Kevin’s Reading List
It’s been a few months since I wrote one of these. Some combination of life and other priorities continues to get in the way of me sitting in front of a keyboard and jamming out a few words.
Life right now is a Groundhog Day routine of family and work responsibilities. The most exciting weekend activity is typically another kid's birthday party where I crush chicken nuggies, pizza, and cake while engaging in small talk with other parents whose names I can never remember.
Yes—my life is an electric factory.
Outside of a daily workout, most of my free time has been dedicated to getting our new business venture off the ground (more on that below).
The saying “you can do anything, but you can’t do everything” has never rung more true. One day, after I’ve built my kids' gymnastics empire, I’ll have more time to devote to my other hobbies. I can write a sequel to Juju and Meimei’s Chinatown Adventure. I can train for another marathon. I can finally shoot a respectable golf score. But that time is not now.
It takes time to build the life that you want, and we’re still building.
Next week, Tiffany and I will be sailing off on a Disney Cruise with the kids to celebrate Serena’s 2nd birthday and Julian’s spring break. The last Disney trip we took with the kids nearly killed me so wish us luck!
Kevin’s Reading List
One of the secrets to getting older is rediscovering activities that once brought you joy as a child.
Maybe you used to paint, make music, or build Legos. But for some reason you gave it up. Usually, something else came in and replaced it. That’s part of life; we continue to evolve, grow, and discard old parts of ourselves.
But in the process, you can sometimes push out something of importance without even realizing it. Eventually, you feel something is missing but can’t put a finger on it. Everybody wants something new, but what they really need is something old.
For me, that was reading.
Ever since elementary school, I’ve loved a good story. Growing up squarely in the Harry Potter generation, I was one of those kids who waited in line for every new release. I'd crack it open immediately after getting home, only putting it down deep into the early morning.
But somewhere along the way, particularly in my 20s, I rarely picked up a new book. I was so focused on all the shiny new things that came with being out in the real world for the first time—career, drinking, dating, etc. that sitting at home reading a book didn’t hold the same appeal.
Eventually, I decided to pick up a book again. I intentionally carved out time in my schedule to read, usually during windows where I previously would’ve been scrolling on my phone: right after waking up, before bed, on the toilet, during my commute.
Replacing screen time with a book is one of the highest-leverage, lowest-cost trades you can make.
The first book that resonated deeply with me was Be Water, My Friend, a memoir and exploration of Bruce Lee’s life and philosophy written by his daughter, Shannon Lee. I recently reread it and actually found the concepts a bit basic now. But for where I was five years ago, it was the right book at the right time to make an impact.
That is the thing about books: it’s never the same experience twice. The words on the page don’t change, but you do.
My reading journey has since taken me down a rabbit hole of personal development, samurai history, sci-fi fantasy, spirituality/philosophy, biographies of history's great figures, and countless detours in between.
For anyone interested, I put together a Google Sheet of my reading list with top recommendations. And of course, all recommendations are welcome! I’ve recently been reading a lot of biographies and books about military history.
The Little Gym Progress Report
Location secured and lease signed!
Tiffany and I spent the past few months looking for a spot for our The Little Gym franchise. Luckily, we found a great basement location in the exact neighborhood and street we wanted, and we moved aggressively to lock it down.
We’ve heard horror stories of other franchise owners being stuck in the real estate search for over a year, so we feel incredibly fortunate to have found a location in less than three months.
The location isn’t perfect. We would have liked a larger street-level presence. It doesn’t have any windows because it’s a basement. It’s actually 50% more space than we “need.”
But you’ll never get anywhere if you wait around for perfect. Imperfect action always beats perfect inaction.
The next step is to start working with an architect for the design and permitting. Then it’ll be onto construction, hiring, marketing, and training, with an anticipated launch in Q4.
It’s honestly a little overwhelming to think about all the things that need to get done before then. But all of that is in the future. You’ll go crazy if you spend your days stressed out about what is to come. All you can do is focus on the task immediately in front of you.
The rest will come in time, and you’ll face it then but no sooner