Emotional Balance Sheet with Paul Fenner

Did you know that there are 12 stages of burnout? Did you also know that burnout can show up in many different forms within your life, such as physically, mentally, and emotionally? Dr. Morgan Levy is a licensed psychologist focusing on working with executives and professionals from all over the world. As a high-achieving professional, you've always valued your drive, perseverance, and ability to get things done. Dr. Levy helps people to channel these skills to optimize their life in the workplace and beyond. Throughout our conversation, two points became a point of emphasis; expectations and mindfulness. An underlying cause of burnout can be our inability to manage expectations. Mindfulness is our ability to be present in the moment. You can also think of mindfulness as our ability to be aware of our emotional temperature. When it comes to burnout, anxiety, or stress, Dr. Levy warns us not to wait until we are struggling to reach out for help. Pay attention to those around us who may see the warning signs of something serious before we can see it ourselves. She also encourages us to practice mindfulness when times are good, when we can build up our muscle memory, to be used when we face stressful situations. Be sure to check out the show notes for a link to access Dr. Levy's Mindfulness for Busy Professionals workshop on January 19th. Use the code TAMMA50, to receive 50% off! Please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Morgan Levy. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/93. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Do you feel overworked and on your way to burnout? Have you returned to running a chaotic life as we move into a post-Covid world? Burnout is the number one topic that Melody Wilding, a licensed therapist and coach is helping to address with her current clients. A year ago, Melody was on our show when she launched her book, Trust Yourself, and how she helps highly sensitive and high-achieving professionals overcome the emotional challenges of leadership, management, and success. One of the ways Melody has seen a reduction in burnout is to take things off your plate, not expand it: adding by subtracting. To do this, you must become very clear about what you want or are trying to optimize in your life. As Melody puts it, it's not the big obligations that bring us down; it's the small death by a thousand cuts commitments. Melody addresses three strategies that help us to stop overthinking and make decisions faster. Strategies that can also help in our quest to define what "enough" is for ourselves. Please enjoy my conversation with Melody Wilding. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/73. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Are you setting yourself up for success, joy, and excellent and extraordinary outcomes based on the things you choose to focus on? For example, can you choose to "Think Like a Champion?" From the locker room to the board room, Dr. Amber Selking has dedicated much of her life's work to the power of Mindset and Leadership to drive lasting change in businesses, on athletic teams, and in individual lives. Amber has turned her knowledge of mindsets into a playbook that can bring awareness, choice, and focus into your life to help you make better life decisions. Wherever you are, and whatever you're doing, you can do it better by being better. Who we are drives what we do. A key takeaway from Amber's work is this; our thoughts affect our emotions > our emotions affect our physiological response > our physiological response is what ultimately drives our behavior and, therefore, our performance. Bottom line, our thoughts, and our mindsets determine how we show up for life. Please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Amber Selking. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/69. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

How can parents help their kids make the most of their studying time? And why is it okay for kids not to like their parents when it comes to studying? Barbara Oakley is a distinguished engineering professor at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. Her work focuses on the complex relationship between neuroscience and social behavior—a focus that has driven her curiosity about how people, especially kids, learn how to learn. As a parent who struggles with getting their kids to study, Barbara reminds us that it's okay for our kids not to like us when it comes to studying. "Other kids and teachers will tell your kids what they want to hear rather than what is best." Parents know intuitively what is best for their kids in the long run, but in the short term, that can pose challenges. Growing up disliking math and science because she wasn't good at it has helped drive Barbara's career in practical teaching and academic research. She has found that people can perform a Mindshift, which can help unlock your hidden potential regardless of age or background. A critical key to learning that Barbara points out over and over is that consistent repetition is the strategy that leads to breakthrough learning. Barbara explains what the most helpful strategy for learning is and why. A secret, it is related to a tomato. Finally, as many other prominent guests have addressed with kids and adults, Barbara talks about why it is not always a good strategy to follow your passion. Doing so can limit your options and ability to learn new things that you think are too hard but could help propel your life and career further than ever imagined. Please enjoy my conversation with Barbara Oakley. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/92. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

What if you woke up and suddenly realized you had more time? Not just hours, days, or weeks, but decades? Avivah Wittenberg-Cox thinks about time in not only decades but in 25-year increments. As someone who thought in her thirties she would be retired at age 60, she now finds herself starting anew again, refreshed by the ability to start something new because she may only be at the halfway point of her life. With this point of view, Avivah wrote a Harvard Business Review article that, instead of focusing on the challenges and stresses of being a working parent, she instead focused on the joy, knowing that this would be one of many life transitions. There were four areas that Avivah, looking back now, wished were easier to remember while she was in the middle of raising her family. One of the most important was loving your spouse or partner and not demoting your relationship to the bottom of the pile. According to Avivah, "longevity means that, more than ever, we need to plan for change. Using the gift of decades requires acknowledging their existence and deciding what you want to do with them. People say you can't have it all, but the gift of time gives us new options to have a lot more than we ever thought possible." Please enjoy my conversation with Avivah Wittenberg-Cox. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/91. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Are you trying to find time to do more things that matter to you? Are you trying to squeeze more enjoyment out of your life? Laura Vanderkam, a time management expert, walks us through her latest book, Tranquility by Tuesday, in which she identifies 9 ways to calm the chaos and make time for what matters. A topic that we address by asking, how can you ensure you have time to work on your long-term goals? A returning guest to our podcast, Laura previously did extensive research on the transition from working in an office environment to working from home. A focal point of this transition involved setting boundaries, a foundational element in her new research in making time to do what matters most to you. Don't set yourself up for failure was a critical point that Laura emphasized. By ensuring objectives/goals are reasonable, we can limit the amount of resistance that could be waiting to deter us from success. Laura helps people determine if something is important by identifying if an event occurs three or more times in one week. She also asks, if you were on vacation, would you still want to ensure this habit endures? One of my favorite rules Laura lays out is one big adventure, one little adventure. It is a reminder that even little things in life, such as a date with your significant other or playing catch with your kids, can be an adventure that makes life more memorable. Please enjoy my conversation with Laura Vanderkam. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/90. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

How would you go about staying out of a divorce attorney's office? Find a great divorce attorney to listen to? Jim Sexton is an accomplished New York divorce attorney who has seen it all throughout his 20 plus year career focused on divorce law. What makes Jim unique is that he took his life experience and work as a divorce attorney and created a book, How to Stay in Love: A Divorce Lawyer's Guide to Staying Together. Jim's experience has led him to believe that marriages and other committed relationships fail for two fundamental reasons. One, you don't know what you want, and two, you can't express what you want. This lack of communication with yourself and your partner is often the relationship killer. Throughout our discussion, Jim highlights actionable steps that you can take to help solidify your relationship, such as leaving your spouse/partner a little note of gratitude, a weekly win/fail walk, and a "hit send now" email. The basis for these actions is all focused on the need to keep checking in with yourself and your spouse/partner. I agree with Jim that it's better to stay in love, stoke existing love, than to slowly fall out of love and try to find it again. This is a process that you control and that the person you love controls. How great is that? Please enjoy my conversation with Jim Sexton. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-61-jim-sexton-how-to-stay-in-love/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

How do you help your kids develop good money habits? How can you overcome the challenges that simply talking about money can bring? Bill Dwight, a lifelong software engineer, faced these questions while he and his wife were raising their five kids. So, Bill did what any reasonable person would do facing a problem such as this; he started his own company, a "Virtual Family Bank." FamZoo, the company Bill created, integrates prepaid card accounts with family finance software to help parents and kids develop responsible money habits through hands-on experience. FamZoo, short for the family zoo, which Bill said represented what he and his wife were going through, seeks to encourage certain money habits within kids, such as spending, savings, and giving responsibly. These are all tenants of Ron Lieber's book, The Opposite of Spoiled. Separating your resources into functional buckets is a skill worth developing for kids and adults. Bill, like myself, also found inspiration to help teach our kids about money through the work of David Owen and his book, The First National Bank of Dad. The premise is that kids learn best by doing and what better way to teach sound financial habits than to let kids actually have control of how they use their money. An unexpected benefit of helping to teach your kids about money is that it can help parents deal with their own issues surrounding money. In addition, it can create great conversations about money between kids and parents and between spouses and partners. Be sure to listen to the end, where Bill talks about his favorite financial parenting hack, which I completely support! Please enjoy my conversation with Bill Dwight. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/89. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

How can you link hostage negotiating with building better relationships with your family, spouse/partner, and kids? How can you keep your emotions in check when situations become intense? Gary Noesner spent over 30 years in the FBI, ten of which were as the Chief Crisis Negotiator. A few of you may know Gary from the Netflix series Waco, as Gary was one of the negotiators between the FBI/ATF and religious cult, the Branch Davidians, in Waco, TX. From dealing with highly intense situations, Gary has turned his experience and expertise into helping people build better relationships through active listening. The ability to respond to someone shows that you were indeed listening. Gary uses M&M candy on how to do this. Consider that in every conversation you have with somebody, the chocolate center is the story, what are they trying to tell you, while the outer shell of the candy is the reflection of emotion, how are they feeling. From Gary's perspective, the cornerstone of being a good listener and communicator is self-control. Think of a teeter-totter; when emotions are high, our rational behavior goes down. So, we must focus on our emotions and lower our temperature when situations become tense. Please enjoy my conversation with Gary Noesner. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/88. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcast |Google Podcast | Amazon Music | Spotify How does your view or interaction with money affect your relationships? How does your spouse or partner view money? Have you ever been challenged getting on the same page with money? Ed Coambs, a firefighter turned financial advisor turned marriage and family financial therapist, knows a lot about walking into high-intensity situations, navigating "the flames," and walking everyone out safely. These proverbial "fires" are no stranger between spouses and their financial lives. Ed has become a thought leader in Financial Therapy- the professional field that blends personal finance and counseling psychology to effect positive, lasting change for families. Understanding our relationship around money becomes more complex when interwoven with our closest relationships, such as a spouse, partner, or kids. Ed's work focuses on identifying the underlying issues causing marital money stress by helping to identify your attachment styles. Your attachment style impacts all areas of your life: Your relationships, finances, work life, and parenting. There are four adult attachment styles that Ed and I discussed, which have a direct impact on the quality of your inter-personal relationships – anxious (also referred to as Preoccupied), avoidant (also referred to as Dismissive), disorganized (also referred to as Fearful-Avoidant), and Secure. Ed and I also discuss the impact parents can have on developing our kids' views and emotions toward money, which could stick with them throughout their adult lives. Please enjoy my conversation with Ed Coambs. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/87. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

How can parents engage their kids in conversations about money? And how do those conversations shape kids' thoughts and future financial choices? Margaret Echelbarger has spent much of her career researching the unique connections between kids and their financial decision-making processes. Currently, Margaret is an assistant professor of marketing at Stony Brook University. She also explores the behavioral side of marketing by learning how kids make those financial decisions now and into the future. Whether we realize it or not, as parents, our children are always watching our financial decisions in what we buy, how we buy, and even how buying makes us feel. Margaret's research has shown that kids can understand competing priorities at an early age, which can help them even recognize the concept of you get what you pay for. Most parents likely have stereotypes about money that influence their unique behaviors, but parents who talk to their kids about money can overcome their own money insecurities. In research that Margaret has reviewed, parents who talk with their kids about money can statistically help their kids financially succeed in the long term. Teachable financial moments for our kids are abundant, so parents should not worry about finding the perfect time to discuss money-related topics. As Margaret points out, kids at an early age are trying to connect the emotional dots between spending and savings. For example, does saving feel good or bad vs. spending? Please enjoy my conversation with Margaret Echelbarger. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/86. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

What do you want to go after in life unapologetically? Are you willing to be strategic and give yourself the intentionality you deserve? Jenny Wood is an executive at Google who helps people thrive in their careers. So much so that she founded and led Own Your Career (go/OYC), one of Google's largest and fastest-growing career development initiatives. "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." This quote by James Clear, author of the best-selling book, Atomic Habits, has helped lead Jenny to launch her site dedicated to helping you get what you truly want. With Jenny, it starts with being strategic in deciding what to do or what not to do when it comes to anything in life, be it your career, parenting, or relationships. Having systems in place that help you to drop, delegate, do, or delay are all central tenants in helping you get to where you want to go. In addition to being strategic, Jenny points out, you also need to be intentional and have pride in what you focus on and what you are going after. No apologies. Jenny also shares how she sometimes deals with the guilt of having a demanding career and being a mom. The coordination tax levied on working parents, but that by being a hard-working mom, can have lessons her kids can learn from. Listen to Jenny describe her FLIP system to help decide if you are ready to make a career change, launch your side hustle, or in Jenny's case, chase her future husband off a rail platform in New York City. Please enjoy my conversation with Jenny Wood. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/85. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Why do we look to make additions when trying to solve a problem or work through one of our many life transitions? What if we reversed the equation and considered what we could subtract to improve our lives? University of Virginia engineering professor Leidy Klotz has given this idea much thought. So much so that he wrote the book, Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less. I believe the ability to subtract helps us in our journey to define what "enough" is within our lives. A topic that has been central to many conversations as people continue to encounter expected and unexpected life transitions. With most people, parents, in particular, the problem is we are overloaded. We have roared back from the Covid pandemic, determined to get back to our overscheduling and thus stressed-out lives. But what if we can step back and recall one of the benefits of Covid if we were lucky enough to see it? The ability to remove things from our lives which in turn make us happier? This is the most significant takeaway from reading Leidy's book, which was reinforced during our conversation. We are biologically conditioned to feel more competent and happier when we add things to our lives. But in reality, those additions create the opposite effect. Leidy points out that we tend to use addition as a substitute for thinking. Research has proven time and time again that when we are hurried and stressed, we make bad decisions. So slowing down, and taking our time, naturally means we must subtract something from our day to let us think to make better decisions both financially and personally. Please enjoy my conversation with Leidy Klotz. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/84. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Am I providing my family with the best possible life I can? That was the question that Cullen Roche, an accomplished author, writer, and expert in global macroeconomics, behavioral finance, and monetary theory, brought to our attention during our conversation. We also discussed the topic of inflation, what it is, how to understand it, and where it is going. Do you ever wonder why the US government is not bankrupt because of the national debt? It's because the US government is not your average household, and we talk about why that is too. Cullen and I also discuss the critical aspects that a wealth advisor provides, which do not involve stereotypical investment management. There is nothing sexy about helping people to allocate their savings to support their wealth management plans. However, it is rewarding life work to see families have the protection they need from unforeseen circumstances and help them through the transition of retirement or putting their kids through college. The most interesting part of our conversation for me focused on defining what is "enough?" As Cullen put it, if we could simply put into perspective what we already have, our definition of "enough" would look wildly different than it currently does today. And as a parent, listen to Cullen's closing remarks on how being a parent for him is like re-living his youth. Please enjoy my conversation with Cullen Roche. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/83. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Ep.82 – When you envision what retirement looks like, what comes to mind first? Bucket lists, freedom, the ability to do anything you want? What about the loss of identity, purpose, or relationships? Our lives are full of under-rated transitions, and the transition from your career to retirement, in my mind, is one of the most critical transitions that we do not talk about enough. I'm not talking from the financial side; I am more concerned about the emotional side of retirement. Fortunately, Dr. Riley Moynes has done the work and built the framework that could help ease the burden of the retirement transition for those who have yet to begin the new journey to those who are in the thick of it. Riley has built what he refers to as the Four Phases of Retirement. Within these phases, a retiree can go from initial jubilation to extreme loss, trying new adventures and failing, and finally reaching breakthroughs. It is this last phase of breaking through that Riley has found most retirees to be the happiest. Through his journey of going through all four phases, Riley shares his story of what each phase was like for him and a few stories from the hundreds of people he has interviewed through his retirement research. Be sure to listen to the end, where Riley talks about how he and his wife helped to develop roots and wings in raising their two sons. Please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Riley Moynes. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/82. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

What if you had to choose between your family or your career? While the answer may seem obvious, the complications behind such a decision can be endless. This is the precise situation that Jayne Monroe and her husband Mike found themselves in after having one of their triplet boys diagnosed with ADHD. A situation that came to a tipping point after their son was kicked out of multiple schools and childcare facilities. While Jayne, above all else, wanted to put her family first, taking a step back within her career was made more difficult as she was on an upward track to an executive management role within her company. Not to mention the financial challenge of helping support their family of six. Jayne talks emotionally about her nine-month journey to have her son properly diagnosed. Between waitlists and doctors who wanted to brush her aside, Jayne had to fight to get the proper care that her son desperately needed and deserved. Not only for him but the entire Monroe family. You must be willing to tell your story repeatedly, Jayne emphasized. And while waitlists may deter you, there is a reason why the best facilities have one. There is a growing demand for the support kids like her son need. Jayne also describes the emotional conversations with her husband, Mike, about how to manage a career-changing emotional and financial decision. She pointed out that constant and consistent communication was key in helping them through this life-changing situation. And also, not expecting your spouse to be able to read your mind was also helpful. Please enjoy my conversation with Jayne Monroe. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/81. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

As a parent, do you see raising your kids as an opportunity to improve yourself? Does being a parent help or force you to change the behavior you want to model for your kids? Todd Adams is a regular dad trying to do extraordinary things. While maintaining a full-time career, he and his wife, Cathy, started Zen Parenting Radio over 11 years ago. A podcast that helps expand compassion through the lens of a spiritual & emotional mom and a logical & practical dad. But being a dad, Todd wanted to focus and help other dads be better. So after a long weekend with a group of his guy friends, Todd launched Men Living, a non-profit committed to improving men's lives through connection. A consistent topic among parenting and health experts I speak with is that modeling the behaviors we want our kids to see starts with self-awareness. The ability to take our own temperature and realize what direction the pendulum of life is currently swinging in is a critical first step in self-awareness. As Todd points out, we need to pause and notice events without judgment. To develop the ability to lay down our defenses and realize that our spouses or partners are here to help us. Finally, we touch on the hot topic that all parents are dealing with: how to manage electronic devices with our kids. Todd lays out three steps he has learned and uses with his three daughters, which could help you and your family. Spoiler alert, the key is to be flexible. Please enjoy my conversation with Todd Adams. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/80. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

What if, one day, you decided to quit your job? Without having another one already lined up? This is the email Anya Kamenetz sent, which instantly grabbed my attention. Anya covered education for many years at NPR. She speaks, writes, and thinks about learning and the future. Anya is a returning guest. You can find our previous conversation in the show notes. Our conversation focuses on two main points How does someone finally reach their tipping point to make such a bold career decision, and The impact that Covid has had on children, which she addresses in her newest book, The Stolen Year: How Covid Changed Children's Lives, And Where We Go Now. When reflecting on her career, Anya points out that from her perspective, a career fills three buckets – financial, day-to-day experience, and identity. Anya also talks about her struggle with the best way to use her talents and skills in service of making the world better. The cost of closing our schools for so long during COVID, made with good intentions, has not yet been fully reckoned with. Anya makes the case that 2020 wasn't a lost year–it was taken from our children, by years of neglect and bad faith. We have failed to put them first. To get more people involved in this critical conversation, the first five listeners who email me, I will send you a free copy of Anya's new book. Please enjoy my conversation with Anya Kamenetz. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/79. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Eight years ago, I was introduced to someone who helped change the direction of my life. I am quite positive that I am not the only person whose life has been impacted by this one person. The funny thing, this is the first time that I have been able to speak with and thank Scott Hanselman. Scott Hanselman is a programmer, teacher, and speaker. Although Scott maintains a full-time role for the Web Platform Team at Microsoft, it is his obsession and enthusiasm for technology and deliberate practice that I have found him to be an impactful person in my life. I strongly encourage you to watch Scott's talk, Scaling Yourself, which is applicable for parents, younger people beginning their careers, and for people who find themselves in the throes of a life transition. Our conversation is wide-ranging, covering how we can give ourselves the gift of grace, asking ourselves if we are saving babies, and how to be intentional with our time and those around us. Please enjoy my conversation with Scott Hanselman. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-46-scott-hanselman-scaling-yourself/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

My guest this week is Scott Kapeller, a leader in pharmaceutical sales and, more importantly, the father of triplet girls. Scott is a good friend and neighbor of mine in which we share a lot of similar life experiences, one of which is being the father of triplets. One of the life-changing experiences that Scott and I share is that we both went through a significant job loss within our careers. I can always see with great clarity the day I was delivered the news that I was no longer wanted. Scott explains, getting the dreaded text, "I know you're traveling can you call-in quickly." Being 1,800 miles away from home and thinking nothing of what this call was about, Scott called into the home office and learned of an unanticipated fate. In our conversation, Scott walks through the emotional roller coaster that began on that fateful day. Although he thought that hearing the news that he was being released was the bottom, Scott later learned that he wasn't even close to the bottom. Scott published his journey on LinkedIn in what he refers to as his manifesto. Within it, Scott lays out five valuable lessons that all job seekers could benefit from, especially during these trying times of COVID-19 with so many layoffs and restructurings. In addition to Scott's five lessons, he also provides his insights into five tips that you should be doing if you're not employed or even if you are employed that will help you get through this life transition, which includes paying it forward. Paying it forward is another characteristic that Scott and I share, which means helping others during their time of transition, just like there was likely someone who helped you during your time of transition. Don't be the person who receives a call from someone in need and doesn't return it. Finally, Scott talks about the impacts of losing his job had on his family. The sometimes challenging conversations that he had to have with his wife and triplet daughters. Going through a job transition can put additional stress on a relationship, especially between a spouse or partner, so be sure to have a network of people you can talk with outside of your immediate family. Please enjoy this conversation with Scott Kapeller. Resources Featured in This Episode: Scott Kapeller The Go-Giver Summer of Scott: Reflections of a Layoff - Scott's LinkedIn Manifesto 4 Retirement Account Options After a Job Change What Would You Consider to be Your Most Valuable Asset?

How do you help your kids determine what they want to be when they grow up? Furthermore, how do you balance the emotional and financial sides of going through the college planning process to help them find their way? These are questions that almost every parent and family wrestle with when it comes to raising kids. Fortunately, there are professionals to help parents along this journey, like Holly Bennetts, a high school guidance counselor and licensed counselor with multiple master's degrees. One of the hidden secrets of any planning, be it financial or personal, is the pressure it can take off you, and planning for your kid's college is no different. Like wealth planning, the best time to have conversations regarding college planning is early and often. Holly points out many times throughout our discussion that these conversations help us determine what makes sense for our kids academically and socially when it comes to selecting the best-fit college for them. But, critically important, according to Holly, is to break these conversations into bite-sized pieces that your kids can comprehend. Please enjoy my conversation with Holly Bennetts. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/78. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Are you willing to do the work and focus on someone else besides yourself? Are you willing to be a better person for it? These are the same questions that drive Cathy Adams, a self-awareness expert, podcast host, & author focus on helping parents and empowering families. Cathy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Parent Coach, Certified Elementary School Teacher, Certified Yoga Teacher, and teaches in the Sociology Department at Dominican University and Elmhurst College. 11 Years ago, Cathy and her husband Todd launched Zen Parenting Radio, a podcast that helps expand compassion through the lens of a spiritual & emotional mom and a logical & practical dad. Cathy's most recent book, Zen Parenting, dives into the seven chakras and how they intertwine with our lives as parents. Cathy explains that her journey as a new mom was not quite how she originally envisioned it, which helped lead to several life transitions that led her into therapy and parental coaching. As Cathy pointed out during our conversation, "if it's hysterical, it's historical," a reference used in recovery programs that identify the root cause of an issue is always a few layers deep and not simply on the surface. We can't always plan for what's next, especially as parents. What is possible is our unlimited capacity for compassion and caring—for ourselves and our children. Please enjoy my conversation with Cathy Adams. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/77. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcast |Google Podcast | Amazon Music | Spotify How are you adjusting to parenting as we move into a post-Covid world? Are you back to the rat race and overscheduling that so many parents experience before Covid? Dr. Lindsay Malloy is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Ontario Tech University, specializing in developmental and forensic psychology. Lindsay is also the co-founder of Pandemic Parenting, a nonprofit organization providing free and accessible science-based resources to parents and caregivers. Pandemic Parenting began as a collaboration between Dr. Amanda Zelechoski (a previous guest) and Lindsay: two psychologists, scholars, and moms committed to sharing their expertise and research with families. Lindsay discusses strategies parents can use to help their kids adapt to an ever-changing environment. From establishing routines and maintaining adequate self-care to understanding that your vision of balance today may look completely different than the day before. Lindsay points out that "comparison is the thief of joy." Lindsay and her team have turned Pandemic Parenting into a digital hub for parents with multiple mediums and resources, no matter what stage of parenting you may be at. It is a free resource that I encourage all parents to take advantage of as we continue navigating through this pandemic. Please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Lindsay Malloy. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/76. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

What has a bigger impact on our brain health, genetics, or environment? And if we can't change our genetics, can we change our environment to improve our brain health? Dr. Teryn Clarke, a board-certified neurologist with a primary focus on memory and cognitive health, rejoins us on the show to talk about how we can optimize our brain health. As Dr. Clarke puts it, genetics may load the gun, but our environment pulls the trigger when it comes to having a healthy brain. Throughout our conversation, Dr. Clarke focused on three specific steps we could take within our environments to help optimize our brain health, especially regarding cognitive declines such as dementia, Alzheimer's, and migraines. Dr. Clarke points out the benefits of natural alternatives to manufactured medicines that can help improve our brain health. Alternatives include specific vitamins and melatonin, not to mention proper exercise and diet. All of which lend themselves to building healthy habits that help us sustain positive health benefits. Please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Teryn Clarke. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/75. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Aren't we all selling something? Our time, ideas, or influence. But what are we selling to our kids as parents? Jay Rooke is charting a new way to become a salesperson to your kids as parents; he calls it parenting with comedy, otherwise known as Gonzo Parenting! Jay, the father of twins, considers parenting a full-contact sport, and I couldn't agree with him more. Being in the thick of the messy, authentic, barely-controlled chaos. Sharing the humorous moments and humbling lessons learned. Reminding other parents that not one among us has their sh*t together, no matter what we see on social media, and that's okay. This is the essence of what Jay has created at Gonzo Parenting. A formula that Jay and I discuss when it comes to parenting is this: Parental Happiness = Self-care. To make this formula work and to be a successful parent, you must fill your own bucket. You must pour empathy, compassion, and time into your spouse or partner. Although it takes a village to raise a family, it takes an entire community when raising multiples! As Jay put it, "parenting allowed me the opportunity to do some personal work that I may never have done if I didn't have my set of twins." Please enjoy my conversation with Jay Rooke. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/74. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Do you feel overworked and on your way to burnout? Have you returned to running a chaotic life as we move into a post-Covid world? Burnout is the number one topic that Melody Wilding, a licensed therapist and coach is helping to address with her current clients. A year ago, Melody was on our show when she launched her book, Trust Yourself, and how she helps highly sensitive and high-achieving professionals overcome the emotional challenges of leadership, management, and success. One of the ways Melody has seen a reduction in burnout is to take things off your plate, not expand it: adding by subtracting. To do this, you must become very clear about what you want or are trying to optimize in your life. As Melody puts it, it's not the big obligations that bring us down; it's the small death by a thousand cuts commitments. Melody addresses three strategies that help us to stop overthinking and make decisions faster. Strategies that can also help in our quest to define what "enough" is for ourselves. Please enjoy my conversation with Melody Wilding. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/73. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

How did we go from one extreme to another with the stock market and inflation? How is inflation changing the way we go about our daily lives? Josh Brown is the CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management and a contributor on CNBC, and these are just a few of the topics and questions we address during our conversation. Josh is a person I have been following for over a decade within the finance world who speaks with a level of energy and plain English that cuts through the noise when it comes to financial advice. Sometimes the truth becomes an inconvenient source of advice. One of the hardest aspects of being an advisor is providing advice, while truthful and in the best interest of a family, is not one they would like to hear or accept. Josh does a masterful job of reinforcing this challenge and how critical the family/advisor relationship is. Finally, Josh provides thoughtful insights on parenting and how much closer finalities can be for parents when they least expect it. Please enjoy my conversation with Josh Brown. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-72-josh-brown-just-like-that-its-over/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Have you stopped for a moment and thought about your future self? Go ahead, take a few moments. It's not a natural state to think about what your future self may look like, but you could be doing yourself a huge disservice by only thinking about your present self. Mariel Beasley is the co-director of the Common Cents Lab at Duke University, where they focus on helping people make better financial and life decisions based on behavioral science. Science that helps us determine how to treat our future self just as well as we do today. Although we may be able to identify and name our shortcomings or biases, Mariel provides a great example around certain physical vs. cognitive limitations. Although we build tools to help us overcome these physical limitations, we try to re-train our brains around cognitive limitations. Please enjoy my conversation with Mariel Beasley. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-71-mariel-beasley-the-mint-in-life-planning/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

My guest this week is Sandy Hodde. Sandy is a certified professional English Language Arts and Social Studies educator and taught at the high school level for 22 years. After seeing increases in high school class sizes, Sandy decided to launch her own business, Your Coach for College, to help prepare and teach kids the skills they would need to succeed in college that they weren't receiving in high school. In our conversation, we discuss some critical skills such as note-taking, listening, and forming good study habits that Sandy identifies as being missed within the current education system. Sandy points out why you should help develop these skills with your kids early in middle school years. Please enjoy my conversation with Sandy Hodde For show notes and resources discussed in this episode visit https://tammacapital.com/sandi-hodde-critical-skills-high-school-students-are-missing/. For more episdoes go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Research shows that parents are the most influential factors in their kids' money life development. What you model to your kids growing up lays the foundation for how they think and treat money into adulthood. So how do you model good financial decision making for your kids? How do you even begin to talk with your kids about money? Rebecca Maxcy is director of the UChicago Financial Education Initiative at the University of Chicago and leads a team of researchers who help parents talk with their kids about money. Rebecca and her team have created a unique approach that focuses on the person, behaviors, and values of money vs. dollars and cents. Rebecca's research has found that across the nation, financial education varies by state and school district. This means most parents have to take the lead when it comes to their kids' financial education. Financial education, similar to financial planning, never ends. It evolves continuously, and as parents, we can have a significant influence in setting our kids up for financial success by being open and having money conversations. Please enjoy my conversation with Rebecca Maxcy. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/rebecca-maxcy-how-to-talk-with-your-kids-about-money/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

What if there was a way to limit your investment risk exposure? A defined outcome where you could have a good sense of what your range of results could be? Given the volatile stock market we have seen to begin 2022, I wanted to dedicate an episode to how I help families manage risk within our portfolio management process at TAMMA. The best way I knew how to do this was to have a conversation with Grant Copple of Innovator ETF. Grant is a product specialist for Innovator ETFs, responsible for distribution efforts in the Great Lakes Region. He has been instrumental in the Buffer ETF landscape, helping pioneer the space over the past three years. Grant and I discuss how Innovator ETFs™ seeks to provide investors structured exposures to broad markets, where the upside growth, downside risk management, and outcome period, are all known before investing. The result is an efficient product suite that seeks several benefits. Please enjoy my conversation with Grant Copple. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-70-grant-copple-limiting-investment-risk/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

In this episode, Dan Pink talks about finding your motivation, figuring out what you're good at, and combining the two to create success for yourself. How does someone become a multi New York Times best-selling author? First, ask yourself, what do you do when no one is watching? Dan Pink, a 4-time New York Times Best Selling author, shares his story on becoming a prolific researcher and writer. How his side hustle of writing, and a conversation with his wife, turned into the journey of a lifetime. Dan's story leads us into an inspiring conversation about the advice we give to our kids and ourselves. When we give our kids advice or try to find our own way, asking what is your passion, is not the right question we should be asking. Instead, a better question to ask is, what do you like to do, or more important, what are you good at. Our conversation weaves together multiple topics that we all deal with in life, such as what motivates us, how to change, how our work defines our identities, and much more. Be sure to check out the show note link below where we list several of the excellent resources that Dan brings up throughout our discussion. Please enjoy my conversation with Dan Pink. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/38-dan-pink-motivation/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Are you setting yourself up for success, joy, and excellent and extraordinary outcomes based on the things you choose to focus on? For example, can you choose to "Think Like a Champion?" From the locker room to the board room, Dr. Amber Selking has dedicated much of her life's work to the power of Mindset and Leadership to drive lasting change in businesses, on athletic teams, and in individual lives. Amber has turned her knowledge of mindsets into a playbook that can bring awareness, choice, and focus into your life to help you make better life decisions. Wherever you are, and whatever you're doing, you can do it better by being better. Who we are drives what we do. A key takeaway from Amber's work is this; our thoughts affect our emotions > our emotions affect our physiological response > our physiological response is what ultimately drives our behavior and, therefore, our performance. Bottom line, our thoughts, and our mindsets determine how we show up for life. Please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Amber Selking. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-69-dr-amber-selking-the-playbook-for-building-championship-mindsets/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Am I going to be okay? The question—not explicitly about money is posed by everyone from the ultra-wealthy to the just-getting-by, from the retiree to the just-getting-started. No matter the lifestyle, accent, politics, or favorite sports team, everyone I meet wants to take care of their families, remain or get healthy, be generous to others, enjoy their hobbies, and excel at work. These words set the stage for Brian Portnoy's book, The Geometry of Wealth: How to Shape a Life of Money and Meaning. These remarks also set the foundation for an in-depth conversation with Brian, which also included key thoughts and takeaways from his latest book, How I Invest My Money. Brian and I also discuss experienced happiness, which comes and goes, vs. reflective happiness, which requires work. I strongly encourage you to give Brian's book a read and be sure to check out the other resources we discussed during our talk. Please enjoy my conversation with Brian Portnoy. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/funded-contentment-am-i-going-to-be-okay/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Who wouldn't want to provide their family with peace of mind during an emotionally difficult life situation such as losing a loved one? Or the ability to tell your story about how you would like your children to be cared for when you are no longer able? There are many misconceptions about what an estate plan is and isn't, but one thing is for sure, it allows you to tell your story on how to protect your family and provide them peace of mind when you need it most. This week I speak with estate planning attorney Kristen Rajagopal, Founder of Bequest Law in Atlanta, GA. Kristen walks us through what four critical documents make up a complete estate plan. Documents that help us through incapacity, to documents that help us protect our children and those who mean the most to us when we are no longer here. Please enjoy my conversation with Kristen Rajagopal. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/estate-plan-how-to-create-the-best-gift-for-your-family/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Why do we tend to avoid the question of "why" when it comes to our personal and financial lives? In over 20 years of being an advisor, I have learned that financial planning is more about feelings than numbers. And no expert epitomizes this point more than Carl Richards. For ten years, Carl was the creator of the Sketch Guy column, appearing weekly in The New York Times. Carl, a Certified Financial Planner™ as well, works with advisors such as myself to help break down complex financial concepts into easy-to-understand ideas that we can take action on. Carl emphasizes throughout our conversation that if security exists at all, it is a feeling, not a number. The good news from Carl's standpoint is this means we can have some control over it; the bad news, this means it's up to us to learn how. But how do we learn about money and these feelings around it when no one has taught us? First, Carl points out, "we largely talk around money instead of about it. When we go to talk about money, it's suddenly very emotional. We expect it to be rational, but it quickly ends up in the realm of feelings, and we say, "I'm never going to do that again." As Carl suggests, we need to ask questions, clarify the conversation, and don't calculate but listen instead. Please enjoy my conversation with Carl Richards. View the show notes here: https://tammacapital.com/ep-68-carl-richards-money-feelings-why-and-enough For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Who doesn't think about resolutions and creating new goals to achieve at the beginning of the year? But what drives us to make those resolutions and goals? And more importantly, how will we reach them? Each new year, Diane Soulliere would begin a cleanse to help detox her physical body from the toxins that had built up over the prior year and to help herself promote a healthy lifestyle. But then, she paused and asked, "I perform this cleanse for my body, but could I do a cleanse to improve my financial and emotional health?" Through her journey, Diane discovered what was really valuable to her and began to align her spending accordingly. One critical factor that allowed her to accomplish this was to give herself a 24 hour grace period before she made any purchases. More often than not, she would not move forward with the purchase because it wasn't aligned with what she valued or, quite frankly, needed. Since the beginning of the year, what has occurred has likely changed Diane's life forever, not necessarily from a financial perspective but from an emotional standpoint. This transition helped Diane understand that trying to "buy happiness" was not making her happy but learning to understand what she valued today and long-term did. Please enjoy my conversation with Diane Soulliere. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/ep-67--diane-soulliere--the-journey-of-a-financial-cleanse-leading-to-emotional-understanding. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

What do you think of first when you hear the term behavioral science? It is a topic that I research and read about constantly as it sits at the precipice of my work with families. Behavioral science, to me, is a toolbox that I use to help families be happier, healthier, and wealthier. There is no better person to talk about this topic than a behavioral researcher. Allison White is just that person. Allison works for Dan Ariely at the Common Cents Lab, where she leverages behavioral science to conduct product research that aims to improve individuals' financial decision-making. Her work sits at the intersection of design research and behavioral science that help to drive behavior change. Throughout our conversation, Allison and I tackle topics that tend to hinder families' and individuals' financial decisions and growth. Our ability to think about making tradeoffs amidst resources scarcity, whether time or money. We talk about how we can make good decisions for our present self and future self. Most people want to be financially responsible, but we can easily fall into an attention gap where our actions do not support the values we want to achieve. Allison identifies some strategies on how we can overcome this gap. Please enjoy my conversation with Allison White. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit tammacapital.com/allison-white-simple-joys. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

You may save for years to help pay for your kids to go to college, but what happens when they get there? Will they have the skills to succeed or know where to find the right resources to help them figure out this new life transition? Nicole Martinez has spent her entire career in academia helping prepare kids to have a successful college career. Nicole currently works in the exploratory advising office at Purdue University Northwest. Additionally, Nicole has taught strategies for academic success and career & professional development courses that help kids develop the skills they need to succeed, such as studying, time management, and test-taking. Throughout our conversation, Nocile provides direct tactics and strategies for both students and parents on how to navigate this new life transition. Parents need to continue paying attention to their kids' work throughout college. It is essential for parents to get proxy rights to access student files which are especially critical when it comes to the mental health aspects of their children. A critical takeaway from our conversation for parents and students would be this; don't be afraid to ask for help. There are resources available on college campuses such as career centers, academic advisors, and professors who have open office hours who want to help make this a successful transition. Please enjoy my conversation with Nicole Martinez. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit www.tammacapital.com/ep-65-nicole-martinez-helping-kids-prepare-for-collegetammacapital.com/65. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Starting over is hard, but what if you were starting over in a new country where you didn't even speak the language? This is precisely where Emil Izrailov found himself as a seven-year-old when his parents made the courageous decision to immigrate to the US. Growing up, Emil found himself helping to support his father's restaurant business and learning firsthand what true grit and determination were. Traits that would serve him well when he began his own career. Today, Emil works in helping people with one of their biggest financial decisions, buying or refinancing a home as a mortgage broker. By having a front-row seat to someone's financial life, Emil helps people discover ways to utilize equity in their homes that support their financial and lifestyle plans. While Emil tells stories of how he has helped public service professionals such as police officers, firefighters, and first responders, he also discusses his specialization in working with young medical professionals graduating from med school or those finishing their residencies. Specifically, Emil's firm, Lake Michigan Federal Credit Union, has developed a "medical program" tailored to help doctors, dentists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and similar medical professionals buy a home without student loan debt getting in the way. Please enjoy my conversation with Emil Izrailov. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-63-emil-izrailov-living-the-american-dream/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

What would having a better perspective mean to us? Would it allow us to see little problems for what they are, little? Or big challenges for what they are? Ben Feller is a former award-winning Chief White House Correspondent for The Associated Press. A journalist for 20 years, Ben spent many years questioning and covering Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, gaining perspective like no other. Through his experiences in working within the White House, Ben discusses how this unique perspective allowed him to see life through different lenses. It was a journey that allowed him to take the concept of Big Problems/Little Problems and transition into a new career helping his clients tell their stories. Ben talks openly about finding himself at yet another crossroads, as many of us do during our life journey. Now he is writing about his personal passion: being a dad. Ben's forthcoming book is the story of how a dad teaches his son to solve the daily challenges of life – and, in turn, the surprising ways in which a child can teach a grown-up to remember what is important, too. As one life transition leads to another, Ben's story helps remind us that this life journey is a tale about perspective, patience, and the ability to conquer frustration no matter the problem! Please enjoy my conversation with Ben Feller. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-63-ben-feller-big-problems-little-problems-a-father-son-journey/ For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

How often are we looking for the quick fix to a health, personal, or financial problem? How often do we dismiss looking at the root cause and attacking a problem from within vs. searching outward for a quick remedy, someone to blame, or an investment that has the potential to shoot to the moon? Dr. Thomas Kay has seen these scenarios play out within his missionary work and working with his patients as a primary care physician in a life full of transitions. Rather than going with the flow of a broken medical insurance system from Dr. Kay's perspective, he wanted to provide people with the ability to find their identity. Dr. Kay believes that the spirit, body, and soul are all inner connected, which led him to create a holistic medical practice focused on root cause medicine and not quick-fix solutions. Dr. Kay explains how his functional medicine and direct primary care practices work together to help people find their center. From a business standpoint, Dr. Kay's practice is unique because patients pay a monthly subscription vs. using traditional health insurance. From a healing standpoint, Dr. Kay's practice is unique because it is forward-thinking, not reactive, to helping people live better lives. Please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Thomas Kay. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-62-dr-thomas-kay-a-holistic-way-to-finding-your-identity/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

How would you go about staying out of a divorce attorney's office? Find a great divorce attorney to listen to? Jim Sexton is an accomplished New York divorce attorney who has seen it all throughout his 20 plus year career focused on divorce law. What makes Jim unique is that he took his life experience and work as a divorce attorney and created a book, How to Stay in Love: A Divorce Lawyer's Guide to Staying Together. Jim's experience has led him to believe that marriages and other committed relationships fail for two fundamental reasons. One, you don't know what you want, and two, you can't express what you want. This lack of communication with yourself and your partner is often the relationship killer. Throughout our discussion, Jim highlights actionable steps that you can take to help solidify your relationship, such as leaving your spouse/partner a little note of gratitude, a weekly win/fail walk, and a "hit send now" email. The basis for these actions is all focused on the need to keep checking in with yourself and your spouse/partner. I agree with Jim that it's better to stay in love, stoke existing love, than to slowly fall out of love and try to find it again. This is a process that you control and that the person you love controls. How great is that? Please enjoy my conversation with Jim Sexton. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-61-jim-sexton-how-to-stay-in-love/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

What if you had a superpower that you didn't realize you had? A superpower that had the potential to change things from bad to good? Karen Allen would tell you that superpower is your ability to make choices. Karen knows the power of making choices firsthand which she describes in her TEDtalk centered on the tragic loss of her husband and instantly becoming a single mother, changing her life forever. An experience that eventually springboarded her into a career of helping others make life beautiful in the mess. Stop and shift is a critical component that Karen describes in detail that helps to allow people to put their arms around the challenges of life. The ability to make choices, that superpower, deciding how we choose to engage can help to lead us to exponential growth. Karen points out that your mindset is a key driver to helping you take charge to create the change you want in your life. Life presents us with ample opportunities to practice making choices, to change our mindset. Opportunities that allow us to keep showing up and doing the work. Please enjoy my conversation with Karen Allen. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-60-karen-allen-stop-and-shift-how-to-make-life-beautiful-in-the-mess/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

How do you raise financially fit kids? Joline Godfrey has spent a lifetime helping families to do just this. Trained as a social worker, Joline has spent most of her career being involved with kids; much of it focused on resilience. Joline has focused on this issue in a way that few people have been able. Joline believes that financial fluency is a family activity, not just something to help kids with. When the values, practices, and conversations are woven into the family culture, this work can be easy and fun, preparing our kids for the future. To build and understand financial fluency, you should think about it in terms of it being developmental. Building blocks that include financial, intellectual, social, and human capital (FISH). Even for kids growing up with significant abundance, there is all too little awareness of 'what things cost' and their obligations when it comes to spending, saving, borrowing, and investing. Joline points out that we should expand the notion of what it means to be wealthy. With raising financially fit kids, we as parents have the capacity to build strength in our kids into adulthood. Please enjoy my conversation with Joline Godfrey. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-59-joline-godfrey-raising-financially-fit-kids/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

How many times per day do you tell someone that you are busy? How often do you wish you had more time? Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books and whose TED talk has been viewed more than 12Million times! She is also a wife and mother to five kids, so I believe she would know a thing or two about time and being busy. Throughout our conversation, we touched on several critical topics that go beyond what you would traditionally think about when it comes to time management or productivity. As Laura discusses, life shouldn't be about a series of hacks to save us more time. But instead, we should focus on what we want to do with the time we do have! I believe that Laura's recent book, The New Corner Office: How the Most Successful People Work from Home, is a must-read for those of you who have transitioned from working in an office to working at home. Laura and I discuss why knowing when to stop your workday is just as important as when you start it. The best way to structure your day is to match the right work to the right time. And how bringing in "a little adventure" can help reduce the stress of working from home. When we say we don't have time, we are really saying that this is not a priority. Time is highly elastic, which means it stretches to whatever we put into it. Please enjoy my conversation with Laura Vanderkam. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-58-laura-vanderkam-building-the-life-you-want/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

What does the future of work look like? Is it an in-person, fully remote, or hybrid situation? Lisa Hennessey, the Chief People Officer at Happy Money, has a front-row seat answering this question. When Lisa started with Happy Money over three years ago, they were a traditional company offering in-person work. Today, they have embraced a fully remote model with employees throughout the country. Lisa talks through the transition from in-person to completely virtual work and how they are still experimenting with how to help people feel connected and the company culture they are building. Experiments deeply rooted in the Happy Money values of love, trust, and hustle. This includes a "Party in a box" that new employees receive during their initial onboarding. Lisa provides valuable insights on what to look for in a company and questions to ask when evaluating a new career opportunity for those of you who may be considering transitioning into a remote career. Insights that are especially useful for parents trying to juggle demanding school schedules and activities. Please enjoy my conversation with Lisa Hennessey. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-57-lisa-hennessey-developing-work-life-harmony/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

All of us are constantly trying to navigate our digital relationships. What they mean, how we interact with others, the various platforms that we choose to use. But for parents, this is especially hard when trying to navigate the digital relationships between our kids and their devices and platforms. I first came across Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary by watching a Diane Sawyer report, Letting your phone get between you and your child, which featured Tracy's work. The piece focused on screen time's effect on young children, which is still largely not understood. However, what is clear is distracted parents on their devices can create a negative impact. Tracy's story is unique in how she came into the field of psychology, specifically working with kids and digital mental health. Our conversation touches on many of the concerns that parents are faced with today regarding their kids. Such as anxiety, screen time usage, and how to have conversations with our kids about technology. Tracy is quick to point out that her research is not aimed at shaming parents. Just the opposite. Tracy advocates for parents having conversations with their kids about what they are getting out of their electronic usage and discussing opportunity costs. Adults and kids face a similar issue in that constantly disruptive social communications can damage relationships long-term. Putting constraints around our device usage and demonstrating healthy digital habits are two ways parents and kids can work together to become better digital citizens. Please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-56-dr-tracy-dennis-tiwary-parents-kids-electronics-be-better-digital-citizens/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

Do you feel stuck, overworked, and under-utilized in your career or life? Do you realize that your life needs to change, but you are not sure how? At some point in our lives, most of us feel this way and arrive at this level of frustration. Dr. Benjamin Ritter was no different. Feeling incredibly reactive when it came to how he was running his life, he reached a point where the pain threshold was great enough to force him to take action. During our conversation, Ben talks about the three C's of Self-Leadership; Clarity, Control, and Confidence. A process that can help guide you through difficult periods in your life. We talked in great detail about how to deconstruct limiting beliefs, a topic that has become a cornerstone of guests on this show. A growth focus mindset will help lead to happiness, which can lead to success in both your career and life. Please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Benjamin Ritter. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-55-dr-benjamin-ritter-live-for-yourself/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.

We all know that self-care is critically important to our overall health and well-being. But how do you find the time for it? Where do you even begin? Shana Schneider helps people find time in their busy schedules for fitness where they never realized they could. Her emphasis on fitness is unique in that she helps people focus on their schedules, building habits, and changing mindsets vs. simply exercising alone. Shana, founder of the "FitStyle Your Life" approach that brings fitness into everyday life, has developed easy tips and tricks that work for beginners and workout experts. Throughout our conversation, Shana describes the five elements of FitSyle that focus on starting right where you are. Shana is also someone to model for those of you interested in making a career transition from the corporate world to a career that can be sustainable on its own. Shana's journey is not the "follow your passion" kind. Instead, her story is about a woman who saw an opportunity to do something which aligned to her personally, that she was good at, and there was a market for. Please enjoy my conversation with Shana Schneider. For show notes and resources discussed in this episode, visit https://tammacapital.com/ep-54-shana-schneider-fitstyle-changing-your-mindset-on-how-you-think-about-exercising/. For more episodes, go to tammacapital.com/podcast. Follow Paul on Facebook and LinkedIn. And feel free to email Paul at [email protected] with any feedback, questions, or ideas for future guests and topics.