I’m sure many of you are wondering: Where is Brian? Well, I’m still here, working, studying, learning, loving married life, traveling, and working on a variety of business ideas. This blog has certainly had its ups and downs and I appreciate you bearing with me through the light postings. Some thoughts and random musings since my last post in February:1. A friend of mine at work let me borrow the best book on leadership that I have ever read. It should be a mandatory read for every Officer in... Read Full Story

All too often, we tend to overemphasize the unimportant—meaning: Why can’t we just let things go? What is so important about today, tomorrow, work, children, etc, that hinders us from living in the present? Why do Type A personalities tend to live in the future while Type B personalities tend to live in the past? Who, then, really lives in the present? I have a few thoughts on this topic because I lean towards the former. Some advice on how to live in the present:“What Ever You Are, Be a Goo... Read Full Story

Some things I have been thinking about:*****It seems as if the “historical” truths of the stock market have become obsolete. What if we have entered a period where history won’t repeat itself? Would we even know it if we are throwing our money away? Is it possible that the market won’t recover? Will traditional “buy and hold forever” strategies fail to deliver the way they have in the past?*****There is way too much garbage on the internet. Moreover, it is becoming increasingly difficult... Read Full Story

1. If you constantly focus on organizational and process driven improvements you are probably a manager.2. If you would rather focus on improving people who will improve the processes to make your organization better, you are probably a leader.3. If you succumb easily to higher authority rather than providing thoughtful and intelligent counter arguments you are probably a manager.4. If you respectfully challenge the status quo and seek to improve not only business productivity but also the wa... Read Full Story

In an attempt to reflect on this past year and then some, I decided to write a personal executive summary after reading a great one by entrepreneur/blogger extraordinaire Ben Casnocha. Here goes in no particular order:Married the love of my life in Plano, TX. Honeymooned through the Western Caribbean visiting Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and Cozumel. Wrote 125 blog posts and received hundreds of comments from readers. Read 25 books. Worked on two business start-ups. Witnessed a friend and men... Read Full Story

As a self-certified finance geek, I’ve had the pleasure of receiving various comments, concerns, and frustrations about your portfolios (stocks, bonds, real-estate, etc). No offense to anyone out there, but it amazes me how little faith we have in our decisions. Most of my portfolio is down 35% or more and guess what I’m doing: BUYING! The S&P 500 Index Fund is as low as it’s been since 2003. Most individual stocks are at 52-week lows at least—some are trading at 5-year lows. Current head... Read Full Story

In an effort to better understand the financial meltdown that continues to batter both the markets and our economy, I have read a few articles seeking to answer the questions: How and Why? How did we get ourselves into this mess, and why are there no checks and balances to prevent banks and mortgage lenders from making bad decisions.Fortune Magazine has a great article in its October 13th issue called The $55 Trillion Question. The main point of the article is to educate people on a little kn... Read Full Story

Politics: Although most of you know I tend to stay away from politics, I have to chime in about the recent Vice President selections. I think both candidates made excellent choices. Obama made a fine choice in Joe Biden, a man with considerable experience in the Senate and extensive dealings with foreign policy and national security. On the Republican side, McCain stepped outside the box in selecting little known & self proclaimed “hockey mom” Sarah Palin. I feel it’s a gutsy move that bo... Read Full Story

According to statistics, 80% of people believe they “have a book in them.” Meaning—they believe their unique life experiences are interesting enough to write a book. Obviously, the follow-through on that statistic is nowhere near that high, but shows a remarkable trend of how people view themselves nonetheless.The question I would ask is: How many people have an opportunity to share their unique life experiences? What makes a publisher want to tell your story? I think it’s somewhere between w... Read Full Story

The latest issue of Fortune Magazine has two separate articles, one by John McCain, and the other by Barack Obama. The articles examine the candidates view of the economy, where it’s headed, and what they plan to do (if elected) to get the economy rolling again. Of course the main highlights are taxes, social responsibility, and past/present views related to their individual political parties.One area that confused me a bit was McCain’s comments to shipyard workers in Jacksonville, Fla. He to... Read Full Story