In this episode of What's the Point?, Bill Ellis sits down with David Schnurman to explore a question many of us quietly carry: what do we think will happen when we change our lives?

Change often begins with hope. A new job, a new city, a new path — we imagine it will give us clarity, fulfillment, or relief from whatever feels unresolved. But as David reflects throughout this conversation, change doesn't always deliver exactly what we think we're buying.

Together, Bill and David explore the deeper motivations behind the choices we make. Family expectations, personal responsibility, ambition, and identity all shape the way we pursue change. Sometimes those choices bring us closer to what matters most. Other times they reveal that the answers we're searching for can't be found simply by changing circumstances.

David shares reflections on how family influences the decisions we make, the stories we tell ourselves about success, and the quiet tension between the life we build and the life we imagined. It's an honest conversation about responsibility, perspective, and the complicated nature of personal reinvention.

Ultimately, this episode invites listeners to step back and ask a deeper question: when we pursue change, are we chasing something external — or searching for something within ourselves?

What's The Point? is a podcast hosted by Bill Ellis featuring real conversations with people who've figured out what matters — their purpose. Each episode explores what motivates them and how they find meaning in what they do.

Connect with Bill:

• bill@billellis.com
• www.billellis.com
• www.brandingforresults.com
• IG - @wcellis
• Facebook - @CoachBillEllis
• Facebook - @bill.ellis
• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/wcellis
• Book: Women Who Won

Links for This Episode:

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidschnurman/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/davidschnurman/

CURRENT PROJECTS / OFFERINGS

• Author of Eleven Suitcases – a memoir about family, identity, and reducing life to what matters most
• Author of The Fast Forward Mindset – focused on fear, focus, and intentional action
• CEO of Lawline – leading online CLE and professional development for attorneys
• Host of the Lawyers Who Learn podcast – interviews with legal and business leaders on lifelong learning and growth
• Speaker & Keynote Presenter – topics include leadership, navigating change, mindset, and living with intention\

Quick Episode Summary:

• 00:00 – Introduction to David Schnurman
• 01:20 – The idea behind life-changing decisions
• 03:45 – What we imagine change will give us
• 06:30 – How family shapes the choices we make
• 09:10 – The tension between ambition and responsibility
• 12:05 – When expectations don't match reality
• 15:20 – Identity, growth, and the stories we tell ourselves
• 18:40 – Why change alone doesn't always bring fulfillment
• 21:15 – Learning what truly matters
• 24:10 – How perspective evolves over time
• 27:30 – Navigating life transitions
• 30:10 – What keeps people moving forward
• 33:20 – The deeper meaning behind our choices
• 36:40 – David reflects on purpose and family
• 39:30 – David answers: "What's the Point?"

In this episode of What's the Point?, I sit down with Omar Ritter for a conversation about discipline, leadership, and what it really means to live with purpose.

Omar's story is rooted in challenge. He reflects on the moments that shaped him — not just professionally, but internally. We talk about early lessons in responsibility, learning how to carry weight, and what it means to choose growth instead of comfort.

Throughout our conversation, a theme keeps surfacing: discipline. Not the loud kind. Not the performative kind. But the quiet, daily commitment to becoming someone you can depend on. Omar speaks candidly about leadership — not as a title, but as stewardship. Influence carries responsibility. Authority demands integrity. And the strongest leaders are often the ones willing to do the unseen work.

We explore what keeps someone moving forward when results aren't immediate. What drives you when applause fades? Omar's answer isn't flashy. It's anchored in consistency, values, and faith. He challenges the idea that purpose is a single lightning-bolt moment and instead reframes it as a series of intentional choices over time.

This is a conversation about grit without ego, strength without arrogance, and ambition that stays grounded. It's a reminder that discovering what matters often requires testing what doesn't — and that real growth shapes not only what we build, but who we become.

What's The Point? is a podcast hosted by Bill Ellis featuring real conversations with people who've figured out what matters – their purpose. Each episode explores what motivates them and how they find meaning in what they do.

Connect with Bill:

• bill@billellis.com
• www.billellis.com
• www.brandingforresults.com
• IG - @wcellis
• Facebook - @CoachBillEllis
• Facebook - @bill.ellis
• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/wcellis
• Book: Women Who Won

Links for This Episode:

• ​​Name: Omar Ritter
• Website(s) http://omarritter.com
• SOCIAL MEDIA INFO:
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/omar-ritter-cpa-sphr
• Instagram: omar.ritter.9
• Youtube: @‌ORitter1
• BOOK: West Point to Wall Street - available for purchase at:
• https://a.co/d/9LSBgOZ
• http://omarritter.com

Quick Episode Summary:

• 00:00 – Welcome + Introducing Omar Ritter
• 01:20 – Omar's early influences and foundational lessons
• 03:45 – The turning points that shaped his leadership mindset
• 06:10 – Discipline: what it actually means
• 08:30 – Responsibility before recognition
• 11:00 – Leadership as stewardship, not status
• 14:20 – Learning through adversity
• 17:00 – Faith, values, and internal grounding
• 19:30 – What drives growth beyond external success
• 22:00 – Influence, integrity, and consistency
• 24:40 – What keeps you going when motivation fades
• 27:30 – Redefining strength
• 30:00 – Daily habits that build long-term character
• 33:15 – How Omar approaches setbacks
• 36:40 – What he hopes others take from his journey
• 39:10 – Omar answers: "What's the point?"
• 41:00 – Closing reflections

In this episode of What's the Point?, Bill Ellis sits down with Ron Kmetovicz—engineer, entrepreneur, investor, and author of Ghost Money: The Pathway to Financial Independence.

This conversation isn't about getting rich quickly. It's about what quietly sustains a life.

Ron reflects on growing up in an entrepreneurial farm family in Pennsylvania, working in early Silicon Valley labs during major technological shifts, and building a career grounded in confidence rather than accumulation. He shares the philosophy behind "ghost money"—multiple revenue streams paired with minimal debt—and explains why independence matters more than image.

From navigating the dot-com crash to thinking carefully about what he will (and won't) leave behind for future generations, Ron explores how money, discipline, inheritance, and physical vitality all intersect.

This episode invites listeners to consider: Are you chasing money—or freedom? And what are you really passing forward?

What's The Point? is a podcast hosted by Bill Ellis featuring real conversations with people who've figured out what matters – their purpose. Each episode explores what motivates them and how they find meaning in what they do.

Connect with Bill:

• bill@billellis.com
• www.billellis.com
• www.brandingforresults.com
• IG - @wcellis
• Facebook - @CoachBillEllis
• Facebook - @bill.ellis
• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/wcellis
• Book: Women Who Won

Links for This Episode:

• Email ron@ghostmoneythebook.com
• Website(s) http://www.ghostmoneythebook.com

Quick Episode Summary:

• 00:00 – Introduction: Money as independence, not just income
• 02:00 – Early realization: personal responsibility in his twenties
• 03:00 – Growing up on a Pennsylvania farm with entrepreneurial roots
• 05:00 – From military service (father) to early cable television innovation
• 08:00 – Aerospace vs. collaborative lab culture
• 10:00 – Early investing and stock analysis in the 1970s
• 12:30 – "Enough is enough": redefining financial goals
• 14:00 – Debt as the true trap
• 16:00 – Witnessing early internet and GPS development
• 18:00 – Confidence from competence, not income
• 20:00 – Why he never subscribed to 16-hour grind culture
• 21:00 – Skill-building in the age of AI
• 24:00 – Defining "Ghost Money"
• 26:00 – A practical example: teaching a 16-year-old to build multiple revenue streams
• 30:00 – Advertising, comparison, and financial traps
• 34:00 – Three steps: enjoy your work, invest 20%, leave it alone
• 36:00 – Emergency resilience and the danger of credit dependence
• 38:00 – Physical independence and active aging
• 41:00 – Writing the book as legacy for great-grandchildren
• 44:00 – Surviving the dot-com crash
• 45:00 – Why he won't leave lump-sum inheritances
• 48:00 – Optimism with caution in relationships
• 49:00 – Final advice: identify skill gaps and correct them
• 50:00 – What's the point? "Work hard, play hard… and have a little ghost money."