Oh, you think you’re patient?

Try starting a winery.

Just when you’re amped up to make a massive life change, ready to start the next chapter of your life, when you have all this momentum to do things, the only thing you can do is wait.

From the day I committed my life’s savings to starting Peony Lane to the day I made my first sale was two years.

That frustratingly long stretch of time was a gift I didn’t know I needed.

Before wine, I’d bounced between side projects where I lost steam quickly. I knew I wanted to start a business, and I knew I needed something that forced me to commit. I needed a forcing function that would make me step up into a role I knew I was capable of, but didn't have a reason to take on.

What I didn’t understand was how many sleepless nights, panic attacks, and moments of self-doubt came with it. Facing a real chance of failure head-on forced me to care. It pushed me past my limits and made me confront who I really was. That person wasn’t good enough, but could be.

Those two years of waiting became the foundation for everything that came next. I not only produced good wine on my first try, but also built the house I live in today and discovered Bitcoin.

I get asked how Bitcoin changed me. It didn’t. I changed me, and that change led me to Bitcoin.

I never really want to go through another time like that again, but I’m glad I did. If another one comes, I know I can handle it.

That stretch from 2019 to 2021 was the most important time of my life. It’s when I decided to step up instead of settle.

Proud of myself for that.