Nightmare Initiated

Yesterday morning, at approximately 4:00 a.m., I was awakened by a flash flood warning on my phone. As I gained consciousness, I heard the sound of a torrential downpour outside my bedroom window. That's the moment it happened. I instantly realized I had made the mistake of mistakes. One of my biggest nightmares had just been initiated. I forgot that I left my convertible top down! I quickly scrambled out of my bedroom, out of the house, and into my flooded car. It was a disaster!

I was able to close the roof, and then assessed the damage. Every single inch of the car was drenched. The dashboard, the seats, the console.....all of it. There were two inches of standing water underneath the seats. Thus began a 90-minute mad scramble to dry every bit of my possibly ruined ride. Yes, my nightmare was on full display. Fortunately, it appears that I somehow managed to come out of that situation in one piece. By some miracle, everything in my car seems to work. I don't know how, but it survived!

I used to worry a lot.....I mean, a LOT. Big things, small things, probable things, improbable things. If there was a chancesomething could go wrong for me, I'd find a way to worry about it. Then, something inside me changed. I realized there were two fatal flaws in my worrying:

1. I was worrying about things over which I had no control.

2. I was worrying about things that had very little chance of even happening.

What sense does it make to worry about things I can't influence? If they are going to happen, they are going to happen. My worrying doesn't help in any shape or form. On a similar note, what's the point in worrying about something that has just a tiny percentage probability of even occurring?

This mindset shift began to transform where I focus my attention and what gets my worry. I'm so glad I adopted this new perspective, as I don't think business owners can survive without it (at least with their health intact). The one thing I learned as an entrepreneur is that something terrible will happen almost daily. It's just the way it works.

The truth is, there are a million things I could worry about; far more than ever before. However, instead of letting every intrusive thought win, I frame it through my two questions above:

1. Does this potential fear even have a reasonable chance of happening?

2. If so, do I have the ability to influence the outcome?

If the answer to either of those questions is "no," I don't worry. If the answer to both is "yes," I try to refocus the energy that would possibly be spent on worrying to figuring out how I can positively influence the outcome.

I actually do worry about leaving the convertible top down. The irony, though, is that worrying about it doesn't positively influence the outcome. If I had been sharper two nights ago, I would have focused that energy on ensuring a better outcome (i.e., following my behavioral triggers that would have resulted in me successfully closing the roof). Instead, I worried......and paid the price.

Hopefully, someone reading this will be positively influenced by these words. Please don't let my convertible nightmare be in vain! Have an awesome, dry, worry-free day.

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Imitation and Excellence

One of our Northern Vessel One Percent Better shirts was spotted in Hollywood yesterday. It's always cool seeing our shirts all over the country, which comes on the heels of them going semi-viral last fall. So, yesterday, it was fun to receive a photo of another one in the wild in Los Angeles.

However, one problem. Check this out:

The picture on the left was taken on the streets of Hollywood yesterday afternoon. The picture on the right is one of our marketing photos posted on Instagram last September after releasing our new design. They look oddly similar—the color, the word placement, the offset. However, notice how the design on the left is in a slightly different font and doesn't have any overlap in the words. It's an imitation! Someone literally took our design and recreated their own for profit.

You know what they say, imitation is the best form of flattery. Nobody would try to steal our designs if it sucked. Therefore, it tells us that what we're doing is moving the needle. But we have a choice to make. We can either get mad and try to get even.......or we can simply be excellent. Guess which one we'll choose.

One of my close friends recently reached out to me with a problem. Someone opened a similar business to his business, less than a block away. This new business will be a direct competitor, and he's pissed. Imitation is the best form of flattery. I told him that he has two options: 1) Be upset and find a way to feel victimized, or 2) Be excellent.

Remember last September when I shared about how Caribou Coffee was moving in next door to Northern Vessel? The local media wanted to do a piece about how big business is killing the little guy. Instead, TJ shared with the reporter that we're glad to have them join the neighborhood. Hopefully, it will bring more traffic to the area and, perhaps, we'll have an opportunity to serve some of those new people. He also added this: "At the end of the day, excellence wins."

Fast forward 10 months, and we have a better sense of reality. The Caribou next door is struggling. Once in a while, while hanging out at Northern Vessel, the boys and I will walk over to Caribou and buy a bagel. The last time we did this little exercise, there were 67 people inside the small Northern Vessel shop. When we got to Caribou, it was completely empty.....not one soul.

The t-shirt situation is silly. We're just going to focus on excellence.

Yeah, Caribou opened next door. We simply need to focus on excellence.

My friend just received some new competition down the street. He needs to focus on excellence.

If you don't have a similar situation in your life right now, you will soon. You have two options: 1) dwell on it and be upset, or 2) focus on excellence. Excellence always wins!

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Your Youngest You

I had a blast speaking to a few hundred high school kids yesterday. There aren't many things I'd change about my talk, which is a rare thing for me to say. As I was staring at so many young faces, it dawned on me how not young I am. It's kinda depressing to think that I have 25-30 years on them. Where does time go!?!?

It's so easy to look at young people and wish we were younger again. We tell ourselves that we'd give anything to go back in time. Take all my money. Take all my status. Take all my accomplishments. Take all my everything. I'd give up every single thing in my life to be younger again.

On the flip side, think about this. Imagine future you, 30 years into the future. That older version of you would also give up all the money, status, accomplishments, and everything to be where you are right now. In some ways, that makes your status in life worth more than all the money in the world. You're the youngest you'll ever be. Youth is your friend. There's so much opportunity in front of you.

Think about that today, then act accordingly. Today is your youngest you.

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Anti-Complicated

In a few hours, I'll have the privilege of speaking to several hundred high school kids. When I was invited to speak, I was instructed to approach the topic of money at the most basic level, as many people in the room will have little to no knowledge of the subject.

"Great, I'll teach the same thing I teach everyone, then!" I replied.

Simplicity always wins! Whether I'm meeting with high school kids or seasoned business professionals, simple is always best. I wasn't joking in my response; I'm going to teach these kids the exact same thing I teach all my clients. In a world that likes to make every little concept or idea overly complicated, I'm going to approach it with an anti-complicated posture.

I'm going to use a single visual, which will slowly build as my talk progresses. Here's what it looks like:

We'll talk about:

• The importance of work. Work = adding value to others. Adding value = money.

• A singular checking account should be the hub of our finances.

• Why a savings account tied to our checking account is the perfect execution for an emergency fund—the release valve of our finances.

• We must account for all income coming in each month. A budget unlocks everything else.

• Debit cards are king. The use of credit cards is a slippery slope that is killing our society. No matter how aggressive I get on this one, it's not enough.

• The difference between needs and wants, and why both are important.

• Giving changes us from the inside out.

• The importance of saving and why sinking funds are a behavioral science hack.

• The power of investing, especially at their age.

The goal isn't for each student to walk away as financial geniuses. The goal is for each person to understand this money stuff can and should be simple......anti-complicated, if you will. And if so, they will hopefully feel empowered to embrace these concepts in their own journeys.

I'll let you know how it goes. Please pray that I say what needs to be said, how it needs to be said, and with the flexibility to pivot if needed. Oh yeah, and if you have one more descriptor in your prayer, pray that I'm funny! It should be fun. In the meantime, I hope you have a fantastic day and make a positive impact on everyone who crosses your path.

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Get To

I was recently chatting with one of our young Northern Vessel employees, and he said something awesome: "My friends always talk about having to go to work. I get to go to work."

He went on to share about how much he enjoys working for us. He mentioned his co-workers, the leadership, our guests, the culture, learning new skills, being challenged, and, of course, making money.

Is this the perfect job in the world? Depends on who you ask. I'd like to think we've done a good job creating a culture that people want to engage with. However, I think a MAJOR factor is this young man's perspective. He has a healthy perspective of work and intentionally seeks meaning in it, which drives his get-to attitude.

On a related note, one of my eight-year-olds was excited to return home from a handful of days in KC visiting his cousins. Yeah, I think he was excited to see me, but he was also excited to mow. He didn't have to mow.....he got to mow. I gave both kids the option, and Finn jumped at it.

Similar to our NV barista, Finn's passion for the work is a mix of things. He's always had a heart for mowing, he enjoys seeing the visual progress of his actions, he knows it's a way to serve his family, and, of course, the money. By the time he got done, he was hot, sweaty, and content. He was also $30 richer, which made him smile.

Is mowing the best job in the world? Depends on who you ask. In Finn's case, while I believe he has some passion for it, I think he has a really healthy attitude towards it. His perspective is healthy, which drives his get-to attitude.

Whatever is on your plate today, I encourage you to have a get-to attitude. Whether it's the best work in the world, or something far from perfect, the work matters. You can treat it like a have-to, or a get-to. The choice is yours, and that choice will play a significant role in how it goes. Always choose "get to."

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Right or Luxury?

As expected, yesterday's post offended a fair number of people. We Americans love our cars, and the mere suggestion that we shouldn't have a car payment sounds as absurd as me suggesting we ought to live our day-to-day lives naked like a bunch of crazy nudists. That suggestion would sound absurd to nearly everyone, and for many reasons, so too is my suggestion that we should all live without vehicle payments.

One of my friends was particularly peeved by my absurdity and decided to call me.

"Travis, do you know how expensive cars are these days?!?! It's practically impossible for most people to buy a new car without getting a loan."

"Yeah, you're right."

"So how do you expect most people to buy a new car without having a payment?"

"I don't."

My friend is absolutely correct! New cars are brutally expensive. Based on recently published data, the average price of a new vehicle during the first half of 2025 was approximately $49,000 (with an average payment of $745/month). Therefore, we have two options: 1) We fork over $49,000 of cash, or 2) We elect for big, fat car payments.

Therefore, my friend makes a good point. It's nearly impossible for most people to buy a new vehicle without large payments. Or.....or.....or, hear me out. Perhaps we can put a third option on the table: 3) Don't buy a new car!

Buying a new vehicle is a luxury, not a right. However, since this is America and our culture is so twisted, we've conditioned the masses to believe that everyone deserves to buy a new vehicle. The truth is, we don't inherently deserve to go out and buy a new vehicle just because everyone else is doing it.

I've never owned a new vehicle in my life, as I don't believe the lie that buying a new vehicle is a right (or a good decision). Even if I could buy a new vehicle, I doubt I ever would. One of the consequences of my decision not to buy a new vehicle is that I haven't had a car loan for more than 17 years. Here's a rough history of all the vehicles Sarah and I have purchased in the past 17 years:

• 2008: Used Honda Accord - $15,000

• 2013: Used Nissan Altima - $16,500

• 2017: Used Toyota Highlander - $15,000

• 2018: Used Nissan Altima - $15,500

• 2024: Used Nissan 350Z - $9,000

Today, our three vehicles have a combined value of $20,000-$25,000.....COMBINED! Would we like to upgrade our vehicles? Of course! And we probably will later this year, but going into debt to do so is an absolute non-starter. We'll buy whatever vehicle we can afford with the cash we have saved for said purchase. Buying new vehicles isn't a right; it's a luxury.

On the flip side, you wouldn't believe the number of people who make $50,000 per year who drive new $50,000 vehicles. The big, fat car payments people are signing up for are crushing their ability to make progress in their financial lives. It's madness!

I again invite you to join the movement. Let's live out a different reality for people to witness. A debt-free reality where we buy vehicles we can afford and live meaningful lives that are far richer than being a slave to our payments. Let's go!

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Normalizing Negligence

You know how social media algorithms have a way of slotting us into specific niches? My niches have evolved over time, but at the moment, my four favorite niches are as follows:

1. Flat Earthers - You GOTTA check it out!

2. Tinned Fish - Who doesn't love a good tinned fish?!?!

3. All things Twenty One Pilots

4. Car Dealership Monthly Payment Interviews

Today, we're paying tribute to category #4, car dealership monthly payment interviews. I first discovered this trend a few years ago, and I'm overjoyed to see it pick up momentum over the last few years. In short, this is a trend where someone working at a car dealership will walk around the premises with a microphone, asking employees what they drive and what their monthly payment is.

Here's one example! If you want the Cliff Notes version, here are the results (each employee’s monthly vehicle payment):

• $744

• $726

• $600

• $1,000

• $935

• $0

• $700

• $0

• $700

• $400

• $415

• $469

• $1,080

• $593

• $0

Or, this one:

• $700

• $1,400

• $750

• $634

• $520

• $706

• $340

• $360

• $0

This one is a treat:

• $2,650

• $1,500

• $700

• $675

• $0

• $1,600

• $0

• $900

• $485

Finally, we'll end with this gem:

• $950

• $730

• $0

• $404

• $0

• $700

• $450

• $600

Those are just four random videos. There are hundreds of them out there, and I just blindly clicked on four for this little exercise. Here's the lay of the land:

• Out of the 41 people surveyed, 80% of them (all but 8) have monthly payments. Translation: Only 20% are debt-free on their vehicles.

• Six people (15%) have monthly payments of $1,000+.

• Only six people (15%) have monthly payments below $500.

• Of the 33 people with monthly payments, the average payment is $791/month.

First, let me say that I'm not condemning any of these people. I don't think they are dumb, nor do I have any negative opinions about them personally. I could easily have clicked on four other random videos and achieved the same results. These people are normal. While these numbers might shock some of you or create skepticism, I can assure you they closely mimic my experience working with hundreds of families.

It's "normal," and that's the problem. In recent months, as the algorithms have pushed me more of these amazing videos, I've started asking myself the question, "Why?" Why are car dealerships doing this at scale? What's the objective of this social media strategy?

Then, it dawned on me, the proverbial light bulb over my head. They are systematically normalizing negligence. If their employees have big, fat monthly payments, and are presumably industry experts, then it normalizes the idea of having big, fat monthly payments. Again, they aren't bad people. They are just normal people, living normal lives, boosting the momentum for other people to live normal lives as well. And in America, "normal" means having big, fat car payments.

Today, I propose we normalize prudence, humility, contentment, and personal responsibility. There's no reason a single person should have a car payment. None. Will you join me in the fight? I can't do it alone, and luckily, I don't have to. Let's shift the momentum to a better way of living!

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(Not) Overemphasizing Weaknesses

"What is your preferred process to pull the perfect espresso shot?"

This is a question sent to me after yesterday's post about Northern Vessel and our pursuit to treat every customer like the most important person in the world. In fairness, I write about Northern Vessel frequently, as jointly owning and running the company has become a major part of my life. Therefore, it's natural for someone to ask this very practical and relevant question.

Confession: I've never pulled an espresso shot in my life. Zero. Zilch. I haven't even attempted it. Truthfully, I don't even know if I could if I wanted to. I love coffee so much, but have no skills. It would be the equivalent of my son deciding next week to build a space shuttle and land a human on the moon. It ain't happening! I do recognize the irony in this situation. We'll serve nearly 200,000 drinks this year, yet I've never made (or know how to make) a single drink.

Let's call this a weakness. It's one of many I possess. If you know me well, you could list out the countless weaknesses that plague me. My lack of know-how in making tasty coffee beverages is one of them.

Culture tells us that we need to focus on our weaknesses, striving to improve in those areas. I think this mentality does us a gross disservice. No, not because I don't believe addressing a weakness is a noble endeavor. I do think there's value in self-improvement. My problem with this approach is that it forces us (whether consciously or subconsciously) to divert our attention away from our strengths.

It's true; I have a ton of weaknesses. I also possess amazing strengths. While I don't know how to make our drinks, I can tell you, to the fraction of a cent, how much each one costs to make and the gross margin associated with each. I know how much frother milk gets thrown down the drain, the impact of card payment transaction fees, how much product gets wasted, and the effect of loyalty reward redemptions.

The name of the game isn't fixing our weaknesses, but rather unapologetically and aggressively leaning into our strengths while bridging our weaknesses. Not to be captain obvious here, but the first step in bridging weaknesses is to have the self-awareness that you have weaknesses. Once that happens, which requires humility, only then can we find the appropriate bridges. My assistant, Alyssa, bridges many of my weaknesses. My Meaning Over Money business partner, Cole, bridges some of my weaknesses. My Northern Vessel business partners, TJ and Ashley, bridge some of my weaknesses.....and vice versa!

TJ is an absolute genius when it comes to coffee and hospitality, but he's not allowed to handle the finances. That's a massive weakness for him, which is why I'm here. While finances are a massive strength for me, accounting isn't. That's where Ashley steps in with her beautiful strengths.

Sure, I could spend time and energy trying to fix my weakness of not knowing how to make delicious coffee drinks. But that won't create one cent of value for the firm. On the flip side, me aggressively leaning into my strengths creates hundreds of thousands of dollars of impact.

I encourage you to write out your strengths and weaknesses on a piece of paper; take an inventory. Second, see which ones you spend more time and energy on. Third, find ways to bridge the gap in your weaknesses to dive harder into your strengths. It can change everything!

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Every Game Is the Super Bowl

I recently received a text from a friend who had just visited Northern Vessel for the first time. She said she was greeted excitedly by the team as she walked in, intentionally walked her through the menu with a smile, and made a killer drink for her. What she didn't know was that we had actually closed a few minutes before she walked in the door. The barista eventually shared that we were closing, but she was free to hang out and enjoy her drink if she desired.

She was blown away. Not only did she receive what she called "the best service of my life," but it was willfully and excitedly delivered even as the shop was closing. This is exactly what we try to accomplish! We're 100% open until five minutes after closing. No cleaning, no sweeping, no trash.....nothing. You won't see any closing-related tasks happening around you, as those are subtle visual triggers that you're no longer welcome. That's anti-hospitality. Using a sports analogy, every game is the Super Bowl. This customer may only ever come in one time, and if that's true, we want to make sure she has a world-class experience. Every customer is the most important customer....period. No, we don't always nail it, but man, we try!

I remember 5-6 years ago when TJ would pop up at grad parties, weddings, and city streets with his little coffee cart, slinging drinks to whoever would give this stranger a shot. He was bootstrapping his dream, desperately trying to eke out a meager living. Something caught my eye when I first met him, though. He treated every interaction like it was the Super Bowl. Every customer who walked up to his cart might as well have been the most important person in the world. That commitment slowly but surely earned him the right to serve more and more people.

Thinking back to those humble (and difficult) days makes what he's built over the last few years all the more special. Just yesterday, we were privileged with the opportunity to serve more than 500 drinks at our shop. That's 80 drinks per hour, or one drink every 45 seconds, for a fun-packed six-hour stretch. As I watched our team work, it provided me with so much joy to see how each team member treated every customer like they were the most important person in the room. Did we nail it 100%? Probably not, but man, we tried! I received countless comments and texts from friends who were thoroughly impressed with the hospitality of our staff. I couldn't be prouder or more grateful!

While I suspect most people reading this probably don't own or run a service-based company, this principle transcends all boundaries. When we approach life, work, and relationships like every game is the Super Bowl, it unlocks something far grander than we could have ever imagined. Give it a try!

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My Time vs. Their Time

I had an epiphany shortly after hiring my first assistant. Her name is Paige, and she's pretty awesome. If I remember correctly, she was only 19 years old at the time, but I always perceived her as far wiser than her age. When it came time for me to pay her after the first month, I asked her to submit her hours. I reviewed her log and felt thoroughly confused. "Paige, I don't think you gave me all your hours."

She confirmed that, yes, all hours were included. When I shared that it felt like she did far more work than that, she gave me the most Paige response ever: "It just takes you three times as long to do these tasks as it does me."

Ouch! But she was right! My objective in hiring Paige was to offload the tasks that I hate and/or suck at. Turns out, those tasks fell in line with what she enjoyed and was good at. Thus, she was far more efficient than I could ever dream of being. She consistently performed tasks at roughly 1/3 the time it would have taken me.

This is where my epiphany came in. The hourly rate I was paying her was more about my time than her time. For example, let's say I was paying Paige $30/hour. While that was the sticker price for her time, the real cost for Paige's services was $10/hour of my time. If I paid her $30 for one hour of her time that would have taken me three hours to perform, I was only paying $10/hour for the time I was buying back.

This line of thinking is applied to every aspect of my life. I don't care what the total cost or cost per hour for a service is. Instead, I ask myself how much it costs in relation to my time. Oil changes are a good example. I could easily change the oil in my car and save a bunch of money. However, by the time I buy oil and filters, successfully (eventually) drive my car up the ramps, empty the oil, change the filter, pour in the new oil, check the oil level, and finish topping it off, the actual cost savings per hour of my time is very low. Translation: That expensive oil change service is extremely cheap.

Just think of the possibilities with this concept. How many decisions would you make differently if you framed them through this lens? Plumbing, carpentry, electrical, landscaping, mechanical work, cleaning, laundry......the list could go on forever. Now, I'm not suggesting we should contract out every single task in our lives. Rather, I encourage you to look at your own personal situation through the lens of how much something costs/saves per hour of YOUR time, and see where the chips fall.

Warning: This way of thinking might just change everything.

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Meanwhile, Everyone Else Is Spinning

I received THE best follow-up message from my recent 'Our Eyes Deceive Us' post about the importance of proper context. To summarize, I highlighted how my family's $1,000/month travel spending allocation ruffles a lot of feathers......often the same feathers that unknowingly actually spend far more than that in their own lives.

This reader commented that their monthly travel budget is $1,500, and each time they take a fun trip, people in their life respond with, "Must be nice." Oh, you know how much I love the phrase, "Must be nice."

Is this blog reader outlandishly rich and just throwing money around like it's going out of style? My understanding of this family tells me they don't. Instead, I get the sense that this family simply prioritizes the things that matter most to them in life......and disregards the rest. In fact, in the e-mail, they pointed out that if they were forced to reduce spending in their budget, travel "would be one of the last things we cut." Again, more than anything, this tells me that this family understands who they are, what they value, and successfully shuts out the noise. It's beautiful!

Meanwhile, everyone else is spinning in circles. Most of the "must be nice" people around us are so busy spending money on things that don't actually matter to them that they don't leave margin to invest in things that do. This isn't some provocative theory; it's a recurring theme I've observed in countless families. It's so easy to fall into this trap!

The car payments, the inflated mortgage payments, the constant credit card churn......all these items lead to a leaky bucket that prevents us from being able to actually live the life we desire. We may think we want the big houses, fancy cars, and high-end lifestyles, but the data says otherwise. You wouldn't believe the number of people who rock out $1,000/month vehicle payments and have no emotional attachment to their vehicles. Or the people who decided to purchase houses that far exceed their needs and budgets, who are secretly living house-poor. Or the people who are busy living a status-boosting lifestyle, but would actually prefer more peace. This isn't me casting judgment on people....I've been there!

To the reader who graciously sent me that e-mail, I hope it is nice! I hope it's nice to travel. I hope it's nice to live in accordance with your values. And I hope it's nice to block out all the noise! I hope people continue to watch the example you set, and ultimately decide to follow in your footsteps.

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Just Meet Them Where They’re At

Yesterday was a big day in the Shelton household. Finn and Pax's first-ever debit cards arrived in the mail. They had been counting down the days, and they couldn't have been more excited to receive them.

I'm a little surprised we're here, though. I didn't expect them to have an online bank account and debit card before their ninth birthday, but here we are. I'm totally fine with it, but it wasn't how I thought this journey would play out.

People often ask me what age they should do so and so with their kids. In short, I always have the same advice: "Just meet them where they're at." They will decide when they are ready. Perhaps it's somewhat like potty training. We parents can try and try and try all we want, but ultimately, the child will progress when the time is right for them.

While I don't have a hard-and-fast opinion on timing, I do have some convictions on sequencing. In short, here's my personal and professional roadmap to teaching kids about money.

1. Teach them a basic understanding of physical bills and coins. What it is, what it's used for, and how it works. This involves a lot of physical touch, counting, and sorting. In a way, it's more of a sensory experience than anything.

2. Teach them about work. Why it's important, how it's a good thing, the value of serving other people, and what it provides (financially and otherwise). One of the key takeaways should be that work creates money.

3. If you're a Christian, teach them that everything we have (including our money) belongs to God. It's our job to take care of it well.

4. Give them the opportunity to make money by "working," though "work" can be used lightly here. It's more about creating opportunities for them to get repetition for the concept that work = money.

5. Once they make money (physical money!), actually separate it into two categories: spending and giving. You can use baggies, piggy banks, or any other containers that make sense for your family. Part of the money goes into the spending bucket, and part into the giving bucket. I start with 50/50.

6. Go spend the spending money on something fun. Make a moment of it. Let the child experience how cool it is to buy something fun with the money he/she made from working. Then, immediately take the giving money and make another moment. Find a good recipient and allow the child to be the giver.

7. As the kids get older, add a third category for saving. In our house, we just used baggies to designate spend, save, and give. Have the kids set a saving goal that's attainable. Maybe it's $20. Help them build up to it and achieve their goal. Then, make a moment of using that money to buy said larger item.

8. When the time is right, help them open their first bank account. Starting simple is key. Checking account, savings account, and debit card.

I'll share more about #8 in the near future, plus subsequent steps for older kids, but I hope this rough roadmap helps. Please share this with whoever in your life could use some clarity. The process should be simple, fun, and rewarding. Oh yeah, and no need to push them. Just meet them where they're at.

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Childlike Wonder

Sarah and I took the boys to a dinner theater show last night. It was a phenomenal experience. I wondered how much they would enjoy it, but to my surprise, they came alive and soaked in every second of it. My favorite part was watching the kids yell, scream, cheer, and boo as the action was playing out. They were all in!

I often wonder at what age most of us lose that zest, that imagination, and that wonder. There's a moment in life where we go from having that childlike wonder to getting hit with a blast of reality. It's like our dreams, creativity, and imagination were robbed from under our noses without us even knowing it.

One of my commitments over the past decade has been to live with more childlike wonder. I crave to see things differently and be crazy enough to ask, "Why not?" Every ounce of me wants to revolt against what's normal and expected, instead sharing my version of creativity with the world.

Truthfully, I feel younger now than 15 years ago. While my body certainly isn't, my mind, soul, and imagination are. It's so easy to lose sight of those things in life. After all, life can be brutal. It can often feel like we're repeatedly getting punched by circumstances. It's no wonder we often abandon our childlike wonder, and grasp survival instead.

Watching my kids last night was yet another reminder of how important our imagination, creativity, curiosity, and wonder really are. There's nothing more joyful than living life with that zest that only small children seem to possess.

I have some absolutely insane ideas that have been fighting to come out for a while now. Outside of my assistant and a few close friends, very few people know about some of these ridiculous ideas. Watching my kids over the last few days has been all the affirmation I need to pull the trigger and just say "yes" to some of these quirky inspirations.

As for you, I hope you find a way to keep hold of that childlike wonder that once fueled you. Some of it is still there, even if placed deep on the back burner. Perhaps today is the day to dust it back off.

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A Little Discretion Goes a Long Way

If you know me, you know I LOVE food! I have a soft spot in my heart for unique and memorable dining experiences. I deeply treasure the financial investment in a good meal at a restaurant.

At the same time, I feel like so much of my coaching work is spent trying to encourage families to tone down their dining out spending. It's not that I'm against dining out (obviously), but sometimes a family's dining out spending is actually detrimental to their broader objectives.

For example, let's say a family is trying to pay off a bunch of debt or commit to investing. For multiple reasons, there's just not enough margin in the budget to make meaningful progress in these goals. Therefore, we scan their budget to find ways to free up margin. Here's how one of those recent conversations played out. About three-quarters of the way down the budget, we find this: "Dining Out: $800." This is a single-month number for two parents and two under-10 kids.

This is the moment where I point out that perhaps $800 is a bit heavy.

"But we hardly even go out to eat. We maybe go out once per week. I don't think we can cut this category."

**This is me doing my best to keep a straight face**

I happen to live in a family with two parents and two under-10 kids, and live in the same town they do.

I didn't do a good job of keeping my straight face, and they could see my skepticism. "It costs at least $120 just to go to xyz restaurant. Going out to eat is ridiculously expensive these days!"

It was ironic they used xyz restaurant as an example, as my family just visited xyz restaurant the prior week.

"Well, I took my family to xyz restaurant last week, and our total bill was $45."

"That's impossible!"

We compared notes. When my family goes to this restaurant, we order three entrees and eat family style; plenty of food! We also get water. No appetizers, no desserts. When they go to this restaurant, they each order a full adult entree.....which is beyond overkill for their family. But first, they start with an appetizer or two. Everyone also gets a "fun drink," as my kids call them. Lastly, they might get some desserts to polish off the night.

A little discretion goes a long way. Please don't hear me condemning their dining experience. I'm all for going all-in on dining. However, it's a party foul to use no discretion, spend $120 for what could have been accomplished with $45, call it a need, and subsequently whiff on your goals. Sometimes, we need to have boundaries.

For those of you interested, my family's monthly dining out budget averages $250 these days. It's rarely glamorous, but it does provide a margin for multiple outings with my family each month, plus a date night. We could definitely push this number higher, but for now, it allows us to knock out some other goals. There's a season for everything.

A little discretion goes a long way. Please don't allow "normal" to sweep you away and rob you of your goals that matter most.

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Our Eyes Deceive Us

One of my favorite parts about creating content is the fact it will, in theory, live forever. Every once in a while, I'll receive an e-mail, DM, or text from someone who recently stumbled upon something I published years ago. Those are always fun days for me. A few days ago, I had a similar experience when I ran into a close friend at an event.

"Travis, I can't believe you and Sarah spent $1,000/month on travel! That seems like a lot. An irresponsible a lot."

He was referring to episode 240 of our Meaning Over Money Podcast, which was published two years ago. His wife recently listened to the episode and now thinks they should budget $1,000/month for travel. Translation: He's semi-angry at me for causing his wife to want more travel money.

"And you think $1,000 is too much?" I asked him.

He confirmed that, yes, $1,000 is a stupid and reckless amount to spend on travel.

"It's funny you would say that, considering you and your wife easily spend 2-3x that amount."

He was confused. I could tell he wanted to be defensive, but he was waiting for what I had to say next.

"You just went to Disney, right? Let's do some mental math and figure out how much that trip cost."

About 90 seconds later, we landed on a total rough number: $13,000.

"And you and your wife went to a resort a few months ago, right?"

We did some more quick math: $5,000.

"What other trips have you taken in the last 12 months?"

He comes up with a handful of other trips, some small and some medium-ish.

It was a fun exercise. After about 10 minutes, we tallied what felt like a complete prior-12-month travel number: $41,000.

His eyes got pretty big. $41,000 on travel over a 12-month period! Put into monthly terms, that's about $3,400/month, every month, for the entire year. Remember, this conversation started with him believing my family's $1,000/month travel budget was irresponsible.

No, he wasn't trying to be a hypocrite. No, he wasn't trying to be a jerk to me. The truth is, our eyes deceive us. Our brains are wired in such a way that we easily lose context depending on how something is framed. In his financial life, things are framed through the lens of no budgeting, impulsive trips, and rampant credit card use. Therefore, no thought goes into their travel. They decide they want to go, they just go, they spend whatever they spend, then they pay it off upon returning.

$1,000/month feels like a lot of money because it happens every month. In his world, it looks more like $0, $0, $0, an unknown trip cost, $0, another unknown trip cost, $0, $0, yet another unknown trip cost, etc. It's a lot of zeroes and a lot of unknowns, which add up to $41,000 in no time.

Two key takeaways today: 1) We must continually strive to view things through a proper lens. Context always matters. 2) We need to be intentional, thoughtful, and disciplined with our finances. The absence of either creates chaos and leakage, but the presence of both leads to less stress, more peace, and a greater sense of meaning. Happy travels!

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Finn’s Reminder

I had a killer idea for today's post, but one moment knocked it right out of me. Last night, shortly after bedtime, I was getting some work done on the couch when out of the blue, Finn came walking out. He approached me, gave me a big hug, and said, "You're the best dad ever. I'm so glad you're my dad." Then, as quickly as he arrived, he scurried back to bed.

Dang, that was unexpected. There are lots of days when I feel like I whiffed, screwed up, or wasn't present enough. Then, there was last night. Between you and me, I really needed that.

These last few days have been a lot of fun in our house. Yeah, there have been lots of sibling fighting, arguing, and tormenting. Yeah, it's been stressful at times. Yeah, I've thought about drop-kicking a little man. But we've had so many small, special moments together. It's been a special run in our house, and for that, I'm so grateful.

Truthfully, the special moments haven't been some profound event. Rather, it's more so a matter of seizing those small little moments. Watching fireworks, sharing snacks, running around in the rain, watching new movies, going on walks, quick trips to the store, and cruising around town. These things seem so innocent and pedestrian, but to our children, they can significantly move the needle.

This is my semi-regular reminder that we don't need to spend a ton of money to create memories. Blowing the bank, taking a bunch of PTO, and racking up the credit card is not a prerequisite to creating memories and sharing experiences with our kids. Usually, it just requires us to slow down, be present, and live in the moment.

I'm sharing this reminder with you today, but in all seriousness, I'll probably set a reminder to have this post shared with me periodically so I don't forget, either. It's so easy to get swept up by life. Let's endeavor to fight that current.

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Freedom Has a Catch

Social media was ablaze yesterday, filled with people lamenting about how we're not actually free. There was anger, embarrassment, resentment, and condemnation. Do we live in a perfect country? No way! Is it a free country? I've traveled to approximately forty countries over the years, all wonderful in their own ways, and have yet to find one that offers the same level of freedom and opportunity as America. Traveling abroad is one of my favorite things in life, and I always find nuances and dynamics in each country that I deeply admire (perhaps enough to move there at some point in my life), but I always return to America with a sense of gratitude for what it is. Again, we're not perfect....not even close.

When I look around and see what people around me are doing with their lives, I'm humbled. I have countless examples, but here’s one. I know a guy who immigrated to this country when he was 17. He didn't know a single word of English, and as he puts it, he was "poor poor." It was a struggle for him, to say the least. Fast forward a few decades, and he's created a beautiful career and life for his family. He, too, would acknowledge this country isn't perfect. On the flip side, when asked about his decision to move to America, he had this to say: "There's nowhere else in the world where a man like me could move to and have the opportunity to do what I've done. I owe a debt of gratitude to this country, as does everyone who comes after me. I love this place so much. I'm proud to be an American."

Whenever I talk to people who feel stuck in their work and believe they have no options, I think of my friends like the man above. Each of us has the freedom and power to choose our work. There are millions of jobs out there, each with its own positives and negatives. None of them are perfect, but some would be perfect fits for each of us.

It always feels ironic to me that 70% of Americans dislike or hate their jobs, yet we all live in a country that allows us the opportunity to shift our work at any time. Countless people in my life walk this ironic path. They are miserable, yet don't feel compelled to do anything about it.

That's the catch with freedom. Yes, we're free. Yes, opportunity is abound. Yes, we have countless options. However, the catch is that we each must raise our hand, say "yes," step forward, and take action to harness that freedom. No matter how good or how bad you have it right now, better is on the other side of stepping into the freedom.

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Freedoms

Every July 4th, I find myself dwelling on the word "freedom." Yes, of course, the freedoms we celebrate in America as a result of the events that transpired nearly 250 years ago. However, this day also makes me reflect on other types of freedom. So many freedoms to be thankful for!

On July 4th, 2009, I didn't exactly feel free. I had recently moved to Iowa in what can only be described as an involuntary relocation. My company in Kansas City had been shut down, everyone fired, and I had a gut-wrenching decision in front of me: Join my newly unemployed friends in one of the worst job markets of our lifetime, or pick up my entire life, leave everything I loved, relocate to a different state, and keep my job. Oh yeah, did I mention I had been engaged for three days? Wonderful times!

There was an elephant in the room that seemed to have more decision-making power than me: the $236,000 of debt hanging around my neck. For several years, I had made some questionable choices that didn't seem like a big deal.......until they became my worst nightmare. So there I was, on July 4th, 2009, reflecting on how I didn't exactly feel free. I felt enslaved to my debt, my job, and my past choices.

Luckily, that wasn't the end of the story, but rather just the beginning. Sarah and I married later that year, began building a life together in Iowa, and eventually paid off the $236,000 in debt. Month by month, win by win, our lives slowly began to shift. Getting out of that debt was one of the most freeing experiences I've ever had.

Fast forward more than a decade, and I get to dedicate my life to helping other people achieve freedom.

The freedom from debt.

The freedom from living other people's values.

The freedom to aggressively pursue work that matters.

The freedom to be outrageously generous.

The freedom to live counter to the prevailing culture.

The freedom to build that business they had always dreamed of.

The freedom from money being a tension point in their marriages.

The freedom to live for the meaning, not the money.

Whether you're celebrating a freedom today, or in the midst of pursuing one, I hope you take a few minutes to reflect on your journey with a spirit of gratitude, dedication, and aspiration. The best is yet to come. Happy 4th of July, everyone!

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The Wrong Scorecard

I just had a heartbreaking conversation with an acquaintance. He's in his mid-50s, married, with two children who are about to graduate from high school. He confidentially shared this with me, but also asked me to anonymously write and podcast about it.

Here's the context. This man can no doubt be considered successful. He has a prominent position in a prominent company. He's played the game, worked hard, navigated his way up the corporate ladder, and consequently, has reaped many financial rewards. He and his wife live in a large, beautiful suburban home, drive luxury cars, send their kids to a prestigious school, and live a VERY comfortable life. He aggressively and diligently invested throughout his career, leading him to a point where he has more than enough to retire right now (let's call it +/- $5 million). In his mid-50s, he could easily walk away from his job today and never worry about money again.

You're probably reading this and thinking to yourself, "Yeah, what's the problem? I'd love to be in his shoes!"

What he said next is where the story takes a dark turn. "If I could do it all over again, I'd do everything differently. I think I was using the wrong scorecard."

His work pursuits and the demands of his job required him to be away from his family on an almost weekly basis. As he framed it, his kids are about ready to leave the house, and he doesn't even feel like he knows them. Now that he has this pot of wealth and the ability to hit the career eject button, he feels this massive void and missed opportunity. His kids are about ready to leave the house, he finds little to no meaning in his work (other than the money it produces), and he has no passions, hobbies, or interests outside of making more money. "Now that I look back, it all feels kind of worthless."

He confided in me because it's deeply embarrassing. He feels pretty guilty about having this level of regret and shame when most people would give their left thumb to be in his shoes. "It doesn't feel as good as I thought it would."

For decades, he believed the appropriate scorecard to measure his success was his bank account and the freedom it provided him. Today, though, he's seeing things through a different lens. Now that he has the financial freedom to walk away from work, retire into the sunset, and live a blessed financial life, he realizes there might have been a different (and better) scorecard to use for this journey called life.

He and I spent many hours talking about meaning, impact, generosity, and contentment. The importance of being a father and husband. The need to disconnect our identity from our money, stuff, and status. The deep, inherent, God-given hunger to be productive and add value to other people's lives. The realization that no amount of money will truly make us happy. The soul-filling, life-giving power of generosity. It was a beautiful conversation.

Bad news: This man has been using the wrong scorecard for decades.

Good news: He can change the scorecard today!

What scorecard are you using?

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What’s Under the Hood?

After my recent post titled "Well, Well, Well," I received a sharp but appropriate question from a handful of readers. Here's how one reader phrased it: "If the stock market is at an all-time high, shouldn't my retirement account also be at an all-time high?"

Yes, yes it should. As of this moment, the U.S. stock market is still hovering around its new all-time high. Even if you haven't contributed any money in the last few years, your investment portfolio should be at an all-time high. However, if you've been consistently investing through the recent market turmoil, you should be crushing your previous all-time high,without question.

If you're one of the many people who are still not at all-time highs, there are a few reasons this could be (none of them good):

• You're paying ridiculous, unnecessary, and possibly invisible fees.

• You're implementing a sub-par strategy. I say "sub-par" through the lens that no strategy exists that will reliably match the returns of the overall stock market over the long run.

• You're investing in the wrong funds. There's a LOT of trash out there, and most people (probably 90%) are invested in trash. Nearly every investing platform has a great S&P 500 index or total U.S. stock market index. These are broad, beautiful, and simple options.

• You (or someone managing your money) is trying to time or game the market. This is a losing strategy.....period.

If you're interested in one additional piece of information to compare your portfolio to, here you go. Here is the annual return of the entire U.S. stock market over varying periods of time, as of 6/30/2025:

To put this into context, the annual return over 15 years was 14.43%. That means, over a 15-year period of time, the market increased an average of 14.43% every year. A $1,000 investment would have turned into $7,500. That’s huge! And it was right there for each one of us.

Those are some pretty ridiculous numbers. I encourage you to open your most recent statement and compare your portfolio's performance with these. If they are close, excellent! If they deviate from what you see here, please know a few things:

• You are leaving tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of dollars on the table.

• You deserve better.

• Having better is as easy as a few clicks on a screen. In today's financial system, nearly all investment platforms (including your company's 401(k)/403(b) offer at least one solid broad index option.

In my opinion, this is the simplest and biggest needle-mover most families have at their disposal. Money isn't always an easy topic, but in the case of investing, this is actually the easiest component to get right. Please don't let paralysis prevent you from maximizing your opportunity with the resources you've worked so hard save.

Perhaps it's time to log into that investment account and see what's under the hood.

For those who have asked, I only have one thing under the hood of my portfolio. VTSAX, which is Vanguard’s total U.S. stock market index (3,600 different companies). 100% of my family’s retirement resources are in this, and have have been for many years. Before that, my 401(k) lived in an S&P 500 index fund. As simple as it gets!

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