2020 Annual Review

Year in review is a funny thing. I don’t necessarily want to do this but I am because being able to look back on this time and see what I was thinking is a massive value. I’m also making it public for obvious reasons.

Back Story

I used to run a high-end personal training gym that was entirely one-on-one. Covid ended all that. When things got gnarly I made the decision to shut everything down and get out. I made the bet that this would be a losing game, and I do not like playing losing games. I like playing winning games that require all of my faculties.

I started The Irreverent Investor in hopes of breaking into finance and investing with an outside/beginner view. It was the game I had been eyeballing for a couple years. The thing that got me interested in it was the grind of personal training. I made less-than decent money but it was fun. I would have had to train people for decades only to retire at 65 with a very small amount saved. Not what I wanted to do. So I hired more trainers, expanded, then COVID came crashing down. Game over. The next game would be different.

I bought the domain and took off running with it. The only problem was I needed to learn a lot, and very quickly. I talked to many people: investors, CFPs, CFAs, and misfits. I heard all the advice: “get as many letters after your name as possible” to “just start your RIA asap and do a good job.” After hearing much advice I decided to pull the trigger on creating a community of like-minded people that sought simplicity in investing. To create my ‘tribe’.

The website setup and direction was the easiest thing to do. I knew I wanted to:

• Show up

• Help

• Learn

• Share

Since I could not find a place to show up and help or learn, I created my own. This website is a place for you to do the same.

Lessons Learned

We are still in new territory here, but I quickly learned that showing up even when there is nothing to offer (yet) people will still show up and want to contribute if they feel like part owners or if they feel like they can help. So many other websites and ‘communities’ are one or a few people shouting at readers. I think we can make this a different beast.

Q: Why not use twitter for this?
A: Using twitter long term is like building a house on the sand. It’s great for sharing what’s going on here and giving people a way in, but it is not the foundation.

What’s Next?

I, and we, are going to dive into everything investing. Nothing is off limits. As we explore we will naturally find our groove. I personally am excited for the connections and learning that comes from being a part of a community.

I launched The Inner Circle, which has almost 60 members so far. I’m making the first 100 spots free for life. If you’d like to join then click this button:

That’s all for now. If you have any questions or comments please write them below.

~ Michael