Most people start their investment journey later than they’d like, and most don't actually know where to put their capital.

The questions are endless: Should I invest in stocks, crypto, or index funds? How much should I allocate monthly? Roth or Traditional? Brokerage or 401k? Do I need a financial advisor?

If these are questions you’ve never asked yourself, it’s likely because you don't truly know the terminology, and that’s fine. But it isn't sustainable. You must educate yourself to the point where you can rely on your own systems.

The reality is that most people don't start "investing" until they hit a high income level. They begin moving capital into retirement accounts or personal brokerages like Robinhood or Charles Schwab. But here is the problem:

Most high-earners do not have an investment strategy.

They are brilliant in their careers, but their portfolios are just a "junk drawer" of tickers with weak theses.

We’ve all done it. I’ve done it. We fall victim to the hype or appeal to the authority of someone who simply sounds like they have the credentials. But in this economy, "vibes" are not a hedge.

This is the exact type of professional I meet who struggles with this:

In a 2026 market defined by fragmentation, "hoping it goes up" is a recipe for a 30% drawdown. I hear the same justifications every day:

Does any of that sound like you?

That’s fine. You don't have to lie to yourself—I identified with all of those at one point. The question is: How do we solve this?

If you’re anything like me, you believe you can learn just about anything. I started investing at 18, nearly 10 years ago. In my early teens, I obsessed over what the market actually was. My grandfather constantly spoke about stocks and urged me to invest as soon as possible. My family didn’t even know what investing was, which was a hurdle, but I learned it for myself.

Who would’ve thought I’d be doing this full-time now?

The first step is familiarizing yourself with the landscape. You need to understand the terminology before you can master the machine: Common vs. Preferred Stock, Index Funds, Mutual Funds, Penny Stocks, Crypto, Earnings, P/E Ratio, ROAS, WACC, Fundamentals, Social Arbitrage, Options, Calls, Puts, LEAPS, Credit Spreads, Iron Condors, and Premium.

Understanding these variables is what allows you to outperform the market year after year.

I am not talking about a high-stress "day trading" system. I’m talking about a Wealth Integration System.

Think about the gym. If you want to be physically and mentally stronger, you start working out. But you have to do so at a specific time—morning or evening—because of your life’s constraints. You create a system that integrates fitness into your life until there is no excuse left; it just becomes who you are.

Now, apply that same framework to your finances. You likely have a budget (at least the basics). You should control your portfolio with that same level of intentionality. You could hire a financial advisor, but that 1–1.5% AUM fee will cost you hundreds of thousands over 30 years. Consulting for a flat fee is mathematically superior—it simply saves you more money.

It isn't hard to manage your own portfolio once you have the architecture. This is what I offer.

I use a swing trading system. I research, understand the data, and build watchlists that track price action and news. In my case, this means opening an options position with a Cash Secured Put or buying a LEAP.

I have a system in place that makes it "stupid simple," allowing me to focus on the things I love—Golf, BJJ, and my family.

You might be asking, "How do I build this system?" That is a question only you can answer, because only you know your risk tolerance and your retirement goals.

Do you really want to work until 65? Do you want to wait until your body is aging to finally do the things you love because you averaged an 8% return for 40 years?

That’s not me. I can't wait until 65.

Last year, I had a return of 62%. That is 6x the historical market average and 4x what the S&P 500 did in 2025. I see that as getting 5 years of my life back in a single year of trading. You might think that’s an anomaly—but I’ve consistently returned over 25% for the last 5 years. The data suggests otherwise.

Below is my current YTD:

I already beat the market the first month of the year.

If I can do it so can you, this is all just a system that is refined and pivots as I grow in my knowledge of the stock market.

Now, let’s solve this problem for you—or at least break some ground on what you should be doing.

Are you accidentally 80% concentrated in one sector?

This is a common mistake I see, and honestly, I’ve fallen into this trap myself. You need to be healthily diversified unless you have the stomach for extreme volatility. Most people think they can handle it until they see a $10,000 or $30,000 drawdown.

I’m getting anxiety just typing that, I’ve been there.

I’m not saying you need 90 stocks; that’s overkill. If you’re in your 20s, I’d aim for 3–5 solid positions to capitalize on growth. As you move into your 30s and 40s, expand to maybe 10, or keep half in an index and the other half in stocks you deeply understand.

I even allocate about 15% of my portfolio to Bitcoin. That’s a bit high for most, so I’d say a 5% allocation is a healthy max for the average professional.

Is your "safe" cash actually losing value every day?

Having too much cash in a standard savings account is a trap. First off: Get a High-Yield Savings Account (HYSA). I use SoFi because I like the company and the stock. Currently, they’re offering around 3.30–4.00% APY, which is solid for "lazy" cash.

The media says inflation is around 3%, but if you observe the world around you, it feels closer to 10%. Everything is going up.

I recommend keeping 3–6 months of expenses in a HYSA. I personally keep 12 months because I’m self-employed and value the "moat." But don't let the rest sit there and rot. Have a hard number for your emergency fund and put the rest to work in your brokerage. You’ll thank me when your money is growing at 15–30% a year instead of the 0.01% your "big bank" is paying you.

If you don't have an HYSA yet, it takes five minutes to sign up. Do it now. Save only what you need for emergencies and upcoming big purchases (cars, houses, vacations). These aren't "surprises"—they are planned expenses. Track them, but don't invest that specific cash, because the market doesn't care about your vacation timeline.

Do you have a system where you win regardless of what the market does?

Most people think wealth in the market is about picking the "right" stock. It isn't. It’s about managing Risk and Volatility.

VIX AllocationThe Tail Hedge:

The VIX measures fear and volatility in the index, the lower the VIX the higher the greed, the higher the VIX the higher the fear, and greed vanishes. If you understand this you can allocate money to the side for VIX spikes so that you have capital to deploy while everyone else is screaming to sell everything because “ it’s over “

The VIX generally, just a rule of thumb covered by a study that tastytrade has conducted does not stay une 18 levels for more than 42 days, you’ll see a spike. Recently it happened. I believe it was 44-45 days then it spiked about 18 for a day or 2, and I took advantage.

Maintaining$1%-5% of the portfolio in VIX-linked products (calls or futures) based on the VIX Term Structure (Contango vs. Backwardation). It’s the "airbag" that inflates exactly when equities deflate.

LEAPS: Strategic Leverage; Buying deep ITM long-term calls to control 100 shares with 25%-30% of the capital. This frees up the remaining 70% for cash-secured income generation.

Secured Puts (CSP): The Acquisition Layer; Instead of "buying the dip," you are getting paid to wait for the dip. It lowers your cost basis through premium collection, or you can use it as passive income that you manage closing it out at 25-30% after you open the trade.

Credit Spreads:The Yield Engine; Using Bull Put or Bear Call spreads to define your risk. It’s about Probability of Profit (PoP) you aren't betting on a direction; you're betting on a range.

This was due to having a system in place and following it. That is all, no forcing or making it work. It becomes binary.

This is one of many trades that I made last week, where I made real profit, calculated with risk and analysis.

I’m moving my internal Business Analytics engine into a client-facing 12-week program. I’m looking for 3 analytical professionals who want to stop winging it and start executing.

We start with a Phase 1 Audit of your entire wealth structure.

If you are interested you can book a call with me in the links provided below.

And I also post videos:

As always.

Jesus is the way.

And.

Trade smart.