Wealth Actually

What if the 2020 election was delayed or cancelled? Haven and I take on this scary, and not-out-of-the-question, possibility . . .

The mechanics of a delay or a cancellation are complicated. Here are three good articles for context on the topic from:

Anthony Fisher, from Business Insider ("We need a backup plan to ensure all Americans can vote in November's presidential election. Our democracy could depend on it.") and . . .

https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-we-need-backup-plan-voting-november-presidential-election-2020-4

Ian Millhiser from Vox ('Can Trump Cancel the Election?")

https://www.vox.com/2020/3/21/21188152/trump-cancel-november-election-constitution-coronavirus

Haven Pell on the Pundificator (World War Three at a Time)

https://pundificator.com/world-war-three-at-a-time/

Here is an outline of the potential chaos.

Fighting The Three Political Wars and where an Electoral Dysfunction may fit in . . .

Novel Coronavirus / Covid-19~1.8/2.0 MM cases in the world 525k/550k in the US~110,000 deaths in the world 20,000 in the USLimited testingVaccines a long way offContinuing though perhaps diminishing fearGenerally good compliance with lockdown, social distancing etc.Dueling Daily Trump and Cuomo briefings. Discussion politicizedR’s lean toward reopeningD’s lean toward public safetyPeople’s lives vs. the stock marketReopening the Country16 MM filed for unemployment in three weeks. Highest by a multiple of 10Stock Market down 36% peak to trough (2/19-3/23)21% peak to today (2/19-4/9)Same today as June 2019, April 2018, November 2017Significant concerns about small businesses e.g. restaurantsSignificant and disruptive long-term changes possible to highly likely Remote workResiliency of supply chains over costAnti-globalist sentimentBusiness travelTourismWhen country reopens how fast will people/customers come backPolitics / ElectionsD primaries essentially fizzled out when Sanders withdrewBiden 49% Trump 43% RCP AverageDemocrats hate Trump more than almost any other President everRepublicans hammering Biden for gaffes, mental infirmitiesNo traditional campaigning during lockdown Conventions – will they happen? Do they need to?Ds Milwaukee 8/17-20Rs Charlotte 8/24-27Who wants to bring thousands of potentially infected travelers into a swing state? There are 535 House members and Senators plus the presidential and vice-presidential candidates. Only 1/3 of the Senate runs, but assume each seat is contested. Eleven governors are up for electionHouse = 435 x 2 = 870Senate = 33 x 2 = 66President Vice President = 2 x 2 = 4Governors 11 x 2 = 22Total candidates = 962Countless candidates for state legislative seatsSince political candidates tend to be older and since they might not be observing public health guidelines, what are the odds on at least one if not several dying during the campaign?

https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT

In this episode we dive into the world of real estate development and the use of LED conversions to save money and drive returns.  Joining us is Judd Stensrud.

Judd is the founder and CEO of LUMEN GLOBAL.  The firm uses energy efficiency to help drive real estate returns.  Judd has an undergraduate degree from Duke University in economics and an MBA from the University of Chicago.  However, it wasn’t until he got to Costa Rica in the early 2000's that he began to truly grasp the impact of costs within a vast portfolio of income producing real estate.  Using these tools later in his career, Judd

Helped renegotiate a half billion dollar loan with The Bank of China,

Was the lead asset manager for The Plaza Hotel in New York, and

Led a process where Bill Gates and the Four Seasons Hotels invested over $300 million into a project that was his brainchild.

Recognizing the typical reasons that investors miss out on maximizing their profits led him to found Lumen Global.

Background-

Tell us a little about how your Costa Rica experience and how that impacted your view on managing real estate.How did this and your other experiences lead you to found Lumen Global?Process

What does Lumen do to add value?

While Lumen Global utilizes a number of energy efficiency measures to help increase your bottom line, we believe there is not a better available tool than converting to LED lighting technology.

Why?  What is Your Process?

Energy Efficiency measures drop 100% to your bottom line.

Most deals have an IRR of 50% to over 100%.

Cash outlay, if any, is generally returned within one year.

We are a turnkey process… no work for your team.

How?

We begin with a lighting analysis. We feel the best place to invest your money is through LED light technology.

We count all lights on your property.

We come back to you with an analysis.

We estimate how much you are spending per year buying lights and installing them.

We show your total spend on lighting per year and how much you will spend after converting to better looking LED technology.

Our analysis will show the turnkey cost to convert to LED.

Our professional bonded and insured electricians install the new material.

We process all incentive paperwork and use this to decrease the total job cost.

Examples

Office Buildings

Multi-Family Properties

Shopping Centers

Warehouse Industrials

Restaurants

Hotels

Medical Facilities

Parking Lots

Interesting Stories

McDonald's

Warehouse Conversion

Others

OutroHow do we keep tabs on Lumen Global?For those who want to use you or get involved, how do they contact the firm?

LUMEN GLOBAL WEBSITE

 

https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT

Leanna Haakons is a financial marketing expert, entrepreneur and author of bestseller, Young, Fun & Financially Free. In addition, Leanna is the EIC of TheWellthyMindset.com, and says Millennials those in their (20’s-40’s) don’t need to panic now because they should be thinking about their long term financial goals with plenty of time for their investments to bounce back. Leanna hosts a regular segment on Yahoo Finance and is a seasoned TV guest appearing on CNBC, Bloomberg, ABC News and dozens of other publications.

https://www.amazon.com/Young-Fun-Financially-Free-Kick-Ass/dp/0998854638

COVID-19 and Disruption

How has this impacted your business?

Cash flow (potential job loss / reduction of work)

What are you telling your clients and listeners on how to gear up for what looks like a rough set of months coming up?

Cash positions (reiterating the importance of having 6 months+ of expenses)

Evaluate Expenses (now is a good time to sharpen the pencil on things that you need vs the things that you want)

Leverage and borrowing- taking a hard look at the various interest rates that you have and strategizing around them.

For those that can, is this a good time to refinance your mortgage? (I'd say yes if you can)

Market drops and volatility

Saving for retirement and other goals based investing- (I'd argue that this is a great time to continue to do this . . . or start)

Is now a good time to invest? (I'd argue yes, if you have the cash flow and time horizon to be able to do so)

Using the time well

Going deeper into your field- extra study, zoom conferences, making new contacts within your field

Developing skills just outside of your field that can make you even more dangerous in your job (Examples: media/PR skills, coding, taking courses in important subjects like contracts etc . . .?)

Developing contacts outside of your field that might be helpful (industry associations etc . . . )

Developing expertise in your non-career interests (do you have a book in you, podcasts, painting etc. . . .?)

Can those be linked together in the future?

Spending time with family and friends (even virtually), so that your support community is in place during this time AND after.

Rest/exercise where possible

Coming out of the Abyss

Trying to envision what the future looks like in six months

If you have a business, what should you be doing to stabilize it?

What are the various programs out there that might be of help?

Outro

Leanna- how do we keep tabs on you?

Where should we find you on social media?

Leanna Haakons - Media Reel

www.blackhawkfinancial.ca / www.youngfunfree.com

Instagram @leanna_hawk / Twitter @leannablackhawk

The country is in the midst of a debate between confinement and distancing in the name public health and the reopening of the country to re-establish the health and stability of the American economy. To that end, Haven Pell (PUNDIFICATOR) and I thought it would be interesting to discuss the ramifications of the choices American businesses are making right now. These are choices related to message, action and communication. Tracking off a study done by Glover Park Group in Washington, we look at some of the trends found in polling of what is important to Americans right now and what will be important in their decision-making around firms and commerce going forward.

COVID- 19: An In-Depth Conversation with the American Voter

https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6821088/GPG-COVID19-Caucus-Insights-0326202.pdf

Here are some of the main points that we discuss:

* Business actions today will shape corporate reputation for years to come. * Americans say they will remember who stepped up and made sacrifices for the greater good.* Coronavirus has put debates on the social safety net and paid leave front and center. * Americans want industries who receive aid to repay that goodwill in how they act and behave. * Many worry about their health and the economy but prioritize the needs of those on the frontlines.* Americans are grateful for services of essential employees and medical professionals and demand we do more to support them.* Be deeply empathetic.* Itâ€s not business as usual, so donâ€t communicate as if it is.* Identify what relevant capability or area of expertise you can deploy to play your part.* Pass the loyalty test.* Remember the lessons of 2008.

https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT

The country is in the midst of a debate between confinement and distancing in the name public health and the reopening of the country to re-establish the health and stability of the American economy. To that end, Haven Pell (PUNDIFICATOR) and I thought it would be interesting to discuss the ramifications of the choices American businesses are making right now. These are choices related to message, action and communication. Tracking off a study done by Glover Park Group in Washington, we look at some of the trends found in polling of what is important to Americans right now and what will be important in their decision-making around firms and commerce going forward.

COVID- 19: An In-Depth Conversation with the American Voter

https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6821088/GPG-COVID19-Caucus-Insights-0326202.pdf

Here are some of the main points that we discuss:

Business actions today will shape corporate reputation for years to come. Americans say they will remember who stepped up and made sacrifices for the greater good.Coronavirus has put debates on the social safety net and paid leave front and center. Americans want industries who receive aid to repay that goodwill in how they act and behave. Many worry about their health and the economy but prioritize the needs of those on the frontlines.Americans are grateful for services of essential employees and medical professionals and demand we do more to support them.Be deeply empathetic.It’s not business as usual, so don’t communicate as if it is.Identify what relevant capability or area of expertise you can deploy to play your part.Pass the loyalty test.Remember the lessons of 2008.

https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT

We are all trying to make sense of the difficult environment created by the Covid-19 pandemic. Uncertainty, economic difficulty, loss of routine, new roles and uncomfortable environments have us all on out heels. I thought it would be educational to speak with an expert who is on the front lines helping people deal with life's "normal" problems and the new set of issues that our friendly Coronavirus has dropped in our laps.

Dr. Maggie Vaughan is an award-winning, NYC-based psychotherapist with over 15 years of experience offering therapy to adults and specializing in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and relationships.  She is also the founder and executive director of Happy Apple, a Manhattan-based psychotherapy center which provides an array of services to children, teens, families, and adults.  

In addition to working with her New York clients, Dr.

Vaughan works online with clients in California, Delaware, and New Jersey, the

other states in which sheâ€s licensed. 

She holds degrees in political science, marriage and family therapy, and

clinical psychology.   Her work has been

featured in numerous media outlets including The New York Times, The

Learning Channel, and The Huffington Post.  Currently, she is providing consultation

to companies who employ essential workers, to help ensure the ongoing

well-being and adjustment of those employees throughout the social distancing

phase of COVID-19. 

She can be found on Social Media:

INSTAGRAM: HERE and HERE

FACEBOOK: HERE

Here is the outline of our discussion . . . I hope you enjoy it and take away some useful points as you and your family adjust to our "little disruption."

Introduction:

What are your clients concerned about and are these issues amplifying problems they are currently facing in relationships and other issues?

Fear of the Virus:  

* Health issues for family (older members / pre-existing issues)* Business / Job / Income issues - am I going to be financially ok?* Safety issues for those who are alone* Uncertainty* OCD / germaphobes - how do they get around this?* How we take in information- people questioning the very information that they are receiving

The Break Up of Routine

* (Much) Closer proximity to family, zero proximity to friends, colleagues etc . . .* Work From Home (This is what you do all day?!?)* New functions- home-schooling, housework* Distortion of time* Loneliness - ability to perform job function* Different regions responding differently (NYC vs elsewhere- some more seriously than others- jealousy)

For Professionals

* Working From Home* Loss of community with work environment* Change in the way people will work in the future- am I outmoded?* Am I able to keep up my responsibilities for my employees, customers, vendors etc . . . 

Stigma

* Strange phenomenon where inconsistent testing has created a weird set of haves and have nots * Will people "want" to get it (like chickenpox) to re-enter society

Benefits

We are all trying to make sense of the difficult environment created by the Covid-19 pandemic. Uncertainty, economic difficulty, loss of routine, new roles and uncomfortable environments have us all on out heels. I thought it would be educational to speak with an expert who is on the front lines helping people deal with life's "normal" problems and the new set of issues that our friendly Coronavirus has dropped in our laps.

Dr. Maggie Vaughan is an award-winning, NYC-based psychotherapist with over 15 years of experience offering therapy to adults and specializing in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and relationships.  She is also the founder and executive director of Happy Apple, a Manhattan-based psychotherapy center which provides an array of services to children, teens, families, and adults.  

In addition to working with her New York clients, Dr.

Vaughan works online with clients in California, Delaware, and New Jersey, the

other states in which she’s licensed. 

She holds degrees in political science, marriage and family therapy, and

clinical psychology.   Her work has been

featured in numerous media outlets including The New York Times, The

Learning Channel, and The Huffington Post.  Currently, she is providing consultation

to companies who employ essential workers, to help ensure the ongoing

well-being and adjustment of those employees throughout the social distancing

phase of COVID-19. 

She can be found on Social Media:

INSTAGRAM: HERE and HERE

FACEBOOK: HERE

Here is the outline of our discussion . . . I hope you enjoy it and take away some useful points as you and your family adjust to our "little disruption."

Introduction:

What are your clients concerned about and are these issues amplifying problems they are currently facing in relationships and other issues?

Fear of the Virus:  

Health issues for family (older members / pre-existing issues)Business / Job / Income issues - am I going to be financially ok?Safety issues for those who are aloneUncertaintyOCD / germaphobes - how do they get around this?How we take in information- people questioning the very information that they are receiving

The Break Up of Routine

(Much) Closer proximity to family, zero proximity to friends, colleagues etc . . .Work From Home (This is what you do all day?!?)New functions- home-schooling, houseworkDistortion of timeLoneliness - ability to perform job functionDifferent regions responding differently (NYC vs elsewhere- some more seriously than others- jealousy)

For Professionals

Working From HomeLoss of community with work environmentChange in the way people will work in the future- am I outmoded?Am I able to keep up my responsibilities for my employees, customers, vendors etc . . . 

Stigma

Strange phenomenon where inconsistent testing has created a weird set of haves and have nots Will people "want" to get it (like chickenpox) to re-enter society

Benefits

Great way to re-evaluate prioritiesGood time to deepen relationships, re-establish intimacyCheck in on faded relationships, Hit the reset button on areas where communication had been ignoredInteresting dry run for retirement (living post career)Interesting time to think about business / side gigs / career

Using The Time Well

Exploring long set-aside interests or new onesGoing deeper into your field- extra study, zoom conferences, making new contacts within your fieldDeveloping skills just outside of your field that can make you even more dangerous in your jobDeveloping contacts outside of your field that might be helpful (industry associations etc . . . )Developing expertise in your non-career interests (do you have a book in you, podcasts, painting etc)Can those be linked together in the future?Spending time with family and friends (even virtually), so that your support community is in place during this time AND after.Rest/exercise where possibleDry run for retirement

Coming Out of the Abyss

Trying to envision what the future looks like in six monthsIf you have issues, what should you be doing to stabilize them?How do you deal with people- especially those close to you that are reacting differently?What are the various programs out there that might be of help?

Outro

https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT

In the latest episode of the Wealth Actually podcast, we get to sit down with Scott Johnston the author of Campusland. This is Scott's second appearance on WA, but the first where Scott discusses his book. It made it to #15 on the New York Times best seller list and #1 in the humorous books section.

In the first part of the podcast, we talked about the incident at his alma mater that got him to write his newest book. We also dove into the business of being an author and the typical hurdles that new authors face. Finally, we spent some time reviewing the typical timetable and scheduling that goes into the production and launch of a book.

In the second part, we probed some ground around Campusland's subject matter: the new environment of the college campus and what that means today.

* A description of the problem Scott saw on campuses and why it was great material to write about.* The effect of wealth in the collegiate process both at the endowment and the student level.* What are the numbers and the data behind the college environment?* How did the admissions numbers game get so lopsided?* When did the college campus environment change from the goals of inclusion and diversity of thought to other agendas?* What is the impact on the politics of this country?* Do alumni have any other options than to divorce themselves and their checkbook from their schools?* Was the recent admissions bribery scandal to be expected?* What is the impact of online learning? Coronavirus absences?* The coming financial difficulties for smaller colleges* Can a major university close down? Should it close down?* What is the way forward? Are repurposed college campuses an interesting solution for our seniors?* How do we keep track of you and Campusland?

Scott is on Twitter (@SJohnston60) and CAMPUSLAND can be found here:

https://www.amazon.com/Campusland-Novel-Scott-Johnston-ebook/dp/B07MYX3GXM/

WEALTH, ACTUALLY can be found below . . .

https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT

In the latest episode of the Wealth Actually podcast, we get to sit down with Scott Johnston the author of Campusland. This is Scott's second appearance on WA, but the first where Scott discusses his book. It made it to #15 on the New York Times best seller list and #1 in the humorous books section.

In the first part of the podcast, we talked about the incident at his alma mater that got him to write his newest book. We also dove into the business of being an author and the typical hurdles that new authors face. Finally, we spent some time reviewing the typical timetable and scheduling that goes into the production and launch of a book.

In the second part, we probed some ground around Campusland's subject matter: the new environment of the college campus and what that means today.

A description of the problem Scott saw on campuses and why it was great material to write about.The effect of wealth in the collegiate process both at the endowment and the student level.What are the numbers and the data behind the college environment?How did the admissions numbers game get so lopsided?When did the college campus environment change from the goals of inclusion and diversity of thought to other agendas?What is the impact on the politics of this country?Do alumni have any other options than to divorce themselves and their checkbook from their schools?Was the recent admissions bribery scandal to be expected?What is the impact of online learning? Coronavirus absences?The coming financial difficulties for smaller collegesCan a major university close down? Should it close down?What is the way forward? Are repurposed college campuses an interesting solution for our seniors?How do we keep track of you and Campusland?

Scott is on Twitter (@SJohnston60) and CAMPUSLAND can be found here:

https://www.amazon.com/Campusland-Novel-Scott-Johnston-ebook/dp/B07MYX3GXM/

WEALTH, ACTUALLY can be found below . . .

https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT

First off, we're sending best wishes to our listeners. Hopefully, everyone is getting by with the onset of the coronavirus. We have a long way to go to get back to some semblance of normalcy, so take care of yourselves.

As always, Haven Pell's writings can be found here:

PUNDIFICATOR.

In this podcast, Haven and I take on the coronavirus' various impacts on society.

We got a taste of the generation gap when we heard about the spring-breakers in Florida:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa4i9Ap6dCg

John Branch — normally a sports writer, but with no sports to write, wrote an interesting article on the "late adopters" to the public health crisis that has changed the world:

Deniers and Disbelievers: "If I Get Carona, I Get Carona"

Between these two examples, we try to take the politics out of it and make sense of where "normal life" fits in the pandemic world now . . . and later when the world assimilates the new virus reality into everyday life.

Some of the activities affected in the virus' progression: rock climbing, Mardi Gras, strip club/lap dance, cherry blossoms, self-quarantine

The NYC experience (social distancing): Trader Joeâ€s vs Whole Foods and the recognition of crowding dangers for older people  

DC walk- the parks getting used- packed, in fact!

"Essential travel": Essential to all . . . or to me? 

Remote work: Positive developments to come from this experience

Remote work and the hope that technology (ex. Zoom) for the concept improve. 

The difference between “in person” and “on camera†skills 

Media presences . . . is the online / on camera experience going to be even more important in regular jobs going forward if we are all teleconferencing?

Collegiate environment . . . What does college look like now that it's online. Are we going to be missing the personal interactions on campus?

How are we absorbing media on this? Is a little the right amount?

Should we hear from anyone other than professionals and analysts? We certainly like to hear from doctors on issues of "Public health!"

STAY SAFE, EVERYONE!

https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT