🎙 Voice-noted from the sofa
This week’s update isn’t typed. It’s my random notes, voice-noted in chatGPT. Because Indi was up all night sick, and today is a sofa-and-Bluey day.
So, in the spirit of radical transparency: AI has written this one. It’s the first time.
But it’s also kind of the point — the theme this week is about how AI is changing the game. I can still be here, cuddling Indi, while also sharing our story, staying connected to you, and keeping the momentum up. And I love that. That’s what tech should do — amplify the human, not replace it.
The 3 main clues I didn’t write this:
The spelling will be correct
emojis everywhere
Loads of these ‘—’ …. the giant hyphen — a symbol no human has ever used in the history of writing.
⚙️ What’s Been Happening This Week
1. The Orrin User Manual
On Monday I created my personal User Manual — how I work, how I think, how to get the best out of me (and what to avoid).
It’s a tool to speed up the learning curve as Jeff and I build together, and eventually as we onboard new team members. It's cultural scaffolding and radical clarity rolled into one.
I shared it on LinkedIn and it’s got a load of love. Give it a try:
2. We're Hiring – indi's Social/Community Role
We’ve officially posted our part-time Social Media & Community Lead role for Indi. I put a video out on IG (I’ll link it here), and now I need your help.
My Ask:
Who do you know in Melbourne who might love this?
Or who knows someone who might?
We’re looking for someone who wants to shape something meaningful from the ground up. Someone human-first, brand-savvy, and fun to build with. Let me know.
3. Our First Webinar is Coming!
One thing we’ve heard consistently from the community is the need for education, peer support, and human connection. So we’re kicking things off with our first-ever webinar.
sign up here - would love to see your face/ support!
🧠 When to Push vs. When to Accept
The deeper theme this week — the thing that’s been playing on my mind — is this:
When do I push, and when do I accept?
Right now, bedtime at our house is a joke. A chaotic, laugh-or-cry mess. On Sunday after enduring 2 hours of physical & emotional abuse i literally needed straight gin to help me regulate enough to hold a conversation. If you told me five years ago what it would look like, I’d say “no way we’d let it get like that.”
But now? This is our reality.
It’s hard. Every single night is hard.
So I keep asking myself:
Do I push for something better?
Or do I accept that this is what it is right now — and meet it with peace?
Is striving for “better” actually helpful?
Or is accepting the chaos actually wiser?
Am I avoiding the work? Or embracing the moment?
I’ve been seeing a lot of old photos pop up on my phone — of me, Allie, and Beckham back in Dubai in 2021. Man, we had no idea how easy life was. And now, every second with our kids is work. Beautiful, raw, emotional, physical work.
So I don’t have the answer. Not yet. I just know this is the dance:
Creating a life that works for us — even if it looks wildly different to what we imagined.
Staying present without getting stuck.
Knowing when to push, and when to pause.
I’m not chasing “better.”
I’m committed to creation. To making something true and alive — not based on what used to be, but on what is.
If you’ve figured this one out — or if you’re in the same daily mind-dilemma — hit me up.
💌 Wrap
Thanks for letting me “cheat” this week.
Thanks for giving me space to be the dad on the sofa, and the founder trying to figure out bedtime.
See you next week. Fingers crossed for less Bluey, more sleep, and maybe a newsletter typed with two hands.
Love,
Orrin xox