Why I Needed A F****** Break.
And why it’s ok to take one.
I went back and forth on whether or not I should actually spell out the F-word. It’s my effing newsletter, after all. As you can see, I opted for manners.
Anyway, the last four weeks have been rather quiet if you’re following me anywhere or reading my stuff.
I decided it was ok to take a break from showing up in some places and spaces.
Here are the from-the-heart reasons why I hit a bit of a breaking point when everyone else was celebrating April Fool’s Day:
Family. I had a number of relationships to pour more energy into.
The Cafe. The toll of this project finally caught up with me. It was 9 months of 14 hour days, 7 days a week. Not to mention investing $200,000 of my savings.
Adam’s departure. At the end of 2025, Adam decided to step away from Experience Milwaukee. We had worked together for 8 years. The laughs, tears, frustrations, and celebrations came to a sudden halt. I missed him. And I realized how much I needed his curiosity, creativity, and support in my life.
MKE’s innovation theater. At the end of 2025 I decided to shift the editorial focus of Experience Milwaukee exclusively to tech. I’ve spent the last 4 months interviewing local and national business leaders while analyzing Milwaukee’s tech situation. Even with the positive aspects, it can be daunting to also realize how far behind our city is. We need a stronger bias toward action. The people I know who are building something big that started here have found they have to spend more time outside of Milwaukee to grow it. That makes me sad. And I know I’m not the only one who feels this way.
All of this combined and I wasn’t ready.
What did I do?
Honestly, for a while, I was stunned.
Then, I took action.
I cleared my calendar of meetings that weren’t essential to the business. I committed to a 30 day break from attending any kind of business, tech, or networking event.
It worked.
While I was “out” I doubled down on the fam. I made peace with the cafe. And, yes, Adam and I are jamming on things like we used to. Maybe even better than ever.
I also took time to think.
As someone who gets into a lot of rooms, what can my part be in helping Milwaukee move forward in tech, business, economic development, and talent retention?
Even with everything I paused, I remain busy, in a healthier way.
I interviewed 5 of the 8 Wisconsin gubernatorial candidates to better understand their position on and vision for tech.
I interviewed regional tech organization leaders to get a state of the state’s tech ecosystem.
I interviewed tech builders to learn more about what they’re not getting from Milwaukee and what they need so they can remain in the city they love.
I embedded myself in big companies, our beloved sports teams, and other spaces to get a behind-the-scenes view of what they’re working on and, more importantly, the humans working on it.
I’m still not 100%, but I’m getting there. And I still love what I’m doing.
I’m grateful for the support from those of you I’ve talked to about this over the last few weeks.
And for Concurrency, SCS, Experis, Slalom, Komatsu, and a few others I can’t mention yet, for being understanding partners. They help make my work possible.
And to all of YOU, the reason I do this work, thank you and I promise you more tech stories starting next week.
Love you Milwaukee!
Experience Milwaukee is sponsored by Concurrency and Secure Compliance Solutions.
Bravo Good Man. Lessons in there for all of us. Appreciate you!