To Inform:  The Stockdale Paradox is a concept popularized by the book Good to Great by Jim Collins. The name refers to Admiral James Stockdale who was the highest-ranking U.S. military officer in the “Hanoi Hilton” prisoner-of-war camp during the height of the Vietnam War. According to the concept, balancing realism and optimism in a […]

To Inspire Are we all ready for this challenging time? Deep down, do we have what it takes to get through this very difficult moment in history? We believe the answer is YES, if each of us avoids the temptation to let fear control us. Fear will lead to selfishness, hoarding and an “I’m going to get […]

To Inform:  After a week of 1000 point moves in the Dow in both directions, it’s strange seeing another down -700 points (as I’m typing this) but knowing the U.S. stock market is actually UP over 2% from where it was a week ago. We continue to pray for the people impacted by the coronavirus […]

To Inspire:  Growing up in rural Iowa, Maria Rose Belding felt called to help feed the hungry and volunteered in her church’s food pantry. Her experience sparked an idea that today helps provide more food to those in need while reducing food waste. While working in the food pantry, Maria Rose regularly saw overstocks of […]

To Inform:  As we said in a separate client update, what a difference a week makes. The S&P 500 hit an all-time record high on February 19. A week ago, leading economic indicators were hitting new highs and a large percentage of corporate earnings reports were exceeding expectations. Then the Coronavirus news hit… in the […]

To Inspire: Over the last three decades Tony Robbins has helped millions of people live better lives through his books, CDs and live events while also serving as a life coach to Olympic and professional athletes, executives, and leaders in many fields. His advice centers on the building of character, the power of purpose and the […]

To Inform: If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, it seems the financial media is focused on negative headlines. Despite concerns related to Coronavirus, 2020 U.S. elections, and uncertain geopolitical risk, it’s worth noting that there is still good news to be found. One area of good news is the state of the […]

To Inspire: In 2011, Jim Collins, author of such business building classics as Built to Last and Good to Great, was offered a position as Chair for West Point’s Study of Leadership. Collins was busy at the time preparing for the release of Great by Choice, but West Point has been turning out “leaders of […]

To Inform: It’s not the most fun thing to think about on Valentine’s Day weekend, but our financial news feed is being dominated right now by the Wuhan coronavirus and its potential impact on the global economy. While our discussion here focuses on the economic impact, our prayers are for the much more terrible human […]

To Inspire: Have you heard of the Underground Boys of Tana? Recently featured on CBS Sunday Morning, this singing group from the slums of Madagascar has captivated the hearts of thousands in their hometown and millions via YouTube. Driving through a Madagascar neighborhood one Sunday, Virginia Summers and her husband, John Miller (who works at […]