December 2025: Infidelity & A Fresh Start.
If you opened this email based on the subject and hope of some drama, I’m sorry to disappoint. But, the related blog post is something that every guy should read.
With that out of the way, it’s time for some life changes and a fresh start.
Something shifted in me on the flight home from my 8th trip in 9 weeks (September through November). I realized I wasn’t just jet-lagged from bouncing between APAC → ET → EMEA → MT → ET time zones.
I was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted from the last three years.
From losing our daughter, to fertility treatments, health scares, welcoming a newborn, and relentless pressure at work, something inside me had finally broken.
As I write this, I’m two weeks into a six-week sabbatical, asking myself one question: “What’s next?”
I know I need to get back to building and helping others.
Back to doing the things that make me feel alive.
Back to being the patient, focused father and husband my family deserves.
The exact shape of all this is still coming together, but I expect to have a much clearer picture to share when January’s newsletter lands in your inbox.
If you want to offer some unsolicited feedback or advice, feel free to hit “reply” and lay it on me. I want to hear all of the ideas!
Until then, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and get to spend as much time as possible with the people you love most.
Cheers to ‘26!
-AM
Men: Chase Adrenaline - Save Your Marriage
I am an adrenaline addict, and over the years I’ve lost a lot chasing the rush I used to get from combat, motocross, and starting companies… except recently, the only thing I was hunting was the next work crisis.
Work travel. Bills. PE pressure. Fertility hell. Dramatic life changes. Somewhere in there the fire went out and I didn’t even notice until I was sitting in a dark garage staring at empty space that my motorcycles used to fill.
A lot of men are one mid-life itch away from an affair, a heart attack, or just checking out completely. Why? Because we stopped feeding the beast and started numbing it instead.
If this feels too close to home, have a look at THIS post and start making some changes.
If you’ve got a family, a wife, or a pulse, you need this one.
Then forward it to the brother who’s quietly dying on the couch.
What I Read in 2025
From Jack Carr to Brown Bear Brown Bear and everything in between, I have put together a list of everything I read in 2025. It’s crazy to think that I’ve been building my “what I read” list for almost ten years now. This years list is a little thin, but there is still some gold.
Have a look HERE!
Savannah Homecoming
Jenelle and I have been slipping down to Savannah, Georgia for quick escapes ever since we moved to Raleigh in 2020. For me it always feels like a bit of a homecoming. I lived there from 2004 to 2009, first with the Army and then at VeriSign after I got out. I even owned a rental property in the area until 2021.
What I love is how Savannah seems to have grown up right alongside me.
Early days with the boys we never left the River Street to Broughton Street corridor. Life revolved around bars and meeting SCAD girls. That was it.
Later when I was working on Oglethorpe I suddenly cared about the city’s history, quiet cafés, and networking at First City Club (RIP).
Now when we come back with Jenelle and these days with Ford we’re drawn to completely different corners. River Street is still River Street, but the old west-end industrial lots have turned into slick Marriott properties and our favorite hotel The Thompson sits on what used to be marsh. The whole place has matured, picked up great restaurants and shops, and traded a lot of drunk soldiers for strollers (Fort Stewart isn’t what it used to be).
These days we’re the ones pushing a stroller through the squares, lingering in Forsyth Park, and hunting down the quiet spots. Savannah’s still got its soul. I’d like to think I still have mine.
We might move back one day. For now it’s our favorite place to escape.
While we’re at it...
Monday, December 8th marks my 20th “Alive Day”, and 20 years since Kevin Smith gave up his life to save mine.
That’s all I have to say about that.
A Business You Should Know: Osteria G
Joe and Ashley have built the best Italian restaurant you’ve probably never been to.
And now they’re also building an Italian deli and an NYC-caliber steakhouse right here in Holly Springs.
What makes Joe, Ashley, and OG so special isn’t that they set out to be best-in-class restaurateurs, it’s that they set out to be good people and provide a killer experience, and that’s exactly what has made them the best in the area.
When you walk into OG, you’ll be greeted by a great hostess and a big smile from Mack working behind the bar. Next, you’re almost guaranteed to run into Joe or Ashley, who will welcome you like you’re their oldest friend.
Then the real experience begins: the food, the wine—everything is perfect. But there’s one little detail that lets you know this isn’t your grandma’s Italian restaurant: the playlist, packed with songs your mom probably wouldn’t let you listen to growing up.
This place and the people behind it are truly special. The food is outstanding.
Make the trip, you’ll be glad you did.
In Closing
It’s been one hell of a 2025, and I’m excited to make a change. Exactly what that looks like is still a little TBD, but I’m ready for it.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas season. Take a minute to step back, look around, and feel real gratitude for all the goodness in your life. Despite all the chaos swirling around us, it really is a damn fine time to be alive.
Cheers,
AM