Bacon, Blasts & Bloating

As I sit here eating a bacon, egg, and cheese on a WHOLE WHEAT everything bagel—whole wheat (a very healthy choice of me, let the record show)—I’m feeling extra excited for the holidays.

The holidays feel earned this year. Big time. I’ll do my usual New Year’s sappy, grateful, reflective round-up in a couple weeks when it’s actually New Year’s, but since this is the last newsletter before I officially “log off” for the season (yup 2 full weeks off at Mugsy, not a big deal), allow me a brief moment of sentimentality.

First, A Huge Thank You

Shoutout to our partners at Common Thread Collective for the most INSANE seats at the Rangers game on Saturday. Adam (Mugsy’s CMO) and I were treated like royalty at MSG—front-row views, elite vibes—even though the Rangers got absolutely crushed, and we both had Rangers ML and the under. Pain.

Specific shoutout to:

• Taylor Holiday, the undisputed king of contribution margin.

• Garret Hord, our everyday assassin.

For clarity: CTC is not paying for this praise. They’re just that good. They’ve been game-changing for Mugsy—helping us get smart with our ad dollars while still having a blast. If you’re looking for a growth partner, these guys rule & we had a blast.

Let’s talk about what happens to your routine this time of year. For me? It’s been absolutely obliterated. Thanksgiving was, like, five minutes ago, holiday parties are ramping up, the Guinness is tasting extra crisp, and—be honest—why on earth would I go run on a treadmill when it’s dark by 4:30 PM?

Lately, my evenings have looked something like this:

• Harry Potter on the TV.

• Cookies in the oven.

• Staring at the Shopify sales dashboard like it’s the Mona Lisa.

And you know what? I’m trying to be guilt-free about it. Trying.

Because here’s the thing: it’s hard not to compare yourself to everyone else. You see someone crushing a 10K run on Strava, and suddenly you feel like a bum. Someone orders a salad next to your cheeseburger, and you think, “Should I…?” (Actually, no. I stand by this—cheeseburgers are, and always will be, better than salads.)

But you get what I’m saying, right? Routines slip. You skip workouts. You grab beers instead of finishing that last bit of work. You choose a bacon, egg, and cheese over fasting. And you know what? That’s OK.

Skipping a workout to see friends is OK.
Having a Guinness instead of clocking in one last hour of work is OK.
Eating Oreos and watching brain-melting TV instead of journaling your goals is OK.
Being bloated is OK.

Comparison is the thief of joy, and the holidays are stressful enough without beating yourself up for not being a hero every day. Stress can kill you too, ya know.

So sit back. Put your feet up. Pat yourself on the back for getting through the year. Let yourself chill. Eat the cookies. Watch the shitty tv. You can be healthy and 10x later.

Disclaimer: I am NOT recommending this to be your every day. No no no. But right now? It’s cold out. You don’t need to be a hero today. Be one tomorrow.