Running With The Bulls

Thanks for being here and taking a sip from the Fountain

This week’s newsletter is a little different. It’s sharing the first of many stories that shaped my life, and the lessons that came from them. You may notice, most of them end with “I’m lucky to be alive to tell the tale”. Let me know what you think of the stories and if you want to hear more.

⏳ Estimated Read Time: 7 minutes

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FOUNDER STORIES

The night before one runs with the bulls, they go to scout out the competition.

There was a form in the Spanish newspaper showing a picture of the 12 bulls, the names of the bulls, and most terrifying: the weight of the bulls. They were fucking monsters.

Over 2000 lbs of animal, some 2200 lbs. A ton each multiplied by 12 bulls is a lot of death coming at you.

Pamplona Spain, the festival of San Fermin, a beautiful Spanish square and cobblestone streets, filled with people wearing white with red and seven days of celebrations.

I was there with two new friends from a hostel in Barcelona, and one longtime friend I was traveling Europe with at the time. We practiced the night before by chasing each other with the rental car down a Spanish dirt road in the headlights at the same speed of the bulls.

We drove through the night and arrived for what we thought was going to be early for the race of July 12th, and as we arrived into the square we saw we were late.

The protective barriers were up and the bulls’ nuts were tied high and tight. A shotgun went off. We watched on a large screen in the square as the bulls bust out of a pen and start running uphill, mad AF into the square as people in white and red began to run for their lives.

The race was on and people were pushing and the bulls were gaining speed. We all watched amazed as the bulls wiped out around a 90 degree corner thrashing on the wet cobbles.

People got dummied like rag dolls and an old man that looked like Santa got hammered. We watched for the whole race - which takes about two and a half minutes. As the bulls entered the Plaza de Toros we watched one gore a tourist in his lower back and out his upper ass cheek. Then the bull slammed the still- conscious man against the concrete wall a few times as he went limp, and other runners pulled the bull’s tail and hit the bull to distract the animal enough to get the tourist off the horn to get medical attention.

The four of us stood silent, with a heightened sense of awareness of the risk that running with the bulls brings to making, goring, adventure, life and death. We would run tomorrow morning.

The day before was filled with images in cafes of the bull’s head, held high with a gored human, slumped over his head proudly. Or not to mention an image of a bull horn stuck through a forearm dragging a stabbed runner horizontally at full speed. 

About 5 minutes before the race everyone packed into the square and barriers were erected.

Spectators came out to their balconies and hosed down the streets. The excitement and fear was building and we all had a newspaper in our hands for if we got close enough to the bull, inside the horns close enough to do so, we could test fate. BOOM.

The firework goes off and the race is on. It is the most everyman-for-himself, life-or-death situation I have ever lived through.

You can’t quite see the bulls coming but you can hear the screams, and the hooves, and the weight coming like an unpredictable train with horns behind you.

You look back and you see the odd human get tossed out with a flick of the horn. People were pushing others into the horns rather than get the horn themselves. The run was punctuated with loud Spanish and a corner where the bulls lose their footing, thrashing into a corner you don't want to be caught in.

I can feel the energy of the bulls, and then they are so close I can hear them breathing. I see a streak of grey, brown and black. I see the horns, running full speed forward looking backwards and a horn narrowly goes by my left side. I am running faster than I ever have.

Another pack is behind as we we turn into the straightaway and toward the Plaza De Toros. I jump and go sideways as that is the advantage of the human, the bull is faster running straight, but the human can move just slightly better to the side.

I am locked in on survival and fear, and speed, and wet cobble stone, and making sure I- don't get gored or worse killed in the entrance to the Plaza. I can see the entrance; I’m still alive and running, and smiling. Time and luck is a lady that morning in July and I make it into the Plaza with no punctures. The sun shines down into the warm dirt and the full stadium cheers for those brave souls who put their life in God’s hands for about three minutes of terror and living on life's edge.  Here is my “Sun Also Rises Moment.”

I lived and live to share this story as it’s a fucking great story, and not everyone is going to run with the bulls - so better document and share it to inspire and remind us all to “give it a go.” That’s what life is all about! Although I am not suggesting you have to risk your life to have a memorable day, the jewel to share today is from a mentor of mine:

There is no guarantee we all will be blessed to have 81.7 springs of the average American Male. I’ve lost a few friends who thought they had forty more than they got.

Go to another country, get outside, make a memory. Dream Big. Believe in Yourself. You can do anything in the whole wide world.

What happened to the guy who got gored you ask…

He lived, and flew the flag the next day repping a head bandage standing with a cane, for our race.

If you want to hear these stories, lessons, and ideas live reach out (Reply to this email with subject line “Speaking inquiry”) and we can talk!

Death and Taxes:

We can look at other countries in future newsletters, but today we will look at Canada and the USA and a few things I have learned along the way. Depending of where you reside - here are some jewels.

This is not financial advice and all is subject to change.

The lifetime capital gains exemption (LCGE) in Canada allows eligible individuals to sell certain assets and not pay tax on some or all of the resulting capital gains. Here's a breakdown of the current exemption:  

Current LCGE Limit:

As of June 2024, the LCGE limit is $1,250,000. This amount is indexed annually to inflation.

Eligible Properties:

The LCGE applies to capital gains realized from the disposition of the following types of property:

Important Considerations:

Where to Find More Information:

Keep in Mind:

Tax laws and regulations can change, so it's always important to stay updated on the latest information from the CRA.

While the US doesn't have a single capital gains exemption that mirrors the Canadian lifetime capital gains exemption, it does have provisions that can significantly reduce or eliminate capital gains taxes in certain situations. Here's a breakdown of the most relevant ones:

Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) exclusion, which is a specific provision under Section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code. This exclusion allows individuals to potentially exclude up to 100% of the capital gains from the sale of QSBS, subject to certain limitations.

Here's how it relates to the $10 million figure:

Key Requirements for QSBS Exclusion:

Important Notes:

So until next time keep the monocles on the fine print and hopefully we are all learning more financial literacy together. 

We amassed our favorite question we received this week. Have a question? Reply to the email and we’ll get back to you!

Q. How did you found your path?

A. Early Path: I found my path by the positive and negative influences early of my parents and sister. I was raised in a home of entrepreneurs which had positive and negative reverberations in my path. I saw:

My sister and I not seeing our dad as he owned a business and worked out of town in Construction, a lot of the time out of Country, a lot of the time out of continent.

So I think I found a piece of the path by knowing what I didn't want to do, which was to be a dad who worked away from my kids one day. So part of one's path is not always by knowing what they want but more by knowing what they don't want. This is some good ingredients for the mental factory

Specifically 1:45 of the video "who we are" what is our path in your great words.

A little down the path

I also suggest people try to walk down the paths which they like to walk - try to ask yourself what are the things that are hobbies or interests or things that bring you joy. Then shine a light on those and see what careers or income can be created in those areas? 

Remember we are not trees - we are blessed to be able to roam the earth creating our path. I have been all over this earth as a traveler and recommend people think globally with their minds and their addresses. 

The Path Ahead

I am just like you creating my future path - hopefully I can help you and we can help each other by asking the question.

Dreams Card

I think my path has most been shaped by my Dream Card process - without knowing it it has created my unique path. Know what you want, write it down, and ask the world for it. Take action everyday and you will be a success. 

Also a lot, a lot of failures, a lot of no's, a lot of pitches, a lot of luck, a lot of timing, and a lot of great people who I have worked with, for and alongside along the way. 

With the right reasons you can do incredible things.

What are your hobbies, or special sauce or things you do well, skills, interests? Languages? Markets?

Look inside of you - I am sure you have some incredible great gifts. 

Attitude and philosophy have the greatest effect on how your life turns out.

Ask me a question or weigh in on the answers by replying to this email!