I have recently and often thought about issues that deal with the stewardship of wealth.  I have noticed for myself that there was a learning curve in dealing with financial success.  The issues come up because as you grow financially the people you associate with may not be growing as fast or at all.  With that, things change in the way you relate to them and how they relate to you. continue reading...

I was talking politics the other day and the subject came up that wealthy people have a patriotic duty to pay more taxes than other people.  I’m fighting to keep my comments away from the subject itself and stick to my original intent in this blog, which is to discuss the reasons behind this kind of thinking. continue reading...

Recently I was speaking to a friend, someone who looks at the “creation of wealth” as a series of dirty words. I can relate to this opinion because when I was young, I was taught to think this way as well. However, the fact that she never overcame this false belief, combined with the reality that she has never created wealth for herself, puts her in a place in her life where she is now suffering the consequence of wishing that she had. Her false beliefs about wealth closed the door for her early on, and now she must challenge that belief to move forward. continue reading...

As I speak and write about the topic of Family First Entrepreneurism, I am continually amazed at how ready people are to hear this message. We, as people, seem to be looking around right now at our “signs of wealth” and we ask ourselves, “Was the time away from the things that really count worth the time it took to get these material things.” continue reading...

Most people define wealth in terms of possessions; the more you “have,” the wealthier you are. It’s about the car, the house, the clothes, etc. As a Family First Entrepreneur I define wealth in terms of how much available time you have to spend with your loved ones, as well as how much time you have to give of yourself in the pursuit of your higher purpose. So give me a small house, a couple of used cars, a Ross Dress for Less wardrobe and two full time parents who get to enjoy the more delicious side of life. That is my definition of wealth. continue reading...

When I am working hard and making good money there is a little part of me that feels that I validate my hard work by buying stuff. Good food, toys for the kids, trinkets I don’t need, toys for myself, and on and on. I noticed this desire again recently, and I realized that I have learned to channel that desire into saving and that saving has become my new validation. continue reading...

As Family First Entrepreneurs we must be aware of balancing our necessary work ethic with our duty to the people we love. I’ve heard people say, “I worked sixteen hours a day for years to make this happen.” When I hear that kind of thing, as a family man, my first thought is concern for the kids and spousal relationship. continue reading...

One of the tactics that I have implemented in my business dealings is when I meet a person that strikes me as a gem, I always begin to think how we can create a mutually beneficial business relationship. This has paid off big for me many times. Sometimes the perfect situation takes years to show up, but I keep building the relationship, being mindful of looking for opportunities when they present themselves. continue reading...