As I mentioned on the call and in a post a few days ago, I sent out a text to the clients that attended my client appreciation dinner. When I read it, I felt a bit uncomfortable because I see positive feedback about myself. I'm posting it here to force myself to recognize the value I bring to clients and to step out of my comfort zone and let this positive message affirm my value. Hi Michael, You were reading my mind! I have been planning to reach out to you... We enjoyed the evening immensely, thank you. The food, service & atmosphere were lovely. I had a delightful time visiting with your wife... I don't think we've really had a chance to do so in the past--she's very easy to talk to! In terms of the presentation... I really liked how you alternated between dinner courses and slideshow. It kept the evening flowing, gave us a chance to eat leisurely, and removed the distraction that passing dishes usually does. The presentation was a great balance of information and brevity. Very effective. If you were looking for additional content, I would suggest: - Go over the Allianz Tax Summary pages briefly: The income tax brackets, the cap gains tax brackets, the RMD table, and the Medicare table... make the point that managing taxable income AFTER retirement has a huge impact, so tax strategies matter as much as investment strategies. And yes, you can help with that. - Offer more insight to remove the mystery of ATS. I know you've been burned when you shared too much of your strategy, so go with less data and more of your relationship with your clients. 1) Time segments matter for each stage of life: Leading up to retirement / reaching retirement / medicare vs medical insurance / social security start date strategies / legacies & trusts / long-term care. Everyone has different needs at different stages. So how can you build a flexible plan? 2) Time segments ALSO matter for keeping the nest egg growing through market trends. The strategy is NOT unique enough to sell itself. However, you have an advantage over traditional financial advisors. We're all coming to your for our taxes, so point that out. YOU are the key here. YOU are a guru at blending the financial concerns with the tax implications to plan a long-term strategy. Don't underestimate your dual role. The ATS is a solid tool that you've used for many clients, but in the end, it's YOU that we are trusting. This is a strategy that you rely upon, so it's part of the package.

Finishing up January: 1. What is now true about me that wasn’t true on January 1? 2. What promise will I carry into February as proof that I am a different being? 🔹 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝟏 – 𝐔𝐧𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. February 1 - Who have I been pretending to be, and what does that pretense cost me? February 2 - What standard have I avoided installing because it would make me unrecognizable? February 3 - What identity or role am I still clinging to even though I’ve outgrown it? February 4 - Where am I waiting for clarity, when what I really need is courage? February 5 - What fear is keeping me loyal to a version of myself I no longer respect? February 6 - What part of my past identity do I still use as an excuse? February 7 - What story am I done telling myself about who I am?

This is the final week of Go For No and the theme is “Calibration earns its place,” we only refine after we’ve earned the data through volume. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰. This week isn’t about more motivation. It’s about cleaner patterns. You ran the reps, now you get to name the lessons without killing momentum. 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: What’s your goal focus this week? Drop a comment using this template (keep it simple + measurable): - My NO quota this week: ____ - My goal focus: (volume / cleaner asks / follow-up / one bold ask / closing loops) - One variable I’ll refine (only one): ____ - One conversation I will finish (no ghosting): ____ - My updated identity line (one sentence): ____ Let’s run the week like leaders: 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬, 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭.

It’s not what we don’t know that hurts us, it’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so. Mark Twain How many of us are so “matter of fact” in certain areas of our lives and is hurting us. Does it have anything to do with our IDENTITY?

We’ve been in “Go for No!” mode all month, stretching ourselves to get out there, risk rejection, and build resilience. But of course: The purpose of going for no... is to get to yes. And yesterday, we scored one. Our impossible Q1 goal? Raise €2 million for our MedTech startup. We’ve had plenty of interest. Dozens of investors love what we’re building, but they’ve all been waiting for someone else to go first: “Come back when there’s traction.” “Let us know when others are in.” “You’re clearly onto something, but we don’t want to lead.” Yesterday we met with a professor of interventional cardiology, a respected key opinion leader in our field. After speaking with us, he pulled out his wallet and invested on the spot. Was it €2 million? No. But it was the signal everyone’s been waiting for. And we have a Dutch saying that fits perfectly: “Als één schaap over de dam is, volgen er meer.” (“Once one sheep crosses the dam, more will follow.”) This was our first sheep. The momentum has started. And now we get to go back to every other investor with a new line: “You're not first anymore.” If you’re still chasing your no’s, keep going. They might just be lining you up for your yes. Finish the week strong. 🚀