So, What About Me?
I am the chief executive officer and founder of The Truesdell Companies, a conglomerate of independent and privately held companies owned in whole or part by me, other members of the family, or in conjunction with family or team members. Utilization of one firm does not require your utilization of others and vice versa.
Good
Before you go any further, I am very good at what I do. I do what I like, am good and profitable at, and can control. If that offends you, stop reading and go back to Ticky Tocky Tic Toc, X-ster, or Facebag.
Everything With Purpose
For example, I combined my fin-tech, digital media, construction, insurance, forecasting, securities, data analytics, law, communications, and business management background to create a premier fiduciary-based registered investment advisor. I have a long history of expertly crafting processes and procedures that emphasize efficient, effective, and optimal one-to-one engagement.
Expert Witness & Public Speaking
I have served as an expert witness in criminal matters and for plaintiff attorneys in class and individual actions involving securities, insurance fraud, and suitability. My public speaking engagements exceed 1,000, before over 50,000 attendees.
I am available for your event and will provide a list of topics and my fee schedule upon request.
Jack Smiling Coffee
I am a native of Dallas, Texas, with greater Tampa/Ocala, Florida, as my permanent adoptive homes since 1980. During the administration of President Monroe, I joined the Texas Rangers at 16 in 1836. We fought the Indians and patrolled the vastness of the nation of Texas as peace officers for those on the frontier. My mentor was Jack Coffee until his cup ran dry. Armed with a rifle, pistol, knife, blanket, saddle, and solid steed, we kicked arse and forgot names. By the way, this is a test. Those who comment on the aforementioned are rewarded with a cup of Joe in honor of Jack. That said, my father's father was born during the Lincoln Administration in 1865, before his assassination. Our documented family history runs deep. The Truesdell Clan arrived by way of the Winthrop Fleet in 1630. This means, in my opinion, we’re natives. And yes, I lived in Dallas when Kennedy was assassinated, who too was succeeded by a Johnson.
Professionally Blunt
For those with the fortitude to hear it called it the way it is, you'll enjoy my company. In a sea of sameness and political correctness run amok, we're different because we are old-school, traditional, transparent, and trustworthy.
What Box?
I take pride in not thinking outside the box but instead starting from the perspective that the box does not exist in the first place.
Advisor, Manager, Aggregator, Sensible, Stoic, ENTJ, Sarcastic
I am an ENTJ, often known as "The Commander" or "The Executive" personality. I am assertive, strategic, and highly driven. I am comfortable in my abilities and thus am decisive, analytical, and enjoy challenges. I thoroughly enjoy improving efficiency and pushing innovation to its practical limits. For those who avoid blunt facts and realities, I will come across as politically incorrect. With that said, let's get one thing clear: being assertive or blunt with a direct communication style that focuses on results is often viewed by those who are held back by the quicksand of political correctness as a condition worse than death. I am a voracious reader, writer, forecaster, and weight lifter. Thus, and therefore, we are not suitable for those who are slow to move and have reversed President Kennedy's command. The 1961 quote appears below. You should also know that I have a sharp wit, and my sarcastic sense of humor often comes out. I thoroughly enjoy clever wordplay, irony, and the use of sarcasm as a tool for "ah-ha" communication. Sarcasm works well for me when I point out inconsistencies or bring attention to absurdities in situations. I lead, teach, and conduct my business with confidence and style, and I thoroughly enjoy intellectually stimulating conversations with occasional lighthearted, bone-cutting humor.
President Kennedy
Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.
January 20, 1961, President John F. Kennedy
I was a resident of Dallas, Texas when President Kennedy was assassinated and my father provided me a great deal of “on scene” information that I am happy to share with clients. It’s a first-hand, eyewitness account that will never be forgotten.
No Moles
It is essential to understand that we do not play "Wack-a-Mole." This is why we work with what we call prospective 5/55/Retirees. If you are not within 5 years of retirement, 55 years of age, or currently retired, I generally will not work with you. Why? No TIME.
No TIME
Men and women in their mid-20s to mid-50s are not a good fit for me and my firms because they often have:
No Time
No Interest
No Money
No Energy
Notice that the first letter of time, interest, money, and energy spells: TIME. It’s not personal, I simply will not waste time with those who waste time, as time is my most precious asset.
Therefore, both my associates and I work on a TEAM approach. We maximize or minimize appropriately our:
Time
Effort
Aggravation
Money
Lifestyle, Professional, Sports
You see, I am a lifestyle business, where business is a lifestyle. I do not get paid to play games. If you do and are a professional, I will work with you but only under my terms and conditions.
No drugs,
No weapons,
No posse,
No back talk or BMOC attitude,
No negotiation,
No competition,
And No Payment, No Service.
You play your game, I’ll play mine, and you’ll be financially set for life in a few years. Do it the way most do it, and you be back with mama and a street rat crew. No joke. I’m not, or ever will be your friend. It’s a job. And, if you trade me in for the latest line of hogwash, you will forever be dead to me. Okay? Simple enough. Let’s move on.
I Don’t Cotton To…
Our businesses are not ones that seek to cotton favor with the majority of Americans. Why? Well, I’ll tell you why. First, I don’t care much about anyone other than partners, associates, and clients. Our clients generally have three or more of the following characteristics: more money, experience, patience, income, net worth, years in the saddle, stability, maturity, and a greater appreciation for the finer things in life. Our kind of folks take their spurs off before walking into the house. Thus and therefore, I don't give two red cents about those who are broke, inexperienced, impatient, complainers scraping by and can't save a dime without it burning a hole in their pocket, haven't ridden a horse, are like a fart in a frying pan, crying and carrying on about endless issues of which there is no damn control over, and if you prefer soy over beef patties, drink sugar, and suffer from red dye simplex 47b carbonation infused sissy water, don’t let the door bust ‘ya where the good lord split ‘ya.
Tomahawks & Firewater
Now, if you like a rare Tomahawk steak with a bourbon or a peated whisky neat (no ice or anything else), then do a heavy pour of Laphroaig, Ailsa Bay, Highland Park, Octomore, or Amrut Peated, and let’s get down to business.
More Fore! Golf
"Fore!", originally a Scots interjection, is used to warn anyone standing or moving in the flight of a golf ball. I use it often. Because of a shoulder injury, my game is more gamy than game; thus, I easily purse my lips, raise my eyebrows, shrug my shoulders, and get a little-boy innocent look far too damn often as Wilson flys into oceans, ponds, and creeks without his Castaway. And so, the course and clubhouse are good grounds to sniff the dirt, kick the tires, and make a Monty Hall.
Sarcasm Galore
Yes, I the Elder, am extremely sarcastic, and the Younger does a mighty fine job as well. If that bothers you, click away. For everyone else, let’s continue with a quote from Scientific American, November 17, 2015, “The Surprising Benefits of Sarcasm / Sarcastic comments boost creativity, a study finds” by Francesca Gino (a very smart person in my opinion).
"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit but the highest form of intelligence," wrote that connoisseur of wit, Oscar Wilde. Whether sarcasm is a sign of intelligence or not, communication experts and marriage counselors alike typically advise us to stay away from this particular form of expression. The reason is simple: sarcasm expresses the poisonous sting of contempt, hurting others and harming relationships. As a form of communication, sarcasm takes on the debt of conflict. And yet, our research suggests, there may also be some unexpected benefits from sarcasm: greater creativity. The use of sarcasm, in fact, promotes creativity for those on both the giving and receiving end of sarcastic exchanges. Instead of avoiding sarcasm completely in the office, the research suggests sarcasm, used with care and in moderation, can be effectively used and trigger some creative sparks.
With regard to the aforementioned: “I don’t give a damn about the feelings of those who are not partners, associates, or clients because we work; how about getting some tough skin and get in the game called “work.” As Larry Winget titled one of his books: Shut Up. Stop Whining. And Get a Life.
Bada Bing, Bang, Boom
I thoroughly enjoy laughing and joking around. For a dude with a very serious yoke, I believe in taking life with a smirk, smile, and grin. It's too damn short, and I'm having a ball. I've been doing what I like, am good and profitable at, and can control since 1986, and that is going to stay the same; however, some things do change such as the bings, bangs, booms, moans, and groans in life. What I’ve generally eliminated are the whistles and bells from those that are ten feet wide and one inch deep. No, nada, zip, zero, when it comes to anyone with a YouTube channel blabbering and boasting about, well, nearly anything. I now pause for effect. I find the YouTube blowhards so utterly disgusting. You see, here’s the thing. I 100% buy Dr. Tinstaafl's Theory of There's No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. And as Ebenezer once said to Tiny Tim: "It's a small price to pay young man, now back to work."
Al and Peg Bundy
For the record, I make friends with the cool kids, and the crew does not include Al and Peg Bundy. You see, in high school, we were those you knew you didn’t really know. Everyone knew us, but nobody really knew us. We didn’t shine, complain, peacock, or wallflower. We did what we needed to do to get out and move on with life. We participated in the things that we found interesting but walked away when we got bored or when the coach or teacher became a nincompoop. We were and continue to be bored and frustrated with idiocracy and couldn’t wait to get out from under the yoke of political correctness, Kool-Aid drinking, or the communist agenda cloaked in the name of follow the leader, Father Knows Best, or Archie’s All in The Family. We live a life well lived. We are of the mindset that only a very wealthy person can afford to buy cheap things. Think about that for a yarn or two.
Thomas Stanley and William Danko wrote the book, the Millionaire Next Door, and we’re everywhere. We live below our means, we’re frugal and disciplined, we invest wisely and achieve financial independence quickly and guard it fiercely. Yes, many of us found success through education and bureaucratic maneuvering, but trust me with your life when I tell you that most of us “use” educational and bureaucratic systems rather than be used by educational and bureaucratic systems. It’s akin to the fact that the power rests with one or more in the audience rather than on the dias.
Seven COWs
I am now going to give you something special, it’s my Seven COWs. These are the seven components of wealth, in order of importance. But first, there’s this dude called Socrates.
“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
If you do lamestream research into the life and times of Socrates, you’ll be told that there is no historical evidence to suggest that Socrates and his contemporaries engaged in weightlifting or followed a structured physical fitness regimen akin to modern practices. In fact, physical fitness as we understand it today, especially with regards to weightlifting, was not a prominent aspect of ancient Greek culture. That is pure hogwash. It’s what you get from the politically correct manipulation of machine learning and Wiki-Googleification of knowledge. Feel free to pause and upchuck, it’s allowed. Socrates and his contemporaries likely engaged in physical activities for strength, endurance, and flexibility to meet the rigors of self-preservation and military combat.
The contemporary view is that those who are physically fit, especially weight lifters, are as dumb as an ox. On the other hand, the soy boys of today are smart as a whip and work in human resources with their girlfriends. Sarcasm runs fluid in the veins today.
Now back to old Socrates. He lived in the 300 to 400 BC time frame and the Olympics began in the 700 BC time frame. And for those struggling with math and the Gregorian calendar, 700 BC comes before 300 BC, and the Olympics began in Greece. So let’s see. Was Socrates Greek? Bet your sweet bippy Edith Ann. Sock it to me if you want, it’s a laugh in and out in this world of pinheads.
And so, the Seven COWs are:
1. Mindset Wealth,
2. Physical Wealth,
3. Emotional Wealth,
4. Intellectual Wealth,
5. Relationship Wealth,
6. Financial Wealth,
7. Risk Management Wealth.
If you want an ebook version of my Seven COWs, let me know.
Elvis Has Not Left The Building, Rock On!
“You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” is a song by the awesome rock band Bachman Turner Overdrive, known as BTO. In September of 1974, I was cruising the highways in my ‘69 red Cutlass, rocking out to BTO and other greats of the day. And so, baby, if you feel like life is one where each day is another opportunity to rock out to “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,” well then, we might just fit like hand to glove, but not like O. J. did in Los Angeles where Johnny said: “It if don’t fit, you can’t convict.” Ah hell, we all know he was and is, guilty as hell; and may he one day rot therein.
Why?
I am a fan of Annie Lennox, and her 1992 release of the song Why is a classic for the ages. Regardless of the lyrics, the melody and performance is life-pausing.
And so, why did I pause and take the time to write this? Because I am selling myself, my organization, and our services and products. Life is a sale. Ask Jesus, one of the greatest salesmen to have ever walked this ball of mud we call earth. Buy it, drink it, robe it, whatever floats your boat. Jesus was a great salesman, and we’re still talking about him all these years later.
Now here’s a forewarning. I included this for those who will now cry blasphemy and whine like a little girl in 7th grade at summer camp with Morty Melnick at camp North Star, who is heartbroken that camp counselor, Hunk McGee, isn’t interested in her or her pigtails. It’s called a culling tool. It’s a way to reduce the herd of inferior prospects. And this goes for Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius, the Russian Orthodox Communists, or the Jimmy Jones (not to be confused with Jimmy John’s sandwich shops) devotees who have zip, zero, nada sense of humor. Life is short folks, laugh.
For God’s Sake, laugh. That’s considered the 11th Commandment by the way. Still can’t laugh, well here’s your sign.
For those who remain…
Welcome.
When you work with us, we laugh, have fun, and spend our time and money wisely. Interested? I damn sure hope so because in a sea of sameness, we’re not only different, we’re better, Way, way, way better than so many of those boring fraud planners that reek of your grandparents’, brokers ’ suspenders, and grundies. Yes, I said grundies.
Unpacking
There’s a lot here to unpack, have fun, enjoy, and for cry’n out loud, relax.
My Three-Sentence Summary of Stoicism
If you go to bed, you had a good day.
If you wake up, you had a good night.
The alternative is not good.
What’s Next?
Now that you know me, when we meet, I’d rather spend quality time getting to know you.
Now, isn’t that a nice difference for a change?
So, what are you waiting for? The office number is 212-433-2525. Call. Text. Leave a message.
Questions
Am I going to retire?
Yes.
When?
The day I close my eyes for the last time, but not one minute before.
Until then, I will continue to do what I like, am good and profitable at, and can control. I've been "doing my thing" since 1986. I see no reason to stop.
What’s Truesdell Wealth, Inc. / Truesdell Insurance, Inc. / Truesdell Consulting, Inc.
WIC?
I combined my law, fintech, digital media, construction, insurance, forecasting, securities, data analytics, and business management background to create a premier fiduciary-based registered investment advisor. I have a long history of expertly crafting processes and procedures that emphasize efficient, effective, and optimal one-to-one engagement. There are other companies and ventures, but for now, let’s move on.
I have served as an expert witness in criminal matters and for plaintiff attorneys in class and individual actions involving securities and insurance fraud and suitability. My public speaking engagements exceed 1,000, before over 50,000 attendees. I am a native of Dallas, Texas, with greater Tampa, Florida, as my adoptive home since 1980. And I’ve had my share of deadly force events and I’ve been seriously injured along the way. Guess, what? Life’s tough; so what.
I play it SMART: “Simple Management of All Relevant Things.”
Everyone who knows me knows that I have the fortitude to call it the way it is. For example, most formal education is pure hogwash. When asked about schooling, I cite The University of Truesdell, located in Castletown, Isle of Man. I have a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) with a dissertation in Sniffing Dirt. If you're reading this and not chuckling, then lighten up. And by the way, if you want to work for “the man” and the “right kind of man,” then dot the i’s, cross the t’s, cram for the tests, and never voice an opinion contrary to he who is in charge at the moment, and cower, duck, and shuffle through your “endless” academic years. On the other hand, there are those of us who did “it” for the connections, practical knowledge, and sheepskin. We’re also the ones who knew more about business before we entered university because we shoveled snow, mowed grass, delivered papers, babysat, rototilled gardens, worked retail, drove a bus, truck, and forklift, baled hay, and rebuilt alternators and generators for a small repair shop when that was a thing. And in my case, working as a police officer and graduating in just over 2 years with three undergraduate degrees. Did I mention that I was also the precinct coordinator for a Congressional campaign one summer as well? And so, at times I think back and wonder how I did it all and the facts are these: “I did what I like, and good and profitable at, and can control.” I do it now and will continue until the fat lady sings.
I do not think outside the box; instead, I begin by rejecting that the box even exists.
I know it rubs some wrong, but I do not care. My aim is to please only those who are valuable to me; everyone else is meaningless.
What’s the bottom line?
I don't care about pedigree unless you're showing a dog; even then, I prefer a loyal mutt with common sense. I am a very open-minded businessman whose business is based on my 10Ps:
1. People,
2. Product,
3. Process,
4. Price,
5. Performance,
6. Professional,
7. Passion,
8. Persistence,
9. Patience, and
10. Philosophy.
Look, if you've got the 10Ps and a good bit of luck, you've got a shot at the 1% club. And for the record, the top 10%, 5%, or 1% are no different than anyone else. We live, die, breed (well, most of us do), eat, defecate, laugh, read, write, walk, run, and all that other stuff. What we do that makes us different is that we don’t spend every penny that comes in the door; we have patience and persistence, and we spend time thinking about it. What is it that we think about? Mostly, connecting dots. While the majority talk about gossip about people, we talk about events, philosophy, history, and the people we know who are influencing “it.” And above all else, we forecast. We don’t engage in childish prediction; no, we calculate, rank, and extrapolate everything into odds, the percentage now as to this or that. Now, recall that I said, “I am a lifestyle business where business is a lifestyle.” Bingo, get it?
Luck, what’s your opinion?
Regarding luck, never forget that for some, if it wasn't for bad luck, they'd have none at all; therefore, be appreciative and don't call me if you're full of yourself.