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: […]
May 25, 2022
I was having lunch today with one of my biggest clients, who’s also a close personal friend. He’s someone that I share things with – what’s going on in my business or life, and I always appreciate his counsel. Today, while at lunch, I shared some of the challenges I’ve had this year and over the last couple of years. I talked about my obstacles, stumbling blocks, and setbacks, both personal, professional, and financial. When I was done speaking, he took a pause, then looked me in the eyes and simply said, “Move on.” His blunt and concise response took […]
May 14, 2022
For the last week, I’ve driving up the California coast with my wife and two children. We started in Dana Point and, as of this morning, are in Carmel by the Sea. We’re on to Monterey. Then, ending in Calistoga/Napa for a few days before heading home. This has been an interesting week to say the least. What have I learned? Quite a lot actually, but I’ll narrow it down to these 10 things. First off, I’ve learned that I can actually spend this amount of time with my family! When cell reception and wi-fi are unavailable for hours, I […]
May 6, 2022
April 2022 stock market recap. For April, the three major stock indexes registered: S&P 500 -8.8 percent Down Jones -4.9 percent Nasdaq -13.3 percent Year-to-date in 2022, the big three indexes registered: S&P 500 -13.3 percent Dow Jones -9.3 percent Nasdaq -21.2 percent Market measures. The S&P 500 is off to its worst start to a year since 1939, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq is off to its most auspicious beginning since 1971, and the DOW Jones Industrial Average is showing losses not experienced since the COVID year of 2020. In April, the Nasdaq had its worst monthly performance since 2008. […]
May 1, 2022
My family and I have decided to relocate to Arizona. The reasons are many, most of which are personal. This week, I was getting my son in the car, about to head to my daughter’s softball practice. One of our neighbors, Ben, approached me. I can’t say that we know each other very well, but he’s always very cordial, and they seem to be a nice family. Ben walked up and said, “So, you are doing it, huh?” “Yes,” I replied. “For us, it’s the right move and something that we need to do for our family.” “You’re doing the right thing,” […]
April 18, 2022
Man, I must be so important. Man, you must be so important! I mean, we both must be so important, right? With our phones at our ears 24/7?! We even put our cell phones right on the table during meals, at the ready like wild west gunslingers at high noon, or Pavlovian dogs salivating for the next call, text, or email. What’s so important that we need to be connected to our phones even during time with family? Are we expecting the White House to call us for guidance in handling the Ukraine/Russia conflict? Is Elon Musk going to check […]