Today we are joined by a special guest and Phil’s good friend, Will Nelson. No, not the famous singing artist. But an equally brave person we were happy to bring on the show. In Phil’s own words, “Will manages money, is a riverboat gambling hustler, and has watched every single episode of The SHUT UP Show.” But that’s not why we interviewed Will.
As you’ll witness in this episode, Will embraces us with his openness and honesty sharing personal struggles most people would be afraid to write in their journal let alone share publicly on a LIVE web show. In this episode, Will shares why he left his lucrative corporate career to launch his own wealth management firm and the fear of returning to a destructive life of addiction that fuels him today.
Share Some Shut Up Love –> My gift is my past. – @latticeworkwlth on @_TheShUTUPShow #shutupshow (click to tweet)
Fun Facts:
- Will has been investing in the financial markets for over 25 years.
- Will has worked at a middle-market full service investment banking, private wealth management, private equity, and asset management firm for 10 years.
- Will has interacted with large hedge fund managers in New York City, San Francisco, and Stamford, CT along with large asset managers.
- Will now offers information and advice on passive investment strategies (e.g. ETFs or index mutual funds) and low-cost investing.
- Will is the President and Chief Investment Officer of Latticework Wealth Management providing financial information to individual investors.
- Will challenges the status quo in the industry as the author of a book series titled A New Paradigm for Investing Series.
Defining Shut Up Moment:
Two things I struggle most with today is recent shootings. I happen to be bipolar. I wasn’t diagnosed for a while. I hang out a lot with different people and I get looks like, “You shouldn’t be here.” When people make comments that all we need to do is lock up bipolar, paranoid schizophrenics–I also happen to be alcoholic–the biggest thing I struggle with is being able to walk away from comments that are personal to me that the other person doesn’t know.
Shut Up Tips:
If you take away my resume, there’s not a lot there to talk about. I think a lot of people hide behind a façade of what the whole world sees of them and they’re afraid to be real. I’m cautious of what I tell people. – Will
Often as a result of perceived potential over sharing, some folks under share. That’s as big a crime as over sharing. – Phil
Understand it’s just data, anything they say. It has no meaning until you give it meaning. – Phil
I used to get paid to drink to entertain clients. For me–being an alcoholic–if I have free booze, that’s not a good combination. I can get away with a lot of stuff for a long time. If it does fall off, the consequences are earth shattering. – Will
Anybody who’s an addict of some sort, they’re good at creatng a narrative such that their addiction is okay but others’ aren’t. So if I didn’t drink at home, I wasn’t an alcoholic. – Will
Deciding is key. Choice is good but at some point you have to kill off that other option. – Phil
Just because I don’t like myself doesn’t give me the right to destroy others or my family. – Will
You need to expand your comfort zone. People are too comfortable and life is boring. Hanging out with an intellectual dork like me, your growth gets stunted. – Will
You want to remain true to your core principles but if you have different kinds of clients you have to find what resonates with them. Your value proposition is always the same but the way you word it can be very different to the end consumer. – Will
I’ve had a really shitty past but if you focus on the past, you’re gonna stay there. My past is a gift but I wouldn’t be the person I am today without that. If I pick bits and pieces from it and I can move forward, that’s a nice epiphany to have but life is not linear even though the concept of time is. – Will
Will Recommends:
Will Nelson is offering his kindle books at no cost to you through November 30th, 2013 on Amazon:
A New Paradigm for Investing Series: The Only Five Books You Need About Investing
A New Paradigm for Investing: Can Your Financial Advisor Answer These Questions?
Find Will:
Will is @NelsonThought and @Latticeworkwlth on Twitter
Will’s web site is www.latticeworkwealth.com