Next week my company is hosting our 14th annual The Intellectual Investor Conference in Vail (formerly known as VALUEx Vail). I encourage you to check out presentations from past events—there’s a lot of insight there.
Right after the conference, I’m flying to Calgary to visit three of our companies, including a trip to the oil sands.
People have asked me, “What do you expect to learn from these trips?” Honestly—I have no idea. I’ve increased company visits over the last few years (even went to CES in Las Vegas in January), and every single time I’ve learned something valuable… I just didn’t know it at the time.
Also, I love traveling and seeing the world.
Choosing to Enjoy It
A few days ago, I was at my 11-year-old daughter Mia Sarah’s bridging ceremony from elementary to middle school. I was talking to another father, a friend who lives near us. He was complaining about the traffic and how much he hates driving his daughter to school.
I recognized my old self in his words.
I have two older kids—Jonah (24) and Hannah (19). When I think back to the years I spent driving them to school, I remember those moments with a lot of nostalgia. I didn’t always appreciate them then, but I do now. I have a perspective he doesn’t yet.
Driving Mia Sarah to school is one of the highlights of my day. I actually look forward to it—it’s our time. We’ve got our morning routine: I finish my writing while she’s getting ready, then she makes us breakfast. In the car, we listen to music. Sometimes we ask ChatGPT to tell us about the composer. Watching her react to a piece of music for the first time is priceless. I don’t take calls—those 15 to 30 minutes, depending on traffic, are ours.
I told my friend:
“You’re driving your daughter anyway. You may as well choose to enjoy it. You’re turning a negative emotion into a positive one. You’re making memories—for her and for you. Ten years from now, you’ll look back on these drives as some of the best moments of your life.”
Spot on! 100% agree 🙂