Where Have I Been?

It's been a while since I landed in your inbox.

Almost three years, actually.

July of 2023 was the last time I sent one of these. If you've been wondering what happened to me, I owe you an explanation.

That July, I co-founded Conversion Factory with Corey Haines and Nick Loudon. By the end of August, we'd hit $39,000 in recurring revenue. Things were moving fast, the work was good, and I was fully consumed by the momentum of building something new.

Then, on September 11th, I got horrible news.

Just before I was about to record a podcast, I found out that my best friend's sister had taken her life the night before.

It was, without question, the worst day of my life.

I usually come back to writing in September after summer break.

That September, I couldn't.

The only thing I could think deeply about was showing up for my friend and his family. And every time I sat down to write, I wanted to write about what I was feeling — which didn't seem appropriate for this newsletter.

It didn't stop there.

In October, my wife and I found out we were pregnant.

In January, we put an offer on a house — four minutes from both sets of grandparents, which felt like a sensible move with a baby on the way.

We closed on Valentine's Day, moved in March, and renovated like crazy to get ready for my daughter, who arrived in June 2024.

So within a single year, I started a company, lost a friend to suicide, bought a house, became a dad, and started hiring a team.

It was… a lot.

Immense grief and immense growth, at the exact same time. There wasn't much room left for anything else. I couldn't find a clean window to sit down and write.

So I didn't.

But I've finally reached a point where I have the space to think through my fingers again.

Conversion Factory is in a phenomenally good place. Wifey and baby girl make time away from my desk genuinely fun (to put it mildly). The thing I feel is missing is what I used to do every week: thinking and writing carefully about design, creativity, and the occasional philosophical tangent.

So here I am.

If you've been in this inbox since the beginning and you're not sure you want to be here anymore, I completely understand. This is a good moment to opt out. No hard feelings, no pressure.

I just wanted you to know where I went before I started showing up again.

For everyone sticking around… get ready. I'm coming back with a lot of weeks to make up for.

Much love, Zach