Purpose with Mark Bertrang

In my first career, decades ago, I worked as an announcer at a radio station in a small, rural town. One of my jobs included doing the emergency broadcast testing on a monthly basis. I can still remember what I needed to say during the test: "The attention signal that you just heard, had it been an actual emergency, would have been followed by official news or instructions. Remember, this is only...

What does it mean to be a CEO, a Chief Executive Officer? Most people think about a business CEO, but what does it mean to be the CEO of your family's financial future? I got to thinking about this last week: it was the end of the quarter and I picked up a report of our corporation for the first three months of this year from my accountant. This gives me information that I need to figure out how w...

People often have a difficult time when it comes to accomplishing their goals and focusing in on their needs and wants, and the aspirations in their life. Sometimes, it comes down to just one question. In my office, I will often look up at my bookshelf and just look at one book in particular. The book is titled, The One Thing. I should probably have the back of the book facing me because it shows...

People often have a difficult time when it comes to accomplishing their goals and focusing in on their needs and wants, and the aspirations in their life. Sometimes, it comes down to just one question. In my office, I will often look up at my bookshelf and just look at one book in particular. The book is titled, The One Thing. I should probably have the back of the book facing me because it shows...

Imagine, you can't speak. Your eyes watch as the doctors and your family discuss your medical treatment. Your love ones don't know what to do. They don't even have the legal permission to provide the hospital staff with recommendations for your care. Worse yet, if they had the legal right, they're fighting among themselves as to what care you would even want to have. If they only knew. If they onl...

A question I asked recently of a medical professional. The answer shocked and emotionally moved me.

Life Insurance is a difficult industry. Statistics have shown that about five percent of life insurance agents survive just five years in this career. Why is that, especially since improving the lives of families can be so rewarding? This conversation might draw the curtain away from the industry, so the layperson can see what this profession actually entails. This is an opportunity for a life ins...

Have you ever made a promise? Was it for a short-term promise or was it a forever promise? There's a difference, isn't there? Forever promises typically aren't flashy. They're thoughtful and serious. This morning, I saw a promise through, which was made thirty years ago. So, as I pause and take in the scenery of this new fallen snow, let me share with you a story of a watch, a wake and a promise.

Have you ever found yourself needing to tighten a screw, but you couldn't find a screwdriver? Admit it. You went to a kitchen drawer and pulled out a butterknife, didn't you? Once the project was complete, you probably returned the knife to the drawer slightly bent at its tip, because a butter knife isn't a screwdriver. Would you have consider buttering a piece of bread with a screwdriver? Let's h...

Before you discuss will-planning with an attorney, prepare your hard data collection. Mark's guest – Katelyn Doyle, attorney with Johns, Flaherty & Collins, SC discusses those items you may wish to outline prior to your first meeting with a lawyer. Our discussion includes a conversation of your dependents, special needs individual who maybe in your life, life insurance, debt, retirement account ba...

At some point in our lives, things become real. In fact, sometimes things become 'really' real. Years ago Mark Bertrang had a client who worked in the silk screening industry. This specialization creates the display printing on the front of your kitchen appliances and the imprinted dials and woodgrain dashboard finishes of your automobile. Mark had always been impressed with some of the beautiful...

As an employer, how do you show up for your team? As a team member, how do you show up for your co-workers? How do you show up for any audience, whoever that audience may be? monthly I engage in a half-hour Zoom personal critique with my good friend Michael Baker, a wealth advisor from Alberta, Canada. When we're sharing our international Zoom Room, we debate the steps we use to make the lives bet...

It is seldom that I am able to provide a conversation that will be needed by nearly every family at some point in their lives. I am blessed to have had this intimate end-of-life conversation with two medical providers who have answered the very important calling of working in hospice care. My guests are: Dr. Larry Skendzel - Medical Director, Gundersen Hospice and Dr. Jasmine Hudnall - Department...

There are three questions you need to ask yourself. Mark Bertrang read these questions from Joe Polish's new book "What's in it for them?" this morning as he engaged his team, as he does each day at 9:00am sharp! These questions are: #1. Where are you? #2. Where do you want to go? and #3. How are you going to get there? These three questions might be the only ones you need to ask yourself in deter...

This is the time of the year that we begin focusing upon taxes. Jason Steinhoff, CPA and Partner at Hancock & Robinson is our guest. We'll discuss the selection of a tax preparer, your own preparation prior to that first meeting, how are audits conducted and what happens during that audit; how does your return move through the IRS and what are the pitfalls you should lookout for.

This is the time of the year that we begin focusing upon taxes. Jason Steinhoff, CPA and Partner at Hancock & Robinson is our guest. We'll discuss the selection of a tax preparer, your own preparation prior to that first meeting, how are audits conducted and what happens during that audit; how does your return move through the IRS and what are the pitfalls you should lookout for.

At the end of the year, it's a perfect time to listen-in on a conversation on life's reflections, with guest – Michael Baker during this episode of "Purpose with Mark Bertrang". Guest: Michael Baker, Baker Wealth of Medicine Hat, Alberta Canada 00:00 – Insight comes from others, not yourself. 01:30 – Family Christmas Traditions 06:30 – Why we close our office for a full week at the end of December...

When winter arrives, become much more cautious. While having my morning coffee at breakfast this morning, I received a text from a team member notifying me that they would be arriving late into the office due to his young and still somewhat inexperienced winter teenage driver sliding into the ditch on the way to school. He was waiting for a tow truck along the side of the road. This incident only...

What does the package say for throat lozenges? How about this - "Has not been evaluated by the food and drug administration." Yet, we buy them. I did in fact, for a sore throat and cold I'm working through right now. When you need to make life decisions more important than a sore throat lozenge, the small print becomes much more important. I will oftentimes see people enter into contracts without...

Do you have a parent or other family member, you're concerned for their next stage of life? Jodi Kay Benusa, a Certified Social Worker works with caring families through Midwest Geriatric Consulting Services, LLC to help handle the overwhelming decisions of caring for the aging loved one in your life with a strategized plan of action. Experienced in the complexities of the many systems and choices...

03:40 Self Development & Purpose 12:45 Thought & Effort - Be the best you can 25:40 Long Term Logical Thinking – Being "All In" 31:57 Inflation & The Fiduciary Standard 35:15 Life Insurance – The "Turbo Charger" 40:58 Retirement vs Re-wire-ment 44:40 Continuing Education – "Know Your Stuff" 49:55 Who's Pocket Would You Like Your Money to Go Into? 59:23 Putting a "Down Payment" on your Whole Life I...

How do you rent your money? That quick question answers the definition of borrowing. Taking a loan out whether its from a bank or a credit union or any number of financial institutions simply means that you're renting money. The real question is, at what cost? What is the cost to you to rent someone else's money to get what you want? What is the amount you can borrow? What are the terms – the inte...

When you travel down the road and break at a stop sign with a "T" in the road, you have to make a decision to either go left or right. A round-a-bout on the other hand may have multiple options which are neither left, right, forward or back from where you began your journey. As with politics, as we just witnessed with our recent national and state elections, many folks believe there is only a left...

When you travel down the road and break at a stop sign with a "T" in the road, you have to make a decision to either go left or right. A round-a-bout on the other hand may have multiple options which are neither left, right, forward or back from where you began your journey. As with politics, as we just witnessed with our recent national and state elections, many folks believe there is only a left...

When you travel down the road and break at a stop sign with a "T" in the road, you have to make a decision to either go left or right. A round-a-bout on the other hand may have multiple options which are neither left, right, forward or back from where you began your journey. As with politics, as we just witnessed with our recent national and state elections, many folks believe there is only a left...