As you might have noticed, there was no newsletter last week. Although I missed this weekly commitment that I make to both you and I, I don’t regret it for a second. You’ll know why shortly…

Two years ago, a former colleague of mine - a leader that I really admired at the tech company I used to work for - responded to one of these Forty Fridays. I had no idea he was subscribed, and his response has motivated my writing these ever since.

Here is an excerpt from his email to me:

“It (Forty Fridays) reminds me of a book, 'Letters of a Businessman to his Son'. Keep all of these and years from now (or whenever you feel is a perfect time), publish them - lots of wisdom here that would be appreciated by many. It would also be cool to see how your views change over the years while still being rooted in your core values.”

I’m not sharing this with you so that I can pump my tires or somehow prove that my work is worth reading. Instead, I’m sharing it as a reminder of what and who I’m writing for.

At 4:01 am on Monday, January 29th, 2024, we had a beautiful baby girl. Elliotte Joy Nyhof.

We decided not to find out the sex beforehand, and it was one of the most wonderful and intense surprises of my life. It’s a moment that I will never forget.

I’ll save the notes about how much having a daughter is going to change my life forever. I know that many of you who read these weekly musings have children of your own.

I do however want to praise Grand River hospital and all of the doctors and nurses who helped with Elli’s delivery and Jourdan’s recovery. That hospital manages to do the impossible every single day and night, and unless you have a baby there, you’d never know it.

I will forever be grateful for the team that cared for our family this past week.

Now that she’s here, I again thought back to the note from my former colleague referenced above. And while these won’t be “letters of a businessman to his son,” it is my mission and hope that these words outlive me. I hope that my daughter will read them someday and be proud of the man who loved nothing more than the privilege of being her father.

Thank you all for being a part of this mission and what I’m building through The 1440. It means more than you know.