Happy Hump Day. Appreciate all the love on Episode 1 of Go West. Excited to keep sharing these stories.

Let’s get into it.

I found myself roadtripping for work yesterday, and heard a line from Charles Bukowski that stuck with me.

He basically said people lose their minds over small, trivial things, but barely notice when they’re slowly wasting their lives.

It’s easy to lose a morning to traffic. A night to email. A weekend to chores and errands, etc., and call it “being responsible while the kids grow another inch in front of you.

Meanwhile, the real stuff gets whatever’s left.

Most of us don’t mean to let the important stuff slip. We’re just distracted by the stuff that feels urgent but doesn’t really matter.

One day, we’ll look back and realize the small stuff was just noise. The big stuff was right there the whole time.

Try not to miss it.

Dave Allee is the founder of Almond Surfboards, a custom surfboard company he started 17 years ago in Costa Mesa. He also runs a family bison jerky business on the side. Busy guy. Even busier dad.

He’s raising two kids, ages six and three, and says the hardest part is balancing entrepreneurial ambition with being fully present at home.

His kids have a sixth sense for laptops, so when it’s work time, he has to physically disappear. The upside is he gets a lot of time with them. They’re a midweek pancakes family.

The most rewarding part has been the little moments. Letting the kids help in the kitchen. Getting them outside. Building Hot Wheels tracks instead of finishing emails. Fatherhood gave him a new understanding of how deeply his own parents loved him.

His reminder comes from John Eldredge: It’s the little things that build a beautiful life.

Follow along at @almondsurfboards and @rangerbison and read our full interview with Dave here.

He didn’t ask for it. But dang, do we appreciate a side business.

You just met Dave Allee above. His side hustle? Ranger Bison — hickory-smoked bison jerky done the slow, right way.

Why it hits:

Surfboards by day. Bison jerky on the side. Dad math done right.

Get it here.

We’re about mid-month. Quick check-in: how are the New Year goals holding up?

If you’ve slipped, you’re normal. Motivation fades before habits lock in.

Here’s the science: one missed day doesn’t matter. Two in a row tells your brain the habit is optional.

Miss a day? Fine. Just don’t miss two in a row.