The 5–10 years before retirement are incredibly important. That’s when you still have time to make meaningful adjustments. You can start visualizing what retirement might actually look like. You can estimate what you may spend. You can compare that to the income sources you expect to have. And you can…
The 4% rule is one of the most quoted ideas in retirement planning. But even Bill Bengen explains that it began as a historical worst-case scenario — not a permanent magic number. As portfolios, asset classes, inflation, and market conditions change, retirement income planning has to be more thoughtful than…
What if slowing down is actually the fastest way to succeed? Executive coach Ralph Simone explains why burnout, nonstop hustle, and constant productivity may be holding you back. #Leadership #Burnout #Productivity #SuccessMindset In this clip, we explore the biology of being constantly "on," activating the sympathetic nervous system and the…
What if slowing down is actually the fastest way to succeed? Executive coach Ralph Simone explains why burnout, nonstop hustle, and constant productivity may be holding you back. #Leadership #Burnout #Productivity #SuccessMindset This clip discusses the profound impact of the "pressure and time" individuals experience, often leading to a deep…
Aging well is about more than money. In this Money Matters clip, Kelly and Juliet Starrett explain why range of motion and mobility matter throughout life — and why small, consistent habits can help people move better as they age. They also discuss the sit-and-rise test from their book *Built…
Texas public education employees often hear about TRS, but some higher-ed employees may also be eligible for ORP — the Optional Retirement Program. In this clip, Chris Hensley explains the basic difference: TRS is the pension system many Texas public education employees are automatically enrolled in, while eligible Texas public…
What if the reason you feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or constantly behind is because you’ve been taught that faster always means better? In this episode of Money Matters, Christopher Hensley sits down with executive coach and author Ralph Simone to discuss the powerful ideas behind his book Slow Down to Go…
Turning off the paycheck can be one of the hardest psychological shifts in retirement. In this Money Matters clip, Wade Pfau explains why retirement is a completely different stage of financial life. You are no longer just adding new savings — you are now taking distributions, spending down assets, and…
When planning for TRS retirement, the goal is not just to look at the highest monthly benefit. You also need to think about how your pension and Social Security decisions may affect your spouse, surviving spouse, former spouse, or widow/widower benefits. Age difference, earnings history, divorce history, survivor benefits, and…
Bill Bengen is best known as the creator of the 4% rule, but in this Money Matters conversation, he makes an important point: retirement success is about more than withdrawal rates. A strong retirement plan should include the financial side — but also friends, family, passions, interests, and health. Watch…
Most people lose their best thinking before they ever use it. Here's the fix — and it takes 60 seconds. Just hit record. Talk into your phone for 5 days. Dump the transcripts into ChatGPT or Claude and ask: - What am I blocking? - What have I missed? -…
There is one thing you cannot delegate to AI. Your meaning. Not your tasks. Not your calendar. Not your marketing copy. Your meaning. In a world where AI can write, summarize, analyze, and automate almost everything — the one thing that stays irreducibly yours is what your life is actually…
The Fed just sent a warning about gas prices—and what it could mean for the economy. When fuel costs rise, it’s not just pain at the pump. It pulls money away from everything else—slowing spending, impacting businesses, and potentially dragging down GDP. So the real question isn’t just where prices…
Whatever you're doing — keep doing it. Digital Kaizen hit #1 in Business Office Skills on Amazon. Two weeks ago this was a manuscript. This week it's a #1 bestseller. And it happened because real people bought it, read it, and told others about it. No paid ads. No big…
Most professionals will spend 2026 getting better at being busy. A quiet few will build systems that compound while they sleep. The difference isn't talent. It's not discipline. It's not the right app. It's a loop. Digital Kaizen is a framework built on three pillars: 🧠 The Extended Mind —…
Why do so many men get perimenopause completely wrong—and how is it quietly damaging relationships? In this episode, I sit down with Sam Anderson, author of Perimenopause: The A–Z Guide for Us Idiots, to break down what’s really happening behind the mood swings, brain fog, anxiety, and emotional shifts that…
What if the real reason advisory firms struggle to scale… isn’t growth? It’s what happens after the client says yes. In this episode, Christopher Hensley sits down with Ryan George (CMO at Docupace) to talk about the unsung “back office heroes” who keep advisory firms running—and why burnout, invisible operations,…
Most people hear the news on social media. But when they want the full story, they turn to public radio. In this clip, Ernesto Aguilar explains why nonprofit media continues to matter — especially in a world driven by engagement and advertising. Attention is fast. Understanding takes time. Watch the…
Public radio helped define trust in audio. Now AI is redefining how it’s made. In this episode, Christopher Hensley sits down with Ernesto Aguilar — public radio executive, author, and longtime community media advocate — to explore the future of audio storytelling. From discovering public radio as a teenager in…
Most people are using AI for the wrong reason. Not to see more clearly… …but to avoid the discomfort of uncertainty. The real risk isn’t apocalypse — it’s abdication. Slowly turning down the volume on your own inner voice until convenience replaces agency. Digital Kaizen isn’t about tools. It’s about…
Wisdom isn’t a breakthrough. It’s a loop. In Digital Kaizen, I define wisdom as: high-level pattern recognition earned through lived experience and shaped by consistent reflection. It’s what helps you notice the curve in the road before the warning signs appear. And it rarely arrives all at once. Wisdom is…
Digital Kaizen — Part 3 (Final) This is the final installment of Digital Kaizen, a voice-first audiobook series exploring how AI, reflection, and small daily systems upgrades can compound into real personal transformation. In Part 3, we explore: • The Evolutionary Loop • Voice as a personal operating system •…
The Fed just said something most people missed. Jerome Powell made it clear: A rate hike is not the base case. But that wasn’t the headline. The real signal? The U.S. could eventually face Japan-style economic pressures. Rates staying low. Debt that’s manageable. But a deficit path that isn’t. This…
There’s something sacred about the first draft of a thought. Before it’s polished. Before it’s filtered for smartness. Before perfectionism or performance gets involved. That’s the kind of thinking Digital Kaizen is built to protect. This short is from Part 2 of the Digital Kaizen audiobook, where I explain the…