Right now I am sitting in my room after a wild weekend of work and sports, blinking the sleep from my eyes and wandering my way through this reflection. There are flowers made of books in a jar on my desk, and a siren wailing on by.

The contents of this update are:

1. TLDR
2. The month in a story
3. Decisions I made
4. Actions Taken
5. Gratitudes and Reflections
6. Feedback Requests
7. A Poem

TLDR: Completed The Sonder Series, Decided What’s Next For Me

My Last Month In A Story

1 month ago I was in sitting in a leather bucket bar stool looking out my window into the green backyards of my neighborhood. The sun was trickling through the leaves of trees, and I felt free.

1 month ago I was at 60/100 people for The Sonder Series. I blew past that goal by changing the goalpost to 100 interviews and ended at 125 people.

I walked 180 miles total, much of it in the first weeks of this month. That’s the length of Manhattan 13 times.

As a cherry on top I did a potluck for everyone I interviewed and gave them cards with all 100 interviews and a poem on them. I spent the week leading up to the potluck editing every single one of the 100 videos.

This weekend I helped project the Knicks first NBA finals win in 53 years on the side of an apartment building.

Then watched people fight on the Front Lawn of the White House while I worked on the launch post for the series.

Decisions Made

• Continue past 100 people to 100 interviews

• To do a potluck for everyone I interviewed

• What’s Next: A business in education

  ---

Actions Taken

- Interviewed 45 more people
- Transcribed all conversations with 125 people and created a report
- Edited all 100 interviews (uploading all to YT rn for launch later this week)
- Executed a potluck with invites to all 125 people.
- Decided what’s next and did preliminary research on Alpha.School

Reflections and Gratitudes

- The Stats from the Sonder Series

- “Our point of reference for beauty is nature” - Rick Rubin

- The Tree falls the way it leans. Be Careful which way you lean. - The Lorax

- Awkwardness is an under explored emotion

- “It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

—Theodore Roosevelt
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

Feedback Requests

Who do you know who’s working in education?

What’s your favorite education innovation?

What else would you like to see in these updates?

What’s your favorite experiment you’ve run on your life?

A Poem - Great Trees and Greenspaces

Middle of Manhattan, sunny day
buildings surround, windows look down
Clouds abound above a spot of green
Many people, much to say

Dresses, shorts, hats, no-hair
Smiles, frowns, boots, flats
In a rush, on a walk, single, in a pair
Tourists, Locals, all rare, cool dat

Flower boxes, book carts
This is a city full of art
Tattoos, clothes, architecture, orchestra
Horns honk, buses brakes squeal

You cannot see it all in one very moment
Too many things, too few senses
but bit by bit it will build like the romans
You see barriers are suggestions, 
and New Yorkers own this

Resourceful, focused, diverse, sophisticated
Cultured, un-coddled, Can-doers doing
Anyone and everyone has been in NY
You see, they have just done the dang work

Groceries on subway, small room,
Living ambitiously, less stuff
More character, less doom
More zoom, less gloom

So off I go into the rough :)

^This is not perfect but I wrote it in one take, hope you enjoyed :")

From my heart,

James Floyd

P.S. I love seeing your responses and am so grateful your here!
P.P.S. I have been very busy with my series so I appreciate follow ups!

Past Updates:

The James Update #1
The James Update #2
The James Update #3
The James Update #4
The James Update #5
The James Update #6
The James Update #7
The James Update #8

Right now I am sitting in a leather bucket bar stool looking out my window into the green backyards of my neighborhood. The sun trickles through the leaves of trees, and I feel free.

The contents of this update are:

1. TLDR
2. The month in a story
3. Decisions I made
4. Actions Taken
5. Gratitudes and Reflections
6. Goal Completion
7. Feedback Requests

TLDR: Got an apartment in NYC, I’m interviewing 100 people in New York, 60/100 done

My Last Month In A Story

1 month ago I was in sitting on my girlfriend’s flower comforter. In her cozy Brooklyn apartment, my stomach is full of stir fry and salmon, and we had just enjoyed the evening air in our hair on the rooftop.

I had just moved to NYC and didn’t even have an apartment, let alone an attack plan.

The problem was, I almost immediately had to leave NYC, but for good reason.

I surprised my sister, and I flew to Kansas City to do an event with a community I’ve helped build called Quarter Life Crisis.

Once I returned from that I was elated to have no flights anywhere planned, and my focus shifted to NYC. But I still had no action plan.

I had moved, but I needed to choose something big, stake my name on it, and send it.

From some polls I ran to people on LinkedIn and some sharpening from friends I landed on interviewing 100 people in NYC.

The age old strategy of meeting my neighbors, in public (at parks/places), in public (building it in public online).

I’m now at 60/100 people. I’m calling it The Sonder Series.

Decisions Made

• Where to move

• Interview 100 People In NYC

• Joining a Business > Starting My Own

  ---

Actions Taken

- Moved into new apartment
- Still avg-ing at least one LinkedIn post a day
- Pre-Read 100,000 words in 10 days to vet others books.
- Interviewed 60 People in NYC in 15 days
- I’ve also written 10 poems towards my 100 Page poetry book. I believe I’m close to 70 poems for that book now.
- Changed my website to be more simple.

Reflections and Gratitudes

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Once you have established that you will do what you say you’ll do, bite off more than you can chew.

Said differently, change only happens as adaptation. Adaptation only happens as survival.

“𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲” Martin Scorsese said it. The greatest creations, and the most simple ones, pour out of people. “They are compulsions.”- David Senra

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 > 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 (𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆) The heart’s electromagnetic field is 5000x stronger than the brain’s. Your heart’s energy affects the world around you more than your brain’s.

𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 Being kind is better business than being rude or scarce minded.

The energy inside of you will change the energy you perceive externally, and sometimes literally what happens.

𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 Craftsmen and missionaries. Rick Rubin, Steve Jobs — obsess over specific frontiers of technology and skills. Michelin Brothers, Elon Musk — obsess over specific problems and solution sets.

𝗧𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 People so desperately want depth. With so much abundance, depth makes the difference.

𝗔𝗿𝘁.
/ärt/ 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯
the conscious use of skill and creative imagination, skill acquired by experience, study, or observation.

Artists win through science. Science directed by heart.

There are also patterns I’ve seen in my interviews I will write a separate analysis of, but here are a few.

“𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?”
→ No one starts at birth. Everyone starts when they moved to NYC.
→ Almost no one has it thought out. They figure it out as they speak. The people that do are more grounded and successful.

“𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂?”
→ Division. Lack of empathy. People not listening.
→ Finding community. Not just finding people—finding depth. → Education, young people’s potential not watered well.

“𝗪𝗵𝗼’𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂?”
→ Rarely the people with accolades, more often its resilience that’s admired. → The ones who know themselves well. The ones with strong “no” muscles. → Those that have parents often answer about them

The meta-pattern: Many people react with surprise to my questions. “Wow, that’s deep.” “I wasn’t prepared for that.” People are not used to being asked meaningful questions.

Lastly, I am so grateful for the great outdoors that heals soul, mind, and body.

Goal Complete

To summarize: A report on starting a business vs joining a business + plan

The report: I talked to smart people from A16z, the Forbes list, professional sports, and composers to others that know me well. I concluded the following.

1. Specialist > Generalist. Possible to specialize in 2 ways. First, Domain expertise, second being great at a specific skill.

2. If you don’t know what to build, build distribution. I have done this in a smaller way with my network through giving, and am now approaching this is a bigger way through content.

I think that going into a job where I can focus on a specific domain and skill will be the best suited opportunity for me to succeed long term.

Even if I become a CoS again I will choose wisely the domain to consume knowledge on.

After The Sonder Series is done I’ll have data on the problems that mean a lot to the world, and choose meaningful to me.

In addition, I will have established myself in NYC in a big way.

From there I will make content UP towards the positions/people I want to work in and with. This will both create assets for me, practice skills, and get me a job. Just like Casey Rickey made art for his heroes.

Feedback Requests

What frontiers of technology do you see right now?

What problem in the world is most meaningful to you?

What else would you like to see in these updates?

What’s your favorite experiment you’ve run on your life?

Still the biggest stretch ever. Thank you for walking alongside me.

From my heart,

James Floyd

P.S. I love seeing your responses and am so grateful your here!

Past Updates:

The James Update #1
The James Update #2
The James Update #3
The James Update #4
The James Update #5
The James Update #6
The James Update #7

Right now I am sitting on my girlfriend’s flower comforter in her cozy apartment in Brooklyn, my stomach is full of stir fry and salmon, and we’ve just enjoyed the evening air in our hair on the rooftop.

The contents of this update are:

1. TLDR
2. The month in a story
3. Decisions I made
4. Actions Taken
5. Gratitudes and Reflections
7. Plans and goal for this month
8. Feedback Requests

TLDR:
I sold my car, mattress, computer set up, and moved to NYC.

UPDATE: I’ve decided that listing the events I attend or people I meet is not helpful in representing progress towards my goals. The lessons or actions that come from each will still be represented here.

Short Story

1 month ago right now I was in Austin, Texas cleaning up trash with a cardboard waiter tray I made with zipties.

That was me showing out and giving my effort to build relationships towards NYC, and it worked.

I got back to Nashville on Thursday the 19th and had some big decisions to make. My lease was ending April 9th, and although I could extend, I felt like my time had come to leave Nashville and take a risk, but how and where and when?

I gathered info, did my financials, and the path became clear. It was time.

So I sold almost everything and moved here to NYC (Looking for a place to rent as we speak).

Decisions Made

-I decided to show my heart to a guy and his team at the company Fibe. They host tech events around the country, especially in NYC.

- Decided to sell everything and move to NYC

- Decided to follow through on a commitment, and separately to visit family. (Once I am back in NYC on the 19th I am entirely focused on one goal, starting a business, or getting a job in 3 months or less in NYC)

- Potentially staying in a Co-Living place (like a long-term hostel) in Brooklyn

Actions Taken

- Put 100% effort into pulling off the volunteering at the event stunt. (Cold emails, intros, gift and letter, and volunteering at the event + follow up)

- Posted every day on LinkedIn this month (~40k impressions, avg of 200 words per post)

- Sold car and PC for 12k, plus found a family in need for the rest of my things

- Set up conversations and events for the week of the 20th to hit the ground running, plus did a content series announcing my move to NY
- Dm’ed, Emailed, and Called 50 apartment and Coliving options in the area im looking for
- Escaped an escape room in record time for a friends’ birthday

- Read 4 books (Mans search for meaning, Never Enough, Sam Waltons Biography, and Old Charlie’s Almanack | Not including the 2 i’m pre-reading)

Gratitudes and Reflections

Ever since I started exploring next steps from Nashville, and certainly since my girlfriend (9 months ago today), I have thought about moving to NYC. Now I have. There is much emotion in a leap like this, and I am grateful for that depth.

I am grateful for the freedom I enjoy in this season to read and write obsessively. (Two people even invited me to pre-read their books!)

I feel in my heart so much love from the people around me who have been apart of my journey and are now. I am grateful for those that hold me accountable, give me advice, and support me.
(I would not be here, or the man I am, without you.)

- The question I have guided myself with this month is, ‘what is my gut telling me?’

- The most personal is the most creative - Martin Scorcese

- Words are magic, and so they matter. That’s why it’s called spelling - Bruce Lee

- He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how - Niethze

This coming month

- Today or Tomorrow I move into a place in NYC
- Thursday I fly to Kansas City to do an event with a community I am helping with.
- Sunday I get back to NYC and all of my focus is finally entirely on my success here
- I will be doing events, coffee chats, stunts, and content

My goal

is that in the next email I write to you, I will have a report on whether I am starting a business or getting a job, and a specific plan on exactly how that will happen. By then I will have completed all of my commitments to pre-reading books, the community, and established a foundational routine to propel me into this bright future.

Feedback Requests

I have 8.7 months of savings at a $3,400/mo burn rate, not including tapping into some acorns I have tucked away to start a business with - Is that enough or should I fast track a job?

Is there anyone I NEED to know in NYC?

What things do you wish you did differently when you took big risks?

I feel this is my biggest stretch ever. Thank you for walking alongside me.

From my heart,

James Floyd

Past Updates:

The James Update #1
The James Update #2
The James Update #3
The James Update #4
The James Update #5
The James Update #6

The contents:

1. TLDR
2. People I met
3. Events I attended/Did
4. Lessons/Patterns
5. Projects
6. This coming month
7. Problems I have, Feedback Requests

TLDR:

SF→Arizona→Austin, Tx. People, people, and more people. Sedona, Grand Canyon, SXSW, and much reading and writing.

Thinking about moving to NYC even if there is no A+ opportunity I’ve accepted.

Some people I got to talk to/work with:

• Bill Gurley - GP @ Benchmark, Author

• John Hu - Built Stan in public

• Andrew Yeung - Gatsby of tech

• Owen Loh - Oxford Physicist, Founder

• Katya Marchenko - Founders Run Club, Interactive Game Founder

• Andres Concha - Leaders of Tomorrow podcast, Founder

• Pablo Casilimas - Managing partner at OneSixOne Ventures

• Angela Mascarenas - Founder of Furnace Group
  Many other amazing people!

  Lessons/Patterns:

• Find creation that feels like play

• Rather than giving advice, give challenges

• ‘Let nerds keep their money and you rule the world’ - Paul Graham

• Take wisely and you do not become less - I am the Grand Canyon

• Strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet

• A strong enough why makes the how happen no matter what

Projects:

1. Reference list is built, and I am updating it as people compliment me
2. Videos for my future kids about my life now - Instagram
3. Still posting every day on LinkedIn
4. A substack article on how to answer the question of ‘What’s Next’

This coming month:

I am at SXSW in Austin, Texas for another week, then I will likely head back to Nashville (unless I pop to NYC quickly before back to Nashville).

In mid April I’m going to Kansas city for a summit, then Phoenix for Forbes 30u30.

After that I might roadtrip my car to NYC and find a place to stay.
(BIG SWINGS)

Would love your feedback on these problems:

1. Should I move to NYC, before accepting an A+ opportunity?

2. What do you think of my current approach to finding opportunities in NYC? (Content, Connections, Caring)

3. At what point should I hone in on third door-ing specific people instead of finding intros to them or having them be inbound?

4. What’s your process of answering the question of ‘what’s next?’

Events:

ImagineArt Launch night in SF
Corgi Cafe Launch in SF
SXSW in Austin (So 10+ or more)
A beautiful wedding

If you think of someone I can help or should meet!
Here is a forwardable blurb!

James Floyd is a digital nomad I know who has run events all over the country. He’s super connected and obsessed with making people smile. He’s an experienced Chief of Staff who you can give a problem and he’ll find the best solution.

Highlights:
• Helped run Jets & Capital events in Vegas, Miami, SF, and New York.
bringing together founders, investors, and family offices managing trillions in AUM.
• Directed and Implemented BetterWealth’s website site, funnels, and analytics — raising site health from 33 to 99 (top 3% globally) and doubling SEO visibility. (Ahrefs, G-Suite Analytics, Webflow)
• Designed AI workflows that now save 30+ hours a week and link Organic YouTube traffic directly to booked calls. (N8N, many AIs and APIs)
• Built studios and content systems that accelerated BetterWealth’s audience growth.
• Active network across Family offices, Content Creators, and Operators.

Focus: He’s now looking to work more deeply inside connection-driven environments — events, communities, or high-growth teams that bring ambitious people together and make things happen in NY!


As always, please follow-up with me and ask me for anything I can help with!
( I want to help! )

My Socials (No not my SSN) + Website
Instagram | LinkedIn | JamesFloyds.World

Past Updates:

The James Update #1
The James Update #2
The James Update #3
The James Update #4
The James Update #5

The contents:

1. TLDR
2. People I met
3. Events I attended/Did
4. Lessons/Patterns
5. Projects
6. This coming month
7. Problems I have, Feedback Requests

TLDR:

Produced some sick events, strengthened and started some awesome relationships, lived in 5 cities, read 2 books, posted everyday on LinkedIn (42.2k views)

Some people I got to talk to/work with:

• Michael Phelps - Most Gold Medals ever earned.

• Kyle Forgeard - Star of NELK Boys, top podcaster, and co-founder of Happy Dad

• Said Zewar Shah Saddat - Former Governor in Afghanistan of 1 million people

• Rich Sedmak - EIR and Sr.Fellow @ UPenn, Founder of Clarity, Director of a MFO

• Lloyd Nimetz - Exited first startup to Kaplan, Stanford MBA, Building Snow.Day

• Alex Hansen - Exited Marketing Agency, now partner at a PE firm

• James Kimmorley - Broker of Private Assets and an awesome Australian

• Migena Agaraj - Connector Extraordinaire

• Ilias Anwar - CMO of Cliqk, 20k on LinkedIn, A modern founder through and through
  Among many others!

  Lessons/Patterns:

  - Orcas are the #1 predator of moose in coastal regions. (This is just a crazy fact) -AH
  - Your unconscious mind is yelling to be seen - Flavio
  - Compete against yourself. Energy is lost any other way.
  - Zoom out, patterns are found in the entirety.
  - When it’s easy is the best time to go hard.
  - You can’t solve a problem from the same level of consciousness that created it - AE
  + Infinitely more

Projects:

1. Reference list of credible people who will vouch for me and have (will be live on my site when its finished under /reference)
2. Personal Poetry Book ~65/100 poems written
3. LinkedIn Posts every day

This coming month:

- Will be in Arizona for the rest of February at least.
- Meeting with the CMO of VaynerX, Mike Ibe, Maria Wlolinska, and some others. I will also be working to catch up on messages and follow ups from my travel.
- What recommendations do you have?

Would love your feedback on these problems:

1. I currently have 719 unread messages on my phone from people. Has anyone figured out any good solutions/systems to mitigate this and allow more intentionality?

2. What do you think of my current approach to finding opportunities in NYC? (Content, Connections, Caring)

3. At what point should I hone in on third door-ing specific people instead of finding intros to them or having them be inbound?

Events:

Players Impact Superbowl Edition
Jets and Capital SF
Family Office Dinner
Dignifi event @ a secret burning man spot
Fast Start Forum 26’
ImagineArt Launch Night
Also did some dinners!

If you think of someone I can help or should meet!
Here is a forwardable blurb!

James Floyd builds in a way that connect people, capital, and makes ideas reality.

Highlights:
• Helped run Jets & Capital events in Vegas, Miami, SF, and New York.
bringing together founders, investors, and family offices managing trillions in AUM.
• Directed and Implemented BetterWealth’s website site, funnels, and analytics — raising site health from 33 to 99 (top 3% globally) and doubling SEO visibility. (Ahrefs, G-Suite Analytics, Webflow)
• Designed AI workflows that now save 30+ hours a week and link Organic YouTube traffic directly to booked calls. (N8N, many AIs and APIs)
• Built studios and content systems that accelerated BetterWealth’s audience growth.
• Active network across Family offices, Content Creators, and Operators.

Focus: He’s now looking to work more deeply inside connection-driven environments — events, communities, or high-growth teams that bring ambitious people together and make things happen.


As always, please follow-up with me and ask me for anything I can help with!
( I want to help! )

Past Updates:

The James Update #1
The James Update #2
The James Update #3
The James Update #4

I am now catching up on many messages (I love follow ups!), posting everyday on LinkedIn, researching skills that are defensible against AI, and FINDING THE BEST WAY INTO NYC.

Will be in Miami/Palm Beach next 2 weeks, then SF for Jets and Capital + Superbowl, then Phoenix. May be back briefly to Nashville. If you are going to be in one of those places LMK!

If any ideas, people, asks, feedback, etc popped up while reading this - hit reply!

Much love.

--

James Floyd
LinkedIn | Website

This is my monthly update email. Just like companies send updates to their investors, I send updates to you all.

If you are reading this it is because, in some form, I have met you on my path.

I am grateful for you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Contents:

Wisdoms Collected

Accountability

My future

____________________________________________

First, as always, please let me know what connections, deals, etc would be valuable to you.

Now without further ado:

Wisdoms Collected:

- ‘There are years where weeks happen, and weeks where years happen’ - It’s never an equation of time, and always an equation of Input/time.

- My definition of success is internal peace

- Pain -> Perspective -> Gratitude -> Peace

- Your Internal is your external, but does not have to be vice versa

- The only thing impressive is character.

- I need little to live.

Accountability that I am taking action:

People I had the privilege of talking to:

(Each of these people impressed me with their character, and then their achievements)

Dr. Bailey - Former President of Exxon Arabian Gulf

Xiaochen Zhang - Executive Director of AI 2030

Jessica Greenwalt - Founder of Nice.Industries, Ex Creative Director at Vayner3

Patricia Mangialini - One of the world’s Youngest Diplomats, now a CoS @ an FO

Arielle Shih - Curated Experiences, IR, World Traveler

Hector Djibaou - Founder of Globalpolitan, Ex-Deloitte, US Intelligence Services

Austin Moss - Founder of Capital Collab, Connector/Investor Extraordinaire

Anoop Kansupada - Advises families on emerging technology and ecosystems

Alicia Long - Connector on BIG deals, Shark Tank Season 14, IR at Artest Mgmt

Daniel Puder - Ex-WWE, UFC Fighter building schools, Partnered with Tony Robbins

Among other royalty, storied families, etc who I’m not sure of character.

Events I attended:

Las Vegas F1 - Capital on Track, F1 suite viewing party

Art Basel - Scarface Mansion, Bit Basel, Family Office Forum, Robb Report, Venture Investor Forum x Art Basel

Grant Cardone 10X Hangar Party

Notable Projects completed on top of main work + travel:

- JamesFloyds.World Updated to a new, classier experience.

- Crossed 100 poems written. (Lmk if you would like to see one!)

- Gave a talk on The Third Door

- Created an art piece for an auction {see video on instagram (@ end)}

- Continued Building in Public on Instagram (3 more videos posted)

The next step for me:

- Join a team of the best. I’m interested in experiential marketing, community building, events, chief-of-staff, and other roles well suited for an intrapreneur.

- Starting a Scalable Startup. Some options I’m looking into. - Schools, Portfolio Management tool, Connection Management tool, and some others.

- Deal-Making: I am connecting investors to investments in all kinds of asset classes like Sports Teams, CRE, Energy, etc, and more lifestyle things like jets.

How you can help:

Intros to:

- People who design or host extraordinary experiences (events, retreats, gatherings)

- Chief-of-Staffs and operators inside fast-growing, healthy culture companies.

- Family Offices/Investors @ $100M+ deal size (sports, energy, CRE, Infrastructure, etc)

If you think of anyone I should meet, feel free to forward the short intro below:

Especially in NY!

--

James Floyd builds systems that connect people, capital, and make ideas reality.

Highlights:

• Helped run Jets & Capital events in Vegas, Miami, and New York, bringing together founders, investors, and family offices managing trillions in AUM.
• Directed and Implemented BetterWealth’s website site, funnels, and analytics — raising site health from 33 to 99 (top 3% globally) and doubling SEO visibility. (Ahrefs, G-Suite Analytics, Webflow)
• Designed AI workflows that now save 30+ hours a week and link Organic YouTube traffic directly to booked calls. (N8N, many AIs and APIs)
• Built studios and content systems that accelerated BetterWealth’s audience growth.
• Active network across Family offices, Content Creators, and Operators.

Focus: He’s now looking to work more deeply inside connection-driven environments — events, communities, or high-growth teams that bring ambitious people together and make things happen.

--

I’d love your honest feedback or introductions — even one sentence would mean a lot.

James Floyd

LinkedIn | Website | Instagram

P.S. I do not ask without being willing to give, if there’s something I can give you, let’s have a conversation.

P.P.S. If you’d rather receive this a different way, or not at all just reply - ‘Not my jam’ or ‘too busy’.

This is my monthly update email. It’s where I hold myself accountable to the people in my network.

If you are reading this, it is because I have met you on my path. I am grateful for you.

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Contents:

TLDR

Decisions made

Accountability

My future

How you can help

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TLDR: Moving to NY Asap, narrowed in on a couple options of how, talked to many high-level humans, would be honored by your support.
_________________________________

Decisions made in the last month:

I will work as hard as I possibly can to make moving to NY ASAP possible.

Not interested in Agency or Consulting Model, or starting my own events/experience business yet.

I do not want to try and make money from connecting people personally, I would rather have a different place where cash-flow comes from.

Per Founders Podcast: I want to work with the highest level humans I can, I want to take a lot of asymmetric risk, I want to watch my costs, I want to learn from those who have done it before me.

What follows is accountability:

Here’s who I’ve talked to since my last email:

- Michael Burcham - Partner @ Shore Capital, Vanderbilt Entrepreneurship Center Director, Author

- Max Rattner - Head of Short Form Content @ Mr.Beast

- Yousuf Idris - Builds AI automations for companies like Walmart and Lyft

- Aelia Kos - Private Club Curator, Connector

- Nicholas Ingate - Exited Founder now running Sabbatical Travel

- Jessica Sophia Wong - Founder of Yorkseed

- Mussa Qader- Founding Engineer at GCP, Private Aviation

- Trey Natherson - Next Gen FO, Founder

- Vivek Pandit - Forbes 30u30, TedX speaker, Founder of PeduL

Among many others!

Here are the events I’ve attended:

- Yorkseed NYC Capital Connections Event

- Upstate NY Fall trip with friends who happen to work at Mckinsey, Microsoft, etc

- QLC - call with Forbes 30u30 founders

- Keiretsu and 601 Club Investor Events

The career options I see ahead of me:

- Join a team of the best. Through the 2nd interview from joinhampton.com about an events manager role, looking for similar CoS or events/experience design roles in NY. Looking for Support here!

- Scalable Startup. Some options, Video Card Company, Fundraise Wire Payment Processing, some others. All in the customer discovery phase with smart people, or start my own.

- Deal-Making: I am already connecting people for Lifestyle things like Jets, and Investments in all kinds of assets like Sports Teams, CRE, Energy, etc

How you can help:

- People who design or host extraordinary experiences (events, retreats, gatherings)

- Chief-of-Staffs and operators inside fast-growing, healthy culture companies.

- Family Offices/Investors @ $100M+ deal size (sports, energy, CRE, etc)

If you think of anyone I should meet, feel free to forward the short intro below:

Especially in NY!

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James Floyd builds systems that connect people, capital, and make ideas reality.

Highlights:

• Helped run Jets & Capital events in Vegas, Miami, and New York, bringing together founders, investors, and family offices managing trillions in AUM.
• Directed and Implemented BetterWealth’s website site, funnels, and analytics — raising site health from 33 to 97 (top 7% globally) and doubling SEO visibility. (Ahrefs, G-Suite Analytics, Webflow)
• Designed AI workflows that now save 30+ hours a week and link Organic YouTube traffic directly to booked calls. (N8N, many AIs and APIs)
• Built studios and content systems that accelerated BetterWealth’s audience growth.
• Active network across Family offices, Content Creators, and Operators.

Focus: He’s now looking to work more deeply inside connection-driven environments — events, communities, or high-growth teams that bring ambitious people together and make things happen.

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I’d love your honest feedback or introductions — even one sentence would mean a lot.

James Floyd

LinkedIn | Website | jamesfloydbiz@gmail.com |

P.S. I really do try to lead with my heart, please let me know any and all things I can do better!

You’re getting this because I’ve met you on my path and I am grateful for it.

I want to share with you what I’ve built this year, where I’m headed, and invite your feedback or introductions as I narrow my focus towards my next chapter.

————————————————————————

So whats been built?
Events:
I helped run gatherings like Jets & Capital (Vegas, Miami, New York), and The Life Insurance Summit. Rooms that contained the best of their industry, and still had a culture of generosity and kindness.

Systems:
At BetterWealth, I rebuilt* of our digital foundation — new site, analytics, and SEO.
- Site Health went from 33% to 97% health (top 9% globally) and users are up 300% (Ahrefs, Search Console, Bing Webmaster)
- Built a dashboard that tracks organic youtube vids to revenue
- I’ve built a network of AI agents + automations that now save me 30+ hours a week.

Most (did not rebuild our socials)

Content + Media:
Learned production from the ground up cameras, lights, studio design, editing, storytelling, and helped double the subscribers for BetterWealth. AI goodness here too!

On a personal side:

Created - JamesFloyds.World, did a side experiment that got 30k views, wrote many poems, and have been seeing the world!

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So where do I go from here?

As David Senra of the Founders Podcast says, ‘Focus’ is the one word description of all the learnings he’s had. So:

My next chapter is about focus - combining connection and systems inside high-speed environments.
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So, here’s what I’m curious about:

- People who design or host extraordinary experiences (events, retreats, gatherings)

- Chief-of-Staffs and operators inside fast-growing, crazy culture companies

- Founders and Family Offices for their perspective on this pursuit.

Anything from:

Amex Black Card or Imagination to smaller, high-growth companies or intimate communities.

If you think of anyone I should meet, feel free to forward the short intro below:

--

James Floyd builds systems that connect people, capital, and make ideas reality.

Highlights:

• Helped run Jets & Capital events in Vegas, Miami, and New York, bringing together founders, investors, and family offices managing trillions in AUM.
• Rebuilt BetterWealth’s digital foundation — new site, funnels, and analytics — raising site health from 33 to 97% (top 7% globally) and doubling SEO visibility.
• Designed AI workflows that now save 30+ hours a week and link Organic YouTube traffic directly to booked calls.
• Built studios and content systems that accelerated BetterWealth’s audience growth.
• Active network across Family offices, Content Creators, and Operators.

Focus: He’s now looking to work more deeply inside connection-driven environments — events, communities, or high-growth teams that bring ambitious people together and make things happen.

--

I’d love your honest feedback or introductions — even one sentence would mean a lot.