Zzyzx

If you've ever driven I-15 from LA to Vegas, you've passed a small green sign for Zzyzx Road — and almost certainly kept on going.

Life is full of these little detours, the odd exits we never pursue. And let’s be frank, most of the roads less traveled are less traveled for a reason. But sometimes those detours change the course of our lives, and we become richer for it in ways we never could’ve imagined.

The day I graduated from college, I moved to Vegas to play poker for a living. I'd driven that stretch many times before, taking off after class (or skipping it altogether), working my way through the 101 → 152 → 5 → 58 → 15 interchanges, and blowing past the Zzyzx sign with grand visions of a fun weekend in Sin City. But this time, I took the exit.

It was a small detour, to be sure, but it was a chance to reflect on the choices that had led me to that point, and the decision I was now making. Despite the uncertainty (I would be sleeping in my car that night, for instance), as I rested against the side of the car on Zzyzx Road, I knew deep down that I was making the right decision.

For most of my life I had always pursued the traditional path:

Somewhere between 3 and 4, I got sidetracked. Part of it was just the angst of young adulthood, often expressed in unproductive ways. Later, I came to realize that the things that I fundamentally valued weren’t reflected in the road I was on. And while it took years (decades) to figure out what that meant, with some fits and starts along the way, it was undoubtedly an incredible journey to get to this point.

Today I run two businesses: Golden Gun Ventures and Melier. Both are built around finding the roads less traveled (like Zzyzx) that are actually worth the trip — with investments and wines, respectively.

Worth the Detour is built around this concept. Every edition, I'll highlight one company, one wine, and one idea worth considering, and will share those recommendations with you.

Before you go, one small thing that'll make everything I send sharper: hit reply and tell me about a detour you made and what it meant to your life. I read every response, and it genuinely shapes what I go looking for next (though I’ll never share details without your permission).

Thanks for being here right at the very start.

Cheers,
Greg