State of the Union: One Year Later... Well, SavePointDad is still going.

About a year ago I started SavePointDad for one very important reason. I was bored.

That was the entire business plan. I just felt like I had a lot of random thoughts bouncing around in my head that other dads probably had too but didn't always say out loud. Being a dad is hard. Working out takes forever. Video games are fun. I figured a lot of people felt the same way so I bought a domain, learned just enough about websites to post, and started writing.

Honestly, I had no clue how long I'd keep doing it. I figured maybe I'd write a handful of blogs, get distracted by some other shit, and move on. Instead, I just paid to renew the hosting for another year. I don’t waste money so it looks like you are all stuck with me for another year. Honestly, it’s surprising how much it costs to host a website. I mean, in retrospect, what hobby doesn’t cost money.

Turns Out I Wasn't Talking to Myself

There are now more than 7,000 people following SavePointDad on Instagram. Hundreds of people read these blogs every week. Complete strangers have taken time out of their day to send me messages saying something I wrote made them laugh, reminded them of their kids, or made them realize they weren't the only person thinking something stupid. Also, quite a few have reached out to point out how stupid I am. Those crack me up the most.

The coolest part hasn't been the numbers. It's been the people. I've met creators, parents, gamers, writers, and genuinely awesome people from all over the world because of this site. Twenty years ago, our parents told us talking to strangers on the internet would get us kidnapped. Now I'm cheering on a guy's photography business or a fitness page in another country while someone halfway around the world is rooting for this dad blog. The internet is an absolute shit show some days, but every now and then it reminds you why it's worth sticking around.

Social Media Is Still Bullshit

Instagram proudly tells me I have over 7,000 followers. Fantastic. Love seeing that. Then I spend an hour writing a post, making an image, proofreading it fifteen times, because apparently I still can't spell "definitely" without spellcheck, and finally hit publish. Instagram immediately decides, "You know what? Let's show this to about 400 people."

What the fuck?

Everybody claims they know how to beat the algorithm. "Post at 6:17 PM." "Only post Reels." "Actually, don't post Reels." "Use exactly three hashtags." "Don't use hashtags." At this point I think the algorithm is just a monkey hitting random buttons inside Meta headquarters. It makes no sense and all feels so random.

I've Learned Way More Than I Ever Planned To

I started this website because I wanted to write.

Instead, I accidentally taught myself how websites work, how SEO works, how to read analytics, and some basic marketing. A year ago, I thought metadata sounded like something from The Matrix. Now I actually get excited when a blog starts climbing Google search results.

The funny thing is this whole experience reminded me a lot of getting in shape. Everybody wants the shortcut. What's the hack? What's the trick? What's the secret? Turns out the answer is the same in both worlds. Show up consistently. Keep learning. Get a little better every week. Repeat that process a hundred times until one day people think you magically figured it out.

The Blogs That Meant the Most

One thing writing has changed is how I pay attention to life.

Before SavePointDad, funny conversations with my kids would've disappeared into memory. Random thoughts during my commute would've been forgotten by the time I got home. Now I catch myself noticing those little moments because they're usually the ones worth writing about. That's where some of my favorite articles came from.

For example, The Last Time Your Kids Ask to Be Carried. That one reminded me that parenting isn't just about first steps and birthdays. It's about the little moments nobody warns you are disappearing. The last bedtime story. The last time they ask you to carry them because they're scared. Those moments quietly become memories.

One Thing I Hope More People Start Doing

If this website has taught me anything outside of writing, it's that support matters way more than we realize. Seriously Dude.

If your buddy starts a business, follow the page. If your friend launches a podcast, listen to an episode. If somebody starts chasing a crazy idea, don't be the person explaining why it probably won't work (we know all the reasons already). Be the person cheering them on. We have enough contrarians already.

Every comment, share, and like helps so much. Support isn't finite. Somebody else doing good doesn't make it so you can’t do good also. Be a bro, man. Encourage people.

So What's Next?

Honestly... same shit different day.

I'll probably continue questioning life at least once a week. I'll keep complaining about social media every chance I get. I'll probably write something that accidentally connects, then write something stupid AF in the next sentence.

Thank You

I honestly never imagined hundreds of people would spend part of their week reading something I wrote. You helped turn something I started because I was bored into one of my favorite hobbies.

Here's to another year of SavePointDad since I already paid for it.

And if you haven't already, subscribe while you're here. It's free, you'll never miss a new blog, and it'll make me feel a little better about paying for another year of website hosting.