Brian Skrobonja talks about the hidden trap of survival mode: that quiet, familiar mindset that keeps you safe but small. He explains why so many people in midlife mistake control for security, and how shifting from a scarcity mindset to a mentality of abundance changes everything about how you earn, spend, and live.

Tune in to hear what it really takes to move from survival to strategy, from managing scarcity to creating abundance, and why your next level of wealth starts in your mind, not your bank account.

• Brian starts by explaining how time sneaks up on us. One day you're in your 20s, and before you know it, decades have passed and you're in your 40s and 50s.
• Brian reveals that survival mode can feel safe because it's familiar. It got you through the student loans, the mortgage, the chaos of raising kids. But staying there too long turns what once protected you into what now holds you back.
• Learn why survival mode isn't a wealth strategy, it's a coping mechanism. It helps you survive the storm, but it won't help you build the life you're meant for.
• Brian explains what survival mode sounds like — phrases like "let's just get through this month," or "I'll do it myself, why pay someone else." It's the mindset of always managing crisis instead of creating space. And over time, that mindset becomes a ceiling you can't see but always feel.
• According to Brian, the midlife shift begins when you realize your greatest assets aren't money or status. They're your time, your energy, and your ability to think beyond what used to be possible.
• Brian reveals that in survival mode, every dollar has a job: pay bills, pay debt, save a little, repeat. But in strategy mode, every dollar has a mission: grow, create margin, and buy back time.
• How to see money differently: not as control, but as freedom.
• Brian shares that when couples view money as a tool to create experiences and peace of mind, their entire relationship with it changes. Suddenly, money becomes connection, not conflict.
• Learn how to shift from scarcity to abundance thinking. From "there's never enough" to "I can create more."
• Brian reveals that scarcity doesn't always look like struggle. Sometimes it looks like the person who's debt-free but afraid to invest or try something new. It's protection disguised as prudence, and it keeps your potential locked away.
• Brian explains the danger of carrying your old survival habits into midlife. You might think you're being smart, but what you're really doing is protecting what you have instead of growing what's possible. You end up loyal to your limitations instead of your evolution.
• For Brian, abundance isn't fantasy thinking. It's confidence in your ability to generate value, attract opportunity, and recover from mistakes.
• Learn how abundance thinking changes the questions you ask. Instead of "how do I save more," you begin asking, "how can I multiply this?" Instead of "what will this cost me," you start asking, "what could this create for me?"
• Brian explains that money is energy, it flows both ways. When you spend it to buy back time or peace of mind, that's not waste, it's wisdom. Your return isn't just financial, it's emotional, mental, and deeply human.
• Why buying back your time matters: it's not indulgent, it's stewardship. The moment you start using money to free your schedule, your mind expands. You make room for strategy, creativity, and joy — the real sources of wealth.
• Brian reveals that money doesn't change who you are, it amplifies you. If you lead with fear, more money only multiplies that fear. But if you lead with purpose, money becomes fuel for everything that truly matters.
• Brian explains that wealthy people don't do it all themselves. They hire experts, delegate complexity, and buy back focus. They understand that leverage isn't loss of control, it's how they multiply their capability.
• Why community matters: scarcity breeds more scarcity when you stay around people who think small. Brian urges you to surround yourself with those who think in terms of growth, possibility, and opportunity.
• Brian closes with a challenge: stop asking, "What will this cost me?" and start asking, "What can this create for me?"
• That one question can open the door to your next chapter — a life that's not just about surviving, but thriving in full alignment with who you're becoming.

Mentioned in this episode:

BrianSkrobonja.com

SkrobonjaFinancial.com

SkrobonjaWealth.com

BUILDbanking.com

Common Sense Financial Podcast on YouTube

Common Sense Financial Podcast on Spotify

Alternative investments may be subject to less regulation than other types of pooled investment vehicles. Alternative Investments may impose significant fees, including incentive fees that are based upon a percentage of the realized and unrealized gains and an individual's net returns may differ significantly from actual returns. Such fees may offset all or a significant portion of such Alternative Investment's trading profits.

Incorporating alternative investments into a portfolio presents the opportunity for significant losses including in some cases, losses which exceed the principal amount invested.

Also, some alternative investments have experienced periods of extreme volatility and in general, are not suitable for all investors. Asset allocation and diversification strategies do not ensure profit or protect against loss in declining markets.

----

BUILD Banking™ is a DBA of Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC. Benefits and guarantees are based on the claims paying ability of the insurance company. Not FDIC insured. Results may vary.

Any descriptions involving life insurance policies and its use as an alternative form of financing or risk management techniques are provided for illustration purposes only, will not apply in all situations, may not be fully indicative of any present or future investments, and may be changed at the discretion of the insurance carrier, General Partner and/or Manager and are not intended to reflect guarantees on securities performance.

The term BUILD Banking™, private banking alternatives or specially designed life insurance contracts (SDLIC) are not meant to insinuate that the issuer is creating a real bank for its clients or communicating that life insurance companies are the same as traditional banking institutions. This material is educational in nature and should not be deemed as a solicitation of any specific product or service. BUILD Banking™ is offered by Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC only and is not offered by Madison Avenue Securities, LLC. nor Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC.

----

This content is intended for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the particular needs of an individual's situation.

Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC, Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC, Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC are not permitted to offer and no statement made during this presentation shall constitute tax or legal advice. Our firms are not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or any governmental agency. The information and opinions contained herein provided by third parties have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed by Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC, Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC, Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC.

----

Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC. (MAS), Member FINRA &SIPC. Advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through Skrobonja Wealth Management (SWM), a registered investment advisor. Tax services offered only through Skrobonja Tax Consulting. MAS does not offer Build Banking or tax advice. Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC, Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC, Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC, Skrobonja Tax Consulting, and Build Banking are not affiliated with MAS.

Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC is a registered investment adviser. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure.

The firm is a registered investment adviser with the state of Missouri, and may only transact business with residents of those states, or residents of other states where otherwise legally permitted subject to exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. Registration with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities authority does not imply a certain level of skill or training.