zoë hartsfield 🌊

good @ building pipeline | bad at most other things | currently building pipeline + evangelism at Apollo

I've generated over 100MM impressions for brands on social media in the past 24 months. Most coming from LinkedIn. Building world class employee, executive and influencer advocacy programs for B2B software companies. 

I'm a marketer by trade, but sales has my heart. Also passionate about helping younger professional level up in their careers (mostly by charing lessons I learned the hard way).

-------------------------------------------------------------

If you're a brand and want to collab on content, shoot me an email at zoe@zoehart.co

If you're a young professional looking for tips, hacks, and learnings to help you level up, hit the bell & follow me on IG (@zoepatience) and TikTok (@zoeeharttt).

If there are other ways you hope to work together, shoot me a DM- let's chat.

Head of Marketing & Evangelism

Standing up the content, community & demand gen functions at Swantide. 
Q1 & Q2 OKRs + Wins:
- 4x inbound traffic
- organized and generated Sales Collateral Library
- guested on 15 podcast + webinars to evangelize the brand
- onboarded tools: HockeyStack, Warmly, Demandwell
- Stood up content calendar
- Stood up product release marketing with CS
- Trained the GTM team on social selling
- Created Community Driven Pipeline Playbook
- Launched Events marketing program hosting in-person and virtual events
- Stood up partnerships program
- Stood up first-ever referral motion (generating 15% of pipeline after 2 months)
- leveraging my personal brand to generate new business opportunities
- Set up GA4 + marketing attribution model
- Generated 50% of pipeline from inbound, content + community
- Generated 39% closed-won revenue from inbound, content + community
- did all of this without ads^ 😏


We are making implementing and configuring salesforce 10x faster, 10x simpler at 1/5 the cost. It's so easy, I can set up your Salesforce instance. DM me if you're about to or just bought SFDC and need help with configuration & system management. We've got you covered 😎

zoë hartsfield

"i don't want to work with you. you write in all lowercase. that's unprofessional."

my guy… i'm not going to write like me for you. i'm going to write like you for you. that's literally the point of ghostwriting.


lowercase everything works for MY brand cuz i’m a zillennial girlie in sales/marketing who doesn't take herself too seriously at all. 

But the CRO of a Series B RevTech company? You're not posting like that. 

You shouldn't post like that. Your board would have some big questions for you at the next quarterly meeting. 

(see what I did there?^)

when i write for YOU, i write like you. 

- Proper capitalization. 
- Structured frameworks. 
- The occasional dry humor that lands in a CFO's inbox without raising too many eyebrows.


i've been doing this long enough that nobody has ever figured out who i write for. and that, my friend... is the point. 

i like to consider myself the best ghostwriter you've never heard of ;)

so if you're worried i'm going to make you sound like a chaotic gen-z kid who types like she's sending a text... i promise i won't.

unless that's your vibe i guess

zoë hartsfield 👻

EGC is the new brand marketing | i build executive and employee brands on linkedin that drive awareness and revenue | executive brand & ghostwriting | documenting my life as a first time founder

I quit my job 2 weeks ago to go all in on [redacted]. I haven't even officially announced the new company (soooon) but closed my first deal with a DREAM client. Today. From a coffee shop. In Dubai...

I was always a W2 girlie, and I will still champion anyone who wants that life. 

Climbing the corporate ladder was an epic challenge and I am so grateful for that experience. 

But I remember so vividly a few months ago... the night I finalized my divorce, lying in bed thinking "what's stopping me?"


Am I scared? Yep.
Am I prepared? Nope.
BUT do I know anything about building a business on my own? 

Also no

F*ck it... I'm doing it anyway! And I'll bring you along with me.


So if you are into:
- Personal Brand/LinkedIn content tips
- Watching me (attempt) to build a 7 figure business in public
- Remote work/productivty hacks


It's nice to meet you. I'm zoë hartsfield 👻 and I'll be your host for this series. 

1 deal down. Many to go:)

i build linkedin personal brands that convert | personal brand tips, social selling training + executive ghostwriting | ask me about optimizing your linkedin strategy

DIY v hiring a professional: 

i’m in nyc for 48 hrs. my friend was taking some pics of me in time square and one of those street photographers came up and asked if he could take one for us 

i declined 

we took a few more and he came back to offer to just take one and show us. 

the difference was massive

so he took 40 more in 5 minutes and suddenly i spent $150 


but the end result was better than the 30 minutes my friend and i had spent 



sure it was pricey but i have a better product & results to show for it 




this post is about hiring a ghostwriter 👀

No alternative text description for this image

4 lessons from from 4 massive creators i met here in dubai this morning: 

MrBeast (yes this is real) - until you’ve put in the work to make 100 videos/try 100 times, you really can’t complain about it “not working” - you don’t even have enough data to make that call yet and you definitely don’t have the skills 

Vinh Giang - there is a much power in “pause” just give it that extra half second, especially on stage- it’s a way to let people absorb what you said and hook an audience in 

Amar Kandil - ask yourself if it will make an interesting story. everything can be an interesting story, you just have to find the narrative 

Justin Mecham - instead of teaching people 1 thing about everything, package everything about one thing. that’s the thing. that’s how to approach posts, products and courses. people don’t want 30 hours on a massive concept- they want 90 minutes on a core concept they can stack together with other core concepts. 


there’s something really special about being in rooms with people much smarter than you.

I’m 30. Single. Have a dog. Live in Colorado (for now).

And I run a ghostwriting + social selling training company (announcement coming SO soon).   I’m also a content creator who does brand partnership content every single week.  My day to day looks like this:

Wake up
Walk/Run
Coffee
Emails + slack replies
Write for exec clients
Make 1-2 demos for brands I am working with (using Consensus)
Update client dashboards in Notion
Record content before I lose the light
Write content for me
Emails again
Walk le pup
Forget I was supposed to eat at some point
Make dinner
Scroll/take notes for content ideas
Spend an hour working on the business (trying to build better systems, use Zapier, Notion + Slack to make my life easier)
Gym Watch something mindless
Eat a junk food snack because I am a trash raccoon at night
Go to bed

Repeat.



Some of my goals for 2026 revolve around leveraging tools to connect all the disparate systems and part of my business. Everything has historically been manual or a bit clunky.   I think in 2026 the business the tech that is blowing up are the tools that are connecting the dots for creators, founders and operators.   Clay did it for data. Zapier did it for tools. Consensus is doing it for the buyer journey.   As a new founder (and seller) I always want to be thinking about how to make my life (and my client’s lives) easier and more efficient. 

If you’re a seller, marketer or early founder in SaaS, I highly recommend checking out Consensus. Their AI powered a-sync demos allow your buyer to experience the full capabilities of your product when they’re the most motivated to solve their problem.   In 2026 you should be connecting the dots for your buyer.    And in 2026 I should really add “get a better calendar tool/time manager” to my to-do list because this is nuts. 



#consensuspartner  Ps. I have been traveling home from Tel Aviv for 22 hrs now. only 14 to go 👌🏼

i’m just here to say… 

post the content. 

stop over thinking it
don’t wait until tomorrow
stop doubting whether or not you have something valuable to say 

document your work, your life, your learnings… 




never know where it could take you:) 




… to dubai. 


it could take you to dubai…

i quit my job a few weeks ago to go all in on my business.
probably a year later than i should’ve.
why?

i was scared.
i wanted more cash in the bank.
more clients lined up.
and yeah… a $160k salary + health insurance was very comfy.

but i remember thinking:
“if i just had some runway… i could actually do this.”
one morning i checked my bank account and thought:
fck it. send it.

sometimes that’s all you need.
a little runway. a real dream. and some audacity.

that’s why this hit for me 👇
Stanley (Your Content Coach) is giving real $$$ to one person to cover their salary + cost of living for a full year so they can go all in on their dream.
not someday. not when you’re “ready.” now.

join dare to dream & enter to win $100k.


here’s how to enter:

sign up for stan (free)
post a 2-minute or less video on IG or TikTok sharing your dream + how you’ll bring it to life
use #standaretodream26 and tag Stanley 
complete the typeform after your video is live (link in comments)

winner is selected in feb.


also drop in the comments if/when you enter, I want to go watch it!

what’s your dream?



*no purchase necessary. void where prohibited. for official rules, visit daretodream.stan.store





ps. this is me this week closing my first new client since going solo. 

6 calls lined up for next week. 

if you’ve been thinking about going all in on you, let this be your sign.

whoever at apple decided the default file format for a photo should be .HEIC is a sociopath. and you know what…



actually that’s all. 

end of rant.

my senior year of high school i bat .488 but my junior year i bat .211. this one conversation with my coach changed my whole perspective:

“zoe, i know you want to be swinging for the fences- but waiting for perfect pitches keeps you from swinging at all. a single gets you in the game just as much as a home run does. Don’t you ever go down looking.” 


annnnnd then he told me that for every at bat i went down looking i owed him 10 laps at the next practice. 😬

fast forward to the next season: 

senior year i was league MVP, and bat just shy of .500 (developed a mean lefty slap bunt… iykyk)

All because i stopped waiting for the perfect pitches. 




This post is not about softball. 










(… its about starting your own thing/business/project/taking risks… in case i wasn’t clear)

headed to dubai to speak on stage at the largest social media and creator conference in the middle east. wtf is life! 
here’s all it took to get here: 

6+ years of tech sales, social selling and content creation experience
4 years of posting consistently on linkedin
3 years of ghostwriting experience 
2.5 years of social selling and personal branding training experience 
thousands of posts 
winding up in the back of a cab with the organizers of 1 Billion Followers Summit on our way to a happy hour in Cannes. 


i feel so lucky and i also know that so much work went into this. 

flight leaves in 8 hours- who am i seeing there? 


wish me luck 🖤

There was a time, not that long ago, where I found it extremely difficult to get out of bed in the morning… 

The world felt so big, and there was this weight in my chest that seemed to keep me pinned to the mattress. 

The anxiety ratting around in my head was constant. 

And there were moments that felt so dark and scary and lonely, it felt hard to imagine a life that was really worth living. 


I won’t pretend it magically got better over night. 

I won’t pretend to know the how or why of depression and how we get out of it 

But I will say with confidence… 

Dark nights give way to brighter mornings. It really does get better. 

Slowly, and then suddenly you’re up at 6a walking in the 20 degree chill and thinking… life is kinda beautiful. 


Idk who needs to hear this on a random sunday but, keep going. 

We need you here tomorrow 🖤

about to board my 7th flight of 2026. yep. 7 planes in two weeks. i often talk about all the pros of work travel, but here are some cons: 

- i’m sh*t at time zone math. 

and sometimes that means i pigeon hole myself into a 1a call on accident. constantly moving and shifting requires planning but also a ton of flexibility and grace for yourself when you don’t get it right. 

- airplane wifi is unreliable. 

of course my precious United Airlines  is almost always on it with the wifi but i’ve been on 2 flights with trip with 0 wifi and 3 with super spotty wifi on other airlines. this means i spent a solid 10 hrs of flight time with no connectivity and not a lot of ways to get real work done. annoying but is what it is. 

- jet lag. 

now i’m not totally convinced jet lag is real (she says as she types this into her notes app at 4a) but SOME people struggle to adjust to the new (or back to the old) time zone making productivity on the bookends of travel kind of rough. 

- lack of routine. 

it’s hard to maintain my “routine” abroad. sometimes because of conference schedules. sometimes because of logistics/lack of a car or maybe not being able to run in the area i’m staying in… you have to find ways to maintain normalcy within the confines of your situation. 




i mean… im reaching here. remote work and working while traveling is generally pretty awesome. travel delays, poor wifi and jet lag can be a bit of a pain but id have to say they’re well worth it for me to see the world. 

i hit dubai, tel aviv and nyc in the last 10 days, all while running the biz. 

it’s a pretty sweet gig if you ask me. :) 

please ignore the bags forming under my eyes. if i look tired it’s because i am. 

#remotework #worktravel #productivity

prospect: “but my last exec ghostwriter was 1/3 the cost.” 

me: “so why aren’t you working with them still?” 

prospect: “well they weren’t that good.” 

me: … 







the next time someone says “well the last guy was cheaper” remember… there is a reason they’re not the “current” guy.

A young woman came up to me after my talk at the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai 2 weeks ago and asked “how do i get my first ghostwriting client?”: 

I told her she wouldn’t like my answer, but here’s how i did it. 


“do it for free” 

“free?” she asked? 

“yea, not forever, but if you have no experience, no portfolio and no social proof- then use this opportunity to build that up.” 


i wrote for 3 people for free in the very beginning. just for a month or two. then i asked them to pay me. 

2 said yes. 

all 3 became case studies. 

all 3 taught me something. 

i suddenly had a portfolio, customer quotes and confidence i didn’t have 2 months before. 

did i make any money in that time? no. but i credit that experience to all the money i’ve made ghostwriting since. 




sometimes you have to be willing to take a small short term loss in order to have future gain. 

take it from Costco Wholesale - they make $0 on their rotis chicken. in fact they lose money on them. 

but they place them in the back of the store KNOWING people have to walk the whole floor to get to them. people always end up seeing other interesting items and buying more. 

for me? i literally have a costco membership because i get a rotis every week. 

and i buy other stuff throughout the year as a result. 




the best businesses know when to take Ls as a strategic advantage. 



don’t mind me while i spend my afternoon doing client work and eating this thing straight out the bag with a fork.

Gila Shapiro 🖍️ is 25 followers shy of her first 3k and she told me when she hits it she will start posting weekly. she will also owe me $11. 

can you please go follow her and help her hit it? (and help me… i quit my job so i could use the $$$)

5 more hours on the plane… almost to dubai! but for now, this is my MUST have list of things to bring in my carry on: 

- laptop & chargers 
- extra headphones 
- hypoclorous acid 
- eye mask/face mask 
- extra change of clothes 
- hairbrush
- dry hair shampoo 
- current book
- mini pharmacy 
- tripod
- hand sanitizer 
- notebook & pen (cuz sometimes ya just gotta write stuff down 



what am i missing from my bag? 




ps. i filmed the whole experience of flying emirates to this event. (shout out 1 Billion Followers Summit ) 

this week is about to be insane. 

if you’re waiting on an email from me i’m on it- i just don’t know what time it is or where i am or when i am.  :)

I’m 30. Just quit my W2 job. Am renovating my house to rent it out. All while running my own business, completely remote. 

I’ve always been a fan of remote work. Maybe because I graduated college less than a year before "le Vid" hit and have spent 90% of my career completely working from "anywhere". 

But I think there are a few really critical systems every person or team needs in place to be effective when totally remote. 

These are 3 I’m focusing on as I build my business: 

- You need really strong a-sync communication systems. 
I don’t really care what you use, but pick a channel and stick to it. Trying to track down messages in 15 different places is a nightmare. 


- Strong SOP documentation + walk thrus.
This is critical for ANY remote team to get down EARLY. I use Tango to create quick walk thru’s of any process that needs to be done more than once. This allows me to do 2 things:

1. keep myself organized and honest when I am moving quickly… 

2. eventually delegate processes to other people (shoutout to my first part time hire!… you know who you are). 

Example, last week I showed her my exact process to take an interview transcript, parse it into posts, drop drafts into a client notion hub + how to ping the client in their hub to let them know content is ready. Now when she has questions, instead of asking me for 15 minutes, she has a step by step walk thru to help her if she gets stuck.

IF you need help with internal ops, staying organized, streamlining newhire training or just documenting SOPs as a founder or manager, give Tango a try.


-Finally you NEED a super portable work set up. 
I’ve got an iPhone, tripod, laptop, chargers, solid webcam, little laptop case that doubles as a stand, AirPods and I just got a sick portable monitor. Now I can work with my best set up anywhere in the world (I am literally typing this at 40,000 feet using 90% of that list). 

Once you have the right systems and tools in place, remote work becomes incredibly freeing. 

Never catch me working from an office again ✌🏼


Also can you guess how many hours I have been traveling for in this photo by the looks of my haggard face???

#tangopartner

i build executive and employee brands on linkedin | personal brand tips, social selling training + executive ghostwriting | ask me about optimizing your linkedin strategy across your team

one executive posting is a person with a Linkedin presence.

three executives and 5 employees posting is a brand you see eVeRYwHeRE.

think about it. 

if your CEO is posting, that's one connection point into a target account. one person someone might follow. one voice representing the company.

but if your CEO, your CRO, and your VP of Sales are all posting? Alongside 3 of your AEs an SDR and your head of marketing???

now you've got multiple different entry points. multiple different voices. multiple different ways for a buyer to stumble into your world.



most B2B deals have 8-12 people involved in the buying decision. different titles. different priorities. different content they care about.

your CEO might resonate with their CEO. but your CRO might be the one who actually connects with their CRO. your VP might be the one who gets the director's attention. and your SDR may be the one to convince your ultimate end user that the tool is worth giving a shot.

one executive posting creates maybe 5-10 connection points into a target company.

multiple executives and employees posting? that's 50+.

i've run this play at multiple companies now. it's never been "let's get one person going."

it's always been "let's get three-five people going and make your brand feel unavoidable."

one voice is a presence. three voices is a movement.

Best part about being a ghostwriter: You have no idea I am behind some of LinkedIn's top exec voices + brands.
Worst part?:

You have no idea I'm behind some of LinkedIn's top exec voices + brands 🥹

Financial planning and education (without the jargon) I Creating blueprints for high-earning sales executives and business owners

I left the financial industry because I saw a problem.

People wanted to work with a planner, but they ended up becoming a number on a spreadsheet.

I had to leave to start something new.

And now?

I'm a fee-only planner who helps salespeople & equity compensated employees under 45 give a purpose to their paycheck.

I left the large financial institutions to start my own independent company. I did it so people could pay for real planning and not just an agenda to sell a hidden product. 

As a true fiduciary, Pashman Financial, LLC was built on that promise by focusing on you and you only.

🔵 Why people hire me? 

Well, people have come to me with the following problems:

- They want peace of mind with their money
- Their old advisor barely communicates with them
- They want an answer tailored to them, not from Google
- They felt pressured to buy a product that wasn't a right fit
- They are great at making money but struggle to keep it
- They want a simple plan that's easy to understand
- They want someone to hold them accountable
- They want someone they can trust

🔵 What are my services?

I help identify your goals, craft a financial blueprint that lays out action items to hit them, and monitor your progress. 

💵 Cash Flow Management  
📈 Equity Compensation
🏡 Real Estate Planning
📊 Investment Planning
📍 Retirement Planning
🛡 Insurance Planning
📚 Education Planning
💲 Tax Management
💳 Debt Repayment
📃 Estate Planning

🔵 Who do I serve?

Age: Individuals and families between 30-50 years old
Target: Sales pros, tech employees, other millennial families
Location: Virtually anywhere in the U.S.

But I love working with people that are driven to make a change. So even if you don’t fit these criteria, feel free to reach out. Your personality is everything. 

🔵 Why I'm different?

1) My model is primarily a flat fee service. No time trap. 

2) I do not require you to hand over your investments nor require a minimum to work with. Managing your assets is optional and I'll still assist you if you do it yourself. My focus is ongoing financial planning. 

3) I focus on how to increase your cash flow, not just your assets. I work with you to ensure your systems are set and consistently educate you on how your finances work. I get paid to truly keep you accountable over time.

You can find my pricing in my "featured" section on the website. 

Stop delaying action. Shoot me a message to schedule a complimentary intro.

Max Pashman, CFP®

70% of millionaires currently work with a financial advisor. 

Here's why many end up hiring one. 

They realize that financial planning is more than just a return. 

They also realize they have limited time on their hands. 

Like business owners, they outsource their skills

But there's so much than "what do i invest":

It's about:

- Goal Planning
- Debt Repayment
- Ongoing Education
- Emergency Fund Building
- Cash Flow Management
- Equity Comp. Planning
- Charitable Strategies
- Investment Planning
- Education Planning
- Insurance Planning
- Estate Planning
- Exit Planning
- Tax Planning
- Etc. 

And if your financial planner isn't addressing these properly with you?

It may be time to find a new one.

Helping Founders and Executives Plan for Early Retirement and Exit

If you have less than $100k, you shouldn't focus on returns.

In fact, it's a waste of your time. Here's why:

Charlie Munger once said:

"The first $100,000 is a b****.... but you gotta do it"

He wasn't talking about just returns, though. 

He was talking about your income. 

How quickly can you get it up there with your paycheck? 

In other words, what you save versus what you return. 

Just look at this example:

A 100% return on $1,000 is $1,000.

But a 10% return on $100,000 is $10,000.

10X less the return, yet 10x the dollar amount. 

And here's the best part about this. 

It's much easier to do the latter. 

In other words, it's much easier to save to $100,000 than trying to get a 1,000% return on an investment.

Not easy, but not impossible either. 

So if you haven't hit that number?

Focus on your savings rate. 

Not just your returns.

The market can wait.

If you grew up watching any of these as a kid:

- Spongebob
- Hey Arnold
- Powerpuff Girls
- That's So Raven
- Boy Meets World
- Hannah Montana
- Dexters Laboratory
- The Magic School Bus
- Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
- Fairly Odd Parents
- Wild Thornberrys
- Jimmy Neutron
- Lizzie McQuire
- Ed Edd n Eddy
- Dragon Ball Z
- Pokemon
- Yu Gi Oh
- All That
- Catdog
- Rugrats
- Arthur
- Doug

It's time to open up a Roth IRA.

75% of Americans regret not investing earlier. 
 
Here is the power of starting early (and the cost of waiting):
 
What you see in the illustration are 4 people: 
 
- 20 year old 
- 30 year old 
- 40 year old 
- 50 year old 
 
Now, as you get older, your income increases. 
 
Therefore, each generation can contribute more. 
 
So I ran a quick calculation. 
 
For ever 10 years, double the contributions. 
 
You can contribute more, but have less time to invest. 
 
Assuming an average return of 7%? 
 
The results are simply remarkable. 
 
A 20-year-old who is dedicated to starting early can outperform those with higher contributions. 
 
That doesn't mean high contributions don't matter. 
 
They absolutely do! 
Especially early on your journey. 
The difference, though, is returns helped. 
 
Over time, those returns made a difference thanks to time. 
 
It's really simple, but holds a huge lesson. 
 
There is power getting off to a good start. 

You should have started sooner. 

But you aren't too late.
 
Don't wait any longer!

Most don't realize they could put up to $72,000 in a Roth. 

Here's the "Mega Backdoor Roth" explained:

Compared to the IRA, the 401 k) has a couple of advantages, including: 
 
- Larger contribution limitations 
- Matching contributions 
- No income limitation 
 
In addition, it still offers a Roth component. 
 
But the part people overlook? 
 
The total contribution limit. 
 
On the employee side, it's $24,500 (2026).
 
Combined with the employer side it's $72,000. 
 
But there is another secret in it. 
 
If your employer allows it, they may permit additional after-tax contributions. 
 
This is taking additional income that has already been taxed and contributing it to a 401(k). 
 
For example: 
 
If the employee contributes $24,500 and the match is $7,500, that's $32,000. 
 
$72,000-$32,000 = $40,000
 
The employee can contribute an extra amount into there. 
 
But that's not where the magic happens. 
 
The magic is what you can do after. 
 
These contributions can be converted to a Roth account. 
 
This can happen in two ways: 
 
1) In-Service Distribution: Make an after-tax contribution + transfer it to an outside Roth IRA 
 
Or 
 
2) In-Plan Roth Conversion: Make after-tax contribution + transfer funds to the Roth 401k of plan 
 
Once again, your employer must allow both after-tax contributions and this type of transfer so check with them first. 
 
This strategy make large contributions to a tax-free account of this size is well known as a "Mega BackDoor Roth". 
 
It's a complicated process so always be sure to coordinate this with a financial professional. 
 
If you're looking to make great strides towards building your future, this is an option you shouldn't overlook. 
 
It's a great vehicle for financial independence.

Note: This is purely educational and should not be considered financial or tax advice. Consult with a professional on your situation before implementing this.

A $300,000+ earner with less than $15,000.

As a financial planner, I've seen more of these inquiries over the last year.

I can't stress this simple message to you all enough:

High income will take you to the next stage of your life. 

Zero planning around it will reverse that.

So when you get a bump in income…

What’s your game plan?

Let’s hear it.

Cutting your Netflix subscription will make you a millionaire.

Here's how you can do it in a year:

- Cut the $18
- Take the $18 and invest it
- Get a return of 5,555,456%

Boom. You've got $1 million

Why aren't more Millennials doing this?

undefined undefined

pashman-financial-llc

schooloffinances

Them: The 401(k) is a scam! 
 
Me: Why do you think that?
 
Them: It's locked until you are 60! 
 
Me: You can get it out early with strategies like 72(t), Rule of 55, Roth Conversion Ladder, and many other reasons. 
 
Them: Well it has high fees! 
 
Me: New 401k providers offer low-cost plans + low-cost funds and you can roll it out later if you really don't like it when you leave. 
 
Them: Well it has limitations! 
 
Me: Yeah but you're talking about $24,500 (2026) for a year, not including the match you get. 
 
Them: Well, the match has a vesting period! 
 
Me: So does equity. It's an incentive and still FREE money in the end. 
 
Them: Well, it was created to supplement your retirement, not fully fund it. 
 
Me: I agree. That's why you don't put all your wealth into a single vehicle and utilize multiple to your advantage.
 
Them: Yeah, well, it's taxed as income at retirement! 
 
Me: Yeah, that's precisely why you get a deduction upfront, and your funds grow tax-deferred, which helps retain wealth over time rather than tax sales and income each year. 
 
Them: Yeah well.... it still sucks! 
 
 
 
Not as many as the excuses made against the 401(k). 
 
It ain't all that bad as people make it to be. 
 
No one claims it will solve all your problems. 
 
But it's not a scam.

80% of their thoughts are on things they can’t control.

Here's why it's a losing choice:

If you spend all your time focusing on the things you can't control, you're investing in a losing strategy.

We see it all the time with money:

You can't control return rates.
But you can control savings rates.

You can't control tax laws.
But you can control tax planning.

You can't control interest rates.
But you can control your credit score.

You can't control contribution limits.
But you can control diversifying accounts.

You can't control risk of an asset.
But you can control your asset allocation.

You can't control when an emergency will happen.
But you can control the management of your short-term reserves.

You can't control tuition prices.
But you can control which vehicles to choose.

You can't control social security reserves.
But you can control your retirement vehicles.

You can't control inflation.
But you can control where your cash gets parked.

You can't control your death.
But you can control your estate plan.



Want to know why we do financial planning?

Because life is usually out of our control.

Your plan gives you the steering wheel.

Up to you how you steer with it.

Don't sleep on the wheel.

Make too much income for a Roth IRA? 
 
Here's how to get around it legally (Updated for 2026!)
 
First, what's the problem? 
 
The Roth IRA is a great vehicle for tax-free growth. 
 
But there are income limitations. 
 
For 2026, those limitations are as follows: 
 
- $153,000 for single filers 
- $242,000 for married filing jointly 
- $0 married filing separately
 
Make above these amounts? 
 
They get phased out or entirely ineligible. 
 
So what to do? 
 
Instead, you could contribute to the Traditional IRA. 
 
But are you contributing to a 401k? 
 
Those deductions might also phase out! 
 
This seems like a lose-lose scenario. 
 
But it opens for an opportunity. 
 
The good news is that you can use the IRA to fund a Roth IRA. 
 
This is known as a Backdoor Roth IRA. 
 
Here's what you could do: 

FIRST: Move all existing IRA money into an employer plan like a 401k. 
 
1) Open a Traditional IRA & Roth IRA 
2) Fund the Traditional IRA 
3) Do NOT invest the funds 
4) Initiate a Roth Conversion into the New Roth IRA 
5) Elect not to withhold taxes 
6) Invest in the Roth IRA 
7) File Form 8606 to show non-deduction in Traditional IRA 
 
This process is why having a Roth 401k is pretty handy: you can make any contribution with no income limitations. 

Remember, this is purely educational and is shown here for simplicity.
 
This is not financial or tax advice, so please consult with a financial and tax professional first.
 
But the door is open for tax-free money!

You've gotta find the right key.

Note: This is purely educational and not financial or tax advice. Seek a professional before acting on any of the information.

Let's normalize not having everything figured out by your 30s.

Purchasing a home without running the numbers is a coin flip. 

Yet, this is exactly how 99% of people do it.

They'll just look at what the bank will allow them to get.

But they don't look at your numbers:

- Your goals
- Your expenses
- Your future maintenance
- Your potential new furniture
- Your phantom costs not disclosed

And no, going with the notion that "it will pay off later" is not a good strategy. 

Please run the numbers before executing on a home purchase. 

You'd be surprised how unprepared some are for it.

It's not like you can change your mind very easily.

After all, it's only 30 years you are stuck with it...

If your business goes to zero, you close your doors.

If the stock you own goes to zero, they close their doors. 

If the index fund you own goes to zero, money is no longer a problem. 

Now take a look at these three and answer one question:

Which of the downsides is more likely to occur?

High reward comes with high risk. 

It's not about not taking risk. 

It's about managing it.

Welcome to Risk 101.

You can make 7 figures of income. 
 
But it's all useless without this: 
 
"The art is not in making money, but keeping it" 
 
This is especially true with HENRY's. 
 
What is a HENRY? 
 
→ H-igh 
→ E-arner 
→ N-ot 
→ R-ich 
→ Y-et 
 
I've seen this with many cases of successful business owners and tech executives. 
 
Lots of talented people making fantastic revenue and income. 
 
But not many of them without a game plan to keep it. 
 
The culprit is usually simple: 
 
Lack of financial planning. 
 
Without clarity, you don't know what to do with what you earn. 
 
You worked hard to earn your income. 
 
Now make it work harder for you to grow. 
 
But you don't have to struggle at it alone. 
 
If you do, you might need help at it.

"My commissions are taxed at a higher rate"

Not true always. Why is it wrong?

Let's look at an example here.

Selling Sally works hard at her job.

She typically gets half in salary and half in commissions.

She’s hit her quota and is excited for those commissions to kick in.

But when she checks her paycheck, she notices something…

Her commissions were "taxed" at a lower rate than her salary.

At first, this seems great, more money in her bank account!

But then, tax season arrives.

After filing her taxes, her accountant lets her know she owes a massive tax bill!

Now she's frustrated that she has to write a big check and wonders:

Did something go wrong with her return?
Did she get taxed more than expected?
Did she get hit with some penalty?
Nope.

She owes more because her employer withheld less than she actually owed.

And that's the key word here: withheld.

Whenever you have monthly income like a salary, it’s considered “regular,” which gets taxed progressively like usual.

But whenever you have irregular income like:

Awards
Bonuses
Commissions
Equity Compensation
Or anything that doesn’t pay monthly
…it’s considered “supplemental.”

And these irregular forms of income are withheld at different flat rates by default.

For commissions, the default withholding is 22% for the first $1 million and 37% for any amount beyond that (Federal rate for 2025).

This is just withholding, not the actual tax owed.

Since Sally makes $500,000, her actual marginal tax rate is 35%.

But her commissions were only withheld at 22%, which wasn’t enough.

So instead of getting a refund, she ended up owing the difference at tax time.

She didn’t pay more for her commissions.

She just had less withheld than owed.

Big difference!

(Sally is a hypothetical example, but you get the point)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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I don't know who needs to hear this, but just because you can afford the down payment for a home doesn't mean you can afford the mortgage payments. 

☝ Read that again

For the love of g*d, stop using absolutes with your finances:

You don't need to max your 401(k).
But don't leave your match behind.

You don't always need life insurance.
But you should get coverage for your family.

You don't need live on the edge.
But you should know your limits.

You don't need to invest everything.
But you should understand your timeline.

You don't need to open a 529 for your kid.
But you should prepare to support them eventually.

You don't need to have a strict budget.
But you don't have to live a Ramsey life either.

You don't have to pay off all your debt now.
But you don't have to completely avoid it either.

You don’t need to own a home.
But you should have a housing plan.

You don’t need to pick individual stocks.
But you should understand what you own.

You don’t need to retire and quit work all together.
But you should build the option to choose your path.

You don’t need multiple income streams.
But you should protect against a single point of failure.

Read what you want and take advice from whoever. 

But your situation is not black-and-white. 

Stop thinking like it too.

Your child can borrow to pay their tuition costs. 

But you cannot borrow to pay your retirement costs. 

Remember this as you prioritize where your wealth goes.

Friendly Reminder: Robinhood is not meant for you to create a strategic means of creating wealth. 

It's a place to mess around with your "F*** You" money.

Big difference.

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