Zak Scholtz

20/09/2026

Warren Buffett’s approach to evaluating people centers on three qualities: intelligence, energy, and integrity. While intelligence and drive can contribute to strong performance, integrity determines how those abilities are put to use.

Buffett shared this perspective during a 2006 talk with MBA students at the University of Florida, explaining that he considers more than academic ability and ambition when thinking about long-term success. He also pointed out that character can be developed over time.

In business, having the right skills may help someone get the job done, but trust is what allows others to depend on them. That’s why character, consistency, and how a person acts when no one is watching can be just as important as what appears on their resume.

17/09/2026

17/09/2026

Hard work matters, but in business, effort alone does not guarantee results. Customers pay for solutions that solve real problems and create meaningful value. That is why understanding your client, improving your offering, and delivering what they genuinely need should come before obsessing over revenue.

Founders Fule reminds us that when you focus on creating real value for people, business growth can follow naturally.

Are you focused more on the revenue you want or the value you can deliver?

17/09/2026

Real estate has always been one of the most powerful ways to build long-term wealth—but the strategy is more complicated than simply “buy a house and repeat.”

The basic idea is simple: buy a property you can genuinely afford, build equity over time, and eventually use rental income and accumulated equity to help expand your portfolio. But the numbers have to work at every step.

That matters even more in today’s U.S. housing market. Recent AP reporting says the median existing-home price reached $429,100 in August 2026, while the average 30-year mortgage rate climbed to around 6.76%. Existing-home sales also fell to their slowest annual pace in more than a year.

So the opportunity isn’t about rushing to buy five houses.

It’s about thinking long term.

A successful investor has to consider mortgage payments, taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancies, repairs, closing costs and local rental demand—not just the down payment. CNBC notes that the hidden costs of owning a home can add up to more than $21,000 annually for a typical homeowner.

The real lesson is leverage + patience + disciplined cash flow.

One property can become equity.
Equity can create opportunity.
Opportunity can create another property.

But never confuse a motivational strategy with a guaranteed financial outcome.

Build slowly. Run the numbers. Protect your cash flow. Let time do the heavy lifting.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not financial, mortgage, tax, or investment advice.
Real estate involves substantial risks, and results vary based on financing, market conditions, location, expenses, and individual circumstances.

13/09/2026

Every day, you get to decide what deserves your attention.

You can dwell on everything that makes you frustrated, disappointed, or unhappy, or you can shift your focus toward the things that bring gratitude, peace, and joy.

Creating a meaningful life requires choosing where you place your energy. You may not control everything that happens, but you can choose how you respond to it.

So choose your focus carefully. Choose gratitude. Choose happiness. Choose wisely.

31/08/2026

Hitting targets is how you earned strong performance reviews. Finding new targets is how you change the organization.

You were the star performer.
You were the talent.
When a problem arose, you fixed it.
When a goal was set, you achieved it.

That skill matters. It always will.

Yet leadership asks for something different.

Leadership is not only about hitting the mark. It is about seeing what others cannot yet see. The individual contributor asks, “How do I hit the target?” The leader asks, “Are we even aiming at the right one?”

Great leaders stop solving yesterday’s problems better than anyone else. They start questioning whether those problems are still the right ones to solve.

Your team does not need you to score the points for them. They need you to help them understand the game, the direction, and the purpose behind the effort.

Talent delivers results.
Leadership creates meaning.

Life is good.
Marshall

Please visit MarshallGoldsmith.ai. It may help you hit a new target.