What if the problem isn’t how much money you make, but what your money is doing once you earn it?

Money decisions don’t usually fall apart because of bad math. More often, they break down because life gets busy, habits take over, and financial choices lose connection to what actually matters. In a world built for convenience and constant consumption, managing money with intention has never been more important.

In this episode, Sherron Permashwar, CPA/PFS and founder of Modern Savvy CPA, introduces her 3M Wealth Formula to create sustainable financial clarity. She explains why financial progress requires more than budgeting tactics, how everyday choices quietly shape long-term outcomes, and what it really takes to create a financial life that feels aligned and sustainable.

Listen in as Sherron breaks down the mindset shifts, decision-making patterns, and practical strategies that can help you feel more in control of your money, more confident in your choices, and more connected to the life you’re building.

What You’ll Learn:

• What the 3M Wealth Formula is designed to help you do.
• Why financial success is about more than just numbers.
• How unintentional spending quietly pulls you away from your goals.
• The role mindset plays in your financial decision-making.
• Why your financial “why” matters more than most people realize.
• How to create better habits around spending, saving, and planning.
• How entrepreneurs can use their numbers more strategically.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “We do so much unintentionally. We really need to take money as a tool. And the thing about money is it is a tool if I give it a job, but if I don't give it a job, it's like a cartoon that it finds its own jobs.” - Sherron Permashwar
• “It doesn't matter how much money you make… high earners without discipline and education still is poverty.” - Sherron Permashwar
• “A lot of times people lie to themselves… With money, especially, they tell themselves that they're good at it. They tell themselves that they're bad at it. They tell themselves whatever story they want to tell themselves to make the excuse to not address it. But it's part of your life.” - Sherron Permashwar

Resources:

• Sherron Permashwar: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
• Genevieve George: Website | LinkedIn
• The Rich Life Blueprint
• The Prosperity Academy
• Get Wealthy With Me Podcast

Connect with Us:

If you're ready to stop avoiding your finances and start building the future you deserve, schedule a free call with me at pelicanfinancialplanning.com and let’s create your personalized financial plan together.

And if you want ongoing guidance, clarity, and confidence as you grow your wealth, subscribe to our newsletter for financial insights delivered right to your inbox.

How prepared is your family to handle more than just your money?

Major life transitions often come with more than paperwork and financial decisions. They also come with homes, storage units, closets, and inherited belongings full of items that carry emotional weight, practical questions, and sometimes real financial value. As wealth and possessions are passed between generations, families are increasingly faced with difficult decisions about what to keep, what to let go of, and how to handle it all thoughtfully.

In this episode, Robin Cartwright, founder of Mindful Moveouts, shares how she helps individuals and families deal with downsizing, estate cleanouts, inherited belongings, and major move transitions. She breaks down the emotional and logistical challenges that come with sorting through a lifetime of possessions, how to identify what may hold financial or sentimental value, and why having a plan for your physical belongings is just as important as having a plan for your money.

Listen in as Robin explains how to reduce overwhelm during life transitions, make intentional decisions about inherited items, avoid costly storage mistakes, and create more clarity for the people you love.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why physical belongings can become a major financial and emotional burden during life transitions.
• How inherited items may hold emotional value, financial value, or neither.
• Why “wealth” passed down through generations often includes more than money.
• The hidden long-term cost of keeping storage units for unused belongings.
• How to thoughtfully sort items into what to keep, donate, sell, or revisit later.
• Why families should document plans for household contents alongside estate documents.
• How meaningful items can be preserved without keeping everything.
• Why having passwords, records, and key documents accessible can reduce stress for loved ones.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “Wealth does not mean dollar. Wealth could be collections of items.” - Robin Cartwright
• “You can keep the memory and not the item." - Robin Cartwright
• “If we had just gone in with a slash-and-burn mentality—clean it out so we can sell the condo—we might not have found things like that.” - Robin Cartwright

Resources:

• Robin Cartwright: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Email
• Genevieve George: Website | LinkedIn
• Sotheby’s

Connect with Us:

If you're ready to stop avoiding your finances and start building the future you deserve, schedule a free call with me at pelicanfinancialplanning.com and let’s create your personalized financial plan together.

And if you want ongoing guidance, clarity, and confidence as you grow your wealth, subscribe to our newsletter for financial insights delivered right to your inbox.

What actually happens after the first call to a divorce attorney?

Once the decision has been made and legal proceedings begin, individuals enter a structured process that can involve filings, financial disclosures, mediation, and sometimes, a trial. For many people, the uncertainty surrounding timelines, legal requirements, and financial decisions can make an already difficult transition feel even more overwhelming.

In this second half of the conversation with family law attorney Linda Weiksnar, we continue the discussion on divorce by walking through what actually happens once the process begins. Drawing on decades of experience guiding clients through family law matters, Linda explains the real-world mechanics of divorce, from petitions and mandatory financial disclosures to mediation, settlement negotiations, and court proceedings.

Listen in as she outlines the stages of divorce and explains how courts approach property division, spousal support, and parenting plans. You’ll get practical insights that can help anyone move through the process with clearer expectations and greater confidence.

What You’ll Learn:

• The first legal steps that officially begin a divorce case.
• Why financial affidavits and mandatory disclosure are essential to the process.
• How equitable distribution works when dividing property, accounts, and debts.
• What courts consider when determining spousal support.
• Why mediation is required before most divorce cases go to trial.
• How parenting plans and time-sharing arrangements are structured.
• What happens during a divorce trial if a settlement cannot be reached.
• Why preparation and patience are critical throughout the process.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “The judge is going to tell you the same thing I'm going to tell you right now: I can't fix your heartache.” - Linda Weiksnar
• “You can be more creative in mediation. You can be the captain of your own ship in mediation.” - Linda Weiksnar
• “Listen to your attorney because your attorney does want what's best for you, but has to get you there within what the law allows.” – Linda Weiksnar

Resources:

• Linda Weiksnar: LinkedIn
• Genevieve George: Website | LinkedIn
• Crary Buchanan
• Rule 12.285. MANDATORY DISCLOSURE

Connect with Us:

If you're ready to stop avoiding your finances and start building the future you deserve, schedule a free call with me at pelicanfinancialplanning.com and let’s create your personalized financial plan together.

And if you want ongoing guidance, clarity, and confidence as you grow your wealth, subscribe to our newsletter for financial insights delivered right to your inbox.

Is owning a rental property really the smartest way to build wealth—or just the most familiar one?

For many investors, the first instinct is to buy a rental property and become a landlord, but owning one property can bring concentration risk, unexpected expenses, and more hands-on responsibility than expected. As markets shift, it is essential to understand how real estate fits within a diversified financial plan.

In this episode, Shannon Kiefhaber, real estate investor and asset manager at Riverside Group and Twenty-Five Eight Capital, opens up about her transition from single-family rentals to multifamily syndications and commercial assets. Listen in as she explains how to evaluate return on equity, what passive investing through syndications really looks like, and how to align real estate decisions with your long-term wealth strategy.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why many investors underestimate the true cost of owning a single rental property.
• How vacancy, capital expenditures, and property management impact cash flow.
• The difference between concentration risk and diversified real estate exposure.
• What a real estate syndication is and how limited partners participate.
• How metrics like cash-on-cash return, IRR, and equity multiple compare to market benchmarks.
• How depreciation and cost segregation can enhance tax strategy.
• The importance of aligning real estate investments with your overall financial plan.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “The problem is people dramatically underestimating the true cost of owning a rental property and overestimating the benefit of having only one property. I'm not trying to say rental properties are bad, but I think scale matters here.” - Shannon Kiefhaber
• “For building wealth, it's not about necessarily doing more and more deals—it's about building something or designing something that supports the lifestyle I want to live.” - Shannon Kiefhaber
• “If you’ve been holding real estate for the past 10 years, it’s a great time to hold real estate. It’s highly appreciated. And so now you have to actually start looking at another metric called return on equity.” - Shannon Kiefhaber

Resources:

• Shannon Kiefhaber: LinkedIn
• Genevieve George: Website | LinkedIn
• Riverside Group Commercial Real Estate
• Twenty-Five Eight Capital

Connect with Us:

If you're ready to stop avoiding your finances and start building the future you deserve, schedule a free call with me at pelicanfinancialplanning.com and let’s create your personalized financial plan together.

And if you want ongoing guidance, clarity, and confidence as you grow your wealth, subscribe to our newsletter for financial insights delivered right to your inbox.

A financial gift can feel generous, timely, and full of opportunity. But without the right guidance, even well-intentioned decisions can create unexpected tax consequences.

In this episode, Joyce Ruggeri, CPA at Reynolds Bone & Griesbeck, shares a client story involving a gifted property that resulted in a $120,000 tax bill. With two decades of experience in tax compliance and strategic planning, Joyce breaks down capital gains, cost basis, step-up in basis, and the common misconceptions that often lead families to make costly mistakes.

Listen in as she explains how one missed phone call changed the outcome of a major financial decision, what families should understand before gifting or inheriting property, and why coordination between your CPA and financial advisor can protect both your wealth and your peace of mind.

What You’ll Learn:

• The difference between gifting property and inheriting property from a tax perspective.
• What a step-up in basis is and why timing matters.
• How capital gains are calculated on real estate sales.
• Why the old “buy another house to avoid tax” rule no longer applies.
• What qualifies as a home improvement that increases your cost basis.
• Why communication between your CPA and investment advisor matters.
• The long-term cost of withdrawing money early from a 401(k).

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “If she had called me, I would say, ‘Just wait. You inherit a property—dad passes away, and you inherit the property. Then you get what is called a step-up in basis.’” - Joyce Ruggeri
• “Capital gains… has such a negative connotation… People think of it as a penalty… It's a tax, but it can be lower than normal. Good news, you made money” - Joyce Ruggeri
• “This happens more often than not because people trust what they hear from their neighbor. And in today's day and age, people trust what they hear from AI, and they Google things to get answers. And really what you should do is call your CPA.” - Joyce Ruggeri

Resources:

• Joyce Ruggeri: LinkedIn
• Genevieve George: Website | LinkedIn
• Reynolds Bone & Griesbeck, PLC
• Quicken
• QuickBooks

Connect with Us:

If you're ready to stop avoiding your finances and start building the future you deserve, schedule a free call with me at pelicanfinancialplanning.com and let’s create your personalized financial plan together.

And if you want ongoing guidance, clarity, and confidence as you grow your wealth, subscribe to our newsletter for financial insights delivered right to your inbox.

Divorce doesn't start when you file the paperwork. It starts the moment you realize your marriage might end, and what you do in that space between realization and action can determine if you move through the process with clarity or chaos.

In this episode, Linda Weiksnar, a seasoned family law attorney, walks through exactly what someone should be doing before they ever schedule that first consultation. She covers getting your emotional house in order, understanding your finances, and managing expectations about custody. Listen in to get a rare look at what actually matters in court, how preparation (both practical and psychological) shapes everything that follows, and why the work you do before filing determines the outcome more than most people realize.

What You’ll Learn:

• The most overlooked step before divorce.
• How to gather financial information even if you never handled the bills.
• What a financial affidavit requires and how to prepare ahead of time.
• Why courts don’t consider fault or heartbreak (and what they do consider).
• How Florida’s 50-50 time-sharing presumption changes custody expectations.
• What dissipation of assets means and when infidelity actually matters.
• Why friends, family, and non-family-law attorneys aren’t reliable guides.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “The court can't fix your heartache. I can't fix your heartache. I can probably counsel you pretty well after a bajillion years of doing family law, but that's not what I'm trained for.” - Linda Weiksnar
• “Divorce is similar [to marriage] because you can't come out of it thinking, “Okay, I'm divorced now, I'm healed, I'm ready to move on.” - Linda Weiksnar
• “You want your money to send your kids to college, not send my kids to college.” - Linda Weiksnar

Resources:

• Linda Weiksnar: LinkedIn
• Genevieve George: Website | LinkedIn
• Crary Buchanan

Connect with Us:

If you're ready to stop avoiding your finances and start building the future you deserve, schedule a free call with me at pelicanfinancialplanning.com and let’s create your personalized financial plan together.

And if you want ongoing guidance, clarity, and confidence as you grow your wealth, subscribe to our newsletter for financial insights delivered right to your inbox.

Estate planning rarely feels urgent… until life forces it to be. Too often, families postpone these decisions because they’re uncomfortable, complicated, or easy to ignore. But when illness, loss, or sudden responsibility arrives, the absence of a clear plan can turn grief into chaos, leaving loved ones to make impossible decisions at the worst possible time.

In this episode, Dana Gliniecki shares what it looks like when estate planning moves from theory to reality. After years of thoughtful preparation following a major business exit, Dana unexpectedly found herself relying on those plans when her husband passed away. She offers a rare, firsthand perspective on how preparation (or lack thereof) shapes emotional capacity, family dynamics, and decision-making during profound loss. Listen in to learn why estate planning is less about wealth and more about responsibility, clarity, and care.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why estate planning decisions are harder to make during grief and loss.
• How a clear estate plan reduces stress for surviving spouses and families.
• What happens when trustees must make financial decisions after a death.
• How estate plans should change as children become adults and start families.
• Why family communication is critical to avoiding conflict after a parent passes.
• The difference between managing an estate and protecting family relationships.
• How planning ahead creates clarity and stability during emotionally overwhelming times.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “At the end of the day, we're all gonna die. You'd rather be in charge of how everything goes down.” - Dana Gliniecki
• “You either do the hard stuff upfront and things go relatively smoothly, or you do nothing, and you make it much harder on yourselves, and other people potentially end up making very important decisions for you.” - Dana Gliniecki
• “You have to ultimately live with the consequences, and you don't get to say at the end, ‘Well, I didn't know.’ Well, that's on you.” - Dana Gliniecki

Resources:

• Dana Gliniecki: LinkedIn
• Genevieve George: Website | LinkedIn
• The Community Foundation for McHenry County
• Impact100 Global
• Marguerite H. Griffin | Northern Trust
• Women & Money by Suze Orman
• Giving 2.0: Transform Your Giving and Our World by Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen

Connect with Us:

If you're ready to stop avoiding your finances and start building the future you deserve, schedule a free call with me at pelicanfinancialplanning.com and let’s create your personalized financial plan together.

And if you want ongoing guidance, clarity, and confidence as you grow your wealth, subscribe to our newsletter for financial insights delivered right to your inbox.

Estate planning is often treated as a box to check: documents signed, files stored away, and the assumption that everything will work as intended. But when plans aren’t communicated, updated, or properly executed, families are left facing confusion, conflict, and costly consequences during moments that are already emotionally overwhelming.

In this episode, David Darby, CFA, managing director of the investment strategy team at Farther, shares real stories from decades of experience helping families unwind estate planning mistakes after it’s too late. He explains how unfunded trusts, outdated documents, and lack of coordination between advisors can turn good intentions into years of legal and emotional strain. Listen in as David breaks down what actually goes wrong behind the scenes, how thoughtful execution creates clarity instead of chaos, and why proactive planning is one of the most meaningful gifts you can leave your family.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why having estate documents doesn’t guarantee they’ll work as intended.
• How unfunded or outdated trusts can trigger costly legal battles.
• The role communication plays between advisors, attorneys, and families.
• When life events should prompt an estate plan review.
• Why healthcare directives are just as critical as financial documents.
• How advisors help reduce administrative burdens during times of grief.
• What clarity looks like when estate planning is done well.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “The value-add of a good advisor is that we give people time in their lives by taking care of the minutia that they probably don't want to have anything to do with. They just want to know that it's getting done.” - David Darby
• “As you get more experienced in life and in our business, you'll see clients that have health issues, and I think we tend to forget that our clients are people first. And that when you have a health issue, it's almost the only thing you can think about.” - David Darby
• “The first time you're probably looking at estate planning is [when] we get married or have kids, and then as they get older, we may be updating it.” - David Darby

Resources:

• David Darby: Website | LinkedIn | Email: david@farther.com | Contact: (347)-385-8572
• Genevieve George: Website | LinkedIn

Connect with Us:

If you're ready to stop avoiding your finances and start building the future you deserve, schedule a free call with me at pelicanfinancialplanning.com and let’s create your personalized financial plan together.

And if you want ongoing guidance, clarity, and confidence as you grow your wealth, subscribe to our newsletter for financial insights delivered right to your inbox.