This is the first episode of a new format I'm trying, bringing the AlignedLife conversation home, literally. I sat down with my wife, Ang, to talk about one of the most important questions we wrestle with as parents: how do we help our three boys grow into the fullest, most authentic versions of themselves?

We cover a lot of ground in this one--from the tension between wanting to guide our kids and actually letting them find their own way, to the role our network plays as informal mentors in their lives. We talk about accountability, why kids learn more by observation than instruction, and the difference between planting seeds early versus forcing growth before it's ready.

We also get into some things I haven't talked much about publicly, like how a conversation with my oldest about his interest in finance made me rethink the long-term vision for my business, and why I'm starting to think about building something the boys could one day step into.

And at the end of it all, we keep coming back to the same thing: the most important thing we can give our kids isn't a perfect roadmap. It's love, a strong village around them, and the space to figure out who they're meant to be.

This is a monthly conversation. I hope it resonates with you wherever you are on your parenting journey.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction & what this new format is about
00:40 The question: how do we help our boys find their authentic lives?
01:20 How our perspective on parenting has shifted over time
02:11 Roman at 15 — navigating the high school years and letting go
03:18 The limits of parental control & accepting who your kids are
04:46 Accountability: why it matters and why it's hard to teach
09:19 Planting seeds early — the "cheat codes" we wish we'd had sooner
10:15 Leading by example: they're watching even when it doesn't seem like it
12:05 Giving them space vs. still putting breadcrumbs in front of them
13:10 Reading together & why outside voices sometimes land better than ours
14:51 It takes a village: building a network of mentors for your kids
19:47 Giving kids agency in big decisions — Roman's high school choice
21:20 Leo's soccer decisions and encouraging ownership
22:39 How Leo and Roman's interest in finance made me rethink my business
25:30 Exploring interests vs. passions — why I want them to try things
27:54 A Rich Roll podcast, Stanford professors, and the future of careers
31:27 Is the shift toward authenticity real, or just the world I'm in?
33:11 Social media, what's real, and helping our boys find their self-worth
35:20 Fostering their individual interests and passions
38:09 The most important thing: making sure they know they're loved
41:42 Even in loving homes, kids create their own narratives
43:33 Wrapping up & what to expect from this monthly series

What if you were given the choice to stay or go — and you chose to stay?

In this conversation, I sit down with my friend Aaron Schaben, and we start exactly where his story begins: the moment he left his body during a near-death experience at the 2019 Boston Marathon. With an internal body temperature of 108°, Aaron found himself above his own body — not in fear, but in complete peace — and was given a choice most of us never face.
What followed was 15+ months of physical recovery and some of the deepest soul-searching of his life.

In this episode, Aaron shares publicly for the first time what he saw, what he felt, and how that experience cracked him open to a completely new way of living.

We get into:

• What it actually felt like to be given the choice to "stay or go"
• How a near-death experience becomes a nervous system reset — physically, mentally, and spiritually
• The concept of sacrifice with intention and how it reframes the trade-offs we all make
• Why curiosity might be the most underrated spiritual practice
• Gene Keys, Human Design, North & South nodes, and how these tools can complement — not contradict — faith
• Elevating consciousness and what it actually has to do with your relationship with money
• How aligned finances start from the inside out

Aaron is one of my closest friends and one of my biggest supporters in staying true to who I am. This is one of those conversations I've been having privately that I knew needed to be recorded — and I'm so glad it finally was.

If you're drawn to questions about purpose, soul, and what it means to truly show up in the life you chose — this one's for you.

Chapters

00:00 Integrated Wealth Advisor: A New Narrative
01:13 Near-Death Experience: Finding Peace in Chaos
06:44 Life After the Choice: Transformation and Recovery
11:27 Sacrifice with Intention: Defining Our Choices
17:10 The Power of Presence: Lessons from Family
25:57 Breaking the Hypnotic Rhythm: Aligning with Purpose
27:18 The Beauty of Innocence and Connection
28:18 Exploring Astrology and Personal Growth
29:19 Tarot and Synchronicity: Messages from the Universe
31:15 Understanding North and South Nodes
33:06 Curiosity and Spiritual Exploration
36:20 Integrating Faith and Curiosity
39:05 The Importance of Service and Connection
40:20 Learning Through Experience
42:10 The Power of Independence
46:51 The Role of Synchronicity in Life
49:20 Lessons from Suffering
51:23 Finding Purpose Beyond Distractions

In this conversation, I sit down with my friend and one of the best advisors I know, Michael Remedios, founder of Wonderland FP, to explore his journey through what he calls the "art of the sabbatical." Michael made the bold decision to leave a successful career as a lead advisor — at the height of his earning potential — to create space for reflection, experimentation, and eventually launching his own firm.

We start with the feeling that pulled Michael toward this decision — not a logical calculation, but an unsettled voice that grew louder over time. He shares how he spent a year quietly preparing for his sabbatical while still employed, traveling solo for the first time, picking up running, and experimenting with who he wanted to be, so that when day one arrived with nothing on his calendar, he wasn't starting from zero. One of the things I love most about this conversation is how Michael reframes the sabbatical through a financial-planning lens.

On a spreadsheet, it looked like a terrible decision — a 100% pay cut during peak earning years, less money invested, a longer path to financial independence. But he was tired of making every decision for a 65-year-old version of himself he doesn't even know yet. We dig into why financial planning needs to make room for this kind of mid-life optionality, and why saving for 40-year-old you might be just as important as saving for retirement. We also explore the deeper personal layers of his journey — hitting every professional benchmark and still feeling lost, the "I'll be happy when" trap, working through it with a therapist, and what it really means to rewrite your definition of success from the inside out. Michael shares how the sabbatical wasn't about running away, but about learning what truly mattered to him, so he wasn't just replicating the same life with his own name on the door. We close with a conversation about rock bottom, catching lessons early, embodying the future version of yourself now, and the belief that alignment in spirit, mind, and body is what allows everything else — including money — to follow. Michael now does this work with clients at Wonderland FP, helping millennials navigate the big life moments — combining finances, starting families, buying homes — with intention and permission to live authentically.

Check him out at wonderlandfp.com and find his Substack at The Art of Wandering.

Read the art of the Sabbatical: https://theartofwandering.substack.com/p/the-art-of-the-sabbatical

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Initial Thoughts

03:08 The Art of the Sabbatical

06:00 Listening to Your Heart

09:03 Experimentation and Preparation

11:59 Finding Authenticity and Balance

15:05 Changing the Narrative on Financial Planning

17:58 The Importance of Hope

21:10 Navigating Life's Uncertainties

23:58 Embracing the Unknown

27:00 The Evolution of Goals

30:00 Reflections on Rock Bottom

32:59 Redefining Success

35:50 The Journey of Self-Discovery

39:02 Conclusion and Future Conversations