In this issue: Spring is here, the vibes are shifting, and the markets are still a damn mess. We're talking volatility... what it means, how long it lasts, and what you actually do about it. Plus two episodes you need to hear right now.

The weather is finally breaking and honestly...I needed that more than I realized.

Wifey and I got back to our daily walks this week. We call them our "bitch fests" and that's exactly what they are. We work from home, so if we don't intentionally get outside and move, we'll sit in this house and let all the stress of life just stack up on top of us. These walks are where we talk through everything... the business, the kids, the world, all of it. We come back in better shape mentally every single time. I missed those. A lot.

Spring does something to people. There's a freshness in the air that just gives you a new sense of growth, a new sense of possibility. Even when the world is a mess... and right now it absolutely is... nature doesn't give a damn. It keeps moving. So should you.

I know a lot of us are carrying the weight of everything happening right now. The war in Iran. Ukraine. Venezuela. The economy. Our own personal battles. That's real and I'm not dismissing it. But I'm telling you... go on a walk. Bitch about it out loud. Get it out of your head and into the air. Then come back and handle your business.

Oh and next week? We're writing this from Phoenix for Spring Break where it'll be a solid 100 degrees. Let's go.

I'm just going to say it plainly. We are living in a volatility era and it is not going away anytime soon. Not next week, not next month... probably not this year.

Look at the numbers. The VIX, Wall Street's primary fear gauge, has surged to 31.77 as of this week, reflecting an 83% increase over the past 30 days, placing market sentiment in the 98th percentile of readings recorded over the last year.

And it's not just the stock market. It's oil markets swinging double digits in a single day. It's gas prices about to hit your wallet by the weekend. It's job market uncertainty, geopolitical chaos in at least three different regions of the world simultaneously, and a federal reserve that is stuck between fighting inflation and not wrecking the economy. What we're seeing is the end of the "easy money" sentiment and the beginning of a more tactical, data-dependent phase of the market cycle.

Here's the part that actually matters for you...

Volatility is not new. Every major geopolitical event, every war, every financial shock in history has looked and felt just like this. Overwhelming. Unprecedented. Like the rules changed overnight. And every single time, people who stayed positioned, stayed disciplined, and didn't panic... came out ahead. The people who lost were the ones who let the chaos make their decisions for them.

This environment could last months. Buckle up, be smart about it, and don't let the noise make you do something stupid.

📌 Receipts:

This one hits different right now. In the middle of all this external chaos... wars, market swings, rising prices... most people's worst financial enemy is still sitting right between their ears.

We brought back financial therapist Ashley Quamme and she breaks down her "Think, Feel, Do" framework... a practical tool for understanding why you make the money decisions you make and how to actually fix the patterns that are keeping you stuck.

Here's what you'll walk away with:

If you've ever wondered why you keep doing the same dumb shit with money even when you know better... this episode is your answer.

▶️ Watch on YouTube 🎙️ Listen on Spotify 🍎 Listen on Apple Podcasts

This one is personal and it's timely as hell.

The economy right now is not just a financial problem... it's a mental health problem. It's a relationship problem. It's a family problem. People are stressed, stretched thin, and taking it out on each other. I got real about all of it.

Here's what we got into:

▶️ Watch on YouTube 🎙️ Listen on Spotify 🍎 Listen on Apple Podcasts

The theme this week: Safe haven positioning.

The market is volatile and it's going to stay that way for a while. So if you've been sitting on cash, or your portfolio is heavy in growth and tech, now is the time to seriously look at where the real stability lives in moments like this.

1. Silver... $SIVR ( ▼ 3.44% ) Silver gets overlooked because everyone talks about gold. But silver moves with gold during geopolitical uncertainty and often more aggressively. If you've got two decades or more before retirement, silver is worth a real look. This isn't a trade. It's a long-term positioning play. Do your own research... start with $SIVR.

2. Gold... $IAU ( ▼ 1.94% ) Gold briefly broke $5,400 this week before pulling back. It's up significantly year-to-date and institutional money is piling in as a hedge against inflation, rate uncertainty, and global chaos. $IAU is an easy, accessible ETF entry point. And for your kids? If you're building a custodial account or thinking generationally, this is the kind of boring, unglamorous asset that quietly builds wealth over decades while everyone else is chasing the next shiny thing.

3. Think Generationally Here's the thing most people miss... volatility is terrifying when you're 55 and five years from retirement. It looks completely different when you're 35 with 25+ years of compounding ahead of you. For younger investors and especially for your kids, these dips, these scary headlines, these volatile periods... they are buying opportunities dressed up as bad news. Don't waste them.

Not saying buy anything. Do your research. Talk to a professional. But don't sit on the sidelines out of fear while real assets go on sale.

Thinking about how your whole family's financial picture holds up through times like this? That's the exact conversation we're built for. Learn more at BlackMammoth.com/modernfamilyoffice

The chaos is real. Every week there's a new "unprecedented" situation... a new headline that makes you wonder what the hell is happening to the world.

But here's what I know. You've been through hard things before. You've navigated uncertainty before. You've woken up on mornings that felt impossible and figured it out anyway.

Own the chaos. Don't let it own you.

Your experience, your resilience, your ability to keep moving forward when everything is loud and scary... that's not nothing. That's everything.

Do not give up. Not on your finances. Not on your family. Not on yourself.

Go take a walk if you need to. Bitch about it. Then come back and handle your business.

See you from Phoenix next week.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Money — Black-led. Built to Stay In the Black.

Not financial advice. Do your own research. Talk to a professional.