core planning

Gratitude is often described as a beautiful state of mind—and it truly is. But let’s be honest: in the middle of our hectic lives, simply “feeling grateful” doesn’t always come easily. That’s why so many people turn to gratitude practices like writing in journals, sending thank-you notes, or even taking a moment to reflect on what’s good in their lives. These are powerful tools, but they’re only half the equation. Gratitude flourishes most not just when we cultivate it, but when we reduce the mental clutter that blocks it—like stress, negativity, and unresolved tension. The key? Pair formal gratitude practices with what I call clarity meditation. Monks have used this approach for centuries to reduce mental suffering and clear their minds, making space for genuine feelings of gratitude to naturally arise. Here’s how: 1. Start with loving-kindness: Take a few minutes to wish well to those who’ve helped you, silently or aloud. This primes your mind for warmth and connection. 2. Clear the mental clutter: Use simple clarity practices like focusing on your breath or labeling your thoughts (e.g., “worry,” “doubt”) to identify and let go of the negativity clouding your mind. 3. Combine the two: Once your mind feels more settled, gratitude comes easier—not as a forced exercise, but as a natural state that shines through when the noise is gone. When you reduce mental suffering and gain more clarity, gratitude isn’t something you have to strive for—it’s a default. And from that place, life’s challenges feel lighter, relationships deepen, and the small joys of life become more visible. Gratitude isn’t just about seeing the good; it’s about creating the mental space to truly feel it. And when you practice that, it changes everything. Comment below if you want a free email intro to clarity meditation.

One of the most debated $$$ topics… What’s the best investment strategy? Well, here’s the answer... The one you can stick with long term. Professional investors argue endlessly about which strategy is “better”, but that’s not how it works in real life. In a vacuum? Maybe. With people? Never. Once you introduce human behavior into the equation, many of the simple “spreadsheet answers” just go right out the window (and if you know me, that’s a hard pill to swallow, I love Excel). But most spreadsheet answers don’t account for the need to adapt when life happens. We all bring our own baggage to the table. successes, traumas, emotions, goals, habits. And that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it goes to show we are all unique. Money is incredibly personal and emotional. None of us spend it the same, so why are we pretending we should invest it the same? If someone can’t stick with a strategy (through the ups and downs), even the best investment performance won’t save them. So, Passive or Active? How should you invest? At the end of the day, you still have to make a decision on how you will invest, right? Most investors have strong opinions around passive or active strategies being better, and yes, I have my own thoughts. But the truth is…passive works better for some people, active better for others, and others don’t have a preference at all as long as their needs are met. There is no one-size-fits-all strategy that works for everyone. Some value consistency over everything, while others adaptability, and others a combination of both, or something entirely different. It’s like picking your favorite car brand. Arguing about the “best” is pointless; we all have different preferences in what we value. What matters is finding what works for you and keeps you coming back for more. Instead of chasing “the perfect investment strategy”, why not focus on what you want from your money? Start building an approach around your values and the life you want to live going forward. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - What strategies are helping you stay true to your values and create the life you want?

Vague and overused buzzwords are a problem. Take the term “Financial Freedom.” It’s everywhere, yet no one agrees on what it actually means. How can you achieve something you can’t even define? And why would you want to? Instead, strive for Financial Empowerment. When you’re financially empowered: - You—not your money or your circumstances—make decisions for your life. - Money doesn’t just “happen” to you; you’re in the driver’s seat. - Your goals, values, and dreams take center stage—instead of a back seat. It starts with getting clarity and taking control. What does financial empowerment mean to you? 💡

Start Up culture glorifies this notion of Blitz Scale, Break Things, and Fail Fast; and that's fine, but maybe it's also ok to just succeed slowly.

Financial planning is boring.😵💫 I mean come on, who wants to sit there and talk about taxes, recessions, and how many more years you need to work? SO FUN, right? It's not Yeah, that’s what I thought when I started sitting in on client meetings 8 years ago. I couldn't believe people were paying to have someone tell them what they should do with their money (and let me tell you, the advice was never anything sexy). The questions all seemed pretty straightforward: - Will I have enough money to retire? - What’s the best place to put my money? - When’s the next recession? All of these questions have math answers that can be solved with a spreadsheet. And yes, I thought financial planning was just that, spreadsheets and calculations. But what I’ve learned is that they almost always have deeper meanings. Psychologists call this the Question Behind the Question (QBQ): - Will I have enough money to retire? 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯, “𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.” - What’s the best place to put my money? 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦, “𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦,” 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯, "𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥." - When’s the next recession? 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰, “𝘐’𝘮 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘺?” Here’s the thing: most people don’t know how to articulate their deeper concerns, or they’re worried those feelings might sound silly. So, they ask "normal" questions, hoping the answers will solve what’s really weighing on them. Over the years, I’ve come to see financial planning differently. It’s not boring (not to me, that is 😅); it’s about helping people ask (and answer) the questions that matter most. Because at the end of the day, everyone just wants to know: Am I going to be okay?

As a financial planner, my job isn't just about finding the "perfect" strategy for your finances. It's about helping you avoid the costly mistakes that could derail your long-term goals. 💡 Here’s the thing: you can recover from missing out on a "hot stock" or choosing a less-than-optimal tax strategy. But some mistakes—like underinsuring your family, failing to save and invest altogether, or taking on too much risk in one investment that blew up—can have lasting impacts that are hard (or impossible) to undo. Think of your financial planner as your guide through the financial minefield. My goal is to help you build a resilient, adaptable plan that safeguards your future whether life turns out the way you imagined, or not. What’s one financial decision you’re glad you avoided? Share below—I’d love to hear!

When designing the model for core planning, much of the original inspiration came from the Foundry Art Center here in my hometown. Imagine more than a dozen local artists on the second floor, each studio is maybe 300sq/ft or so with a large glass wall as they build in public, while balancing a private space to retreat into their craft. The main floor is all about community and the sharing of ideas and energy. There are many different styles and mediums represented, but the artists are connected by this bigger mission to bring good art into the world. What if we replaced 'artist' with 'advisor,' how would that look and feel?

A little over 3 months since starting H3FP💥 Here are a few things I've learned/been reminded of so far: 1. 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀 = 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. Nothing beats knowing someone trusts you enough to recommend you. 2. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀. The landscape seems saturated (especially here on LinkedIn lol), but the demand for real help is evident. 3. 𝗕𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱. Stop comparing yourself to others and focus on the you of today vs. the you of yesterday. 4. 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀. Inflows, outflows…every dollar has a story, and if you don’t know it, success will be hard to define. 5. 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 > 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆. The ability to pivot when needed is priceless. 6. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. Without it, there’s no business. 7. 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲. Not everyone shows their support in the same way, but that doesn't mean they aren't still in your corner. 8. 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆. It’s not about saving a dollar here or making an extra one there; it’s about peace of mind and knowing the life you want to live can continue for as long as you live. 9. 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳. Especially when it comes to building relationships and finding the right clients. 10. 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀. But purpose without money is nearly impossible to sustain. 11. 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀. Most of us struggle to grasp both simultaneously, especially when we're experiencing one and not the other. 12. 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: those fighting 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 pain and those avoiding 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 pain. Either way, it’s about addressing what hurts. 13. 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. Staying true to your mission pays off in the long run. 14. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁-𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀... Well, you know the rest. Be ready to adapt. 15. 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀. Big or small, progress deserves recognition. 16. 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯. Many people think financial advisors are just sleezy salespeople; proving them wrong is quite fun. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - These 3 months have been scary, fulfilling, humbling, rewarding, and everything in between. The support of my wife and the trust of my clients have been invaluable, I couldn’t do it without them. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆? Or what questions do you have for me? I try to be an open book!

no amount of data or digital prompts can spur people into action consistently, that's the power of the human-centered business