The Real Reason Smart People Stay Broke (It’s Not Income)

Most people think financial success is just about making more money.

But the truth is…

A lot of high performers still feel overwhelmed, stressed, reactive, and financially stuck even while earning more than ever.

In this episode of The Catch Window Podcast, Omega Stallworth sits down with financial advisor and former college athlete Jacob Grauberger to break down the psychology behind money, discipline, emotional decision making, and what actually creates long-term financial stability.

They discuss why most people fail to stick to financial plans, how stress impacts decision making, the connection between physical health and financial performance, and why structure and intentionality matter more than motivation.

If you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, athlete, or ambitious professional trying to create more clarity, consistency, and freedom in your life, this episode will challenge the way you think about wealth and performance.

You’ll learn:
 • Why money is emotional for almost everyone
 • The hidden connection between physical health and financial success
 • Why most people sabotage good financial plans
 • The role discipline plays in building wealth
 • How decision fatigue destroys consistency
 • Why high performers protect their energy and time
 • The real reason successful people think long term
 • How preparation creates your next opportunity window

Because when the Catch Window opens…

Preparation determines whether you capitalize on it or miss it.

Connect with Jacob:
 LinkedIn: Jacob Grauberger

Connect with Omega:
 Instagram: @omegastallworth
 LinkedIn: Omega Stallworth
 YouTube: @TheFitnessEmancipator

Subscribe for more conversations on entrepreneurship, wealth, health, mindset, discipline, and performance.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

All right, y'all. Welcome to another episode of the Catch Window podcast. Excited to have a talk with Jacob here. Most people think success in finance comes down to strategy, products, or timing. But at the highest level, it's really about the quality of the person making the decisions. On this show, we call that the catch window. It's the moment where preparation meets opportunity. Jacob, we're excited to have you, man. You mind telling the listeners a little bit more about you, who you are, and what you do?

SPEAKER_02 0:23

Yeah, absolutely. I'm looking forward to joining you on here. My name is Jacob Graberger. I'm a financial advisor located in Overland Park, Kansas, Kansas City metro area. I've been an advisor for two years, former college athlete. My clients, um, it's a lot about, you know, taking high performers, a lot of business owners, and just all the messy things in life and really just providing a little bit more clarity and taking something off their plate. And whether that's with full-fledged financial planning, uh, the risk management side, investments, definitely meet the meet the clients where they're at. But um, I like to be along along for the journey on all the different areas I can serve them. So really excited to be on here though.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

Heck yeah, dude, we're excited to have you. And um, I know we're excited to learn a little bit more about you and you know take as much information and wisdom from it as we can. I I know you work with a lot of entrepreneurs and high performers. I mean, these people obviously big decisions, a lot of pressure, dealing with income and and payroll, all kinds of stuff. But when you're helping someone, you know, make financial decisions, how much of that is like actual numbers versus you know how they think and operate?

SPEAKER_02 1:27

Well, I think it's a huge blend between the two. The numbers will tell a story as far as what's going to make sense from an efficiency standpoint, um, you know, whether it's taxes or investment growth and performance. But when it comes to making financial decisions and planning around it, um, you know, as I'm sure you know, money is very emotional. So it's really getting a feel for their suitability, um, their, you know, their values, what's really important to them. And because that can be the difference between, you know, going in one way or another on as far as aggressiveness or um in a number of different things. Um but yeah, it's it's definitely both. Um the emotional standpoint, uh, you know, m money is extremely emotional. So you have to you have to just make sure that just because the numbers say one thing, that it's not gonna put them. My at the end of the day, my job is to make somebody uh feel more comfortable about their situation, you know, not muddy the waters. Definitely um a blend of the two, I would say.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

And it's big, uh especially at that last part that you said there about, you know, making someone feel comfortable in the decisions they're making. I I know there's probably a lot that goes behind that. And the big world that comes to my mind is stability, obviously. You know, there is there's a multitude of reasons, like as you said, why spending is emotional and and how that can impact people day to day, week to week, quarter to quarter. What do some of those decisions look like when it comes to dealing with these people and helping them be comfortable with where they're at and what they're doing with their money and where they're putting it?

SPEAKER_02 2:54

Yeah, I think it's a conversation that um, you know, money is avoided a lot of times. You can get caught up in the hustle of your practice or your business, your job, your family, your kids, you know, everything that goes on. Um and money is not always an exciting thing to really dive into. So a lot of times when I'm meeting with individuals, um, it may be the first time that they've sat down with, you know, he and she or husband and wife, partner and partner, that you know, they've actually allocated some time just to discuss, you know, where they're at with their financial journey.

SPEAKER_00 3:30

And it's you know You said something I thought was super profound about, you know, there's a lot of emotion around the money-making decisions and you're trying to do to bring that peace and stability. What does that look like going your process of doing that?

SPEAKER_02 3:41

Right. Yeah. So, you know, it starts with just a high-level conversation, getting to know them as individuals, you know, everything about them, their hobbies, their job, their found family dynamic. When you get to know all those things, I think it's the first time a lot of these individuals are able to, you know, give all the information and then let somebody else present to them that high-level picture, you know, take a step back and show them all like what it looks like. And I think things get a little bit simpler when you can put it all in front of them and give rationales as to why we're, you know, maybe making a recommendation or this. And then from there, you know, you leave it up to the client and it's at the end of the day, it's it's always their decision. My job is just to it's not to tell them what to do, it's just see what they want to do and then, you know, tell them um the best way to do it, really. 100%.

SPEAKER_00 4:31

I think that's amazing. Being the guide, not the hero. I hear that a lot in in in the in the sales world and even in what I do, right? You know, being the guide, guiding them to where they ultimately want to go and give them the resources that they need. But ultimately, as you said, it's their decision and you know, it's their journey. You know, you also miss something that kind of caught me around a little bit. And it's the side of money, I think that you and and people who work in wealth management get to see that a lot of people don't. You know, yes, money can be an exciting topic, an exciting conversation, obviously, especially when you got a lot of it.

unknown 4:59

Right.

SPEAKER_00 5:00

Which I'm sure all the people you work with do. But to your point, there is a side of it where it's not so exciting and and it's there's a lot of stress tied around it. And, you know, there are sacrifices that have to be made, as you mentioned, whether it's titled to your kids or your family. Um, and I think a lot of that ties into just the workload that comes around that. There, you know, sometimes that to get that money, you're working a lot, a lot of hours, long weeks, long days, right? When's when someone's under that kind of load, where do you kind of see the decision making start to slip, you know, when it comes to you know, day-to-day decision making and then kind of their work?

SPEAKER_02 5:33

Good question. I mean, a lot of the individuals that I'm meeting with, the highest performers, a lot of the, you know, successful business owners and everything, I would say, like you mentioned, it's just a lot of workload, um, you know, and stress and not, you know, not hitting that reset button or not having the systems in place to fall back on and re-evaluate, you know, why you're doing this. Um, but early in my career, um, you know, full transparency, a lot of the individuals that I'm meeting with, um, you know, unfortunately, I haven't met them in a point of their life where we can be proactive. You know, it's a lot of reactive work. A lot of, you know, a lot of things have happened, or maybe, you know, discipline or habits that have compounded over time in a negative way and put them in a hole to where, you know, they're looking for more structure or a game plan of how to get out of that situation. But yeah, I mean, I think having the conversation is a great start, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 6:27

100%, man. Love that response too. And, you know, the reactive. And, you know, I mean, I I can I think in the business world, you know, we can definitely attest to sometimes, you know, you're in those situations. And there's this one guy actually that I listened to a lot. Um, I don't know if you heard of him, but he's by the name of I mean, most business stories, most business owners have this story, but Myron Golden is the guy that I was watching. I mean, he at one point he I think he owed like the IRS like four million dollars, something crazy like that, like lost all his business, had to like uh do a a short sale on his house, a lot of crazy stuff. Uh return his card in. He called it mepod instead of repod because he brought the card back in and said, Hey, I can't afford this anymore. But just crazy stories like that to your point, and it's reactive and having to learn a lot of hard lessons on how to get back and and and you know, get to that point where you're you're making better decisions with your money, right? So, like because of the nature of what you do, you know, back to the point of this whole podcast, right? The catch window, you know, where preparation meets opportunity. You're meeting a lot of people who some are prepared, of course, but like you said, some weren't, and they missed the window, they missed an opportunity, and now they're trying to align themselves again and to get to a place where they can seize the next window of opportunity. What would you say kind of separates someone who who stays, you know, steady in these seasons of pressure and they're dealing with hard things, you know, from someone who starts to make reactive decisions or continues to make reactive decisions?

SPEAKER_02 7:43

Yeah, I think it comes a lot with, you know, structure, discipline, and self-respect. Um, you know, and I think anything can be achievable. Most people, if they take the time and really take a step back and think about what they really want, you know, where things aren't where they'd like them to be, you know, where they'd like to see themselves in the future, you know, once you get that clear vision and really break down, you know, what's going on in your life, then, you know, that's the you know, diagnosing where you're at and is where you start. And then from there, I think it's really just about, like I said, creating structure and a game plan and then having the self-respect and discipline to actually follow it. I mean, personally, I, you know, I'm I'm battling that all the time. I mean, it's it's very easy, you know, you have this strict regiment or things that you, you know, non-negotiables, you know, your your to-do list, your goals, and what you need to do in order to make them happen, but it's not always the easiest to, you know, knock those out and you know, be a machine, if you will. So I think I think it starts with structure and then it also, you know, you have to really know yourself and identify identify those reset buttons, you know, identify the breaks you need to take. I think it really just comes down to having that why, you know, and be able to take different, you know, perspectives or um, you know, distance yourself from the situation, looking at it from a little bit different angles. Cause I think one thing is, you know, with high pressure situations and the more you know things start to snowball, everything in your head is speeding up instantly. So, you know, I think just being mindful, you know, the self-awareness and just slowing things down, you know, helps a ton. Give yourself a chance to get yourself back on the tracks or stay on the tracks.

SPEAKER_00 9:27

I love that. Man, I think, yeah, I mean, talk about life, right? I mean, a lot of us are just moving way too fast and doing too much. And we think the more we do and the faster we move, the better things we're gonna get. But oftentimes, to your point, it's slowing down um and taking things off the plate that allow allows us to really, you know, start to flourish and and do good again. And I love what you mentioned about plans, you know. I mean, my background, you know, also former collegiate athlete, but also someone who deals and helps people understand the importance of planning and structuring, you know, when it comes to mental, physical health. It's so important to have a plan. And I th and I believe the reason why most people fail, it's not because they necessarily had a bad plan, but they failed because they, for whatever reason, weren't able to stick to it. In your experience, is is that more, would you say is that more about the plan itself or more about the person who's trying to execute it?

SPEAKER_02 10:14

I think it's both. I think you when you're planning for a, you know, a client or anything in general, you have to be mindful of the individual. I mean, I use a ton of trainer analogies. I mean, it's one of the go-tos when we're talking about what's a what's a comfortable amount that you'd like to, you know, we have everything taken care of, you know, what's a comfortable amount that you could see yourself putting away on a monthly basis? And they ask, isn't that aren't you supposed to tell me? And we say, well, yeah, but it's it's a lot like having a trainer. You know, if you if you hire a a trainer that you go to the gym and you see them, they work you out for you know an hour and a half, you can't walk the next day, you know, you're exhausted, you're like, you know, it was a pretty probably a pretty good workout. But I mean, are you really wanting do you want to go back to that guy the next day? Like, is that is that gonna be sustainable? You know, are you gonna be able to stick to that plan? But on the you know, on the opposite, you go to a trainer and you you pay him and you're there for half an hour, an hour, and you didn't break a sweat, and now you're thinking the complete opposite. You're like, did I get anything out of this? Um, you know, what am I doing this for? So it's always finding that happy medium and being flexible and adjusting your goals. Just I think, yeah, I'd I would say finding that finding that comfort, you know, being comfortable, uh being uncomfortable, but being mindful of having a attainable processes. I mean, the simpler the better.

SPEAKER_00 11:40

100%. I love that analogy. You know, I I totally get that. And I think, you know, I always go back to, and this is my my biggest philosophy, um, you know, in my world, and when it comes to, you know, that catch window and being prepared for when these moments come, I think it's all about we get so caught up in this hustle and grind culture of the world we live in. That's just how society is, right? Hustle, hustle, grind, grind. And the more I I study this thing, the more I do this, the more I I work in this field in this world of of entrepreneurship and then, you know, health and fitness optimization optimization, it's really more so about ebbing and flowing and finding your rhythm. And just like what you're saying, there's a rhythm and balance to how things work. And it's getting within your rhythm and within your balance where you really are able to be consistent with whatever you're doing and actually get the results from that, you know, whatever that thing is. Um, and I think a lot of that, you know, tying that into yes, you know, that it takes uh preparation, it takes having the right plan, but there are it also takes, you know, a little bit of risk, you know. And for some people I know in your world, a lot of times people may assume that risk is just numbers, but in reality, how much would you say is that risk really tied to behavior and decision making?

SPEAKER_02 12:46

Well, I think a lot of the people that I'm talking to, the like I said, you know, the high performers um typically are more they're more um risk averse or usually have a little bit more understanding or you know, understand the risk reward aspect per se. But I guess what you're you know, talking to specifically sounds reminds me a lot of the scenarios I see where, you know, the people don't have a ton of discretionary income at the end of the month. And a risk to them, um, you know, whether it's right or wrong, is them even allocating that amount um, you know, that they're not used to in the first place. It's I'm in an interesting scenario where I just try to make them understand. I think people lose sight that, you know, if you're depending on the planning aspects, I mean, a lot of the times what I'm doing is I'm, you know, the money that you're giving me is still your money. So as far as I think people think of it as almost like an expense, or you know, you're putting, you're making that investment and then, you know, you can't use it or anything. I feel like I'm in a unique situation where I can kind of remind people, I'm like, you know, this isn't money that you're spending that's going out the door. I mean, it's you know, you still have it, but risk in general, I think I think a big thing is just a lot of people don't know where they stand on risk or they don't want to be risky because they don't have enough, you know, financial acuity or investment knowledge to invest in something and it's risky for them because they don't know about it. So a lot of times, you know, as people become more comfortable, I mean, see the process, see it work, um, you know, I'm able to educate them and spend more time with them, they you'd be surprised, you know, how much more comfortable they are taking on more risk. Um, did that answer your question? I feel like I may have went a went a different direction with it. Yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_00 14:41

I think that's I think that's perfect. Well, I I think you answer it in the way that, you know, if there was if there was a like a behind the curtain reason I was asking you, I think you kind of covered it, right? I think to your point, a a lot about how people see risk is, you know, once you sit down, you're able to talk with them. I think it, I think it really does. A lot of it's in their head, right? You know, how they see what risk looks like and how that impacts their decisions. And I think it even ties back to your point about helping people get untie their emotions from the money. I think a lot of that is giving them the truth about how this stuff really works and and being able to ease their mind in their decision making by helping them realize, okay, this is still your money, right? This isn't like you just blew your money on a on a on a Ferrari or something, right? And it's out the door. And like this is this is your money and it's being managed well. And ultimately it's an investment. So I I think, no, I think that 100% answer me. I think that's a great perspective to have. I mean, I think everything when it comes to whether it's your your wealth, your health, relationships, is all about having the right perspective about these things. And I think a lot of it comes back to clarity focused things that you're kind of mentioning, right? And emotional control. Based on what you're saying, I feel like I know the answer, but always always I just want to hear you kind of expound on it because I I I love your perspective on it. How much do you feel like clarity focus, emotional control impact the outcomes, you know, impact their ability to get the most out of, you know, their investment and and what they're looking to accomplish?

SPEAKER_02 16:01

I think absolutely, I think it's everything. I think, yeah, I mean, when we first meet with people, you know, we do an in-depth analysis on everything. But the first time we meet, you know, we spend the most time out of everything talking about what's important to them and what are their goals. You know, we'll split it up into one year, you know, three to five years, and then what's the long-term vision? You know, what's that retirement want to look like? Um, and from there, you know, we can put all the recommendations in place um and make it as easy as possible. But yeah, I mean, especially the business owners and the sales guys, you know, the high, the high pressure jobs, um, I think it's absolutely everything. Uh, you know, I think it's all discipline, you know, structure, keeping things, you know, as simple as you can, you know, turning complex into, you know, t taking the simplest perspective of it. Um I mean, I think you yeah, you hit the nail on the head. I think it's probably the most important possible thing, at least skills, you know, as far as like approach to success standpoint.

SPEAKER_00 17:02

Yeah, 100%. And I mean, yeah, I see it all the time, you know. I mean a a lot of of what I do is, you know, getting behind the scenes of just, you know, yes, you know, there's there's things about the physical body and and whether it's whether it's weight loss, whether it's muscle building. But I mean so much of just the health, and this is a side of health, I believe, helping fitness that a lot of a lot of entrepreneurial business mind people are starting to see. But I mean, it impacts so much of your mental, physical, and your ability to be durable within your work environment to allow you to get the most out of whatever you're wanting to accomplish. In your perspective, do you kind of see that right? If someone is let's let's say someone's slightly off mentally, physically, or they're just fatigued, do you feel like you see that show up in their financial decisions kind of over time?

SPEAKER_02 17:47

Yeah, because I think, you know, when when everything's clicking, you know, you're ambitious, you feel like things are moving in the right direction, you know, when you're in like that the most disciplined version of yourself, you know, you're kind of just you're kind of just flowing. But I mean, personally even and also things I've observed with, you know, high performing individuals is the energy aspects and just, you know, mental clarity, you know, I think it controls so much as far as your ability to stay on track because, you know, it gets a lot harder to stay disciplined and make those correct decisions on a daily basis when you're out of energy. Those goals that you're striving to achieve don't really sound worth it all the time, you know, in those situations because you know, you're hungry, you're you're not taking care of your body, you know, your mental, your mental clarity, um, you're not taking care of yourself, and then things start slipping. You start taking shortcuts, you know, those those non-negotiables from last week are no longer non-negotiables. You haven't you have you let them slip, but you know, you start getting behind, and then like I said, everything speeds up and you don't know what to do. It's like it's like you uh yeah, it's it can be tough. I think uh I think it's directly tied to a lot of different, you know, whether that's financial decisions on you know how you're treating other people or interacting with those that you care about. You know, if there's not a healthy balance and process in place that, you know, is set to take care of yourself, things will slip pretty quickly.

SPEAKER_00 19:20

100%. Uh couldn't couldn't agree more with that, man. And I I think it's the perfect kind of uh never-ending loop of decision making to performance, performance to decision making. I I think so much to your point about how you take care of your physical, your mental, it impacts the way you make decisions, you know, in your workplace, within your investments, with how you handle your money. And and I think obviously the initial decision before even comes to, you know, that side is okay, making the decision to prioritize your own personal, mental, physical health to make sure you're making the best decisions and you have the most clarity and focus, you know, at the moment where you need it the most. And and I feel like no one obviously sees that more than someone is in your position dealing with these high performing people and these entrepreneurs. Have you ever kind of seen a situation where like, you know, nothing was technically wrong with the plan, but results still weren't where they should be.

SPEAKER_02 20:12

At this point in my career, I think I've been really fortunate. You know, I feel like the full, you know, the full plans that I've been able to put together start to finish and really take care of people and then then go and implement it. Um, no, to be honest, I mean it it takes care of itself for the most part. Um but I hear about stories all the time, you know, individuals that were doing everything right and it just, you know, wasn't working out. Definitely.

SPEAKER_01 20:40

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:41

But I well, to that point too, especially, you know, in it when the environment is and the strategy is already pretty sound. Do you think or do you have you ever seen where the biggest variables, you know, kind of become the person executing the plan? Have you ever kind of, I guess, seen a plan not, you know, be executed the way that it should because of the person who was executing it?

SPEAKER_02 21:01

Yeah, I mean, for sure. I would say, I mean, it comes we always tell people we don't want to be the like we don't want to tell them how to spend their money. Um, you know, the goal is to the goal, the the most ideal plan is to for everything to have an assignment and then there'd be enough leftover money at the end of the month for them to do whatever they want. But, you know, in order for that to happen, you do have to be disciplined on the you know on the front end to put yourself in a position to be able to do that. I mean, sometimes the margins just aren't there. There's not enough money to be spread. So yeah, we'll put together a plan and they don't always, you know, if the large purchases, obviously, you know, trying to that lifestyle creep or trying to live up to, you know, whatever their, you know, the cool car their friend bought, or you know, their the inheritance their buddy got, and now they got a farm. I mean, you name it, you know. I think I think things uh things happen, you know, that make you lose focus. Um, yeah, I mean, I think. It comes like the plans that I see fail typically are credit card debt that's just gotten too out of control. You know, we'll sometimes it's not even sometimes it's not how can we, you know, make your you know, sometimes people have money that isn't there, so we've tried or that's there, but they can't utilize because it's going somewhere else. So, you know, helping them save money in different areas. But, you know, for example, some say somebody racked up ten thousand dollars in credit card debt and we put together a plan for them to knock those out. But you know, if the budget isn't there and they're and they're uh dipping more into it, those are kind of the situations that I see. It's you know, the the discipline of actually sticking to the plan itself. Um, you know, from a from a number standpoint, it can be there, but emotionally, you know, people have habits, they uh, you know, they're sweet tooth, you know, eating out, uh sneakers, shopping, traveling, you name it. So I think people tell tell themselves a lot, you know, that they're maybe using the I this money's to be enjoyed. It is. But, you know, I think you also have to earn that right to put yourself in a position. And, you know, sometimes you can't live the life that you want to live for, you know, certain aspects of times. You have to have those seasons, you know, to be disciplined and put yourself in that position. I mean, thankfully, a lot of the individuals that I'm meeting, you know, as I'm becoming more experienced are are high performers. Um, you know, that they do have everything clicking, and I'm sure you can attest to it as well, just from a trainer standpoint. It's okay, now, you know, you've you have all those good habits. Now let's delegate, you know, now let's find ways to optimize and save time. But thankfully, you know, a lot of those high performers have good heads on their shoulders. Um, you know, everything everybody goes through different things, but from that standpoint, I don't I don't see too much of a problem with with the more successful individuals that I get to meet with. Yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_00 23:54

But I I think you make a good point too. And it's something that, you know, what will always be, I think, an important point for regardless of whatever some whatever someone's wanting to accomplish, is that point of preparation, right? Where there you need patience and whatever you're doing, right, to ultimately see the fruit of whatever you're working towards. And to your point, I think even financially, it's easy to kind of lose sight of that, right? You want to enjoy your money, uh, you know, you work hard, you want to be able to take that. But there are things, whether it's credit card debt, you know, or on the, you know, I think of health and fitness or mental health, right? Whether it's okay right now, this extra weight I'm carrying around, or or you know, maybe I'm my my diet isn't the best right now, whatever it is, these things are holding me back. And ultimately changes that are uncomfortable at the moment are leading me towards where I ultimately want to be. I mean, I think it's it aligns perfectly with kind of the whole point, right, of this uh podcast, right? Okay, catch window where that business and physical preparation kind of align, right? Putting myself in a position through my work, through my patience to where there is an opportunity and I'm able to seize it because of the preparation that I put in. For for your clients, you know, I know you work with a lot of people who obviously have established themselves at this point, but how small would you say the window actually is to capitalize on these opportunities when when they show up?

SPEAKER_02 25:09

I'm thinking of just being ready for the opportunity um in general. And it's just a lot of those conversations are so spontaneous and you know, just come of the moment to where sure, I think, you know, you're obviously always gonna have opportunities that'll come around here and there. Um so it's not like you're just gonna miss the catch window, you know, like you only had one in your entire life. I mean, it may be true, the best opportunity, but I think just taking care of yourself, you know, puts you in just such a better position to take advantage of those opportunities, whether it's, you know, whether it's a conversation in the sauna at a gym with a really successful business owner that you were just in the right mind and the right mood and taking care of yourself and you got a lot out of the conversation. And now you have somebody a contact to lean on or a new friend, networking opportunity. And if you're not taking care of yourself, if you're not in the right headspace, um things are all over the place. I think you just unfortunately may look back on a lot of opportunities that were missed because you weren't able to seize it because you weren't taking care of yourself. So I don't know about like a time frame per se, but I mean, I look back even, I look back on my baseball career, you know, how I handled the different schools I was at and the different dynamics, whether that be I was compensated on the scholarship standpoint or the you know, the specific role on the team. You know, I look back at a lot of conversation, like even instances like that where I could have handled things differently. And I think a lot of it had to do with me not taking care of myself, you know, overall as a whole and being in the headspace to take, you know, take advantage of some of those opportunities. 100%.

SPEAKER_00 27:01

No, and I and I agree with you, man. I I think, you know, obviously in life, as long as you're still breathing, it's it's never too late. I mean, I don't know if you've ever heard of the Colonel Sanders story about the guy who did the whole KFC thing. I think he was like in his like late 60s or something, whenever he started that. And obviously, yeah, no, it's crazy. You know, I think he s was in the military for a while or something like that. And I don't know, he just wanted to make chicken really well. Really, really, really excited to make chicken. So no, he was like, he was pretty old when he started that, you know. So to your point, I think it's I definitely think, you know, as long as you're still breathing, there's always a window of opportunity to be seized. But to your point, you know, regret is one of the worst feelings in the world, right? Knowing that you had opportunities for whatever reason, mentally, physically, you weren't ready to take, you know, seize those opportunities. With the high performers you work with, what what you know, what when it comes to like the most disciplined, successful clients you work with, what would you say they do differently on a daily basis that kind of puts them in the position they're in to, you know, seize those windows of opportunity?

SPEAKER_02 27:58

I think that the highest performers I know, for the most part, live very intentional lifestyles. Everything is, you know, they protect their energy, they protect their time, they're very calculated and have attention to detail. Um one thing that comes to mind time blocks. Um, you know, having allocated time focus on a specific task that, you know, that's locked in. That's what you're gonna do. And, you know, it's not gonna be perfect, but all the time. But you know, having that structure in place and having, you know, making those big goals and turning them into more, you know, repetitive everyday actions of actually how to attain some of these things. I think that's one one big thing. Sleep schedule probably is another one. Um, you know, people that people are that are deliberate about you know optimizing their body and having as much mental clarity as possible. Just because, you know, your patience is gonna you gotta have patience, you gotta have wanna continue to be outgoing, ambition and drive. And I think, you know, when your sleep schedule gets out of whack, um, that'll start slipping as well. So really just time management, keeping things simple, drive, and then yeah, I think making making things as simple as possible and attacking, you know, individual tasks at mind at one um one at a time, and then letting that compound your positive those those positive decisions, those actions um that make you feeling good and you know continue to compound. Um I think those are a lot of the things that I see. Um they also have long-term visions, they don't think small. Um I think you know the world that we are in depending on your environment and everything, there's kind of a stereotypical like expectation of, you know, kind of the buckets or phases that you'll fall into. Um I think some of the higher performers completely ignore those and they they think bigger of themselves and and hold themselves to a higher standard.

SPEAKER_00 30:10

Especially I I mean I I've heard that a lot, especially about that last point. You know, I think you know, they talk about thinking in like 20-year plans, you know, versus thinking in five years and and always kind of playing the long game. And ironically enough, because they always play the long game and think long term, they get what they want a lot faster than people who are constantly thinking short term and then jumping to the next thing and jump to the next thing and never staying with something consistently. You know, to those people who who who may feel called out by that, who are people who do that, if they want to build real financial stability and growth, would you say they should focus more on like better strategies or becoming more of a disciplined decision maker?

SPEAKER_02 30:47

Well, it can come from a lot of different areas. I mean, there's there's an order of operations in financial planning that's pretty much well rounded, like broadly considered, you know, sound financial planning advice. And first and foremost, you need to have that emergency fund. And most people don't. Um, we can't do anything without some sort of safety net. And the amount of clarity that comes with just building that in itself is a huge weight off so many people's shoulders. I mean, if you don't have if you're married, you know, I have a couple kids, you got a mortgage, um, maybe a sales job that's up and down, and things are gonna hit the fan all the time, and you're just gonna be stressed out over and over and over again. And it's not gonna, it's gonna be so hard to get ahead if we're not deliberate about, you know, at least checking that first box off. So, so yeah, I think it's definitely more about the decision making. The plan can be bulletproof, but without the sound decision making behind it, it's it's not gonna work. Um, but you know, we we meet them where they're at, keep working on it. That's that's where we're at, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 31:54

100%, man. Oh, I love that. Power decision, I mean, super powerful. And it's something I always talk a lot about when I'm when I'm working with people or just, you know, when I'm kind of talking through a point, you know, I always tell people there is a difference between a decision and a choice. You know, a choice is picking from multiple options. A decision is saying there's no other option but this. So I I think you speak to such a power when it comes to decision making, that's super important, especially for something like this. I mean, we're talking about financial freedom, stability, and growth. Uh, there's gonna be a lot of hard decisions that you have to make where you have to go, man, there is no other option. This is what I'm doing, um, regardless of what things look like, regardless of what I've dealt with in the past and struggled through, this is what I'm gonna decide to do and keep pressing forward with. Um, and I think that's just to your point, right, regardless of the plan, if you have not made a decision, if you're not you if you have not committed to I'm gonna do this, I mean, it it's it's all for nothing, right? So Yeah. No, I love that. I think that's such an important point.

SPEAKER_02 32:50

Yeah, I also uh I was gonna say, like, I think a lot of people a lot of people start making those changes or like the the breaking point per se is when they're either fed up, like they either experience some form of loss or tragedy with, you know, a family member or someone else around them, or they're just fed up with, you know, their quality of life and lack of flexibility. So yeah, I think short-term hard, long-term easy. It I mean, you know, my job isn't to, you know, have somebody live under a rock and you know, save all their money. My job is to get you to a point to where you can, you know, go on three to four vacations a year. Um, you know, my I'm not like uh, you know, I'm not the dictator per se. I'm just there to I'm just there to give them a route, you know, to to achieve some of those goals. A lot like you, you know, with with um building your body and and taking care of your health.

SPEAKER_00 33:46

100%. I love that, man. I love that. Hey, perspective. I think you give people a good perspective, right? Where uh to back to your point about balance, where it's like you don't have to live under a rock and and save all your every single thing, you know, penny, every single dollar you get, but it's also having the wisdom to to manage what you got really well so you can enjoy those vacations. No, I agree. It's it's it's very, very similar. And and I think that's part of why, you know, to the point of this podcast, why I think it's so powerful the connect and the intersectionality I see between the two worlds of how business, how finances work, and how you how you want your body to work and how you you see your your health and fitness. It's very much a long-term game of optimizing and making decisions that set you up for success with both. But yeah, Digga, for you personally, I mean, you've obviously helped a lot of people. Um you've done great work for business owners. Speaking of you, do you have any, like I guess, from where you're at right now, you know, to the level you're wanting to get to? What is that for you? What is that big goal for you? I know it's I know it's April of 2026, so it's probably can't really say what is your 2026 goal, but we'll say what what is what is that for you? What is that that next level you're wanting to get to?

SPEAKER_02 34:48

Next level I want to get to, um, you know, I know we were texting back and forth. Uh, even last night I was in the office till it's like, I think I tell you like 9 or 10 p.m.

SPEAKER_00 34:58

Yeah, and work ethic like crazy.

SPEAKER_02 35:00

I'm uh yeah, I think from uh from a number standpoint, you know, I have my my goals written on my desk. Um, you know, I want to manage, I want to bring in five million dollars of new assets um this year. I want to write fifty thousand dollars um of insurance coverage for individuals, you know, that need it. Um then on the personal side, I'm very blessed too, you know. Two years ago, I was still in school. Um I moved back in with my family, you know, building my own book. And big goal that's been my, you know, not my why, I guess, but my my main thing I'm striving for immediately is to move out of the house and be able to purchase, put myself in a position to purchase a duplex, you know, without a co-signer. So I've got approved two years of income. So that's coming up in July, um, when I'll be able to take my two-year average income, you know, with synergy and mass mutual. So really just keeping my head down and like we've talked about this whole call, you know, what what do I need to do in order for those goals to be achieved? Um it's a lot of, you know, the goals are number-based on end goals, but in order to achieve those, it's a ridiculous amount of very small, disciplined, everyday steps. And, you know, I'm not perfect. I think I've got too many, you know, too many goals, too many non-negotiables to where I I could probably simplify some things. Um, but that's where I'm at personally, is you know, really just really just getting in front of as many people as possible, want to do great work for them, um, build that network, you know, those friendships, and and get my first rental property. That's the that's the first box on the on the list for me.

SPEAKER_00 36:45

Heck damn, man. Amazing goals. Well, based off that work schedule and working ethic, man. I mean, that's that's happening pretty soon. I mean, uh, I think that's obviously like my my favorite saying I I always live by is, you know, do what others aren't willing to do so you can have what others can't have. And I think that's the way to do it with what you're doing. And and that's what it's all about. I mean, like ultimately, yeah, of course, you know, there are there are vanity to goals, and I I I don't think vanity is bad. I think vanity is a good part of what keeps you motivated. But there's also some concrete things to your goal, and ultimately they work on you just as much as you work on them. So um, I think that's super, super powerful to have something like that that you're working towards that will set you and and ultimately whatever your future family looks like for they'll set them up for life. So I think that's super cool, man. But uh just based off you and what you've learned in your own journey, man, and then to accomplish, if someone could improve their clarity, energy, and consistency and remove decision fatigue, how much of an advantage do you think that gives them, you know, financially over time?

SPEAKER_02 37:43

Huge advantage. I mean, it's something that's been top of mind for me recently. With with all these long hours, I mean, we've been talking about it. My, you know, my physical health from like a fitness and activity and diet standpoint has started to slack. So I mean, it's part of the reason, you know, we're we're gonna get together here pretty soon and address that. But I think it makes a huge difference because you can have like, like we were talking about, you can have the drive and the ambition and the want to, but you know, if you don't have that clarity and you're fighting brain fog and fatigue, and I don't know, you're the you're the you're the trainer expert. I know there's a lot of like endorphins and chemicals that go on and balances. Um, you know, that's part of the reason. Yeah, I I mean I'm reaching out to you. I mean, it's something I need to address. I think it's a huge advantage because without it, um, I mean, without it, you have you just have less time, energy, and desire to accomplish what you want to.

SPEAKER_00 38:37

100%, man. The best way I like to call it is the analogy that I made up. So no one out there still does, but like, you know, people say, Oh, I have too much on my plate, too much on my plate. The best thing improving your mental, physical health and fitness can do for you is it it allows you to grow more of what you are. So rather than taking things off your plate, you just have a bigger plate. You're able to handle more, you're able to do more. And because you're able to handle more and do more, you're able to have and do things other people can't have and can't do. And ultimately, that is the keys to success is to be able to elevate yourself to such a place where no one else can reach that elevation, right? Where they can't handle the air up there, they can't handle the amount of physical exertion it takes because of what you've done for your body and for your mind. So it is it is the best thing. To your point, I mean, that's that's obviously that's my world and that's what I do, and that's why I get so excited about it, is because I know what it does. And it it's a multiplier. It's it's a business multiplier for for anybody. And of course, it it can benefit teachers, nurses, y'all are to it, obviously it benefits everybody, but you know, when I think about the business world, it just gets me so excited. I mean, I I'm a full believer as an entrepreneur, like business is what makes I mean, we don't have an economy without without business owners, without finances, without, you know, wealth management. There's no economy, right? So it literally makes our world go. People who go out there and and work hard and and build business and and and sell. And so it's just it's just huge, you know, what it does for your mind and for your body. And and like I said, just elevates you to a whole different level. So could couldn't agree more, obviously, on that one there. You know, I think we're we we think a lot alike with that. But um, Jacob, you you've obviously given a lot of a lot of value, a lot of information to what you do, and I think it'll be helpful for anybody, you know, people who are looking to get their finances together, people who are looking to do what you're doing and ultimately be where you are right now. For those people though, where can they connect with you and learn more about what you're doing and what you're what you're building?

SPEAKER_02 40:29

LinkedIn, honestly, hey, that was a huge goal of mine, or goal's not the right word. Very big focus of mine in 2026 was just developing a brand to where I'm able to connect with individuals that may I maybe I haven't had the chance otherwise to connect with. You can follow me, connect with me, you know, send a DM. Got a link on there. You can book a call or if you have any questions, but um pretty pretty easy to find. Uh yeah, that's that's my pitch, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 41:02

Heck yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:03

It always uh it always makes me laugh. Um you know, part of a podcast is like promoting, you know, promoting yourself in some capacity as well. And I'm always listening to the Joe Rogan's podcast. Joe Rogan's always trying to get them to you know promote their shows. Um, you know, where can we find you? Where where are you gonna be? You know, what's your book called? And they always get so uncomfortable. It's like the part they were at least looking forward to.

SPEAKER_00 41:26

I know the irony, right? That's like literally like advertisement. They're like, I don't want to, I don't want no one to know about all that. Yeah. That is so funny. Awesome, man. Hey, we we appreciate your time, man. We appreciate, you know, obviously, you know, the conversation was great chopping it up. And you know, as always, you know, I I know this will will help someone, it'll it'll bless someone. So no, I just appreciate you.

SPEAKER_02 41:46

Yeah, absolutely. I'm very thankful for having you uh or having me. And I'm I'm looking forward to working with you on my own my own personal fitness and and health here pretty shortly, or very shortly, later this week.

SPEAKER_00 41:58

Awesome. Let's go.