Hey Reader, A lesson that I keep re-learning: It doesn't have to be hard. I resisted buying an e-bike for years. As an ex-racer, there was a large part of me that believed the suffering was the point. In 2017, I raced 42 different times. Our team won the state championship, and I finished second in the individual standings. I was training 15-20 hours a week, and when I wasn't on my bike, I was eating, sleeping, or doing active recovery. I had honed my body into an absolute weapon. But 2017...
4 months ago • 5 min read
Hey Reader, I sit alone in my room, staring at the ceiling. The feeling of existential dread is palpable. I just returned to my hotel room after night one at a Baby Bathwater event, an unconference for founders and high performers. Think of it as mastermind meets music festival, where vibes are on point and good times flow. Except this particular night, I cannot drop in. From dinner onward, I feel disconnected from the conversation. I find myself drifting. I figure it will sort itself out...
11 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, People often ask me why I don’t share more about my military service. After all, on paper, I’m a marketer’s dream. Every time I work with someone new, they always ask the same question: “Why don’t we lead with the fighter pilot stuff? People will love it!” The truth is, I’ve had a complicated relationship with my time in the military. My years of service gave me so much. The warrior’s path is a sacred one. I learned courage. I faced ultimate fears, many times over. I learned about...
over 1 year ago • 5 min read
Hey Reader, I received a powerful question from a reader this week that I bet will resonate with many of you: Can you do a future newsletter that gives advice for someone like me who wants to build wealth, but am stuck in debt and keeps undermining my own success by spending, even when I know I shouldn’t. It’s so hard to get started and frankly I’m not sure where to start. (Not literally – I am paying off my credit cards). I’m just looking for something like back to basics, LOL. Thinking I’m...
almost 2 years ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Election week is always a wild one for the markets. I get lots of messages from people asking what they should do, how the markets will react, or how I see the economy going over the next 4 years. The answer is that I have no idea. And, at the same time, I can tell you precisely what is going to happen. How is this possible? When considering any information, the most important factor is one that is so often overlooked. I once had a client who came to our biweekly coaching call with...
almost 2 years ago • 5 min read
Happy weekend Reader, Last week, we explored whether or not the hot new trend of buying “boring” businesses is a good way to generate passive income. TL:DR: There’s nothing passive about laundromats. (ICYMI, you can check out the full article here). So when does it make sense to buy a business? First off, I’ll say that despite my takedown of the boring business hype last week, I am still a massive proponent of acquisition in general. But, as with most things business, it’s complicated and...
about 2 years ago • 6 min read
Hey Reader, We need to talk about boring businesses. Buying “boring” businesses has been a very popular trend for the last few years, primarily driven by social media influencers like Codie Sanchez. The idea is that you can create passive income by purchasing simple, under-the-radar businesses like vending machines, ATMs, car washes, parking lots, and laundromats. Simply install an operator, and voila—mailbox money! Seems easy enough. After all, how hard could it be to run a laundromat? But…...
about 2 years ago • 6 min read
Hi Reader, This week, I had the opportunity to enjoy a quite spirited discussion in my investing group. The original question was this: “Hey team, I’ve got some fresh $$ to deploy. Looking to generate income to live off of. If you come across any interesting opportunities, looking for 10-20% return on cash.” This question comes up quite often with the founders I speak to. There are a multitude of opportunities that generate these types of returns, from private credit funds to multi-family...
about 2 years ago • 5 min read
Hey Reader, If you grew up anything like I did, you often heard the saying, “Nothing worth having comes easy.” Sayings like this are how we seek to instill the value of hard work in our children. Obviously, we want to teach them to build resilience and create good habits while they are young to set them up for success as they grow. And in many cases, nothing could be more true. Hard work is a necessary ingredient to the recipe for success. From fitness to entrepreneurship, we must cultivate...
about 2 years ago • 3 min read