Morning Meeting at The FIREhouse

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with retired SDFD Aaron Brennan. Aaron has spent the last 30 years serving his community and country and as he looks back on his career, one of his biggest regrets was that he didn't start investing when he was brand new on the job. Listen in as he shares some of the other mistakes he made along the way and what he did to correct them. Although he studied finance in college, he didn't fully apply what he learned in school until much later. Had he started investing back then, the power of compounding interest would've taken over and snowballed his nest-egg to huge heights. I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with host of The House Hacking Podcast Andrew Kerr. Andrew has been investing in real estate for 20 years and he shares his vision for how investors can accelerate their journey in real estate through house hacking. For those interested in ADU's, this episode is for you! If you're unfamiliar with the concept of house hacking, it's where you have someone else help pay your mortgage for you by either having a roommate, buying a duplex or building a granny flat on your property and having a renter move in. If you're interested in learning more, Andrew has generously offered the first 5 people who reach out to me FREE access to his House Hacking Course. That's a $799 value! The House Hacking Quick Start Guide, you can also get for FREE at https://fibyrei.com/firehouse For those of you who want to connect with Andrew, you can find him at www.FIbyREI.com I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFD Captain Eric Faulk. Eric describes the importance of filling various retirement buckets and why do so is a great hedge against tax uncertainty, inflation and sequence risk. Eric explains how his dad took a very conservative approach to finances, having never invested in the stock market. He says that this decision contributed to his father having to work in to his 80's instead of letting the power of compounding interest work it's magic. I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with FF/PM from Heartland FD Gabe Belloli. Gabe and his partner have figured out a way to flip apartment buildings in Southern California and he shares his three step strategy on how to do it. I hope you guys enjoy it! He finds properties that are mismanaged, under rented or zoned incorrectly. He makes the necessary changes, stabilizes the property and then sells it at a nice profit. If you'd like to learn more about him you can find him on Instagram @re_wealthbuilding or on Facebook @gabebelloli I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with Firewife and financial coach Kacy Smith. Kacy and her husband paid off $70k of debt in 18 months and she wants you to steal her technique so you can do it too. As a financial coach, she's identified the top 4 reasons people struggle with money and how to fix it: 1. Can't/won't save any money 2. Can't get out of debt 3. Overspending/Can't stick to a budget 4. Make a decent living, but don't track spending If you'd like to learn more about her you can find her on Instagram @debtfreearewe or her website www.straightcents.com I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with Fairfax County, Virginia Firefighter Patrick Di Cesare. Patrick is aggressively cutting line on the path toward financial independence and he shares all the methods that uses. Patrick is a huge proponent of index fund investing because of their low-cost and solid returns. Set up auto payments though your payroll and you'll be on your way. His main regret is that he didn't start sooner. If you'd like to learn more about him you can find him on the various social media platforms as Basic Financial Literacy... I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with Forbes council member and number 1 business coach Jessica Marx. Listen in as she identifies the top 3 reasons businesses fail and the best ways to fix it. I hope you guys enjoy it! Above anything else, she looks for clients who are hungry for success and are willing to invest in themselves to reach their goals. We have an entrepreneurial advantage in that we have our stable income to start from. Spend less than you make and then invest the rest in yourself to help you succeed. If you'd like to learn more about Jessica, you can find her on Instagram @thejessicamarx or on her website www.thejessicamarx.com I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone, it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with owner and CEO of Knockaround Sunglass company Adam Moyer. Adam walks us through the early days of how Knockaround got started and the action he took to get it to where it is today. It hasn't always been easy, but through consistent, intentional action, he's grown the company exponentially and they just finished their best year ever. During the beginning of the pandemic, Knockaround donated 5,000 safety glasses to the San Diego Fire Department and now they're at it again. They're donating a free pair of their sunglasses to every member of our department, including the lifeguards. Awesome! If you'd like to learn more about him, you can find him on his websites AdamMoyer.com, Knockaround.com or on Instagram @aceknockaround

What's up everyone, it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with friend and real estate flipper Caleb Rigby. Caleb is the owner of Rigby homes and he shares the process of buying, rehabbing and then reselling homes at a profit. He has his system dialed in and goes through it step by step. Ever wonder how to find great deals? Ever wonder what the process is for flipping real estate? Caleb has you covered. If you'd like to learn more about him, you can find him on Facebook @Rigbyhomebuyers or his website www.rigbyhomebuyers.com I hope you guys enjoy it.

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFD FF/PM Abe Hunt. Abe sits on some important retirement boards and he shares his strategy for making sure his retirement is one that he wants. He's getting there through hard work, discipline and a clear plan. One of the things that has changed for Abe is the willingness to change itself. His mindset shifted after reading a few key books and turned him from a spender into an investor. Understanding where your vulnerabilities are is crucial when you're trying to make progress down the path towards financial independence. If you'd like to learn more about Abe you can find him on his email abehunt@yahoo.com or on Instagram @therealhuntboys I hope you guys enjoy it! If you enjoyed this week's podcast, I'd love for you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps with our visibility, and the more firefighters and first responders who listen to the podcast, the better...

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with Rich and Rachel Vigil. Listen in as they share their 5 year plan to have real estate help pay for their kid's college expenses. By starting with the end in mind, they're able to execute on their plan.  It's rare to find people who have a clearer vision of what they want to accomplish with their investing than these two. Having that clarity not only helps keep their focus directed where it should be, but also keeps them motivated to achieve their goals. Some of the resources they use are Home Exchange and their financial advisors at Rice Financial Group to help them on their path towards financial independence. If you'd like to learn more about the Vigil's, you can email Rachel at Rachelkvigil@yahoo.com If you'd like to check out their cabin it's on IG @rainbowbigbear, FB @RainbowForestRetreat and Airbnb: https://airbnb.com/h/rainbow-forest-retreat You can watch their Morning Meeting HERE or listen to it HERE! I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFF/PM Nate Manson. Nate has been investing in cryptocurrency for years and shares all the things to look for when considering this new asset class yourself. Nate is one of the most experienced crypto investors around, even having mined some himself years ago. He has seen the ups and the downs and thinks that it's potential is huge. As with all investments, do your own due diligence before committing to buying and seek out professional help to achieve your financial goals though. If you'd like to learn more about Nate, contact me and I'll put you in touch with him. You can hear Hobie Porterfield's Morning Meeting here: I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with one of my real estate investing partners Keith Meyer. Having someone like Keith on my team makes all the difference in our business. His background in engineering helps us know if the projects we're considering investing in are a go or no-go situation. One of the most important aspects of REI is figuring out if the deal is going to pencil out. Knowing your numbers will determine if the investment cash-flows or if you're going to be feeding it every month. Listen in as Keith describes his process for underwriting deals... If you'd like to learn more about Keith, you can find him on LinkedIn @KeithMeyer or you can email him at keith@symphonycapitalgroup.com If you'd like to hear the Kennedy's Morning Meeting, you can find it here: https://anchor.fm/kyle-smith31/episodes/Taking-intentional-action-w-The-Kennedys-eqco9j I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with Joe and Bree Kennedy. They have been grinding away at their real estate investing business for the last decade and have built up the momentum needed to now find the success they've been after in the short term rental market. Through intentional action and keeping the end in mind, they've figured out how to make things work. It hasn't always been easy, but if it was, everyone would do it. If you'd like to learn more about Joe, you can find him at ja_kennedy@outlook.com. If you'd like more info about their STR you can find them on Instagram @KennedyKabinInTheWoods To hear JJ Jerotz' Morning Meeting click here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/preparation-is-the-key-w-jj-jerotz/id1510226963?i=1000506374871 To hear Alex Kane's Morning Meeting click here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/learning-the-financial-rules-w-alex-kane/id1510226963?i=1000497643057 I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with Guardian Title account executive Marc Angstead. He outlines all the things that happen behind the scenes when you enter into a real estate contract. His job is to make sure you're protected from all claims made against your future property and shares all the things to avoid. Marc and his team are in the risk elimination business and do everything they can to ensure you never hear from them again after you purchase your property. The one thing he says that can help keep this possible is by you actually reading through all the documents they send over for you to sign. No pencil-whipping! Be professional and read through everything. It could mean the difference between a successful transaction or having to go to court down the line. If you'd like to learn more about Marc, you can find him at marc92102@gmail.com You can find Jeff Whittington's Morning Meeting here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/applying-firefighter-mentality-to-real-estate-investing/id1510226963?i=1000474153107 I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with estate planning attorney Rod Hatley. He outlines all the ways to protect your estate so you have something to pass down to heirs after you pass away. If you're a first responder listening to this, you must put a plan in place!     If the pandemic has had any silver lining it's this; life has slowed down for many of us and with it, the reminder of our own mortality. Don't wait until it's too late to put an asset protection plan in place. Talk to an expert and protect your hard-earned assets.       If you'd like to learn more about Rod, you can find him on his website www.hatleylawgroup.com or on FB @hatleylawgroupapc   I hope you guys enjoy it! 

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with Synergy One mortgage lender Jon “JJ” Jerotz. Listen in as he outlines everything you need to know about how to prepare yourself for your first, second, third or tenth real estate purchase and why another person's mortgage is irrelevant to yours. We are approaching the top in the real estate market. Whether that comes next week, next month or next year is anyone's guess. Regardless of when that time comes, the people who are the most prepared to close will be the ones still in the game when the market drops. If you'd like to learn more about JJ, you can find him on his website www.askjjnow.com To learn more about coming up with a financial plan, check out The FIREhouse Morning Meeting Season 1, Episode 17 with CFP Jeff Rotherham. You can listen on iTunes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/investing-in-yourself-with-jeff-rotherham/id1510226963?i=1000487576553 I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with estate planning attorney Lori Bolander. Listen in as Lori outlines everything you need to know about how to create an estate plan and why it's so important for first responders to have something in place. It's hard to describe how horrible it is to experience probate until you've done it. Don't wait and run the risk of forcing your loved ones to go through it. It's extremely time consuming and costly. Trust me, it's not fun. If you'd like to learn more about Lori, you can find her on her website www.lawgbs.com I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFD FF/PM Luke Manns. Luke has been grinding away since he came on back in 2012. Through consistent action and focusing on the fundamentals, he's now well on his way towards financial independence. Luke credits some of his success to conversations he's had at the kitchen table in the fire station. He also grew up in a family that talked about investing. The thing that separates him from most others though is that he took the information he learned, went out and took action with it. From his real estate investing experience, to his 50/30/20 principle, he's well on his way. To learn about sequence risk, read here: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sequence-risk.asp If you'd like to learn more about him, you can email him at lukemanns@hotmail.com I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with Anderson Attorney and Senior Tax Advisor Eliot Thomas. Eliot outlines all the reasons you need to find someone to help you not only prepare your taxes, but also help you plan a strategy to keep your tax obligations to a minimum. If you still think it's a good idea to show up to your CPA's office with a box of receipts, you're wrong and it's costing you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars each year. Take a deep breath and go through your accounts to make sure you have everything organized ahead of time so things go smoothly. That way you'll have time to plan a tax reduction strategy for the coming year. If you make your tax preparer do that work for you, it eats up all the time you have with them in the office. Do yourself a huge favor and get organized! If you'd like to learn more about Eliot and the team at Anderson, you can find him at ethomas@andersonadvisors.com or https://andersonadvisors.com/ I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFD Captain Tim Robles. Tim has been investing in real estate out of state for years. He shares the ups and downs, tips and techniques for running a successful real estate investing business. Tim started his REI journey based on a tip he learned from another one of our members. He took the advice and then took ACTION. Has it always been smooth sailing? No, but this line of work never is either. It's not about worrying about the problem, but rather figuring out the solution. He's taken his lumps like we all have, but he's learned from them, gotten stronger for it and kept going. If you'd like to learn more about Tim, reach out to me and I'll put you in touch with him. I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFD Engineer Charles Osterhout. Charles shares his experience running his small business and the challenges he's faced over the last 20 years. Charles has taken the opportunities given to him and made the best out of each situation. From buying his screen printing business for $1 to helping run a Crossfit gym, he's seen a lot. He maximizes his time by working ON his business, not IN his business. That's a concept straight out of the New York Times Best- Selling book The E-Myth by Michael Gerber and allows Charles to work more efficiently. If you'd like to learn more about Charles you can find him on his email at firehausprints@gmail.com I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with retired SDFD Captain Dena Chavez. She shares her story of starting down the path a little later in life, but she's now embarking on what looks like a successful retirement doing the things she loves. I love her approach in that she's always trying to improve and knows that it's never too late to get going down the path towards success. She's had her own set of challenges, but she knows she has enough because she has her home, her health and friends to enjoy it with. She credits one of our retired firefighters as the one who helped her get started down the right path and is now now paying that forward in the volunteer work she does. She's involved in an organization called Healing our Heroes, which helps 1st responders and military vets who are struggling in some aspect of their lives. If you'd like to learn more about Dena you can find her on FB @Dena Chavez, on her email denaslife2@gmail.com I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFD Firefighter Greg Heid. Greg shares his experience of coming on the job and immediately starting down the path towards financial literacy. He's been intentional all along the way and is well on his way towards financial independence. He shares how he's dealt with the passing of his father and what he learned in order to help protect his family's assets. If you're like me and have put off taking the time to set up a will and/or a trust, stop what you're doing right now and find someone to do it for you. Believe me, the peace of mind you'll get once it's done is worth the price you'll pay someone to do it. If you'd like to learn more about Greg you can email him at HeidGreg1@gmail.com I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFD Engineer Matt Smith. Matt has been successfully investing in real estate outside of California over the last 10 years. He's built his portfolio up slow and steady and now has things running on autopilot. He says to successfully invest out of state you must have a plan, find a target market and build a team by starting with a property manager. Choose your target market where the numbers make sense, there is diverse employment opportunities and a population influx. If you'd like to learn more about Matt or receive his recommendations for how to find real estate deals, contact me and I'll put you in touch with him. I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with business owner and coach Kelly Cardenas. This was one of my favorite Morning Meetings as Kelly packed so much value into the episode, but he also had me laughing my head off with his stories of making lemonade out of lemons to running a multimillion dollar business. Kelly was so generous with his time and he really shared it all! He genuinely loves what he does and wants us have success in what we do! If you own a small business or run a side hustle, listen to what he says about paying yourself first, remaining confident and having a short-term memory. These three things will help you push through tough times like we're experiencing now. Those concepts are what he's used over the last 14 years when he wants to beat himself up over leaving millions of dollars on the table in his business. He's learned to pay himself first, stay confident and have a short-term memory. If all else fails, he says you can just fall back on a single word to help keep you going when things are not going the way you want. Just shrug your shoulders and say shiiiiiiiiit

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFD Captain Tony Taddeo and his wife and SDFD Engineer Amber Taddeo. They share what it takes to manage a fire department scheduled with running a small business, all while raising a young family. It hasn't been easy, but they have their priorities straight and they're making progress each day.

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFD Captain Alex Kane. He outlines the simple path towards succeed in business, real estate or stock market investing. He says it's simple to be successful, but also warns that it's not easy. Don't get up to the plate and swing for the fences, but do get up there and take some swings. It's better than sitting on the sidelines and not taking any shots at all (is that the right analogy?). Take a swing and get a base hit. Then take another swing and get another hit. Slowly but surely, these small wins compound on each other and success soon follows. He was also adamant that we can't rely on the City to provide us with everything we need for financial freedom. This is the theme I've heard more than almost any other on The Morning Meeting. Get educated and then take action! If you'd like to learn more about Alex, you can find him on Instagram @kaner5904 I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFD Engineer Matt Thoma and his wife Jessica. They share what it takes to manage a fire department scheduled with running a small business, all while raising a young family. It hasn't been easy but their priorities are right and they're making progress each day. They use the KISS principle, whether it's in their investment choices or how they're raising their kids and in doing so, have taken so many steps down the path towards success. If you'd like to learn more about Matt, you can find him at MWThoma@gmail.com . If you'd like to learn more about Jessica and her business you can find her on Instagram @fit_family_fire I hope you guys enjoy it!

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFD Engineer Ben Vernon. Ben shares what it was like to be attacked and stabbed multiple times while on a call in our city. It shook him to the core but he's rebounded and is now back on track. So how does this relate to financial well-being? Well as Ben says, financial health is one of the four pillars of mental health, with the other 3 being life/job satisfaction, physical health and your support system.

What's up everyone it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFD Captain Justus Norgord. Justus shares what it takes to start, operate and eventually sell a small business in good times and in bad. He talks about the parallels between investing in your physical well-being and your financial well-being and how they both pay dividends with consistent effort over time

What's up everyone. It‘s Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFD FF/PM Jens Brombach. Jens exemplifies that FF mentality of getting the job done, regardless of how difficult it might seem. Whether it's running his real estate business or getting his CFP license, he's going to get the job done through hard work and hustle. If you're trying to get into real estate, he recommends 4 things to do to make yourself competitive: 1️⃣ Get educated: Know the market and what you can afford ✅ 2️⃣ Get pre-approved: Contact me for a list of great lenders! ✅ 3️⃣ Make sure your credit is reasonable. Lenders love first responders because they know our income is stable, but they can't help you if your credit is a mess ✅ 4️⃣ Take action with someone you can trust in your corner: At some point, you have to leap. We don't put up with analysis paralysis on the fire ground. Same, same here...✅ If you'd like to learn more about him you can find him at Jens.Brombach@camoves.com I hope you guys enjoy it! ----------------------------------------

What's up everyone. Its Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFD Captain Jay Hobson. Jay has been running his side business, The Holiday Lighters for 22yrs and has been through it all. He shares tons of advice on how to run a successful small business and what pitfalls to avoid. Some rules he runs his business by: 1) When things go wrong (which they inevitably will at some point), don't panic. Slow things down and think clearly. 2) Provide next level customer service-it comes back to you 10x 3) Look for opportunities in an economic downturn-"Be greedy when others are fearful and fearful when others are greedy" Warren Buffet 4) If you're easily achieving your goals, then they're not big enough-don't be afraid to aim higher 5) Use obstacles as learning points to improve upon-check out Ryan Holiday's best selling book 'The Obstacle is the Way' or Tote Yamada's book 'Five' for more on this If you'd like to learn more about Jay or The Holiday Lighters, you can find them both on Instagram @jhobson4 and @the_holiday_lighters

What's up everyone. It's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with Lebanon, OR Fire Lieutenant Kyle Robertson. Kyle just closed on a big apartment complex out of state, bringing his total number of doors up to 50. He shares his secrets on how to invest in multifamily and things to watch out for

What's up everyone. This week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with Engineer Mark Tighe. Mark and I came on the department together and he shares his journey from struggling to make ends meet to where he is today having just put his oldest son through college. His focus, determination and drive has helped him get to this point and I'm sure he'll continue down the path in the future. Mark recently retired from the Navy after 20 yrs and 8 days of service ⚓️ With his new found free time, he's picked up a couple of side hustles to increase his income. His most recent gig is as a rep for Muertos Coffee Company. Muertos is a coffee company founded and run by firefighters who donate 5% of their proceeds towards helping causes that are important to us. Go to www.MuertosCoffeeCo.com and type in the discount code of SDFD25 for 15% off your order

What's up everyone. Its Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with the CEO of the San Diego firefighters credit union Ed Daley. Ed has been with the credit union for 26yrs and he shares his advice on how to avoid some of the mistakes he's seen us make over the years. When you've been around as long as he has, there's nothing he hasn't seen. He says the biggest challenge he's seen with us is the herd mentality. We hear about a great investment tip and we all go running towards it. From penny stock investing to business deals gone sideways, we get ourselves into trouble when we fail to do our own due diligence

What's up everyone. It's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with retired San Diego Fire Department Captain Matt Praizner. Matt recently retired and credits having the right mentors guiding him early on that allowed him to retire early and begin this new chapter in his life. There are many of us who consider him a mentor to us and we wish him well in retirement. His advice on how to make the right investment choices couldn't be better. He says that it comes down to 10% entry point, 10% exit point and 80% patience, but where he sees many of us struggle is in just not paying close enough attention. We have to look out for each other because our City certainly isn't. With that said, another key point Matt makes is to not try to answer all your financial questions on your own. Reach out to someone in your network who can mentor you and show you the ropes, but also find a financial advisor to help you make these important decisions. Making a few right decisions can get you on the path toward financial independence, but making a few wrong ones isn't the end of the world either. Matt recommends either TD Ameritrade.com or Schwab.com as online platforms to buy and sell stocks for their ease of use and user-friendly interface. Just be careful when you're starting out and take the advice of a pro. If you need a list of financial advisors to have a conversation with, DM me and I'd be happy to point you in the right direction or click the link in the video at the 14:00 mark for a list as well. I hope you guys enjoy it! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- P. S. Check us out on social media! Facebook @The F.I.R.E House Instagram @the_f.i.r.e_house LinkedIn @Thefirehouseinvestors

What's up guys it's Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with Vice President and portfolio manager at WWM Financial Greg Carroll. Over the last 20 years in the financial services industry, Greg has seen several economic cycles come and go. From his beginnings in a big brokerage house to starting his own business, he's seen it all and shares his advice on how to prepare yourself for the next turn in the economy.

What's up everyone. Its Captain Kyle Smith and this week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with Retired San Diego Fire Department Captain and current San Diego Firefighters Credit union board member Michael McCormick. Michael outlines all the ways our credit union far surpasses the big banks and tells us why we should switch (Hint: among other things, they WILL be able to save you some money in hidden fees you're paying at the big banks)

I sat down for a special Morning Meeting this week with retired SDFD Captain Zeke Sanchez and his daughter Christina. They filled me in on what life was like trying to raise a family in the fire department on one hand and what it was like to be raised by a firefighter on the other. They open up about the struggles of constantly trying to make ends meet and how that impacted them at home. Captain Sanchez's advice about not relying on OT to pay the bills took on a whole new perspective when Christina shared what that meant for her when dad was away. Zeke came from humble beginnings, without much financial literacy to speak of before coming on the job, but was still able to support his family and help put his daughter through college at the best school in the country, Santa Clara University. Go Broncos! He did that and still has been living a comfortable life in retirement, while also giving back to the community through his scholarship to the Bomberos de San Diego. He had a plan and never spent more than he had and tried to save at least $0.10 of every dollar he earned. Simple, tried and true advice... I feel honored to have had them on the show and for their willingness to open up to all of us. If you'd like to learn more about them you can find him at zekensheree@sbcglobal.net and her on Facebook @Christinsanchezstokes I hope you guys enjoy it! P. S. Check us out on social media! Facebook Instagram LinkedIn

This week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with former Navy EOD and current Certified Financial Planner Jeff Rotherham. Jeff comes from a fire family so that combined with his military background gives him a unique perspective to our world. He and I talk at length about his 4 Horsemen theory on retirement planning and how each one can derail you. He says that the best return on your money is always going to be investing in yourself

I sat down for a Morning Meeting with the President of E and E Financial Services Eric Sams. Eric is a financial advocate for public servants having spent the last ten years providing fiduciary, fee-based financial services for teachers and first responders. His investment philosophy aligns with what we talk about at The FIREhouse; start early, make a plan and stick with it for the long run

This week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFD firefighter Hobie Porterfield. Hobie and I talk at length about his experience investing in precious metals like Gold, Silver and Palladium. He explains the difference between investing in physical gold vs investing in gold stocks and why it might be a good idea to consider having some precious metal as a portion of your overall portfolio.

I sat down for a Morning Meeting this week with Miramar, FL Battalion Chief and CFP Leo Nunez. Chief Nunez is an advocate of an approach similar to the Dave Ramsey one of financial planning which he uses to help firefighters and first responders get their financial houses in order. Simple, but not easy.

I sat down for a Morning Meeting this week with Aaron Bothwell. Aaron is an advocate of the Dave Ramsey approach to financial planning which he used to help him crush $70k in debt in just over 2.5yrs and he's been going step by step ever since to accomplish his goals. He explains Ramsey's 7 baby step method of achieving financial freedom.

I sat down for a Morning Meeting this week with now former SDFD FF/PM Michael Porche. Michael recently got on the path towards financial freedom by leaving the fire service to pursue real estate full time. He's identified his Why and is now going full force towards achieving his goals. The focus and drive he developed as a firefighter is helping him overcome the obstacles in front of him! “Those that have a strong enough why, can bare with almost any how“-Viktor Frankl I hope you enjoy it.

This week I sat down for a Morning Meeting with SDFD Captain Rich Marcello. Rich has always been known on this fire department as someone who takes action and is deliberate in the way he designs his life. Whether it's structuring his work schedule to allow more time to travel with family✈️, learning from history in the real estate game or building a side hustle into bonafide business, he's always looking for ways to get ahead. This didn't happen by accident though, it happened because he has a vision for how he wants his life to be and he's going out and taking the appropriate steps to make sure it happens

I sat down for a Morning Meeting this week with Gwinnett County, Georgia firefighter Matt Broom. Matt is a candidate to become a certified financial planner and has TONS of great thoughts on how to become financially independent. He says that when you focus your attention on your circle of INFLUENCE instead of your circle of CONCERN, great results follow

This week's Morning Meeting is with SDFD Battalion Chief Robert Logan. Chief Logan shares his advice on how putting yourself in uncomfortable positions can have incredible influence on how you grow and succeed. He tells the story of how he wound up on the board of the San Diego Firefighters Federal Credit Union just by taking action and trying to improve. He now sits in the same room with some very high level financial minds and has been soaking up every ounce of advice he can. What advice do they give him: be patient and let the market do what the market does. Time IN the market is more important than TIMING the market ⏱ Chief Logan was also quick to point out just how involved the Credit Union is in supporting us in the community. Everything from the 911 Stair Climb, The Sports Club picnic, Mobile Santa and tons more, they are here for us. Go to www.sdffcu.org/community-events to see all the ways they're giving back. If you like to learn more about Chief Logan you can email him at rl_005@yahoo.com Hope you enjoy it!

This week's Morning Meeting is with Senior Loan Advisor Jesse Tenenbaum. Jesse is one of those gems you find in the personal finance arena that makes you just want to stop and listen

This week's Morning Meeting is with SDFD Battalion Chief Alan Arrollado. He explains how in his 30+ years of fire service experience, he's seen numerous economic cycles come and go, but the thing that has remained constant is sticking with the fundamentals. Don't buy depreciating assets, build up an emergency fund for when things get tough and invest in companies that pay a dividend. Simple, but not easy... In his career in the fire service, Chief Arrollado spent a lot of time working in the busy houses, but also served as the President of Local 145 and President of the San Diego City Employees Retirement System. Through his experience, he says the biggest eye opener for him on his path to financial independence was learning how to mitigate risk.