I didn’t think much about the future when I was 22 and stacking apples at 4:00am in a grocery store. Strategy, success, long-term vision, those weren’t on my mind. I was just trying not to bruise the Granny Smiths.
Back then, “success” meant getting the display straight, keeping the lettuce crisp, and making sure the produce aisle looked fresh. If you worked hard and the customers smiled, that was a good day.
Fifty years later, after chapters as a produce manager, finance professor, investment strategist, and advisor, here’s what I’ve come to believe:
The principles haven’t changed.
Markets are like a produce aisle.
Freshness matters.
Inventory matters.
Margins matter.
But most of all:
People come back for trust, not price.
Experience is a competitive advantage.
But it doesn’t always look like we think.
It looks like endurance.
It looks like consistency.
It looks like showing up every morning, even when you’re tired.
I never planned a 40-year career in teaching, advising, or writing books.
I just kept moving forward.
Kept learning.
Tried not to drop too many apples along the way.
What success looks like in 2026
Success, I’ve come to see, isn’t a destination. It’s a rhythm.
At 72, success feels like waking up with purpose.
It means helping others make better decisions.
Writing things that matter.
Staying curious.
Staying in motion.
It’s not about achievements anymore. It’s about alignment.
When your body, your mind, and your work all point in the same direction, the day just goes better.
That’s true in produce.
It’s true in finance.
It’s true in family.
It’s true in life.
Advice to my 2025 self
If I could send one line back in time, it would be this:
Stop chasing certainty. Chase preparation.
In my younger years, I thought success came from predicting the future.
Now I know better.
You prepare.
You adapt.
You stay humble.
And you keep going.
Markets surprise us.
Elections surprise us.
Life definitely surprises us.
But resilience never goes out of season.
A new habit for 2026 (that isn’t really new)
I run five days a week.
I’m slower than I was, but I’m steadier. And that counts.
Movement is the secret, not just physical, but mental and professional too.
I tell people, only half-joking:
If you stop moving, you become furniture.
The treadmill helps.
So does writing.
So does reading something difficult.
So does helping a client navigate uncertainty.
Motion isn’t about speed. It’s about momentum.
You don’t wait for motivation.
You move, and motivation catches up.
Biggest lesson of 2025
BIGGEST LESSON OF 2025:
Curiosity has no expiration date.
I talk with AI.
I study string theory.
I’m writing novels.
I still advise clients.
The world belongs to those who stay interested.
And younger professionals need to hear this:
You won’t be replaced by AI.
You’ll be replaced by someone who knows how to use AI with imagination.
The trend that will define 2026
I believe the most overlooked trend is the longevity economy.
People aren’t quitting work.
They’re reshaping it.
Purpose doesn’t retire.
Experience doesn’t expire.
In fact, the fastest-growing segment of the workforce will be people over 60 who are still:
Curious.
Creative.
Contributing.
And committed to making a difference.
AI won’t erase this trend, it’ll accelerate it.
The real edge belongs to those who combine long-earned experience with new tools.
A word to younger readers
If there’s one thing worth passing on, it’s this:
You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room.
Just have the longest view.
Most people quit too early.
They get impatient.
They change direction.
They lose heart.
But what looks like “talent” at 72 is often just stamina.
You keep showing up.
You keep learning.
You keep helping.
A produce aisle teaches you:
Everything has a shelf life.
So use what you’ve got, today.
Closing thought
If success in 2026 has a shape, it isn’t a finish line.
It’s a path.
It looks like getting up with purpose.
Moving your body.
Moving your mind.
Doing one thing to make someone else’s day better.
I still remember the feeling of getting the apples just right.
Customers would smile without knowing why.
Something in their day was just a little better.
Turns out, fifty years later, the lesson is still the same:
You can go farther than you think, if you just keep moving, even if you start with apples and lettuce.
January 2026
