July 21, 2022
When you look in the mirror, do you see the person you always wanted to be? For most people, the answer is a resounding “no.” They don’t see a version of themselves that’s even close to reaching their potential. You fall short. You’re imperfect. You have so many flaws. And the more you focus on those perceived negative qualities, the more unhappy and unfulfilled you seem to be. The first thing we see when we inspect the human being in front of us is flaws, imperfections, and shortcomings. But you’re not alone because that’s just human nature. In fact, studies […]
July 14, 2022
This morning a client fired me. This morning, a client fired me. It wasn’t for anything I did, or anything I didn’t do for that matter. Instead, he told me that he simply wanted to go in a different direction, which is totally fine. At the end of our face-to-face meeting today, he thanked me for my years of commitment and work. He told me that he really values our friendship and wants to keep it that way in the future even. As we discussed the reason for his decision, he said that even though we did not always agree on […]
July 7, 2022
Two phone calls. Two different people. Two totally different needs. “Hey man, how are things?” I asked. “Not great right now,” he said. “Why? What’s going on with you? Is everything ok?” My friend paused and sighed before replying, “My dad went in for his normal check-up. But when they did his blood work, they noticed his white blood cells were extremely low. So, they tested him, and he has an aggressive form of leukemia.” I offered what few words of consolation I could. “My mom is a mess. I don’t know what to think.” We talked a while longer. I listened, mostly saying nothing. […]
July 6, 2022
Stock market For the month of June, the major U.S. stock indices performed as follows: Dow Jones -6.71% S&P500 -8.39% Nasdaq -8.71% Despite a positive trading day on July 1st, all three indices posted their fourth negative week out of five. In fact, the first six months of 2022 have seen a historical amount of red for Wall Street, with the worst losses through the first half of 2022 since the first six months of 1970. At the halfway mark of 2022, the S&P 500 was down about 20.58%, the Nasdaq 100 down 29.51%, and the Dow was down 15.3% […]
June 30, 2022
Ten years ago this year, I launched my firm, One Wealth Management. Ten years ago today, I made decisions that dramatically changed the course of my life, both business and personal. It was ten years ago that I was sitting at Nobu in Malibu with my mother, sister, and pregnant girlfriend (now wife). In the middle of our dinner, I received a call from the doctor at the hospital saying that my father had passed away. We were never close. He was ill for the last five-plus years of his life. We had him in a home that cared for […]
June 23, 2022
James has been a client for 15 years now. We got together earlier this week (via Zoom) to discuss his investments and his financial plan. After five minutes, I asked him how things were going. To which James replied, “I’m dying. But other than that, things are going pretty well.” I was, of course, completely shocked. I thought I’d heard him wrong. “I’m sorry, but did you just say you were dying?” I asked. “Yes, you heard right. I have lymphoma. I’ve been diagnosed and start treatment next week,” James said. “But the doctors say I have 5 to 10 […]
June 16, 2022
“Money makes comedy not as funny. When you have and make a lot of money, you lose your edge.” Jerry Seinfeld once said. “The edge is what makes you funny. When you have money, the jokes just get bigger. The sets more elaborate and the jokes more complicated. It was so much better being broke.” Ain’t that the truth! Here we all are, trying to do more and be better – trying to elevate our business and lives with material trappings. But how often does the success we enjoy change the way we get to enjoy it? It’s like the […]
June 8, 2022
I was on a flight from Santa Rosa last week and had the opportunity to sit next to an interesting man. And while I learned quite a good deal from him, our encounter had an auspicious beginning. Trying to make best use of my time on the flight to keep up with the usual hectic business day, I went to launch my computer to get some work done. However, I couldn’t log onto the in-flight Wi-Fi, no matter what I tried. After multiple attempts and possibly a little frustration on my part, the man sitting next to me, David, looked […]
June 3, 2022
The stock market Wall Street’s rollercoaster ride continued throughout May with three weeks of volatility, including the major indices hitting a 52-week low on May 20. On that date, the S&P 500 registered an interday decline of almost 21% since its January high, and the Dow fell for the eighth consecutive week, its longest weekly losing streak since 1923. But May’s swoon was salvaged by a strong finish the last week of the month, with the S&P 500 rallying by nearly 8.5% through June 1, 2022. For the month, the three major indices performed as follows: S&P 500 0.2% Dow Jones […]
June 1, 2022
More than 20 years ago, I met this post production color correction artist who became a beloved, lifelong client. Our meeting also signaled a golden opportunity that helped further my budding career. I was watching a movie one night, not paying full attention as I thought about how I could prospect in a market that was underserved. (Yes, I even thought about work during my downtime at night.) I had been in the business for a little over three years at that point. I’d had some success but felt unchallenged and unfulfilled calling on the same old list of people: […]