She Turns 3 This Week... and I'm Still Catching My Breath

This Saturday, my daughter Aleesia turns three years old.

Three years. Three countries. One beautiful, wild, life-changing ride.

She was born in beautiful La Jolla, California. She turned one in Canada when we were up there dealing with my father being terminally ill, She turned two in Mexico when we were visiting our other familia. And now, she celebrates her third birthday right here in the U.S.—at our AZ home with friends and family.

It’s wild to think about. Not just how quickly time flies, but how much life can change in such a short window. Her first 3-9 months took place during one of the darkest financial stretches I’d had in decades. I was a brand-new dad, still dealing with all the Covid implications, and I was emotionally wrecked. I was battling guilt, fear, anxiety, and an overwhelming sense of pressure mixed in with newfound levels of love and joy – it was amazing and terrifying all at once.

And I had no clue how I was going to keep our family afloat.

At the same time, my wife was going through her own hell—a tough pregnancy, a brutal birth, and the kind of postpartum rollercoaster that deserves more awareness than it gets. And ladies, let me just say – I was so ignorant to the realitlies of postpartum.  It needs a much bigger spotlight especially to educate men.   Anyway, there I was, trying to sell, trying to close, trying to provide. But every time I left the house, I felt like I was abandoning the two people I loved most.

I knew I had to make money. I knew I had to show up as a provider. But I was breaking down emotionally because I didn’t know how to be in two places at once. And honestly? I wasn’t even sure if I was a good husband or a good dad. I was exhausted. I was ashamed. I was scared shitless.

Eventually, I did the thing I did NOT want to do but felt I needed:  I got help.

Therapy didn’t magically fix everything, but it gave me enough clarity to get back on my feet. It helped me get out of my own head and back into a position of leadership—both in my home and in my business.

I knew trading time for dollars was not what i wanted in this chapter of my life. I knew I needed to build something that gave us freedom, not just income. I went back to the drawing board, reconnected with what I knew best, reach out to previous mentors, and got laser focused. Within six months, I wasn’t just surviving—I was thriving. Between Aleesia’s first and second birthdays, I had my first million-dollar earnings year.

Not bad for a guy who was on the edge just a year before.