Episodes
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Happy holidays—and let’s be real: the markets, the economy, and “the plan” don’t look clean right now.
In this 12 Days of Giving episode, Shana Orczyk Sissel comes back with a story that hits every advisor (and every client) right between the eyes: a young advisor leaves a firm, starts from zero, and lands a $25M client… not by sounding smarter… but by asking better questions and bringing REAL options to the table.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most advisors are selling the same portfolio with a different logo on it. Same playbook. Same funds. Same “set it and forget it” pitch. Shana breaks down why alternatives—private credit, direct lending, and other non-traditional tools—can be a legit way to differentiate… IF you’re actually doing planning and not just product-pushing.
Then we go straight at the elephant in the room: crypto and “controversial” investments. If your advisor’s entire view is “it’s a scam,” that’s not wisdom—that’s laziness. You don’t have to love crypto to be qualified. But you DO have to have a thoughtful, educated stance. Because the future client is already there, already curious, already investing… and they’re not waiting for the industry to catch up.
We also talk about where advice is headed: less AUM worship, more fee-for-service, coaching, and real-life decision support. Translation: if you can’t deliver value people can’t get from a brokerage app, you’re going to get left behind—fast.
Watch the full episode here:
https://youtu.be/Wv8sctzRALQAs always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
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DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
Everyone loves to romanticize nonprofits. Cute animals, smiling founders, feel-good posts. But behind the scenes? It’s brutal. In this 12 Days of Giving episode, we rip the filter off and walk straight into the chaos, cost, and emotional weight of running a real nonprofit — through the lens of a donkey rescue that now cares for around 100 donkeys plus a full farm of other animals.
Sara Weldon never planned on saving donkeys for a living. She and her husband Rick were “hobby farm” people in Florida — until one traumatic night when their donkey gave birth and then tried to kill her baby. They grabbed the foal (Cash), raised him in the house like a newborn, and accidentally turned him into a social media star. That led Sara down a rabbit hole into the ugly world of donkey abuse and the slaughter pipeline in America. The plan to breed quickly turned into a mission to rescue, sell everything, and move to Tennessee to build what became Cash’s Crew Rescue.
From there, it got real. Sara walks us through how hard it actually is to form a legitimate 501(c)(3): months of paperwork, state filings, IRS hoops, building a board, learning to live with full financial transparency, and even watching early board members cycle off as the organization evolved. It’s not just “file a form and boom, nonprofit.” It’s governance, accountability, and people management — which is often way harder than the animals.
Then we get into the grind. A “normal” day means feeding 100 donkeys plus horses, cows, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, and a pile of dogs — twice a day. It’s special feed for neglected animals, checking every body for wounds, hauling hay with a tractor, vet visits, constant castrations for incoming jacks, running a merch store, shipping orders, answering 30–40 texts at a time, managing social media, and still finding time to fundraise just to keep the whole thing alive. Meanwhile, she’s often forgetting to eat while making sure every animal is cared for.
I step in with the money truth: it costs about $4 a day to feed a single donkey — and that’s before barns, trails, housing, staff, or expansion. If a nonprofit can’t build sustainable income streams, it will burn out its founder and its donors. We talk about what sustainable actually means, how we’re designing CCR to generate its own revenue over time (lodging, retreats, weddings, etc.), and what questions you should be asking before you donate or start your own nonprofit. If you’ve ever given to a nonprofit — or thought about starting one — you need to hear this.
Watch the full episode on YouTube:
👉 https://youtu.be/0ceH4FHRixoAs always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
Missing episodes?
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December is chaos. Holidays, travel, weather, kids, hosting, work, pressure to “make it special” – and then we act shocked when the credit card statement smacks us in January. In this 12 Days of Giving episode, I bring back money expert Rachel Duncan to walk through the one simple system she built to stop December from blindsiding her every single year: a recurring “Holiday Lessons Learned” calendar event that future Rachel is very, very grateful for.
Rachel breaks down exactly how she built her holiday playbook: what went wrong, what worked, who actually enjoys which tasks, how much candy they really need for Halloween, why New Year’s hosting hits different, and how all of that quietly adds up to real money. She shows you how she turned a chaotic season into a repeatable checklist that lives in her calendar and gets better every year instead of starting from zero every time.
From there, we go straight into the money. We talk holiday “specialness” spending, why the real budget busters are the so-called “one-off” expenses, and how seasonal stuff like camps, hobbies, gifts, travel and parties are exactly what push people into debt. Rachel walks through her “holiday specialness” category, sinking funds, and even a controversial but smart use of a dedicated credit card you pre-load like a savings bucket. This isn’t theory – this is how real families actually spend.
Then we zoom out into the psychology. We hit future-self research, the idea of seeing your future self as a real person, and why we’re willing to plan better for others than we are for ourselves. Rachel shares how aging a photo of herself, naming future-Rachel, and literally thanking “past me” changed how she spends in the moment. It’s not about guilt. It’s about taking responsibility for the version of you who has to live with December’s decisions.
If you’re tired of swearing “next year will be different” and then repeating the same pattern, this episode is your line in the sand. We’re giving you a concrete way to capture your own holiday lessons, track the real costs, and start funding them like adults instead of pretending we’ll remember. This is part of our 12 Days of Giving series – one raw, practical episode every day from December 12–23 to get your money and mindset right heading into 2026.
👉 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AUn_SwFDK5M
As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
If you still believe “the IRS already knows what you made, they should just do your taxes for you,” this episode might slap that idea right out of your head.
In today’s 12 Days of Giving episode, I’m back with Enrolled Agent, Morgan Q. Anderson, breaking down a real story where the IRS seized a client’s $116,000 refund over a 1099-R that reported roughly $196,000 of “income” he never actually received. The investment fund admin bailed, paperwork got lazy, and a bad form turned into a six-figure tax bill and years of stress for a real family.
We walk through how this happened in the first place: an alternative investment, a change in administrator, broken communication, and then a “we’re done here” 1099-R sent to the IRS like the account was cashed out. The money never hit his bank account—but the system doesn’t care. It just saw a big number, flagged “unreported income,” and quietly grabbed his refund to cover a tax that should never have existed.
Then we get into the fight. Morgan explains exactly how she rebuilt the timeline, pulled old statements, got a letter from the investment manager, and used the Taxpayer Bill of Rights and the Taxpayer Advocate Service to force the IRS to slow down long enough to see the truth. This wasn’t a quick phone call. It was months of “we need 90 more days” letters, escalation, and refusing to roll over.
The payoff? The IRS not only returned his $116K refund, they had to pay tens of thousands in interest for sitting on money that never should’ve been theirs. That’s the difference between “the IRS must be right” and “prove it.”
We close with a playbook you can actually use: how to pull your wage & income transcript and see what’s being reported under your Social Security number, what to do when a 1099-R or other form is flat-out wrong, and when to stop DIY-ing it and bring in someone who knows how to fight inside the system.
👉 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/It_EkPInwj8
As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
This isn’t a cute budgeting episode. This is a $14 million revenue business buried under $1.5 million in stacked merchant cash advances, with money ripped out of the account every single day. The owner wasn’t reckless. He had a 740 credit score and solid bank statements. He just got sold the wrong “solution” over and over.
In this 12 Days of Giving episode, I sit down with Sara Weldon of TruFinCo to walk through exactly how this happened — and how she helped pull him out. We break down how MCAs are really structured, why the payments feel fine at first and then choke your cash flow, and how these things get layered until your business exists to feed lenders, not you.
Then we get into the turnaround: how Sara and her team stepped in, worked with the right legal support, and restructured the full $1.5M, giving the owner roughly $45,000 a month in breathing room in about four days. From there, they rebuilt his capital strategy using lines of credit, term loans, and 0% business credit through capital stacking instead of more toxic “fast money.”
If you’re a business owner staring at debt, stressed about cash, or being pitched “quick funding,” you need to understand this playbook. This series is about real people, real numbers, and what it actually takes to get free — not the fantasy Instagram finance tries to sell you.
🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FDb4tVqGSOM
As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
Most couples think they’re “broken” because they argue about money. The truth? You’re probably more normal than you realize—you’ve just never been taught how to talk about money without going to war.
In this 12 Days of Giving episode, I sit back down with financial therapist Ashley Quamme to walk through a real couple we’ll call Mark and Mary—late 30s, three kids, decent income, solid marriage… until money comes up. He’s the anxious saver, constantly bracing for the layoff that may never come. She’s the practical spender who wants to make memories with their kids and not live like everything is on fire. The money isn’t the problem. Their stories about money are.
ashley-2-2025Ashley takes us into their backstory: Mark’s single-mom, count-every-penny upbringing and Mary’s “we’re fine, we don’t talk about money much” childhood. We break down how those early money memories hijack their adult arguments—why he feels panicked when they’re not maxing accounts, and why she feels controlled and judged when he questions holiday spending. None of this is “just numbers.” This is nervous systems, fear, and unspoken expectations running the show.
Then we get into the actual work: how Ashley helped them stop avoiding each other, set up structured money dates, and build rules of engagement so they’re not trying to solve their financial life at 9:30 p.m. half-asleep and pissed off. We talk about what to do when you hit a stalemate, why “we’ll talk about it later” usually means “never,” and how they finally landed on a savings target that calmed his anxiety without killing all joy for her.
This is not some dramatic, on-the-brink-of-divorce situation. This is a normal couple that refused to settle for “fine” and chose to do the work before things blew up. If you and your partner are mostly good—but money convos feel tense, defensive, or like the same fight on repeat—this episode is your mirror and your playbook.
🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2mdLDYnOJDk
As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
Most business owners aren’t losing opportunities because they’re bad at what they do. They’re losing because nobody knows they exist. Why? Because they refuse to show up. In this 12 Days of Giving episode, I’m back with my sister-from-another-mister, Kristina Hall of Hall Social Media, to talk about one brutal truth: at some point, you’ve got to just f*ing do it**. That idea you’ve been sitting on? That video you’re scared to post? That content you’ve been overthinking for six months? Yeah. That.
Kristina walks us through the story of Dr. Lawrence Green, a dermatologist outside D.C. with 25+ years in the game and serious credentials. For years, he wanted nothing to do with video. No Reels, no TikTok, no “get ready with me,” none of it. Then she pushed him—hard—into trying something new: drugstore skincare product reviews. He said no. His wife said yes. Kristina didn’t let it go.
What happened next is what everyone says they want, but almost nobody is willing to get uncomfortable enough to earn. Those videos exploded. Engagement went crazy. TikTok comments became a content goldmine. His social presence started backing up his expertise so strongly that now he’s traveling constantly, speaking on stages, doing live Walgreens segments, and getting featured on Good Morning Washington—all because he finally leaned in and did the thing he was resisting.
This episode isn’t a fluffy “you got this” chat. We talk about ego, the fear of looking stupid, the hate and bots in your comments, and why NONE of that is paying your bills. Kristina breaks down why most posts aren’t supposed to be home runs, why you should treat social like a numbers game, and why being stuck in “content jail” (200–500 views forever) is actually a data problem, not a worthiness problem.
If you’re an expert who “doesn’t want to be a content creator,” this is your gut-check. You either keep hiding and slowly fall further behind… or you get over yourself, hit publish, and give your business a shot at the opportunities you say you want.
🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NmLsAFP9TaM
As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
This is the episode nobody wants to think about… until they’re forced to. Your parent dies, you step in to “help,” and suddenly you find out they haven’t filed tax returns in years. The estate is frozen, the IRS wants their cut, and you’re grieving while also trying to untangle a financial nightmare you didn’t create.
In this 12 Days of Giving episode, I’m back with Morgan Q. Anderson, EA, who’s on the front lines of this exact mess. She walks through a real case: two adult children, a mom with advancing dementia, four years of unfiled tax returns, and over $50,000 in penalties and interest slapped on the estate. It took 21 months of fighting with the IRS and the state to fix it. That’s almost two years of grief, stress, sibling tension, and a frozen inheritance while the government waited to get paid.
We break down what really happens behind the scenes when a parent quietly stops filing taxes, why dementia and paranoia around money can derail even the most “organized” life, and how quickly families start turning on each other when someone is named executor and the numbers don’t look how everyone expected. This isn’t theory. This is what’s actually happening in families right now.
Then we flip it. Morgan and I talk about how to avoid this disaster: why you should almost never make your kid the executor, why a neutral third party can save your family’s relationships, and how to start the brutally honest “Mom/Dad, we need to talk” conversation after the holidays without blowing up Christmas. We also hit what happens if someone dies with no will at all and why “it won’t matter when I’m gone” is one of the most selfish lies older generations tell themselves.
This episode is part of our 12 Days of Giving series (12/12–12/23), where we’re dropping one episode a day to give you game you can actually use. If you have aging parents, estranged parents, complicated parents—or you ARE that parent—this one is a must-listen.
As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
The holidays are here, the cards are swiped, and a lot of you are sitting there doing the math you’ve been avoiding all year. In this 12 Days of Giving episode, Daniela shares the story of a single mom in Richmond, Virginia who was one denial away from a full breakdown: new apartment, two little girls, $10K in credit card debt, and zero clue how to keep from getting evicted again.
This isn’t a cute budgeting story. This is “I’m at the edge of the cliff and I don’t know what the hell to do next.” Daniela walks us through how she sat down with this mom and started at the absolute basics: what a budget actually is, what savings actually means, and why pulling your credit report is non-negotiable even when you’re terrified of what you’ll see. When they pulled it, the truth hit: multiple cards, sky-high APRs, and $10K of debt that her paycheck could not support.
But here’s where it flips. Instead of shame and “you’re bad with money,” they built a plan: lay out every card, every APR, every balance. Tackle the ones that give you the biggest win fastest. Call the creditors and tell the damn truth about what’s going on. Negotiate. Get the APR down. Build short-term and long-term wins so she’s not just surviving the month, she’s rebuilding her life. And they did one more powerful thing most people skip: they brought her two little girls into the conversation and turned money into a game, not a threat.
We also dig into the emotional side: what it feels like to be at the edge versus already over it, why people wait until the last possible second to ask for help, and how involving your kids can actually speed up your own mindset shift. Daniela talks about using vision boards, values, and real talk to anchor someone before you ever touch the spreadsheets. Because if your head is still in “I’ll never get out of this,” no plan will save you.
Then we turn the camera on you. If you’re approaching the edge, standing on it, or already hanging off financially, this episode is your wake-up call. Daniela doesn’t sugar-coat it: it’s never too late, but it is on you. No one is coming to fix this for you. Small wins, boring habits, and asking for help early is how you change the story. I close the episode by calling out exactly what we all know: you just spent a ton of money on the holidays, you’re feeling it, and now is the moment to move—not “next year,” not “when things calm down.”
This is one of our 12 Days of Giving episodes running December 12–23, where we highlight real stories, real mess, and real ways forward. Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pKDDgLWgJpg
As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
What happens when your generosity becomes the very thing that threatens your future?
In this 12 Days of Giving episode, I sit down with therapist and member of the NoBS Collective, Rachel Duncan, to unpack a story that honestly describes way too many people: late 50s, single, big heart, strong friend group, steady nonprofit job — and quietly terrified that retirement might not be possible because she gives so much away. Not to institutions. To people. To friends. To every GoFundMe, every “I saw this and thought of you” moment.
Rachel walks us through an amalgam of clients who live this reality: the friend who always picks up the tab, drops off the $50 candle, buys gifts nobody asked for, and then goes home worried about the future. We dig into where that pattern really starts — teenage years, money as social capital, using spending to feel “safe” in relationships — and how it gets locked in when nobody ever talks about money honestly.
We also talk about the shadow side of generosity: people who love to give but damn near refuse to receive. The discomfort of being on the other side of a big gift. The awkward “you didn’t have to do that” text. The pressure, the unspoken expectations, and the reality that a lot of us already have too much stuff and not enough real connection.
Then we flip the script. Rachel shows how her clients shift from “I have to buy everyone something” to “my presence actually is enough”. We go into handmade gifts, small creative expressions, experience-based giving, and, honestly, the power of just showing up. No performance. No price tag. Just you.
If you’re the generous one in your circle — the giver, the fixer, the one who quietly worries about money while still swiping your card — this episode is your wake-up call and your permission slip. You’re allowed to change how you give without changing who you are.
🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/CFiYwlaPibM
This is part of our 12 Days of Giving series (December 12–23), where every day we tackle the emotional, psychological, and financial side of money during the holidays. No fluff. No guilt trips. Just truth, tools, and stories that sound a lot like your life.
As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
Divorce is already brutal. But when the money is handled wrong, it stops being “emotional pain” and turns into “your future just got cut in half.” In today’s 12 Days of Giving episode, Jamie Lima is back—and we walk through a real case where a woman was about to sign a settlement that would have effectively given away $300K–$400K she didn’t need to lose and forced her to sell the home she desperately wanted to keep for her and her special needs daughter.
Jamie breaks down how this client—Mary—came to him at the tail end of her divorce. Attorney in place. Settlement basically done. Everyone “felt” like it was fair. But the numbers didn’t smell right. Once Jamie dug into the pension valuation, the 401(k), the house, and the way the QDRO was being handled, it became clear: the math was wrong, the tax advice was off, and she was about to pay the price for other people’s blind spots.
We get into the uncomfortable truth: most divorce attorneys are not money people. They’re experts in law, not in pensions, actuarial tables, tax rules, or QDROs. Yet millions of people just nod along and sign whatever’s in front of them—because they’re exhausted, emotional, and just want it to be over. That’s exactly how life-changing mistakes get locked in for the next 20–30 years.
You’ll hear how a simple 30-day “divorce clarity” review turned a $2,000 investment into a $400,000 problem avoided, allowed Mary to keep her house, protect her daughter’s future, and avoid an unnecessary tax hit that her original advice would have triggered. This isn’t theory. This is what it looks like when someone who actually understands the numbers steps into the process.
If you’re going through a divorce—or you know someone who is—this episode is your wake-up call. Get a second opinion. Stop letting emotions and fatigue make permanent financial decisions. And stop pretending your attorney is your financial planner.
👉 Watch the full episode on YouTube: [YOUTUBE LINK]
This is part of our 12 Days of Giving series running from December 12–23, where each day we drop a real conversation designed to protect your money, your mind, and your future—not just entertain you for 30 minutes.
As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
This one’s for every parent staring at their older teen or college-age kid thinking, “Why aren’t you moving? Why aren’t you launching?” You did the “right” things: good schools, good neighborhood, bank accounts, maybe even a car and a debit card. One kid takes off. The other is stuck on the couch, overdrafting their account and dodging responsibility. And you’re wondering if you screwed this up.
In this 12 Days of Giving episode (running daily from 12/12–12/23), I sit down with financial therapist Ashley Quamme to talk about the emotional gut-punch of raising very different kids in the same house. She walks us through the story of Mike and Michelle – two daughters, same parents, same environment… wildly different motivation and money behavior. One kid is the “easy” high-achiever. The other? “Bless her heart” energy all day. And it’s slowly grinding these parents down with guilt and resentment.
👉 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8UWFhj5jFzc
We get into a hard truth: you cannot parent every kid the same way and expect the same outcome. Ashley breaks down the difference between equal and equitable – why giving both kids the exact same gas money, expectations, and rope isn’t actually fair if they don’t have the same skills, wiring, or executive function. And we talk about how to stop trying to “copy/paste” your oldest onto your youngest.
Then we move into the practical side: how to help your “Sarah” get a job without just yelling “go apply somewhere” and walking away. Ashley shows how to break “get a job” into micro steps, map them out on a calendar, and do some of it with them without turning them into a permanent dependent. We dig into why teens freeze, how overwhelm looks like laziness, and why your kid might not be avoiding work—they might just be terrified and stuck.
Finally, we flip the mirror back on us as parents. Our generation was told to figure it out alone. Nobody held our hand. We were kicked out of the house and told to come back when the streetlights came on. That story is baked into how we judge our kids. Ashley and I talk about letting them fail on purpose in safe ways, how to stop rescuing every time they forget something, and how to forgive yourself for not hitting some imaginary parenting scoreboard by age 18.
If you’re tired, worried, and quietly ashamed that your teen “isn’t where they should be,” this episode is your permission to stop beating yourself up and start parenting the kid you actually have—not the one in your head.
As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
Most people don’t give at year-end because they’re saints. They give because of taxes… and then hope the IRS sees it the way they do. In this episode, I bring back estate planning attorney Griffin Bridgers and walk through year-end giving in four parts: Hook & Setup, The BS We’re Fed, No BS Reality, and Do This Next.
In the Hook & Setup, we talk about why year-end giving turns into chaos so easily — last-minute donations, rushed transfers, and families confusing “being generous” with “throwing money at the calendar.” Griffin breaks down the timing problem most people ignore: if you’re wiring money or donating stock on December 30th, you’re not planning, you’re gambling on processing times and paperwork.
In The BS We’re Fed, we call out the myths: “Just give by 12/31 and you’re good,” “cash is king,” and “philanthropy is for the ultra-wealthy.” Griffin walks through how the $19,000 annual exclusion, the massive lifetime exemption, and the idea of foundations vs. donor-advised funds (DAFs) really work — not how social media and marketing spin it.
Then we move into No BS Reality. We talk about starting with what you actually want to leave behind — for your family and for causes you care about — and working backward from there. We dig into why relying only on thick legal documents is a trap if nobody can access your accounts, devices, or logins. This is where Griffin introduces his Death Manual concept and his Inherit Substack, where he’s building out the playbook for organizing your real life, not just your paperwork.
Finally, in Do This Next, we get practical. We lay out simple steps: pick your giving strategy for this year, decide what you’re actually going to give (cash, stock, or something else) with your CPA, start your own Death Manual with one password and one account list, and choose a “giving day” you repeat every year instead of panicking at the deadline.
If you’ve ever said, “I know I need to get my will done” and then ghosted the process for years, this episode is your reset button — not perfect, not theoretical, just real moves to stop leaving a mess behind.
🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/q85Ub9rxVNkAs always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
Thanksgiving hits different when you’re the one holding everything up. The bills, the business, the team, the family. And then people tell you, “Be thankful.”
In this episode of Let’s Get Real, I sit down and talk honestly about gratitude in a messed-up economy — not the Hallmark version. I walk through what I’m genuinely thankful for as a husband, dad, and financial professional, even while prices are high, markets are chaotic, and business owners are tired of wearing all the hats.
This is real talk for women, minority, and LGBTQ business owners on that next step of growth who know they can’t keep doing it all alone.
In this episode:
Why gratitude feels hard when money is tight and life is heavyHolding frustration and thankfulness at the same timeWhat I’m thankful for in my family and my clients’ trustFinding meaning in your work even when the market is wildHow chaos doesn’t erase your skills, grit, or progressFull video of this conversation is available on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/Wu_N0AKWCX4As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
This one’s for anyone walking into Thanksgiving with a pit in their stomach about money. You know the drill: old stories, old roles, and fresh triggers. I brought financial therapist Rachel Duncan back to help us keep it real at the table—and keep our dignity intact.
We break down why holidays wake up your oldest money wiring. Families “snap you back” into your teenage self, and your money beliefs? Most of them got stamped on you by age eight. If you’ve ever felt “14 again” at Mom’s house, you’re not crazy—your nervous system just time-traveled.
Then we torch the shame cycle. Shame says “I am bad.” Guilt says “I did something I don’t like—and I can change it.” That shift matters because guilt leads to action. We walk through how to swap shame for guilt and actually move forward.
We also hit boundaries—the real kind. A healthy boundary isn’t a fight; it’s clarity about what you will do. We show you how to feel when a boundary gets crossed, redirect explosive moments without stonewalling, and stop people-pleasing without burning the house down.
Finally, Rachel gives a practical ritual you can actually use this week: a daily “pleasure practice” to reconnect you to yourself. Do one small thing that makes you feel human. It’ll do more for your money than any spreadsheet ever could. Yes, really.
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lXnvkBWjGas
As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
Most owners wait to hire a planner until everything is “ready.” That’s how you stay stuck. I asked my communities why more people aren’t working with planners and the answers were clear. Not enough money yet. Bad advisor experiences. Confusion about what planners actually do. I lay out the truth and the path forward.
This is an audio-first breakdown of coach vs planner, what licensed planning includes, and how to move from survival decisions to strategic ones. Especially for women, minority, and LGBTQ owners who are building without a safety net.
In this episode:
Real reasons folks don’t hire plannersCoaching for mindset, planning for systemsWhy licensing and accountability matterHolistic planning for life and businessBehavior, relationships, and moneyFirst steps you can take this weekFull video is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SKhLCYAtuZs
As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
If you’ve been punting your estate planning all year, this is your wake-up call. In this episode, I bring in Griffin Bridgers—a recovering attorney who lives in this space—to tear down the myths and get you moving before the holidays eat your calendar. We get real about why estate planning slips to the bottom of the list: nobody wants to think about death, and everybody swears they’ll “get to it later.” Later rarely comes.
We start with basics that most people still miss: your will’s validity, witness requirements, and why “perfect is the enemy of good.” Get the core documents done, then build the habit of revisiting them as your life changes—because it will. Your family changes. Your relationships change. Your appointees change. Set-and-forget is a fantasy. Review is the job.
Then we crack open the myths: “The bank has my beneficiary, so I’m covered” (no, that’s not a plan), and “my attorney has the originals, so I don’t need to track anything” (do your people even know how to reach that attorney—or if they’re still practicing?). This is where good intentions die and heirs get stuck.
Business owners—this one’s for you. Your buy-sell is not a checkbox. It’s a minefield of human behavior, valuation drift, liquidity shortfalls, “I’m done working but still own 50%” scenarios, and spouses who don’t agree with your sweetheart deal. If you don’t define the rules, a judge will.
Griffin’s core punchline is simple: death is never easy, but you can make it easier. Start with the “who” and the “how.” Review your will, trusts, POAs, and—crucially—the people you’ve named. Educate them on their roles. Create an instruction manual so someone can actually run the playbook when you’re gone. Then get your corporate docs in one place, with minutes and filings current. Organize first. Then review. Then fix.
Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/7ZRs0r_XCVs
As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
This one hits where it hurts: the living room. We dig into how money actually moves in multi-generational, first-gen Hispanic households during the holidays when everyone has an opinion and nobody wants to say the quiet part out loud. Daniela Molina joins me to cut through the noise with straight talk on culture, pressure, and breaking money taboos.
We start with reality. Different generations carry different money scripts, and when the saver, the spender, and the “I don’t even know” all live under one roof, small choices turn into family politics. Daniela lays out how to start real conversations without shaming your elders, how to share what you’re learning without posturing, and how to reframe the holidays so love is the priority—not debt.
Then we torch a few lazy hot takes. “Cut off your family to get ahead” sounds bold online, but it ignores culture and context. “Debt is always bad” is just wrong. We separate clickbait from facts and talk about how to consume media like an adult: verify sources, look for methodology, and stop outsourcing your brain to headlines.
We also get tactical: setting boundaries when relatives hit you up for cash, protecting your personal life if you work in media or client-facing roles, and expanding your reach with bilingual content—even if you don’t speak Spanish—by partnering, translating key one-pagers, and focusing on genuinely useful advice.
Holiday season is when budgets blow up and resentment festers. Not this year. Listen in, get your plan tight, and keep your dignity intact. Full video here: https://youtu.be/IU23V53K2fA
As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
This is your leverage window. Q4 is when companies lock budgets, finalize promotions, set equity, and protect retention risk. Translation: decisions are being made about you—often without you. If you stay quiet, you’re already behind. In this episode, Dr. Renee Baker joins me to dismantle the myths and give you a real plan to negotiate raises, titles, and equity without begging or breaking.
We tear into the fear narrative—layoffs, headlines, “be grateful and wait your turn.” Gratitude without advocacy is servitude. Silence doesn’t pay. You are the CEO of you, and if you don’t speak up, you’ve handed away your leverage. We talk about why it’s cheaper to keep you than replace you, how bonuses and timing create retention pressure, and how to use that math in your favor.
Then we get tactical. Politics often beats performance, so study the breadcrumbs: who gets promoted, how, and why. Don’t bring a task list to a review—bring outcomes. Learn to quantify impact beyond sales, frame results the way your firm rewards them, and ask the right questions in your 1:1s so your leaders carry the right story into the room when you’re not there.
We close with two heavy hitters: titles and “no.” Titles drive pay bands and access—use them. If they say no, convert it into a timeline, criteria, and checkpoints. If that’s not respected, that’s your signal. This is not about ego. It’s about equity, mobility, and your next seat at the table.
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sN9-MechYpM
Connect with Dr. Renee Baker:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsreneebaker/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItsReneeBaker/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsreneebaker
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@itsreneebaker
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrReneeBakerAs always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. -
Q4 exposes the truth. Some of you are sprinting. Some of you are stuck in chaos. Either way, the calendar isn’t a magic wand—and the holidays won’t save sloppy execution. We go straight at that. Matt Halloran joins me to break down why year-end pressure is mostly a head game and how to turn the next 90 days into an authority sprint that actually converts.
Authority beats volume. Every time. We talk the path from apprentice → expert → authority → celebrity, and why the crossing point is long-term discipline, staying on message, and giving value away like oxygen. Matt lays out how he used the exact system he teaches to land on top-influence lists in financial services. This isn’t theory—it’s reps and years.
We dismantle the myths: “post more and you’ll win,” “be on every platform,” “AI replaces strategy,” and “sell hard in every post.” What works now: start with one high-quality recording, repurpose with intent by platform, use AI to sharpen the plan—not do the work—and practice attraction marketing. No cold-call cowboy energy. No Yetis. Build demand with value and consistency.
Then we get practical. Matt’s “perfect content formula” (storytelling, education, entertainment, call-to-action). The 15-minute daily discipline. The simplest system to start today: finish a client meeting, hit record, share one insight. And the metrics that actually matter: growing the owned audience and driving real actions—calendar, downloads, snapshots—not dopamine.
You want a filter? Use the brand test: would Nike/Red Bull post this? If not, it doesn’t go live. That’s how you stay clean, consistent, and on-message. Then go take the ProudMouth Influence Snapshot to see exactly where you sit and where the gaps are. We want you out of obscurity. Let’s go.
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ALBvq9GdpqI
As always we ask you to comment, DM, whatever it takes to have a conversation to help you take the next step in your journey, reach out on any platform!
Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, Tiktok, Linkedin
DISCLOSURE: Awards and rankings by third parties are not indicative of future performance or client investment success. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All investment strategies carry profit/loss potential and cannot eliminate investment risks. Information discussed may not reflect current positions/recommendations. While believed accurate, Black Mammoth does not guarantee information accuracy. This broadcast is not a solicitation for securities transactions or personalized investment advice. Tax/estate planning information is general - consult professionals for specific situations. Full disclosures at www.blackmammoth.com. - Show more
