Stop Investing Wrong: What the Top 1% Do Differently Most people are told to save, invest, and hope.

But that's not how real wealth is built. In this episode of The Practical Wealth Show, Curtis May sits down with Dave Wolcott (Founder of Pantheon Investments) to break down how high-level investors actually create predictable cash flow, tax efficiency, and long-term wealth. But more importantly—we expose where most people go wrong: Investing before they have liquidity Chasing returns instead of control Building portfolios without a strategy If you've ever wondered why investing alone isn't working… this episode will change how you think about money.

What You'll Learn:

✔️ How the top 1% actually builds wealth

✔️ Why passive income isn't enough

✔️ The role of liquidity before investing

✔️ Where Infinite Banking fits into a real strategy

✔️ Why most financial advice is incomplete

🚨 Want to build your own wealth strategy? Start here: https://practicalwealth.net/FreedomSession

In this episode of The Practical Wealth Show, Curtis May sits down with entrepreneur, investor, and former Wall Street bond trader Nicole Purvy.

Nicole shares her journey from trading on Wall Street to building businesses, investing in real estate, and launching her growing YouTube platform The Profitor. As the managing partner of Invictus Elite Capital Group, she helps investors deploy capital into multifamily real estate while bringing a powerful macro-economic perspective to investing.

Nicole explains why smart investors must pay attention to capital flows, volatility, and macroeconomic signals instead of relying on headlines or conventional financial advice.

In this conversation, Curtis and Nicole discuss:

• Why volatility in markets is not random

• How macroeconomic shifts impact real estate investing

• The housing affordability crisis and what it means for investors

• How massive money printing changed the financial landscape

• The mindset shift entrepreneurs must make to step into their authority

• How Nicole overcame imposter syndrome after leaving Wall Street

• Why studying history and economic patterns helps investors position themselves ahead of market changes

Nicole also shares the story of how she was fired from Wall Street for teaching financial education online, which ultimately pushed her into entrepreneurship and building multiple successful ventures.

If you want to understand what's really happening in the economy and how smart investors prepare for uncertainty, this episode is packed with insights.

• If you make good money but still feel tight, you're probably not broke—you're illiquid. Start here: practicalwealth.net

• npurvy@gmail.com

macroeconomics volatility investing real estate private equity wealth transfer inflation housing crisis speculative investing capital allocation financial strategy mindset entrepreneurship liquidity financial education economic cycles asset management personal development

00:00–02:06 – Nicole's transition from Wall Street trader to entrepreneur and investor
02:06–03:32 – Getting fired for YouTube and discovering her real purpose
03:32–05:22 – Building a business from scratch and entering real estate
05:22–07:05 – The "lowest barrier to entry" moment in real estate history
07:05–09:19 – Imposter syndrome and playing small despite expertise
09:19–11:23 – Breaking limiting beliefs and stepping into authority
11:23–13:04 – The power of a one-page business plan
13:04–15:23 – Early career experiences shaping mindset and confidence
15:23–19:40 – Wall Street lessons and the illusion of expertise during the 2008 era
19:40–23:06 – What volatility really means (and why it's not random)
23:06–27:20 – The four forces behind today's economic instability
27:20–31:07 – Housing affordability vs. housing supply explained
31:07–35:08 – Human behavior as the missing variable in macroeconomics
35:08–41:13 – Investing vs. speculation (and why most people get it wrong)
41:13–56:19 – Strategies for investing during volatility and the future of real estate

What happens after you build your private banking system?

In this episode of The Practical Wealth Show, Curtis May sits down with Ben Buzek — former Special Operations leader turned real estate investor and collaborator with Wealth Without Wall Street — to discuss how to strategically deploy capital into cash-flowing assets.

If you've implemented the Infinite Banking Concept (IBC) and built cash value, the next step is deployment. But most investors skip due diligence, chase returns, and lock their money inside qualified plans like 401(k)s.

We break down:

• Why traditional 401(k)s limit liquidity and control

• The difference between accumulation theory vs cash flow strategy

• What separates serious investors from hobby investors

• How to create a "buy box" to vet deals

• Risk management lessons from Special Operations

• Multifamily investing explained

• How to use cash value life insurance to fund investments

• The biggest misconception about passive income

• Why liquidity beats rate of return

Sequence matters:

Cash Flow Control → Private Reserve → Strategic Deployment → Financial Freedom

If you want income, not speculation — this episode is for you.

• practicalwealth.net

• WWWS Podcast with Special Guest, Ben Buzek

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/buzekb/

• Home

• ben@wealthwithoutwallstreet.com

Passive Income
Infinite Banking Concept
Cash Flow Strategy
401k Alternatives
Private Banking
Capital Deployment
Liquidity
Financial Freedom
Buy Box
Due Diligence
Multifamily Investing
Syndications
Cash Value Life Insurance
Wealth Allocation
Velocity of Money
Control vs Accumulation
Statement Wealth
OPM (Other People's Money)
Investor Profile
Asset-Based Income

00:00–02:26 - From accumulation theory to control-based wealth building
02:26–05:39 - What happens after you build cash value? The "What's next?" problem
05:39–08:07 - Why 401(k)s limit liquidity and control
08:07–10:03 - Financial freedom formula: Passive income exceeds expenses
10:03–12:36 - Buy boxes, shiny object syndrome, and investor discipline
12:36–14:26 - Special Operations risk management: PACE planning (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency)
14:26–17:40 - Serious investors vs hobby investors
17:40–20:18 - Defining your investor profile before deploying capital
20:18–22:00 - Principles → Strategy → Tactics framework
22:00–24:06 - You can't eat equity: cash flow vs capital gains
24:06–26:05 - Finding and redeploying "lazy cash"
26:05–28:06 - The biggest misconception about passive income
28:06–29:31 - LP investing, syndications, and operator due diligence
29:31–32:54 - Liquidity, capital access, and why you'll run out of money before deals
32:54–34:56 - Case study: $2,300/month in passive income in 12 weeks
34:56–37:16 - Why coaching accelerates results and reduces costly mistakes
37:16–40:46 - Retirement math reality check and the 4% rule problem
40:46–43:35 - How the Passive Income Lab works (structure, accountability, cohorts)
43:35–46:06 - Earn → Bank → Borrow → Spend → Repay framework
46:06–49:38 - Final call to action: stop sitting on the sidelines

Franchising is often marketed as passive or semi-absentee—but that misunderstanding costs investors millions.
In this episode, I'm joined by franchise veteran Cliff Nonnenmacher, who has spent over 25 years owning, scaling, and advising franchise businesses across multiple industries.
We talk candidly about:

• Why franchisees really fail

• The operator vs. owner mindset

• Capital mistakes that quietly kill good businesses

• Who should walk away from franchising immediately

• Trends vs. hype in today's franchise market

If you're considering franchising or advising someone who is—this episode will save you time, money, and regret.

• If you make good money but still feel tight, you're probably not broke—you're illiquid.
  Start here: practicalwealth.net

• cliffn@franocity.com

• www.franocity.com

• cliffn@franocity.com

Family council

generational wealth

legacy planning

financial wisdom

speculative investing

trust funds

family governance

intergenerational learning

wealth mindset

progress principle

purposeful communication

financial stewardship

baby steps strategy

structured conversations

wealth transfer

00:00–01:20 - Younger generations turning to speculation as traditional wealth feels out of reach
01:20–02:15 - Gambling vs. investing in the age of bots and AI
02:15–03:32 - Story of a trust fund protected by anti-gambling restrictions
03:32–04:28 - The wisdom function of a family council
04:28–05:22 - Family councils beyond blood relatives: boards, mentors, advisors
05:22–06:43 - Four generations under one roof: mutual value exchange
06:43–07:35 - What younger generations actually bring to the table
07:35–08:32 - Why asking better questions unlocks generational wisdom
08:32–09:47 - Simple starting point: weekly cadence calls
09:47–10:36 - Two powerful questions: What's working? What's not?
10:36–11:45 - The "gap" vs. progress principle
11:45–12:50 - Starting small instead of waiting for a formal family retreat
12:50–13:45 - Purposeful structure vs. hoping conversations happen naturally
13:45–End - Why progress compounds when family conversations become intentional

"Good" doesn't feel exciting.
Good feels calm.

In this episode, Curtis defines what financial stability actually looks like in real life—and walks through the Be the Bank Blueprint that turns chaos into control.

What you'll learn
-The clearest definition of financial stability:
-Nothing feels urgent
-Money moves without panic
-Decisions aren't permission-based
-Why most people confuse "busy" with "progress"
-The 4-step Money for Life Blueprint:
-Cash flow control
-Private Reserve (properly structured whole life)
-Protection and stress-testing
-Legacy and continuity
-How to think like a banker instead of a borrower

Key insight
Bad finances feel urgent.
Good finances feel boring and boring is freedom.

Episode Resources

• Take the Next Step with Curtis May:

• Business Owners: Assess Your Challenges with Cash Flow → https://curtis-73no5r8j.scoreapp.com
  Private Banking Readiness Assessment → https://curtis-qljorw8q.scoreapp.com

• How Ready Are You to Be Your Own Bank? → https://curtis-hzw1jezd.scoreapp.com

• The Practical Wealth Show with Curtis May

Be the Bank Blueprint
Money for Life Process
Private reserve
Cash flow control
Financial calm
Liquidity and control
Whole life insurance strategy
Infinite banking
Personal economy
Financial freedom
Legacy planning

00:00–00:31 - Introducing the Be the Bank Blueprint and defining "what good looks like"
00:31–01:27 - When systems work, nothing feels urgent
01:27–01:56 - Calm, boring money systems lead to better decisions
01:56–02:23 - What bad looks like: pressure, fragility, constant scrambling
02:23–03:32 - What "good" looks like for business owners, investors, and W-2 earners
03:32–04:23 - Borrowing by choice, not necessity
04:23–05:32 - Step one: stabilize cash flow and fix symptoms vs causes
05:32–06:31 - Raising your "ceiling of complexity" lowers anxiety and risk
06:31–06:55 - Tell your money where to go instead of asking where it went
06:55–07:46 - Step two: save 15–20% and build liquidity before investing
07:46–08:53 - Building a private reserve with properly structured whole life
08:53–09:46 - Principles → strategy → tactics (products come last)
09:46–10:12 - Earn it. Bank it. Borrow it. Spend it. Repay it.
10:12–10:52 - Protect the kingdom: stress-test your plan
10:52–11:29 - The destination: four pillars of a strong personal economy
11:29–12:48 - Pillar 1 & 2: freedom from debt and cash when needed
12:48–14:01 - Pillar 3: financial freedom through cash-flowing assets
14:01–15:05 -Think like a banker: borrow with purpose, repay with discipline
15:05–16:17 - Clarity before action—next steps
16:17–17:37 - Pillar 4: legacy of wealth and wisdom

Free markets only work when signals are honest.
Today's money signals are distorted so people work harder, earn more, and still feel stuck.

In this episode, Curtis exposes the myth of free markets, explains why money friction is engineered into the system, and reveals the three silent wealth leaks draining households and business owners every day.

What you'll learn

• Why distorted money signals break personal decision-making

• How locked money forces debt as default liquidity

• The real reason people feel behind even with good incomes

• The three wealth leaks most people never measure:

-Interest
-Taxes
-Opportunity cost

-Why budgeting fails when the system itself is broken

Most people don't overspend they're oversiloed.
Their money exists, but it's trapped when life happens.

Want help identifying your leaks and rebuilding cash flow control?

Go to practicalwealth.net and book a Clarity Call.
We'll map your cash flow, find the leaks, and outline your first corrective moves.

Episode Resources

• Take the Next Step with Curtis May:

• Business Owners: Assess Your Challenges with Cash Flow → https://curtis-73no5r8j.scoreapp.com
  Private Banking Readiness Assessment → https://curtis-qljorw8q.scoreapp.com

• How Ready Are You to Be Your Own Bank? → https://curtis-hzw1jezd.scoreapp.com

• The Practical Wealth Show with Curtis May

Myth of free markets
Debt paradigm
Cash flow control
Money signals
Liquidity and control
Opportunity cost
Household capitalism
Private reserve
Infinite banking
Personal economy
Cash flow mapping
Financial systems

00:00–00:31 - The myth of free markets and distorted money signals
00:31–01:24 - The debt paradigm and why institutions don't play by the same rules
01:24–02:08 - Asset-rich, cash-poor: why high earners still feel broke
02:08–02:58 - The leaky bucket: interest, taxes, and opportunity cost
02:58–03:26 - What if you could use money and still keep it growing?
03:26–04:26 - Real-world example: business owners saving, borrowing, and leaking simultaneously
04:26–05:22 - Wealth leaks beyond interest: mortgages, retirement, education
05:22–06:16 - Institutional incentives and why people play a rigged game
06:16–06:55 - Why budgeting isn't the solution—structure is
06:55–08:04 - Cashflow mapping vs reactive money management
08:04–08:44 - Parkinson's Law and why money disappears without systems
08:44–09:38 - Separating accounts and creating cash flow clarity
09:38–10:47 - Cash flow stress, revenue targets, and business discipline
10:47–11:43 - The "red pill" moment of understanding money systems
11:43–12:55 - Control, liquidity, and why structure reduces stress
12:55–14:04 - Earning more by creating more value
14:04–15:27 - Stewardship, leadership, and becoming the bank
15:27–15:49 - Final call to action and next steps

Most people think they live in capitalism. They don't.
They live in a permission-based money system—where access to capital requires approval, delays, or debt.

In this episode, Curtis breaks down what capitalism actually is, why most households aren't participating in it, and how Infinite Banking represents household-level capitalism in action.

This isn't political. It's structural.

What you'll learn
-Why your biggest money problem is usually lack of liquidity, not lack of income
-The difference between capitalism, corporatism, and crony finance
-Why most people are trained to save money they can't access
-How "buy term and invest the difference" often creates cash-poor households
-The three pillars of real financial control: liquidity, control, continuity

Key takeaway
If you don't control liquidity, you don't control decisions.
And if you don't control decisions, you're not practicing capitalism—you're reacting.

If this episode exposed cracks in your money system, don't try to budget harder.
Fix the structure.

Go to practicalwealth.net and book a 15–20 minute Clarity Call to identify where control is leaking and what to fix first.

Episode Resources

• Take the Next Step with Curtis May:

• Business Owners: Assess Your Challenges with Cash Flow → https://curtis-73no5r8j.scoreapp.com
  Private Banking Readiness Assessment → https://curtis-qljorw8q.scoreapp.com

• How Ready Are You to Be Your Own Bank? → https://curtis-hzw1jezd.scoreapp.com

• The Practical Wealth Show with Curtis May

Household economics
Personal economy
Capitalism without apology
Infinite banking
Liquidity and control
Private reserve strategy
Permission-based spending
Debt paradigm
Capital storage
Financial independence
Institutional finance
Cash flow control

00:00–01:06 - Capitalism without apology and the idea of a personal economy
01:06–02:04 - Why you can't control the global economy—but you can control your household economy
02:04–02:45 - Capitalism as control, not investments or rates of return
02:45–03:34 - Liquidity defined: why access to money determines decision-making
03:34–05:07 - High income, low liquidity—and why professionals still feel tight
05:07–06:15 - Debt as a symptom of illiquidity, not irresponsibility
06:15–07:36 - What capitalism actually is (and what it isn't)
07:36–08:51 - How locking money away forces life to be financed with debt
08:51–10:01 - The debt paradigm vs the "pay cash" illusion
10:01–11:37 - Institutional rules that shape how people are taught to use money
11:37–12:55 - Why most personal economies show no evidence of financial freedom
12:55–14:15 - Signals, interest rates, and distorted financial behavior
14:15–15:49 - Infinite banking as a system—not a product
15:49–17:16 - Liquidity, control, and uninterrupted compounding
17:16–18:17 - Outsourcing knowledge and control to institutions
18:17–20:12 - Capitalism practiced at the household level—and the call to action