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Unleashing Potential and Financial Mastery: Thomas Solano's Guide to Veteran Leadership and Success · Your Thoughts Your Reality

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Welcome to your Thoughts, your Reality with Michael Cole, the podcast that shines a compassionate light on the journey of veterans battling through life's challenges.
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: Michael is a dual elite certified neuro encoding specialist in coaching and keynote training presentations dedicated to guiding military veterans as they navigate the intricate pathways of post-deployment life.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: Join him as we delve into the profound realm of neuroencoding science, empowering these brave individuals to conquer universal battles procrastination, self-doubt, fear and more.
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: Together, let's uncover the strength within you to re-engage with families and society, forging a new path forward.
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: Hello, hello, hello everybody.
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: Hope everybody's having a fantastic day.
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: You know, I've been on here with my friend talking for about a half an hour already and it feels like you've already dropped so many golden nuggets.
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: It's not even funny.
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: So what's that?
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: Introducing Thomas Solano he is a husband, a father, an agency owner in the financial services industry.
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: He works with financial strategies.
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: He is a strategist, obviously eliminating debt.
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: He works with businesses, he works with people personally and just a wealth of knowledge.
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: So welcome Thomas.
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?
• 1:29
  Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely I'd love to.
• 1:30
  Speaker 3: And first, michael, I just want to thank you for the opportunity to share.
• 1:33
  Speaker 3: We were just kind of talking like it's a little bit of a role reversal for me, so I'm excited to be on this side of the podcast, but I also just wanted to acknowledge you and what you're doing and your mission behind the podcast and serving veterans.
• 1:48
  Speaker 3: I just love it.
• 1:50
  Speaker 3: It's something that I can absolutely get behind.
• 1:52
  Speaker 3: I think we need more of it and you know that appreciation for our servicemen and women.
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: You know it's not unnoticed man, so I'm grateful for you and thanks for having me my name again like.
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: Michael mentioned is Thomas Solano.
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: I'm a husband and a father first and foremost, and then entrepreneur.
• 2:13
  Speaker 3: My greatest title is those first two, husband and father.
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: It's the best role and responsibility I've been blessed with, and so I'm completely grateful for that.
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: And I just I love being in business with my spouse.
• 2:31
  Speaker 3: We run our organization together.
• 2:33
  Speaker 3: It's allowed us to grow tighter, to share a common vision, to be in alignment with.
• 2:40
  Speaker 3: You know where we want to go and the example that we're looking to set for our kids, and so I've been grateful for this journey, and you know I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: I think I'm going to die on the job and and I love it, I love it so that's a little bit.
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: How blessed are we to find our passions right?
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, absolutely, veterans, and it's it's.
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: The story hasn't changed.
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: There's more help out there.
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: There's more help out there, but the story hasn't changed.
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: There needs to be a lot more people talking about it, a lot more information out there to get these veterans the help they need, you know.
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: So what I'd love to do, thomas, is let's just jump in, if you're good with that.
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, let's shoot.
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: I knew you would be brother, I knew you would be.
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: So I want to ask you, you know, before I do this, I want everybody you know, hang around to the end of the show.
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: We're going to give three tips to get you further, faster, for veterans and their families.
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: We're going to really want you to get the tools that are there, and a lot of them you already have.
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: So please stick around.
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: Also, there's a QR code on the top right-hand side of the screen, you know.
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: Scan that.
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: It takes you to books and all kinds of resources and so on that you know you can get, which is super important.
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: They're free.
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: Just go get the resources that you need so you can again move and thrive in life.
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: So, with that said, what tools do veterans have that they leave the military with, that they don't even realize, most of the time, from my experience, that they have these tools.
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: So what are some tools or some strategies they already have that are built in, conditioned into them, thomas, that will help them get and move further, faster, whether that be personally, business, financially, is why you're here, of course, mr Financial Guru, my friend.
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: So what do they have that's already built into them, if you will, or conditioned?
• 5:03
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 5:03
  Speaker 3: So, and I love this question, and only because I have family that came from the military and I think they didn't understand fully what they got from it just going through the process of bootcamp and falling in line and all of those things right, like there's.
• 5:20
  Speaker 3: With that comes a discipline, a drive, an ambition, perseverance.
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: A lot of these words are the same, they're just different, and so I'm going to say multiple ones so that they resonate with you.
• 5:33
  Speaker 3: But I just think that drive, that ambition, that perseverance, the stick-to-it-ness, along with the how-to right, a lot of them have developed, in whatever their job was, these skills that are second to none.
• 5:46
  Speaker 3: And it's not just the how to, it's like the on the job training, like they have hours on the clock in whatever their specified field is or their job, that really can translate over.
• 6:00
  Speaker 3: And me, as a business owner and working with a lot of business owners, the one thing that everybody's looking for is experience.
• 6:06
  Speaker 3: But simultaneously it's that drive to to continue to grow, it's that ambition for, you know, for a little bit more.
• 6:15
  Speaker 3: Whatever the case may be, there's responsibility.
• 6:19
  Speaker 3: That's developed there, right.
• 6:20
  Speaker 3: It's one of the hardest things to do, at least for me as a man, is to take orders from another man, and so it just says a lot for our military that was so disciplined and and trusting of somebody else to to guide them and give them the tools that that they would need to be successful Simultaneously, that's like you know if you're like an entry level, you know, officer or whatever the case may be.
• 6:47
  Speaker 3: But if you're in leadership, command man, the skills developed there are just.
• 6:53
  Speaker 3: I mean, they're immeasurable.
• 6:55
  Speaker 3: And here's what I do know the highest paid position in any industry, at any company, is leadership, and so all of the things that I just mentioned actually puts you in a leadership position.
• 7:09
  Speaker 3: If you utilize those skills out in the real world, it's the things that are really hard to teach and most people that haven't gone through something like the military or police academy or like, they don't have those things innately, um, and so there's a lot of skill there, um, that that people are looking for yeah, yeah, absolutely thank you.
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: And it's not, it's not just employment, but for your own business, you know especially nowadays you see that, more than than anything, I'm always going to say get some experience before you go out and start your own business.
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: For the most part, but those things are conditioned.
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: So talk to me a little bit more, if you will, about the leadership aspect itself.
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: So how does that play into financial and again starting your own business, going to work for someone else?
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: That is, they're all looking for it, right?
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: Because there are far and few between and again, they have it, they're conditioned into it.
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: So what are some key points for that?
• 8:20
  Speaker 3: For leadership?
• 8:20
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean.
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: How do they bring that out?
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: How do they realize that?
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: Oh man, I am a leader, I guess.
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: Let me reframe that question, if you will.
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: How do they know?
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: And then, how do they build on that?
• 8:36
  Speaker 3: Yeah, well, I mean, just know that if you're a leader, if you're a parent, you're a leader.
• 8:42
  Speaker 3: If you're overseeing people right, in any capacity or or not, like you're a leader of your own life, right, like you have the skills to to lead yourself, you have to, otherwise you're going to, you're going to struggle, right.
• 8:59
  Speaker 3: So.
• 8:59
  Speaker 3: So just know that automatically you're a leader and that you're leading your life and that other people are watching.
• 9:07
  Speaker 3: So I'll use my example.
• 9:08
  Speaker 3: As a father, I was pretty irresponsible, michael, if I would be completely transparent, until I was about 25, where I met my wife and my best friend she's my best friend, you know, they're one in the same and and she really just started to bring out the best in me.
• 9:26
  Speaker 3: Here's what I realized years afterwards is like that that person was already inside of me, it already existed.
• 9:34
  Speaker 3: I just needed a reason and a purpose, which she gave me in herself and the trust of me.
• 9:40
  Speaker 3: She allowed me to to lead her as a man in our relationship.
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: She then leveled me up when she gave us our first son, and then again with our second son, and so not only am I leading myself, I'm leading my wife and I'm leading both of our children, and whether I'm trying to or not, and whether I'm trying to or not, I'm an example.
• 10:04
  Speaker 3: Every day I wake up and every day I go to bed and the hash mark in between that is somebody's watching.
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: And so just know that you are a leader as an adult, my son's a leader.
• 10:17
  Speaker 3: He's 12 years old, right.
• 10:18
  Speaker 3: He has friends that are following him.
• 10:20
  Speaker 3: And so just know I guess to answer that first question just know that you are Automatically you're a leader In this world.
• 10:28
  Speaker 3: There's somebody that's looking up to you.
• 10:30
  Speaker 3: Whether you believe it or not, chances are you're in a little bit better position than somebody else, even in the worst of times.
• 10:38
  Speaker 3: So somebody's looking to you to be an example to guide them, to you to be an example to guide them.
• 10:49
  Speaker 3: How do you work and develop on those?
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: I guess first is you realize that you are, that you are a leader, and then, secondly, you need to decide on what those parts of you that you want to develop is.
• 10:59
  Speaker 3: I think write down who it is that you want to be, write down who it is that you want to be.
• 11:08
  Speaker 3: What's the man or woman that you want to be?
• 11:09
  Speaker 3: What does the best version of yourself look like?
• 11:11
  Speaker 3: And then what do you need to continue to grow in those areas?
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: I love that you brought that up Because you're right, everybody has a leader inside them, right?
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: I had a very similar situation, you know, when I met my wife Susan, you know she always said I always knew you had it in you and I was a late bloomer, I guess it was really 30.
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: I mean, I was in management, I did those kinds of things.
• 11:33
  Speaker 2: So when I hit 30 and we moved to California, life changed.
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: It made me want to be a better man for me, for her, for our family, so man for me, for her, for our family.
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: So interesting, we have very similar stories there.
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: So, and thank you for the vulnerability as well, thomas, I appreciate that.
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: So we have a leader inside of us.
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: Let's, let's explore this a little bit more, because I see the passion boiling in you, my friend, I love it.
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: So you find the leader you want to be and I love hey, write some notes down, write some things down that gives you your integrity right of the leader you want to be.
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: So how do they build on that from there?
• 12:27
  Speaker 3: do they build on?
• 12:27
  Speaker 3: Well, you gotta put yourself in a position to to lead.
• 12:28
  Speaker 3: So for I think it's easier when you're a business, when you're, when you're developing in a business, uh setting or whatever, but uh, man, you can do it with anything.
• 12:34
  Speaker 3: If you have kids like, coach their team or volunteer to coach their, their sport or, um you know, step into a career day at school, or if you're working a job, I think you start to go a little above and beyond and you volunteer to train.
• 12:53
  Speaker 3: I mean it has to be something that you want to do, and I say that because I think it's becoming common to want to fly under the radar, especially for the younger generation, and hope that doesn't come across as ageism or anything like that.
• 13:09
  Speaker 3: The same is true in my generation, I'm sure, but there's so many people that want to avoid that responsibility.
• 13:17
  Speaker 3: I guess that comes with leading, and so first you have to want that and then just know that there's a ton of opportunities around you that maybe you don't realize.
• 13:28
  Speaker 3: Again, it could be volunteering, you know, for your kids' sports.
• 13:31
  Speaker 3: It could be, volunteering, at church, it could be.
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: You know what I mean talking to your manager and letting them know like, hey, I'd love the opportunity to start training and developing people.
• 13:43
  Speaker 3: I believe that I can bring X, y, z to the table, and I'd love to help this place grow.
• 13:48
  Speaker 3: Now, if you, if you decide which I think is the best thing anybody can do right now to start a business of your own and become your own boss Again.
• 13:57
  Speaker 3: For me, I didn't like to have a thumb on me own and become your own boss again.
• 14:03
  Speaker 3: For me, I didn't like to have a thumb on me.
• 14:04
  Speaker 3: I did it for 20 years or so, um, until I just decided like enough was enough.
• 14:06
  Speaker 3: And if you want to take control of your own life, I think that's the best thing that you can do is start to develop in that so that you can you bring people with you.
• 14:16
  Speaker 3: I think there's a of of service.
• 14:19
  Speaker 3: Wanting to be of service will allow you to step into that role of leadership and actually force you to become a leader.
• 14:29
  Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah.
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: And so you know I'm just going to add onto that.
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: So, for me, you know, I want to go back to you.
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: Know you jot down notes of who you want to be right, who the leader is that you want to be.
• 14:40
  Speaker 2: So what if you took those notes and then you circle the top three and then you actually created a plan based on that to take action every day on it, like you mentioned, go to your boss, say, hey, I want to step up, I want to be a leader, because if you don't take action on what you want, it doesn't come to light right.
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: So, like you had said, though, ask your supervisor or whatever the case may be, but you have to take that action Sorry, it's the coach in me, man.
• 15:11
  Speaker 2: And then celebrate you took that action, pat yourself on the back, shake your ass, you know, do all those things.
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: So it releases all the good endorphins.
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: And your brain says do all those things.
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: So it releases all the good endorphins.
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: And your brain says Ooh, I want more, I want more, I want more, because you'll then start creating patterns of doing it more and more.
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: So I just wanted to add that in there.
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: So great information, though, man, and great thoughts as far as how to step forward with it.
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: Thanks, thank you.
• 15:34
  Speaker 3: I was hoping that I answered that question, but yeah, I mean just to kind of piggyback off off what you said I've always been taught by my coaches and mentors is that we're going to build.
• 15:41
  Speaker 3: Anything we want, We've got to build it three times.
• 15:44
  Speaker 3: We do it once in our mind, we do it once on paper, and then we go out.
• 15:48
  Speaker 3: We actually do it right.
• 15:50
  Speaker 3: It's the same as an architect or an artist or anything like that.
• 15:53
  Speaker 3: So we are the architects, we are the artist of our life, we are the author of our book, and so figure it out, write it down and then go out and do it.
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: Yep, and we always ask you know, what do you want?
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: What do you want?
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: That's where it starts.
• 16:09
  Speaker 2: The rest will come.
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: You got to start with what you want.
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: So, amen, Amen.
• 16:14
  Speaker 2: So I'm going to skip over to get off this just a little bit.
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: And what are some tips, thoughts, military you know I'm going to.
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: You know military and I have friends and so on that they were in there for two years and they were in there for 27 years.
• 16:33
  Speaker 2: I got guests coming on in a couple of days, repeat guests that been on 23 years of some aspect before they retire.
• 16:40
  Speaker 2: So what are some thoughts of how do you set yourself up for success before you transition out of the military?
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: Because I'm a big fan of hey, don't wait till you're actually out, then going oh what?
• 16:52
  Speaker 2: Because then all the thoughts start setting in, you start going backwards and you see all of the concerns, issues, warning signs of what happens with military when they're isolated and they don't have a plan.
• 17:04
  Speaker 2: If you will, I'm not going to go through all those statistics right now, but what are some thoughts of where to start?
• 17:10
  Speaker 2: You're getting out of the military.
• 17:12
  Speaker 2: Let's start with the younger generation, if you will, because that's actually the highest suicide rates?
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: Because, yeah, I know, but this is why we're doing this, that's why we're doing this.
• 17:25
  Speaker 2: So what are some quick, just a couple of, maybe one or two.
• 17:28
  Speaker 2: Just where do you start?
• 17:32
  Speaker 3: Yeah, so it might sound hokey or whatever, but I think it all starts with a dream.
• 17:41
  Speaker 3: I think we need to get back to being a little more childlike, not just in the way that we love, but in our dream and living in imagination.
• 17:52
  Speaker 3: Again, I know it sounds crazy, but here's what it does it revitalizes, it does bring life back in to have this dream and something that you're willing to work towards, because there's a bigger version of ourself.
• 18:08
  Speaker 3: I think innately human nature is.
• 18:11
  Speaker 3: We're designed for growth, we're designed for you know what I mean for movement forward.
• 18:19
  Speaker 3: We're designed to dream as big as we want.
• 18:23
  Speaker 3: It's actually a command right, biblical it's a biblical thing man is is to dream like without vision, the people will perish, right, and it's so true it's.
• 18:34
  Speaker 3: It's not a group thing, it's an individual thing, and so I think it starts with getting back to a dream.
• 18:41
  Speaker 3: I know everybody that I know in the military, all of my family and stuff.
• 18:45
  Speaker 3: They went in with a goal coming out.
• 18:48
  Speaker 3: I'm going in because I'm going to learn to be a firefighter.
• 18:52
  Speaker 3: I'm going in because I want to be in law enforcement, I'm going in to be a chef, right, whatever it is, everybody that I know that has gone in has gone in with a purpose coming out.
• 19:05
  Speaker 3: I don't fully understand what happens between I mean, I can only imagine with you know, deployments and stuff like that, and that's a scary part.
• 19:13
  Speaker 3: But I think if we can hold on to our dream, get back to knowing what that dream was, I think that's first place to start.
• 19:21
  Speaker 3: Then we kind of talked about some of those other things like hey, let's start to write this stuff down.
• 19:26
  Speaker 3: We need to get excitement back right, we can't wait on the world to excite us, we have to light a fire within, and what I find with everybody that I coach, and myself included, is that it all starts with the dream.
• 19:41
  Speaker 3: Here's the saddest part to me is, most people have forgotten how to do it.
• 19:45
  Speaker 3: Most people have forgotten how to dream.
• 19:50
  Speaker 3: You hear things like it's just the cards we were dealt, or that's not in the stars for us, right, or it is what it is, and to me that's just the saddest thing that can come out of somebody's mouth.
• 20:04
  Speaker 3: I don't know who said the quote, but it was something to the effect that most men meaning humans right Die around the age of 25.
• 20:14
  Speaker 3: We just don't get around to burying them until they're in their seventies or 80s, whatever that number is right, and what that means is we've just stopped dreaming.
• 20:24
  Speaker 3: There's so many dreams, desires, there's, the best inventions in the world are in a graveyard somewhere, and that's this part.
• 20:35
  Speaker 3: So I don't know that answered the question.
• 20:38
  Speaker 3: But, man, as simple as it sounds or as hokey as it sounds, I think it starts with the dream.
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: So I'm just going to say that if you think that's hokey, that's where the beginning problem starts.
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: That's not hokey, that's that's reality.
• 20:51
  Speaker 2: And I know Les Brown had I think it was Les Brown you know, most dreams and brilliance is found in a graveyard because it never came out.
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: You know I'm not saying exactly right, so forgive me less, but uh.
• 21:10
  Speaker 2: So yeah, you totally answered the question.
• 21:13
  Speaker 2: So let's go a little bit deeper, if you will.
• 21:15
  Speaker 2: So you get out of the military, you have a plan.
• 21:19
  Speaker 2: Let's get into the financials.
• 21:20
  Speaker 2: We've been on a great journey here.
• 21:23
  Speaker 2: Thank you, man.
• 21:24
  Speaker 2: Let's get into some of the financials now.
• 21:26
  Speaker 2: When they get out of the military, they are coming out, they have a plan.
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: Let's say they do.
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: There's a lot.
• 21:35
  Speaker 2: Like you said, lose the dream, lose the plan.
• 21:46
  Speaker 3: Financially.
• 21:46
  Speaker 3: Where is the best way to start setting yourself up correctly?
• 21:48
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I love this question because it's one of my biggest passions, just because I've seen the lack of financial education or literacy and how it's affected the generations before me.
• 21:57
  Speaker 3: You know both sets of grandparents on both sides and stuff like that.
• 22:02
  Speaker 3: But to answer your question, I think it starts with an understanding of what's coming in and what's going out.
• 22:10
  Speaker 3: We really got to have a budget.
• 22:14
  Speaker 3: Once that is determined, you're going to get something called a discretionary income right, and it may only be 50 bucks, it may be.
• 22:22
  Speaker 3: I mean, I have some clients where their discretionary on paper should be $10,000, if not more, and they have none of it set aside right, like they have no idea where it's going.
• 22:34
  Speaker 3: And so, especially if you're looking to build something or buy a home or start a business, I think you have to get lean and mean Right.
• 22:43
  Speaker 3: There's so many things that we have that are just conveniences they're more wants than they are needs.
• 22:51
  Speaker 3: And so I think, really determining what that budget is Again, what is coming in, what's going out, let's get lean and mean.
• 22:59
  Speaker 3: Coming in, what's going out, let's get lean and mean At discretionary.
• 23:05
  Speaker 3: You then tell that money where to go, versus wondering where it went, and usually I recommend people break that up into three separate buckets, I guess.
• 23:12
  Speaker 3: So you have a short-term goal, meaning in the next one to three years I want to do X, y, z.
• 23:17
  Speaker 3: You have a three to seven year goal, midterm right, which is maybe that down payment on a house or maybe it's buying an investment property or whatever that may be.
• 23:26
  Speaker 3: And then you have your long-term goal, which could be anything from having college paid for for our kids or our grandbabies, or maybe it's a dream family vacation or retirement.
• 23:37
  Speaker 3: So you break that up into those three separate buckets and again.
• 23:41
  Speaker 3: Tell your money where to go versus wondering where it went, and I don't care if again, it's only $50.
• 23:47
  Speaker 3: You have to manage that $50, because here's what I know is true If you can't save five bucks when there's not a lot of money, you're not going to save 500 when there is, because we're creatures of habit and habitually.
• 24:03
  Speaker 3: What most people do, michael, is they spend first and save whatever's left over, versus treating savings like a bill because it should be.
• 24:14
  Speaker 3: That's that whole.
• 24:15
  Speaker 3: If you've ever heard like pay yourself first, that's the idea behind it is you treat your savings like you would a regular bill.
• 24:24
  Speaker 3: And you have to determine what that is and you have to be committed to it.
• 24:29
  Speaker 3: No ifs, ands or buts.
• 24:31
  Speaker 3: Start that saving, as minimal as it may sound or seem to you, it has to happen.
• 24:38
  Speaker 3: We need to develop a habit to you, it has to happen where we need to develop a habit.
• 24:44
  Speaker 3: So I would say that's what would be.
• 24:44
  Speaker 3: First and foremost is that budgeting and understanding that Excellent, excellent.
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: So, and I'll be honest, I just did this myself not that long ago.
• 24:52
  Speaker 2: It was like, why do I have this?
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: You're caught up in the moment, it's a momentary gratification, right.
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: And then it's like I never even used this.
• 25:02
  Speaker 2: But back in my 20s, even into my 30s a little bit, I did that with technology and I was like, oh yeah, I got to have that, I got to have that.
• 25:09
  Speaker 2: Well, did I ever even use that part of the TV?
• 25:12
  Speaker 2: No, but I did spend an extra thousand dollars for the TV.
• 25:15
  Speaker 2: So I, you know, I think everybody's done it.
• 25:23
  Speaker 2: So be real with yourself, just like I am right now, and because if you're not real with yourself and vulnerable with yourself and call yourself out, you're not going to have a real budget yeah, and you know.
• 25:30
  Speaker 3: The other thing that it does too is like especially building that emergency fund.
• 25:34
  Speaker 3: It really alleviates a lot of stress.
• 25:36
  Speaker 3: Unfortunately, one of the number one stressors in most households is money-related issues.
• 25:44
  Speaker 3: It's one of the leading causes of divorce.
• 25:46
  Speaker 3: It's one of the leading causes of suicide, unfortunately, especially amongst men, it's money-related issues.
• 25:55
  Speaker 3: And so I think we as a whole, especially in our country, we need to have a better relationship with money, and it might sound like a funny word, but that's exactly what it is is we need to have a relationship with it and we need to start teaching our kids.
• 26:09
  Speaker 3: Like somebody was so tripped out the other day because I told them my kids save 90 percent of any money they get.
• 26:17
  Speaker 3: Whether birthdays, christmas, they literally save 90 percent of it.
• 26:20
  Speaker 3: And they get, whether birthdays, christmas, they literally save 90% of it and they only spend 10%.
• 26:23
  Speaker 3: They'll tithe a good portion of it too, and then the rest of it is going into a savings, a long-term savings bank, and both of our kids at the age of 50, if they just do the minimum that we set up for them are literally going to have about $2.3 million of tax-free money.
• 26:44
  Speaker 2: About $2.3.
• 26:45
  Speaker 3: Yeah, that's what the illustration is showing.
• 26:48
  Speaker 3: You know what I mean.
• 26:48
  Speaker 3: That's the projections based on the 7% annual return, but it's actually more real than not because they're not participating in any of the losses in the particular vehicles we put them in.
• 27:00
  Speaker 3: So those are actual returns versus average returns, because they're not participating in any of the losses in the particular vehicles we put them in.
• 27:04
  Speaker 3: So those are actual returns versus average returns.
• 27:06
  Speaker 3: I don't want to get into all of that kind of stuff here on this podcast, I don't know that this is the time for it.
• 27:10
  Speaker 3: But man, just understanding what's out there and then having this responsibility, this discipline, this habit of saving Again, even if it's only for five, five bucks, it's going to do so much for you.
• 27:22
  Speaker 3: It's not about the amount of money you have set aside, it's the feeling of peace of mind that that brings you in the event of a global pandemic, shutdown or the cutting of overtime, like so many people live under overtime pay, that's crazy.
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: You know that that's not a guarantee right.
• 27:40
  Speaker 3: I see a lot of that with my law enforcement clients.
• 27:42
  Speaker 3: Their lifestyle is based on overtime.
• 27:45
  Speaker 3: Well, when there's budget cuts, what do you do?
• 27:47
  Speaker 3: Because that's the first place they cut.
• 27:48
  Speaker 2: Oh, yeah, Absolutely Great information there, man.
• 27:54
  Speaker 2: I appreciate that.
• 27:55
  Speaker 2: So we're getting close on time.
• 27:57
  Speaker 2: So I just want to touch on something that's really important to me as a coach, self-growth professional, et cetera, If you get in a funk or stuck.
• 28:09
  Speaker 2: So what are some strategies?
• 28:12
  Speaker 2: Or give us a strategy when you have that setback, you know as the toxic 10, it's all negative thoughts that we tell ourselves I'm not going to go through all that right now.
• 28:23
  Speaker 2: That really most of the times aren't real in the first place.
• 28:25
  Speaker 2: So when you get in a funk or stuck because of a financial setback you lost your job, whatever the case may be, you got laid off.
• 28:34
  Speaker 2: What is a tip to kind of get you back on track?
• 28:41
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think if you have that dream and that vision written down, I would, I mean you should be reading it once, at least once a day.
• 28:48
  Speaker 3: I would say twice, once in the morning, once in the evening, right, and just what that does for you, right, and just what that does for you, um, I think there's power in affirmations, because it's what we hear, it's what we feel, and our, our mind doesn't know the difference between what's reality and what's not.
• 29:04
  Speaker 3: And so I think a positive affirmation really just gives yourself kind of that warm and fuzzy hug.
• 29:10
  Speaker 3: Um, and you need to, you need to say it with passion and conviction, you should be believing these things.
• 29:15
  Speaker 3: I think, learning to talk to yourself again, which kind of goes with the affirmations, versus listening to yourself, there's always two voices in our head, right?
• 29:26
  Speaker 3: If you remember the old cartoons, there's a little angel and a little devil and Donald Ducks you know what I mean Wings or whatever.
• 29:32
  Speaker 3: We need to start talking to ourself a little bit more versus listening, because what we're hearing a lot of the times, that listening, that internal dialogue, is all of the negative.
• 29:43
  Speaker 3: And it's what our brain's supposed to do.
• 29:45
  Speaker 3: It's designed to keep you safe, right, but, man, there's no growth in safety and stuff.
• 29:53
  Speaker 3: So I think learning to talk to yourself and then really understanding dude, life is hard, no matter what the situation.
• 30:02
  Speaker 3: It's not.
• 30:03
  Speaker 3: It has nothing to do with your job, has nothing to do with your business or a system you've plugged into, has nothing to do with your spouse.
• 30:10
  Speaker 3: It would be hard if you replace that spouse with somebody else, if you were at a different job.
• 30:15
  Speaker 3: Like life is just difficult.
• 30:18
  Speaker 3: It's a trial, it's a test.
• 30:20
  Speaker 3: That's my personal opinion of what it is and so just understanding that it is what it is.
• 30:26
  Speaker 3: But in every adversity and every challenge there's a equal, if not greater, blessing on the other side of that.
• 30:36
  Speaker 3: So really holding on to the truth in my world is that everything happens for us, not to us.
• 30:44
  Speaker 3: We're not a victim.
• 30:46
  Speaker 3: There is a blessing there.
• 30:47
  Speaker 3: So just having that as a reminder, those positive affirmations, and then really holding tight to your dream, like protecting that thing, like your life depends on it, because oftentimes it does, and if you do protect it properly, it'll take care of generations to come if you do it right.
• 31:04
  Speaker 3: So that would be all I had to say on that.
• 31:10
  Speaker 2: Absolutely man.
• 31:10
  Speaker 2: So I'm going back to Les Brown again, because we just uh, did a uh training with him.
• 31:15
  Speaker 2: Uh, life be life and life be life, and it's not gonna stop, man, it's so true.
• 31:22
  Speaker 2: It's how you do it.
• 31:24
  Speaker 2: Uh, yeah, and talking to yourself, get in the mirror.
• 31:26
  Speaker 2: Get in the mirror, look yourself in the eyes.
• 31:29
  Speaker 2: This is a mirror exercise I give to my clients.
• 31:30
  Speaker 2: Look at yourself in the mirror, deep down in your eyes, where you see your soul.
• 31:34
  Speaker 2: Be kind to yourself, tell I love you and talk about the dream affirmations.
• 31:41
  Speaker 2: Move your body.
• 31:42
  Speaker 2: It does all kinds of good stuff and it actually sinks in more.
• 31:46
  Speaker 2: Move your body, like you had said.
• 31:48
  Speaker 2: Smile when you do them.
• 31:49
  Speaker 2: All of those things help actually neural pathways.
• 31:52
  Speaker 2: So, love that, love that information, and we totally blown past time.
• 31:56
  Speaker 2: I love you, thomas, so all right.
• 32:01
  Speaker 2: So how do we get ahold of you, thomas, if someone wants to reach out and get more information, et cetera?
• 32:06
  Speaker 3: Sure, so my handle on Instagram, facebook I mean just about anywhere I am is my first and last name.
• 32:13
  Speaker 3: So at Thomas Solano, like it's, like it shows on the screen, you can DM me there, send me a message.
• 32:21
  Speaker 3: Whatever I respond to everything.
• 32:23
  Speaker 3: And then we also I do have a podcast.
• 32:26
  Speaker 3: If you don't mind the shameless plug, you'll find us at no Pressure, no Diamonds podcast on the Vire Network and Apple Spotify, all of that service, streaming service.
• 32:40
  Speaker 3: So we're on all of that.
• 32:42
  Speaker 2: Fantastic, yeah, and check out the podcast, guys.
• 32:44
  Speaker 2: I have it, it's great, it's excellent.
• 32:46
  Speaker 2: So we're going to go into three tips and then we're going to get out of here into three tips, and then we're going to get out of here Three tips to help veterans and their families financially.
• 32:58
  Speaker 3: Leadership wise your dealer's choice to help them move further, faster.
• 33:07
  Speaker 3: Oh man, I just gave the three that I, that I, that, no, I'm just kidding.
• 33:10
  Speaker 3: I would say three more Thomas, yeah, no, I mean.
• 33:15
  Speaker 3: Again I would say gratitude, um, you know?
• 33:17
  Speaker 3: Uh, keep put your head down, write those things down again that you want, um, and then just chip away at it.
• 33:23
  Speaker 3: Here's the thing too, man.
• 33:25
  Speaker 3: Like there's so many hours in the day, I think let's let's not take for granted, because there is no guarantee for tomorrow.
• 33:33
  Speaker 3: Let's not take for granted the hours or the time that we're given today.
• 33:36
  Speaker 3: Chip away at your dream, it's worth it.
• 33:39
  Speaker 3: Have great communication with leadership, coaching, mentorship and or your spouse.
• 33:46
  Speaker 3: My most important, if you are married, my most important appointment of the day is the end of the day on the couch with my spouse and just recapping what we've done, where we are, what's troubling us, what are we excited about, how are the kids?
• 34:03
  Speaker 3: And have that adult time, but just that, I guess.
• 34:10
  Speaker 3: Communicate with those that are in support of you, stay in your dream and then chip away at it a little bit every day and, like, whatever free time you have, stop scrolling, stop watching Netflix and start working towards that life that you want because you deserve it.
• 34:29
  Speaker 2: Amen, man, oh, I love that.
• 34:30
  Speaker 2: So, yeah, and I just want to add on to that, you know, a 2% shift in what you're doing now towards your dream.
• 34:37
  Speaker 2: Get in a boat and move that wheel 2% and see where you end up compared to where you were 2%.
• 34:44
  Speaker 2: Just chip away.
• 34:46
  Speaker 2: Like you said, I love it, man.
• 34:48
  Speaker 2: So, thomas, you've been amazing.
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: Thank you, my brother, and hey, everybody, everybody, we are out of here thank you for joining us on another insightful journey of your thoughts your reality podcast with your host, michael cole.
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: We hope the conversation sparked some thoughts that resonate with you.
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: To dive deeper into empowering your thoughts and enhancing your reality, visit empowerperformancestrategiescom.
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: Remember your thoughts shape your reality, so make them count.
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: Until next time, stay inspired and keep creating the reality you desire.
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: Catch you on the next episode.