Founder's Note on Newthos
FYI: this is a long son’uva gun... probably the longest thing I’ll share anytime soon.
It’s a personal reflection, and an open door into what Newthos may become.
Read it all: you get a medal. 🎖️
Skim guilt-free: the 2-min version is here: What is Newthos? TL;DR
Patience + Fear = “Later”
For a long time, I’ve said some version of the same thing:
“If I only had more time... or maybe bigger cannolis... I’d build the things I actually want to build.”
At first, the practical route felt responsible. Work, bills, kids, life, timing... normal adult things. Those reasons were real, and still are today.
I’ve worn plenty of hats along the way... theatre kid, student council type, rec-league ice hockey captain, web + tech builder, marketer, brother, son, dad. None of it perfectly. Plenty of proof there. But I’ve usually tried to learn something and get a little less bad at the next thing.
One hat I kept dancing around until "later": founder.
Later when there’s more time. Later when there’s more money. Later when life feels less complicated. Later when I feel more ready.
A lot of this was patience... it had to be. But, I often wonder how much was fear or avoidance.
That tension is where "Built for the Wait" comes from. It's about delayed gratification in the most human sense: setting a goal, carrying responsibility, doing the work, messing up, trying again, and trusting the grind may eventually payoff. Maybe that's building something. Maybe it's losing 25 pounds. Maybe it's breaking a bad pattern, or working toward a finish line nobody else sees yet.
At some point, it got simpler: I’m more afraid of never trying than I am of things not going perfectly.
The Music Within
Songs show up throughout this piece because they've been personal anthems for me in recent months. I am not a songwriter, nor do I intend to engage with AI-assisted music production beyond personal use.
Nothing can replace live music or true artistry. For me, these anthems became my way to process, dream, cope, and keep moving. Let's call them: personal earworms for a commute, a workout, or one of those “ugh, it’s been a day”.
Built for the Wait, by Newthos
"Someday, this grind won't own me. I'm built ... for ... the wait."
(If you're like me, and pore over every word like the universe is speaking, full lyrics can be found here.)
A Question Kept Following Me
So much of my life and inspired shenanigans has started with “what if?”
Sometimes useful. Sometimes completely absurd. Family and friends know of ridiculous “what if” scenarios that deserve a warning label. My mom used to say, “Chris, everything to you is ‘what if.’ What if this, what if that?”
She was right. It was constant. My brain is weird. And my what-ifs are not always PG-rated.
But maybe it took a lot of therapy, introspection, and living to finally realize this question is where my imagination lives. Theatrics: to set the scene. Student-council: to organize and engage others. Marketing: to ask (or push) why anyone should care. Builder: could this thing actually work?
For example: what if you could hire live performers to do ordinary yard work... mowing, raking, trimming hedges... but they're fully costumed in community-theater fever, all to give you a semi-private backyard musical?
You see. Completely absurd. I won’t do this... I don’t think. But my imagination creates weird little scenarios.
What if this existed? What if people saw this? What if they played along? What if there’s a better way to do that? What if this actually worked?
For too long, when it came to building something of my own, “what if” mostly turned against me.
What if I fail? What if I can’t pay my mortgage? What if people roll their eyes? What if I’m not disciplined enough? What if nobody cares?
Funny though, I never really asked: What if it works out?
And if it doesn’t... what if I still find a way?
Newthos Did Not Come Out of Nowhere
As a kid, I would drag random stuff into my room and turn it into a store. Hairbrushes, toothpaste, blankets, pillows, books, stuffed animals, yo-yos, probably the TV remote. I’d make people buy things, use my fake money drawer, and act like the whole operation was completely normal.
Looking back, and now as a parent of two young boys, I know this was less “magical retail experience” and more “family hostage situation.”
There was something real in it for me. I wanted to create moments out of nothing. I wanted to engage and connect with others. I wanted to organize, create order... or maybe disorder, depending on the day.
A decade later, I was beyond privileged when Nana Newton left a small amount to her grandkids. My parents, reluctantly at first, agreed I could use mine to put a desktop computer in my room. And wow, did that open up the world for me.
Same time console gaming (PlayStation 2) launched online network play, peak years of AIM (find me at ThunderPlaya88), message boards, early 2000s websites, and late nights learning from people I had no business bothering as much as I did. (Thank you: Kevin, gamer alias Jargon, who tolerated my endless amateur questions.)
I still remember putting "Wazzuupppi" on my first webpage with a bizarre green dropshadow.
It felt like I discovered fire. 🔥
It was not impressive, no... but it was creation. It felt like magic.
This desire to create experiences has shown up many times since... corporate teams, marketing campaigns, products, games, side projects, and probably too many late-night ideas where I needed to go to bed.
Clash of Shame and Ego
I’m not starting Newthos from a perfectly healed, fully-confident place.
I have way too much ego. I’m working on this with intention. I have significant doubts, and I'm learning to manage them. Some days clash obnoxiously, even if others don't see it.
Most days, I believe deeply in what I’m building. Still though, too many days, I wonder if I’m merely an arrogant, unfocused, selfish dreamer with no finishing touch.
Both voices have evidence.
This is where "Sam’s Becoming" fits. It is not a victory song. It is not “I figured it all out.” It's a song for what many call “the messy middle,” which is basically purgatory... unknowns, ambiguity, and the painfully truth that “not knowing” is part of the deal.
This song is about not having a perfect compass or plan. It's a feeling that says: move forward, keep going, and trust the journey will shape you as much as it leads you.
Who is Sam? A totally fictional protagonist. Random name choice.
Right now, in this season of startup, I am simply choosing to move in a brave direction while still very much becoming.
Listen: Sam’s Becoming, by Newthos
“Becoming isn’t arriving ... it’s about surviving ... clash of shame and ego ... each day builds tomorrow.”
Full lyrics here.
What’s at Stake
I know what I’m putting on the line: some savings, some livelihood, reputation, stability, pride, a buttload of time, and comfort. An entire emotional junk drawer.
Not heroic. It’s scary AF. Which makes it more real for me.
Okay, So, TL;DR: What Is Newthos?
At the simplest level, Newthos is a startup... early, imperfect, and still taking shape.
There are several products and concepts in motion: experiences, tools, games, content, and services. Some are practical. Some are playful and weird. Some won't make sense until used, tinkered with, or experienced for the first time.
I also want to be clear about the service side. Newthos will begin with some marketing strategy, data and analytics, AI consulting, advertising, and content work. That is real. It is how I can personally fund the bigger ideas responsibly... without taking on unnecessary debt, or pretending every startup needs a dramatic fundraising story.
The largest vision is to build things that stand on their own... things people use, play, share, talk about, or return to. Over time, Newthos is not a front-facing brand, and more of the “made by” or “powered by” behind the products themselves. That feels right to me.
Whatever it is: if it doesn’t add value, it doesn’t belong.
Newthos wants more connection. More clarity. More laughter. More usefulness. More honesty. More human stuff, even if it appears in modern-day unhuman-ish ways.
Concepts on the horizon
It's People
I will always remember a Sylvester Stallone Oscar speech remark: “We are the sum of all the people we’ve met.”
I loved that.
The older I get, the more I'm reminded people build people. And people build things. Either way, in the end, "It’s People" who leave the biggest marks.
I'm the sum of people who answered my questions, challenged me, loved me, humbled me, forgave me, frustrated me, believed in me, doubted me, sharpened me, and more often than not, taught me lessons I did not want at the time.
Newthos will have my goofy fingerprints all over it, but if it becomes anything worthwhile, it's not because I sat alone and dreamed hard enough. It's only because people tried things, reacted honestly, gave feedback, laughed at what worked, called out what didn’t (and watched my blush turn red), shared it, shaped it, and helped make it better.
That's why this song belongs here. Newthos is not only about products, tools, games, or ideas. It is about elevating people.
I am deeply thankful for all the people in my life. If not doing this only for myself and future users of Newthos brands, it is because I don't want to waste the time, energy, love, and belief others poured into making me who I am.
Listen: It’s People, by Newthos
“Have you turned the lens back on yourself ... or only searched others to find what’s wrong?"
Full lyrics here.
What I Hope My Boys See
My boys make this feel bigger than a business decision.
I want them to see a dad who is happy. Not fearless, not reckless, not pretending he has every answer.
I want them to see someone willing to work hard, learn hard, take calculated risks, and choose a path deliberately, while also still having fun.
I want them to know responsibility and bravery can coexist. Patience, providing, and purpose can coexist. Fear and pushing through can coexist.
Most of all: I want them to never stop asking, “What if?”
As long as they still ask that, they are still dreaming. And that is most important to me.
The Ask
So this is Newthos. Early. Imperfect. Very awkward.
Built from years of “what if,” waiting, and people molding me in ways they do not realize.
If any of this hits home, there are a few ways you can help me with what comes next:
1. Offer feedback, be an early advisor, or help pressure-test ideas with honest, genuine support.
2. Come back later this month to check out NewthosGoods, where select items will support the Newthos launch and others will donate 90% of profit to a charitable organization of the buyer’s choice.
3. Connect me with people you think would be worthwhile to visit with... advisors, business mentors, collaborators, builders, operators, or anyone who can lend a helpful perspective. I'm in a mode of networking, learning, and showing up where builders gather... conferences, entrepreneurial meetups, and wherever else this unknown road leads.
4. And last: a deep, overthought, existential-me-to-death question: Where have you been calling it patience, when it might actually be fear?
Answer in the comments below (moderated 😁) or send me a message.