**DADS OF TAMPA SKOOL** This one's a little different. Bear with me. Nobody asks you about your plan. They ask you what you did when the plan fell apart. I've been interviewing Tampa Bay leaders for TBC Magazine (one of my other jobs) and I keep noticing the same pattern. Every single one of them has a version of the same story - the launch that got delayed, the deal that fell through, the thing they built that didn't survive contact with reality. None of them talk about it like a tragedy. They talk about it like a hinge point. The moment before they figured out the next thing. I'll be honest - I've been living in one of those moments myself this week. Something we had planned didn't go the way I mapped it out. Nothing dramatic. Just one of those weeks where the calendar and reality stopped playing nice with each other. Here's what I keep coming back to: the plan was never the point. The plan was just my best guess before reality had a say in it. What actually matters is what happens in the gap - the few days between "this ain't working" and "here's what we do instead." I don't have a tidy lesson to wrap this up with yet. I'm still in the middle of it. But that's kind of the point of this Pack, isn't it? We don't show up because we've got it all figured out. We show up because we don't, and we'd rather figure it out together. So if you're in the middle of something right now too - I'd rather hear how you're handling it than pretend any of us have it all figured out. Reply and tell me about it. **Before we get to the good stuff - some real gratitude.** RaRa. Joel. Hubert. Esteban. Lamar. Shane. Mike. Tim. The Die-Hards. You guys keep showing up. You keep me going. This thing doesn't exist without dads who decide, week after week, that this is worth their time. So this is me saying thank you, out loud, in front of everybody. **And now - it's Father's Day Weekend.** I cannot wait to be standing in that clubhouse with all of you, celebrating this friendship we've built. Whatever the plan looked like on paper, what matters is we're showing up for each other. That's the whole point. See you there.

Subject: 12 Days Out + Guest Star Dad Joke + Should We Build a LinkedIn? 🐺 **DADS OF TAMPA SKOOL** Summer's got everyone moving slow but we're still cooking. Let's get into it. **First: 12 days out. Summer Festival is almost here.** June 20th, 12-5 PM, Live Oak Community. Pool is OPEN - yeah, we had a little scare there but it's sorted. We've got food, vendors, games, a dunk tank, and goodie bags that are genuinely going to make you happy you showed up. Speaking of goodie bags - my kids are currently running my personal sweatshop putting them together this week. Dropping a little video soon so you can see what's inside. Still waiting on a couple Amazon deliveries but it's looking real good. Here's the important part: **if you want to come and you haven't signed up or contacted me yet - do it NOW.** We can only bring in a limited number of outside guests per community rules. I'll be calling people on the list to confirm. If you're not on it and you want to be, reach out today. Don't wait. **Second: Car Show this Saturday at Crossover Church.** Last minute heads up but if you're interested, hit me back and I'll send you the link. Keep your eyes open fellas - a lot of cool stuff happens in this community and it slips under the radar. If YOU have an event coming up, share it in the group. The Dads of Tampa Instagram isn't just me - it's all of us. Post it. **Third: LinkedIn - should we build a presence there?** We've got dads with real businesses in this group and I want to make sure we're showing up where it counts professionally too. Thinking about starting a LinkedIn group for the Pack - a more polished space to grow the Dadabase, connect business-minded dads, and open doors to professional collaborations. Two questions: Are you on LinkedIn? And would you want to help admin a DOTS LinkedIn group if we build one? If you've got LinkedIn expertise and want to help run it, I especially want to hear from you. Reply and let me know. **Fourth: NASA Day Trip - we need 5 more.** Got about 5 hands up so far. Need 10. Targeting late September, party bus, $250-300 range all in, no overnight. Raise your hand if you're interested and we'll add you to the list.