Leadership lessons don’t always come from the boardroom. Sometimes, they come from the cutest, most patient & humble 60-pound Pip with Addison’s Diesease and a calendar invite to a fitness race. This week is about routines, clarity, and long-game thinking.

Agenda:

• Lesson: What Soda-Pop (my dog) taught me about executive decision-making (and some pictures for your viewing pleasure)

• Longevity: Why I signed up for a HYROX race—and what goal-setting does for sustained performance

• Events you need to attend

• Media I’m consuming

⏲️ Estimated read time 7 minutes.

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What My Dog Taught Me About Leadership

When I first brought Soda home, I thought I was just getting a dog.

What I got instead was a daily lesson in leadership, responsibility, and emotional awareness. Over the last few years, he's become more than a companion—he’s been a mirror, a test, and one of my most consistent teachers.

Here are three things Soda’s taught me that I now carry into how I lead teams, make decisions, and move through the world.

1. Unconditional Love Requires Unconditional Understanding

No matter how chaotic my day has been, no matter what mistake I made or how far I feel from where I want to be, Soda greets me the same way.

Tail wagging, eyes beaming, zero judgment. It’s easy to forget what that kind of loyalty feels like until you’re reminded of it every time you walk through the door.

But here’s the twist: this judgment-free zone goes both ways.

Soda’s shredded my passport. He’s had accidents. He’s destroyed things when he wasn’t properly exercised or mentally stimulated. And early on, I’d default to frustration.

But over time, I realized:

• What did I do to put him in that situation?

• Was he under stimulated?

• Did I leave something within reach?

Leadership is the same. 

You can’t just judge people in their worst moments.

You have to step back and look at what context, systems, or lack of clarity might’ve contributed to a poor outcome. Judgment is easy. Understanding takes work. But it’s the only way you build long-term trust.

2. Awareness Isn’t Optional. It’s Survival.

Soda notices things long before I do. A squirrel darting behind a fence. A kid crying across the park. A strange dog’s energy from a block away.

A mouse scurrying across the NYC streets.

His instincts are sharp.

That level of situational awareness has changed how I operate. We’re often so consumed with our own inner noise—emails, deadlines, pressure—that we miss what’s happening around us. But when you lead, you don’t have that luxury. You have to be able to read the room, the market, the team, the tension before it turns into a blow-up.

You have to pick up on the unspoken things.

Soda keeps me in check there. His alertness reminds me to zoom out. To scan. To be proactive, not reactive. It’s not about being paranoid, it’s about being prepared.

3. Routine Isn’t Just Helpful. It’s Essential.

Soda has Addison’s disease, which means his body can’t produce cortisol, the hormone that regulates stress. Imagine being hungry, but your body not actually giving you the signal that you need to eat. If you aren’t naturally wanting food, then you’ll never eat..and if you never eat, well you know what happens then.

Luckily, we were able to understand how to manage the Addison’s, however as a result, a strict routine is non-negotiable.

• Feeding

• Walking

• Calming rituals

• Play time

• Park Kisses 😀 

Every single day, no corners cut. You don’t get to wing it when your Bestie’s health is on the line.

And that discipline changed me.

Before Soda, I floated through life. I was a solid 82-percenter at school—just enough to get by without doing all the possible prep work. But with him, there’s no “winging it.” or cutting corners.

There’s no skipping a meal or delaying a walk. It has to happen, or there are consequences.

In leadership, the same rules apply. If you lead a team, manage deals, or try to build anything sustainable, you realize that routines protect performance.

Systems create freedom. Consistency reduces chaos.

Don’t cut corners.

That’s something Soda taught me—one meal, one walk, one reminder at a time.

Events you need to attend

3rd Annual NY Tech Week Soccer Championship #NYTechWeek

Come join the NYC Tech Eco-system for the 3rd Annual NYC Tech Week Soccer Championship! ​Put on by Pitch on the Pitch and kick off FC, This game is open to ALL skill levels of soccer, but limited only to those operating as a Founder, VC, Operator, or Partner in the Tech NYC Ecosystem.

RSVP HERE

Lead Summit Soirée | Power • Assembled Brands • FinanceWithin

Are you a CPG Leader?

“Join the Lead Summit Soiree for an invite-only networking event of DTC Founders, Funders and Friends during the Lead Summit, hosted by Assembled Brands, Power Digital, and FinanceWithin.

​Open bar with beer, wine + espresso, pickle, pepper and dirty martinis

​Come 7-8p for the oyster and shrimp bar — stay for the famous Mono chicken, sushi, scampi, shishito, and ofc salad for those of us training for Hyrox

​Compelling convos and new connections guaranteed!”

📆 Wednesday May 28th

📌 MONO+MONO New York, New York

Apply here.

Padel Haus @ The Lead Summit

📆 Thursday, May 29th 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM EDT

Register here: https://lu.ma/ybgmgd4t

Following our inaugural Brand Catalyst event on May 27th, and at the heart of The Lead Summit - we are getting an intimate group of brand leaders together for some high octane Padel Play leading into Day 2 of The Lead Summit.

What to Expect:

• ​Padel Play: Play 2v2 Padel in NYC's newest Padel Facility

• ​Bevies: Kick start the day with some activity and hydration

• ​Smoothie Bar: Powered by Juice Haus

• ​Just Good ol Fun

🧘 Longevity - Goal Setting

In a recent video Jesse Itzler—entrepreneur, 100-mile ultramarathon runner, and former owner of the Atlanta Hawks-talked about how he builds longevity into his life by signing up for a single hard, year defining event, every single year.

That could be:

• Quitting smoking

• Biking across the country

• Doing a Ted Talk

• Writing a book

• etc

Goal setting is so important.

1. It Creates Sustainable Structure

Longevity isn’t about intensity, it’s about consistency. Clear goals create a rhythm you can sustain. Without that, you’re just reacting. With it, you’re building an engine that paces itself.

2. It Keeps You Engaged

Over time, novelty fades. Roles evolve. Businesses mature. Goal setting injects purpose into the long game. It keeps your edge sharp, your curiosity active, and your ambition intentional.

3. It Anchors Your Identity Through Change

As your career evolves, your goals evolve too. But having North Stars—even if it shifts—keeps you grounded in the why behind your effort.

This year, I took that advice and just signed up for a HYROX race on May 31 in New York City—an endurance fitness competition blending functional strength with high-intensity cardio.

It’s not about finishing fast. It’s about having something on the calendar that forces me to train like my future depends on it.

This isn’t about becoming an athlete. It’s about using fitness as a strategy for resilience—physically, mentally, and professionally. If you want longevity, put a stake in the ground. Give yourself a challenge that pulls you forward.

You’ll be shocked how much sharper everything else gets.

Interested in being a last minute sponsor of my first HYROX?

Have you enjoyed this newsletter? Is it providing value? Do you know somebody that would find it useful? Send them this newsletter and if you refer 5 people your next coffee run will be on me. (3 referrals = $15 Starbucks)

As the world becomes more complex, it becomes more and more challenging to stay grounded, focused and aligned. Stay ahead by fostering unity, innovation, and trust across your teams and yourself. Don’t miss out on upcoming events and insights that will help shape your success in the months to come.

- SKV