Hard eight
Happy birthday to us.
This week, I thought to myself, “You know what, maybe we don’t need to do the HBD TPF post this year.” Then I remembered my dad saying the thing all dads say about getting old: Beats the alternative. Eight years in biz is very much something to celebrate. So: Happy Birthday to us. Our eighth year was a big one. We navigated new clients, dropped clients, longtime clients, and parental leave. We launched a bi-weekly Q&A that we’re very proud of. We set quarterly goals. We redid our website and pitch deck. We evolved and adapted and stayed true to ourselves.
The links!
A project
We launched a new franchise for Acumen America called “Why we invested.” The idea here was to have a nuanced exploration of Acumen America’s intent and vision with a new portfolio company and to infuse it with more of the fund’s worldview and investment thesis. It’s a nice companion to the more formal investment announcement. Real happy with how this one turned out.
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A tailgate
It’s peak tailgate season here in Ann Arbor, which means lots of bloody marys, red-faced middle-aged guys day drinking, and chicken skewers on the grill. Here I am testing out [redacted] chicken thigh recipe from [redacted forthcoming cookbook]. Top secret. Will share when it’s published in 2027.
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An article
“The Sierra Club Embraced Social Justice. Then It Tore Itself Apart.”
Mismanagement, overspending, infighting, harassment. Lots of juicy bits in this Times piece about how The Sierra Club failed to meet the moment of the second Trump administration. There’s a lesson in here about just doing what you know.
The club became one in a string of “resistance” groups from Mr. Trump’s first administration that arrived at his second already exhausted from liberal infighting.
“It’s almost like uprooting a sequoia and converting it into an ax handle,” said Aaron Mair, a former board president.
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An obituary
Long couple of weeks here at TPF AA HQ. Grandma Bradley passed away last week—91 and independent until a few months before she died, what a life!—and I had the honor of writing her obituary and giving the eulogy at her funeral (made it through without crying, huge win for the program). My extended family members kept referring to me as a “professional writer” whenever someone said they enjoyed the obituary, which I guess that’s what we are here at Three Point Four? I just never put “professional” in front. It’s nice to have a sense of purpose in one’s grief and tell a lost loved one’s story through how you knew them. Anyway, TPF is available for weddings and funerals now.
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A virtual bike ride
Now that it’s cold and wet outside, I re-upped my Zwift subscription and dusted off my indoor bike trainer. Zwift finally added Prospect Park to its New York City routes. Felt very fitting to give The Loop a spin. And you know what? It actually feels like riding in Prospect Park! Maybe I have muscle memory from all the laps I rode there back in the day, but it really did have the rhythm of the park and feel of climbing up to Grand Army Plaza. 10/10, I’ll be back.
