Where Good Ideas Come From

A lot of my best ideas and thoughts come to me in the shower.

To the point where a former boss once joked he should pay my water bill. Anytime I started a sentence with, “I had an idea in the shower,” he knew something good was coming. Years later, I still think a whiteboard in the shower would be a great investment.

I’ve always thought better when my mind has room to wander. Maybe that started years ago when I was a swimmer, pushing through long laps with nothing to do but breathe and think. There is something about quiet repetition that clears space for the important thoughts to rise to the surface.

This morning, the thought wasn’t about product, pricing, or timelines. It was about people. More specifically, the people I’m choosing to have around me as I build this brand.

That is one of the most rewarding parts of being a founder. I get to be intentional.

When you work inside a corporation, you inherit teams, processes, and dynamics. When you are building your own brand, you get to choose the people who bring the right talent, the right judgment, and just as importantly, the right energy to offer fuel and balance. That matters more than I think people realize.

I chose a copywriter in Scott at SVH Creative who has been sharp, thoughtful, and easy to trust. I also have former coworkers who have become something even better over time: trusted friends I can call to pressure test an idea, gut check a decision, or just remind me I’m not crazy.

And mentors matter too. Jose Corella has pushed me to try things I might not have done on my own, including this Substack. Sometimes what you need most is someone who sees your potential clearly enough to challenge you a little.

What feels different now is the momentum. Not frantic motion. Not forced productivity. Real momentum. The kind that comes from clarity, good people, and a growing belief that this thing is taking shape in the way it’s supposed to.

The best part is that I get to decide. I get to choose the pace, the partners, the standards, and the direction. That freedom is also responsibility, of course, but right now it feels like the kind I’ve been ready for.

That is what makes this worth it. Not just the possibility of building something successful, but the chance to build it with intention and with people I genuinely want beside me.

And yes, one day my Brand will cover the water bill.