The (Unfathomable) Los Angeles Fires of 2025

What’s unfolding in Los Angeles is just impossibly tragic. Beyond the human capacity to mentally process.

My wife and I moved back to Los Angeles in early 2024.

I’m originally from the American North East. I’m no stranger to intense weather: thunderstorms, blizzards, wind, and the occasional power outage lasting a few days or a week. I’ve even slept through hurricanes.

But this is … just … different.

My wife, Silvy, who lived at ground zero of the 1994 Northridge Earthquake (6.7 magnitude, 72 dead, $50 billion in damages) says this somehow just feels worse.

We’re all ok.

I was in Austin when it began, getting our home ready for sale.

Silvy was at her parent’s home, at the edge of an evacuation zone, and then inside it. Twice they evacuated before close fires were quickly contained.

On Friday they decided to flee the fires for Las Vegas. I’m fortunate to have a friend with a private jet in Austin who happened to be headed to Vegas that same day. I was invited on the jet, and we’re all now together. Safe.

We’ve had a number of close friends lose their homes, and we’re utterly devastated. We spent New Year’s eve with John Kim at his home, doing vision boards, and that home is now completely gone.

Literally thousands of people have lost everything. Sure, some are affluent and will bounce back quickly – at least economically, if not mentally or emotionally. But most are just everyday people raising families, going to work everyday, doing their best to find their way in life, like you and me.

If you have inclination to donate, here’s three resources:

• Baby2Baby is providing essential supplies like diapers, clothing, hygiene products and emergency kits to families in need through hundreds of their community partners.
• World Central Kitchen is supporting first responders and families impacted by wildfires in the Los Angeles area with sandwiches and warm meals.
• My friends, John Kim (aka “The Angry Therapist”) & Vanessa Bennet, lost their home the first night of the Pasadena fire. They’ve started a GoFundMe campaign to target support to a few specific families who lost homes in their neighborhood.

Deep breath.

And a thousand more.

In the meantime …

We’re entering final days of Elevate 2025 enrollment (only 4 spots left).

I strongly encourage any man to consider joining me on this year-long adventure. If you don’t know the profound experience of going through life with powerful, inspired men having your back, then I don’t care how successful you are, you are not living your full potential as a man.

I just released a short podcast episode about Elevate 2025: who it’s for, why you should do it, and why most men won’t.

👉 EP 141 – Overcome Resistance: The 5 Levels of Change