This weekend marks the completion of a decision Katie and I made more than a year ago. Or really, one Katie made 10 years ago when she suggested we keep the kids' childhood home to move back to as they grew and moved on.
We're selling the bigger house and moving back into the smaller house where we started when our children were younger.
On paper, some people might call that downsizing.
I prefer right sizing.
The funny thing about right sizing is that it feels different depending on the moment. Sometimes it feels like a victory. Other times it feels like a loss. Houses are more than wood, drywall, and mortgages. They hold memories. They hold birthdays, holidays, laughter, arguments, celebrations, and seasons of life.
We spent our last night together in the treehouse this week and while it held wonderful memories it was also smaller than I remembered just a few short years ago. As we rolled up the sleeping bags one last time, I realized we weren't just moving, we were letting go of a version of ourselves that no longer fits who we are becoming…leaders, College Students, Environmentalist, Filmmakers…and that’s ok.
At roughly the same time, the financial world was celebrating another milestone. SpaceX completed its long anticipated public debut. Elon Musk continues pursuing a vision that includes reusable rockets, Mars colonization, and pushing the boundaries of what many people believe is possible.
I am not Elon Musk.
I don't aspire to be.
But I do admire the willingness to think beyond the next quarter, the next year, or even the next decade.
Like many of you, I enjoy looking up at the stars when I'm hiking. I dream. I wonder. I think about what comes next. I never personally dreamed of going to Mars, but I am grateful there are people who do. Because whether you agree with Elon Musk politically or not, humanity moves forward because some people are willing to pursue ideas that initially sound impossible.
That idea connects to a book I've spent a lot of time thinking about over the past few years, 10X Is Easier Than 2X.
Most people hear the title and assume it means doing more. More work. More meetings. More revenue. More activity.
The lesson I took away was almost the opposite.
Real growth often requires subtraction.
To achieve something significantly different, you often have to stop doing things that no longer serve the future you're trying to create. You have to let go of old identities. Old assumptions. Old habits. Sometimes even old successes.
Growth is not always addition.
Sometimes growth is thoughtful subtraction.
That lesson has shown up repeatedly in my life this year.
It showed up in our move.
It showed up as Members' Wealth continues evolving into what I am beginning to refer to as Members' Wealth 2.0.
And it showed up Friday night at the sold out 47th Media 5 Mile Race.
For the fourth year, Members' Wealth was proud to sponsor the event. This year was our biggest and best involvement yet. The office was packed. The energy was incredible. Friends, clients, neighbors, runners, volunteers, and community members came together for something bigger than any one person.
At one point during the evening, someone approached me and said something simple.
"Thank you for inviting me into this community."
The comment stuck with me.
Years ago, I probably would have measured success differently. Revenue growth. Assets under management. New clients. Business milestones.
Those things still matter. Businesses need to be healthy. Families need resources. Organizations need to grow.
But sometime over the past year or so, I started thinking about a different scorecard, one my wife Katie already lived by.
Twenty five years ago she chose a profession dedicated to helping others when she became a nurse.
About a year ago, I wrote down something similar for myself.
We decided that one measure of success would be the number of sincere thank yous we receive because we helped someone else move forward.
Not because we sold them something.
Not because we impressed them.
Because we helped.
That thank you Friday night was one of many this past year but the first to use the word community. I hope there are many more.
Friday night wasn't really about the race.
What I'll remember most are the people. The community.
My daughter Samantha was there running with her friends, her boyfriend, and his family. My daughter Kai was there taking pictures and filming. My brother was there too. Four years ago he slogged through a 55-minute Media 5 Mile. Then he let go of what no longer served him and this year he crossed the finish line more than twenty minutes faster. Friends came in from both in town and out of town to run. Clients, neighbors, business owners, and community members gathered together on a beautiful summer evening, at Members' Wealth, in Media, Pennsylvania, in the heart of DELCO, perhaps not the center of the universe, but certainly the center of mine.
As the race ended and the crowd began to thin, something else happened.
The younger generation stayed.
They gathered around televisions and phones to watch the USA Men's National Team. A team that has yet to land on the moon but somehow keeps finding ways to land among the stars. A team advancing, growing, and chasing something bigger than itself.
And as I watched, I realized something.
Yes, the country is getting older. At 250 years old, America has plenty of scars, lessons, accomplishments, and mistakes worth studying.
We recently discussed We the People in book club, and one lesson I took away was that our founders never intended America to be frozen in time. The Constitution was designed to evolve because they understood future generations would face challenges they could not imagine.
The same is true for families.
Businesses.
Communities.
Investment plans.
Even ourselves.
The goal isn't to preserve everything exactly as it was.
The goal is to preserve what matters and continue building what comes next.
Holding onto the past is not the same as learning from it.
I may be getting older, but I stay connected with the youth because I know we're building something. Together.
Whether it's Members' Wealth.
The continued development of our country.
The exploration of space.
Or perhaps the real moonshot, a United States World Cup victory.
We're all working on something that extends beyond ourselves.
And maybe that's the point.
It isn't about perfection.
It never was.
It's about progress.
A little more progress this year than last year.
A little more progress for the next generation than the one before.
And continuing to build something worth passing on.
And perhaps that's the real moonshot.
Dane Czaplicki, CFA
CEO & CIO
Members' Wealth
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Dane Czaplicki is CEO of Members’ Wealth, a boutique wealth management firm that offers a comprehensive approach to serving individuals, families, business owners, and institutions. The firm’s goal is to preserve and grow its clients’ wealth to endure over time, while thoughtfully evolving its strategy to suit an ever-changing world. With over 20 years of wealth management experience, Dane and the Members' Wealth team thrive on bringing clarity and confidence to clients' unique situations. He believes everyone needs sound financial advice from someone whose interests are aligned with theirs, and is determined to put service before all else.
Dane received his MBA from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and his bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University. Outside work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, hiking and camping, reading, running, and playing with his dog. To learn more about Dane, connect with him on LinkedIn.
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