Mary Katherine Johnson welcomes Chad Hufford, Founder & Financial Planner at Veritas Wealth Management, for a refreshingly human conversation about building wealth you'll actually want to live with. Chad argues we're wired for scarcity and crowd-following—great for survival, terrible for long-term freedom—so real progress starts with mindset, meaning, and management of the investor (not just the investments).

You'll hear how to define date-specific, dollar-specific goals (e.g., "₍future date₎ + net monthly income after tax"), then reverse-engineer the needed assets and monthly contributions. Chad shares a powerful "deck of cards" story to illustrate finding a cause big enough to fuel discipline, plus a practical way to turn foggy dreams into a living blueprint you can adapt with technology as life changes. We cover staying focused on controllables, designing a job-optional lifestyle, and why courage matters: you can't be brave without fear. Subscribe to Fortunes of the Brave for bold, credible, visionary conversations that help you take the next right step.

Key Takeaways: • Abundance is designed, not stumbled into. Start with meaning, not someone else's values. • Coach the investor, not (only) the portfolio. Behavior beats products over decades. • Write date-specific, dollar-specific income goals and reverse-engineer assets & monthly saving. • Break the big goal into monthly and daily inputs; celebrate consistency. • Build a living plan; technology helps scenario-plan and cool emotional reactions. • Focus on what you can control (saving rate, costs, behavior) vs. headlines you can't. • Dare to be different. The crowd's average outcomes aren't your target. • Courage ≠ no fear. It's moving forward with fear toward the best version of your life.

Chapters: • 00:01 – Welcome + why abundance beats scarcity • 00:55 – We're wired to survive, not thrive (and what to do about it) • 02:56 – Managing investors > managing investments (coaching vs. products) • 06:19 – Mindset first: you bring "you" into the future • 08:53 – Clarity: date-specific, dollar-specific income goals • 10:53 – The "deck of cards" story: finding a why big enough to endure • 12:10 – Job-optional lifestyle: purpose after paychecks • 14:13 – Reverse-engineering: assets, contributions, inflation adjustments • 16:00 – Daily inputs, monthly wins: making progress visible • 18:54 – Diagnose before you prescribe (relational planning) • 22:21 – The blueprint metaphor (plans evolve; guardrails remain) • 24:50 – Tech + planning: modeling, quick pivots, cooler heads • 30:17 – Staying calm in storms by returning to the blueprint • 32:03 – People over products; relationship > charts • 34:12 – Dare to be different: why "normal" isn't safe • 36:03 – Final word: courage means acting despite fear

Resources Mentioned: • Veritas Wealth Management (Chad's firm) • "Date-specific, dollar-specific" goal setting (income-first planning) • "Job-optional lifestyle" concept • "No plan survives first contact with reality" (planning as a living document)

Connect with Chad: • Company: Veritas Wealth Management • Role: Founder & Financial Planner • Search: "Chad Hufford Veritas Wealth" for site & resources

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