Whats cooking guys! Happy Friday!

It’s been 30+ days since I sat with Ayahuasca for the first time.

And I can say, without hype or dramatics, that it rewired the way I live and lead.

Before, urgency was my default setting. Everything was a fire. Everything was a sprint. I used stress as fuel and wore the burnout like it was part of the job.

But what I’ve learned in the 30 days since that ceremony is this: Urgency is a lie.

It’s the ego’s version of importance.

It makes everything feel critical, but nothing feel meaningful.

I used to write keynotes with strategy in mind. Now I write them from a deeper place, not to impress, but to transmit truth.

I used to run the business like it was a battlefield. Now it feels more like a current and my only job is to stay in flow.

Before: I used stress to create energy. Now I use connection and clarity to create momentum.

My Guest At This Time

Speaking of connection, this week on the Founder2Founder Podcast, I sat down with Gaston Becherano Cohen.

We talked:

Turning a single food stand into owning the entire market.
Hiring creatives vs. operators, and why you need both.
What hospitality can teach D2C founders about lifetime value.

Catch the full conversation here. Grateful for Gaston taking the time to sit down, this one was awesome.

Flow

When I’m in alignment, I show up differently. And the energy I bring, to the team, to our customers, to the product, is felt.

This month, I’ve shown up for things that matter:

My dad’s 69th birthday. Our community in multiple cities. And I’ve had people show up for me in ways that reminded me what it means to be held.

I also flew my mom out to spend three days with me.

We prioritized our health, got MRIs, focused on longevity, shared meals and silence.

And I had her on the podcast for the first time. That conversation meant everything.

Ayahuasca reminded me what’s actually important and how to keep an open heart in all situations.

Most people don’t know this, but my mom is @ImmigrantMom on TikTok with nearly 100,000 followers.

Her story is powerful. 

Her voice deserves to be heard. 

And I’m honored that part of my own healing includes creating space for hers.

Two lessons from the medicine that keep echoing for me:

Presence is power.

We think leadership is about doing more, pushing harder, speaking louder. But real leadership is about being fully here. 

It’s eye contact. It’s silence. It’s listening without rushing to respond. 

That presence is what people feel, and what they remember.

Stillness is strategy.

Sponsor Spotlight: Highbeam

If you’re running a consumer brand, your bank should work as hard as you do.

Highbeam is a no-fee banking and cash-management platform built specifically for D2C founders, and this week, they’re hooking it up for all of the readers of Founder2Founder:

3 months of Highbeam Intelligence free for Founder2Founder readers
Yield on idle cash & real-time cash-flow forecasting, automatically
Same-day ACH bill pay that secures better vendor terms
AI Analyst that answers the finance questions your spreadsheet can’t

Brands like Birddogs, CUTS Clothing, and New York or Nowhere already use Highbeam to earn more, move faster, and never wait on their bank again.

Snag your 3-month trial and keep your cash working while you build.

Truly no better feeling than building your brand and keeping your cash. Highbeam makes it happen.

Bringing it All Home

There’s a kind of clarity that only arrives when we stop.

In moments of chaos, stillness isn’t avoidance. It’s where the next move reveals itself. 

Ayahuasca taught me that some answers only come when I stop chasing them.

So I’m moving differently now.

Yes, I’m still building. Still creating. Still running a business.

But I’m not burning myself down in the process.

I’m leading from alignment. From trust. From an open heart.

And that changes everything.

Until next time,

Aaron