I have been an avid sportsman all my life. I have a hard time explaining to others, or even to myself why I enjoy the pursuit of wild game. It must be partly the tradition and history of the act itself, and partly the memories of my dad and me in the field together. I am sure the satisfaction derived from providing a meal for my family and friends combined with the opportunity to explore and be connected with nature is another part.
No matter what the innermost motivation is for my love of hunting, it's certainly there, and sharing the community benefits and importance of the hobby is quite important to me.
What most non-hunters don't realize is that a major consideration in the hunting community is conservation or the prevention of the wasteful use of the natural resources around us. Responsible and environmentally conscious hunters, which we are all called to be, are expected to voluntarily contribute to conservation through non-profit organizations like Ducks Unlimited, The Wilderness Society, and other influential entities. The conservation efforts funded by hunters, as well as other nature lovers and environmental activists, insure that natural habitats for various species of game will be preserved for future generations and that natural resources are utilized wisely rather than being exploited and ran dry.
My point in saying this, other than promoting the wonderful hobby of sportsmanship, is to say that every activity we are involved in, both personally and professionally, presents an opportunity to give back and make a positive difference to the world around us. If only we would be willing to look for those opportunities and recognize them/act on them when they present themselves.
Just as I grew up in a hunting family, I also unapologetically was raised in a family of capitalists. My parents and grandparents ran newspapers in the farming communities around where I was raised. My family's understanding of business and the economy at large, as well as my own, was heavily shaped by the experiences had at this time. The basic principles of economic incentives through free markets, fiscal responsibility, and pluralism have proven essentially true over and over again in the course of my professional life as well as in the lives I was witnessed to from my rural roots. Just like the generations before me, I too enjoy running a business, and this is true for a multitude of reasons.
Over the years, Schulz Wealth has provided for my own family, for the families of our team members, and for our clients. The overall growth Schulz Wealth has experienced has allowed for impactful services for personal finance, other business owners, and anyone in between. Impacting the surrounding community, and those around us, in positive ways, is what Schulz was created to do.
There is a lot of satisfaction to be had in being a business owner. Yet again, as with my hunting example above, there is much to the act of being a business owner that non-business owners do not tend to see. One such aspect of owning a business that is typically more covert is the massive amount of charitable giving that business owners contribute to those who need assistance. In order to preserve a free society, where capitalism can thrive, we must do what we can to provide a fair and fighting chance at success for all. This means, in many cases, giving to others from our access so that they can meet their baseline needs. Being a business owner is typically one of the avenues one can take to produce a surplus for themselves and their families, and thus open the door to be able to be charitable in this way.
The truth is, there is really no point in generating such wealth if one isn't willing to share it with those around them. Only someone who has that type of sharable wealth can be confronted with the truth, that wealth is not the end-all-be-all, and that ultimately it will disappoint if your goal was to generate this wealth for wealth's sake. Rather, being able to share with others and improve their livelihood and their ability to sustain themselves in the capitalist society in which we live is what will bring satisfaction and meaning. With our own success comes a greater responsibility for the success of others. A majority of the business owners I have the opportunity to work with understand this.
It is imperative that we provide for those who are less fortunate, and that we do everything we can to incubate and encourage success for future generations in the capitalist system in which we currently operate. This economic system is unlikely to change much, especially not before the next generation becomes participating adults, so the correct response is to establish an environment of providing assistance to the needy and setting up as many people as possible for both personal and generational economic success. For those who understand this importance, sometimes it proves difficult to know where they should donate and where their financial contributions will do the most good for the most people and for the economy (local or global) as a whole. I personally spend a lot of time with business owners and their families helping them find the charitable causes that speak to them, and how to most positively impact those organizations or groups. Please let me know if I can assist you.
A quick shout-out to one new and exciting initiative in our community that is contributing a great amount of good: the Tarrant To and Through (T3) Partnership. This well-led organization, funded by some of the top business leaders in North Texas, “provides a variety of programs designed to inform and engage students and families about college and career pathways.” From my personal experience and research, I am convinced that one of the greatest barriers to success for underprivileged students is access to education, and thus to viable job opportunities that allow them to support themselves or their families. The opportunities exist, to be clear, but the students needed to fill those opportunities, those who stand to benefit the most from them, are mostly unaware of aid opportunities or face substantial barriers in accessing them. T3 Partnership has taken on the challenge of breaking down those barriers and thus providing job opportunities to these knowledgeable and talented students who otherwise would not have them.
What is your favorite charity? What groups do you know that are making a noticeable difference at the local, national, or global scale, and deserve to be recognized for their impact? I would love to know in order to encourage our friends and clients in their continual pursuit of a stronger community and greater world. Just reply to this email and I will be sure to share them with my network!
These are our thoughts, have a great Thursday.
~ Rob Schulz, CFP
