AttentionMax

It’s been quite a week — and a positive one at that. New baby, birthdays, and exciting things going on at work. And there’s more coming which I’ll share later. I’m a little late, but below is my MediaPost column from last Friday. I wrote it the day after Celeste was born. Thanks to all who left good wishes on the MediaPost blog.

What Are The Chances?

What are the chances you end up marrying your college sweetheart, who also happens to share your same birth date? Slim, but it happened to me.

What are the chances of having a daughter — who also shares your birth date? That’s crazy, but it just happened to me!

We welcomed Celeste Bea Kalehoff into the world on Wednesday morning. Now three of four members in this Kalehoff clan share July 23 as their birth date. I still can’t believe it!

With a busy life as a marketing exec at an early-stage startup, I’ve been asked what I thought about the burden of balancing not one, but two kids under the age of two.

To me, kids make life worth living. They force balance between work and life. It’s often tough, but prioritization makes it possible. So does working with talented professionals who have similar values. It is possible to achieve a zone where doing well in one contributes to the success of the other. People who achieve that zone are the ones I tend to admire most.

I also cherish how kids keep your outlook fresh. They force you to experience the entire world again, as if it were for the very first time. Being curious is to be alive. That’s a gift by itself. But it also makes you a better person and a better marketer. So I highly recommend it.

Given the circumstances, including the peak of summer, I’m going to cut back a little while we welcome Celeste into our family.

I’ll be back in three weeks.