LiveWell Capital - Northwestern Mutual (2026)

12/10/2026

Elon Musk explained a concept recently on a podcast that is brilliant.

It’s incredibly simple:

Ego ÷ Ability

He said the most dangerous number in business might be anything greater than 1.

When your ego becomes bigger than your ability, you’ve entered the danger zone.

The irony is that this usually doesn’t happen when things are going badly.

It happens when things are going well.

You have a few wins.
People start listening.
Your company grows.
Your title gets bigger.
Your bank account gets bigger.
You start getting invited into rooms you weren’t before.

And somewhere along the way, confidence can quietly turn into certainty.

That’s when growth gets dangerous.

This is how smart leaders make foolish bets, ignore warning signs, and drive great companies off a cliff… because it never occurred to them that they could be wrong.

Success has an interesting side effect:

It can slowly remove the very humility that helped create it.

Early in our careers, we ask questions because we know we don’t know.

We seek mentors… study competitors… listen carefully… change our minds.

Then we become successful enough that people start asking us the questions.

And if we aren’t careful, we stop learning.

I’ve seen this in business, investing, and leadership… and I’ve certainly seen it in myself.

The goal isn’t to have less ability.

The goal is to keep increasing ability without allowing ego to increase alongside it.

That may be one of the greatest competitive advantages in business:

Rare ability + zero ego.

Imagine someone exceptionally talented but still genuinely curious.

Successful enough to have strong convictions, but humble enough to say:

“I might be wrong.”

Accomplished enough to teach others, but still walking into every room looking for something to learn.

That person is incredibly difficult to compete with.

Because while everyone else eventually begins protecting their reputation…

They keep improving.

And improvement compounds.

We talk a lot about economic moats… brand, technology, capital, distribution, intellectual property.

But maybe one of the greatest personal moats is much simpler:

Become exceptionally good at what you do…

and never become impressed with yourself.

That’s a formula for success in any environment.

09/10/2026

More ways to communicate don’t mean we’re getting better at connecting.

Ben sits down with Tiffany Adams, Founder and President of the Cincinnati Etiquette & Leadership Institute and author of Polished: The Guide to Excellence for the Modern Professional.

Going well beyond manners, Tiffany shares why people skills may be more valuable than ever in a world shaped by screens, remote work, social media, and AI.

They also talk about how to disagree without becoming disagreeable, the power of saying “tell me more,” what professionalism really looks like today, and why making people feel seen and valued will always matter.

Listen to “The Lost Art of Human Connection: Tiffany Adams” on your favorite podcast player.

07/10/2026

$7 billion.

It’s a big number. But the number has never been the point.

Reaching $7 billion in assets under management represents thousands of clients and families who have trusted us with something deeply personal: their financial lives and the future they’re working to build.

It represents talented advisors and teams who have chosen to build alongside us. And an incredible group of people across LiveWell who show up every day committed to serving others and helping them live well.

We’re grateful for the growth. Even more grateful for the trust behind it.

And we’re just getting started.

$7 billion in AUM. One mission: Helping people live well.

06/10/2026

LiveWell Capital was recently recognized as one of the Business Courier's 2026 Best Places to Work!

We're proud of the recognition, but even more grateful for the people and culture behind it. Our goal has always been to create a place where talented people can do meaningful work, continue to grow, enjoy the people they work alongside, and still make time for what matters most outside of work.

Thank you to everyone for making LiveWell a great place to work!

Learn more about LiveWell's recognition here:

Cincinnati Business Courier: 2026 Best Places to Work
https://lnkd.in/ekzNJMNd

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05/10/2026

I’ve always admired Moses …

Not because he was fearless … or polished … or always confident.

Actually … Moses was complicated.

He doubted God.
Argued with his calling.
Told God he wasn’t good enough.
Lost his temper.
Tried to carry too much.
And at times seemed crushed under the weight of leadership.

Honestly … lately I don’t just admire Moses …

I understand him.

In Exodus 18, Israel has escaped Egypt and millions of people are wandering the wilderness trying to figure out where they’re going and how to live.

And Moses becomes everything to everyone.

Leader …
judge …
mediator …
problem solver …
counselor.

The Bible says people stood around Moses “from morning till evening.”

I know that feeling.

Clients …
partners …
employees …
family …
decisions …
problems …
pressure …
expectations.

The feeling that if I drop one ball … the whole thing may fall apart.

Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, walks in and says something that had to feel strange:

“What you are doing is not good.”

Not evil.
Not selfish.
Not lazy.

Just … not good.

That sentence stuck with me.

Because some of us are wearing ourselves out doing things that look admirable from the outside.

Responsibility can become an addiction.

Being needed can become an identity.

And high-capacity people can quietly begin believing:

“If I don’t hold this together … nobody will.”

Jethro sees something Moses can’t see from inside the pressure cooker.

There’s a subtle difference between caring deeply … and carrying things you were never meant to carry.

I think a lot of founders, leaders, advisors, parents, and achievers drift into this trap.

We stop serving from trust …

And start operating from vigilance.

We overprepare.
Overfunction.
Overthink.
Overcarry.

Not because we’re bad leaders … but because fear quietly moved into the driver’s seat.

Fear people will disappoint us.
Fear things won’t work.
Fear we’ll let people down.

And sometimes life actually rewards this behavior.

You become successful.
Respected.
Needed.

Meanwhile, your nervous system is running a marathon every day.

Jethro tells Moses:

“You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out.”

Not just Moses.

The people too.

Because unhealthy leadership doesn’t just exhaust the leader … it can create dependency in everyone else.

That part hit me.

I can see places in my own life where I’ve mistaken hyper-responsibility for faithfulness.

Maybe the goal was never to become indispensable.

Maybe the goal was to build people.
Trust people.
Develop people.
Empower people.

Maybe leadership is supposed to look less like controlling outcomes … and more like creating peace.

Because sometimes the thing wearing us out isn’t the work itself …

It’s the belief that everything depends on us.

01/10/2026

We're excited to welcome four new teams as we continue our national growth!
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LiveWell Capital Expands National Footprint Through Four New Partner Teams
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October, 2026

LiveWell Capital is pleased to announce the addition of four new partner teams as part of its continued national growth. Matthew Thompson and his team in Illinois, David Mesa and his team in Wisconsin, Kevin Rigenhagen and his team in Idaho, and Dan Harezlak and his team in Tennessee have joined the firm, expanding LiveWell's ability to serve clients across the country while preserving the trusted advisor relationships that remain at the center of the planning experience.

For clients, these partnerships mean access to the resources, expertise, and collaborative support of a national wealth management firm while continuing to work with the advisors and teams they know and trust.

Each joining team brings significant experience and unique strengths to LiveWell, from comprehensive financial planning and wealth management to retirement planning and strategies for business owners, executives, families, and individuals. Together, they share a commitment to building lasting relationships and helping clients make thoughtful financial decisions with greater clarity and confidence.

Ben Beshear, CEO of LiveWell Capital, shared his perspective on the firm's continued growth.

"Growth is exciting, but for us, it's always about finding the right people. Matt, David, Kevin, Dan, and their teams have each built outstanding practices with strong client relationships and a deep commitment to serving people well. They bring different experiences, strengths, and perspectives to LiveWell, and that makes all of us better. As we continue building a national firm, our goal isn't simply to get bigger. It's to bring together exceptional people and give them the resources, expertise, and support to do even more for the clients who trust them."

As LiveWell Capital grows to 22 offices in 15 states, the firm continues to remain focused on a simple mission: helping people use their wealth to live well.
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About LiveWell Capital

LiveWell Capital is a partner firm within the Northwestern Mutual Private Client Group, serving clients across the United States through comprehensive financial planning, portfolio management, and advanced private client strategies.

At LiveWell, we believe money is a tool, not the destination. Our mission is to help individuals, families, and business owners align their financial resources with what matters most, empowering them to live with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose.

28/09/2026

Dabo Swinney recently said something that was pretty cool…

“The only disability in life is a bad attitude.”

At first, that statement feels a little too strong.

There are people facing real disabilities… real hardships… real disadvantages… real pain.

But if we spend all our time arguing with the exceptions, we might miss the truth in what Dabo was saying.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about attitude lately.

Attitude is the filter through which we experience life. That experience influences our decisions… and those decisions help create the future version of who we become.

I’ve watched people with every advantage convince themselves they’re at a disadvantage.

And I’ve watched people with every reason to quit somehow find a way forward.

The difference often starts with what they believe is possible.

Our brains constantly search for evidence to support what we already believe.

Believe you can’t…

You’ll notice every obstacle.
Every setback.
Every reason it won’t work.

Believe you can…

You’ll notice possibilities.
Resources.
People who can help.
Creative solutions.

Neither mindset changes reality.

But it dramatically changes how we respond to reality.

I’ve seen this in my own life.

There have been seasons where I was convinced clients were going to leave… partners were going to leave… growth was going to slow down.

And when I believed those things, I found evidence everywhere.

A delayed email.
A difficult conversation.
A bad month.

Suddenly every shadow looked like a huge threat.

The facts hadn’t changed…

My filter had.

And over time, that mindset can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

A bad attitude doesn’t create every problem.

But it can make almost every problem seem bigger… and make the worst outcome feel inevitable.

I’m not unrealistic enough to believe a hopeful attitude solves every problem.

But it helps you see possibilities you might otherwise miss… and attempt things you might otherwise never try.

Maybe the greatest limitation in our lives isn’t always our circumstances…

Maybe sometimes it’s the story we’ve been telling ourselves about our circumstances.

This week… pay attention to the beliefs you’re carrying.

Think about how you’re thinking.

Because not every belief you have about your circumstances is true.

And some of the barriers standing in front of you…

May actually be standing inside of you.

21/09/2026

Donald Miller interviewed Brian Hooks on The StoryBrand Podcast… and there was a simple idea I took away from the conversation.

What if leadership is less about forcing people into perfectly designed roles…

And more about discovering where people naturally create value?

That sounds obvious… but it’s pretty countercultural to how we’re taught to build businesses.

Set the vision.
Build the org chart.
Hire exact people for exact seats.
Don’t morph jobs around personalities.

And structure matters. Accountability matters. Vision matters.

But the conversation challenged something deeper…

Maybe some people aren’t failing because they’re bad employees.

Maybe they’re failing because nobody ever took the time to really see them.

To ask:
What are they naturally great at?
What energizes them?
Where do they create disproportionate value with natural skill?
What happens when they feel trusted instead of managed?

There was a line in the interview that didn’t say this exactly, but here was my takeaway:

“You may not be great at everything… but you’re great at something. My job as your boss is to figure that out with you, put you in a position to do it really well, and ultimately trust you to excel at it for the greater good of the team.”

How often are we actually looking for what is truly great in every team member?

Because what isn’t working is usually easier to see.

I’m guilty of this.

In the moment, it feels faster and simpler to focus on the frustration of what got missed.

But fixing someone’s weaknesses to get a job done may be a tougher long-term assignment than finding their strengths and letting them thrive.

The second is messier. Less linear.

But maybe ultimately better… and more human.

Because most of us know what it feels like to be reduced to our weaknesses instead of developed around our strengths.

Gallup has reported that only about 1 in 5 employees worldwide are engaged at work.

Think about that.

Most people spend a massive portion of their lives at work… yet many feel unseen, underutilized, or disconnected from the value they could actually bring.

And maybe one of the greatest gifts a leader can give someone is not just compensation …

…but belief.

Belief that they matter.
Belief that they have strengths worth discovering.
Belief that their best contribution may not fit neatly inside a job description written five years ago.

The best leaders don’t ignore weaknesses or avoid accountability.

But they have an unusual ability to spot potential before the results fully prove it.

And when people feel seen… really seen… something changes.

Maybe leadership is partially the art of helping people discover where they come alive…

And then giving them room to thrive there.

14/09/2026

The most dangerous season in life may not be when you’re overwhelmed…

It may be when you’ve become disengaged.

I spend a lot of time with clients standing at major transition points.

Business owners wondering if it’s time to sell. Executives debating retirement after 30 years. Entrepreneurs who’ve climbed the mountain and aren’t sure what comes next. Parents sending kids to college. Leaders who’ve quietly lost some passion for the next challenge.

And I’ve noticed something… Very few people suddenly fall apart. (My friend, Keith Wagner says most flat tires come from a slow leak, not a blowout)

Most people drift first.

They get a little disengaged. A little restless. A little too comfortable. Routines loosen. Purpose gets blurry. The structure that once grounded them slowly disappears.

It reminds me of one of the oldest leadership stories ever written… King David.

The story of David and Bathsheba doesn’t actually begin with Bathsheba.

It begins here:
“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war… David remained in Jerusalem.” (2 Samuel 11:1)

That’s the scary part.

Before the failure… came the drift.

Scripture tells us exactly where David was supposed to be… and exactly where he wasn’t.

Kings went to war.

David stayed home.

Then he wanders onto the roof. He sees Bathsheba. Desire becomes adultery. Adultery becomes deception. Deception becomes murder.

But the first crack in the foundation?

David wasn’t where he was supposed to be.

And honestly… isn’t that true for a lot of us?

Most people don’t wake up determined to self-destruct.

They drift.
The idle season…
The boredom…
The isolation…
The vacation from discipline…
The moment you stop staying on assignment.

Temptation often finds us most vulnerable when purpose leaves a vacuum.

David wasn’t simply sinful… He was unoccupied first.

Maybe that’s the warning.

Not every battle in life is won by being stronger than temptation.

Some are won simply by being where you’re supposed to be.

At work when you should be working.
At home when your family needs you.
In community instead of isolation.
In discipline instead of drift.
On assignment instead of wandering rooftops.

Because sometimes the greatest spiritual danger isn’t open rebellion…

It’s slowly unplugging from purpose while convincing yourself nothing is wrong.

We’re all Kings (or Queens) of something… are you leaning in or drifting?

09/09/2026

AI is changing how entrepreneurs research markets, solve problems, market their businesses, and get work done.

But you don’t have to have it all figured out before you start.

Experiment. Try things. Learn what works.

Listen to the full "Life, Money, and Living Well" conversation on your favorite podcast platform.

LiveWell Capital - Northwestern Mutual

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