Actual Intelligence and the Return to Real
(Because wisdom doesn’t come from Wi-Fi)
There’s a lot of talk about Artificial Intelligence these days.
But what about Actual Intelligence—the kind your grandmother had, even if she didn’t know how to restart a router?
If AI is about speed, simulation, and prediction…
Then Actual Intelligence is about wisdom, discernment, and direction.
Planning requires assumptions.
But here’s the catch: those assumptions need to be grounded in real life—not just algorithms.
Let’s face it:
No algorithm knows the weight of watching your parents age.
No chatbot understands the fear of running out of money while your adult kids are still paying off their student loans.
And no app—not even the shiny ones—can replace the gut-check wisdom of a woman who’s lived through recessions, raised a family, and cared for Loved Ones while trying to keep some dreams alive for herself.
The Problem? We’ve outsourced our confidence.
Somewhere along the way, we traded clarity for convenience.
We let search engines answer life questions that used to be handled around the kitchen table.
We’re plugged in—but not necessarily tuned in.
It’s time for a Return to Real.
Not because technology is bad. (Shoot, we’re using it right now.)
But because some things—like financial confidence, caregiving boundaries, and legacy decisions—require human conversations and unhurried thought.
Like:
What actually matters to me 10 years from now?
Who would care for me if I couldn’t care for myself?
What’s one thing I could do today that my future self—and my Loved Ones—would thank me for?
If those questions make you uncomfortable… good.
It means you’re still using your intelligence—actual, not artificial.
Here’s the deal:
You don’t need another guru or glossy 90-day plan.
You need clarity, control, and a community that values wisdom over wizardry.
You need to exercise your power while you have it—because if you don’t, someone else will make decisions for you. And chances are, they won’t have your values, your boundaries, or your Loved Ones in mind.
So here’s your next wise step—Let’s have a real, no-pressure phone call.
No slides. No scripts. Just human conversation.
We’ll talk through the assumptions your future depends on—because planning well is a team sport, and this time, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Click here to schedule a quick call.
Bring your questions. I’ll bring decades of experience—and probably a few grandma-style truth bombs.
HOMESCHOOLING: Haven or Havoc?
Your child's school years are precious and fleeting.
Now could be your best time to step up where your school is letting your child down. Let this series of myth-busting short chapters encourage you.
2 Major Mistakes
Which one will you make?
Which of these 2 retirement mistakes are you making right now? It's impossible to entirely avoid both mistakes.
You won't know for sure which mistake will work out better for you until it's too late.
How to choose?
Finding the Will
(Part 1)
Part 1: Have the will to arrange for a smooth transition when you’re no longer around to answer questions
Have the will to arrange for a smooth transition when you’re no longer around to answer questions (Part 1)
Ensuring your children or other Loved Ones can readily access your important papers when you die entails a sound process versus one or two conversations. You must overcome aversion to the subject of death, procrastination of anything that is long-term, and the tendency to assume things will be fine. Family dynamics can be sweet, spicy, or dicey.
Finding the Will
(Part 2)
Part 2: Getting Organized
While the internet permits convenient access to accounts, policies, and stored documents, it presents a plethora of password management problems. which too many people avoid by succumbing to password laziness, such as:
- re-using passwords for multiple logins, or
- use simple, easy to remember passwords, or
- writing them on sticky notes placed on their monitor or under their keyboard, or
- keeping them in a spreadsheet on their computer, or
- letting their browser remember passwords for them
Embrace Your Clarence
Is Clarence your future?
Golden insight from a golden retriever.
Post-Pandemic W.E.L.L.ness
Working, Earning, Learning, and Launching to Thrive
Where life drastically changed forever two years ago, everyone adjusted to the best of their abilities.
Here are a few of the key adjustments--"pandemic pivots"--that sustained some and prospered others.
Prenuptial Adulting
Equip Them for Happily Ever After
“Mom, Dad, we’re getting married!"
“Wonderful, congratulations! Here’s what you both need to do first.”
Equipping newlyweds with essentials of responsibility leaves plenty of life yet to be discovered on their own. Adults understand that love isn’t oogly feelings; it’s a hard choice. It’s putting your commitments and your money where your mouth is.
Many of the following steps also apply to one’s turning 18 years old. Becoming engaged adds urgency and a deadline.
Rethinking Competing Funds for College and Retirement
We live in a time of skyrocketing inflation topping decades of unbridled higher education costs.
Is the tension between funding your retirement and funding (at least partially) your children’s college education keeping you up at night?
You’re not alone.
Married? Is Your Endgame 100% or Just 50%?
Are you single? That other 50% could be whoever is most important to you.
Multiple unforgiving players factor into your retirement and estate plans (collectively your “endgame”). Household names include the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration, and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Key decisions with these players are nearly impossible to reverse. Plus, if you qualify for a pension, how you activate it is another irreversible decision.
Are you more of a planner than your spouse? It’s all too common for one spouse to blindly trust the planning spouse. Countless endgame “plans” were created by 50% of a couple:
