Celebrating 50 with Family, Laughter, and a New PR

So all in all, last week was pretty normal — Monday through Thursday, anyway. Just a regular workweek with the usual rhythm of meetings, check-ins, and planning. I had a bunch of internal meetings with the team, no surprise there. We’ve been evaluating some of our processes lately — especially how we produce and publish video content — and trying to rework the format a bit.

One of the things I’ve been really interested in is using tools like ChatGPT more effectively in that process. Not just to save time, but to boost the quality, create better hooks, and bring in more storytelling. That’s been a theme across the board lately — looking at how we do marketing in the Charlotte metro area, where we focus our budget, and how we can make our branding more consistent. At the end of the day, all of it is about helping more clients. If we can reach more people and get the message out more clearly, we can help more folks get the representation they need.

But by the time Friday rolled around, the work took a back seat. I celebrated my birthday — a big one this year. I turned 50. That still feels a little strange to say out loud. Half a century.

We had a house full of family, which was perfect. My parents came over, my in-laws were there, my brother and his family made it, and both of my boys were home too. Noah flew down from High Point on Thursday, and Sam’s been here most of the summer, so we pretty much had everyone under one roof. That alone made the whole weekend feel special.

For dinner, we kept it simple but good — chicken fajitas. One of my favorites, and honestly, perfect for where I’m at with my diet. I’m still thinking about Dragon Con in September, and that’s usually my target event when I want to feel and look my leanest. So fajitas are kind of my go-to meal — they taste great, feel indulgent, and don’t totally wreck the plan if you keep the cheese and tortillas under control.

For dessert, my wife got me a cookie cake. There’s just something about it that hits the birthday sweet spot. It was a great way to end the night — everyone around the table, full stomachs, laughing, catching up. One of those nights you just kind of wish you could freeze for a minute.

Then Saturday morning, I went to work out with my dad. We train together when we can, and his trainer had the bright idea to have us go for some bench press PRs (Personal Records). I hit 255, which was technically a PR, but I had my eyes on 265. I felt like 255 went up pretty well, so I skipped 260 and jumped to 265… and I missed it. Should’ve gone for the 260 first and maybe I would’ve nailed it. So I walked away frustrated, but also not too discouraged. I’m in a cutting phase, and whenever I’m eating cleaner and lighter, my strength always takes a little hit. That’s just part of the game.

After the gym, we met up with some close friends for a late lunch at one of my favorite restaurants — El Ranchero. They’ve got great outdoor seating, solid food, and it’s another good fajita spot for me. Again, Mexican food is my diet hack — if you skip the heavy stuff and focus on grilled meat and veggies, you’re golden. I eat a lot of it when I’m trying to lean down.

Later that night, we attempted to watch a B-movie called Crackcoon. Yes, you read that right. It’s a movie about a raccoon that finds a stash of crack and goes on a rampage. Now, I love a good bad movie — the cheesier the better — but this one didn’t even fall into the “so bad it’s good” category. It was just... rough. We made it maybe a third of the way through before we all looked at each other and decided to pull the plug. We were done. Still, even the bad movies make for good stories and laughs.

The rest of the evening, we just hung out, talked, and enjoyed each other’s company. One of my friends is also in business, so naturally the conversation turned toward planning for next year — goals, ideas, things we want to change or double down on. I always enjoy those kinds of talks. They're productive but casual, and it's fun to share where our heads are at.

One down note — we noticed that our French Bulldog, Ted, had a sore on his eye Saturday evening. Frenchies are prone to eye issues, and he’s had a few in the past, but this one looked a little worse than usual. By Sunday it had clearly gotten worse, so we booked a vet appointment for first thing Monday morning. Hoping it’s nothing too serious. He’s part of the family, and it’s always tough to see your dog hurting — especially when they can’t tell you what’s wrong.

So that was the week — part business, part birthday, part bench press disappointment, and a whole lot of fajitas. It wasn’t the most exciting week in the world, but it was full of the stuff that really matters: family, friends, goals, and a little time to reflect.

And if your week included a car wreck or injury and you’re not sure what to do next… In pain, call Shane! 980-999-9999. We’re here to help.