Essays

Some risks can change your life. Others can take away your ability to try again. Read time: 4 minutes Early in my investing career, I had a small personal retirement account where a series of aggressive options trades produced unusually large gains. I always bought options rather than sold them, so the maximum loss on … Read more

The first sign of wealth wasn’t having more. It was needing less to go right. Read time: 3 minutes For years, I assumed financial security would arrive with the next milestone. A higher salary. A bigger investment account. Enough money that I would finally stop worrying about money. But each milestone came and went, and … Read more

Recovery isn’t the opposite of productivity. It’s what makes it sustainable. Read time: 3 minutes Last week, I wrote that “pay yourself first” isn’t just about money. We also invest our future through our time, attention, and energy. A few days later, I realized something: it’s difficult to invest your energy well if you never … Read more

The best financial advice I ever received wasn’t just about money. Read time: 3 minutes When I received my first full-time paycheck, one of the first things I did wasn’t buy something I’d always wanted. Instead, I set up an automatic transfer so part of every paycheck disappeared into savings before I ever saw it. … Read more

Some of life’s most important changes are almost invisible while they’re happening. Read time: 3 minutes Last Sunday, another dad and I took our daughters to an indoor adventure park. The moment my daughter saw her classmate, she ran over and gave her a hug before either of us said a word. A few minutes … Read more

Why I’ve become more intentional about who I learn from. Read time: 4 minutes Before my workday begins, I usually carve out a little time to write. Most mornings, I’ll read a newsletter, listen to part of a podcast during my morning walk, or catch up on an article I saved the day before. I … Read more

One conversation with my wife changed how I think about planning. Read time: 4 minutes A few days ago, my wife pointed out something that caught me off guard. It wasn’t about our itinerary or how much time I spent with our family. It was about how I think. “You think much more deeply about … Read more

The older I get, the more I value thoughtful questions over confident answers. Read time: 3 minutes The morning after my book launched, I reached for my phone before I even got out of bed. I wanted to see whether the rankings had changed overnight. They had moved a little, but a couple of hours … Read more

Creating content is getting easier. Building trust still takes time. Read time: 3 minutes Lately, I’ve been thinking about what becomes more valuable as AI makes content easier to create. When I started writing my book, I thought the hard part would be finishing it. I was wrong. Writing the book was difficult, but it … Read more

The most important lessons came from watching how he lived. Read time: 3 minutes As Father’s Day approaches, I’ve been thinking about how much of what I believe about money, work, and life came from watching him. My father spent most of his life as an entrepreneur. He was optimistic by nature and always believed … Read more