Starting a company from scratch during the dot-com bust, building it into a global transportation management software leader, and selling it in a headline-making deal would be an endpoint for many entrepreneurs. For Monica Wooden, it was the start of a new chapter. In this conversation, Wooden shares stories with the podcast’s host and Truist Wealth Co-Chief Investment Officer Oscarlyn Elder about the early experiences that sparked her entrepreneurial drive, her “win-win-win” philosophy, the resilience it took to navigate setbacks in the past, and how she’s expressing her values through philanthropy in the present. Monica’s conversation is filled with lessons on individuality, preparation, perseverance, and purposeful giving.

Also in the discussion:

• The role of sports and Title IX in Monica’s youth

• Navigating professional challenges during the dot-com bust

• The evolution of the distinctive corporate culture at Monica’s company, MercuryGate International

• How Monica developed her philanthropic priorities

• Lessons and advice for fellow entrepreneurs

If you’d like to take notes on today’s episode, you can download this free template.

Podcast worksheet

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected]

Divorce is a major life transition that brings both emotional and financial complexity. For high-net-worth couples, the stakes can be especially high. On this episode of I’ve Been Meaning To Do That, host and Truist Wealth Co-Chief Investment Officer Oscarlyn Elder welcomes colleagues Jacqueline Parks and Jennifer McManus to explore the role that financial advisors can play in supporting clients as they navigate a divorce. From the importance of recognizing the risks of emotional decision-making to the unique issues that come with late-in-life divorces, they discuss why the early involvement of a trusted advisor can encourage good decisions during a difficult process.

Also in the discussion:

• The usefulness of prenuptial agreements

• Issues in child rearing and college planning

• The importance of proper insurance coverage

• Ensuring fair valuation and division of assets

• The complexities involved in business ownership

If you’d like to take notes on today’s episode, you can download this free template.

Podcast Worksheet

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected]

Cybersecurity crimes are as common as physical crimes today. And, unfortunately, wealthy individuals and their families are especially at risk. On this episode of I’ve Been Meaning To Do That, host and Truist Wealth Co-Chief Investment Officer Oscarlyn Elder welcomes Charlotte Edwards, the vice president of operations at Cyberwolf. They explore why wealthy individuals and business leaders are prime targets for cyber criminals, and what people can do to protect themselves. Edwards discusses how hackers and fraudsters think and operate, and what practical steps you can take to help protect yourself and the people around you.

Also in the discussion:

• Why your reputation, as well as your money, is under threat from hackers

• How a specialized firm like Cyberwolf protects its clients

• Why the family, friends, and employees around a wealthy person or company are also at risk

• Misconceptions about cybersecurity that may make you vulnerable

• The advantages of non-password-based verifications

If you’d like to take notes on today’s episode, you can download this free template.

Podcast Worksheet

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected]

Good leaders recognize opportunities for growth, even growth within themselves. Executive coaching can help deliver on such opportunities. This episode of the I’ve Been Meaning To Do That podcast from Truist Wealth explores the process of executive coaching and the impact it has on leaders and organizations. Host Oscarlyn Elder, co-chief investment officer at Truist Wealth, talks with Jenni Marsh and Amalia Jansel of the Truist Leadership Institute about what executive coaching is, and what it is not. They also discuss why executive coaching has applications for people at all levels of leadership, and why family business leaders are particularly good candidates for coaching.

Also in the discussion:

• The skills and qualities of a good executive coach

• What a coach can bring to your career development

• How coaching helps develop an organization’s future leadership

• The difference between biases and beliefs, and how a coach helps you recognize both

• Helpful resources for learning more

If you’d like to take notes on this episode, you can download our Podcast Worksheet.

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected]

You want to enjoy your later years by spending time with friends and family, discovering new interests, and enjoying your surroundings. Thorough longevity planning now helps make all that possible. To help you get started, host and Truist Wealth Co-Chief Investment Officer Oscarlyn Elder welcomes colleagues Jacqueline Parks, regional director of advice and planning, and Tony Bryan, senior vice president and wealth strategist back to our podcast, I’ve Been Meaning To Do That. Together they outline the critical steps you need to follow to give your own longevity plan the best chance of success.

They discuss:

• The mistaken idea that Medicare will pay for long-term care

• Directives, including financial and health care powers of attorney

• Whether health savings accounts can help finance long-term care insurance

• The role of the revocable trust

• The importance of keeping paperwork up to date

If you’d like to take notes on today’s episode, you can download a template to work with.

Podcast Worksheet

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected]

Your loved ones want your later years to be healthy and comfortable, but they need you to tell them how they can best support you. That’s not necessarily an easy conversation to have, but you shouldn’t put it off.

On this episode of the I’ve Been Meaning To Do That podcast from Truist Wealth, host and Co-Chief Investment Officer Oscarlyn Elder talks with Jacqueline Parks, Truist’s regional director of advice and planning, and Tony Bryan, senior vice president and wealth strategist, about how to get that important discussion started, and also make it effective for everyone.

They discuss:

• What makes longevity planning important, and for whom

• Why delaying challenging conversations only makes them harder

• Deciding on caregiving roles, and communicating them

• The added burdens of dementia

• Costs and challenges of “aging in place” at home

If you’d like to take notes on today’s episode, you can download a template to work with.

Podcast Worksheet

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected]

Parents want what’s best for their children, and they also want to support each child’s growth into a successful, independent adult. For families with significant wealth, those two goals might come into conflict if the desire and ability to provide leads to a sense of entitlement or dependency in the younger generation.

In the latest edition of our podcast, I’ve Been Meaning To Do That, Truist Wealth Co-Chief Investment Officer and host Oscarlyn Elder welcomes Drew Egan, managing director of family education at the Truist Center for Family Legacy, to talk about strategies for instilling a sense of self-reliance and independence in children, teens and young adults. Both Oscarlyn and Drew are parents themselves, so they share their own experiences, and offer practical tips and tools to use in your own family.

They discuss:

• Allowing for choice and agency by children
• The value of failure
• Setting boundaries, both for children and for parents
• Communicating the reasons we say “no”
• Recognizing when dependency is settling in
• Budgeting as a tool to promote independence

This episode comes with two downloadable supplements: first, the budget spreadsheet that Drew and Oscarlyn discuss; and second, a template for taking notes on each episode.

Super Budget Spreadsheet

Podcast Worksheet

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected]

Big market swings can unnerve even the most seasoned investors. But that’s when the grounding that comes from an established investment philosophy is most valuable. In the latest episode of our podcast, I’ve Been Meaning To Do That, Truist Wealth Chief Market Strategist and Co-Chief Investment Officer Keith Lerner joins host and Co-Chief Investment Officer Oscarlyn Elder to discuss the investment philosophy that provides the foundation for the guidance Truist Wealth offers our clients.

If you’ve ever wondered how you can keep your cool in even the most turbulent markets, this episode is for you. Listen in as Keith and Oscarlyn share how they and their team stay anchored, follow the evidence, and create portfolios with ideas that matter.

They discuss:

• The three pillars of Truist’s philosophy: staying anchored, leading with evidence, and building portfolios with ideas that matter

• The “five p’s” that help Truist identify compelling investment options

• How emotional decision-making endangers investment success

• Understanding historical trends but knowing they don’t provide a guarantee

• Using evidence to form an actionable point of view

• What Keith has been meaning to do

This episode comes with two downloadable PDF supplements: first, a one-pager on the Truist Wealth Investment Philosophy; and second, a template for taking notes on each episode.

Investment Philosophy one-pager

Podcast Worksheet

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected]

You’ve worked a lifetime to build your savings and invest strategically. In your later years, you want Living into your 80s, 90s, or even to 100 can be a wish granted when we have the lifestyle and resources we hope to have. But financially, longevity takes deliberate care and planning to manage. In this episode of the I’ve Been Meaning to Do That podcast, host Oscarlyn Elder talks with Truist Wealth Managing Director of Brokerage Products Alex Null about longevity risk and your portfolio. They discussed potential strategies for an investor’s later years that can limit the range of negative outcomes in a wealth plan, and how structured products, and annuities may play a role for retirement income across even the longest lifespan.

They discuss:

• Why living longer means planning longer

• Understanding your portfolio’s mix of assets over your whole lifetime of investing

• When and how to start your longevity plan with your advisor

• Facing market volatility in retirement

• What are structured products, including structured notes and market-indexed certificates of deposit?

• What are annuities?

• What Alex has been meaning to do

The podcast team has created a template for taking notes on each episode.

Podcast Worksheet

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests?

Email [email protected].

Empathy isn’t just about “being nice.” It’s about connecting with other people in a way that not only increases understanding but also demonstrates strength and improves outcomes. In this episode of the I’ve Been Meaning to Do That podcast, host Oscarlyn Elder talks with Stanford University Professor of Psychology Jamil Zaki about his research into the science of empathy, cynicism, and “hopeful skepticism,” and the role they play in our lives and relationships.

They discuss:

• The genesis of Zaki’s interest in empathy research

• The differences between empathy, hope, and other commonly misunderstood terms

• How to have more constructive conversations within families and family businesses

• Cynicism as a “suit of armor”

• The role of family culture in building connections

Take the cynicism quiz referenced by Jamil Zaki in the podcast

Visit the Stanford Social Neuroscience Laboratory

The podcast team has created a template for taking notes on each episode.

Podcast Worksheet

Check out a previous episode about pursuing effective philanthropy

Have a question for Oscarlyn or her guests? Email [email protected].