An antenna 400 feet above ground level and pushing 100,000 watts of “Frequency Modulation” into the air. You and I refer to that as FM radio, but that is what I needed in the 1980s to talk to the world. No, no, no, not to the world. Maybe to four counties.
This is how the world has changed.
I guess I’m going down memory lane a little bit. Those of you who know me know that I once had a very different career—more than 40 years ago, believe it or not. I actually began in radio when radio was still a big thing. Yes, I had darker hair then.
Here I am at a radio station in Fairmont, Minnesota, basically in the middle of farm country. That’s me on the air, probably giving the farm markets because farmers needed to know about the price of corn, beans and pigs. That’s what I did, basically eight hours a day.
What’s interesting about those old photos is that even back then, I believed you should always take a very professional approach. I was probably the only announcer on staff who wore a tie every single day—even though no one could see me the way you can see me today. I felt it was important to show up as a professional.
It required more than just a simple microphone and some lights. It required a lot more. In fact, believe it or not, the last time my federal communications license was updated to a lifetime license was in 1985.
Technology has changed a lot since then. I don’t think you would want me to run your radio station as chief engineer today—I don’t remember half the things I learned in the 1980s to qualify under the Federal Communications Commission. I’m not that guy anymore.
So why am I talking about the communication I had in the 1980s and the communication I have here in 2026? Because now anyone can appear to be an expert—whether they are or not. All you need is a smartphone, and you can shoot a selfie and talk as if you’re an expert in virtually anything.
That’s why it’s so important, no matter who you work with and no matter what questions you have—whether they’re in our space or in any area where you need to improve your life—to make certain you’re dealing with people who actually have credentials.
I’ve been building those credentials since I started 40 years ago, and they’ve brought me to where I am today. They allow me to answer the questions people ask me now and to surround myself with professional individuals who can fill the gaps that aren’t my particular specialty. Because no one person can know all things.
It really takes a team approach. It really requires that a person has the connections with those other fields to fill in the gaps. You may no longer need a license to speak to the masses—all you need is a camera and a microphone—but that doesn’t replace real qualifications.
Just as I did those many years ago when I would show up with a shirt and tie, realizing that this was my profession at the time and that I was duly qualified to do it, I have carried that same standard through the years.
So, when you’re looking for someone who has history behind them, knowledge behind them, and qualifications behind them, you’re looking for more than just information. You’re looking for wisdom—the kind we gain through life experience that teaches us how all the pieces come together.
Sometimes it’s simply listening to what you want, listening to what your needs are, reflecting on where you are and where you wish to go, and then drawing from the experiences and the empathy we bring to the table to assist you in your journey.
Whether the road is easy or hard, straight or curvy, uphill or down, the right guidance doesn’t come from simply posting something on social media and hoping it’s the right answer. It comes from working with someone who understands your situation, who has the history, the experience, and the wisdom to help guide you to the end result you’re not only hoping for and dreaming of—but that you actually wish to achieve.
If you’re understanding what I’m trying to relate to you, then perhaps it’s time for you to schedule your Financialoscopy®. I would be honored to help.
