to anchor and activate their shopping centers. A well-run laundromat checks more boxes than many people realize.

We walked away with multiple promising real estate leads and a handful of individuals who may be strong franchise candidates. Just as important, Jessica and Brooke from our marketing team absolutely crushed it. They were outstanding ambassadors for the Laundry Luv brand—professional, engaging, and fully aligned with who we say we are. Watching the team represent the mission at a high level is always a proud moment.

The month wrapped with a trip to Breckenridge, Colorado, hosted by our friends at Eastern Funding. They’ve been our primary lender since the founding of Laundry Luv, and this trip was a masterclass in what it looks like to truly take care of your clients.

They handled everything—flights, lodging, curated meals, equipment, even private instructors. Every detail was thoughtful and intentional. It wasn’t just a ski trip; it was an experience designed to build relationships.

There’s something about shared time on a mountain—learning, laughing, occasionally falling—that accelerates connection. Add in good food and unhurried conversations at the end of the day, and the bonds only deepen. It was an outstanding opportunity to strengthen relationships through shared experience.

Kudos to the Eastern Funding team. They set a high bar for partnership.

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

I finished Falling Upward by Father Richard Rohr this month. His view of spirituality continues to resonate deeply with me. He has a way of reframing faith in a way that feels both grounded and expansive. As I work through reading the entire Bible this year—for the first time ever—his perspective has been especially helpful. Some of the early books present real challenges for me, and Rohr’s lens helps me wrestle honestly rather than disengage. I’m part of a weekly study group, and we’re using the Bible App to stay aligned with our daily readings. It’s stretching me in good ways.

I’ve also finished most of Outlive by Peter Attia. It’s a long book—honestly, more detailed than I personally needed—but I still pulled some valuable insights from it. A few practical adjustments, a few reminders about playing the long game with health. Worth the effort, even if it required some endurance to get through.

I’m slowly making my way through Poor Charlie’s Almanack by Charlie Munger. I’m reading this one on Kindle instead of listening on Audible, which means it’s more deliberate. Likely a couple of months before I finish it, and I’m okay with that. It feels like the kind of book that benefits from slower digestion.

The Daily Stoic remains my steady morning companion. One page per day makes it easy to stay consistent. Small, daily deposits tend to compound over time.

On the podcast front, I’m still consuming plenty each month. The All-In Podcast episode with Chamath Palihapitiya discussing our power grid needs stood out. Big-picture infrastructure conversations aren’t always flashy, but they matter. This subject is definitely out of my wheelhouse, which is why I am trying to learn more about what may be coming down the pipeline.

Kaizen

I did it. A cold plunge every single day in February.

Most of them happened in my own pool, which is cold enough this time of year to get the job done. But with travel mixed in, a few of those plunges were completed in hotel bathtubs. And yes—the Colorado bathwater was very cold. There’s something about lowering yourself into freezing water in a hotel bathroom that really tests your commitment.

Twenty-eight days in a row felt like a clean win. Simple. Clear. No negotiating. Now that I’ve hit that mark, I’ve decided to keep going until I reach 50 consecutive days. At this point, it’s less about the cold and more about reinforcing the identity of someone who does hard things consistently. I’ll be releasing a video soon documenting the 28-day experience—lessons included.

After the couples goal-setting workshop, I also came away energized and focused. I downloaded the Strides app and built out my goals inside it. I’ve been using it daily to track progress. There’s something powerful about seeing streaks build and numbers move. Clarity plus tracking equals momentum.

February was a month of leaning into discipline—cold water in the mornings and clear targets for the future. Not dramatic. Just consistent.

Random Musings

I’ve seen some impressive longhorns in my day… but this guy didn’t just take the cake — he ate the bakery and kept the box.

Those horns aren’t decorative. They’re a zip code.

Until next time.

Take action and be grateful!

-Ken

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