10/23/2025
A few weeks ago, I crossed the border into Canada with Aaron and a group of Veterans who got to Rod and Reel in Sioux Narrows before him and I did due to a 1 1/2 hour delay at the boarder. Not a surprise that two Marines crossing the border had paperwork run on them! 🤣
Most of us were strangers on that trip. All of us were carrying something.
What I found on that water changed me.
Huge shout out to Magnus Veterans Foundation and Time on the Water who facilitated the trip, and sponsored by Duke Cannon. It gave a bunch of us space to breathe, reflect, and reconnect with who we are beneath the armor we wear daily.
I caught more fish in that week than I have in my entire life. But more importantly, I found more of myself.
Big thanks to Jeff the Guide (in the middle of the picture), a man who helped me land more fish than I ever have, encouraged me on my health journey, and continues to check in even now, weeks later.
And to Aaron (on the left side of the picture), my brother from another mother. Fellow Marine. Someone I barely knew when we left and now consider family.
Between Jeff (not a Marine) and Aaron, the banter was constant. The kind that only happens when you’ve worn the same boots and carried the same weight. It felt like being back in the Marines, but on the water instead of in the field.
But it wasn’t just them. Every single brother and sister in arms on that trip brought something powerful.
The camaraderie.
The laughter.
The shared peace in silence.
It felt like being part of a unit again. Only this time, we were armed with rods, not rifles. And I came home with a little more of my old self intact.
Fast forward to this past weekend, back in the woods for the Youth MEA weekend Deer Hunt with my son JJ, my brother Joe, and my long time best friend Mike. Different scene. Same type of shenanigans and clarity.
This is why I do what I do.
Not just for the numbers. But for the freedom those numbers create.
For guides, outfitters, and business owners who are deep in the grind and buried in chaos, I’ve got you.
✅ Catch-up
✅ Cleanup
✅ Clarity
You guide the trip, I'll guide the books.
Freedom Bookkeeping, providing you the freedom to do what really matters.