A Tax Gazebo series

Money & Mind

Exploring the intersection of wealth, psychology, and personal leadership. Because understanding money isn't just about mastering the numbers — it's about understanding the mind behind them.

Phase One · The Awakening

The premise

Money is rarely just about the numbers.

It's about psychology, identity, risk, responsibility — and the stories we carry about success. Read it as a journey: each week opens with a Sunday anchor, unfolds through short daily essays, and closes with a Saturday spotlight conversation.

Week One

The Money Story You Inherited

The Money Story You InheritedMost people assume their financial decisions come from logic… but long before you earned your first paycheque, you

Leaving the SystemFor someone who grew up below the poverty line, the structure of a large accounting firm felt like

When Money Starts Carrying ResponsibilityWhen people imagine running a business, they usually think about freedom. Freedom of schedule. Freedom of decision-making.

Success and DiscomfortYou likely imagine success as a feeling of arrival. A moment when the effort finally pays off and

From Inherited to IntentionalWe have spent this week looking backward. We’ve looked at the money stories we inherited, the ways

Money as a Tool for CreationMoney is almost exclusively marketed to us in terms of lifestyle. What it allows you to buy. Where

Karen MathewsonAll week, I’ve been sharing my own inherited money story and the foundation of my Money &

Week Two

Scarcity vs. Sufficiency

Scarcity Goes UndercoverIf you looked at my investment portfolio today, you would see someone entirely comfortable with risk. I deploy

The Paradox of the Frozen Credit CardYesterday, I shared the paradox of my financial life: I am a CPA who confidently deploys capital across

When High Earners Feel BrokePeople assume that hitting a certain income bracket or net asset value automatically erases financial anxiety. But in

The Cost of Playing Not to LoseEvery business decision you make comes down to one of two postures: playing to win, or playing not

Changing Your MindsetTo close out this week on Scarcity vs. Sufficiency, I want to talk about the physical practice of

Shannon Kenrick-RochonIn today’s Saturday Spotlight, meet Shannon Kenrick-Rochon, co-founder of Prosper Menopause (a virtual clinic providing

Week Three

Financial Hide & Seek

Hiding Money From YourselfLast week, we talked about the emotional friction of money — why your nervous system might stress when you

The False BottomIn the first year of building Compass CPA, besides repaying my capital investment, I didn’t draw personally

Asset Rich, Cash PoorI’ll call him Bobby. He’s a composite of several brilliant entrepreneurs I work with, but his

The Timing TrapWhen a new client comes to my firm, the first thing they usually do is slide their last

The Equity BridgeYesterday, we talked about how traditional business owners go broke waiting on Accounts Receivable. But for the heavy

Structuring for PeaceAll week, we have been looking at the spreadsheet. We’ve unpacked how high-achievers play “Financial Hide

Amit ParmarIn today’s Saturday Spotlight, I asked Amit Parmar — Commercial Realtor, Multi-Industry Operator, Investor and CMHC Multi-

Week Four

Money Shame

The Financial ConfessionalOver the last three weeks, we've talked about how our money stories make us hide our

The Weight of Knowing BetterThe heaviest financial shame I see doesn't come from a lack of knowledge. It comes from

The Cost of Looking SuccessfulWhen income is not where you want it to be, the logical move is simple: cut back. Protect

The Debt You HideWhen the numbers start to feel heavy, even the smartest people do something completely irrational. You stop looking.

Ego is the Most Expensive Carrying CostYesterday, we talked about how people hide from their bank accounts. But for the real estate investors I

Data, Not EvidenceAt some point, if you want your financial reality to improve, something has to change internally. Not just

Week Five

The Identity Shift

The Identity Crisis of Making Real MoneyYou hit your number. Seven figures in your business. A portfolio that finally feels stable. More money sitting

The Hustle HangoverIf you grew up with scarcity, you learned one absolute rule about money: It must be earned through

Sabotaging the SurplusWhat happens when someone wired for survival finally builds a surplus? Logically, they should exhale. In reality? Sometimes

From Operator to AllocatorThe hardest transition in wealth building isn’t going from $0 to $1M. It’s the identity shift

The Isolation of the New RealityThere is a quiet reality to making real money that almost no one talks about: the isolation. When

Permission to Put Down the ArmorAll week, we’ve talked about the friction of success. The guilt. The sabotage. The isolation. So today,

These essays are personal reflections on the psychology of money — not financial, investment, or tax advice.

Coming soon

Money & Mind is becoming a book.

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