First Friday Feedback: December 2024

This month on First Friday Feedback, Phil wraps up the year by recapping all the episodes shared on the Monday Morning Mojo, The Cannon Curve, and Cannon Connect from the past month. Phil received many comments on these past episodes wanting to know where Mike and Michele’s company, to add the importance of financial planning to all generations, and the Helene relief airdrops. Tune in to this episode to hear all about it! Thank you for being a part of our community and our audience that allows us to share our insights of our year. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

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Please send Comments, Questions, and Feedback to: mojo@cannonfinancial.com

Please send First Friday Feedback submissions to: mojo@cannonfinancial.com

Transcript 

Hi, I'm Phil Buchanan with Cannon Financial Institute. We produce the podcast series Monday Morning Mojo, The Cannon Curve, and Cannon Connect. Each of these podcasts invites listeners to email or text their feedback, comments, and questions. They are all answered right here on First Friday Feedback. If you're new to our podcast, go ahead and subscribe to all four and get engaged by sharing your perspective.

Life is about the journey. So let's go for the ride. Greetings Cannon Nation. It is Phil here with First Friday feedback for December 2024. Can you believe it? We are in the final countdown. Holidays are upon us. Year end is close. We just want to take the time to say thank you to all of the listeners, to all of the podcasts sponsored by Canon Financial Institute, including Monday Morning Mojo, The Cannon Curve, and Cannon Connects.

Here, of course, on First Friday Feedback, we take feedback from you, our very loyal listeners, answer any questions you may have, and address any perspectives you might be willing to share. The month of November was a very, very busy month. We had a lot of different things going on. We've had several questions, several comments come back.

Most recently, episode 674, which aired just this week, we've gotten, uh, we've gotten several comments in the generations as the entitled episode 674. I shared a story of sitting with a family as they were going through a family meeting, multiple generations of the family gathered together. I shared with you the financial advisor's, only way to say it, atrocious mistake in dismissing a comment of a third generation of the family.

And how that comment just absolutely put a chilling pall on the meeting. And irritated not only the person that he was dismissive of, but that lady's parents and eventually the grandparent seriously put the relationship at risk. But it, it really points out the importance of working with all generations of the family and being able to effectively communicate.

It was very interesting. I had three different comments from people that had been in the room when a colleague had said something or done something that was dismissive of a client. And it really illustrates the importance of several things. Number one of pre planning, of ensuring exactly who has what responsibility in the meeting, how they're going to communicate.

And then number two, practicing. But communication and practicing for some of the responses, you know, it's, it's amazing to me, we spend so much time, energy and effort staying up to speed on the latest and greatest tax code and tax interpretations, court rulings, what's going on in the capital markets. We, we spend so much time there.

But really at the end of the day, technical information, technical knowledge, technical expertise, that's table stakes. The areas that we as the advisory community really need to work on is effective communication and being able to be genuine and authentic. in the interactions that we have with our clients.

Sure. We're going to make mistakes because we are human, but you know, really being focused on what's most important to the client and never being dismissive of any client's perspective, regardless of generation at the end of the day. That's just smart business. Several of you sent me some wonderful comments after the I'm thankful episode, which as long term listeners will attest is an annual sharing that we do and that specifically I offer some perspectives for the things which I'm incredibly thankful.

And all of us should be again. Rightably thankful for the great gifts that we have in our lives. Yes, we all have, have struggles as part of the human condition. Everybody's got problems. Everybody's got things that are going on, but when you look at the level of the challenges that most of us have to deal with, they heal in comparison to individuals that are not nearly as blessed as we are.

And so to be mindful of that is, is outstanding. And I just want to thank everyone who reached out with really, really neat emails and text messages for that. Now several of you also posed some questions and primarily it was how do I get in touch with Mike and Michelle in Winder, Georgia who own a motorcycle and ATV repair shop and I shared their wonderful story.

Husband and wife combination really doing a fantastic job having built a very Very unique and wonderful business. But the conversation that I had with Mike and Michelle, just the wonderful insight that Mike shared when his friends and his family say, how in the world have you become so successful? And he offers two words, hard work, hard work.

And at the end of the day, that's exactly right. And I shared in that, that episode and. I've had several listeners forward me other video clips of other speakers sharing a very similar message that today it seems that most people want to enjoy the leisure more importantly than they are passionate about working.

And I've, I've seen several clips recently that, that really attest to the fact that as a society, we've got to re engage a broader community. of our workaholic mentality to figure ways that we can pursue with vigor our ideas, our dreams, and, and push those into reality and put forth a tremendous level of effort at the time in which we can grow and we can learn.

And it is later down the line when we have, have reached that level of success, when we have earned the right to relax a bit, that, that really that is, that That is what takes place. And again, I know I may get some criticism from some listeners on this, but COVID taught us that we could work anywhere, but it also developed in, in many of us, some bad habits about pursuing the leisure side of life with.

Equal vigor that we pursue our work and our, our, our need to build and to create. And candidly, you know, that's, that, that's one of the things that really helped to build America was that developmental mentality and that passion to achieve and to, and to build and to grow and to create, and you can't just take, you can't just operate with a, uh, me first mentality.

And I really do appreciate a lot of the great comments that have come in from there. On our Canon curve for the month of November, we did a bit of a rewind. I had a pal of mine, Todd Peavy, who is an entrepreneur. He's a business owner. He's in the digital sign business, but he's also a pilot as I am. And when hurricane Helene wreaked its havoc.

On Western North Carolina and also on Southern, uh, the Eastern part of Georgia, Todd and many other pilots and many other active members of the community got together, banded together, joined together to provide relief missions, relief flights to fly goods and paper products and food and water and lotions, deodorant, dog food, just of the community.

Such a myriad of supply items to individuals that have been decimated. Again, Western North Carolina by the floods that Helene left behind. And of course, in, in South Georgia, by the devastating tornadoes, we went back and we, we talked about the fact that in a community, everyone. Can make a difference and that when community comes together, when community rallies, the power that is unleashed by individuals can, can truly lift other communities.

And it absolutely did in, in the case of the, the hurricane relief efforts. And it was, it was so exciting. It was so. It's so refreshing to think back to, to those moments when certainly as a, as a community within the Southern part of the United States, we, we came together and provided for those who were in need, you know, as we now head to the December holiday season, I am reminded of the fact that there are, Many, many, many individuals, much less fortunate than we are.

There are many individuals still that are reeling from the devastation of natural disasters of other types of disasters, be them financial or medical hardships. And I would just encourage. All of the listeners to our podcast to take the time and to, to, to reach out to those in need and provide, provide what, what you can, perhaps it's financial support, but really want to challenge you to provide a support of your time, of your talents.

If you can provide meals, if you can provide visits, if you can be engaged with those who are less fortunate, it is. It is truly in those moments that the greatest joy of giving comes through. I'm so mindful of the fact that but for individuals stepping up, there are going to be a lot of folks that will be alone this Christmas.

There are going to be a lot of individuals that won't have a very happy and secure Christmas. So if you can, Take your time or perhaps it's your talents. And if nothing else, it is your treasure. Reach out to those that are less fortunate this Christmas and holiday season. And on behalf of all of us at Cannon Financial Institute, I want to wish each of you a very happy holidays, Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah.

And I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being part of our community. Thank you for letting us share our perspectives and our insights with you on a daily, weekly, monthly, annual basis. And as we look forward to 2025, we look forward to being in it with you. We look forward to the growth opportunities that abound and from our families to all of your families.

Have a wonderful, happy, and safe holiday season. Merry Christmas, everybody. First Friday feedback is production of Cannon Financial Institute. Sarah Jones is executive director. McCall Chamberlain is the managing producer. Editing and mixing is done by Danny Brunner. And so until we talk again next month, I'm Phil Buchanan.

Thanking you for being part of the Cannon community.