Jaxsen Turns 3, the company Closes - A Week of Milestones

Some weeks hit different. Last week, Jaxsen turned three. This week, the the company transaction with a private equity firm officially closed. A decade of work, a lifetime of memories, and a reminder that the things that matter most rarely show up on a balance sheet.

I've been thinking a lot about time lately. Probably because I don't have much of it. Between a three-year-old who has discovered the word "why" and a 14-month-old who has discovered he can climb anything, my days start early and end late. Somewhere in the middle, I'm running technology for a $110M food distribution company and closing out one of the most significant professional chapters of my career.

The the company Chapter Closes

When I joined a national rentals and logistics company back in 2009, I was managing IT infrastructure across a handful of locations. By the time I left in 2024, I'd been through 9 M&A transactions, 6 SAP-to-Dynamics conversions, two ransomware incidents (resolved without paying a dime), and a hurricane that tested every disaster recovery plan we'd ever written.

The a private equity firm acquisition was the final chapter. And yes, I was an equity holder. That's not something I talk about often, but it's relevant here because it represents something important: when you build real value, when you solve real problems, people notice. PE firms don't hand out equity to IT leaders who just keep the lights on.

They gave me a seat at the table because technology wasn't a cost center at the company. It was a competitive advantage. Every system integration, every process automation, every security investment tied back to EBITDA. That's the lesson I hope other CIOs take from this: if you can't explain how your work impacts the business in terms a CFO cares about, you're doing it wrong.

Meanwhile, a Three-Year-Old Wants Pancakes

Jaxsen doesn't care about PE exits. He cares about dinosaurs, construction trucks, and whether his pancakes have enough syrup. He turned three on January 7th, and I took the day off. No calls, no emails, no "just checking in real quick." A full day of being Dad.

We went to the zoo. We ate chicken nuggets for lunch and ice cream for dinner. We watched the same 20-minute dinosaur video three times because he asked nicely. It was the best day I've had in months.

Here's what nobody tells you about being an executive with young kids: the guilt is constant. When you're at work, you feel guilty about missing bedtime. When you're at home, you feel guilty about not responding to that email. The trick isn't eliminating the guilt. It's making choices you can live with.

I chose to be at that birthday party. I chose to miss that meeting. And you know what? The meeting got rescheduled. The world kept spinning. My son will remember that I was there.

Ryder's First Year

Speaking of time flying, Ryder turned one back in November. He went from a potato that slept 20 hours a day to a tiny human who sprints toward electrical outlets with alarming enthusiasm. Fatherhood the second time is different. You're less paranoid about every little thing. You're more tired. You appreciate the small moments more because you know how fast they go.

Watching Jaxsen become a big brother has been one of the highlights of the last year. He's protective, occasionally too aggressive with "hugs," and genuinely excited to teach Ryder important things like how to knock over block towers.

What Comes Next

With the company behind me and Julius Silvert's D365 migration at 90%, I'm starting to think about what's next. I'm not in a rush. The job search isn't about finding any opportunity. It's about finding the right one.

I want to build something again. Not just maintain, not just optimize, but transform. The PE world interests me because I've seen what's possible when technology leadership has a real seat at the table. Operating partner roles, portfolio company CIO positions, CEO opportunities where technology is core to the business model. Those are the conversations I'm having.

But I'm also being intentional about what I won't compromise on. I've got two little boys who need their dad present, not just employed. Any role I take needs to allow for that. Remote-first or hybrid. Limited travel. An organization that actually believes in work-life balance, not just says it in the job posting.

The Intersection

People sometimes ask how I balance the high-stakes world of enterprise technology with the chaos of raising young kids. The honest answer is: poorly, most days. But here's what I've learned.

Kids teach you to prioritize ruthlessly. When you have 45 minutes between putting the toddler to bed and collapsing yourself, you don't waste time on things that don't matter. That email that can wait until tomorrow? It waits. That meeting that could be an async update? It becomes an async update.

They also teach you that perfect is the enemy of done. Jaxsen's birthday cake wasn't Pinterest-worthy. It was lopsided, the frosting was uneven, and he loved it. That lesson applies directly to ERP implementations. Ship something that works. Iterate. Don't wait for perfect.

Looking Ahead

2026 is going to be a year of transitions. Wrapping up at Julius Silvert once the migration is complete. Finding the next challenge. Watching Jaxsen start preschool. Teaching Ryder that not everything goes in his mouth.

I don't know exactly what the next chapter looks like. But I know it'll involve building, leading, and being home for the moments that matter. The the company close proved that you can do big things in technology and still have a life outside of work. The key is being intentional about both.

To everyone who's been part of the the company journey over the last decade-plus: thank you. And to Jaxsen, on his third birthday: I hope someday you read this and understand that your dad was always trying to be there. Even when work was crazy. Even when the world demanded more. You and your brother are the reason any of this matters.

Now if you'll excuse me, someone needs help building a Lego tower. And that's exactly where I need to be.