July 14th, 2025

I recently shared some wins on how the last 3 months went for me and the business.

I'll link the full post here, but here are some highlights for you:

15 brand partnerships, including some incredible deals with Apple, LinkedIn, Ally Bank, and Adobe

27 events, including online workshops, in-person networking events, and attending the Cannes Lions festival in June

150 pieces of content published across my social channels, not including my newsletters and posts on Threads

But here are some stats I didn't include in my end of Q2 wrapup:

How many brand deals I lost because my following is too small, too big, or irrelevant to the brand

How many times I saw a career milestone from friends on a more traditional career path and questioned whether I'd made the right choice

How many diapers I've changed in the dead of night, or how many hours of sleep I've lost to night feedings or sleep training.

The point is - social media never tells the whole story. Sure, I can pull up the stats that make the last few months look like a nonstop success. But just beneath the surface are the deals that didn’t happen, the moments of doubt and comparison, and the unglamorous reality of being a young parent. Which makes me all the more grateful for the community I've built, including you reading this right now.

Also, I had a nasty flu last week that unfortunetely prevented me from sending last Monday's newsletter. So I'll be showing up in your inbox twice this week, once to deliver my usual list of links and once to deliver a short essay on something I can't get off my mind recently.

Welcome to First Things First. I'm so glad you're here.

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Colin Rocker Founder, @careercolin & For The Firsts ​Instagram | LinkedIn​

Why your desire to maximize your life may be ruining it. From Justin Welsh's Unsubscribe newsletter.

How a laid-off director of influencer marketing learned to embrace being a creator herself.

Why even those in the top 10% of earners still don't feel as financially well-off as they thought they'd be

I spent an evenng having dinner and drinks with some of the clients of JPMorgan's most exclusive bank. Here's what I learned.

Why kindness shouldn't be seen as weakness.

I'm a huge Drake fan, which probably doesn't surprise you. So I've been playing his new single on repeat since it came out last week.

I watched this mini-doc on how Bionicle saved Lego back in the day. I loved these toys as a kid, so this was a fun, nostalgic watch.

I saw Superman opening weekend and really enjoyed it. I'm a big comic fan, admittedly more Marvel than DC, but this one really made me smile.

My next event for my meetup club, For The Firsts, is officially SOLD OUT! But you can still join the waitlist, and subscribe to our calendar so you know when we announce our next few dates (already planning something very exciting for the Fall).

As a first, delegation was something I struggled with for a long time. My friend Brandon wrote an excellent post in his newsletter recently on how to buy back your time.

I recently spent an evening with Woodford Reserve and the Brooklyn Stroll Club for cocktails, dinner, and a conversation on fatherhood and fashion.

I've been battling a cold this past week, and it's kind of forced me to slow down and be more present at home. Don't take that as advice, lol, but it was a good reminder for me.

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It really means the world to me that you show up to explore these topics with me each week, so thank you for reading. If something above resonated with you, consider sharing it with someone else who might need it too.

If you have any feedback, you can always reply or email me at me@colinrocker.com

And remember that you’re not behind. You’re just building something different.

Chat soon,

Colin