Failure is NOT Fatal, Just Ask Abraham Lincoln
Failure can be difficult to swallow. In the moment, it can often seem as if the world is crashing around you. This viewpoint is only enhanced by a short-term view on life. This viewpoint can infiltrate itself into every aspect of your being if you let it. Your business, your marriage, your friendships, everything! Although […]
A Call for Commitment
This for the most part marks the first anniversary of me starting CooperDane.com. It’s funny to me that more people don’t have a place to share their views with the world other than on other people’s platforms. I can truly say that having this medium has allowed me to not only become more creative, but also […]
Your Morning is Ruining Your Day
When you woke up this morning, what did you do? Did it involve hitting the snooze alarm multiple times? Possibly running to the shower, changing, and heading out the door? Or maybe you even made enough time to grab a granola bar on the way out the door. If your mornings are defined by any […]
Run YOUR Race
Why do we compare ourselves to others? It’s as if we are wired to look at somebody else’s accomplishments and judge them against our own. We think that by measuring up to someone else that we have reached a level of success that is something we should be striving for. This idea however, is completely […]
Facebook is Growing
Facebook, the almighty social network continues to expand. I woke up this morning with an email from StockTwits, a social network for investors, explaining the continued growth of Facebook. I’ll get into the details in a second, but I think Facebook’s will continue to grow. Facebook is live and all in one place. The internet […]
Future Internet Specialization
Today’s topic is not of the norm for me, but is something I see beginning to occur and will only increase with time. Once upon a time when people marketed on the internet or wrote to a certain crowd, they would write for the masses. I.e the crowd they were trying to reach was the […]
Discipline = Freedom
Rinnnnnnnnnnnnggggg, Rinnnnnnnnnnnnggggg. The sound of your alarm goes off. Although this appears as a very simple yes or no answer, get up or stay in bed, it is much more important than we give it credit. You see, should you decide to remain in slumber underneath your warm covers, you are saying you’d rather sleep than […]
My Experience on the Daniel’s Fast
“But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of […]
Why Do We Compare?
If you judge a fish by it’s ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid – Albert Einstein In today’s day and age it is so easy to compare ourselves to others. We scroll through any number of the dopamine inducing social media sites and realize our inadequacies. […]
What Separates Elon Musk?
I’m in the middle of reading Ashlee Vance’s Biography on Elon Musk. So far it is an incredibly insightful and exciting read. Just to give you a little background on Elon, he was once a co-founder of Zip 2 and Paypal. He is currently the CEO of Tesla Motors, Space X, and a Chairman of Solar […]
Springfield Mo Financial Advisor
Springfield, Missouri is a unique place. It’s large enough to feel like a “big” city at times, yet has a very much hometown feel. I find it somewhat funny that many people work with an advisor employed by a large corporation, when there are locally owned advisory businesses in Springfield, Mo. I was born and […]
New Mercies Every Day
Don’t wake up with regrets from the past. Don’t worry about what you’re going to do, or be sad of things you’ve done. There are new mercies awaiting you everyday. The only choice you need to make is whether to accept them or not. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come […]
Be You, Including Your Mistakes
There’s this idea today that you have to fit a certain mold. That to reach a certain level of success, you have to be like the person who has that success. This is a notion that I completely reject. Why do I reject it? People want to do business with real people. Not this robotic […]
Is There a Tech Startup Bubble on the Horizon?
There was a time during the early 2000’s when investing in technology was at a peak. Brokers would cold call average investors all over the country, offer the latest, greatest technology stock offering and get more yes’s than ever before. Since that time, things have changed, dramatically. Brokers cold calling has pretty much come to […]
Should I Invest in a Variable Annuity? Maybe!
Ahh, variable annuities. An investment touted by some (typically advisors) as the greatest investment ever, and by others as the worst. Well my friends, there’s a reason the variable annuity is talked on so much, and it isn’t simply because of how great it is. Really, the reason you hear so much about it, is […]
In Defense of Mark Driscoll
Mark Driscoll. Just the name alone brings about an array of emotions, emotions that vary among Christians on a similar scale as who they vote for in elections. He’s polarizing, he’s brash, he’s doing God’s work. How I Was Introduced to Mark Driscoll When I began developing my own relationship with Christ, Mark was a man who […]
Be Content, Not Complacent
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5 Being content is a positive thing. Not only for your current well being, but also for your future. Something I find the older I get […]
Warren Buffett’s Top Rule for Investing
When our great, great grandchildren exit their flying amphibious cars in the distant future, many will look at Warren Buffett’s returns and believe he was a myth. Well the man, the myth, the legend known as the Oracle of Omaha is real, and he’s alive right now (as I write this.) Because we are alive […]
What’s the First Step in Starting a Business?
The first step when it comes to starting a business is to pursue. What do I mean by pursue? I mean pursue your dream like a tiger stalking its prey, like a ship seeking it’s harbor, like a golf ball seeking it’s hole. PURSUE! Move after your dream of starting a business with a vengeance […]
Refuse to Take Credit for Things You Haven’t Done
Everybody at sometime in their life will find themselves in a moral dilemma. They were perceived to have done something special, even though it was the work of somebody else. What should you do in this situation? Well, to put simply, give credit where credit is due; there’s a few reasons for this: The first […]
Your Opinion Doesn’t Always Matter
There’s an idea today that your opinion is always right. That everybody is entitled to their opinion and whether it’s made from thin air, or actually has merit, it is equally as important. Well, I’d like to offer a different viewpoint. Your opinion is not equal to somebody else’s who know’s more on the subject. […]
Being Yourself No Matter What
Have you ever heard the term, “think outside the box?” The idea behind this is that to stand out, you need to get out of the current environment you are in. Many industries have a certain stereotype that people fall into. The way they dress, talk, act, everything. I see it all the time, in […]
Iron Sharpens Iron
When you were born you were never handed a manual, given instructions, or shown videos on how to operate. You relied on your parents to teach you, to mold you, and to guide you into how they thought you should be. The guidance that you were given was hopefully in good faith. and as such […]
52% of Americans have less than $10,000 in savings. What can be done?!
The U.S could very well be facing a retirement crisis and nobody is addressing it. Bernie Sanders, a U.S. Senator recently spoke on the ever growing gap between the 1% and the rest of us. His statement came during a union hall meeting where he said: Here’s something not talked about, something that can make […]
Keep Motivation Close
We often experience troubles, defeatist attitudes, and worries that without the mindset that anything can be overcome, can truly crush us. It’s for this reason that I keep motivation close at hand at all times. One of the most motivating things for me to see, is great men who have triumphed in the face of […]
Using Interval Training for Increased Focus in Your Daily Life
Something I’ve been doing research on is how physical training effects the mental side of life. It’s great to be strong and capable in the gym, however we live in an age where outrunning dinosaurs and lifting stones is not as necessary as it once was. That being said, strength is still in my opinion […]
Using Momentum to Achieve Success
Today I’d like to discuss the use of momentum. Have you ever been working hard on something only to realize nothing was going your way? Whether that be a project for school, work or any other endeavor and then all of sudden things started to fall into place really quickly. It was as if you […]
Should I Invest in a Roth IRA?
This is a question I’m asked nearly everyday. I think it’s great that people are becoming more knowledgeable on their investment options. However, I have no clue where the idea that investing in a Roth IRA became “THE GREATEST INVESTMENT EVER.” It’s a much more complicated question than a simple yes or no, and I […]
Find a Mentor
Growing up we’re given all kinds of opportunities to learn and grow. Some are given more than others, and some simply take more advantage of the opportunities they were given. The best opportunity I have had for growth has come through the help of a mentor. I was blessed in that I was born with […]
Are You as Busy as You Think?
How many times have you talked to someone who kept going on about how busy, and how little time they had to accomplish things? This is always a funny idea to me, because many people have much more time than they realize. Often after explaining the lack of time they have, they will then talk […]
Becoming a Man
One of my favorite poems is ‘IF’ by Rudyard Kipling. To me it speaks of living boldly. To care for those who can do nothing for you in the same way that you care for those that can change your life. Every man is made in God’s image and should be loved the same. Kipling […]
Find Balance, See Success
The body is a crazy thing. You can neglect it like the majority of Americans, and it will keep performing for much longer than it should. However, at some point everything breaks down and so too shall you. I urge you, however to not neglect the great machine that God has given you. Push yourself […]
Why Arnold Schwarzenegger is a Winner
A lot of people look to Arnold for inspiration. He is certainly a man worthy of your attention and today while I read his book I shall smoked a nice Cohiba cigar. Best quote thus far: “After that (loss,) I never went to a competition to compete, I went to win. I deserve the pedestal, […]
Key Ideas from The Richest Man in Babylon
I finished reading the book “The Richest Man in Babylon” yesterday and came away with a few key ideas that I believe we can all apply to the use, and gathering of assets. 1. “Increase thy ability to earn” In my opinion this is of utmost importance. The more opportunities you have to earn, the […]
Be Thankful for the Challenges
We all face challenges, some more than others, but nevertheless each day we wake there is something staring us down waiting to be overcome. Many times we view these challenges with a “woe is me” attitude. We complain and are fearful of what’s ahead. I’d like to offer a new way of viewing these seemingly […]
How to Gain an Edge in Life
To gain an edge in life you must do things that others don’t. There are many ways to get ahead, but a book I’ve been reading lately titled “Poor Charlies Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger” had a quote by the great investor that really stuck out to me. If you don’t […]
Poor Charlie’s Almanack Review
I’ll be the first to say it, Charlie Munger is one of the greatest minds of our time. Period. In my mind, one of his greatest accomplishments is to still be working hard, not just sloughing off, at over 90 years old! His other accomplishments include: 2015 Estimated Net Worth: $1,300,000,000 (That’s 1.3 BILLION, with […]
Be In the World, Not of the World
I often get caught up in the world, chasing money and power as I’m sure many do. Francis Chan has a great quote: “Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter, unless it is about loving God and loving the people he has made?” Pursue excellence and success, but not […]
Three Principles Swen Nater Lives By
I’m at a financial seminar in New Orleans and Swen Nater, famous basketball player came and spoke. Besides his height, he spoke of three things that caused his success and can be true for anyone that I really liked. 1. Be persistent. 2. Focus on the fundamentals. You can’t build a successful business without a […]