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In this issue: A weekend split across two cities, two boys, and a whole lot of lessons learned the hard way. But this one isn't just about soccer. It's about confidence... and why the lack of it is quietly running the show in more areas of your life than you realize. Plus a question I genuinely need your help answering at the bottom.
PERSONAL
Last weekend was a split situation for the Hall family.
Lincoln had a tournament in Kansas City. Croix had two games back home in Ankeny on Sunday. So Michelle and I divided and conquered... she drove down to KC with Lincoln, I stayed back with Croix, and we met up somewhere in the middle of chaos.
The good news? Michelle finally got to see Lincoln play this spring. She caught two games and got the full experience... including some moments that were hard to watch and some moments that made you remember exactly why you love this sport.
Game 1 in KC
The boys came out of sync. Coach had them in new positions in a tournament setting... which I'll just leave right there and not say what I actually think about that decision. Lincoln got moved to center back because of his speed and his ability to shut down fast strikers. And honestly? He did that job well... considering he hadn't played or practiced that position since last fall.
The mistake that came... was always going to come. Him and the goalkeeper weren't fully on the same page on a ball and it led to a goal. That's not on Lincoln. That's chemistry that takes time to build. But the scoreline wasn't kind. They lost 1-6. Rough afternoon.
Game 2 in KC
Better. The boys started to find a rhythm together. Lincoln was playing that new CB role with more confidence... hustling, getting into position, doing the work. And then... right at the end... a final second cross came in and Lincoln was perfectly positioned. Proper technique was all that stood between him and a clearance.
The technique wasn't there.
Own goal. As time expired. Final score 1-2.
He was devastated. Absolutely crushed. But you know what happened immediately? His goalkeeper and his teammates surrounded him. Not one of them walked away. They picked his head up before he even had a chance to fully drop it.
That moment... right there... is worth more than any win.
After the games the team all went to a Sporting KC match together. Great night. Sporting scored first. Then lost. Seemed to be the theme of the weekend for our crew.
Sunday... Lincoln and I flew solo
Michelle took Croix home for his two games. 30mph winds, brutal conditions, a guest team that lost 2-4. Croix in goal learning how to handle a ball moving sideways in the air. That's not a skill you can practice. You just have to experience it.
His second game though? Different story. Croix scored on a PK. His team won 7-0.
Lincoln's Sunday game was in a full downpour. I mean soaked to the bone, can't see the lines, playing through it anyway. They lost 1-2 but they played WAY better as a team. Fought the entire game. Could not have been more proud of how they competed.
The Theme of the Whole Weekend
Confidence.
Or more accurately... the lack of it.
Lincoln has been quieter on the field since moving up to a higher level team. Not because he isn't good enough. Because he is terrified of letting his new teammates down. So instead of playing his game... he's playing not to make mistakes. And that hesitation? That's what leads to the own goal. Not bad technique. Bad belief.
We talked about it on the drive home. A lot. And it hit me that this isn't just a soccer lesson.
This is a life lesson.
WHAT I'M SEEING
We All Lack Confidence in Something
And for most of us... it's costing us more than we realize.
I'm not talking about the surface level stuff. I'm talking about the quiet, persistent lack of confidence that lives underneath the decisions we make every single day. The financial decisions. The relationship decisions. The career decisions. The ones where we already know what we should do but something stops us from doing it.
We doom scroll instead of research. We talk ourselves out of investing because "what if it goes wrong." We don't negotiate our salary because we don't feel like we deserve it. We don't start the business because we're not sure we're ready. We stay in financial situations that are slowly suffocating us because making a change feels scarier than staying stuck.
That's not a money problem. That's a confidence problem wearing a money costume.
In my 15 years of doing this work I can tell you without hesitation... the single biggest driver of financial stress and poor financial outcomes is not income level. It's not market conditions. It's not even bad advice.
It's people not believing they are capable of doing better. Not believing they deserve more. Not believing that the path forward is actually available to them.
And I get it. The world is loud right now. The news is heavy. The economy is squeezing people. It is genuinely hard to feel confident when everything around you feels uncertain.
But here's what I've learned watching Lincoln play soccer this weekend... playing not to lose is not the same as playing to win. And the financial version of playing not to lose... not investing because you're scared of losing, not making a plan because what if it doesn't work, not asking for help because what if they judge you... that is exactly how you stay exactly where you are.
Less doom scrolling. More reading. Less "what if this goes wrong." More "this happened, let's keep moving." Less negative self talk. More finding the small wins in the daily grind.
And if you are in a place right now where confidence in your financial situation is low... I am here. That is literally what I do. Let's talk.
Croix’s PK!!!
THIS WEEK'S DROPS
NoBS Wealth — QDROs, Pensions, and the Divorce Mistakes That Cost You
Divorce is already one of the hardest things a person can go through. What makes it exponentially worse is finding out months or years later that a financial decision made in the middle of all that pain cost you tens of thousands of dollars you can never get back.
This episode gets into the stuff nobody tells you about. QDROs. Pension valuation. The retirement account mistakes people make in divorce that quietly wreck their financial future.
Here's what you'll get:
What a QDRO actually is and why getting it wrong is one of the most expensive mistakes in a divorce
How pension valuation works and why most people dramatically underestimate what they're owed
The financial mistakes that happen when people are too emotionally overwhelmed to think clearly
Why having the right financial advocate in your corner during a divorce changes everything
If you're going through a divorce, have been through one, or know someone who is... this one is essential.
NoBS Wealth — Business Funding That Won't Ruin Your Cash Flow with Sara Weldon
Missed this one in last week's issue so we're catching you up. This one is for every business owner who has ever gone looking for funding at the worst possible moment... which is most of us.
Here's what you'll get:
Why most business owners go looking for funding in panic mode and how that sets them up to get taken advantage of
The funding options that actually protect your cash flow instead of destroying it
How to think about business funding as a strategic tool instead of an emergency lifeline
What Sara Weldon has seen work... and what she's seen wreck businesses that had no business being wrecked
The Big Boys Channel
The boys are racking up views on their YouTube channel and honestly... it's hilarious and heartwarming at the same time. These videos are filmed and edited entirely by Lincoln and Croix themselves. No adults. No direction. Just two kids figuring it out.
Show them some love. Subscribe. Leave a comment. Or better yet... show your kids. It's a great example of what young minds can do when you just let them create.
A QUESTION FOR YOU... AND A POLL
Before the mindset close I want to ask you something directly.
I'm working on making sure you're getting what you actually need from me. Right now I'm running this newsletter AND a Substack channel called The Uncomfortable Truth where I go deep on longer form content. Both serve different purposes but I want to know what works best for YOU.
So I'm putting it to a vote.
Which format do you prefer?
Reply to this email and tell me. Or if you're reading this on Beehiiv hit the poll below. I read every response and I will actually use your answer to make a decision here. This is your content. You should have a say in how it's delivered.
MONEY MINDSET
Lincoln's own goal hurt.
But you know what I kept thinking about on the drive home?
He was in the right position. He was doing his job. He was on the field competing at a level he hasn't competed at before. The technique failed him in that moment... but the courage to be there didn't.
Most people never even get to the field.
They watch from the parking lot because the fear of the own goal is bigger than the desire to play. They keep their money in a savings account that barely beats inflation because investing feels scary. They stay in the job that's killing them slowly because what if the next one doesn't work out. They never ask for the raise, never start the business, never make the plan.
Confidence isn't the absence of fear. Confidence is deciding that what you're building matters more than the fear of getting it wrong along the way.
Get on the field. Make the mistakes. Let your teammates pick your head up.
And then line up again next weekend.
See you next Tuesday.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Money — Black-led. Built to Stay In the Black.
Not financial advice. Do your own research. Talk to a professional.
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