Legacy Method

Finding and living your core purpose—what truly energizes and fulfills you—is ultimately the key to sustainable prosperity. The sooner you discover this purpose and transform it into actual value in the marketplace, the sooner you'll be doing what you were born to do.

As your human life value increases, you'll naturally begin thinking and acting differently from most people. You'll transcend limiting beliefs and stop simply accumulating money for the future, instead focusing on creating value and cash flow in the present moment.

Better questions lead to better frameworks and better answers.

For example:

What would it take to have a better life now and in the future?
What happens when you feel great about your life, have amazing energy, and clarity in your financial life?

You are your greatest asset. Not a stock, bond, or piece of real estate. You. Your ability to deliver value.

Does your existing plan leave you in a place of confidence and clarity? Does it account for quality of life and investing in yourself?

Miracles happen when we speak something into existence and commit to those words in a way that rallies other people to support our cause. This goes beyond projected net worth or goals for revenue. This is about impact, service, and value.

Here are 4 question to consider:

Who are you, and what value do you provide in the world?
How can you reach more people?
How can you more deeply impact those you serve?
How can you add the most value?

What is the value of financial freedom?

Financial freedom is a place where money is no longer the primary reason or excuse we would do or not do something. It is still a consideration, but value is the primary focus. It is a state of mind, a state of being.

Instead of wealth accumulation and solely net worth focus, it becomes about financial freedom, financial independence, and cash flow.

You are financially independent when your assets create enough cash flow to cover your expenses. You have more choice, less stress, less pressure. That doesn’t mean it is time to retire (even though you can), it means you can swing for the fences in your vision, your dream.

The context of financial independence is radically different than retirement. Financial independence is about acceleration, not accumulation. It is about having the essentials and foundation in place to sustain, to handle surprises, and have the freedom to build more assets with your income because your expenses are covered by cash flow from assets.

Financial independence is a massive advantage. In the times of my life, I have been financially independent, I can focus on my vision more easily. I dream bigger. And I can hire people to support results with more ease. A departure from long-haul, accumulation-based plans with no accountability or plan for cash flow.

From years of investing in a myriad of assets and asset classes, I learned the hard way.

Fortunately, my pain can be your gain. I created a checklist to act as a signpost and reminder for sustainable wealth.

To avoid myths, to create financial independence, and to create a framework to support financial freedom, here are my rules:

* No one individual is an expert in everything, no one wins alone.

* Everyone has a Soul Purpose.

* You are your greatest investment.

* It is about the investor, not the investment.

* Invest first (and always) in yourself.

* True wealth comes in five tracks: Financial, Soul Purpose, Mental, Physical, Social.

* Investments must cultivate the abundance mindset.

* Protection is the foundation and must precede production.

* Protection maximizes production, risk impedes production.

* Focus over diversification.

* Knowledge is required to invest (otherwise it is merely gambling).

* Investments that align with purpose allow for increased knowledge and control.

* The investor is accountable.

* Risk is minimized with personal management.

* Only invest where there is a value proposition (triple win).

* The purpose of investing is to create value (progress).

* An investment must benefit the investor now and in the future.

* Cash flow is superior to accumulation.

* Personal legacy begins today.

You can adopt these ideas, use what works for you, and even add your own.

To your prosperity,

Garrett Gunderson

A recent CNBC report caught my attention: only 33% of millionaires consider themselves wealthy.

This doesn't surprise me. Throughout my career helping entrepreneurs and professionals build sustainable wealth, I've encountered countless "wealthy" people who live in constant financial fear.

Why? Because they've fallen for what I call the Numbers Myth in my book Killing Sacred Cows.

The financial industry trains people to focus primarily on numbers. Retirement calculators, investment returns, net worth targets – these have become our modern measures of success.

But here's what I've learned: prosperity can't be reduced to numbers on paper.

I recently worked with a retired tech executive who, by all numerical measures, had "made it." He had a paid-off multimillion-dollar home and $1.5 million in his retirement accounts. Yet he lived in constant anxiety, checking stock prices every morning and downgrading his lifestyle out of fear of losing what he had.

Unfortunately, this is all too common.

When we fixate on hitting specific numerical targets, we miss what really matters. I've seen successful professionals sacrifice their health, relationships, and joy pursuing arbitrary financial goals. They stay in soul-crushing jobs because the numbers look good on paper.

The CNBC study revealed that 68% of millionaires believe they need at least $3 million to feel wealthy. Even more telling, 40% put that number at $5 million or higher.

But I can tell you from experience—no number will ever be enough if you're trapped in scarcity thinking.

Throughout my career and in my book Killing Sacred Cows, I've emphasized that true prosperity comes from value creation, not accumulation.

Here's what I've found really matters:

Living your Soul Purpose rather than chasing numbers.

Focusing on cash flow over net worth.

Making decisions based on total economic impact, not just rates of return.

Investing in your human life value – your skills, relationships, and ability to create value.

Understanding that money is simply a tool for efficiency, not an end goal.

Feeling wealthy isn't about hitting a magic number in your account. I've seen people with modest net worths who feel abundantly wealthy because they've built sustainable value-creation systems. Conversely, I've worked with multi-millionaires who live in constant fear of losing it all.

Here's my advice: Stop letting numbers dictate your sense of security. Instead:

Focus on maximizing your ability to create value.

Make decisions based on quality of life, not just the quantity of your money.

Build systems that generate sustainable cash flow.

Invest in your personal growth and skills.

The CNBC report confirms what I've been teaching for years: wealth isn't about numbers – it's about value creation, fulfillment, and living your Soul Purpose.

When you shift your focus from accumulation to value creation, you'll find that true prosperity follows naturally.

Remember, no one wants money—they want what money can buy. Focus first on creating value and living purposefully. The numbers will take care of themselves.

In love and laughter,

Garrett Gunderson
Co-author of "What Would the Rockefellers Do?"

🎉 Exciting News: Legacy Method is Now Live! 🎉

We're thrilled to announce the official launch of Legacy Method - your partner in building a lasting family legacy.

At Legacy Method, we believe true wealth is about more than just accumulating money. It's about creating a lasting impact that spans generations, embodying your values, and leaving the world better than you found it.

🔑 What sets us apart:

+ Time-tested strategies combined with innovative financial techniques
+ Focus on long-term wealth creation and preservation
+ Emphasis on tax efficiency and asset protection
+ Strategies inspired by America's most enduring wealthy families

🛠️ Powerful tools and resources:

After strategy comes ex*****on, and when it comes to writing your Family Constitution, creating your own Family Crest, and designing your own legacy plan, we're building brand new tools that will make staring at a blank document a thing of the past.

📚 Don't miss our groundbreaking book: "What Would the Rockefellers Do?" by Garrett Gunderson and Michael Isom.

With over 100,000 copies sold, and thousands of 5 star reviews, this book will help you discover how the some of the wealthiest families in America got and STAYED that way, and how you can use many of the same strategies they use in your own life.

Ready to transform your legacy? Visit our website at legacymethod.co to get started on your journey.

And pick up a copy of the book if you haven't yet (link in comments)

Join us in redefining wealth for generations to come. Welcome to Legacy Method! 🌟

To building your legacy,
Garrett B. Gunderson, Michael Isom, and the Legacy Method team

When you hear "live within your means," what is your first thought?

To cut back? Eliminate? Reduce? Don’t spend? BUDGET?

Is budgeting really the road to wealth?
And how compliant do you have to be with your budget?
Is it like being on a diet?
Counting dollars as if they were calories?

Or is there a financial gym where you can gain strength and grow without the focus being on cutting back?

If you are a financial trainwreck, budgeting can help you get on track. But that is more about surviving than thriving.

If you spend more than you make, budgeting can be very helpful, but it is only one solution. One that emphasizes reducing expenses.

When you hear the word “expense,” how does it make you feel?
Say it out loud.

Does it create a sinking feeling in your gut? Does it elicit fear? Anxiety? Worry?

Expense sounds like a bad word.
Something negative.
Something to be avoided.
Something to minimize.

But your expense is someone else’s income.
And your income is someone else’s expense.

So, what good would money be without expenses?
Expense is how you utilize money.
Expense creates exchange, and exchange creates wealth.
An expense allows you to tap into other people’s gifts and abilities.
Expense can create efficiency, leverage, and even enjoyment.

It all depends on the context.
Not all expenses are created equal.

The Four Types of Expenses

I write more in-depth about the four types of expenses in my book "What Would the Rockefellers Do?". These include:

Destructive Expenses: Borrowing to consume, recurring charges with no benefit, out-of-control vices. Eliminate these.

Lifestyle Expenses: Food, shelter, clothing, utilities. Pay cash whenever you can or make sure the asset is worth more than the loan (car or home). Manage these.

Protective Expenses: Liquidity, asset protection, trusts, insurance, and education. Address these.

Productive Expenses: The liability required to acquire an asset (marketing, mentoring, systems, tools, developing skills, etc.). Increase these.

Differentiating expenses can change the relationship one has with budgeting and even the emotional baggage around the word “expense.” If you get a sinking feeling in your gut, or think expenses are to be avoided, reconsider the type of expense.

My suggestion is to keep adding money to a productive expense until it is no longer productive, or you do not have the capacity to handle the growth. In business, this can mean it goes beyond capacity for customer service.

Are expenses bad or good?

Depends on the type.

Three Ways to “Live Within Your Means”

This can add new color and context to the saying "live within your means."

Through productive expenses, you may increase your means. There is more than one way to live within your means.

Budget (cut back)

Efficiency (keep more of what you make)

Expansion (grow your value, reach, and impact)

Budgeting focuses primarily on cutting back and can be suffocating and onerous.

What else can your energy and effort go towards?
What is of greater impact: sticking to a budget, or being more efficient with your money?

You can’t shrink your way to wealth.
Wealth is not a game of reduction as much as it is production, impact, and value.

Instead of cutting back to live within your means, why not just increase your means?

To your Prosperity,
Garrett Gunderson
Co-Author of "What Would the Rockefellers Do?"