What’s up guys.

You might be laughing, or rolling your eyes at that subject line, and I totally understand.

I used to roll my eyes at that phrase.

“Money buys happiness”

Felt like something a Miami crypto bro would say after buying bottle service at 2PM on a Tuesday.

But last week, I found myself barefoot at my lake house, blowing bubbles with my niece and nephew, pure giggles and time spent on and off the water, and I couldn’t stop smiling.

I had just grilled steaks for my family. No rush. No calls. No meetings. No stress.

Just joy. Just presence… and we did this on a Monday. 

And for a moment, I realized: money didn’t buy that moment, but it did buy the space for it.

It bought the cabin. The freedom to pause. The mental bandwidth to be fully there.

That moment was earned. And there’s no shame in saying that money was part of the exchange.

The Real ROI

Here’s what nobody tells you:

The actual ROI of success isn’t the car or the house.

It’s playing bubbles with your niece on a Tuesday afternoon with no guilt.

It’s letting your nervous system breathe without checking Slack every 10 minutes.

It’s being off, fully off, and knowing the machine still runs.

You work so hard to buy yourself time. But most people forget why they wanted it in the first place.

They get the house, but don’t invite people over.

They take the vacation, but stay glued to their inbox.

They build the life but forget to live in it.

That’s not wealth. That’s just a different kind of prison.

So I’m moving differently now.

More stillness. More slow moments. More core memories with people I love.

That’s the asset I’m compounding.

My Guest At This Time

This week on the Founder2Founder Podcast, I sat down with Shelby Sapp, an absolute force in the sales and brand-building worlds.

We got deep on:

• Using vulnerability as a business asset

• How to not lose yourself while selling and scaling fast

• The energetic cost of showing up fake (and how your audience can feel it)

This conversation hit me on a soul level. Shelby’s story is a masterclass in owning your truth while building something huge.

Catch the full episode here, this one stuck with me, and it’ll stick with you too.

Lightning in a Bottle

There’s a reason this newsletter doesn’t come out on a schedule.

I don’t want to force it.

I want to live something worth sharing, then write it down.

And last week, that something looked like:

A lake, a grill, some giggling kids, and a grown man realizing how rich life actually is.

I used to think growth came from grind.

But lately, it’s come from slowness. From stillness. From being with people I love.

And that’s a gift I would’ve never known how to receive five years ago.

Bringing it All Home

Here’s the truth: Money can’t buy happiness.

But it can buy the conditions that let it in. It can buy a Saturday with no Slack notifications.

A lake house for your siblings to unplug.

A moment where your nervous system finally exhales.

I’m not chasing the money anymore. I’m chasing the life it can unlock, if I’m awake enough to receive it.

And that means saying no more often, leading with alignment, and showing up with an open heart, even in business.

That’s the kind of wealth I’m optimizing for now.

Until next time,
Aaron