They say there is always a lesson to be learned from every experience and the NBA finals were no exception. LeBron James had been tasked with delivering a promise – a championship to his hometown. But even leaders need to learn to be led and in this week’s message we share words of wisdom that helped the Cavaliers bring the championship trophy home to Cleveland. 

Flat. Frustrated. While these two words describe the stock market and the mood of investors respectively, it is important to be smart in responding to what the market is doing. After all, Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” With that in mind we share with you two crucial concepts to consider in this range-bound environment.

Charles Plumb, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, was a U.S. Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. It was not until years later he realized the impact that experience would have on him and ultimately those he shared it with. 

Earlier today we held our monthly “Portfolios at Panera” event.  The last Thursday of each month we spend an hour talking with clients and friends about what is happening in the markets and how those happenings are impacting client portfolios. In addition to talking about “hot topics” such as the British referendum to potentially leave the European Union, and when the Fed might raise interest rates, we spent a good deal of time looking at forecasts of which asset classes are likely to have the best (and worst) performance over the next five years.

With the 2016 Memorial Golf Tournament around the corner, we share with you a golf enthusiast’s inspiring and thought-provoking story. His training reminds us that it takes more than physical ability alone to reach desired results, no matter your course of life. His secret?

While teaching a professional development class in Minnesota this week The Joseph Group’s Chief Investment Officer, Travis Upton, had the opportunity to visit with the portfolio management team at the Minneapolis-based investment firm, The Leuthold Group. Travis was able to talk with a number of the portfolio managers at the firm, including Leuthold Chief Investment Officer, Doug Ramsey. Here are two key takeaways from the meetings:

Banker turned entrepreneur Kim Pong Lim reinvented his second half of life by selling a business he birthed to become a core leader of the Halftime Institute. It is through Halftime Asia he speaks in a way for others to realize that the very best of who they are is the source of the very best that they can be. 

Here in Central Ohio, as fans filled out their brackets, one team was noticeably absent from the 64 (or 68 if you include the Thursday games) teams in the NCAA tournament – the Ohio State Buckeyes.  The Ohio State men’s basketball team got off to a rough start this season, losing three straight games in the Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational in November to supposedly inferior teams. Like the Ohio State men’s basketball team, the U.S. stock market also got off to a bad start – the worst start to a year in history as the market was down over -8% in the first 10 trading days of the year.  However, unlike the Buckeyes, the stock market is getting the chance to “start over.”

Virginia Tech may not be a March Madness contender, but head coach Buzz Williams shared with his team a valuable message for us all to remember during this exciting (and competitive!) time. While the fate of your bracket may rest on the final minutes of the game, let’s remember the most important moment occurs before the game ever begins.

We know markets are tough, but what areas are doing better than others?