Athlete CEO

Our daily life can often look like trying to drink from the firehose with billions of pieces of information available at our fingertips, notifications from multiple devices, and the ability to join millions of conversations around the world via social media. We live in a world that rewards speed – how quick we think, react, and position ourselves, but thinking about more things – trying to speed up – can often lead instead to slowing downDespite today's reality seeming like a dream just 20-30 years ago, we can often find ourselves bogged down by this information, and there's a reason for that: Hick's Law.This concept solidifies the idea of “analysis paralysis” and is the focus of today's conversation between Erik and Josiah. They define Hick's Law, how it impacts your performance, and what you can do to counteract it.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:(1:09) What is Hick's Law and why does it matter for performance?(4:03) “You don't go to Target to buy something; you go to Target so they can tell you what to buy.” Josiah Igono(4:56) Why you can't go through the mental checklist of your biomechanics when you need to perform in the moment as an athlete.(5:49) Implicit vs Explicit Memory(7:42) What is your priority?(8:48) Eugene Fama's 3 factors that the highest outperforming companies share

When people hear the term “positive psychology” it can often bring to mind the idea of “always staying positive” or trying to force yourself to never feel anger or pain, but Smaranda Lawrie says that's B.S.Smaranda has a PhD in psychology and brain science from UCSB, is the founder of UCSB's Resilience Summit, currently is an assistant professor at Providence College, and is a key researcher on positive psychology.As a child, Smaranda's family were political refugees from Romania who – in fleeing the country – ended up in Hungary hiding in apartments and even an underground tunnel to a refugee camp in Austria. She shares some of the hardships she experienced as a kid, how she learned resilience to get through them, and how research shows the importance of building resilience through parenting.In this episode, Brandon and Erik talk with Smaranda about positive psychology actually is, leading research on how practicing it can improve your performance and overall outlook on life, what's in the toolkit of positive psychology, and how to practice it with your kids.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS(2:15) How Smaranda's experiences as a Romanian immigrant taught her resilience and influenced her decision to research positive psychology(4:15) I think sometimes people think that it's all about happiness and having this Pllyanna smile on your face all the time. And it's really not.” -Smaranda Lawrie(6:03) Positive psychology isn't about ignoring pain and anger(7:49) Who is positive psychology for?(10:00) Smaranda's experiences as a wife of a professional football player(15:29) How to parent through times of uncertainty and change(18:47) “We've become, in the past couple of decades, just increasingly more protective of our children. I know it's very well intentioned, but on one hand, we're telling them that they can do anything in the world and that they're their own person and they can reach for the stars and whatever. On the other hand, we're handholding them along the way.” – Smaranda Lawrie(23:39) How to use the tools and skillsets of positive psychology in parenting to help teach kids to regulate emotions and decisions(27:51) The simple gratitude exercise everyone from 2-year-olds to Fortune 500 CEOs should practice(31:02) How does identity fit into the conversation?(34:40) Why don't we spend more time thinking about our values?(37:21) The importance of relationships(38:58) The PERMA theory(44:02) What advice do you have for parents with older kids – is it “too late”?(52:09) The research on aging well

As athletes, we've all heard some variation of “You've just got to have confidence,” as if it's just a switch you haven't flipped on yet.But how? You can't just create confidence out of thin air.And what does it look like? Is it simply just going out on the field with the belief that you'll win? Is it carrying yourself with certain body language? Is it surrounding yourself with people who will tell you you're great? To build confidence, you have to first understand exactly what it is. Only then can you focus on building on your own confidence in all areas of your life.In this episode of Athlete CEO: Peak Performance, Josiah Igono and Erik Averill define confidence, why it's important, and tangible ways to boost your own confidence level.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS(1:24) Defined: What exactly is confidence?(3:33) Feed the B.E.A.S.T. to build your confidence(5:08) “You don't have to be the thermometer; be the thermostat.” – Josiah Igono(5:25) “Your environment matters, because we don't live in a neutral world.” – Erik Averill(6:07) David Rock's SCARF model of leadership(10:44) More Athlete CEO: Peak Performances on B.E.A.S.T.B | Championship Body LanguageE | The #1 Skill to Peak PerformanceA | Find, Attach and Attack Your Way to Clarity, Countering Negativity with Thought-StoppingS | The 3 Keys to Mental Performance, The Science of Self-TalkT | Do You Spend More Time in Reflection or Strategy?, Capturing What's Most Important

We believe the best investment you can make is in yourself - your human capital. Our guest, Fabrice Gautier, has created outsized returns for some of the world's best athletes like Rudy Gobert, Giancarlo Stanton, Kevin Love, Carmelo Anthony, Tony Parker, and more, and he has served as the French National Basketball team's osteopath since 2009.Described by Kevin Love as “the swiss army knife when it comes to optimizing your health and performance,” Fabrice is a licensed physical therapist and osteopath who has been particularly noteworthy for his approach of viewing an injury not just as an injury, but looking at the comprehensive solution to resolve the root issue causing that injury, which requires assessing the full person – body, mind, soul. Ultimately, the goal is to address the problem, not the consequence.Fabrice joins Erik and Brandon and covers a range of helpful topics from his experience discussing everything from how he's seen some of the best athletes build out the teams that surround them, to finding the root of chronic injuries, and why he thinks a strength and conditioning coach and a chef are the two most important people to have on your team.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS(1:47) Seeing the person; not a patient(6:07) The European vs American approaches to physical therapy(10:11) When should someone show up in Fabrice's office?(14:28) How should an athlete handle building out the team that surrounds them?(20:29) The importance of having a plan(23:24) How should a new athlete just starting out approach building a core team that can help keep him or her healthy throughout their career?(28:54) The importance of investing in yourself(30:49) Why you need a chef – and maybe even a masseuse(33:31) Is lifestyle assessment becoming more normal in the performance space?(39:20) At the end of the day, it takes hard work(42:35) Learning from other sports

Perfectionism plagues so many high achievers. Perfectionism is not accepting anything short of perfection. Is perfectionism good, or is it bad? Research by Dr. Joachim Stoeber has shown that individuals who strive for perfection on the athletic field outperform and outclass their peers…until they don't.The problem therein lies in what happens when you don't reach perfection. It leads to the fear of failure, fear of criticism, stress, depression, and anxiety.How do you reap the benefits and avoid the pitfalls?Peak Performance coach Josiah Igono teaches you to leverage an ancient military strategy to overcome perfectionism and reach your full potential.CelebrateAll OutMake Minor ImprovementsProcessSeparate EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS(1:25) Paralyzing perfection(1:49) Defining perfectionism(3:01) Is chasing perfection good or bad for performance?(4:44) C.A.M.P.S.(7:54) Incorporating reflection with C.A.M.P.S.

Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) is the first step for collegiate athletes to begin getting fairly compensated for their abilities and dedication to their sport. The last two months, we've seen headlines of athletes signing deals with national brands, local businesses, and creating their own personal trademarks.As a collegiate athlete, what are the most important questions and factors you should be considering before stepping into the world of NIL?Doug Fillis, founder of Accelerate Sports Ventures, an NIL education and consulting firm, joins us to answer important questions the athletes need to know. With Doug's extensive background in sports marketing and commitment to advising on NIL, we find out the answers to what matters most to you as a student athlete.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTStaying eligibleWill marketing money ruin your financial aid?How to find a good marketing agentHow to evaluate an agent's track record and skillCan a deal be for an entire sports team - i.e. the whole football team?Cash flow, taxes and what's importantUse of the school's logos/brandIs the team that's advising you competent? 

You are your own brand.Countless times we have all heard this. And now that amateur athletes are able to monetize their Name, Image, & Likeness (NIL) the message is being shouted from the roof top.Yet, the majority of advice is incomplete and misses the main point. The "brand" is only as valuable as the "business" that is built. Companies and people partner with brands (individual or corporate) because they believe those brands will help them become more valuable.What is your business and what value do you offer?On today's show, we have the privilege to hear from Evan Parker, Vice President and General Manager of The Athletic. Evan has led the Athletic to become the most valuable brand in sports journalism.Lessons From Evan In This Episode:What goes into building a brandWhat makes you value to a companyHow to choose who to partner withHow athletes can create passive incomeWho are the experts you need to build a business.Whether you are an athlete, entrepreneur or individual looking to increase your value (human capital) this episode is for you.

You're in a performance competition, on the field or court in the middle of a game, or about to give a big presentation and your brain starts running wild with self-defeating thoughts. What do you do?For some, it can be hard to overcome these negative thoughts and their performance suffers. However, in today's Athlete CEO: Peak Performance episode, Erik and Josiah discuss another way to combat these thoughts through the concept of thought-stopping.They discuss what thought-stopping is, why this topic is considered controversial by some experts, and ways to practice it to see if it's helpful for you.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS(1:01) This month's topic: Thought Stopping(1:29) What is thought stopping and why is it controversial?(3:27) Telling yourself not to think about pink elephants?(5:16) There is no one size fits all(6:31) How does positive psychology fit into this?(7:41) Advice for athletes applying thought-stopping(10:35) What you say to yourself is the loudest voice

We have all been there. In high impact situations and high stress situations we forget to breathe.At the exact moment we need to be at our best, we cut off our brain's lifeline to function. Shutting down our frontal lobe, which is responsible for high level thought, decision-making, executive functioning, being able to think backwards, think strategically, and being able to innovate. “Be in control of your breathing, be in control of your performance.” Dr. Ken RavizzaThe benefits are unmatched when you can really control your breathing:Decreases stressDecreases anxietyDecreases muscle tensionImproves performanceListen in as Peak Performance Coach, Josiah Igono, PHD provides practical tools and resources to unlock the full power of breathing.Resources:Wim HofTactical Field Guide by Josiah IgonoKen Ravizza, Ph.D.WhoopOuraThe Breathing Cure by Patrick McKeownThe Body Keeps The ScoreAndy ClowerRecommended Podcasts:Unlocking Human Performance With Phil WallinAvoiding Burnout and Finding Wholeness with Andy Maurer

Be present. Stay in the moment. One pitch/swing/snap at a time. The past is behind you.Simple concepts. Extremely difficult to execute. Yet, the ones that do separate themselves from the crowd. The tool the high performers use to execute: Release Techniques. When things starts to bubble up a release technique helps you to reset.Listen in as Peak Performance Coach, Josiah Igono, PHD breaks down everything you need to know about developing your own release techniques and unlocking your full potential.

We love being a part of a community that is driven to win. A community where each of us are in pursuit of being the best in the world. To be masters of our craft. Many begin the journey, but few arrive. It can be lonely, exhausting and filled with dangerous pitfalls that threaten your success.The biggest threat, your mental health. Thankfully, this is not a path you have to travel alone. From Michael Phelps, to Kevin Love and Hayden Hurst we have professional athletes bringing the awareness and resources to the forefront to help us redefine what high performance truly means. Listen in to this Athlete CEO Episode with special guest, Jason Law as we dive into bringing you the knowledge, tools and experts surrounding mental health.

It’s been estimated that the human mind is capturing anywhere between 10,000-60,000 thoughts per day, and that we scroll somewhere in the range of the Statue of Liberty’s to the Eiffel Tower’s height per day.We are inundated with information every day – how do you capture what’s most important to unlock your full human capital?By utilizing one of the most pivotal tools of performance: journaling.Through the frontal lobe, the brain has a built-in functionality to sift through the proverbial firehose of information we’re consuming throughout our days and makes executive decisions on what to store and what to sift out, so a constant barrage of information can actually tax the performance of that function. So as Josiah puts it, “you cannot use what you can’t access.”With the habit of journaling, we unlock the ability to note the most important points from that recent book we’ve read, performance notes from our last training session, map out our big goals, and it even helps us address stress and anxiety.Our resident performance coach and founder of All Things Performance, Josiah Igono, joins Erik once again to discuss this topic and how to implement it in our lives to improve our performance in all areas of life.Episode HighlightsStats of the daily firehose of information (1:34)How journaling helps us use the information we gather daily to actually become actionable (4:07)“You cannot use what you cannot access” – Josiah Igono (5:47)How journaling helps us set goals and find clarity (8:27)How journaling can help with stress and anxiety (11:47)“A listening ear has a healing quality” – Josiah Igono (12:12)What is stream-of-consciousness journaling? (13:02)

On today’s episode, Phil Wallin, owner & CEO of Diesel Fitness & Health & Recovery shares how the revolution of wearable technology such as the Whoop is fueling performance like never before. The world of sports and investing is driven by analytics because the numbers don’t lie. Analytics provide answers to the most important questions: What is valuable?What drives performance?Can it be improved?Our community is constantly looking for the next edge. Yet, the one thing we have control over is still the most untapped: our human performance. For the professional athlete, it is so important that your bank account is tied directly to your physical performance. Yet, most athletes are still guessing when it comes to their health & performance.“If you are not wearing, you are guessing. If you don’t understand the data, we can teach you. Is your career not important enough?” – Phil WallinListen in as Phil breaks down the 3 Pillars of Health & Performance and the technology you need to gain the edge you are looking for. 

The difference between a good performance and a great performance is the result of how you show up.Are you at your absolute best? Have you set yourself up for peak performance?Very few of the mental skills are designed to help us up-regulate. Most of the skills are focused on slowing down, being present, and calming yourself.But, what if you could wake yourself up, become hyper-focused, and create an edge at the right moment?Listen in as Josiah Igono, PHD Performance Psychology unlocks the powerful skill of Arousal Regulation.Episode Highlights(01:24): What is Arousal Regulation(03:46): What is Catastrophe Theory(04:21): 4 Tactics to upregulate(08:28): The Danger of Stoicism(08:55): How to spike your HRV(09:45): When to use Arousal Regulation(11:34): What does it mean to be fully human?(12:27): The importance of individualization(14:40): Owning your development and performanceMore resources at awmcap.co/aceo50

Your presence is everything – it dictates your performance, how you’re viewed, how other respond to you, and even how you feel about yourself.Our brains our wired to protect and to predict, so the way we comport ourselves – whether it’s on the mound, in the boardroom, or in daily interactions – makes a difference in how others will respond, think, and feel.As athletes, the truth is that we want to have a dominant presence on the field. We want to be confident and take up space. We want to be big. This comes from a confidence that you can actually do what you set out to do – beat your opponent and win.Ultimately, as Josiah shares in this episode, confidence begins by adopting championship body language as there is a measurable reaction occurring at a neurochemical level. In today’s episode, Josiah and Erik discuss this concept and the science that ties confidence and body language together.Episode Highlights(1:12) What is championship body language?(2:21) The science behind presence(3:33) The difference between having a strong presence and being domineering(5:28) Being a dominant athlete(6:37) Your reaction as an athlete to committing an error on the field(9:50) Where to find the best research on body language(10:49) Having confidence in your teammates and coaches(15:09) Is it in you?

As an elite performer you’ve worked hard to get where you’re at. The work to stay at the top comes with immense pressure and a grind to continually improve. Also, success can make it hard to get clear, direct feedback, and it can attract people who don’t have your best interests in mind.How do you continue to reach for greatness without folding to the pressures of perfectionism? How can you work to build an inner circle of people with your best interests in mind – who can give you direct and candid feedback that will help you get better at what you do?Today we’re joined by Darleen Santore – also known as Coach Dar. She is a board-certified occupational therapist, business owner, and performance coach for professional athletes and executives.Coach Dar was recently named a senior fellow at PathNorth, an organization comprised of leaders and CEOs of fortune 100 companies, the WNBA named her the Most Inspiring Woman of 2017, she is the U.S. Ambassador for Pay It Forward Day, and she recently launched her own social platform called Kindli, which puts the focus squarely on kindness and positivity with a goal to generate over a billion acts of kindness around the world.Coach Dar discusses with Erik and Brandon about how to define greatness, what it means to be a pro, dealing with the pressures of perfection, and surrounding yourself with people who will help you grow.Episode Highlights(00:08) More about Coach Dar"The thing about greatness and being great, everyone has the ability to reach greatness within them with the God-given talent they have, but few are willing to truly do what it takes to be that truest and best version of themselves." – Coach Dar(4:22) How to define greatness(5:14) “Being a pro does not mean perfection. It means 1% progress. Every day you’re back – being consistent and disciplined to do what you need to do to be the best.” – Coach Dar(5:49) What holds people back from greatness? (7:36) What are the practical steps to committing to the process and implementing a plan(9:42) Finding the right help(11:49) The science of occupational therapy(18:27) Why aren’t people working with performance coaches?(20:25) How Tom Brady and LeBron James got where they are(21:09) Why working with a peak performance coach doesn’t mean something is wrong with you(24:00) Dealing with the pressure of perfection(26:11) “I'm going to help you find your whypower over willpower. Your willpower is going to give up when you're going through a tough season, right? You can't lean on willpower every day, but I'm going to remind you - why'd you get up?” – Coach Dar(27:27) The importance of reframing(30:06) Getting direct feedback(32:52) Building your trusted inner circle(38:32) Cutting down your circle(41:35) One of the key questions to ask in close relationships

Do You Spend More Time In Reflection or Strategy? | Josiah Igono, Erik Averill | Athlete CEO: Peak PerformanceLiving in an “always on” and “permanently connected” world, our everyday experience is littered with a proverbial fire hose of information. We can get any question answered in the blink of an eye on Google, learn how to build a house on YouTube, and keep up with the daily activities of our friends and family on apps like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or TikTok.It can be overwhelming to sort through this information overload to actually learn something, and even more daunting to carve out space to reflect and grow in this age of constant noise.We return again this week with another Peak Performance edition of the Athlete CEO podcast with Josiah Igono, founder of All Things Performance. Our Peak Performance episodes with Josiah are all about helping you develop skills that will drive your human capital and performance, as well as help you achieve the life you envisioned.In this episode, Erik and Josiah look at this problem of improving, growing, and learning in an era of information overload by discussing the importance of reflection, the questions to ask yourself while reflecting, and how practicing this skill set can improve our overall performance trajectory.Episode Highlights(00:57) What is reflection?(1:49) Do you spend more time in reflection or in strategy?“One of the interview questions that I would always ask was, ‘do you spend more time in reflection or in strategy?’” - Josiah Igono“Reflection is the mental review” – Josiah Igono(3:07) Drowning in information overload(4:41) The differences between reflection and strategy(5:17) The questions for reflection(6:44) Reflection is not Mindfulness(8:13) How a cow chewing is similar to reflecting throughout your day(10:47) What are tangible ways to build the habit of reflecting?“Clumsiness is actually a sign of growth” – Josiah Igono(13:18) How toddlers are actually better than us at approaching new tasks(14:57) The scientific benefits of journaling

It’s often said, “it’s lonely at the top.”As venture capitalists, business executives, and professional athletes at the highest level, there can often be a mentality that you should just focus on performing and avoid feelings of burn out, toxic stress, or loneliness. However, we’ve all seen examples of - or felt ourselves - this mentality not being sustainable over the long term.In this episode of the Athlete CEO, Erik is joined by Ander Maurer, licensed therapist and emotional wellness coach specializing in leadership, trauma and emotional health. Andy utilizes cutting edge clinical research paired with therapeutic best practices and strategies to help high performance leaders - including CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs - operate at a higher caliber and in healthy and sustainable ways.Erik and Andy discuss pursuing wholeness and avoiding fragmentation while leading and give practical steps to starting work on your inner game.Episode Highlights95% of cognition happens at the subconscious level (2:33)Can we overcome our subconscious? (3:40)Two kinds of processing (4:13)Logic vs Emotion (5:29)Demystifying “emotional wellness” (7:31)“With emotional wellness coaching, what I'm really trying to get across is I'm trying to help people live an integrated whole life as a leader. So, I focus a lot less on how to get rid of problems and I focus more on how to bring about something in the leader's life. Oftentimes, I see that they're fragmented, they're disjointed, they're lost internally, they don't know what they feel, they don't know who they are in a lot of ways, and my job is to help them reclaim that or rediscover that.” – Andy MaurerThe difference between therapy and emotional wellness (9:37)The stats on entrepreneurs (12:17)The big issue that the top business editorials miss (12:45)The external vs internal (13:16)Fears about addressing your inner game (17:06)Defining “wholeness” (18:57)Battling imposter syndrome (23:43)Tools and tactics in pursuing wholeness (26:12)How burnout happens (28:44)When dialing in fitness and nutrition isn’t enough (29:53)Taking first steps toward emotional wellness (31:57)Practicing reflection (36:53)The impacts of toxic stress (42:45)How the body deals with stress (46:06) ResourcesThinking Fast and Slow by Daniel KahnemanThe Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der KolkAnatomy of the Soul by Curt ThompsonPermission to Feel by Marc Brackett

How can some players overcome mental hurdles and self-doubt to hit that game winning home run, make that difficult catch, or sink the perfect putt? Why do we see so many first-round draft picks ending up a bust? At AWM Capital, we believe one of the greatest drivers of your wealth is your human capital and one of the goals of the Athlete CEO podcast is to help you learn new ways of tapping into your full potential. That's why each month we’re joined by Josiah Igono, Ph.D. of Performance Psychology and founder of All Things Performance for our Peak Performance edition of the podcast to discuss concepts and tactics to help us improve our performance in all areas of our life. In this episode, Josiah and Erik discuss how we can redirect our words and emotions to improve performance through a practice called reframing. Josiah shares the science behind reframing, the power of hearing your own voice, and achieving one of the major keys to success: self-awareness. Episode HighlightsWhat is reframing? (1:38)How is this different than just “think happy thoughts”? (2:52)Finding what you can do vs what you can’t do (4:32)The power of your voice (5:42)Don’t lie to yourself (7:30)Defining psychology (8:00)Evaluating your current frame (9:45)The importance of self-awareness (11:01)“Everything boils down to self-awareness. Once you become self-aware, that is when change can happen because you know now that the problem exists.” – Josiah Igono Insightfulness during COVID (13:14)“I think that reverts back to your previous conversations: clarity, who do I actually want to become? Who do I want to be? How do I want other people, not to perceive me so that I can have some facade or to attain approval, but to genuinely have healthy relationships? How do I do that?” – Erik AverillThe limbic system response (15:08)“When you look at an individual and you see their performance, you see how they live. It's like seeing an apple or a fruit on a tree. When you see an apple or a piece of fruit hanging on a tree, that is not telling the full story. The full story is the root system, right? What is the root system? The root system can be things like beliefs. It can be things like memories, reactions, actions. It can be words. It can be memories. These things all feed into the trunk of that tree.” – Josiah IgonoModeling during childhood development and its impact today (16:46)Resources MentionedPermission to Feel by Marc Brackett, Ph.D.Extreme Ownership by Jocko WillinkTactical Field Manual by Josiah Igono

“2020 was a little crazy.”That is the understatement of the year.A global pandemic, volatile markets, athletic seasons paused then modified. Many companies who had set their “20/20 in 2020” vision campaigns ended up having to scrap much of their planning and pivot in what looks to be a new normal moving into 2021.Yet despite the volatility, AWM Capital, as Managing Partner Brandon Averill puts it, has “grown from an organization to a company.”In this episode of the Athlete CEO, we get the opportunity to turn the focus around to the two who typically ask the questions – Erik Averill, CFP®, CPWA®, CKA® and Brandon Averill, CFP®, CPWA®, CIPM.As two of AWM’s three co-founders, Erik and Brandon look back on 2020 – the lessons learned, challenges navigated, and vision for the company as we move into 2021 and beyond – and share some of the best practices they’ve picked up along the way as business founders and operators.Episode HighlightsYear in review (00:15)Summing up the year for AWM Capital (1:23)Growing from an organization to a company (2:37)Making the decision to go all in (3:31)Building a company that outlasts its founders (5:14)“Hire on culture, fire on culture” (6:26)Defining and developing culture (7:08)Building the super-charged team bus (8:53)The passion to serve the client (10:48)Knowledge vs Expertise (13:24)“If you waste wealth, all you’re doing is wasting impact.” – Brandon AverillRefinement over the long term (16:13)“The truth is if you have multi-generational visions and timeframes, you can out perform. You can make an impact.” – Erik AverillLeading teams through challenging times (18:26)Always learning and developing (22:20)Thinking about agility and adaptability (24:11)Reimagining the family office (27:23)AWM’s 2021 vision (28:20)Resources Mentioned:Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don'tNo Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of ReinventionMiracle (2004 movie)Tim Ferriss Podcast: Harley Finkelstein – Tactics and Strategies from Shopify, the Future of Retail, and More (#486) 

We’ve all been there – taking the field at the big game, stepping into the boardroom for an important meeting, coming home after a long day to rambunctious kids who demand your attention, or heading in for the massive exam.It can be easy to get overwhelmed and shut down, to lose focus, to have 10,000 thoughts suddenly racing through your head that draw your attention away. How do you push past these mental hurdles? How can you be wholly present and focused on your intended results? In our Peak Performance episodes, Erik Averill, co-founder of AWM Capital, is joined by Josiah Igono, our resident PhD of Performance Psychology and founder of All Things Performance, to focus on helping you develop the greatest impact on your net worth: your human capital.In the last episode, Josiah shared the skills and habits that are foundational for reaching our performance goals. This week, we drill down on focal points. Erik and Josiah discuss what focal points are and how to set them to achieve high performance at work, on the field, and at home.Episode HighlightsFocusing on focal points (00:28)Defining focal points (1:08)“A focal point is somewhere in the performance field whereby I can just anchor my thoughts and I can just take those 10 to 50,000 thoughts that are racing through my mind and calm it down and zero in on what I'm about to do next.” – Josiah IgonoFind, Attach, Attack (1:41)Applying focal points for professional athletes (2:52)High Performance Habits by Brendon BurchardBattling mental fogginess and finding clarity with focal points (3:55)How focal points lengthens the space for your responses (5:55)“Between stimulus and response, there is a space, and in that space is our ability to choose, and in our choice lies our growth and our freedom.” – Viktor FranklSetting intention at home through focal points (7:06)“But when you have these focal points and some of these mental skills in place, what it does, it actually allows you to have control. Time is not leading me, I'm telling time where to go.” – Josiah Igono (9:25)Existing vs Flourishing (9:58)“We’re not created to just exist, we’re created to flourish” – Erik Averill (10:39)Listen and Subscribe to the Athlete CEO podcast with Brandon and Erik Averill from AWM Capital on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever else you listen to podcasts.For more information visit: www.athleteceo.com

At AWM Capital, we believe that the greatest driver of your net worth is your human capital. So much hinges on your ability to perform – on the field or in the board room – over the course of your career, so it’s pivotal to continually work on improving your mental and physical game.When it comes to performance coaching, Josiah Igono is one of the best. Having most recently left his position as Director of Peak Performance for the Texas Rangers to focus on building his own business, All Things Performance, Josiah will be joining us every other episode to share the most important Peak Performance resources available to improve your ability to grow and perform.This week, Josiah and AWM co-founder Erik Averill discuss performance versus life hacking, defining your goals, and the 3 keys to mental performance.Key Topics Discussed: Josiah’s background in performance at Arizona State and then the Texas Rangers (00:40)How to define “performance” (1:10)“Performance boils down to the execution of a specific task or function” -Josiah IgonoLife Hacking vs Developing Mental Performance (2:14)“The work itself is my reward” -Josiah Igono“Hacks are not a long-term solution for success.” -Josiah IgonoDo you have a plan? (4:39)The 3 keys to mental performance (6:31)Implementing the 3 keys (8:33)What are your goals? (9:39)

1:50GoWild is not just a “Facebook” for Outdoorsman.“If you post a hunting adventure [on social media], you can get trolled you can get death threats...it’s crazy. We wanted to build something that catered to this audience in ways that social media just didn’t.”10:00Moving from the marketing side of business to the founder side can be difficult, what led Brad Luttrell to where he is today?17:06Is there anything that Brad can remember from his past that was really helpful to get him to where he is today?23:15Brad Luttrell: “I’ve come to realize, and I really believe, that this is not about as much 'it’s worth more,' - it’s more about 'I have more work to do.'”25:35What advice would Brad Luttrell give to someone who is building a company or product trying to keep the client in mind?Brad Luttrell: “Talk to them. Too many people build products for somebody that they have never really talked to.”31:00What is it like to have co-founders?37:03As a CEO of a fast growing company, how does Brad Luttrell prioritize objectives while also letting his people do what they need to do?44:49Brad talks about Raise 'Em Outdoors, a nonprofit camp that GoWild donates 1% of their profits to. Raising My Doors is a camp that teaches kids how to safely hunt, fish, and shoot. 54:44Brad Luttrell: “Am I gonna be sad if I don’t do this anymore?...You can add a lot of value into your life at 15-20 minutes a day, or you can waste a whole lot of it.” Listen and Subscribe to the Athlete CEO podcast with Brandon and Erik Averill from AWM Capital on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever else you listen to podcasts. For more information visit: www.athleteceo.com

Athlete CEO Podcast  Optimizing Your Human PotentialJoe Schmidt Ep. 4Guest: Joe Schmidt, Former Notre Dame football captain, investor in Excel, a venture capital firm and he now runs strategy, sales and partnerships for Ethos Life.Twitter @joeschmidtiv  On the fourth and final part of our interview with Joe Schmidt we discuss how Joe puts his high athletic performance into his real life, the four pillars that Joe has broken his life into, and the greatest advice he’s gotten from a mentor. 4:02What cultivated Joe Schmidt’s intense desire for learning and has he always been a lifelong learner?“This isn't the dress rehearsal, this is the show. We got one shot as humans in one lifetime.”5:12What are Joe Schmidt’s go to resources and does he have a specific approach to how he goes about learning?Joe finds it’s better to be malleable in the things you seek to learn about. He doesn’t read the same newspapers or magazines or blogs every day, but he comes upon different topics he’s passionate about and gains a deeper understanding of those topics.7:20As former elite athletes, one of the things they believe in is high performance, and they believe that high performance should go far beyond the field. How does Joe Schmidt approach his life outside of work and how does he optimize all aspects of his life?Joe has Four Core Pillars: Athletic or health, academic or professional goals, spiritual and social. “If any of those core pillars goes to zero, the entire value of the equation goes to zero.”11:19Who are some mentors in Joe’s life? One of the most important takeaways from a mentor in Joe Schmidt’s life is the idea of Galileo’s Theory of Relativity. 14:20What has Joe learned in this time of COVID and how has his life shifted? Listen and Subscribe to the Athlete CEO podcast with Brandon and Erik Averill from AWM Capital on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever else you listen to podcasts.For more information visit: www.athleteceo.com 

Athlete CEO Podcast  15 Minutes and a Cup of CoffeeJoe Schmidt Ep. 3 Guest: Joe Schmidt, Former Notre Dame football captain, investor in Excel, a venture capital firm and he now runs strategy, sales and partnerships for Ethos Life.Twitter @joeschmidtiv   1:47Brandon Averill on building up your network through Joe Schmidt’s advice by asking for 15 minutes and a cup of coffee. FInd people, meet them and build your network.2:57You don’t always know where your next opportunity is going to come from, but you got to play to win. 4:05What advice would you give to founders looking for capital and how do you give a good pitch from the founders prospective?Joe Schmidt: “You’ve got to recognize what you are doing in these meetings. You’re selling yourself, your co-founder, and the dream.6:37Joe Schmidt quotes an African Proverb, “If you wanna go quickly, go alone. If you wanna go far, go together.”10:50His approach to investment has more to do with the people than anything else.Joe Schmidt: “I’m gonna go out there and meet as many people as possible. Not interviewing, just meet people and learn.”14:10 Joe Schmidt: You’re not asking for anything other than 15 mins of coffee”Do not go around begging for a shot or interviews, just ask someone for a small amount of their time to learn from them. Listen and Subscribe to the Athlete CEO podcast with Brandon and Erik Averill from AWM Capital on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever else you listen to podcasts. For more information visit: www.athleteceo.com 

Athlete CEO Podcast  Venture Capital and the 99.9%Joe Schmidt Ep. 2Guest: Joe Schmidt, Former Notre Dame football captain, investor in Excel, a venture capital firm and he now runs strategy, sales and partnerships for Ethos Life.Twitter @joeschmidtiv  1:51Brandon Averill on AWM Capital and how their approach to investment mirrors that of Accel Ventures, which is focused on long time outcomes. The deal flow that pro athletes might see has already been picked over by professional investors.3:07Erik Averill on one of the most important mistakes pro athletes and others make when it comes to venture capital investments, which is understanding the terms and the implication of those terms. Getting access to certain funds or opportunities is great, but the terms of those deals is extremely important in the investment outcome.4:05Venture capital investments do not make sense for 99.9% of people.4:46Joe Schmidt on getting a deal across the finish line: Accel will look at 10,000 or so companies and only invest in around 10 over the course of the year. Joe Schmidt: “It’s like the old Ted Williams quote, the master of waiting for his pitch, that’s kind of how you’ve got to be as an investor, you’ve just got to wait for the right pitch to cross the plate.”6:20Why Venture Capital Investment is not for 99.9% of pro athletes and/or other investors. Joe Schmidt: “I listened to a very, very well known player in the NFL stand in front of an entire group once and give the advice that you need to know your financial advisor’s name. The amount of  insanity that’s happening around athletes…”   8:41It’s very difficult to do investment the right way. It’s important for everyone to realize that even if you’ve made money playing pro sports or as a founder or CEO, you might know your industry well, but find people you trust to help navigate important decisions that take a lot of careful consideration. Listen and Subscribe to the Athlete CEO podcast with Brandon and Erik Averill from AWM Capital on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever else you listen to podcasts. For more information visit: www.athleteceo.com 

Athlete CEO Podcast  Skin in the Game Guest: Joe Schmidt, Former Notre Dame football captain, investor in Accel, a venture capital firm and he now runs strategy, sales and partnerships for Ethos Life.Twitter @joeschmidtiv 2:01Brandon Averill on Ethos Life disrupting the life insurance model and the need for disruption in the insurance industry.2:58Erik Averill on the transition for Joe on moving from being an investor to an operator within a company and how much skin in the game changes the approach.4:20Similar to working with consultants, you can only learn so much as an investor in a company. 5:20What exactly is Ethos, and what exactly are you doing there?  Ethos LIfe is a next generation life insurance company that flips the archaic way of buying and selling life insurance on its head. There is a massive coverage gap with people who should have life insurance, but don’t because the process is so archaic. The goal of Ethos is to help and protect the next million families looking for life insurance. 7:00The reason Ethos Life is attacking the life insurance market is to flip the current archaic model. Joe Schmidt: “When it comes to life insurance, you have these companies and distribution models that really have not changed in 150 to sometimes close to 200 years. 11:10What are the differences between the investing side of business and the operating side of business, and what are some of the challenges that Joe faces? 13:45How did Joe Schmidt end up at Accel and how did being an athlete work in his favor?  Listen and Subscribe to the Athlete CEO podcast with Brandon and Erik Averill from AWM Capital on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever else you listen to podcasts. For more information visit: https://awmcap.com/ 

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Athlete CEO with Erik Averill and Brandon AverillSeparators of SuccessGuest: Craig DomannTwitterInstagramLinkedInWebsite: https://360sportsrep.com/about-360/Podcast: https://www.promindsetpodcast.com/3:00There are seven key ingredients that someone needs to be successful:Believe in yourselfYou need passion for what your sportThere needs to be a motivational factorOutstanding habitsHard workingLifestyle must be consistent with your dreamCompetitive performance 6:15What are good habits, and how does someone modify them if they do not have good ones?11:51How do you change your identity, and how do you go about changing the way you think about your life?19:09The most important thing for a player to decide when retiring is to determine what their passion is after they are done playing professional sports.36:57If you did not have 30/40 minutes to have a conversation with someone, say you only had a few minutes to leave an impact, what advice would you give to a young NFL player?37:29Craig Dowman: “Be all in. Have no regrets. This is it. Nothing is promised after this season.”Listen and Subscribe to the Athlete CEO podcast with Brandon and Erik Averill from AWM Capital on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever else you listen to podcasts.For more information visit: https://awmcap.com/

Investing in Tik Tok US? AWM InsightsPresented by AWM CapitalFor more insights, sign up for our newsletter at awminsights.com AWM Capital: IG | LinkedIn | Facebook | AWMCap.comErik Averill: LinkedInBrandon Averill: LinkedInJustin Dyer: LinkedIn Investment in Tik Tok US is starting to make headlines; Erik, Brandon and Justin give you The Average Joes vs. Pros on Tik Tok impact in public + private markets. :40 - 1:16Apple’s app store charges are back in the news.  Spotify, Fortnight’s Epic Games and Tinder have all partnered with the non-profit coalition called the Coalition of App Fairness to bring legal action against Apple to see if they can bring down their charges. 1:34 - 2:50The latest legal standing for Tik Tok in the United States. President Trump being asked to defend his status on Tik Tok to a US District Court.  3:02 - 5:30Average Joe’s vs. Pros:What does the Tik Tok news mean for investors? Should you go buy Oracle and Walmart stock with their investment to Tik Tok US? 5:31 - 8:28What does the Tik Tok news mean for the private markets? 8:42Recapping the news on Tik Tok and the impact it will have on the public and private markets. Judge says U.S. must defend or delay TikTok app store ban by Friday Subscribe to AWM Insights presented by AWM Capital on Apple, Spotify, Tune-In, Stitcher or at clnsmedia.com

Last week, we discussed the Federal Reserve’s recent meetings where they signaled a willingness to allow a rise in inflation over the next 10-20 years. We received a lot of good feedback and follow up questions, and as a result are following up in a part two this week where we can address a few of the implications for investors.Our managing partner, Brandon Averill, is joined again by our Chief Investment Officer, Justin Dyer to discuss:• With the Fed signaling that they would likely allow inflation to rise over the next 10-20 years, are we as investors happy about that?• Would a higher than normal rise in inflation impact our investment strategies for our clients? Would it dictate a change in our portfolios?• Could inflation change investment performance over time? Are there ways to protect or adjust for that?• Are there any adjustments that are needed to allow for inflation?• What are Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS)? 

Athlete CEO Podcast Advice All Pro Athletes Need Former NFL TE and Super Bowl Champion Zach Miller knows firsthand how unprepared athletes are for money management and even more unprepared to enter the workforce after their playing careers. That’s why he’s decided to pursue wealth management as a career after the NFL. His goal is to help equip athletes with the same knowledge he wished he had when he played. Many in the financial business have given up on pro athletes, that’s why Zach Miller has not.Guest: Zach MillerTwitter: twitter.com/ZachMiller861:52What you can’t google about Zach Miller when it comes to his deciding on Arizona State for college, and his path to the NFL and becoming a Super Bowl champion4:59The depression he experienced after retiring from the NFL and how he figured out what he was going to do next. Zach Miller: “You need to change your identity. Every NFL player will experience this because you can’t play forever, the sooner you can transition into your next career, the better.”7:35Every athlete goes through it, but when did Zach first realize football was a business? Zach Miller: “After I had outplayed my rookie contract with the Raiders, they kept telling me to be patient: ‘you’ll be rewarded, you’ll be rewarded,’ and then free agency hits and the Raiders weren’t there with the offer.”10:45One thing many players don’t realize is all of the resources and benefits they have at their disposal through the NFL Player’s Association.14:20The system is really set up to fail professional athletes, especially when they’re young and first coming into the league, whether it be the NFL, NBA or MLB.Zach Miller: “When you come into the NFL you are 21-22 years old, it’s unrealistic to think that these guys, and I’m including myself, I was financially illiterate. You haven’t experienced or worked long enough to know the differences between the right people to hire and evaluating an advisor or agent.” 20:30The main issue when it comes to pro athletes and good investment and financial advice is that once you reach a certain amount of wealth there are certain professionals you need to speak with because the point of entry for financial advisors is so low.Zach Miller: “You need an expert that specializes in you and in what you do.”22:30Zach interviewed with many other financial advising firms or RIAs and he asked them point blank why they didn’t represent or help professional athletes.Zach Miller: NFL guys will just spend all their money. You’ll do all this work and they won’t have any money left. I just reject that opinion. I don’t think that’s true. If you are doing good work and giving the best advice you can actually help a ton of NFL guys. I want to give the kind of advice I wish I had as a young player.” 25:26Professional athletes in NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA need their financial advisors to do so much more than investment. There are so many components to the financial side for professional athletes beyond investment.Listen and Subscribe to the Athlete CEO podcast with Brandon and Erik Averill from AWM Capital on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever else you listen to podcasts. For more information visit: https://awmcap.com/

You might be familiar with the terms “inflation” and “deflation,” but do you know how they positively and negatively impact us as investors? About 2 weeks ago, the Federal Reserve held a virtual conference where they said they would be willing to let inflation run higher over a certain period of time to make up for lower inflation we’ve experienced in the recent past. So, over the next 10 years they could target a higher inflation rate than has previously been seen.To understand how this might impact us as investors, Brandon Averill, managing partner of AWM Capital, is joined again by Justin Dyer, AWM’s Chief Investment Officer, to discuss inflation and the implications it has on investments.Key Topics:What exactly is inflation?What does a quart of milk have to do with how inflation is measured?Why is inflation important to investors?What happens with slow inflation?What is typically considered the ideal inflation rate for the U.S. economy?What is the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and what does it impact?What is the Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) and what does it impact?Why has inflation been in the news recently?Resources:Investopedia has some great resources on Price Level, Basket of Goods, and Purchasing PowerAlso, be sure to read Dimensional Fund Advisors great article on Inflation’s Impact on Investors

Recent headlines are reporting massive drops in tech industry giants like Apple, which dropped last week by a little over 9% - roughly $150 billion of market value, and Tesla is down again this week after a similar fall last week. Have they reached the bottom? As we have said before – there is no crystal ball to determine that.However, there are investing concepts that are critical to understand to better weather volatile seasons like 2020 has turned out to be that will help you shore up unnecessary risk and capture the gains you deserve. AWM’s Chief Investment Officer Justin Dyer returns this week to discuss this concept with Managing Partner Brandon Averill. Key Topics:What is concentration risk?Putting your eggs in one basketThoughts on the recent tech stock volatilityOne of the most important tools in an investor’s toolboxShould I hold these companies that experience big run ups? (For more info, see our recent episode: Tech Stocks Are The Highest Performers – Should You Get In?)Relying on the data to inform investment decisionsThe top 10 largest stocks since 1994Download the resource Brandon referenced from Dimensional Fund Advisors, “Large and In Charge? Giant Firms atop Market Is Nothing New.”

Athlete CEO Podcast How to Coach and How to Be CoachedWhat makes Derek Jeter who he is? What made him great? Coach Dana Cavalea is the former Director of Strength & Conditioning and Performance for the New York Yankees. He joins Brandon and Erik Averill on Athlete CEO to discuss what goes into a “Championship Mindset” and why mental balance is a key for success regardless of business or profession. Guest: Dana Cavalea“Habits of a Champion”Twitterhttps://danacavalea.com/ 2:12Define what is performance and how Dana would define being a champion.Dana Cavalea “You need to be better tomorrow than you are today.”3:01There is no one size fits all. You have to know what works for you. You don’t enhance performance by taking a pill or vitamin once, you get better over time by doing the right things. 4:40“Performance Coach” or “Life Coach” seem to be modern buzzwords. Dana describes his journey and what led him to becoming a life coach, which starts with interning for free with the New York Yankees while in college at the University of Southern Florida.6:26After Dana figured out he wasn’t going to be a professional ballplayer, he followed his passion of training and getting ready for the season, and investigated ways he could make that into a profession.9:25When Dana learned how you can literally go from one side of the fence to the other side of the fence in 24 hours. He had to make some significant sacrifices at the age of 19 that many others that age wouldn’t be willing to make, in order to fulfill his dream of being involved with the New York Yankees.11:17How did Dana end up becoming the Yankees head performance coach at just 23 years old.12:45Dana says he didn’t really know anything about the job he had, that he was just getting started, but he did recognize the importance of truly knowing people and caring about people. Dana Cavalea “Life is bar it’s your job to tend it.”14:18Dana saw an opportunity after starting off as a trainer to become an asset manager of human capital and he came up with a “Player Profile” that became a screening process to identify risk16:19The idea of the growth mindset or a “Champions’ Mindset” and how Cavalea incorporates that into his training and evaluation. Dana Cavalea: “It requires you to do things that the average person doesn't do. It encourages you and forces you to be somebody that's different than everybody else, because champions are different than everybody else. You have to act different, be different, present yourself different, and when you do those things, you get different results than everybody else, which is what champions do, which is what high performers do.”19:20The championship mentality is not just effective for athletes either, it plays big in the business and investment world as well. So many of the people Dana works with in the business world have a life changing event, like a heart attack, or something, that forces them to work on the mental and physical side of their health.26:40The idea of work/life balance from the lens of Dana’s work. Dana believes it’s important to compartmentalize your day and own their schedules.Dana Cavalea: “Own your schedule, own your day, own your life.”  29:40What made Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and the Yankees legends that Cavalea was working with different? Amazingly, it’s that they weren’t “overworking.”38:00 The identity crisis all professional athletes go through when they’re no longer professional athletes. What are Dana’s tips on trying to figure out the next stage of your life?39:10Don’t identify with a title, identify with a process. If you subscribe to that belief you are going to be defied by the processes you undergo everyday.41:28Dana Cavalea on the importance of values and processes.Dana: “When you get too attached or the title of what you do, it becomes really dangerous, because you lose the rest of you and without the rest of you, you lose your edge.”44:02As a coach you have to meet people where they are, because every person is different.48:09Dana has also written children’s books about raising championship families and how we have to understand that we are constantly growing as people. 50:02One of the most important lessons Dana learned about parenting and how to be a champion parent.Dana Cavalea: “You can override their difficulty through your own surrender. Don’t try to control and dominate. Release and surrender.”52:31A great story from Dana about his relationship with Mariano Rivera and what made him special in terms of elite performance in the biggest moments. Listen and Subscribe to the Athlete CEO podcast with Brandon and Erik Averill from Athlete Wealth Management on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever else you listen to podcasts.

With an estimated $44 billion worth of startups like Snowflake, Unity Software, JFrog, Sumo Logic and Amwell going from private to public right now, is it time to try and strike it rich by investing in the next unicorn company during its initial public investment (IPO) phase? If you only got your investment advice from the mainstream media, you might assume that this is the best way to create massive wealth, but  as you might have guessed, it’s not quite that simple.The private to public or - IPO - step in the lifecycle of a business is incredibly important. And when companies go public, they often garner massive media coverage. However, is this the best time to invest in a company across the board? The data might surprise you.In this week’s episode of AWM Insights, Brandon Averill, Managing Partner at AWM Capital, is joined by Justin Dyer, our Chief Investment Officer, to discuss how and when companies typically create the most value. Topics and questions covered include:Do IPOs favor the investor? Are they a good investment on their own?Why do companies decide to go public?What exactly is a unicorn company, and what stage in a company’s lifecycle is generally considered to be the ideal time to invest?When does most of the value creation for a company occur?What is a direct listing and how is it different from a traditional IPO?Are direct listings similar to SPACs? (For more on SPACs see our previous episode HERE)ResourcesBrandon mentioned a Bill Gurley article on going public in 2020, which you can find HERE

Last Tuesday, the S&P 500 hit a record high after a sudden and unprecedented decline in the earlier months of the year. Much of the growth has been attributed to 5 big tech stocks, which we covered on a recent episode. As we’ve seen these 5 big tech stocks diverge, it’s made many investors ask if valuations even matter anymore?While these companies are enjoying their highest valuations ever, we see examples like Apple where their stock price has roughly tripled since early 2019, but so too has its Price to Earnings (PE) ratio. In this week’s episode, Erik and Brandon discuss this recent rise and more, including:What’s behind the recent all-time high of the S&P 500?What is a Price to Earnings (PE) ratio and why does it matter?What are the implications of Apple’s stock price and PE ratio rise?Do valuations even matter anymore?Can valuations be used as a tool for market timing?What is recency bias?The importance of understanding what kind of investor you are and your goals for wealth creationFor more information on this topic, here’s a great podcast episode that Brandon referenced from The Prof G Show with Scott Galloway.

On this episode of the Athlete CEO, Erik dives into the debt side of Venture Capital with Founder, Operator, & current Chief Investment Officer of Trinity Capital, Kyle Brown.Trinity Capital provides smart debt for high growth venture-backed startups. Trinity’s portfolio is packed with successful companies including the likes of Impossible Foods, Fingerprint Digital, Birchbox and Untuckit.In a candid conversation Kyle shares his experiences ranging from nearly losing everything in 2008 to to leading Trinity through a global pandemic. While sharing how his family, faith and athletic background keep him focused on what matters most. Key Topics covered include:How should founders be thinking about venture debt?Trinity’s due diligence uniquely built by Operators and how they choose who to partner with?How venture debt can be the most effective and cheap way to accelerate growthHow founders can sidestep the risk of dilution in a world of reduced valuationsHow to take advantage of the opportunities the global pandemic has createdWhat was it like going through the recession of 2008 as an operator and what lessons did you learn that could be applied to our current situation?What have been some of the hardest lessons you’ve learned in your career and how have you grown from them?How to avoid the biggest trap that could destroy a partnershipWhat advice would you give about partnering in business and leading teams based on what you’ve learned throughout your career?How have you juggled working to be excellent and accomplishing great things in business while also being present at home and working to be a great husband and father?How Trinity thought through a recent big shift in their business modelCan you talk about how you think about making an impact and what that means to you?How does Kyle approach leading a team? What characteristics does a good leader display?Go to resources, habits, and advice for high performance leadersHow Kyle defines success

Are certain presidential candidates better for the stock market? If so, is there a “correct” party to vote for to improve the chances of stronger returns? We often hear political pundits offering advice or predictions around presidential election season, and suggest that the answer to both of these questions is unequivocally “yes.” There are certainly many ways political candidates impact our country, and because of that, it is extremely important we exercise our right to vote. However, as we wade through to the real issues – should a candidate’s impact on the stock market be one of them? In this week’s episode of AWM Insights, Brandon & Erik, armed with more than 80 years of data, break down this question – and the answer might surprise you. Discussed questions and topics include:How do presidential elections impact investment returns?Which 2 presidents have seen the best S&P returns while in office?Which presidents experienced negative S&P returns during their terms?Is it true my political party is better for the stock market?What drives the stock market?How is the stock market different than the economy?How might the two candidates’ tax proposals impact my finances?Are there any ways to curb those impacts?Do tax rates matter to stock markets?RESOURCESTo see the data discussed during this episode, CLICK HERE

Recently in the headlines, we’ve seen a lot of attention around SPACs (special purpose acquisition company) due to some big names in the investing world doubling down on them this year. So far in 2020, 60 of the 95 IPOs in the US have come from these SPACs and they’ve raised $24 billion further cementing them as the preferred method for going public this year. So what exactly are SPACs and should you be investing in them? Brandon and Erik discuss this and more including: : What is a SPAC?How do they work? What are some of their unique characteristics?What are their advantages and disadvantages? Are they considered a good investment?What is behind their recent surge in popularity?What should you consider before investing in a SPAC?Should you expect similar returns with SPACs that you’d see in the private markets?Ultimately, we would say ignorance is not bliss in investing, but a danger. Like any other single entity investing, we recommend our clients do their research and discuss with their financial professional about how it might fit in their investment portfolio.ResourcesAs Erik mentions in the episode, HERE is a link to a fantastic research article on SPACs from Harvard Law. If you’d like to discuss your specific financial situation, you can reach out to us HERE.

Kobie Fuller is the perfect venn diagram of the Athlete CEO – he was a track star at Harvard, used his background in tech to invest early in some of the top winners of emerging technologies including Oculus and Exact Target, and now works as a partner for Upfront Ventures where he continues to help discover and fund innovative tech companies.He has seen startups rise and fall and knows what it takes to be successful in founding a company, and shares with us what he’s seen over the years. He also is uniquely familiar with how the worlds of sports and business intersect in their values and daily practices, which he has used to help advise new business owners as well as find his own success as a co-founder through Valence Community, a social network for Black professionals started in November 2019.Prior to Upfront, Kobie was the CMO at REVOLVE in Los Angeles, one of the world’s largest fashion e-commerce sites. Earlier in his career he was an investor at Insight Venture Partners and a founding member of Openview Venture Partners. He was the captain of the Harvard track team when he attended and ran the 200m, and the 400m events.Topics discussed include:Why Kobie got kicked off the basketball team growing upAccomplishing big things by taking on the mentality of “It takes what it takes”Putting in the work needed to achieve your goalsThe similarities between athletes and venture capitalistsHow to surround yourself with elite performers instead of bozosThe founding of Valence Community in 2019How start up founders can be successful by leaning in to what they’re uniquely equipped to doHow to find a mentorTips on balancing your life and being a good example to your kidsInvesting in yourself by being selfless and selfish at the same timeThe importance of investing in your health and wellness

Most economic news continues to point to things not looking great – including a 2nd quarter contraction of US GDP by an annual rate of 32.9%. However, the stock market still seems to have some positive moves. What’s behind the majority of the returns in the public stock market? Tech companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Google. In fact, the disparity in the S&P 500 is from the 5 largest companies, which have accounted for all the growth, but the remaining 495 have been producing negative returns. Does that mean now is the time to invest in these companies? In this episode, Brandon & Erik discuss this and more including:What is contributing to the majority of returns in the US stock market?If the 5 biggest companies are driving all growth in the S&P 500, why even consider investing in the other 495 companies – let alone international options?What are the risks of investing in individual equities if I’m trying to grow wealth in a long-term, risk-adjusted way?Is there ever a situation where you might recommend taking concentrated risk? Where would an investor have the best change of growing wealth through concentrated investments?

Gold is a topic that tends to pop up anytime there’s uncertainty in the market or conversations of where the economy is headed. We’ve seen gold hit all-time highs over the past week joined with increased nervousness of the pending stimulus package in congress and upcoming elections. This has resulted in more voices who recommend investing in gold as a safe alternative to a volatile market.In this episode Brandon and Erik discuss some of the arguments made for investing in gold and potential alternatives for long term investors. Topics discussed include:How should we think about gold?Where/how does gold fit in an investment plan?How to think about investmentsWhy we don’t include gold in our investment portfoliosHow has gold performed historically as an asset class?Should I purchase physical gold in case things go bad?Is gold a safe hedge against a volatile market?What’s a better way to provide some protection if you’re worried about the economy over the short term?

Growing a business, serving your community, taking a leap in your career, spending time with friends and family, developing a hobby - often our interests and desires overshadow the simple fact that there are only so many hours in a day. It can be hard to find time to tackle all our goals let alone find balance and mastery in our current commitments.Becca Van Dyck has proven it can be done.Becca jumped into her career head first with a 12-year stint at Wieden+Kennedy as Nike’s global account director.  She then moved to Apple as marketing communications executive, working on ad campaigns for the iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Macs. Following that, she was named the chief marketing officer at Levi’s where she oversaw the “Go Forth” campaign. Then in 2012, she moved to Facebook where she now works as VP, Product Operations of AR/VR including overseeing Portal from Facebook and Oculus VR. In the midst of all this, she’s also served on the boards of Strava, the New York Times, and more, is a Mom of two girls, and a wife.In this episode, she describes how she drew courage for each step in her career and seeks to find excellence in all aspects of her life – touching on topics like:Her team’s work on Portal from Facebook and Oculus VR and how it’s helping people stay connected amidst a pandemicHow she considers outside opportunities for maximum impact and growthThe principles and paradigms she uses to build and hone diverse teamsHow to take bold leaps in your careerFinding balance amidst career, volunteering, and familyHow her experience playing soccer translates to her business careerThe silver linings found in strange times

With a looming election this fall, an ongoing global pandemic, and companies declaring bankruptcy left and right; there is currently no shortage of speculation framed as certain advice everywhere you look. Mainstream media pundits and social media influencers alike are quick to share the latest stock tip, advice on market timing, speculations on bankrupting companies, or even urge you to exit the markets entirely and wait until they calm back down. While it is entirely likely there will be market impacts from the upcoming presidential debates and election, COVID-19 vaccine trials, and whether or not the government adopts an additional stimulus plan – the full effect of those impacts and even how they play together are entirely speculative. The truth remains that no one has a crystal ball.So what should you do in the midst of all the noise?Don’t abandon your plan.In this week’s episode, Brandon and Erik address some of these speculations and cover other topics and questions like:Was Peter Schiff correct when he recently said that a market crash is inevitable?How to avoid FOMO (fear of missing out) in the current market climateThe greatest dangers investors faceThe difference between being an investor and a speculatorUnderstanding how to participate well in public marketsWhy the mainstream media is not the best source of financial adviceWhat advice can you give on having confidence in my investment plan?How can I wade through all of the speculation that I’m receiving the economy, stock market, and investing?

One of the most important distinctions we like to make with our clients is that our primary job is not only investing. We re-center our clients’ definition of success by asking them if simply investing is the goal or if it’s actually to increase their net-worth after taxes and expenses?The answer is always: net worth.Investing is really just a means to an end. Our primary job, and the ultimate value we deliver, is in increasing our clients’ entire net worth.Unfortunately, the act of investing is typically the sole focus of retail financial advice. The average broker and financial advisor will spin their wheels trying to sell their investment strategies in the public markets, yet this is rarely the main driver of wealth. Most investors miss out on other financial moves to grow and keep wealth including tax planning strategies that can produce double digit returns on their net worth.This week, Erik and Brandon discuss some of these strategies and why they should be important to you covering topics like:Why should I consider taxes in my investment conversations?Why aren’t more financial advisors talking about this integration of investing and tax planning?What are conversations I should have with my financial advisor to keep the returns from taxes that I deserve?What are some other ways to manage, defer, and reduce taxes when it comes to your investment plan?Are there ways a 1099 employee can reduce taxes?Why those in the highest tax bracket might want to consider asset location and tax-loss harvesting in their tax strategy plan

As a professional athlete, all of your passion, focus, and attention is on your sport. However, whether it’s 5 years, or 20, it’s only a season of your life – what comes next?This week, Erik & Brandon are joined by Olympic legend Michael Johnson to discuss finding your passions beyond your sports career.Over his 12-year career as a professional athlete at the top of his sport, Michael became a household name as he earned 13 Olympic and World championship gold medals and broke world records in multiple events.And he was only getting started.Michael knew from a young age that he had a passion beyond the sports world, and since his retirement as a professional athlete, has gone on to become a prolific businessman and entrepreneur. Michael shares his wisdom and experience about his time at the top of his sport, and then what it was like to pivot his career to successful ventures including the Michael Johnson Performance Center, which has partnered with some of the biggest organizations in sports performance and medicine. Other topics discussed include:When in his career that Michael began to think about life after sportHard advice for the athlete who says there isn’t time to focus on the next stage of his or her careerHow to find your passionHis path and lessons learned to founding the Michael Johnson Performance CenterOther ventures Michael is working onA framework to consider for athletes trying to decide between lending their name to a brand they believe in vs rolling up their sleeves and helping to lead itWisdom when considering private investment opportunities as a professional athleteTaking ownership over your comprehensive health and wellnessLearning from and growing out of adversity in your life or career

As you see in the major media and financial publications, earnings season is coming soon, but what does that mean for the typical investor? Articles and TV segments abound with the results and guidance of some of the best analysts in the business on their predictions of how some of the top companies are doing, but does that mean that you should be acting on those claims?Put simply, “earnings season” is the time in which most of the major publicly traded companies release their quarterly earnings reports. As a result of these reports, more updated information is then available to the public followed by market adjustments. What makes this upcoming earnings season of particular interest for many is the fact that it’s following the best quarter since 1987.In this week’s episode, Brandon and Erik discuss earnings season and cover topics and questions like:What exactly is earnings season and why do people get excited about it?How earnings season can highlight the difference between the stock market and the economy (for more on this, see episode 11: Stock Market vs Economy)How and why earnings season causes market adjustmentsWhy some of the best analysts in the world still can’t predict future outcomes based on earnings season informationWhat should I know about earnings season? Should I take any steps to prepare or react to it?What’s the best way to secure long-term, positive financial results?

Over the last couple weeks, we've seen the return with a vengeance of volatility in the markets with some of the biggest highs and lows in history all within a short time span. With these swings, we're starting to see non-investor voices give investing advice that really boils down to gambling.  The message from these media personalities is loud and clear: now is the time for people to become active investors. Is there room for this type of investing? The answer revolves around your current situation and your long-term goals. In this episode, Erik & Brandon give some helpful thoughts on how to view this concept and address topics and questions including:Why Shaq’s free throw record relates to investingThe myth of entertainment-based tradingShould we pay attention to what the media is telling us? How much credence should we give to news sites advice on the investment decisions we should be making?Day trading vs long-term investingHow the active investing we're seeing in mainstream conversations is similar to sports gamblingHow do we most effectively grow our wealth over the long-term?How do you stay disciplined over the long term and not fall for the get rich quick gimmicks?

In this episode of the Athlete CEO Podcast, Erik sits down with Alex Mather, the co-founder of The Athletic.Valued at roughly $500 million The Athletic has disrupted the sports media world.They dive into the vision, strategy and tactics that led to the quick rise of dominance for the Athletic in a saturated market that seemed impenetrable.Alex offers advice and lessons learned from the founding of The Athletic covering topics like:The characteristics he learned growing up that helped give him tenacity, resolve, and a positive outlookHow Alex and his co-founder Adam built The Athletic to be differentHow to understand and work to refine your brandPutting people first and using analytics to optimizeThe burdens of leadership and the importance of caring for and supporting your teamWhat leadership looks likeWhy helping your team to win is more important than being rightThe 4 daily actions he encourages his team to take to stay focused and support others during tumultuous times

With a spike in Coronavirus cases around the country, we continue to see multiple industries getting shaken including airlines, cruise ships, and travel destinations. Alternatively, we see the top tech companies (Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon) combined currently represent more than 20% of the S&P 500, which makes sense with more people than ever relying on technology to work and stay connected. As we continue to allocate investments, many are wondering if we should try to make concentrated bets on how the Coronavirus might continue to impact different parts of the economy.However, the main thing to keep in mind is that no one has a crystal ball - no one can see the future. So, typically the best way to prepare for times like these is diversification of your allocations. We've seen throughout history similar trends with different industries rising and falling, and investors who aren't diversified can unknowingly expose themselves to more risk than they intend.In this episode, Erik & Brandon discuss this idea and address topics like:What is the home bias?How diversification can protect against unintended risk and help to capture opportunityWhat can we learn from history and data in terms of portfolio diversification?What is success?How do we most effectively grow our wealth over the long-term?