I almost didn’t go.

Three full days unplugged from the mission?
Felt… irresponsible.
Like I was turning my back on what I’ve been building.

But I’ve learned..
Rest has its own intelligence.

We spent the weekend at LEAF Festival here in the mountains.
Kids running wild.
Music floating in from all directions.
People just being people.
No pitch.
No performance.
Just presence.

And in that space… something opened.

Alma and I sat down to talk.
Not just surface stuff.. but the deeper currents:
Where we’re headed.
What we’re building.
How we want to show up together.. not just in life, but in the business too.

We circled around a pattern that’s been in our relationship for decades.
A friction point around growth, risk, and goal-setting.
One of those topics that always felt sticky.
Loaded.

But this time, it didn’t blow up.

I spoke the truth I’ve always wanted to say.. cautiously, but clearly.
She asked for clarity.
I gave it.
And boom.
Turns out we were on the same page all along.

I had built a false belief around her perspective..
A perfectionistic frame that colored every conversation.

But in rest, I could finally hear her.
And she could finally see me.

This wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t stepped away.
It couldn’t have.

And now?
A decades-long misunderstanding… gone.
Cleared.
Resolved.

Everything we did before got us to this moment.
And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Sometimes the most strategic move isn’t more pressure.
It’s pause.
Release.
Perspective.

🚀

​- James