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  Follow Planet Wealth:  Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube Website: planetwealth.com