December 1, 2022

Adapt or become irrelevant.

Prior to when Uber and Lyft launched, taxis ruled the roads. Medallions to operate a taxicab were worth millions of dollars, kept for a lifetime, and then passed down to the younger generation. Taxis controlled transportation, from pick-ups at the airport to dictating the work commute and just about everything in between. Taxis had no real competition. But the quality of the product? That was average at best (as long as you arrived in one piece). The customer experience? Well, there really was none to note (unless you happened to sit in gum). And then…BOOM! Uber and Lyft arrived, completely changing the […]
November 24, 2022

Some things change. This never does.

So much is happening in the markets, in the economy, in the world. As a financial advisor, even as more things change, they really just remain the same. We ask questions. We listen. We ask more questions. We listen more. We go deeper. We look our prospects, friends, and clients in the eye, telling them that we’re here to help, acknowledging what’s most important. And then, we get to work, implementing solutions that give them a clear path to reaching those goals. Times change, and so do the words we use, but the sentiment never falters. In 1995, it was, […]
November 10, 2022

Friday Thoughts: Ten years of choices, and this one stands out

Last week, we celebrated the ten-year anniversary of our firm. (Although our actual anniversary is November 30th.) What made last week so special was not just celebrating the firm’s success over these ten years (or 3,650 days – but who’s counting?!). More than that, it was such a golden occasion because I got to see all of our people together. From near and far, they traveled in from all over the country just for the momentous event. Friends and peers acknowledged our success with thoughtfully written notes, gift baskets, and more than a few bottles of wine. As busy as I […]
November 3, 2022

As my firm turns ten years old, here’s what I’ve learned.

In 2010, I decided that the firm where I worked, where I’d started and spent my entire career, was no longer a fit. It was a decision I did not take lightly. I also had NO idea what to do about it or where I wanted to go. But what I did know was: I was not afraid of a fight. I wanted to work hard. Feeling like I was growing was important. Entrepreneurship was definitely for me. I believed in myself, And also believed in teamwork and partnerships. Deep down, I knew I could do more and be more. […]
October 13, 2022

Friday Thoughts – “You’re leaving me?”

“You’re leaving me?” “Just for a little while, buddy. We’ll hang out more at the house later today, I promise.” My son said that to me earlier this week while we were all on vacation. For whatever reason, it’s stuck with me. He saw my leaving the park for a little while with a buddy as “leaving him.” It shouldn’t be a big deal, right? But his words, the tone of his voice, keep echoing with me. What choices am I making today that are impacting the way he feels? How about the way he feels about our relationship? Is there anything […]
September 29, 2022

Enjoy your ______ experience.

This week, I had to travel and decided to fly using Jet Suite X (JSX). If you haven’t heard of it, Jet Suite X is a small commercial airline that flies out of a limited number of private airports. My particular flight was taking off from Phoenix and landing in Burbank. It was my first time flying JSX, and I found it to be quite a departure from the typical air travel grind. With Jet Suite X, I could arrive just 15 minutes before the flight. There were no long TSA lines or mobs of frustrated people. We boarded the plane right from […]
September 22, 2022

My clients gave me this surprising nickname…

A prospective client called me the day before we were set to meet. “Looking forward to seeing you Wednesday,” he said. “But I am not signing anything now – just looking to learn more.” No problem, I respect the honesty and there’s no rush at all for me. He and I sat down at a nice local restaurant and talked about his planning, his situation, and what was most important to him. We got to know each other well and had a great conversation about his financial future but also about life, family, kids, and the lot. Soon, he asked […]
September 15, 2022

Loyalty, Consistency, & the Space In Between

What’s the difference between loyalty and blind loyalty? I’ve given this topic a lot of thought lately. We all value loyalty: in friends, teammates, coworkers, and certainly in relationships. But at what point do we hold loyalty above all else? Is there a point where our allegiances become unhealthy, the price we have to pay just not worth it? First off, what is loyalty? (Because the word may mean different things to different people.) According to Dictionary.com, the definition of ‘loyalty’ is: “The state or quality of being loyal; faithfulness to commitments or obligations.” Or “An example or instance of […]
September 8, 2022

The 2000 NY Yankees

In the year 2000, the New York Yankees did something remarkable: they won the World Series. Out of 30 teams in baseball, through the grind of a 162-game regular season and another 16 games over three rounds in the playoffs, they came out as champions. What made it even more amazing when they recorded the final out of the World Series (against their crosstown Subway Series rivals, the Mets, no less) is that it was their third World Series win in three years: a Three-Peat! Now, it isn’t easy to win. In fact, the Yankees only won 87 regular season […]
September 1, 2022

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

“Honestly, I would have given it only a 20% chance that Andy would have any interest at all,” my prospective client, Todd, said. “But you sure did pique his interest.” Todd was the Chairman, CEO, and President of a publicly traded newsgroup. He was 65 years young, successful, wealthy, and generous. He also understood that one person couldn’t possibly know everything these days, nor could his advisors. “He and I have worked together for 40 years,” Todd went on, speaking of his financial gatekeeper, Andy. “Andy is our family’s CPA, attorney, our consigliere. He knows where every dollar of our family’s […]
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