I went back to the Gym

Hey Beyonder!

Three things happened last week that got me thinking. Let me tell you about them.

I Went Back to the Gym

You know I've been playing badminton consistently. I thought I had the health thing figured out. I'm active, I'm sweating, I'm moving. What else do I need?

Turns out, a lot.

I realized I hadn't touched a weight in months. And I could feel it. I wasn't as strong. There's this energy that only resistance training gives you and I was missing it.

So last week, I went back to the gym.

Man, that feeling. The moment I started lifting again, it was like something in me woke up. That dopamine hit was insane. I walked out feeling like I could conquer the world.

Here's what I learned: Badminton gives me agility. The gym gives me strength. I need both. You can't replace one with the other and pretend it's the same thing.

A Three-Hour Conversation That Flipped My Perspective

I love good stationery. Always have. So when I came across Endless, this luxury stationery company with incredible design, I texted the founder and asked if we could meet.

We met at a cafe at 6:30 PM. Didn't leave till 9 PM.

We talked about everything: life, business, the whole thing. But one moment stuck with me.

He looked at me and said, "Your whole business is built around you. Even if everything shut down tomorrow, you could rebuild it from scratch. You are the product."

Then he added, "For me, my business depends on the products. If something happens, I'm dependent on them."

Here's the crazy part: I was looking at him thinking the exact opposite.

I was thinking, "This guy has it figured out. His business can run when he's on vacation. That's the dream."

Meanwhile, he's looking at me thinking I have all the freedom.

We both wanted what the other had.

It made me realize, there's no perfect business model. Building around your identity gives you freedom but makes you the bottleneck. Building around products gives you scale but creates dependency.

You just pick what works for you right now.

(By the way, he gifted me some beautiful products, including this ink bottle that's so aesthetic I put it on display. If you're into stationery, check out Endless_Stationery, not sponsored, just genuinely love the design.)

My First International Recognition

This one surprised me.

Last week, I got my first international recognition, the International Creative Award from the University of Windsor. They were visiting India, meeting with educational institutions, and they gave awards to people making an impact in education.

The university president handed me the award himself.

First international recognition. That's wild to say out loud.

But it didn't feel like "I made it." It felt more like "okay, we're on the right track."

The work we're doing: the stories, the content, the community, it's reaching places I didn't expect. And honestly, we're just getting started. The impact we'll make this year is going to be bigger, and I'm glad you're here for it.

What This Week Taught Me

Strength takes consistency. I stopped lifting, lost it, and had to go back. That's just how it works.

There's no perfect path. Identity business or product business, both have trade-offs. Pick what fits you.

Impact compounds quietly. You don't always see where it's going until someone hands you an award you didn't know was coming.

Whatever you're building right now, just keep showing up. Some weeks you'll feel strong. Some weeks you'll question everything. But as long as you keep going, you're moving forward.

That's it for this week.

See you next Wednesday.

Cheers,

Epaphra