Crazy Wealthy Podcast

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth. This episode explores market volatility, inflation, and the behavioral mistakes that can undermine long-term investment success. Jonathan introduces the concept of “Financial Ozempic,” examining how strategies designed to reduce investment discomfort, including excessive bond exposure and covered calls, may sacrifice growth and long-term compounding. Learn why reacting emotionally to market declines can be more damaging than volatility itself, how inflation erodes purchasing power, and why building investment discipline may be more valuable than cons...

Fear dominates financial headlines. From constant recession predictions to warnings about the collapse of the U.S. dollar, investors are bombarded with reasons to worry every day. In this Fix It Friday episode, Jonathan Blau breaks down two of the most persistent fears in investing and explains why reacting to them often causes more harm than good.

Jonathan explores the difference between uncertainty and danger, why markets don't wait for recessions to end before recovering, and how long-term ownership of great businesses has historically been one of the most effective ways to outpace inflation. This episode is...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth. This episode explores behavioral finance, emotional investing, and long-term wealth creation through the story of Odysseus and the sirens. Jonathan explains how fear of missing out (FOMO), market predictions, and political headlines can distract investors from their financial goals. He discusses inflation's impact on purchasing power, the historical role of equities in long-term wealth creation, and why accepting market volatility is part of investing. Learn how discipline, a sound investment process, and behavioral...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth. This episode explores the Ivy Portfolio and the appeal of investing like Yale. Jonathan explains why endowments and individual investors face fundamentally different financial challenges, particularly when it comes to outside capital, retirement, inflation, and investor behavior. While endowments can use institutional strategies designed around perpetual life and ongoing inflows, individuals and families need portfolios designed to stand on their own. Jonathan discusses why copying an endowment may not provide the right framework...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth. This episode explores one of the most common behavioral investing mistakes: extrapolation. Jonathan explains why recent market performance—whether exceptionally strong or disappointingly weak—doesn't predict what comes next. He breaks down the difference between recognizing patterns and assuming those patterns forecast the future, while highlighting behavioral biases like recency bias, framing bias, denominator neglect, and the misuse of mean reversion. Through real market examples and the fascinating "horse manure crisis" analogy, Jonathan show...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth. This episode explores how availability bias causes investors to confuse temporary market volatility with true financial risk. Using the familiar comparison of flying versus driving, Jonathan explains why our emotions often exaggerate highly visible risks while overlooking the slow, long-term impact of inflation. Learn why market turbulence is a normal part of investing, how behavioral biases influence financial decisions, and why staying invested in great businesses has historically been one of the best...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth. This episode explores the often-overlooked side of fiduciary advice: helping investors consistently act in their own best interests. Jonathan explains why even the best financial plan can fail when emotions take over during periods of market uncertainty. Learn how behavioral biases like fear, greed, and action bias can derail long-term success, why discipline beats prediction, and how staying committed to a sound investment strategy can create lasting wealth. If you've ever wondered why...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth. This episode explores why behavioral investment counseling can be the difference between simply understanding investing and achieving lasting financial success. Jonathan explains why most investors focus on portfolios before creating a financial plan, exposes the "alpha illusion" of trying to outperform the market, and reveals why protecting purchasing power matters more than avoiding market volatility. Learn how disciplined investing, thoughtful planning, and behavioral coaching help investors stay focused through uncertainty and make decisions...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth. This episode explores the hidden dangers of DIY investing, overconfidence bias, behavioral finance, and protecting your family's financial future. Jonathan challenges a common belief among successful entrepreneurs and executives—that intelligence and past success automatically translate into investment success. He explains why investing is driven more by behavior than intellect, how emotional discipline outweighs knowledge, and why a financial strategy should continue to protect your loved ones long after you're gone. If your in...

What if the biggest threat to your financial future isn't market volatility at all? In this Fix It Friday episode of the Crazy Wealthy Podcast, Jonathan Blau explores the two distinct roads investors can take in wealth management, one built on conventional wisdom and another rooted in behavioral investment counseling. He challenges common assumptions about risk, portfolio construction, market predictions, and the role of bonds, while revealing why purchasing power—not portfolio fluctuations—should be the true measure of financial success. This thought-provoking conversation helps investors rethink what it really means to protect and grow wealth over the long term...

Why do intelligent people still make poor financial decisions during uncertain times? In this Fix It Friday episode of the Crazy Wealthy Podcast, Jonathan Blau explores the behavioral psychology behind investing mistakes and why fear—not lack of intelligence—is often the real problem. Jonathan breaks down how investors react differently to gains and losses, why uncertainty amplifies emotional decision-making, and how structure and preparation can help investors stay disciplined during market volatility. This episode is a powerful reminder that successful investing is less about prediction and more about managing human behavior.

What You’ll Learn...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth. This episode tackles the question many investors are asking: how can markets rise amid war, inflation, and economic fear? Jonathan breaks down the critical difference between short-term noise and long-term signal, explaining why earnings—not headlines—drive lasting market growth and why disciplined investors stay the course.

What You’ll Learn:

The difference between market “noise” and long-term “signal”

Why stock markets can rise even during global...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions. Hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth, this episode explores how investors misunderstand risk by focusing on volatility instead of inflation. Listeners will learn how behavioral finance biases like loss aversion and risk misperception influence investment decisions and gain insight into why avoiding short-term discomfort can lead to long-term financial failure. By the end of the episode, you’ll understand how to make smarter financial choices and protect your wealth.

What You’ll Learn:

The...

Welcome to Fix It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions. In this episode, Jonathan Blau tackles a powerful psychological trap that can quietly derail even the smartest investors: hindsight bias. As global tensions rise and markets react, many people feel like “this time is different”—but is it really? Jonathan breaks down why every crisis feels worse in the moment, how our brains distort past events, and what it truly takes to make sound financial decisions during uncertain times. This episode is a timely reminder that success isn’t about predicting the futu...

Welcome to Fix It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions. In this episode, Jonathan Blau breaks down how media narratives can distort investor perception during market downturns. With headlines designed to trigger fear and urgency, it’s easy to lose sight of how markets actually function. Jonathan cuts through the noise to explain why volatility is normal, why markets are never linear, and how long-term investors can stay grounded when short-term headlines feel overwhelming. This episode is a powerful reminder that successful investing depends more on behavior than commentary.

Welcome to Fix It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions. In this episode, Jonathan Blau discusses the impact of geopolitical crises on investments, particularly focusing on the recent spike in oil prices. He emphasizes that while such events may cause short-term volatility, they often do not affect long-term stock market performance. Jonathan encourages investors to stick to their long-term plans and not react impulsively to media-driven fears, highlighting the importance of earnings growth as the primary driver of stock prices.

What You’ll Learn:

Geopolitical events can ca...

Josh Goodelman, President and CEO of Liqui-Mark Corp., joins Jonathan Blau on the Crazy Wealthy Podcast to share the real story behind building and leading a family-owned manufacturing business on Long Island. Josh walks through the entrepreneurial origin of the company, the leap from importing to U.S. manufacturing, and what it takes to serve major retailers, school and office distributors, and a growing promotional products division with many Made in the USA offerings.

Jonathan and Josh also explore the psychology of decision making under uncertainty, including how entrepreneurs must often unlearn control-driven behaviors when they shift...

Welcome to Fix It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions. Hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth, this episode explores the cash accumulation trap and why holding excess cash can quietly undermine long-term investment success. Listeners will learn how behavioral finance biases such as regret aversion bias and status quo bias influence investor behavior and lead to suboptimal decision-making. By the end of the episode, you’ll understand how to identify whether excess cash is serving a true purpose and how to create clear boundaries that support smarter financial ch...

Samantha Burd, third-generation owner of Lady Burd Cosmetics, joins Jonathan Blau to share the inspiring legacy of her grandmother Roberta Burd and how the company has been helping entrepreneurs enter the cosmetics business for over 50 years. Samantha discusses overcoming early challenges as a family‑run, women‑led manufacturer, how Lady Burd offers low minimum order quantities to democratize access to the beauty industry, and how modern tools like AI can help businesses grow visibility. Her story blends family legacy, entrepreneurship, and practical strategies for building a business with minimal risk.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

T...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday on the Crazy Wealthy Podcast, where Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth, shares practical strategies to help you make smarter financial decisions. In this episode, Jonathan explains the concept of financial ozempic, investments that seem safe but actually reduce long-term wealth.

Listeners will learn how behavioral finance and investor behavior are influenced by biases like loss aversion and the search for comfort. Jonathan also discusses why owning real assets, staying disciplined, and embracing volatility are essential to protecting purchasing power, building wealth, and making better financial decisions. By the end of the...

Behavioral finance expert Doug Lennick joins Jonathan Blau on the Crazy Wealthy podcast to discuss how emotional intelligence shapes successful investment decisions. Lennick, CEO of think2perform, pioneered behavioral finance applications decades before it became mainstream. He shares his "Four Rs" framework—Recognize, Reflect, Reframe, Respond—which helps investors overcome cognitive biases and make rational decisions during market volatility. The conversation explores how investor behavior determines financial success and emphasizes values-based decisions for effective wealth management.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

How the Four Rs framework (Recognize, Reflect, Reframe, Respond) helps you make better...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday on the Crazy Wealthy Podcast, where Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth, shares actionable behavioral finance strategies to help investors make smarter, evidence-based decisions. In this episode, Jonathan explores the destructive buy high, sell low pattern that impacts millions of investors every year.

Listeners will discover how cognitive biases like loss aversion, FOMO, and envy influence investor behavior, leading to emotional mistakes that erode long-term wealth. Jonathan explains the difference between stock price and company value, why panic selling during market downturns is costly, and how to adopt a long-term mindset focused...

Welcome to this episode of the Crazy Wealthy Podcast! Today we feature Vicki Schneps, a media entrepreneur and founder of Schneps Media and Life’s Work. Listen as we learn how Vicki turned her passion for education into a thriving media empire and nonprofit that empowers local leaders and supports community journalism. By the end of the episode, you’ll understand how vision, persistence, and strategic partnerships can help create both business and community impact.

What You’ll Learn:

How Vicki transitioned from teaching to media leadership

Strategies for growing a media company across...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions. Hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth, this episode pulls back the curtain on private investments. Jonathan explains how Wall Street firms promote “democratization” of private deals while often shifting risk onto everyday investors. Listeners will learn how behavioral finance biases like affinity bias and FOMO influence investment decisions, and gain insight into how to evaluate private deals responsibly to protect wealth.

What You’ll Learn:

How private investments are marketed and why they appear seductive to eve...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the segment of the Crazy Wealthy Podcast that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter money decisions. Hosted by Jonathan Blau, President and CEO of Fusion Family Wealth, each episode explores common biases and decision-making pitfalls that shape our financial thinking—and how to fix them. 

In this episode, Jonathan breaks down the difference between volatility and risk, explains how investors often misinterpret short-term market movements, and shares counterintuitive strategies for protecting and growing your purchasing power over time. You’ll learn how reframing risk, return, and volatility can help you become a mor...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions. Hosted by Jonathan Blau, President and CEO of Fusion Family Wealth, each episode dives into common biases and challenges that impact our financial choices—and how to fix them.

In this episode, Jonathan explores why tuning out the Federal Reserve’s every move might be the smartest decision for long-term investors. He breaks down how the constant focus on the Fed—interest rate predictions, market speculation, and news headlines—can derail sound investment strategy. Instead, he shares how disciplined investors can buil...

In this heartwarming episode of the Crazy Wealthy Podcast, Jonathan Blau sits down with Arnie Preminger, founder and CEO of the Sunrise Association, the organization behind Sunrise Day Camps, the world’s first full-summer day camps for children with cancer and their siblings.

Arnie shares the unlikely story of how a Paul McCartney concert sparked the idea, the challenges of creating a camp model that keeps kids close to critical medical care, and how the program has grown from one camp on Long Island to a global movement across the U.S. and Israel.

 IN THI...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions. Hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth. Each episode dives into common biases that impact our financial choices—and how to fix them. This week, Jonathan discussed the concept of ambiguity bias and its impact on financial decision-making. He explores how this cognitive bias can lead investors to make suboptimal choices by favoring more certain but potentially lower-returning investments.

IN THIS EPISODE:

From yachts to private jets, wealthy people love toys that blend nostalgia with luxury—and few capture that thrill better than a high-tech, custom pinball machine! In this episode, Jonathan sits down with his good friend Jack Guarnieri, a pinball industry legend and founder of Jersey Jack Pinball. Jack shares his journey from teenage pinball mechanic to revolutionizing the industry with cutting-edge technology and a customer-first approach, creating the ultimate luxury entertainment for high-net-worth enthusiasts.

 IN THIS EPISODE:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:50) Jack's unexpected entry into the pinball world at age 15

(05:00) The shift from arc...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions. Hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth. Each episode dives into common biases that impact our financial choices—and how to fix them. This week, Jonathan tackles the investment public's obsession with the Standard and Poor's 500 or the S&P 500 index and challenges the common practice of benchmark comparison. He advocates for a goal-oriented approach to investing that prioritizes personal financial objectives over market performance.

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Welcome to the Crazy Wealthy Podcast! Jonathan interviews Rob Basso, a seasoned entrepreneur and business coach who shares his journey from humble beginnings to building and selling multiple successful businesses. Rob's journey is truly inspiring. We dive deep into his experiences founding Long Island Advantage Payroll and his subsequent business ventures. Rob opens up about the challenges he faced, including a difficult split with a business partner, and how he overcame them. For all you entrepreneurs out there, Rob shares invaluable insights from his book "The Everyday Entrepreneur" and discusses his current work as a business coach. Whether you're...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions. Hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth. Each episode dives into common biases that impact our financial choices—and how to fix them. This week, Jonathan exposes the problematic relationship between financial media and big Wall Street firms, revealing how their self-serving agendas can mislead investors. He offers valuable insights on navigating sensationalized financial news, understanding market predictability, and adhering to sound investment principles.

IN THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, Jonathan Blau sits down with The GOAT — “Greatest of all Tax” specialists, Scott T. Ditman, CPA, PFS. He is a Consultant at Citrin Cooperman and a Former Tax Partner, Executive Committee Member, and Head of Personal Wealth Service at Berdon, LLP. Scott works closely with high-net-worth individuals and family/owner-managed business clients, advising on estate and income tax issues, and succession and financial planning. Listen as he shares the critical importance of integrated, holistic financial planning for high-net-worth individuals. Drawing on their extensive professional relationship, Jonathan and Scott offer invaluable insights into best practices in wealth manage...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions. Hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth. Each episode dives into common biases that impact our financial choices—and how to fix them. This week, Jonathan unpacks the "wacky economics of investor behavior," shedding light on how irrational actions often contradict traditional economic principles. The episode aims to equip listeners with the knowledge to navigate and overcome common investing biases for better long-term financial decisions.

IN THIS EPISODE:

Do you want to unlock the secrets to financial success and navigate the complexities of wealth management?

This episode will give you the expert insights you need. Jonathan speaks with Shirl Penney, founder and CEO of Dynasty Financial Partners. In this episode, they deep dive into Penney's inspiring journey from humble beginnings to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Their discussion covers the founding and growth of Dynasty Financial Partners, insights into wealth management, and the importance of philanthropy and veteran support.

 IN THIS EPISODE:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:36) Shirl Penney's Background and E...

Welcome to Fix-It Friday, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions. Hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth. Each episode dives into common biases that impact our financial choices—and how to fix them. This week, Jonathan shares the three most important numbers to manage your wealth in a Bear market. He offers insights into investing strategies during market downturns, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a long-term perspective and avoiding emotional decision-making for wealth preservation. He also discusses historical market trends, inflation, and the significance of proper portfolio allocation. Tune in!

What’s driving today’s top financial advisors to break away from big firms and go independent? And how can AI change the game without replacing the human element?

In this episode, Jonathan sits down with industry powerhouse Mindy Diamond—founder & CEO of Diamond Consultants, and a pioneer in wealth management recruiting—for a deep dive into the evolution of financial advisory careers, the rise of going independent in the financial advisor world, and how her family built a thriving business from the ground up.

You’ll hear Mindy’s unique approach to connecting with clients, her...

Welcome to another insightful episode of Fix-It Fridays, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions. Hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth. Each episode dives into common biases that impact our financial choices—and how to fix them. This week, Jonathan discusses the common investing behavioral mistakes the ultra-wealthy make. He shares insights from TIGER 21 and the analysis of billionaire investing habits, bias, and strategy. Tune in!

IN THIS EPISODE:

Welcome to another insightful episode of Fix-It Fridays, the podcast segment that simplifies financial strategies to help you make smarter decisions. Hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth, each episode dives into common biases that impact our financial choices—and how to fix them. This week, Jonathan tackles the two biggest threats to investor wealth: inflation and investor behavior. Focusing on long-term financial success, he offers valuable advice on navigating these challenges. Tune in!

IN THIS EPISODE:

Welcome to another insightful episode of the Crazy Wealthy Podcast hosted by Jonathan Blau, CEO of Fusion Family Wealth. In this episode, Jonathan addresses investor concerns about market volatility, offering insights and strategies to maintain a rational perspective during uncertain times. He also guides listeners through understanding market fluctuations and the importance of a long-term investment approach in volatile markets. Tune in!

IN THIS EPISODE: