May: The Month the Wheels Turned

There’s a look and a feel when something clicks; when a decision, a brand, a direction, a feeling says: "Yes. That’s it. That’s me."

May was that moment for ACE.

After countless late nights, whiteboard sessions, and endless strategic conversations, something shifted. The work stopped feeling like a side project. It started to feel inevitable; like we were no longer thinking "if this works", but "when."

Key Conversations That Changed Everything

There were some pivotal conversations in May. Some with mentors. Some with mates. Some with myself.

I found myself saying yes, really saying yes; in a way that meant saying no to other things. It had to work. It needed to work.
Every discussion brought it back to one core idea: it’s time.

"Hit the f*cking go button."

And that was it. A date on the whiteboard. A commitment. A feeling in the gut. No more circling the runway.

Let’s go.

Riding the Wave Without Drowning

With that decision came movement. Fast. When momentum builds, time tightens. The to-do list stretches. The inbox floods. Many balls in the air - but in a good way. Mostly.

Managing it all didn’t come from finding balance (because let’s be real -  balance is a myth when you’re building something). It came from self-awareness. From knowing when to push and when to pause. From understanding that stormy seas make for better sailors and remembering to laugh, even when you feel like crying.

I kept asking myself: What’s the worst that could happen? And suddenly, everything felt more manageable.

Passion Leaves Clues

One thing kept standing out in May: when I actually sat down to work on ACE, hours disappeared. Not because I was distracted, but because I was absorbed. That was the signal.

When you can work for hours and feel more alive after than before - you’re onto something. Despite the late nights, the tension, the constant mental churn - I kept coming back to it. Passion pulls you in like that. It doesn’t knock politely; it kicks the door in.

But passion isn’t without resistance.

I still worry about what people think. I’ve always struggled with that. Putting yourself out there means opening yourself up to judgment, and I’d be lying if I said that fear doesn’t sit with me.

But I’m learning to sit with it too. To let it ride shotgun, not take the wheel.

The Confidence Gap (And Bridge)

The more I committed to ACE, the more confident I became in the direction. Not because it was easy. But because I could feel myself showing up for it consistently. And when you show up - especially on the days you don't want to - that builds trust. In yourself. In the process. In the bigger picture.

Not today. Not tomorrow. But maybe, one day.

That’s the quiet promise I keep making to myself.

What May Taught Me

One of the biggest learnings in May? This sh*t is hard. Really hard. And that’s okay.

You can’t rush clarity. But you can stay moving.

You can’t predict opportunity. But you can stay open.

You can’t avoid doubt. But you can learn to walk alongside it.

This month taught me to stay calm and alert - like a surfer scanning the horizon. You can’t control the ocean, but you can be ready to ride the wave when it comes.

I started leaning into my blind spots, getting more honest with myself and others, seeking feedback, stepping into discomfort. That’s where growth lives; in the heat, not the haze.

Being emotionally intelligent, analytical, and direct; but also adaptable and compassionate helped solidify the direction. That blend of soft and strong. That’s ACE.

ACE: Was It Validated or Challenged?

Both.

In May, ACE got put through the washing machine — inside out, back to front. Rinsed. Rewritten. Reimagined.

It was challenged, tested, questioned. And in that process, it was also validated. Not because it came out unscathed, but because it came out stronger.

The reality is, you don’t develop confidence by thinking. You develop it by doing. Like riding a bike around the garden for the first time — wobbly, wild, but forward.

On Momentum and Boldness

Here’s the thing about momentum: you can build it. You can influence it. You don’t control everything, but you control enough.

Sometimes it feels like pushing a wheelbarrow full of bricks up a hill in the rain. But if you keep pushing, you start to see the top. And that’s the moment things shift.

Bold steps are necessary - but only when they’re intentional. This isn’t about being reckless. It’s about being courageous. There’s a difference.

And ACE is here to help people understand that difference - to find their own sweet spot on the balance scale of boldness and care.

Final Word

May marked more than momentum - it marked maturity. A deeper sense of clarity. A growing confidence in the direction we’re heading.

ACE isn’t a finished product. It’s a living, breathing commitment. One that keeps evolving as we do.

But one thing is clear: we’ve hit the go button.