Independence. What does that word really mean? After all, none of us become successful on our own. It’s always a team effort. We all have mentors, or someone that gave us a hand along the way. Sure, you can invent something or create something or even be first. But seldom is it ONLY you that was responsible for that success. Intra-dependence, I believe, is a more accurate word. The idea is that independence is born with the need to depend on others, the need to have others on your team. The alchemy comes when we trust someone else and know that they […]

Here is an actual quote from Business Insider a few weeks ago: “Recession indicator ends as cardboard box demand, prices rise: B of A.” Yes, that was an actual headline. It’s no wonder why people don’t know what the heck to believe anymore! If cardboard box prices are a recession indicator, please save us all! Disinformation and misinformation are a profound problem today. With AI, this problem will likely get worse. Everything is a spin. Everything is clickbait. The goal is attention, not truth. And yet, consumers and voters need facts more than ever. How sad is it that we […]

Table steaks. I heard that term recently, and it means “What everybody already has or is doing.” The low-hanging fruit. Busy work is not work. Never having that difficult conversation. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Cardio burns the same amounts of calories as lifting weights BUT it depends on the time of day, workout, and body type… or you can just sweat. This is all the easy stuff. I have heard the statement “Get the low hanging fruit,” so often in business. “Go after that,” some would say. I would submit that the easy stuff, the “low hanging fruit,” […]

While on vacation this week, I received a text message from a friend. “Jack died. Can you call me?” Megan’s husband, Jack, had passed away. Jack was a client of mine, but he was a friend first. We’ve known his family for quite some time, and he was the father of one of my son’s closest friends. Jack was only 40 years old, successful. Obviously, he had some demons, as do many of us. But, overall, he was a good man. As I began to process this news, I started thinking more about my own mortality. What does this all mean? As […]

It is said that anger, joy, and fear are some of the most powerful human emotions. I have been thinking about these emotions for some time, and it has become clear that anger has been what has fueled me since I was a child. Whether it was not having all that I wanted and going to work at age 12, Or when I moved to a new school and town for 10th-12th grade and did not know anyone, a new place, and new people, and I had to assimilate to that. Or, while in high school, never being quite good […]

This week, I had the pleasure of seeing a client I had not seen in some time. They moved to Australia a few years ago, and while I continue to manage their money, we have not really connected in a while. While at lunch, Mike shared a recent story while visiting with one of his friends back here in the states. “You should move your money to a bigger firm. Like a bank,” Mike’s friend suggested. “With all the money you have, a bank or a Merrill Lynch would take great care of you.” Mike then looked at me and said, “Jeremy, […]

Recently, I have been having some real feelings about mortality. Doing so draws out some of the biggest questions of the human experience. What are we doing this all for? Am I actually making a difference? Is there more to life? My daughter will soon be 11 and graduating fifth grade. That means we’ve been living in a new home, a new city, and a new state for about two years. Honestly, it’s been a struggle. Some have even said that I seem on edge more than usual. Why do I share this? Well, I am closer to 50 than […]

It seems like it would be so easy, and yet it’s something that proves so hard. It’s way too easy to focus on the negative rather than all that is going well and all of the good around us. My son’s team lost their little league baseball game this week. It was the playoffs; they were one win away from going to the championship game. After the loss, at first, I was upset. I was frustrated with several calls by the umpires and how poorly the manager of the other team spoke to us. Just a very poor showing of sportsmanship. […]

“Making everybody a winner means nobody has to learn from losing. And let me tell you, losing is what makes winning fantastic.” “Removing the struggles, the failure, and the barriers does two things in the long run: It weakens people, and it takes away the meaning of joy from their lives…” “Life has more discomfort than comfort. But that’s what makes the highs of life feel so fantastic.”  These are small excerpts from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s weekly blog. I love his perspective. I also can’t help to think that some of what we are seeing in society today is due to making […]

As a household, we’re very cautious with technology and too much screen time for our kids. We’ve seen how they change when they’re on their tablets, video games, and in front of the computer too long. Their attitudes and actions are just simply not the same. So, as a household, we’ve made the conscious decision to limit screen time and not allow much at all. While I am certain that’s the best decision for their health, at the same time I’m conflicted. You do not want your children to get behind in the world of technology. You do not want them […]