Still Planning Your Portfolio in December?

Still Planning Your Portfolio in December?

👋 Managing Tech Millions 📈 your go-to source for building wealth with tech equity and managing the money that comes with it.

Every Thursday, we'll deliver a concise and powerful lesson on building wealth working for equity compensation or on managing your seven and eight-figure portfolio.

Today, in 5 minutes or less, you’ll learn:

• 🧭 Why August—not December—is the best time to plan your portfoio

• 📄 The 2 documents that transform your wealth strategy: Legacy + Investment Thesis

• 🛠️ Real moves you can make now to prepare for 2026

Hey Portfolio CEOs,

Here's something that'll make you think I've lost it: Right after the kids go back to school—when the house finally gets quiet—I block out time to start architecting my 2026 portfolio strategy.

Crazy? Maybe.

Effective? Absolutely.

After achieving Financial Independence on August 26, 2022 (yes, I celebrate my FI Day like it's my second birthday 🎉), I discovered something counterintuitive: The best time to plan next year isn't December when everyone's scrambling—it's right now, in that golden window of post-back-to-school silence.

Back when I was grinding in tech? I'd take a strategic personal health day for this. Trust me, your mental health (and wealth) is worth the PTO.

Let me paint a picture you've probably lived:

It's December.

You're juggling year-end work deadlines, holiday planning, and suddenly realize—oh crap—you need to figure out taxes, charitable giving, and next year's investment strategy. All while RSU vest dates loom and your CPA is texting you frantically.

Sound familiar?

Most tech professionals plan their portfolios in full-blown panic mode.

They wait until Q4, scramble through decisions, and make rushed moves that cost them thousands (sometimes millions) in missed opportunities.

But here's what actually works: Take a personal health day right after the kids go back to school.

Use that precious quiet time—when the house is finally empty and your brain can actually think—to architect your future.

This is your moment. While others are settling back into work routines after summer chaos, you're making calculated moves with actual runway to adjust before year-end.

Managing Tech Millions is a Weekly Podcast that gives you deep dive conversations into building and growing wealth with myself and other industry experts.

This week, I’m sharing how I went from trapped in an office with millions in the bank to fully financially free—thanks to private equity.

• Beyond Accumulation: Why I stopped chasing net worth and started focusing on income

• The 4 Big Upsides: What makes private equity a game-changer for long-term cash flow

• $300K in Lessons: The mistakes that nearly wiped me out—and how you can avoid them

• Operate Like a CEO: How I use the Wealth Ops Framework to manage risk and drive returns

• Freedom by Design: How I built a portfolio that funds my life—without selling assets

The Two Documents That Changed Everything

This week, I'm pulling back the curtain on the exact framework I use to manage my multi-seven-figure portfolio. It comes down to two living documents that I revisit every August:

Document #1: The Legacy Statement

This isn't some dusty mission statement. It's a living, breathing document that evolves with your life.

Mine started as a single sentence: "I want financial freedom to walk with my sons from boys to men."

Now? It's a three-page strategic document my wife and I update regularly.

This August, we asked ourselves tough questions:

• What's actually working? (Not what we hoped would work)

• What goals need adjustment based on real data?

• How has our "forever" vision evolved?

The big revelation: When I hit FI in 2022, the goal was freedom.

Nearly three years later?

We discovered that freedom without purpose is just expensive boredom.

Our focus evolved from "not needing to work" to "choosing work that matters"—specifically, building WealthOps to help other tech professionals and spending intentional time with our pre-teen sons.

Document #2: The Investment Thesis

This is where January projections meet July realities.

My mid-year thesis review is surgical:

• Performance Audit: Which positions delivered? Which disappointed?

• Risk Reality Check: Did our risk tolerance match our actual behavior during Q2's volatility?

• 2026 Positioning: What moves do we need to start NOW?

---

Here's what my mid-year review revealed—and the specific adjustments I'm making:

1. Adding Options Trading for Income Generation

• Original plan: Research options strategies through 2025

• New plan: Actively trading options for portfolio income

• Why: Spent January to June learning the skill, now ready to deploy. Adding this as a systematic income stream to bolster cash flow by 20-30% monthly

2. GitLab Position Reallocation

• Moving faster than planned on reducing tech concentration

• Tech volatility hit harder than my models predicted

• Reallocating into more stable dividend aristocrats

3. Starting Dividend Positions NOW

• Not waiting until Q4 as originally planned

• Giving these positions time to compound before 2026

• Positioning to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.

These aren't panic moves. They're calculated adjustments based on six months of real data—not December projections or New Year's resolutions.

Your Mid-Year Move

Look, I get it. Reviewing your portfolio in August feels weird. Everyone else is planning vacations or getting kids ready for school.

But that's exactly why it works.

Your action items for this week:

1. Block 2 hours this weekend to review your year-to-date portfolio performance

2. Pull your calendar from the last 6 months - Where did you actually spend your time?

3. Ask yourself: Does your portfolio strategy align with what actually matters?

Remember: Just like a pilot checks instruments mid-flight, you need to verify you're still on course. Small adjustments now compound into major advantages by year-end.

The Bottom Line

While everyone else waits for December's scramble, you're making calculated moves with real data and actual runway to adjust.

That's the difference between running a portfolio and being CEO of one.

That's the WealthOps way.

Want my actual Legacy Statement and Investment Thesis templates?

Come to the next WealthOps Way Workshop where I'll walk you through:

• The exact 2-document framework I use to manage my multi-seven-figure portfolio

• How to craft your personal Legacy Statement (with my actual template)

• Building an Investment Thesis that survives market volatility

• The mid-year review process that keeps you ahead of 99% of investors

Join me for The WealthOps Way—our free live masterclass designed to help you stop guessing and start running your wealth like a business.

You’ll go from scattered to strategic as you craft your own Portfolio Thesis—the foundation of everything that follows.

👉 In just two sessions, you’ll:

• Clarify your long-term vision

• Define your next best investment move

• Build the system that turns wealth into freedom

Spots are limited—and the clarity you’ll gain? Game-changing.

Let’s build your portfolio like it’s your next great company!

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And whenever you are ready, there three ways I can help you:

• Follow me on LinkedIn: Get more insights and real-time updates.

• Tune into the Podcast: Dive deeper into wealth strategies and interviews.

• Get in Touch: Ready for a bigger move? Let’s talk.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Always consult with qualified professionals before making any decisions based on the information provided.