The Compound Commitment

Episode 060: Should we help our kids buy their first homes—or would that take away an important struggle they need to experience? Rhiannon and I are both proud that we saved for our first home without help from our parents. Working toward that goal taught us discipline, patience, and the satisfaction of earning something together. At the same time, our kids are entering a world where education and...

Episode 059 : What is your family trying to strengthen in the next generation? Most successful organizations have a clear vision, but few families take the time to define where they’re going together. In this episode, Rhiannon and I share how we created our family vision statement: to strengthen endless generations of Nilsons in their love of family, health, and meaningful work. We discuss why the...

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Episode 057 :  How do you decide what your family wants to strengthen—and choose practical ways to live it out? In this episode, Rhiannon and I share how we created our own Legacy Loop around three principles: family, health, and meaningful work. We explain why every family should use language that connects with its own experiences, values, and vision rather than simply copying ours. We also explo...

Episode 056 : What are we really passing down to the next generation?  In this episode, Rhiannon and I explore a definition of legacy that goes far beyond money or inheritance. To me, legacy is generational strength—what we strengthen today so the people, families, businesses, and communities we care about can continue growing long after we’re gone.  We also introduce the Three Levels of Legacy. I...

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Episode 054: In this episode, Rhiannon and I explore two timeless principles that shaped my career as a strength coach and continue to influence how we raise our kids: resistance and growth. In the weight room, too little resistance makes an athlete weaker, while too much can overwhelm or injure them. Parenting works much the same way. Our challenge is to meet each child where they are, provide th...

Episode 053 : How do we make good decisions when there are endless options and no obvious right answer? In this episode, Rhiannon and I unpack the PST process—principles, strategies, and techniques—the most powerful and useful decision-making framework I’ve ever applied to my life. I first learned it through my strength & conditioning mentor, Gary Gray, and it helped me stop chasing the newest...

Episode 052 : What if the greatest gift we can give our kids isn’t an easier life, but the right amount of resistance to help them grow? In this episode, Rhiannon and I explore the inheritance trap—the danger of allowing money to remove the challenges that build confidence, work ethic, gratitude, and purpose. We reflect on the seasons when we had less, why working toward something can be more mean...

Episode 051 : In this episode, Rhiannon and I look back at the dreams we wrote down when we had very little money—and the fun we had watching many of them come true.  We talk about our 101-goal lists, traveling to places we had never been, my early Save/Invest/Give coffee cans, and eventually building the dream house we had pictured for years. But achieving that dream left us with an unexpected qu...

Episode 050: How do we give our kids a great life without taking away the struggle, desire, and gratitude that helped shape us? In this episode, Rhiannon and I look back at some of the decisions we wrestled with while raising our kids—from battery-powered cars and expensive shoes to chores, allowances, and family experiences. We share the choices we made, the ones we still question, and the tensio...

Episode 049: What happens when money quietly shifts from being a tool to becoming the goal? In this episode, Rhiannon and I look back at a season when our lives became focused on building—buying our first fourplex, adding rental properties around Gonzaga, starting businesses, working multiple jobs, and trying to create financial security for our future family. What started as an exciting challenge...

Episode 048 : What if the most important career decision you make has nothing to do with money?  In this episode, Rhiannon and I continue our journey from college into the early years of marriage—when we were chasing purpose long before we were chasing wealth.  We look back on everything from my surprise marriage proposal at Gonzaga, to the uncertainty of tearing my Achilles before graduation, to...

Episode 047: Some of our favorite memories came during the years when we had the least amount of money. In this episode, Rhiannon and I look back on our college years, sharing the stories that shaped the way we think about money, parenting, and legacy today. We laugh about stretching every dollar, hunting for the best deals, living on cheap meals, and discovering that creativity and friendship oft...

Episode 046:   When I first got married, I thought the best partner would be someone who agreed with me, made life easier, and saw the world the same way I did. Twenty-five years later, I've learned the opposite is true. In this episode, Rhiannon and I share how our differences have become one of the greatest strengths in our marriage, our family, and even the book we're writing together...

Episode 045: For years, I've been fascinated by one question: What is money for? Most of us spend decades working hard, saving, investing, and sacrificing for the future. But very few of us ever stop to ask what we're actually trying to accomplish once we've built wealth. That question changed the way my wife Rhiannon and I think about money, parenting, and legacy. It led us to crea...

Episode 044 : We've talked about the legal documents.  We've talked about values, legacy, and trusts.  Now comes the hardest—and arguably the most important—part of the process: Talking about it. In the final episode of this three-part series, estate planning attorney Iran Harvell shares how families can have meaningful conversations about money, legacy, and the future before a crisis fo...

Episode 043 : In Part One of this series, Iran Harvell reminded us that estate planning isn't really about documents—it's about people. Today, we take the next step. Before we talk about trusts, revocable versus irrevocable, or any of the legal strategies families use to protect their wealth, we start with a much more important question: What is your money for? One of the greatest gifts...

Episode 042 : Estate planning is one of those topics that many people know they should address, yet far too many families put it off until it's too late. In Part One of my three-part conversation with estate attorney Iran Harvell, we focus on the foundational estate planning documents that every adult should understand and have in place. Iran serves as the Executive Director of Estate & F...

Episode 041 : Many investors ask the same question: Is there a way to participate in the stock market's growth without taking on all of the downside risk? In this episode, I sit down with Matt Kaufman, Senior Vice President and Head of ETFs at Calamos Investments, to explore one of the fastest-growing areas of investing: buffered ETFs. Matt has spent more than two decades in the financial ind...

Episode 040 : Success isn't always measured by points scored, shots made, or individual accolades. Some of the most valuable players are the ones who do the little things that help teams win. In this episode, I sit down with Gonzaga guard Jalen Warley to discuss the mindset, habits, and work ethic that have helped him become one of the most versatile players in college basketball. What I&apos...

Episode 039:   In Part 3 of The Athlete’s Guide to Investing, I shift the conversation from building wealth to protecting it. Because making money is only part of the equation.  Learning how to keep it, manage risk, and build resilient systems matters just as much. In this episode, I break down some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned studying Ray Dalio and diversification, including:  • The impor...

Episode 038 : In Episode 2 of The Athlete’s Guide to Investing, I talk about one of the biggest mindset shifts that changed the way I think about investing: Stop thinking like a gambler.  Start thinking like an owner. After studying Warren Buffett for years, I realized that investing is not about chasing stock tips or trying to predict the next hot company. It’s about understanding businesses, own...

Episode 037 : In Episode 1 of The Athlete’s Guide to Investing, I introduce a simple idea that changed the way I think about money: Many of the same habits that help athletes succeed in sports — discipline, consistency, patience, and repetition — can also apply to building long-term wealth. In this episode, I break down:  • The power of compounding  • Why starting early matters  • The importance o...

Episode 036: In this episode, I sit down with Ben Klundt, a Certified Financial Planner and certified exit planning advisor at TEN Capital, to talk about something that doesn’t get enough attention until it’s too late—liquidity events. Whether it’s selling a business, offloading real estate, or stepping into retirement, Ben walks through what a liquidity event really is and why planning ahead can...