Coming Up for Air
This time of year always feels like a long, overdue exhale—especially as the June family emerges from the whirlwind of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays (lots of them!), soccer season, and more over the last six months. Phewwww. (I bet you could hear me exhale.)
This year’s seasonal gauntlet was especially tough, with two of my girls breaking their arms in separate incidents at school on play equipment. Thankfully, they healed quickly, bouncing back to their normal, active selves—playing, squabbling, and keeping life interesting. (Oh, to be that young again!)
Now, with warmer weather upon us, we’re shifting gears to spring and summer activities—weekend beach trips, hikes through the hills, playdates with friends, and plenty of pool time. If it involves movement, my girls are all in, which is great for me, too. Keeping up with them keeps me active, energized, and feeling young(er). Soccer is also on the horizon, and I’ll be back as assistant coach again—a role I’ve truly come to love.
Strengthening Community Connections
Beyond family time, Sara and I have been enjoying the sense of connection and community we’ve found at our local church, The Rock, in El Cajon. There, Pastor Miles McPherson brings a unique perspective to faith, shaped by his background in the NFL. His journey—from playing for the San Diego Chargers to becoming a leader rooted in hope and healing—has been an inspiration.
On a professional front, Sara recently received a well-deserved promotion in her work with special needs children. She’s excited for some downtime once the current school year ends, and excited to embrace the new opportunities that the next one will bring.
Navigating Business Shifts Amid Economic Changes
For me, with tariffs affecting consumer spending and both leisure and business travel, there are lots of changes going on in the consumer products and promotional products spaces. Not surprisingly, Mobile Edge has felt the impact, especially related to the backpacks, bags, and promotional products they manufacture for mobile professionals, students, and gamers.
If you’re curious about how tariffs are shaping industries and everyday life, I explored this in a recent blog, Understanding Tariffs: Who Really Pays the Price. I also give a pretty good “primer” on the promotional products space in another recent blog, Leveraging Quality Promotional Products for Maximum ROI.
Transitions, New Clients, and Looking Ahead
While change is inevitable, it’s always bittersweet. Recently, after more than 3-4 years working together successfully, we said goodbye to two long-time clients, Enact Partners and Holland’s Custom Cabinets. We wish them the best and hope to stay in touch. At the same time, we’re excited to welcome new clients into the Barrel O’Monkeyz family, including Wicked Sports, while continuing to strengthen relationships with Ludwig APC, KUSC, Tommy’s Pizza and Subs, Ameritax, Mobile Edge, Core Gaming, JustPrayUSA, and others. Our goal with all is to craft dynamic websites and compelling branding strategies that attract and convert high-quality leads into loyal brand advocates, powered by impactful design, targeted marketing solutions, and promotional products.
Staying busy, staying flexible, and staying resilient—that’s what keeps us on our toes. And by the time my next update rolls around, we’ll have launched our brand-new Monkeyz website, dedicated to telling our story of how we build and manage successful lead generation funnels for clients. (I’d love to chat up how we could add you to the Monkeyz client list.)
Until next time, stay engaged, stay curious, and may you find joy in both the personal and professional journeys ahead. Feel free to drop me an email or give me a call—let’s catch up!
Blessings and success,
Paul June
King Monkey
Barrel O’Monkeyz
May 2025
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