What's in store for you:

1. Photo From My Life
2. Life Thought: Too Many Things
3. Financial Thought: Mutual Fund Sales Loads
4. Good Sh*t: Simple Loose Leaf Teapot

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Photo From My Life:

Life Thought:

Too Many Things: I've got a lot I want to do in life.

Build a successful business. Be a present, supportive parent and partner. Stay fit. Be a good friend. And, maybe most importantly - still find time to have fun.

It’s a lot.

Over the past few months, I kept running into the same problem: I just didn’t have time for it all. No matter how much I optimized my calendar, something always slipped. Usually, it was the stuff I wanted to do, not the stuff I had to do.

So, I decided to run a simple experiment this past week: wake up at 5am every day.

Turns out, adding two quiet, uninterrupted hours before the world wakes up makes a big difference. Not exactly a shocking conclusion, but when you suddenly have time to work out or knock out deep work before the Slack messages and toddler tantrums begin, it feels like you’re finally gaining ground.

Of course, it came with a cost.

Yes, I was more tired. Yes, I occasionally needed an extra cup of tea to make it through the afternoon.

But here’s what I’m wrestling with now: should I keep doing this?

There’s something nice about the discipline of an early start. It creates space that just doesn’t exist when you're in the rush of a normal day. But it’s not easy. And I’m not sure it’s sustainable forever.

Maybe the right answer isn’t a yes or no. Maybe it’s treating early mornings like a tool. It's something I lean into during high-stress or high-output weeks.

I’m still figuring it out, but I'd love to hear from you. What have you found to be most successful?

Financial Thought:

Mutual Fund Sales Loads: Today, I want to talk about sales loads on mutual funds. Why you might ask? Because they’re ridiculous.

A sales load is a commission. It’s a fee you pay just for the privilege of buying the fund. Sometimes it’s upfront (a "front-end load") and sometimes it gets tacked on when you sell (a "back-end load"). Either way, it’s a wealth drag. Here’s a real example:

• You invest $100,000 in a mutual fund with a 5.75% front-end sales load (a common figure for “Class A” shares).
• Right out of the gate, only $94,250 is actually invested. That’s $5,750 gone. Not because the market dropped or you made a bad pick, but because a broker took their cut.

Why would you pay 5.75% to buy a product that charges another 1% per year in ongoing expenses? Want to know what makes this even worse? Actively managed funds with sales loads typically underperform their cheaper index counterparts. In simple terms, the product that costs 0.05%-0.20% is better than the product that costs 5.75% to buy and 1% to own.

If you're working with someone recommending loaded funds, there’s a good chance they’re not a fiduciary. They may be incentivized to sell products with big commissions, not necessarily what’s best for you.

Now, if someone is helping you make smart, holistic financial decisions, that is great. I fully support it. Yes, you pay for their services, but it’s transparent. And it aligns their incentives with yours.

If I can ask you for one thing: spend 5 minutes today to look at your brokerage statement and see if you own mutual funds that are Class A, B, or C. That is your first red flag. If you want help, just shoot me a note. Happy to diagnose the problem and suggest alternative ETFs.

Good Sh*t:

Simple Loose Leaf Teapot: I drink tea every morning. It’s my ritual.

I know a lot of people that drink tea from a teabag. I get it. It's quick, easy, and no fuss. But, the switch to loose leaf is a complete game-changer. The quality is better. The taste is miles ahead. And surprisingly, it doesn’t add any real friction to my morning process.

​The Simple Brew Teapot from Rishi is my trusty sidekick. This thing is all glass (no plastic!), which makes me feel a bit better every time I pour boiling water into it. It’s dead simple to use and even easier to clean. You just throw in some loose leaf tea, fill it with hot water, let it steep, and pour. That’s it.

If you’ve ever wanted to dip your toes into the loose leaf world, this is the product I’d recommend. It makes the whole process feel approachable. Who knows—maybe you’ll start looking forward to your morning tea as much as I do.

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