“You going to Antigua?” I ask a stranger outside the Guatemala City airport.
“Umm, yes?” she replies, reluctantly.
“Mind if I hop in and we split the ride?”
“Sure…” she says, with a ‘who the hell is this guy?’ look.
But I hop in and off we go.
No master plan.
No expectations.
Just an intuitive ask I almost didn’t make.
Little did I know this one question would change the next two months of my life. And who knows from there.
Here’s what happened:
↪ I joined her climbing expedition
↪ Two days later climbed active volcanoes
↪ Met someone who influenced me to do Spanish school
↪ Postponed El Salvador
↪ Moved to the heart of Guatemala
↪ Took 50 hours of Spanish. Salsa lessons. Stayed with host family. Lived like a local
↪ El Salvador - now unexpectedly perfectly timed - introduced me to one of my best travel friends
↪ Who led me to overcoming my fear of cliff jumping, lakeside workouts, and an unplanned, legendary motorbike adventure
And now here we are, writing this newsletter from one of the world’s top coffee shops in Medellín, Colombia 🇨🇴 ☕️
After traveling every country in Central America.
None of it planned.
All of it unforgettable.
Which brings us to today’s topic ⬇️
🦋 The Butterfly Effect 🦋
I recently met a fellow traveler for a rooftop dinner in Cartagena who introduced me to the idea of The Butterfly Effect.
The idea is simple: small, seemingly insignificant actions can create massive, unpredictable outcomes.
Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett describe it as:
“A butterfly flaps its wings in the Amazonian jungle, and subsequently a storm ravages half of Europe.”¹
Benjamin Franklin put it:
“For want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For want of a horse the rider was lost,
For want of a rider the battle was lost,
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
and all for the want of a horseshoe nail.”
One nail. Kingdom gone.
Tiny cause. Massive effect.
⚡️ Real Life, Real Impact
One hello at a wedding → my first sales job
One handshake at another → two career-changing opportunities
+a life-changing mentor
Went for a run → idea to call prospect → made the call → closed the biggest deal of my career
One text asking a friend to climb Rainier → one reply with, “how about next week?”
I said yes, by the way ⬇️
Getting ready to climb Mount Rainier on one week’s notice - s/o the legend Troy Castle for the push, Garrett for the guide, and Jake for not dying!
One week later, Rainier summit 🏔️
From one text message to the top of Rainier - 14,411 feet
Real-life continued:
One instinct to cancel Everest Base Camp → avalanches hit one week later → trekkers evacuated
Quit my job → became a yoga teacher → found purpose
One yes to coffee with friends → moved to Seattle → fell in love
One bad decision to drive drunk → arrested → changed my life → ~8 years without alcohol → wouldn’t be here without it
Bought a USB mic → 150+ podcast episodes → met Dan Martell → started this newsletter
Journaled one morning → reached out for an interview → did the interview → invited to join men’s group → joined → joined a life changing community
That community → challenged me to create three goals for 2026 → decided to write a weekly newsletter
And here we are.
All because a stranger said hello to me at a restaurant in Cartagena.
A stranger who shared that it took every ounce of courage to start saying hello to people after growing up a shy and timid individual.
I’m grateful for his bravery.
💡 Three Takeaways
Follow the feeling. Sometimes you can’t explain it - you just know. Follow it. The most beautiful chapters of your life are sometimes unplanned.
Lean into resistance. Feel like there’s something you should do, but don’t want to? Do it. It’s these moments, these opportunities, that can change everything.
Act on inspiration. Inspiration is fleeting. Ideas come and go. Act before it’s gone. They say the idea will bounce to the next person if not acted upon immediately.
🌱 Closing
Here’s the point: most people are waiting for the big moment.
The top of the mountain.
The thriving business.
The big promotion.
The world travel.
But life doesn’t work that way.
It’s built on the small, seemingly insignificant daily actions.
The scary hello.
The quiet moments.
The journaled sentence.
The uncomfortable phone call.
Actions that are unnoticed.
But these are the opportunities.
To lean in,
or lean out.
The choice is always yours.
💥 Call-To-Action
Here’s what I want you to do.
Think of a moment you’re proud of.
An experience, relationship, or achievement that changed you.
Now trace it back.
Step by step.
Where did it start?
Most likely somewhere small.
Almost unnoticed.
A message.
A thought.
An idea.
A decision.
A moment of courage when it could have been easier to play it safe and stay comfortable.
Now here’s your challenge: Act on one small instinct, today.
Something small that feels scary, uncomfortable - makes your heart race a little.
Send the text.
Make the call.
Say hello.
Do the thing you’re resisting.
And do so without expectation.
Because nothing is guaranteed.
But it just might change your life forever.
And even if it doesn’t - what if that hello makes someone smile?
Because that just might change their day, week, month, and life 🚀
🧘♂️ Mindfulness Tip of the Week
Tip: Humans over AI (again)
Doubling down on this same tip from last week because of the importance. I recently found myself wanting to ask ChatGPT for travel recommendations.
Then I had an internal self-talk to ask my Uber driver instead.
My day improved 10X after I decided to do the thing I was resisting and engage with a human.
“Life is better engaged”
Action: Next time you reach for your phone to ask AI / ChatGPT a question, ask yourself if a human can potentially answer.
Value: So often we utilize technology for an answer when the human next to us can help and create a more meaningful, connective experience.
✈️ Travel Tip of the Week
Want to stretch your comfort zones while limiting expenses? Stay at hostels.
They force you to connect with other travelers.
Engage with humans.
Say yes to things you might normally say no to.
Live with others (it had been a minute for me)
Plus - it’s a great way to save some money.
For most of my travels I’ve stayed in the cheapest solo Airbnb’s I could find.
Recently I’ve been staying in hostels because:
a) they are super cheap
b) I am loving the human element
c) there is so much additional value (ie: trips, recommendations, ways to learn, things to do)
🔥 Content Corner
🎯 2026 Goals Scoreboard
✍️ Goal 1: Write 49 Newsletters
Realized: 14/49
🌎 Goal 2: Travel to 34 countries by age 34
Realized: 23/34
💰Goal 3: Earn $50k in self-generated revenue
Realized: $1,105
Got this far? Reply and let me know your biggest insight, takeaway, or any feedback you have for the newsletter.
I love hearing from you and always respond.
Also - many of you continue to share the newsletter on social or forward via email/text.
Thank you. It’s the #1 way the newsletter grows, so if you know someone who might enjoy it, please share.
I hope you continue finding value and inspiration to take action toward a life that feels aligned, expansive, and meaningful for you.
Sigue la aventura 🚀
📸 Weekly Camera Roll
Writing this newsletter from a Top 100 Coffee Shop in world - Pergamino in Medellín, Colombia - butterfly effect of quitting job to pursue dream of traveling the world
Practiced my handstands, cartwheels, and wall running with the local kiddos in Comuna 13 ❤️
Another country, another game, another win! Hostel crew getting hounded by local dude in red - nice guy, just absolutely hammered speaking gibberish
Streets of Cartagena - walking 17 miles in two days just exploring the city colors, architecture, vibes, and energy
Plaza of Palacio de la Cultura - Medellín, Colombia
Medellín park workouts! Worked out right here 3 mornings so far - the best
And ALWAYS crushing croissants
📍 Ábaco Libros y Café - one of my all-time favorite coffee shops - you find the best places wandering, getting “lost,” stumbling into the unexpected
📍Palacio de la Cultura - walking tours through Medellín! ~20 miles of tours in 2-3 days
Had to snag a pic with the local legends after the big win against Cusco!
Before beginning our tour of Comuna 13 - just 20 years ago one of the most dangerous places in the world. Now has been renovated for safety and tourism
Local dish while writing this newsletter - that biscuit though, my god
Medellín, Comuna 13 - developing into a safe and controlled environment (even though still run by gangs - citizens pay a tax for safety and protection)
And before we wrap, s/o my rooftop friend who introduced me to the butterfly effect.
One of the most fascinating, intelligent, sophisticated individuals I’ve ever met.
Born in Pakistan. Lives in New York. Spends six weeks at a time working in Iraq. Works on missiles and weapon intelligence.
Part of me felt unmatched at the table.
Part of me felt I was right where I was supposed to be.
Travel will do that. Natural growth.
You don’t need to be equally smart to fit in. But you can listen with intent to learn. Be curious. Interested. Stay open-minded.
And share what’s beautiful about you, all at the same time.
In his words: “We get to learn something new from everyone we meet”
What a beautiful reminder ✨
See you next week 🚀
P.S. - for whoever needs this: The answers you seek are found in the questions you avoid.
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