Podcast appearances and mentions of Tony Robbins

Join my free workshop on March 25th called Identity Upgrade where I'll show you how changing your identity—not just your habits—is the key to finally changing your life. Register at https://www.2026upgrade.com Feeling stuck? It's time to take back control. If you're ready to master your mind and create real, lasting change, click the link below and start transforming your life today.

Join my free workshop on March 25th called Identity Upgrade where I'll show you how changing your identity—not just your habits—is the key to finally changing your life. Register at

What if the biggest lie you've ever believed is the story you keep telling yourself about who you are? In this episode, I'm going to show you why your personality isn't fixed, how your behaviors shape your identity, and how you can literally rewire your brain to become more confident through action. If you're ready to break out of your past, upgrade your identity, and finally become the person you know you're capable of, this is where it starts. Join my free workshop on March 25th called Identity Upgrade where I'll show you how changing your identity—not just your habits—is the key to finally changing your life. Register at

In this powerful Business Mastery conversation, Tony Robbins sits down with Anastasia Soare — founder of Anastasia Beverly Hills — to break down what it really takes to build a billion-dollar brand from nothing. Anastasia escaped Communist Romania in 1989 with no money, no English, and a three-year-old daughter. She arrived in Los Angeles at 31, started her business at 40, and went on to build Anastasia Beverly Hills into a $3 billion global company while creating an entirely new category in the beauty industry.  In Part 2 of this conversation, Tony and Anastasia go deeper into the mindset behind that success — the 12 years she spent traveling to Nordstrom stores every weekend to prove her concept, the Golden Ratio technique that revolutionized eyebrow shaping, and the relentless commitment to quality that allowed her brand to stand out in a crowded market.  They also discuss how to survive market shifts, adapt during crises like COVID, compete when others copy your success, and why the problems you face as an entrepreneur are often proof that you're growing.  The episode concludes with a powerful live Q&A where Tony is joined by both Anastasia and Spartan founder Joe De Sena. Together they answer raw questions about grit, leadership, raising resilient children, and staying hungry even after you've achieved success.  This isn't just a beauty story. It's an immigrant story. It's a story about starting late — and refusing to quit. As Anastasia says: "If you believe in your product, don't you ever give up."  If you've ever thought, it's too late to build something extraordinary — this conversation will change your mind. Want to experience transformational growth for your own business? Join Business Mastery, happening virtually and in person from August 12–16, 2026, to learn directly from Tony Robbins and world-class faculty.  Secure your spot to Business Mastery here: https://tonyr.co/4cB5IkU 

If sales feels draining, frustrating, or emotionally exhausting, the real problem may not be the work—it may be a hidden mindset mistake.   In this episode, Ray Higdon reveals the subtle mental shift that turns sales into a heavy burden for many reps and entrepreneurs. When salespeople attach their emotional state to outcomes—whether someone buys, responds, or joins—they create constant pressure that makes selling feel overwhelming. Ray explains why the healthiest sales mindset is detachment from outcomes and commitment to activity. Instead of chasing results, top performers focus on conversations, service, and identifying who is truly open to change. This shift removes emotional burnout and allows sales to feel lighter, more sustainable, and far more effective. —

Have you ever wondered why you keep breaking the promises you make to yourself? In this episode, I break down the real psychology behind discipline and explain why it's not about willpower, but about rebuilding self-trust and changing the identity your brain believes you are. If you want to finally become the type of person who follows through, I'll show you how small, consistent actions can rewire your identity and make discipline feel natural. Feeling stuck? It's time to take back control. If you're ready to master your mind and create real, lasting change, click the link below and start transforming your life today.

This episode was sponsored by Cardiff    LightSpeed VT: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/ Dropping Bombs Podcast: https://www.droppingbombs.com/ Today's Dropping Bombs episode delivers a raw, no-BS conversation with Michele Thrash, the elite sales veteran who spent 20+ years in the Tony Robbins organization and now brings that firepower to my Real Training program.   Michele breaks down why most people never make the money they want — it's not the economy, it's not the market, it's not bad luck. It's mindset, skill set, and habits they've never been taught. She reveals how Real Training is transforming people from the inside out, helping them break destructive patterns, crush victim mentality, and become unrecognizable versions of themselves before they ever make a single sale.   This episode exposes why most high-ticket closing courses are robbing you blind, why a guaranteed remote sales position at the end of Real Training makes college look like the biggest scam ever sold, and what it really takes to go from stuck to unstoppable.   If you're not making the money you want, you don't need more time — you need the right training, the right coach, and the guts to bet on yourself.   The opportunity is real. The job is guaranteed. The only question is whether you are.   Go to workwith.bradlea.com and fill out your application now.  

Happy Sunday, Heal Squad! After yesterday's conversation about the three questions successful people ask before making big decisions, Kev goes down another rabbit hole… this time exploring two powerful questions Tony Robbins uses to uncover the role we learned to play in childhood! The discussion dives into how many of us unknowingly become the achiever, caretaker, peacemaker, or comedian in our families… and how those roles can quietly shape the decisions we make for the rest of our lives. Kev and Anne share some personal reflections about family dynamics, why some of us become the “fixer” or the “responsible one,” and the bigger question: is the role you learned as a kid still serving you, or running your life? Plus a few classic Sunday Setup tangents along the way… from silent meditation retreats to Easter candy and, of course, a little wrestling history. Talk shawtly! HEAL SQUAD SOCIALS IG: https://www.instagram.com/healsquad/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@healsquadxmaria HEAL SQUAD RESOURCES: Heal Squad Website:https://www.healsquad.com/ Heal Squad x Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HealSquad/membership Maria Menounos Website: https://www.mariamenounos.com My Curated Macy's Page: Shop My Macy's Storefront EMR-Tek Red Light: https://emr-tek.com/discount/Maria30 for 30% off Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/host AUDIBLE:  https://audible.com/healsquad AG1: drinkag1.com/healsquad  ABOUT MARIA MENOUNOS: Emmy Award-winning journalist, TV personality, actress, 2x NYT best-selling author, former pro-wrestler and brain tumor survivor, Maria Menounos' passion is to see others heal and to get better in all areas of life. ABOUT HEAL SQUAD x MARIA MENOUNOS: A daily digital talk-show that brings you the world's leading healers, experts, and celebrities to share groundbreaking secrets and tips to getting better in all areas of life. DISCLAIMER: This Podcast and all related content (published or distributed by or on behalf of Maria Menounos or http://Mariamenounos.com and http://healsquad.com) is for informational purposes only and may include information that is general in nature and that is not specific to you. Any information or opinions provided by guest experts or hosts featured within website or on Company's Podcast are their own; not those of Maria Menounos or the Company. Accordingly, Maria Menounos and the Company cannot be responsible for any results or consequences or actions you may take based on such information or opinions. This podcast is presented for exploratory purposes only. Published content is not intended to be used for preventing, diagnosing, or treating a specific illness. If you have, or suspect you may have, a health-care emergency, please contact a qualified health care professional for treatment.

Are geniuses actually born different, or do they simply train their minds differently than everyone else? In this episode, I'm going to show you the five mental habits that the smartest thinkers in history use to strengthen their brains—from deliberate thinking and journaling to questioning assumptions and connecting ideas across different fields. If you want to think sharper, become more creative, and train your brain like a mental athlete, I'll walk you through the exact mindset workouts that can help you start thinking like a genius. Feeling stuck? It's time to take back control. If you're ready to master your mind and create real, lasting change, click the link below and start transforming your life today.

Gary Brecka and Tony Robbins are at the center of this episode of the Franchise Fit Podcast, as Lance Graulich interviews Anthony Geisler, Founder and CEO of Sequel Brands, about building the Ultimate Longevity Center with Lifeforce.

What you'll learn in this episode: ● Why leadership starts with keeping promises to yourself ● The difference between being kind and being a good leader ● Why great leaders teach people how to think instead of telling them what to do ● How clear expectations simplify leadership conversations ● The role of vision and mission when building an organization ● Why accountability and candor are essential for high-performing teams

#thePOZcast is proudly brought to you by Fountain - the leading enterprise platform for workforce management. Our platform enables companies to support their frontline workers from job application to departure. Fountain elevates the hiring, management, and retention of frontline workers at scale. To learn more, please visit: https://www.fountain.com/?utm_source=shrm-2024&utm_medium=event&utm_campaign=shrm-2024-podcast-adam-posner. Thanks for listening, and please follow us on Insta @NHPTalent and www.youtube.com/thePOZcast For all episodes, please check out www.thePOZcast.com  Takeaways - Grief is a universal experience that transcends individual circumstances. - Love and connection are essential in navigating loss and grief. - Vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness, especially for men. - Community support plays a crucial role in healing and resilience. - Awareness and open conversations about mental health can save lives. - The journey of grief can lead to profound personal growth and transformation. - Finding purpose in pain can create a legacy that honors lost loved ones. - It's important to recognize and address the signs of mental health struggles in others. - Creating safe spaces for dialogue about mental health is vital for youth. - The power of storytelling can foster connection and understanding in communities.   Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Grief and Purpose 01:14 Navigating Loss and Finding Grace 05:52 The Complexity of Grief 09:56 Living with Duality: Joy and Pain 12:49 The Role of Community in Healing 18:09 Faith and the Power of Connection 23:46 The Journey of Giving and Receiving 30:20 Creating a Legacy from Loss 32:58 Navigating Parenthood Through Adversity 40:51 The Birth of a Movement: Endurance 47:41 Sacred Transformation: Beyond Survival 50:30 Enduring with Love: Finding Strength in Vulnerability 56:31 Understanding the Signs: Preventing Tragedy 01:00:16 Messages of Hope: Honoring Anthony's Legacy      

What if the person who transformed your entire career is also someone you haven't spoken to in seven years? In this episode, Ryan Ellefsen shares how he helps businesses take credit cards, lower processing fees, and protect their revenue as VP of EasyPay Direct, a merchant services company he recently joined after 20 years in the industry. EasyPay serves coaches, consultants, speakers, and internet marketers,  processing payments for names like Tony Robbins, Grant Cardone, and Frank Kern across 34 US locations. Ryan built his career expertise under the mentorship of Steve Thorne, CEO of NMR (National Marketing Resources), eventually rising from Processing Manager to VP and co-building what became Platinum Payment Systems. Today, Ryan is known for his transparent, relationship-first approach to merchant services — always insisting on a face-to-face conversation before onboarding any client, no matter how small. Ryan honors Steve Thorne, the man who hired him at $70,000/year when he was making $23,400 as a Spanish teacher in Utah. Phil Smith introduced Ryan to Steve while both were in an MBA program, and Steve believed in Ryan enough to bring him into NMR, where Ryan spent 10 transformative years climbing from Processing Manager all the way to VP. Under Steve's roof, Ryan co-built a merchant processing company that eventually merged into Platinum Payment Systems.   [00:03:41] Reconnected Through a Mutual Friend Kevin and Ryan originally met years ago at Genius Network Recently reconnected via mutual friend Anthony Simon through an email introduction Neither realized in the intro email that they already knew each other [00:03:51] VP of EasyPay Direct: What He Does and Who He Serves Merchant services company helping businesses accept credit cards and get funding Specializes in the coach, consultant, speaker, author, and internet marketing space Serves major names like Tony Robbins, Grant Cardone, and Frank Kern Recently joined after 20 years in the industry; he and CEO Brad Weimert were friendly competitors for two decades [00:05:04] EasyPay vs. PayPal: The Key Difference PayPal is better for card-present transactions like retail stores EasyPay specializes in card-not-present, high-risk: coaching, big-ticket packages, phone sales High-risk means future fulfillment over time, high-ticket pricing, sold over the phone Premier company in the country for internet marketing and coaching businesses [00:07:55] What Inspires Ryan Most: Giving People a Fair Deal Has an affinity for the person being ripped off by hidden fees Philosophy: everybody can win — a 10-year relationship beats a 6-month windfall Sometimes helps small businesses where he makes almost nothing — and loves it Tries to learn something from every single conversation [00:13:02] How EasyPay Lowers Your Rates Over Time EasyPay has its own gateway to manage multiple banks from a single login Uses Level 3 Advantage and tokenization to lower interchange rates Can lower interchange by up to 75 basis points (0.75%) EasyPay's margin stays fixed; all savings go directly to the client [00:18:40] The Industry's Dirty Secret: Watch Your Statements Processors can legally raise your rates by burying notice in statement fine print Not calling to cancel is considered acceptance of new terms They raise rates 5 –10 basis points at a time. Visa changes rates every six months and they go up more often than down [00:26:15] Started as a Spanish Teacher Making $23,400 a Year Graduated college, went on a church mission to South America from 1991 to 1993 Came back, majored in Spanish teaching, played sports, had fun First teaching job in Utah in 1997 paid $23,400/year Started a carpet cleaning business in school that eventually made 10x his teaching salary [00:28:00] Phil Smith Introduces Ryan to Steve Thorne Met Phil Smith in his MBA cohort Phil introduced him to Steve Thorne, CEO of NMR (National Marketing Resources) in Kearney, Missouri Steve hired Ryan as Processing Manager at $70,000/year nearly triple his teaching salary His bonus in year two was bigger than his entire teaching salary [00:29:05] Ten Years at NMR: From Manager to VP Progressed from Processing Manager → Director → Managing Director → VP NMR and sister company PMI did infomercial production for Dean Graziosi, Anthony Morrison, and others Did hundreds of millions in coaching and big-ticket event sales Ryan pitched starting a merchant processing company; Steve challenged him to make it a million-dollar idea. [00:30:31] When a Great Relationship Fractures Ryan and Steve haven't spoken in seven years following a lawsuit Ended in a no-fault settlement — neither side got what they wanted Ryan still considers Steve one of the best, most honest people he's ever met "If he ever catches wind of this podcast… I would welcome that" [00:35:20] What Steve's Mentorship Still Looks Like Today After the split, became VP of a digital marketing company within 6 months Core lesson from Steve: how to treat people with genuine sincerity "Nobody who's ever met Steve Thorn dislikes Steve Thorn" Attributes his versatility and confidence across industries entirely to Steve's tutelage   KEY QUOTES "My philosophy is that everybody can win. If you can set up a relationship that makes some money for the next 10 years, that's way better than a relationship that makes you a whole bunch of money for six months." - Ryan Ellefsen "Steve Thorn transformed my life. If he hadn't given me that opportunity, I wouldn't be where I am today and I wouldn't have what I have today." - Ryan Ellefsen "Nobody who's ever met Steve Thorn dislikes Steve Thorn. He's sincere. He's a good guy and he just knows how to treat people. And so I learned a lot from him in that regard." - Ryan Ellefsen CONNECT WITH RYAN ELLEFSEN

Have you ever wondered why you keep saying you want a better life, but still act like the same old version of yourself? In this episode, I'm going to show you how I literally tricked my brain into believing I could create the life I wanted—and how shifting my identity, actions, and language completely changed my reality. If you're ready to stop letting your past predict your future and start becoming the person you want to be, this episode will show you exactly how to reprogram your mind. Feeling stuck? It's time to take back control. If you're ready to master your mind and create real, lasting change, click the link below and start transforming your life today.

In this bold and controversial episode, Ray Higdon explains why being "nice" can hurt both your income and the people you are trying to serve. While many salespeople believe kindness alone is enough, Ray argues that excessive niceness often masks avoidance, weak posture, and a refusal to develop real sales skills. You will learn why caring about prospects sometimes requires courage instead of comfort, why authenticity without skill can limit impact, and how improving your sales ability actually helps more people transform their lives. Ray also breaks down the difference between being pushy and being bold—and why mastering scripts and frameworks is essential if you want consistent results. —  

What you'll learn in this episode: ● Why sales becomes powerful when you shift from transactions to transformation ● How to position your product or service as the bridge to your client's goals ● The mindset shift that removes the fear of being “salesy” ● Why belief in your solution is the foundation of effective selling ● The four stages of growth: belief, lead generation, teaching, and leadership ● How helping others succeed expands your impact and income

In this episode of the Soul Inspiring Business Podcast, Kara interviews entrepreneur, author, and wellness strategist Brett Harmeling. Brett is the Founder and CEO of Happy Life Labs and one of Tony Robbins' business strategists, focused on helping leaders and organizations optimize their health, energy, and environment to unlock their highest potential.Brett shares his deeply personal journey from experiencing a traumatic brain injury and navigating pharmaceutical dependency to reclaiming his vitality through functional medicine, energy work, and natural wellness practices. The conversation dives into the intersection of business, spirituality, and human performance, exploring how energy management, gratitude, movement, and mindset influence success and fulfillment.Listeners will gain insights into how to regulate their nervous system, increase energy naturally, and develop the self-awareness needed to transform both their personal lives and their businesses.Episode TopicsBrett Harmeling's journey from traumatic brain injury to wellness leadershipWhy energy is the real currency for entrepreneurs and leadersTurning trauma and life challenges into wisdom and growthThe role of light, water, and movement in optimizing human performanceHow breathwork and meditation support nervous system regulationGratitude as a tool for maintaining peak state and resilienceThe importance of personal responsibility in health and vitalityUnderstanding patterns and emotional states through the Hawkins Scale of ConsciousnessMoney as energy and the importance of stewardship and generosityBrett's role as a business strategist with Tony Robbins and the “Seven Forces of Business Mastery”Insights1. Energy is Your Most Valuable AssetYour energy determines your capacity to lead, create impact, and solve bigger problems. When entrepreneurs neglect their energy, they limit their potential.2. Life Happens For You, Not To YouReframing challenges as lessons allows individuals to transform trauma into wisdom and personal growth.3. Truth + Vulnerability = PowerPersonal transformation begins when individuals are willing to face the truth about themselves and embrace vulnerability.4. The Foundations of Health Are SimpleBrett highlights three foundational pillars for vitality:Proper light exposureClean, structured water and mineralsDaily movement and groundingThese natural inputs regulate the body's energy systems and nervous system.5. Movement Changes Emotional StateEnergy in motion creates emotion. When you move your body, you shift your emotional state and unlock higher levels of creativity and clarity.6. Gratitude Keeps You in Peak StateGratitude helps leaders stay grounded, especially as responsibility and challenges grow alongside success.7. Pattern Recognition Changes Your LifeBy becoming aware of recurring emotional and behavioral patterns, individuals can consciously shift their actions and ultimately transform their lives.Highlights:00:00 Highlighted Keypoints00:53 Personal Healing Journey11:16 Foundations of Vitality23:34 Movement, Breathwork, Meditation35:14 Energy, Leadership, Money38:24 Coaching, Influence, Partnerships43:01 Contact and Follow-up Info43:18 Podcast episode endedResourcesDavid Hawkins – Map of ConsciousnessTony Robbins – Seven Forces of Business MasteryHappy Life Labs (Brett's wellness and performance platform)Breathwork and pranayama practices for nervous system regulationRed light therapy and natural wellness technologiesBrett Harmeling is an Author, serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and global speaker dedicated to advancing human potential and well-being. As Founder and CEO of Happy Life Labs, he leads a wellness and performance platform that helps individuals and leaders.ResourcesDavid Hawkins – Map of ConsciousnessTony Robbins – Seven Forces of Business MasteryHappy Life Labs (Brett's wellness and performance platform)Breathwork and pranayama practices for nervous system regulationRed light therapy and natural wellness technologiesIf this conversation inspired you, take the first step toward optimizing your energy and unlocking your highest potential.Start by focusing on the fundamentals: movement, light, breath, and gratitude. Small daily shifts can create massive long-term transformation.To connect with Brett Harmeling, reach out through:brett@happylifelabs.comwww.happylifelabs.comhttps://www.instagram.com/brettharmeling/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bharmeling/And if you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to the Soul Inspiring Business Podcast and share it with someone who is ready to elevate their energy, business, and impact.Connect with Kara to share your thoughts on the series:Website - http://www.kcdrealestate.com/Email - kara@kdcrealestate.comInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/karachaffindonofrio/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/karachaffin1?_rdc=1&_rdrYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/KaraChaffinLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karachaffin/Don't forget to visit freegiftfromkara.com for our special giveaway, the Dynamic Life Journal to help you maintain your authentic voice and intuitive wisdom while navigating the balance between technology and human connection in your business and personal life.Special Listener Offer: Unlock Your Soul-Aligned Brand with Jen CudmoreAs a gift to our Soul Inspiring Business community, I've convinced my incredible mentor and business coach, Jen Cudmore, to create an exclusive package just for you—our loyal listeners. This special offer includes a powerful private session to

《非誠勿擾快速約會》

What if the biggest thing holding you back from the life you want is the way you think? In this episode, I share the seven mindset habits that completely changed the trajectory of my life—from taking full responsibility and developing a growth mindset to practicing gratitude and pushing past fear. If you're ready to stop making excuses and start becoming the CEO of your own life, these habits can help you build the mindset that creates real success and fulfillment. Feeling stuck? It's time to take back control. If you're ready to master your mind and create real, lasting change, click the link below and start transforming your life today.

Let's revisit Tony Robbin's birthday, bombing on cruise ships, and a chaotic SNL audition with Kyle Dunnigan. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we're talking 'human technology' — specifically, neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP. If you have any interest in modern day cults like NXIVM or Twin Flames Universe, you may have heard of it. But did you know that NLP also has roots in therapeutic practices like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, or that Tony Robbins was an NLP practitioner before becoming a motivational speaker?In the new podcast Mind Games, journalists and best friends Alice Hines and Zoë Lescaze investigate the origins of NLP, from its roots in the new age movement in 1970s California through the pick-up artist trend of the early 2000s. They even try their hand at hypnotizing themselves. But does it work? Check out Mind Games from Kaleidoscope and iHeartPodcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What you'll learn in this episode: ● Why leadership levels change depending on relationships and trust ● How leaders can operate at different leadership levels with different people ● The role adaptability plays in effective leadership ● Why some successful organizations lose their direction over time ● How ego can quietly sabotage leadership growth ● The importance of understanding people before trying to lead them    

What you'll learn in this episode: ● Why many sales funnels fail and how to fix a “leaky bucket” pipeline ● The mindset shift that turns lead generation from a grind into a system ● How to attract warm, qualified prospects instead of chasing cold leads ● The psychology behind why some leads convert while others disappear ● Techniques to nurture relationships and build long-term client trust ● Scripts and frameworks that help you move from chasing clients to attracting them

In this powerful episode, Brad May returns for Part 2 of a raw and honest conversation about leadership, resilience, identity, and what it truly takes to win at the highest level.Brad reflects on being traded multiple times during his NHL career, adapting to new teams, and learning how to integrate into different locker rooms without disrupting culture. He shares the emotional journey of winning the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks — and why celebrating that moment with his family meant more than the trophy itself.The conversation expands beyond hockey into business leadership. Brad breaks down why coaches are “salesmen,” why clarity of vision is essential, and why delegation without interference builds trust. He unpacks the difference between playing not to lose versus playing to win — and why excuses quietly erode culture.At its core, this episode is about ownership. Ownership of performance. Ownership of mistakes. Ownership of mindset.As Brad says, there is no “try.” You either do or you don't.Episode Highlights:0:00 - Mindset over body: eliminating "try" and taking ownership0:34 - Welcome and introduction to part two of the episode1:31 - Adapting to seven different NHL teams and building new relationships6:00 - Winning the 2007 Stanley Cup with Anaheim after 16-year career7:50 - Scott Niedermeyer's perspective on being lucky to share the Cup with family11:04 - What makes a good coach: selling a system and getting buy-in13:49 - Comparing coaching styles: Mark Crawford vs Ted Nolan vs Randy Carlisle15:30 - Ted Nolan's simple advice: "Just play left wing" analogy17:31 - Randy Carlisle's relentless work ethic and pursuit of excellence21:28 - Why some players leave the game bitter and unfulfilled25:08 - Identity after hockey: from "I used to be" to "I am a hockey player"30:28 - Eliminating excuses: "You either do or you don't"33:28 - Leadership lesson from Brian Burke: delegating responsibility to coaches55:38 - Playing to win vs playing not to lose: the power of identifying your goal58:38 - The bar speech that united the team and families to win togetherKey Takeaways:Leaders must communicate crystal-clear goals (short, medium, and long term).Identity loss can derail high performers after retirement or career shifts.Playing to “not lose” creates hesitation; playing to win creates momentum.Ownership beats excuses — every time.Leaders must reflect on whether failure was execution or lack of resources.Energy, clarity, and consistency win over time.You must declare what you want — silence guarantees nothing.Resources Mentioned: The Secret (law of attraction concept)Tony Robbins – mindset principle referencedNIL (Name, Image, Likeness) era in NCAA athleticsCold plunge discipline practiceBillions (TV show reference for executive coaching concept)Notable Quotes: “Your mind is in charge. Doesn't matter what your body feels, just do it.” - Brad May“It's okay if you're not successful, but own it and learn from it and let's go. Let's keep moving.” - Brad May“The moment that a coach compromises his values, he's not the same guy and he's probably not as good.” - Brad May“A coach is just a salesman. He needs 25 guys to buy in.” - Brad May“You gotta enjoy the small wins.” - Dwayne Kerrigan“There's just some people, some leaders, who are just not having the hard enough conversations.” - Dwayne Kerrigan“You also have to have people around you that are willing to say - hey, you're being either too easy or too hard. Like you just, you have to have a team around you to help you identify as a leader.” - Dwayne KerriganGuest Bio: Brad May is a former NHL forward whose 19-year career spanned more than 1,000 regular-season games across the league. He is a Stanley Cup champion, winning with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, and remains a recognizable figure in hockey history for his 1993 overtime playoff goal against Boston, remembered by fans as the iconic “May Day” moment.Following his retirement from professional hockey in 2010, May transitioned into broadcasting, working as an NHL analyst with CBC, Rogers Sportsnet, and AT&T SportsNet, where his candid, player-first perspective made him a natural presence on air. In 2024, May entered a new chapter off the ice, joining NFP as a Client Executive, where he works with businesses and individuals on insurance and risk management.Guest Social Links: Instagram: www.instagram.com/maydayhockey LinkedIn: ca.linkedin.com/in/brad-may-24228662Connect with Dwayne Kerrigan:FacebookInstagramLinkedInWebsiteDisclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed by guests during The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Dwayne Kerrigan and his affiliates. Dwayne Kerrigan or The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any of the information contained in the podcast series. The primary purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform. Listeners are advised to consult with a qualified professional or specialist before making any decisions based on the content of this podcast.

Episode SummaryWhen Ryan Murphy's Love Story dropped in 2026, it didn't just revive a 25-year-old story; it rewrote the reputation of two women for a streaming audience of millions. Molly McPherson breaks down what the show got wrong, what the sourced record actually says, and why Daryl Hannah's New York Times op-ed was a textbook crisis communications move. This is a case study in narrative power, media accountability, and what it costs when the story gets told wrong the first time.What You'll LearnWhy the 1990s media environment was built to villainize women like Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and how that same machinery is running inside a 2026 streaming seriesWhat data reveals about Daryl Hannah's coverage after her New York Times op-ed and why the numbers tell a story the headlines missedThe three reasons Daryl Hannah's op-ed worked when most public responses don'tWhy a producer's candid quote about needing a narrative villain is the most honest and damaging thing said about Love StoryWhat Once Upon a Time, the 2024 biography by Elizabeth Beller, actually documents about the night of July 16, 1999, and how it dismantles the airport mythThe behavioral pattern that turns private people into public villainsWhy silence is not a neutral strategy when a story already has momentumResources MentionedOnce Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy by Elizabeth Beller (2024)Daryl Hannah's guest essay in the New York Times, March 6, 2026Join me on March 18 at 12pm ET for a members-only deep dive into something I've been itching to talk about: how credibility gets manufactured online.We'll examine the mechanics behind the modern self-help and influencer economy—looking at figures like Mel Robbins, Tony Robbins, Jay Shetty, Peter Attia, Rachel Hollis, and others to understand how authority gets built, amplified, and monetized.Want More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly: https://www.youtube.com/mollymcpherson https://mollymcpherson.substack.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcpherson https://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/ ...

If you feel like your nervous system is reacting instead of responding, you aren’t alone. We are currently moving through an unprecedented structural recalibration—a "purge" phase of evolution where our bodies, minds, and spirits may feel like they are revolting. In this energetic check-in, we discuss why the internal and external chaos you’re experiencing is actually a dismantling of the old to make way for the authentic. In this episode, we explore: Survival vs. Authenticity: Why structures built on adrenaline, high anxiety, and people-pleasing are crumbling like a house of cards. The "False Urgency" of 2026: Navigating the pressure to move faster when the soul is calling for integration and living from the inside out. Psychic Fracturing: Why destabilization is the richest energy for developing intuitive gifts, even when it feels like deja vu or vivid pre-cognitive dreams. When Tools Fail: What to do when traditional grounding and "Tony Robbins encouragement" aren’t working, and why the most compassionate thing you can do is simply be. Saturn in Aries: Addressing the profound sense of loneliness and isolation during this transition. Whether you’re experiencing panic attacks, deep grief, or a total disinterest in unaligned relationships, remember: the moment before the breakthrough always feels the toughest. We are building new neural pathways in a field of tall wheat; it takes repetition, grace, and the refusal to quit on yourself. You are qualified to be here for this awakening—don't stop before the miracle. Additional Resources: Saturn & Neptune in Aries: The Moment That Everything Changes Nervous System Regulation: The Key to Your Spiritual Awakening March 2026 Energy Update: Relinquish Control, Clear Debris, & Reclaim Your Narrative Host: Amanda Rieger Green YouTube: @soul_pathology⁩ Instagram: @soulpathology Website: SoulPathology.com Email: Podcast@soulsessions.meFollow Amanda on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulpathology/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First up, we're talking cake (with a hole in the middle

In Part 1 of this Business Mastery 2026 conversation, Tony Robbins sits down with Joe De Sena, Founder & CEO of Spartan, the global endurance brand that's pushed millions of people to test their limits across 40+ countries, to unpack the mindset, resilience, and decision-making required to build a global business from the ground up. Joe shares how nearly losing everything during the pandemic reshaped his leadership, why "fire, ready, aim" beats waiting for the perfect plan, and how deliberately choosing discomfort builds the mental toughness required to lead at scale. Together, Tony and Joe explore why most people quit before they ever begin, how to iterate your offer until the market responds, and why mission-driven leadership outperforms motivation when the pressure is on.  This is a must-watch for entrepreneurs, founders, and leaders — and for anyone who wants to build something meaningful without waiting for ideal conditions! *Want to experience transformational growth for your own business? Join Business Mastery, happening virtually and in person from August 12–16, 2026, to learn directly from Tony Robbins and world-class faculty.  *Secure your spot to Business Mastery here: https://tonyr.co/4cB5IkU

Today I sit down with Christopher Zook to explore how he built and scaled CAZ Investments into an $11B alternative investment platform.   Christopher shares the early vision behind launching his firm at age 31 and the philosophy of investing his own capital first before inviting others to participate alongside him. We discuss how a chance confrontation in a country club locker room ultimately forced him to rethink capital formation and marketing, transforming the trajectory of the business. Christopher also breaks down the strategy behind GP stakes, the evolution of private markets, and why alignment with partners sits at the center of everything he does. We discuss: • How Christopher built an investment firm around the principle of investing his own capital first alongside partners • The locker room moment that forced a shift toward proactive capital formation and communication with investors • Designing an irresistible offer by eliminating management fees and aligning incentives entirely with investor outcomes • How GP stakes investing works and why it has become one of the most powerful business models in private markets • Why themes like media rights, private markets expansion, and access to alternatives are shaping the future of investing Support our Sponsors Ramp: https://ramp.com/powers Collateral Partners: https://collateral.com/fort Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro(00:03:53) - The origins of CAZ Investments(00:12:42) - Creating the irresistible offer(00:17:38) - Partnering with Tony Robbins(00:36:54) - GP stakes explained(00:41:48) - Secondary market edge(00:44:58) - How GP stakes are underwritten(00:49:48) - Tech and venture carry risk(00:53:12) - Consolidation trends(00:56:31) - Big checks and liquidity rights(01:02:18) - Thematic funds and investor access(01:07:04) - Alignment rules and guardrails(01:11:03) - Sports team investing thesis(01:15:54) - Media rights and league economics(01:26:11) - Democratizing alternatives Links: CAZ Investments - https://cazinvestments.com/ Christopher on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-zook Chris on Social Media: Chris on X: https://x.com/fortworthchris Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepowerspodcast LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/45gIkFd Watch POWERS on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3oynxNX Visit our website: https://www.powerspod.com/ Leave a review on Apple: https://bit.ly/45crFD0 Leave a review on Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Krl9jO  POWERS is produced by https://www.johnnypodcasts.com/

We're back to discuss all the latest, greatest, and strangest happenings in the rock world with Geekwire! Here's what we're digging into this time: Sebastian Bach joins Twisted Sister with Dee Snider's full blessing, and the band also added Joey Cassata on drums for the upcoming shows. Jon Bon Jovi is still showing vocal struggles in public performance, this time during a Tony Robbins appearance. Zakk Wylde revealed the song that first made him want to pick up the guitar and explained his motivation for opening for Black Label Society. Reactivated Sister Sin has released “Drive,” only its second new single in 12 years. Metallica has added six more “Life Burns Faster” Sphere residency shows in Las Vegas. Mortgage brokers are standing by. A massive Ozzy Osbourne statue will be unveiled at Hellfest, while Sharon says Ozzfest will return in 2027. Members of Ace Frehley's solo band have announced an Australian tour celebrating a late KISS legend. Geddy Lee says Anika Nilles didn't click immediately, but by day five she had nailed it. But, is it for the glory or the cash? Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony say they have not been asked to take part in Alex Van Halen's project with Steve Lukather. Additionally, what the heck IS this project exactly? All that and more on this edition of Geekwire! Decibel Geek is a proud member of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Contact Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Facebook Fan Page Follow on Twitter Follow on Instagram E-mail Us Subscribe to our Youtube channel! Support Us! Buy a T-Shirt! Donate to the show! Stream Us! Stitcher Radio Spreaker TuneIn Become a VIP Subscriber! Click HERE for more info! Comment Below Direct Download  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If sales feels exhausting, draining, or emotionally heavy, the problem may not be your workload—it may be your approach. In this episode, Ray Higdon explains why sales should not feel this exhausting and reveals the two core shifts that immediately reduce burnout: posture and lead flow. Most salespeople feel tired because they are chasing prospects, forcing conversations, and operating from desperation instead of confidence. Ray breaks down why posture—the ability to manage the energy of a conversation—is the opposite of chasing and how learning it instantly removes emotional friction from selling. He also explains why building lead generation alongside prospecting is essential for long-term sustainability and why relying on one without the other limits income. —  

What you'll learn in this episode: Why hiring should start with understanding your own strengths and weaknesses The difference between vision, mission, and culture when building a team Why most entrepreneurs struggle with hiring compared to selling The real cost of making a bad hire Why Dan treats the first 90 days as part of the interview process The surprising statistics behind finding the right talent How great leadership helps people achieve their goals—and why that leads to your success

We're back to discuss all the latest, greatest, and strangest happenings in the rock world with Geekwire! Here's what we're digging into this time: Sebastian Bach joins Twisted Sister with Dee Snider's full blessing, and the band also added Joey Cassata on drums for the upcoming shows. Jon Bon Jovi is still showing vocal struggles in public performance, this time during a Tony Robbins appearance. Zakk Wylde revealed the song that first made him want to pick up the guitar and explained his motivation for opening for Black Label Society. Reactivated Sister Sin has released “Drive,” only its second new single in 12 years. Metallica has added six more “Life Burns Faster” Sphere residency shows in Las Vegas. Mortgage brokers are standing by. A massive Ozzy Osbourne statue will be unveiled at Hellfest, while Sharon says Ozzfest will return in 2027. Members of Ace Frehley's solo band have announced an Australian tour celebrating a late KISS legend. Geddy Lee says Anika Nilles didn't click immediately, but by day five she had nailed it. But, is it for the glory or the cash? Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony say they have not been asked to take part in Alex Van Halen's project with Steve Lukather. Additionally, what the heck IS this project exactly? All that and more on this edition of Geekwire! Decibel Geek is a proud member of the Pantheon Podcasts family. Contact Us! Rate, Review, and Subscribe in iTunes Join the Facebook Fan Page Follow on Twitter Follow on Instagram E-mail Us Subscribe to our Youtube channel! Support Us! Buy a T-Shirt! Donate to the show! Stream Us! Stitcher Radio Spreaker TuneIn Become a VIP Subscriber! Click HERE for more info! Comment Below Direct Download  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you waiting to feel motivated before you finally take action? In this episode, I explain why motivation is unreliable and why consistency is the real key to building the life, business, and habits you want. I'll show you how small daily actions, done consistently, create unstoppable momentum and lead to long-term success. Feeling stuck? It's time to take back control. If you're ready to master your mind and create real, lasting change, click the link below and start transforming your life today.

In this episode, we discuss: You're doing the work. You've built a real business, grown a team, and have clients who love you — and yet, something still feels off. You can see the next level, but no matter what strategy you try, you can't seem to get there. Sound familiar? In this deeply personal episode, Daniela opens up about one of the most challenging seasons of her life — managing a seven-figure business, two young kids, and a household almost entirely on her own while her husband traveled 80% of the year for his military career. She was spiraling, and no amount of strategy was fixing it. What finally pulled her through wasn't a new system or a smarter schedule. It was a framework from Tony Robbins that completely changed the way she approached every business (and life) challenge: State. Story. Strategy. In this episode, Daniela breaks down exactly what each of these three pillars means and, more importantly, why the order is everything. She shares the science behind why depleted entrepreneurs literally cannot access strategic thinking, how your limiting beliefs quietly become self-fulfilling realities, and why the strategies you've been trying probably aren't the problem. You'll walk away with a clear, actionable plan to audit your current state, identify the limiting story that's keeping you stuck, and build the evidence you need to rewrite it — so that when you do go deep on strategy, it actually sticks. If you've ever wondered why smart, hard-working spa owners still hit invisible ceilings, this episode will give you the most honest answer you've heard yet. This one is personal. And it just might be exactly what you needed to hear today. Resources Mentioned in Episode #474: The Real Reason Your Spa Strategy Isn't Working (It's Not What You Think) Tony Robbins' State, Story, Strategy Framework: https://www.tonyrobbins.com I Am Not Your Guru (Netflix, 2016) — Tony Robbins documentary: https://www.netflix.com/title/80102204 Read the Stress Signalling Pathways that Impair Prefrontal Cortex Structure and Function Study. Read the Stress Effects on the Body Study.   Want to break past $25K–$35K months without adding more treatment hours? Watch The Systems Shift and learn how 600+ spa owners are scaling into their Spa CEO role (without sacrificing family time or sanity). 

What if the real revolution in business isn't AI… but consciousness?In this episode of the Sacred Changemakers Podcast, I'm joined by Viviana Voorwald — former PwC partner turned founder of TRIBE500 — a network organization guiding leaders to step into renewal, purpose, and conscious leadership.After nearly two decades shaping organizations from the inside, Viviana experienced a profound awakening that shifted her understanding of power, success, and leadership. She now believes the next evolution of business won't be driven by intellect alone, but by heart, frequency, and a return to source. Together, we explore what it means to lead from love in a world shaped by disruption — and why elevating corporate consciousness may be one of the most important shifts of our time.Key Themes:Why AI may be forcing humanity to remember who we truly areThe “frequency of love” (500) and what it means inside a boardroomMoving beyond the illusion of the mind into embodied leadershipBridging ancient wisdom practices with modern business systemsBuilding TRIBE500 as a collective model for elevating corporate consciousnessThis is a grounded yet expansive conversation for coaches, leaders, and changemakers who sense that strategy alone is no longer enough and that the future of leadership must be rooted in deeper human awakening.Learn More About Today's Guest:Viviana Voorwald spent almost two decades as a partner at PwC, shaping leaders and organizations from within one of the world's most established corporate environments. Born in Peru, she carried an early inner knowing and lifelong sensitivity to deeper truths. Through years of personal development and immersion in ancient wisdom practices, including the research of David Hawkins, the teachings of Buddhist master Cuong Lu, the work of Tony Robbins, the Medicine Wheel traditions, and plant medicine healing, Viviana experienced a profound awakening that transformed her understanding of leadership and human potential.She is the founder of TRIBE500, a curated network of high-level practitioners guiding business leaders to operate from heart, source, and conscious alignment. Her mission is clear: to elevate corporate consciousness and bridge brilliant minds with the frequency of love.Viviana's website ****→ https://www.tribe500.comViviana on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/viviana-voorwald-9860391/About the HostJayne Warrilow is the founder of Sacred Changemakers, a global community and learning space exploring the intersection of human resonance, regenerative change, and conscious leadership.Learn more at sacredchangemakers.com

What you'll learn in this episode: ● Why learning from experienced people shortens your business learning curve ● How asking the right questions can unlock powerful business insights ● The smartest way to find and hire the right virtual assistant ● Why successful entrepreneurs openly share their systems and workflows ● How networking conversations can lead to referrals and new opportunities ● Why getting into the right rooms accelerates business growth

What you'll learn in this episode ● Why rapid success can lead to burnout for many real estate agents ● The identity shift required to move from employee to entrepreneur ● The “act as if” mindset and how it builds confidence faster ● How daily habit tracking can transform your performance ● Why belief is built through action — not emotion ● The small consistent behaviors that compound into predictable success

What you'll learn in this episode ● Why people and systems are the foundation of every scalable business ● How documenting your daily processes creates a blueprint for growth ● Why your first hire should often be an administrative assistant or virtual assistant ● The difference between $10/hour tasks and $2,000/hour activities ● How awareness is the first step toward eliminating inefficiencies ● Why limiting beliefs prevent entrepreneurs from scaling their business

Are you actually lazy… or are you just living a life that drains your energy? In this episode, I break down why laziness is often a sign that you're out of alignment with your true purpose and why doing work you hate can be far more exhausting than chasing something you love. I'll show you how to reconnect with what energizes you, experiment with new experiences, and start moving toward a life that feels effortless and fulfilling. Feeling stuck? It's time to take back control. If you're ready to master your mind and create real, lasting change, click the link below and start transforming your life today.

In an AI-driven world, SEO is evolving, but is traditional SEO still effective? Discover how Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is changing the digital landscape. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Damon Burton, Founder and President of SEO National, who discusses the future of SEO in an AI-dominated world. As AI tools like ChatGPT take over search queries, Damon explains how businesses can leverage these tools while staying true to the tried-and-true SEO strategies that have worked for decades. From the basics of SEO to advanced Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), Damon offers expert insights into how businesses can thrive in this new digital era. Key Takeaways:→ AI is reshaping SEO, but it's still vital to focus on the same core elements. → Despite the rise of AI, foundational SEO, like website structure and content strategy, remains essential. → Google's dominance in search engines is still substantial, and businesses should not panic. → Understanding the intent behind search queries is vital for both traditional SEO and AI-powered platforms. → AI offers small businesses a unique opportunity to compete against larger players with the right SEO strategy and content. Damon Burton is the founder of SEO National, a search engine marketing agency he launched in 2007 after famously outranking a billion-dollar company on Google. Since then, he has built an international team that's helped clients like Tony Robbins, Russell Brunson, NBA teams, and Inc. 5000 and Shark Tank–featured companies make more in a month than they used to in a year. A best-selling author, Damon literally wrote the book on SEO—Outrank, a practical guide that shows businesses how to dominate Google without paying for ads. Featured in Entrepreneur, Forbes, BuzzFeed, and USA Weekly, he's known for making complex SEO strategies easy to understand and implement. A husband and father of three, Damon also speaks on leading remote teams and building a family-first culture while scaling a high-performance digital business. Connect With Damon:Website: http://damonburton.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneurdamon/X: https://x.com/EntrepreneurDBFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/damon.burtonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonburton/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@damon-burton

Get AudioBooks for Free Best Self-improvement Motivation Stay Hungry – Tony Robbins Motivation Get fired up by Tony Robbins's powerful message on ambition, growth, and relentless drive to achieve extraordinary success. Get AudioBooks for Free ⁠We Need Your Love & Support ❤️ https://buymeacoffee.com/myinspiration #Motivational_Speech #motivation #inspirational_quotes #motivationalspeech Get AudioBooks for Free Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if I told you that the thoughts you think every single day are literally reshaping your brain? In this episode, I'm going to show you how positive thinking works just like going to the gym — the more you train it, the stronger your brain becomes — and I'll break down the neuroscience behind neuroplasticity, neural pathways, and why “neurons that fire together, wire together.” If you're ready to stop reinforcing negative patterns and start rewiring your mind for confidence, emotional regulation, and lasting change, this episode will show you exactly how to do it. Feeling stuck? It's time to take back control. If you're ready to master your mind and create real, lasting change, click the link below and start transforming your life today.

Rejection is one of the biggest confidence killers in sales—but it doesn't have to be. In this episode, Ray Higdon explains how to stay confident after rejection and why most salespeople take rejection far too personally. The truth is, rejection is not a sign that you are failing—it is a normal part of growth, success, and mastery. Ray shares powerful perspective shifts that instantly remove the emotional sting of rejection, including why top authors, actors, and entrepreneurs faced massive rejection before succeeding. You will also learn how detaching from outcomes, focusing on activity, and reframing rejection as progress can dramatically increase your confidence and consistency. —  

Kiera is joined by Derick Van Ness of Big Life Financial to talk about taxes, and how to handle them beyond simply thinking of them as a necessary evil. The pair discuss knowing your numbers, utilizing tax credits, the magic touch of a CPA, and more. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team Listeners, this is Kiera. And today I am super excited. This is one of our top favorite guests that has been on the podcast. We're bringing him back on because there are some new updates and our clients love him. I love him. He is incredible. Derick Van Ness, he is with Big Life Financial. And you might have heard him on the podcast before talking about R &D credits, tax saving ideas, CPA.   This man does a lot of your wealth and how to build and keep your wealth. So I always love our conversations and just like his good information. Plus, if I remember right, he might know Garrett Gunderson. So obviously I've been a fangirl since day one. Derick, welcome back to the show. How are you today?   Derick Van Ness (00:42) Well, I'm doing great and really happy to be here with you, Kiera. I'm not Garrett Gunderson because he is taller and better looking, but I'm a good second place.   The Dental A Team (00:48) Ha ha ha!   I think that you're great. The fact that you know Garrett Gunderson, that already just has elevated you. I mean, I think it was one of our first conversations we ever had. And I was like, have you ever read like Killing Sacred Cows? And you're like, I actually know Garrett Gunderson. I was like, what? Fangirling. So ⁓ anyway, Derick, for those who have not met you, haven't heard your episode, because we do have new listeners to the podcast. Just kind of give them a little intro of who is Derick Bennis? What is Big Life Financial? And give the listeners a little intro to who you are.   Derick Van Ness (01:20) Okay, well outside of being ⁓ in love with my wife, in love with art and in love with racing sailboats, what I do professionally is I help ⁓ doctors and dentists to be smarter with their money. So what does that mean? That means how do you, not so much to make it, I mean we do help people scale, but once you make the money, which is something a lot of dentists are good at, how do you keep it through tax savings? How do you grow it and how do you protect it, right?   And today we're going to talk a little bit about how do you keep more what you make? Because honestly, for dentists, even though taxes seem boring when you don't have to write that $50,000 or $100,000 or $200,000 check, it gets a lot cooler. If you would have told me I'd be a tax and financial guy when I was a kid, I probably would have just taken an early exit somewhere and jumped off a bridge. But I really see money in what we do as a lifestyle business. It's not about money.   The Dental A Team (02:01) Yeah.   Derick Van Ness (02:17) If you have enough, then money is what it is. When you don't have enough, it's a problem. And I just find for a lot of people, it's the reason or excuse that they constrain themselves. They don't spend time with family. They don't think do things that they want to do. They don't have the experiences that are going to change their life. So when we can get money out of the way, then you can live your big life, which is why the company's big life financial, because it doesn't matter if you have more or less money. The question is, what's the life you're living? What's your quality of life?   And so taxes are a big piece of that. Obviously we can't talk about everything on a podcast like this, because you'd be buried under a ton of bricks. But that's what I do is I try to make this stuff easy. I try to make it fun. And I want you to realize that the whole point of all this money stuff is so that you can live a life you want to   The Dental A Team (02:55) You   Which Derick, that's why we have connected. You have met my husband. have had personal conversations outside of the podcast because I very much align and subscribe to this lifestyle and this mode of thinking. I believe that practices should work for us and us not work for our practices. I believe that we became business owners to have these big lives and these, audacious dreams. And yet I feel so many people live below their, their potential. They are trapped. They are.   Derick Van Ness (03:33) Mm-hmm.   The Dental A Team (03:34) It's crazy. I ⁓ had a client and she actually made so much money last year, which was amazing because the year before she was like, Kiera, I want to make more. So I was like, great, we're going after profit and production like blinders on. Don't talk to me about anything else. And she had like a crazy year and she's like, great. Now I have this huge check. I've got to write in taxes. And I was like, not my problem. Like you need better CPA help on that, but glad we made you the money. But I bring that up because one, it was a huge win for a client, but two,   Derick Van Ness (03:52) I don't know.   Yep.   The Dental A Team (04:02) I think that people being able to keep the money that they make, hold on to more money that they make. Like I love that we live in America and it's a free country and that we get to pay taxes. Like I'm so freaking grateful for that. With that said, I do not want to pay one penny more than I need to. And I want to maintain and keep as much as I possibly can to live the life I want and to not feel the guilt of being a successful business owner and to do the fun things that I always imagined and dreamed of doing without the guilt of doing it. And I think so many people are so scared of.   Derick Van Ness (04:11) Yep.   The Dental A Team (04:32) being financially free, they're scared to spend money. They get hit with tax burdens left and right. I can't tell you how many dentists that I hear at the end of their career and they've had great careers, but they have no financial stability. like, Derick, this is the stuff that stresses me out and keeps me up at night and which is why you're on the podcast because I want people to be smarter. want them to be more educated and I want them to live happier lives. So let's walk through like R and D credits and CPA and like how people can live a more enriched   Derick Van Ness (04:33) Mm-hmm.   Yep.   The Dental A Team (05:02) big life today rather than waiting. I think it's just a fun topic to talk about. I'm intrigued, so let's talk about it.   Derick Van Ness (05:07) Yeah   Well, let's do. mean, we can start generally with taxes and then we can kind of move into the credits piece because it is like a it's just a small very segmented piece of what you do with your taxes. overall, the biggest thing I see is most people see taxes as like a necessary evil. This is the thing I have to deal with. When people see something as a necessary evil, what do they do? They do the minimum. Right. And what that really turns into is   You're not talking with your CPA. You're not coordinating with them. You're not being proactive. At the end of the year, you just want to do the least. So you just hand them all your stuff. I realize people don't come in boxes anymore. Now it's like, here's my QuickBooks password. Or I add you to my account. ⁓ And then they tell you how much you owe. But if you ran your business that way, if you just didn't look at anything all year, and at the end of the year, you're like, I wonder how we did. Wouldn't go so well if you didn't talk to your team about anything. What's that?   The Dental A Team (06:01) People do that though, Derick. They do it all the   time. This is not abnormal. They do it all the time. They're like, my gosh, I owe how much? my gosh, we didn't hit goal. And I'm like, ⁓ let's at least look at our numbers. Like that's step one. Step two, let's talk to our team. You're not wrong. I'm just shocked at how many people do this in real life. And I'm like, hey, there's a different way of living. like, maybe let's take that path. Just try it out. It's like t-shirt. Try that one on. It might feel better than your current oversized, like two baggy of clothes that don't fit. And then you're angry.   Derick Van Ness (06:11) I know.   The Dental A Team (06:30) the time. anyway go on didn't mean to interrupt the rant.   Derick Van Ness (06:32) What if I'm gonna be   a Gen Z VSCO girl? I I want the Oversight T-shirt and the angst.   The Dental A Team (06:36) Well, as I said it, as I   said it, I was like, well, that's like the current style. Like what's uncomfortable clothing? Maybe it's like the wool scratchy. I just came back from Iceland and I'll tell you what, I didn't buy a single shirt there. I was like, that is gonna scratch me. I know it's warm, but I'm not wearing that for the rest of time. Like there are softer clothes in this world that are equally as warm. Like I'll choose that. So that maybe you're wearing a wool scratchy sweater. Cause you never look at your numbers. You're always irritable. You're always angry.   Maybe you might get the oversized hoodie that's way more comfy. Maybe that's the better analogy for today.   Derick Van Ness (07:07) Well, and so you help them look at their numbers, right? What's your P &L? What are your KPIs? There are tax numbers too, right? Like I'm usually meeting with clients in September-ish to say, OK, how much have you made so far this year? What does that put us on track for December 31st? And then we have November, I'm sorry, September, October, November, December to do things to get that number at the end where you want it to be. I'm not talking about go out and spend $1.   to save $0.40, right? People do that. Oh, go buy a car. If you don't need a car, that's just a waste of money. I literally had someone who's like, should I just buy a G-Wagon? I'm like, only if you were going to buy a G-Wagon anyway. They want the tax break, but.   The Dental A Team (07:45) I mean, I asked that question too.   I mean, I do. I do ask it as well, but it's unnecessary. You're right. Like, so I can repel you you're not going to do it. Don't just because you get the tax benefit. You just have to pay the money. So, but I do ask because I want to know, just tell me I can buy the boat, Derick.   Derick Van Ness (07:58) Yeah.   Well, boats are totally different. They're way more fun, but they're also way more expensive to maintain. So I love boats. I absolutely do. But they are not cheap, right? As the saying goes, break out another 1,000. That's what boat stands for. Just go to the ocean and throw $1,000 in it every month. That's what owning a boat's like if you don't use it.   The Dental A Team (08:05) They are not. I know.   gosh, I've never heard that.   That's hilarious.   That's hilarious. I've heard like the best day and worst day of owning a boat is the day you buy it and the day you sell it. Like that's the only best days. I have a boat. I do love the boat. It is an older boat. things I'm not... Maybe mine's like break out a 10 because we've got a much older boat. But like, know, when we upgrade then we'll be in the thousand realm. ⁓   Derick Van Ness (08:28) So.   Yep.   Yeah.   Yes, yes. So boats are great. Not usually the best tax strategy. But the big thing here is when you sail a boat or when you drive a car, I heard this the other day and I thought it was perfect. It's like when you drive a car, what's bigger, the windshield or the rear view mirror? Most people are doing taxes in the rear view mirror. That is not about your expansive future. That's about recording your past, right? And so if you just did business planning one year at a time,   Like you wouldn't ever buy the building. You wouldn't ever invest in the equipment. You wouldn't ever invest in the education, right? It's the same thing for taxes. It is part of a cohesive and ongoing plan. ⁓ so when you want to plan that, we have to look into the future. And so looking into the future allows you to control your income, control your expenses. But you have to know your numbers to your point, right? Like if you don't understand a P &L,   It's really hard to do tax work because we don't know what your income is. And I have some clients who come in that way. And I have to really get them to understand that if you don't have good books, you don't have good data, it's like trying to do dentistry without a diagnostic. You just go in and start drilling teeth to see what's happening. No, you wouldn't do dentistry that way. Don't do that way with your taxes either. should I just buy this and I'll just buy that and randomly and I help those work out?   Your P &L is really like your diagnostic, right? Both on the income side, but also that's related to taxes. And so I think the big thing for people is think of taxes as an additional income stream. If you do this right, you can keep, like a lot of dentists pay 40 % or more in taxes, right? So if we can cut that from 40 down to 20 to 25 % on average, that's 15 % straight to your bottom line.   And it probably takes an average of two hours a month at most, which is pretty good, right? Like if you could add a new service into your business, no employees, no marketing, no overhead, two hours a month, but profits went up by 15%, would you take it? Most dentists would say, yeah, that six figures is pretty good.   The Dental A Team (10:53) As long as I'm not going to jail, Derick,   I don't want to go to jail. That's my only line. Like, how is this legal? Because so many people talk about tax strategy and my line is I'm willing to live in the gray, I'm just not willing to go to jail. So how do you go from 40 to 20 that's legal and ethical?   Derick Van Ness (11:01) you   Yeah, we don't want to go to jail.   Yeah, so there's two things. There are lots of little things. So research and development credits, which we'll get to in a minute, is one of those things. It's not little. I would call it a medium thing. For a lot of dentists, it's worth between $10, depending on the size of your clinic, $10,000 $50,000 a year. So it's sizable. And then there's all the pay your kids, cost segregation, salary and dividends, all that kind of stuff. And those things stack up. If you pay your kids right, then that can save you   The Dental A Team (11:21) I agree, I would too.   Mm-hmm.   Derick Van Ness (11:40) 10, 15 grand if you're in a state where you can pay your state taxes and have a federal write-off that might save you 10, 15, 20 thousand dollars a year. Taking a salary, the proper salary versus dividends that might save you another 10 or 15 thousand. So these things start to stack up but when you're in that 500,000 plus tax bracket there are things like and I can't totally get into details because this is stuff for accredited investors and I don't know who the listeners are and all that but there are   Investments you can make that have big tax breaks, right? And that could be everything from energy types of things to short-term rentals, different types of real estate. There's a lot of different stuff, right? So that sort of depends on what's the life you want to build and aligning that. ⁓ There are lots of charitable and donation type strategies where you can create some really big tax breaks. There's entity structuring, ⁓ where you take your income and how you take your income matters.   So you can really layer all of this stuff and make huge chunks, take huge chunks out of your business. The bigger you are, the bigger you can do with these things. And honestly, once you get over a million plus in income, then there's another layer of stuff you can do. It's just a lot of times the setup costs, you have to have enough tax burden to make it worth it. But there's some really neat stuff out there. And some of the stuff with the big, beautiful bill. ⁓   bringing back bonus depreciation. There's some really neat things where, oh, if you do a solar thing, you can get some credits, but then you can also get all the depreciation in the first year. And so you put in $100,000 into this type of investment. You may not make a lot of money, but you might get $150,000, $175,000, $200,000 worth of write-offs on your taxes. And when I say write-offs, mean dollars you don't pay, like true credit dollar for dollar. That could be huge, right? Things like that.   The Dental A Team (13:10) Yes.   Right.   Derick Van Ness (13:38) that a lot of people are just unaware of. And don't take that as an investment advice. I'm just telling you about things that exist in the world that may or may not be for you. Check with your financial professional. But yeah, you start stacking all these things up and you go from, I wrote $150,000 check to, I wrote a $60,000 check. And then what I like to do is help people take that 90 grand you would have given to the government. And now let's add that to what you would already save. And for a lot of people, that's   The Dental A Team (13:47) That's amazing.   Derick Van Ness (14:07) a lot more than they were already saving. So we more than doubled their savings rate. And the fastest thing you can do to build wealth is just get more money into the equation. So that's really it is we're trying to create money that you can then put to work for you outside your business. Because what nobody ever tells you is, even if you're an amazing dentist and you make all this money and you sell your practice for top dollar, and you get all that money, you become a professional investor.   The Dental A Team (14:27) you   Derick Van Ness (14:36) And if you don't have any investment skills, if you don't know how to put that money to work, if you don't know how to protect it, you're just a lamb to the slaughter. You know, everybody shows up, they got an idea. Your brother-in-law wants to start a coffee shop or a brewery. Your neighbor has the next best tech app. And all of a sudden, all this money just starts disappearing because you're not seasoned. So one of the things we like to do is get people doing these types of investments, learning, getting a skill set around it so that when you do get that big   big shot when you sell your business or you have those huge tax or those huge years and you don't pay all the taxes, you know what to do with the money. Because that's a whole different skill set than running a dental clinic.   The Dental A Team (15:17) I don't disagree. And that's why Derick, I love having you on here. And I think your comment of the goal is to get more money to put into the equation. What are the things like, I have 90 grand or I have 150. What are some of those investments that, again, realize that we're being generic and there's a reason you have to be generic is because there are rules that financial planners, advisors, CPAs have to abide by. in general terms, Derick, what are some of the ways that   Derick Van Ness (15:25) Mm-hmm.   The Dental A Team (15:45) you found to generate higher levels of wealth? We're putting more money into the equation, but what's the equation that's going to get it? And again, I know this is very, I would say like vanilla. We're just talking very much basic.   Derick Van Ness (15:56) Yeah, yeah, I'll just   give you the principles, right? The philosophy behind it. One of the things is we always, all of our lives we've heard diversify your assets. Diversify, diversify, diversify.   The Dental A Team (16:06) all weather portfolio, Ray Dalio, right? Like you got to get it everything, have it all. What is it like? think eight uncorrelated assets or something like that is what it should be. Anyway, there you go. Okay.   Derick Van Ness (16:09) Yep.   8 to 16 non-correlated asset   classes. Yep. And the idea here is this. It used to be that you could put your money in the stock market. And each individual stock did its thing based on what its performance was. Since the late 90s, early 2000s, everything's kind of gotten grouped together. Almost everybody just buys the S &P 500 or just buys index funds, which is basically the whole market.   And so if you look at the top five stocks, which are usually the Google, Apple, Tesla, Nvidia, depending on one or two others, ⁓ whatever they're doing is usually what the market's doing, right? It all has a tendency to ebb and flow together because it's all been chunked together. So I don't see those all as different asset classes anymore. How I personally invest, I'm not saying you need to buy into my ideas, but so you can have money there. But then I do think you want to have money in other things.   that maybe aren't tied to the stock market. Maybe you've got some oil and gas. Maybe you've got some farming communities in Central America. Maybe you've got someone who's doing senior living homes, someone who's developing all these empty office buildings. And they're all tied to different things. So that way, if the stock market takes a dump and goes down, that's not all your portfolio. Maybe it's 15 or 20%.   if real estate takes a hit. Yeah, your real estate takes a hit, but maybe something else does well. Having things in your portfolio that if some of them struggle during inflation, some of them do well during inflation, right? Things like gold that holds its value. And so the idea is to be able to put your money to work in a way where it's in a bunch of different buckets that aren't all tied to the same thing. And what that really creates is stability, right? And why that's so important is when you're growing your money,   The Dental A Team (17:46) Mm-hmm.   Derick Van Ness (18:09) You can have the ups and downs a little bit, but when you go to start pulling money out, the volatility, the ups and downs are what really kill your ability to pull money out, because you have to always protect against the downside. And it's why if you look at the market historically, it'll go up, depending on who you ask, 6 to 8%. But when you're pulling money out of the stock market in retirement, the numbers say sustainably over the long term, you can only pull 3 to 4%. Why is that? You would think, ⁓ I can pull.   The Dental A Team (18:21) Mm-hmm.   Right.   Derick Van Ness (18:38) six to eight, but it's three to four because of the volatility. If you are counting on that, it crashes that year and you sell. Then when the market recovers, you have less money to recover with. And over time that stacks up. So the idea there is to work with someone who has the ability to put you into different asset classes, help educate you. This also gives you a chance to try different things. So you can start to get that seasoning we were talking about and learn how money really works because   The Dental A Team (18:43) Right.   Derick Van Ness (19:09) You know, money, health and relationships are the three things that really dictate the quality of your life. And it's funny, we don't spend a lot of time in them in school, right? And so, ⁓ so it's something you have to learn, just like if you don't learn how to take care of your health, you suffer. If you don't learn how to have good relationships, you suffer. And money is another thing. All of those you can get help with, but at the end of the day, you have to be able to be competent enough.   to get the results you want. And money is just one of those things.   The Dental A Team (19:40) Yeah. No, Derick, that's a, think it's such a good way to look at it. And I will say, I was very much a baby investor and I think I still would qualify myself as pretty naive. But it is, they say like, I don't know, what is it? The eighth wonder of the world is compound interest. And it's crazy because when you start out and you just get started on your investments, it feels like this is stupid. At least I have, I've so told many financial advisors, feel like they like,   Derick Van Ness (20:04) Mm.   The Dental A Team (20:07) money monster. So it's like the cookie monster. Like I give my money to you. I never can get it back. I have no clue how to access this money. And then you start to see it and you're like, wow, that started to compound and this started to become different. And we had our first year with it. We didn't have to write such a large check to the IRS and done legally and ethically. And I was like, wow, this is a very different world that I'm living in than I have been. And it wasn't as hard as I thought. And so I, like you said, I do feel like you're   Derick Van Ness (20:11) Yeah.   The Dental A Team (20:33) comfort level and they do say that women tend to be better investors than men because women, we just put money in, we give it to you. We're like, here you go. We don't ever like go check it and watch the stocks. Stocks. Whereas men are like, cons I'm like looking at those stocks, like my husband checks it like 10 times a day. And I'm like, just don't even look at it. Like I don't even, it's the cookie monster, the money monster. You take the money. I know you haven't like taken it. People get angry with me. They're like, Kiera, we can't legally take your money. And I'm like, no, but I just have no clue how to access it. They're like you email. And I'm like, I know.   Derick Van Ness (20:44) Right.   Yep. In your brain, right?   The Dental A Team (21:02) but it like stocks and then I got to pay taxes and I don't understand any of it. But I will say, I think it's like PNLs, the language of money, the language of investing. It's a skill that you are learning. And I do agree, the younger you can learn this, the more time you have to recover if you make mistakes and versus having to be perfect later on in life. So I really very much subscribe to your model of thinking. And I love that. I love that you've talked about taxes, how to save, how to get it into   Derick Van Ness (21:11) Mm-hmm.   The Dental A Team (21:31) Again, I remember I sat in a Tony Robbins wealth mastery thing. Ray Dalio was in the room. had no clue who half like Paul Tudor Jones. I think that's his name. Like so freaking smart. I had no clue who these people were. And like here you've got like five billionaires sitting in the room with us. And I was like, I had no clue. And they start talking about this stuff. And I feel like an idiot, but I will say it's an idiot that I love to be because the more I learn about the more I'm involved in it, the more you expose yourself, the more you learn how it works.   Derick Van Ness (21:38) John Paul Tudor, yeah.   Yeah, I remember.   The Dental A Team (22:00) And I think like what you're saying, Derick, I just hope people talk to your financial advisors, get your uncorrelated assets, start building that portfolio because time, like they say, you only have so much time and the best time to plant a tree was like a hundred years ago. The next best time is today. And I just, I don't want to be that person when it comes to my portfolio where I wish I would have started. All of us will wish we started sooner, but I am grateful that we started as young as we were and are building it the way we have versus   Derick Van Ness (22:23) Yes.   The Dental A Team (22:28) waiting until like, and I don't care if you haven't started then start today. If you've been doing it, figure out how you can do more. ⁓ But I think Derick, I have a question of, I always live in scarcity. So what do you tell a client like myself where I'm always afraid that I'm going to run out of money. I don't know where it comes from. It doesn't matter how much I have. I have acorns upon acorns upon acorns. I swear like you've probably can find money in my couch. I'm not that bad. I don't have it in the couch, but like,   Derick Van Ness (22:32) Yep.   The Dental A Team (22:54) How do you get to a level where you feel comfortable spending money rather than just always saving for retirement and not living today? What's the balance of that?   Derick Van Ness (23:03) Yeah, so what I've discovered working with over 2,500 people on all of this, Kiera, is like money problems don't like quote unquote go away. They just change. In the beginning, it's like, how do I make money? I don't have enough money. How do I manage the car payment or whatever? Then you make a little bit more and you're like, okay, now I'm past survival. Like, how do I start to grow? Right? So you invest in yourself, your business, your education, whatever. Then you start to grow some more.   Then you start saying, okay, now I'm growing and I'm making money and I'm living a decent life, but how do I build for the future? So it's not just the now, then it's the future, right? And then what happens is you definitely get to a point, at least I've seen this for myself and a lot of clients is you start to make a good amount of money and the problem becomes how do I make sure that this doesn't ever go away?   Right? Like now I'm living this really good life and I can travel and I can spend time with family and I can do the things that I want to do. And I can buy nice clothes or go to nice dinner or do nice things for my kids or whatever your thing is. And I don't have to think about money. But then there's this fear of like, what if I lose that? Right. And going back. And so the money problems just change. I believe it's an instinct that's built into us. Like the monkeys that ate bananas and then just stopped worrying and didn't hoard them.   ended up dying faster than the ones that hoarded them, right? And so, like, I think it's an instinct to be paranoid, to be fear-driven, and that's where we have to, as humans, understand our wiring and say, my wiring is for survival, not for happiness and fulfillment, right? Because survival is what reproduced. Happiness and fulfillment, especially in a scary world of survival, ⁓ doesn't do very well.   The Dental A Team (24:27) Sure.   Derick Van Ness (24:52) Right? So, so we have to try to rewire our brain as much as we can. ⁓ And I think the biggest thing is to focus on a big future, a big vision. When you're moving towards something, then you're not focused on moving away from something. When you're in fear, you're, moving away from something. I'm moving away from failure. I'm moving. I'm trying to avoid losing money. I'm trying to avoid running out, trying to avoid making a mistake. You know, this about business ownership, like you can't avoid the mistakes. You just try and minimize them.   and learn from them as fast as you can. Like making mistakes is part of success and nobody says it that way, but I think it's really, really important to get that. And when you're moving towards something, you're in abundance, you're in striving, you're in goal oriented, whatever your thing is. And that doesn't have to be about money. That could be, I wanna be a great parent. I wanna get in better health. I wanna have more free time and make the same money.   So this isn't like just a money conversation, but when you're moving toward those, you have a tendency to lose your fear. I think it's when we aren't sure where to go next that we get afraid of losing ground and we do that. And so I think sometimes it's just a matter of clarity and reminding yourself, where do I want to go? What am I building? Like once you get past a certain point, like, you know, once you get past a certain amount of income or a certain amount of wealth, it's not about money anymore.   Right. It's really about contribution. It's about impact. And I think when we, our mind can really only focus on one thing at a time, especially as men, ⁓ women are much better at seeing the big picture. ⁓ But, but really when you're focused on something that holds your attention and then it doesn't drift to some of the other stuff as much, it doesn't mean you won't. Cause I'll tell you, I'm at my most vulnerable when I wake up in the morning and my brain starts doing payroll and all these other things. And like you said,   The Dental A Team (26:26) you   Derick Van Ness (26:47) I have enough cash stored away that I could not make a dollar for a year and still pay for my whole business and do the whole thing and be fine. But that doesn't mean that that instinctual part of me doesn't freak out for a minute until I come in and say, hey, we're building massive things. We're changing people's lives. Let's just focus on that and let the rest take care of itself. That really is the best thing for me is to focus on where I'm going, not where I'm afraid I might end up.   The Dental A Team (27:15) Absolutely. I   think that was good. Good wisdom there. You are the person, if you guys have heard me talk about it on the podcast, this came from Derick. He's the one who's told me it's a return on emotion, not necessarily a return on investment and like what helps you sleep at night, what helps you stay there. And I love that you talked about like it is a survival instinct. It's not a bad instinct. so loving that side, but also tempering it so that way we can enjoy the fulfillment. And again, I also think that there becomes confidence in yourself. I think enough.   enough business crashes, enough mistakes, enough things where you come back from it also teach you that there's certainty within yourself that no matter what comes your way, ⁓ you know that you'll be able to survive it, you'll be able to come. Someone told me once, it's not unsafe, it's just uncomfortable. Unless someone's running at you with like a knife and it's truly life threatening, it's like if the stock market crashes, that's like we're still safe, it's just going to be pretty dang uncomfortable for a little bit. If we become bankrupt,   Derick Van Ness (27:47) Mm-hmm.   Mm-hmm.   The Dental A Team (28:13) We're not unsafe, we're just uncomfortable. And that has given me a lot of, I think, temperance on when you think about finances, like that'd be uncomfortable, but I am still safe and I would still be alive and we can come back and we can figure things out. So Derick, I know we wanted to pivot gears and talk R &D credits, because this is something that's new. yeah, let's kind of chat that because I think we've gone through tax strategy, building wealth mindset around ⁓ how to maintain and have that.   Derick Van Ness (28:30) Well, yeah, we'll keep it short here.   The Dental A Team (28:42) return on emotion and building those skills. And I really love that you just said money issues don't ever go away, they just change shape. And I think that that's the same as business, right? Business problems just become a different flavor and different color. ⁓ But now let's talk about like some R &D credits because we've talked about R &D. I've seen several clients do very well on R &D credits. So was excited to hear like, they're back and they're back again, and they look a little different. So I'm excited to hear if you guys don't know what they are, Derick will definitely explain them and how you can.   Derick Van Ness (29:02) Yep.   The Dental A Team (29:08) Dental practices are ripe for the picking of R &D, it's exciting to have a resource for dental practices.   Derick Van Ness (29:15) Yeah, dental practices really are because the R &D credits are designed when you do new things in your business that are based in technology. And that could be computer science, engineering, biological science, or physical science, like chemistry, ⁓ which dentists are doing all of that stuff. So when you do new stuff in your business, the government realizes you're taking a risk. You're trying a new implant system. You're trying a new ⁓   a new type of diagnostic, you're trying a new flow for your patients, whatever. Sometimes it blows up in your face. I everybody listening here has tried a new piece of software and after six weeks you wanted to throw the computer out the window and you're like, we're going back to the other one, we got to find something else, right? ⁓ Or we tried 3D printing and it was just really, really hard and like some people love it, some people hate it. But at the end of the day, every time you take that risk, the government knows that you could lose money.   The Dental A Team (29:57) Totally.   Derick Van Ness (30:11) So the R &D credits are really their effort to say, don't stop innovating. Don't stop trying to get better. We know you're going to take some skin, knees, and elbows along the way. And we're willing to give you some credits to help with that. so ⁓ dentists, like dentistry is moving so fast. I don't have to tell the listeners that. There's new stuff every single quarter, every single year. Five years ago, everybody was getting crowns to be milled. Now they're 3D printing teeth and doing all, you know.   digital scans and all the other stuff and pretty quick here, think we have robots doing surgery. I don't necessarily want to be the first person to try that, but.   The Dental A Team (30:45) Yeah, me neither. I'm like number   like 200,000. I'll try it at that point. I'm usually like number two jumping off a cliff if the first person's alive, then I'll jump. Unlike innovative robots, I only have 28 teeth left, so I'll just let them practice a bit more before they come to me. It's okay. Stick with the drill and fill. Yeah, the drill and fill, I'm okay with it. It's all right. It's better.   Derick Van Ness (30:51) Yeah.   Yeah.   Yep.   I'll just pay a little more for the people.   Yes. so effectively, most dentists just don't realize they're qualifying for these credits. And so what we try to help them do is we do a free estimate to help you understand, OK, let's go through the different things that you did in your practice. It takes maybe a half an hour to identify the different things you've done. And right now, there's a window. And this is why we wanted to talk about this today, that closes on the 4th of July of 2026. So we've got about three or four months left.   where you can go back and you can file for 2022, 2023, and 2024. I don't want to bore everybody, but effectively when they did the 2017 tax rewrite, the first Trump tax rewrite, it broke the R &D credits in 2022. You could file for them, but the downside was bigger than the upside, so it wasn't worth doing. Now, they kind of did that on purpose to balance the budget, and they thought, oh, we'll change it before 2022, and then COVID happened, so they never changed it.   So it got broken. So they came back and they fixed it and said, hey, you guys can go back and claim this, but you really only have until the 4th of July. So they gave us one year to do it. ⁓ And so it's a big opportunity, a big window right now where you can get three years worth of credit. So you can literally go back. The government will send you a check for taxes you've overpaid, and you can get that money back. I won't tell you the IRS is really fast at processing this stuff, but they do get to all of them.   The Dental A Team (32:23) Wow.   No.   Derick Van Ness (32:34) And the checks come in, and we've done over 1,000 of these for clients. So it's definitely a legit thing. And the credits have been around since the 80s. They became a permanent part of the tax code in 2015. So they were kind of new. They've been around about 10 years. But the first couple of years, nobody knew. then over the last couple of years, they've become more and more popular. But then they kind of screwed them up in 22 through 24. So the reason I wanted to talk about them is if somebody is a dentist, they're not claiming these credits. But they are doing.   The Dental A Team (32:38) Wow.   Derick Van Ness (33:04) Innovative things upgrading equipment trying new software trying new techniques new implant systems new Diagnostics, whatever you probably got all these credits sitting there. You don't know about and It's worth getting a free estimate to see what's on the table. Yes You do have to amend your taxes, which is a very small pain in the butt But your total time into this should be an hour or two, which is really a short conversation You send over tax returns ⁓ A team like ours would give you an estimate   And if it seems like it's worth doing it, then you do it. You just let them do their thing and you write the check for the fee, right? So it's pretty hard to beat bang for your buck hour for hour. And like I said, for a lot of practices, it's between 1 to 2 % of your gross revenue. This is not a quote. This is just like what I've generally seen. So if you have a million dollar practice, it's probably 10 to 20 grand a year if you're doing these types of things. I mean, I have some. We just did a doctor who's got   Six offices they're getting almost a half a million dollars back right it can be it can be major and Doesn't take him any longer than to take someone with one office so you know it's it's just a big window of opportunity that I wanted to try and squeeze in here and People who haven't done this or unaware. It's like hey, we got a big opportunity and you can do this for 2025 moving forward every year. It's it's back indefinitely and so my hope is   The Dental A Team (34:07) It's incredible.   Derick Van Ness (34:32) People can do the catch up. And then from here forward, you don't even have to amend. You just party your tax return. You just don't pay the taxes. Just like you depreciate equipment or anything else and just get the tax break, the difference is tax credits are dollar for dollar. So if you get $10,000 tax credit, it's just $10,000 you don't pay in taxes, not a $10,000 write off, which might be worth $3,000 or $4,000.   The Dental A Team (34:40) awesome.   Mm-hmm.   Totally. No, and I think Derick, I'm so glad you brought this up. And at first I was creeped out by you. I'm not going to lie. Like when you first started talking about it, was like, are these like, I don't know, what are they called? The opportunity zones. And like, I heard a lot of people got their shorts burned on those. And I was like, do I even put this on the podcast? But I will say, Derick just said he's done thousands of them. They have had great success. I have seen clients tell me, thank you. So that's why I wanted Derick to come on because any client that comes from Dental A Team does get preferred.   Derick Van Ness (35:03) you   huh.   The Dental A Team (35:26) I don't know treatment. don't know what you guys do, but I do know that there's, ⁓ you guys get, you just said you get pushed to the front of line. If you mentioned you heard on Dental A Team podcast, we also have a link with big life financial. I'm pretty sure Derick, if I remember right, I'm pretty sure we do. ⁓ but definitely wanted you guys to have that, especially with a closing in July. And it's something where I love that Derick will just like, he's met with me and my husband several times to talk about multiple things. Derick is non pushy. And I appreciate that about you, Derick. You ⁓ educate.   Derick Van Ness (35:27) Treatment, yep, yep, front of the line.   We do. Yep.   The Dental A Team (35:56) and then give people the information and then you're to make the decisions on your own. So I think like, why not? Why not reach out to Derick? Why not just like see what it looks like? And then you have their resources. They're not going to file unless you want them to. You don't have to break up with your CPA if they file for you. I'm pretty sure. Is that right? Like you don't have to switch.   Derick Van Ness (36:09) Correct.   No, no, yeah,   you don't have to. We can amend it for you. But in a lot of cases, it makes sense to just have your CPA do it. They've got all your information. So but we can handle it either way.   The Dental A Team (36:25) So I think like on that, I just feel it's very much worthwhile. And I know Big Life Financial does a lot. do. I'll let you like take it because I know you guys are added to more services. But I think like if nothing else, we want to have the call to action of like, just look into the R &D credits. Like I said, I have seen multiple checks go to practices. They have not been audited. ⁓ Things have gone very smoothly for them. I was skittish. But I mean, Derick, we've been talking about this, I don't know, almost five years now, if not longer, that we've been telling practices about it. So.   Derick Van Ness (36:52) Yep.   The Dental A Team (36:54) very excited, but Derick, kind of tell about the makeup of what Big Life Financial is and then how people can reach out to you, especially in particular to the R &D credits.   Derick Van Ness (37:04) Yeah, so for the R &D credits, just go to, it's just BigLifeFinancial.com So BigLifeFinancial.com/DAT D-A-T right? Dental A Team. And all you got to do is just set up a time there to talk with myself or someone on my team. It's like a 15 minute call. And we'll just screen it, see if it makes sense. Beyond that, we do offer full service taxes if for some reason you're looking for tax breaks or you feel like you're, for one reason or another, you need to make a change.   then we can do that. We do also work with an RIA. So if you're looking for some of these investments that might have tax breaks or other diversification or whatever, we have those capabilities as well. So we really try to be front to back like what we call like a family office or a fractional family office, which is what the super rich people have. They just have an attorney and a CPA and a   Uh, an insurance guy, an investment guy, or probably 10 investment guys who all just work for them. Obviously most people can't afford to have an entire team that just works for them. So we work with a limited number of people, but we have a coordinated team that way. And, and it's taken me like 10 years to find the right people to do that. That's, that's really it because the Uber wealthy have those people, the people who are making 50 or a hundred thousand bucks a year, they don't need it. We really work in this sweet spot where a lot of people make.   300,000 400,000 on the low end to 2 3 million on the high end. And they're kind of in between, not rich enough to have the team that's all working together all the time, but rich enough that you really need it. Like this segment of the population is the one that just gets crushed on taxes. ⁓ And so we're really doing our best to help minimize that. So that's why we work so much with dentists and doctors.   The Dental A Team (38:56) That's amazing. I love that Derick. And I think for everybody, it was BigLifeFinancial.com slash DAT. We'll be sure to like link that in the show notes and also add it for you guys. But, and Derick, love, I didn't know what a family office was at first. And then I found out hanging out with a lot of wealthy people, what it is. And so for you to provide that, think worth conversations ⁓ and definitely appreciate the insights today. It was a really fun episode. I'm glad we got back together. It's been too long. ⁓ And like truly guys, just reach out.   Again, I would do it as exploration. would do it as like, just find out anytime I hear things like this, I just go book meetings. It doesn't mean I need to actually execute on it. But I think again, learning the language of business, learning the education, seeing if it fills right for you. Now you can ask a million people, but like I said, Derick and I have been doing this for about five years and every client that has been referred to Big Life Financial has gone through, has told me how much they've been grateful for it. So Derick, I appreciate you. Any last wrap up thoughts today as we wrap up today? I appreciate our time so much today together.   Derick Van Ness (39:55) No, I think it's just understanding that part of building wealth is beyond just making income, right? Just making income won't build the life you want to live. Once you earn the money, you got to take care of it. And there's a lot of pieces to that. So whether it's with us or someone else, just take that on for your family's sake. It's not just about making it. It's keeping it and being smarter with it. And if you do that, you're going to be in good hands.   The Dental A Team (40:20) amazing. Well, Derick, thank you so much for being here today. Thank you all for listening. I love what Derick said, like it's not just enough to make the money, we need to figure out how to keep the money and set yourselves up for the great lives that you've been building and to truly have that big life as Derick has described it. So for all of you listening, I hope that today you don't just passively listen, but you actively take action and commit to having the wealth of your life, the wealth of your dreams to have that life that really ⁓   is the life of your dreams. there's a quote from my mirror from when I was little where I said, don't just dream, do. And I think that that's how I'll leave you today. So for all of you listening, thank you for listening and we'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.

What you'll learn in this episode: ● Why lack of knowhow is a perceived obstacle — not a permanent limitation ● The mindset shift that separates dream achievers from the 99.9% ● Why “It can't be done” is one of the most dangerous phrases in business ● How to turn ignorance into innovation and creative thinking ● Why recruiting others is a superpower of top performers ● How modern technology eliminates almost every excuse for staying stuck ● The difference between surrendering to a problem and solving it

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