The Sacrifices We Made

Another Founders Lesson…

No silver bullets here. Just honest reflections from the path we’ve walked, and the things we’ve learned by staying in it longer than most.

This week, we’re talking about “sacrifice”. The word gets tossed around in entrepreneurship a lot, usually with a side of burnout and bravado. But what if sacrifice wasn’t about pain? What if it was just about priorities?

When you know what you’re aiming for, the trade doesn’t feel like loss. It feels like alignment.

Agenda

⏳ Estimated Read Time: 6 minutes

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FOUNDER EDUCATION

The technical definition of sacrifice does include slaughtering and has religious connotations, which feels a little extreme… but there’s a reason the word gets used a lot in entrepreneurship. You do give things up. Time. Money. Sleep. Sometimes even health. But I don’t think of it as sacrifice anymore. It’s prioritization. It’s trading something today for tomorrow.

Here’s what we’ve learned from 15+ years of doing that.

I remember Friday nights at Western when friends were out at parties and I was home working on SAXX. I could’ve gone out. But I wanted to build. That wasn’t a punishment—that was a choice.

When you know what you're aiming for, the decision gets easier. You're not saying "no" to the fun. You're saying "yes" to your future.

Ria had a recent version of this too, she was invited to a product launch with yoga, influencers, and swag.

She wanted to go. But we’re working on a real estate project and a bunch of trades were looking for time-sensitive information while I was in other meetings. So she stayed back. Not because she had to. But because she was clear on what mattered.

Clarity gives us confidence.

In the early days of SAXX, Ria and I lived in this small apartment in Vancouver. Every room was full of inventory and even our van out front was packed full of underwear boxes. We never had friends over because there just wasn’t space to hang out.

And yet, we weren’t miserable. It felt like a big adventure.

There’s a narrative out there that sacrifice has to be, heavy, painful, just because it isn’t full of ease. But honestly, we were biking around Stanley Park on weekends, we were with each other, and we were trying to grow this brand. It was simple, and we had fun.

The closer we got to the sale of SAXX, the more pressure I put on myself. I stopped eating properly. I didn’t sleep well. I was handling most of the sale process myself. Negotiating valuation, managing legal risks, making sure we didn’t fumble the exit. I was incredibly paranoid that I was going to be taken advantage of and entrepreneurship can be very isolating.

We were young. We didn’t have a lot of people to call for advice. And it took a toll.

Same thing with Doja. New babies, fast scaling. Less pressure on me because we had more help, but the tradeoffs were still real, especially time with our kids. Candidly, we had a lot of help from our parents and had a nanny.

Ria makes a great point about this topic, inspired by the video below. Think of holding a 5 oz cup of water. Doesn’t seem heavy at first. But hold it long enough, and it’ll feel like a thousand pounds.

That’s burnout.

It’s not just how hard you're working, it's how long you're holding the pressure.

For us, having a timeline has been key. One year. Two max. Maybe three if the stakes are big. Then it’s time to exit, or re-evaluate. You don’t need to suffer indefinitely to build something meaningful.

One of the best ways to reduce how much you sacrifice is to build a brand that’s true to who you are.

We included our friends. Hosted events at their venues. Brought family into the fold. When your life and business aren’t at odds, you don’t feel like you’re constantly choosing between them.

We also lived lean. Elbow greased rental units. Put extra dollars into real estate instead of lifestyle. We were playing the long game, aiming for $10K/month in post-tax rental income to give ourselves freedom.

We never had a pension to rely on later down the line, so we had to make a plan.

We talk about this with our kids. You’re either creating or consuming.

Sacrifice often just looks like choosing creation. It’s saying no to the event, the show, the scroll, and yes to the dream. Doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy life. But if you want to build something that lasts, you’ve got to spend more time in creation mode.

Sacrifice gets a bad rap and even a bad name. It’s not about pain. It’s about priorities. And if you’re clear on yours, it doesn’t feel like giving something up, it feels like owning your path.

I hope this helped.

Until next week,

Trent

This is an entrepreneurship newsletter, but I wanted to carry the idea of sacrifice into the family roles.

Something I’ve noticed in a lot of conversations with other parents is how often we put ourselves last. The kids come first, the home needs attention, and before you know it, your own needs have been pushed aside.

I’ve said it myself. I don’t have time to work out. I’ll do that later. It sounds responsible, but over months and years it’s really just a quiet kind of martyrdom.

Like if we give everything to our family, that’s what being a good parent looks like.

But I’ve learned that if I can take care of myself, I can take care of so many others.

That doesn’t mean doing something extravagant. It means making small choices on purpose.

I want our kids to see that. To grow up knowing that their wellbeing matters. And that looking after yourself is part of how you lead and love well.

So if you’ve been putting yourself at the bottom of the list, maybe this is your sign to move up a few spots.

To prioritize your personal wellbeing (and future you) for even 30 minutes. You don’t have to earn the right to rest or recharge. It helps everyone when you do.

WHAT I’M PAYING ATTENTION TO

QUESTION AND ANSWER

One of our favourite parts of writing The Fountain has always been the back-and-forth. The chance to not just share stories from our world, but to respond to what’s going on in yours.

So we’re opening things back up.

If there’s something you’re navigating right now: something in your business, your relationships, your mindset, or just a decision you’re turning over, we’d love to hear it.

No question is too big or too small. Whether you’re wondering how to get your partner on board with your next idea, how to make space for creation instead of consumption, or how to avoid burnout while chasing something meaningful… this is your invitation to ask.

Looking forward to what comes through.

{POSTED VIDEO}

Look, you know the details. You know what the event is, we’ve spelled it out.

Now, let us talk about the why and the why you should come.

THE WHY: We get asked a lot of questions. About our philosophy, our mindset, our habits, and practice. We try and share as many jewels as possible in these newsletters. But we know the magic happens at events in person. We want to share this with all of you and truly have an unforgettable experience.

Why you should come: It’s going to be very intimate, by design. We have a special group of people coming to this event that will are ready to be inspired and have fun. Chris Koch (Cook) is an amazing speaker; you’re going to leave with a dreams card to shape your future; I’m doing a keynote that humbly people pay thousands to see, access to Kitsch Wines estate and so much more.

Come hang out with us around The Fountain, can’t wait to see all of you.

We hope to see you in Kelowna.
Bringing your curiosity, biggest questions, and bathing / poolside attire ⛱.

Stoked to fill your cups,
Trent & Ria