The Art of Charm, Inc

We teach and train professionals around the globe science-based communication, leadership, and persuasion skills. You'll be able to leverage the expertise and experience of world-class coaches when it comes to sales, persuasion, and social engagement. Need to align your team and drive a unified front toward your vision? We've helped Fortune 500 CEOs with this. Need to amp up your sales game? Our team has developed proprietary sales frameworks to support just that. 

Whether you listen to our globally-recognized podcast, join our Network+ program, or come on-site for our Hollywood Bootcamp, you're joined by millions of men and women trying to accomplish the same things: increase leadership and persuasion skills, reduce social awkwardness, and optimize your ability to communicate.

Chief Executive Officer

Sirius XM Radio Inc.

Host, 'The Art of Charm presents: Game On' the only show completely devoted to helping you get (and keep) the girl. From 8-10pm EST on Sirius 108, XM 139.

On-Air Talent (Talkshow Host)

Build your social capital and influence ◼ Over 10,000 clients served in 17 years ◼ Co-Host and Founder, Art of Charm

🔥 Command Presence. Real Influence. No Fluff.

Already invested in coaching or leadership programs… but still feel like something’s missing?

You’ve got the credentials. The hard skills. Maybe even the title.

But if your career growth is slowing because your communication hasn’t caught up — you’re not alone.

Most professionals hit a ceiling when soft skills become the differentiator.

And that’s where I step in.

❌ The truth about most coaching:

Leadership courses? Too generic.

Corporate training? Too political.

Communication books and TED Talks? Great in theory, useless in high-stakes rooms.

You need targeted, practical coaching built around your professional world — not some academic framework.

✅ What You’ll Get Working With Me

10 hours. One-on-one. Personalized. Intensely practical.

We’ll work together to:

Decode high-stakes conversations and make your communication hit harder.

Amplify your influence in rooms filled with executives, engineers, investors, or stakeholders.

Build your “X-Factor” — a powerful personal presence that earns trust fast.

Unleash your Social Intelligence — command the room, influence anyone, and forge relationships.

You’ll never watch a video or sit through fluff. This is tactical training designed for results.

💥 Plus: Join the X-Factor Accelerator

An exclusive, implementation-based group for high performers. Inside:

Get real-time feedback from other driven professionals.

Practice frameworks in live drills.

Build executive presence and influence with accountability.

👊 My Credibility
19+ years in influence, leadership, and communication development.

10,000+ clients across tech, finance, military, and consulting.

Coached U.S. Military Special Forces & Intelligence Units.

Host of a podcast with 450M+ downloads featuring world-class scientists and performance experts.

For the Analytic Mind Turned Leader.
For the Founder Now Fundraising.
For the Operator Who Needs Buy-In Fast.

If you’ve already tried “the other stuff” and still aren’t getting the results — let’s fix it.

DM me.

Let's turn communication into your competitive advantage.

AJ Harbinger

Think charisma is reserved for celebrities?

That belief is holding you back.

Charisma isn’t fame.
It’s the ability to attract, connect, and influence.

And it’s not reserved for the rich or famous.

You see it in that friend everyone gravitates toward.
Or the colleague people naturally trust and admire.

Their charisma opens doors—not because they’re special,
but because they’ve learned how to connect.

Charisma isn’t a divine gift.
It’s a skill.

Yes, genetics play a role—but most of it comes from learned behaviors and intentional practice.

Introvert or extrovert, anyone can develop it.

Here’s how to start building real charisma and social influence:

1. Be genuinely interested in others
Curiosity is magnetic. Listen deeply. Ask thoughtful questions. Make people feel seen.

2. Maintain strong eye contact
Eye contact signals confidence and presence. It tells people, “You matter.”

3. Use open, positive body language
Smile. Nod. Keep your posture open. Approachability builds connection fast.

4. Communicate clearly and confidently
Say less, but say it well. Cut filler words. Speak with intention.

5. Develop emotional intelligence
Notice emotions—yours and theirs. Empathy strengthens trust.

6. Share what excites you
Passion is contagious. Authentic enthusiasm draws people in.

7. Stay humble and authentic
Confidence without ego is powerful. Be real. Be grounded.

Charisma isn’t something you’re born with.
It’s something you build—one interaction at a time.

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I became a father this year.

Everything changed.

Not in some profound movie moment way.

In the quiet, terrifying, beautiful way things change when you hold a life you made and realize you get one shot at this.

I recentered everything around family.

The clients who drain me? Gone.

The projects that sound good but feel wrong? No.

The opportunities that would impress people but steal time from my daughter? Not worth it.

I spent years saying yes because I thought I had to.

Building a business. Building a brand. Building what I thought success looked like.

Then I held her for the first time and understood what I was building toward.

We dialed in our core values as a family.

Not some corporate exercise with sticky notes.

Real conversations about what matters when she asks us in ten years why we made the choices we made.

Those values gave me permission to say no.

To clients. To colleagues. To people I respect.

Saying no used to feel like failure.

Now it feels like protection.

I am not the father I want to be yet.

Not even close.

I lose my patience. I check my phone when I should be present. I think about work when I should be thinking about her.

But I know the gap now.

I see the father I want to become.

The one who shows up. Who listens. Who chooses her over everything else that screams for attention.

That clarity is the gift.

Not perfection. Direction.

This year taught me that success is not what you build for other people to see.

Success is what you protect when no one is watching.

The time. The attention. The presence.

I am grateful for my daughter.

For my wife who chose me for this.

For the clarity that comes from knowing what you would give up everything else to keep.

That is what I am thankful for this year.

You're the person everyone goes to when they need something done right.

Competent. Reliable. Always available.

And you just got passed over for the promotion again.

"I need to be more visible. Speak up more in meetings."

So you volunteer for more projects. You make yourself even MORE available.

It doesn't work.

Here's what's happening.

You fell into The Availability Trap.

You're so good at your job that you've trained everyone to see you as the person who executes, not the person who leads.

When you're always available, you signal something you don't intend to signal:

Low demand.

One client came to me after being passed over twice for a director role. 

Top performer. Always available. Always solving problems.

We changed one behavior.

Next time someone asked for his time on something non-urgent:

"I'm locked in on the Q3 analysis until Thursday. Can we connect Friday morning?"

Three things happened:

He signaled he's working on something important enough to protect.

He made his attention scarce.

He created a future touchpoint on his terms.

Within six months, he was invited into strategy conversations he'd never been part of before. Within nine months, he got the promotion.

Nothing changed about his technical skills. Everything changed about how people valued his time.

Here's the principle:

Behavioral economics shows people assign higher value to scarce resources.

When you're always available, you signal low demand.

When you're strategically unavailable, people start wondering: 

"What is he working on that's more important than this?"

That question creates status.

The formula:

Protect your calendar. 

Make your time scarce. 

They value your attention. 

Perceived authority without saying a word.

High-value people don't chase opportunities. They create demand for their time.

This week, practice strategic withdrawal once.

When someone asks for something non-urgent, protect your focus and offer a specific alternative time.

Watch how the dynamic shifts.

Picture yourself as a gardener.

Because the truth is, most business success comes down to simple, consistent care.

Building relationships, like gardening, is all about
nurturing the right connections.

Care, patience, and a little bit of effort
will lead to the most fruitful partnerships.

So, let's start planting the seeds of trust today...

→ Don’t rush the growth.
Listen to your client's needs.
Understand their goals. Guide without pushing.

→ Don’t blame the relationship for not advancing quickly.
Acknowledge effort, not just results.
Foster trust & support. Celebrate small wins.

→ Don’t abandon relationships before they have a chance to grow.
Connections need time to deepen.
Be patient with progress. Allow time to develop.

→ Choose the right connections for the right opportunities.
Focus where it can thrive.
Align interests with goals. Share your social capital.

→ Nourish and cultivate.
Support their development.
Offer value and resources. Appreciate generously.

→ Remove obstacles.
Cultivate a positive environment.
Address issues. Take responsibility.

→ Remember, there will be ups and downs.
You can’t control everything; only be prepared.
Anticipate changes. Prepare for challenges.

As complex as building relationships may seem, it's really about a handful of simple practices.

Nurture your connections.
Invest in their growth.

And the results will speak for themselves.

Be honest—how many great ideas have you talked yourself out of this week?

Top performers aren’t successful because they have better ideas.

They’re successful because they act on the ideas they already have.

The longer you think about acting, the harder it becomes to act.

Here’s how to break that cycle:

1. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
When an idea shows up, move on it right away—send the message, write the outline, start the draft. Action builds momentum before doubt shows up.

2. 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬
You can’t hit a target you haven’t defined. Clarity creates direction, and direction gives you something to run toward.

3. 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬
Big goals feel overwhelming. Small steps feel doable. One micro-action at a time creates consistency.

4. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞
 Leaders aren’t built by motivation. They’re built by rhythm. Give action a place in your daily routine.

5. 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
If it steals your focus, it steals your progress. Remove the noise so your mind can stay on what matters.

6. 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬
Urgency turns intention into action. A simple deadline can do more than hours of planning.

7. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞
Share your goals with someone who will actually check in. Accountability turns “I’ll try” into “I will.”

8. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞
Failure isn’t the opposite of success—it’s the process of success. Each misstep sharpens your approach.

9. 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬
Progress compounds when you acknowledge it. Small wins keep the momentum alive.

Act now.

Success isn’t waiting for a perfect plan—just your first step.

You're networking wrong.

Most people work the room all night. Shake every hand. Stay until the lights come on.

Then nobody remembers them.

High-value operators do this instead:

Show up.

Have 3 quality conversations.

Leave early.

You were there. 

But you didn't stay until the end collecting cards.

Next event, people notice when you arrive. 

They remember you left last time.

You created scarcity around your presence.

Your time became something to compete for.

Here's why this works:

When you're at every event until midnight, you become furniture. People stop tracking your movements. Your presence loses meaning.

Strategic absence makes people ask: Where did he go? What's he working on?

The formula:

Quality conversations over quantity contacts.

Early exit over marathon attendance.

Scarcity over availability.

Your presence becomes an event.

I've watched this pattern repeat. 

The executives who attend fewer events get more opportunities.

The founders who leave early get more follow-ups.

Availability kills intrigue.

Scarcity builds value.

Stop maximizing face time.

Start maximizing impact per appearance.

Ever feel guilty for your own success? 

That’s not an accident.

Someone took a shot at you recently.

A coworker saying "must be nice" when you mentioned your vacation.

A friend going "wow, you've changed" when you talked about something you're excited about.

And before you realized what happened, you were explaining yourself.

Justifying. Defending.

I used to do this constantly. Someone would throw a dig my way and I'd go into "let me prove I'm not the bad guy" mode.

It took me years to figure out what was happening.

They weren't attacking me. They were trying to pull me into their frame.

When someone goes low. When they get passive-aggressive or dismissive or condescending. They're setting a trap.

If you defend yourself, you're playing on their court. They're steering the interaction. And somehow you feel like the one who did something wrong.

The most influential people I've studied do something different.

Instead of defending or attacking back, they name what's happening.

"Sounds like my schedule is frustrating for you."
"Seems like this project landing bothered you."
"Feels like you're worried I'm pulling away."

Then they ask what the other person needs.

This short-circuits the emotional trap. You're not defending. You're leading.

After coaching over 10,000 clients on communication, I've watched this pattern play out hundreds of times.

Most people spend their lives bouncing between justifying and attacking back.

Both are low-value responses.

The third path is defining the moment instead of reacting to it.

Stop letting other people set the terms of your conversations.

Great advice is worthless if no one listens.

This one shift makes people actually care.

Someone mentions a problem.

You jump in with the solution.

Smart answer. Valuable insight.

And they completely ignore it.

My analytical clients do this most. They hear a problem and immediately offer the fix.

But here's what they miss:

People don't value advice they didn't work for.

I learned this watching how interrogators extract information. 

They never give answers first. They make you earn clarity through articulation.

Here's the psychology:

When someone works before receiving value, you trigger effort justification. Their brain decides: "I invested in this answer, so it must be worth hearing."

You just made your advice 10x more valuable without changing a word.

Over the last 17 years, I've taught this to executives who wondered why their teams ignored their guidance.

The problem wasn't the advice. It was the sequence.

Most people give solutions before establishing cost. Your brain devalues anything that comes free.

Understanding that changes how you mentor, coach, and lead.

The pattern I use:

Before offering advice, extract their constraint. Make them articulate what's not working. Let them reveal their gap.

Then deliver.

When you make someone work to frame their problem, three things happen:

They clarify their actual issue (not the surface symptom). They invest attention into the conversation. They value whatever comes next.

This applies everywhere. Client meetings. Team discussions. Networking conversations.

The advice that gets ignored? The advice that came too easy.

The advice that transforms people? The advice they had to work to receive.

Stop giving away your best insights for free.

Make people pay the attention tax first.

I used to think hard work was everything.

Being raised in a blue-collar single-dad family

My mantra was:

Work harder than anyone else.

That ethic led me to:

❌ Choosing to work instead of building relationships
❌ A dead-end of grinding it out daily
❌ Shrinking my worldview

Once I’ve started building relationships outside of grad school

My whole (social) life transformed. 

It’s been eye-opening for me. 

→ I didn’t have to fight as hard to get to where I wanted to go because I had the relationships to get me there. 

Building high-level relationships is a quick and easy way to unlock:

✔️ New levels in your life
✔️ New opportunities 
✔️ Trust 

You don’t have to struggle with all the friction.

Finish this year strong and step into the next level.

You light up when someone compliments your work.

That reaction costs you status.

Watch what happens: 

Someone says "Great presentation." 

You smile. 

"Thank you so much! I spent hours on the data analysis and refining the visuals..."

You told them you needed their approval.

I've noticed the opposite pattern in people with influence.

They do something I call validation immunity.

Same scenario. "Great presentation."

Response: "I appreciate that."

Neutral expression. 

No expansion.

Then they shift: "What questions do you have about the timeline?"

They moved forward because their internal assessment didn't change based on someone else's opinion.

Here's what's happening underneath:

When you expand on compliments, you signal their opinion determines your value.

When you receive neutrally and redirect, you signal you already know what you did. 

Their agreement is noted. Not needed.

The formula is simple.

Compliment received. 

"I appreciate that." Shift topic.

People with influence don't need your validation.

They validated themselves before you showed up.

The body language cue that reveals more than words ever will.

Most people think reading body language means watching for crossed arms or eye contact.

Wrong.

FBI counterintelligence expert Joe Navarro taught me the one signal that trumps everything else.

It's called the freeze response.

Here's what it looks like:

You're delivering feedback. Negotiating. Sharing news that matters.

The person across from you suddenly goes still.

Their hands stop moving mid-gesture.

Breathing pauses.

They lock up for 2-3 seconds.

That's their limbic system taking over. You just hit something real.

Most people miss this completely because they're focused on what to say next. They keep talking, filling space, moving past the moment.

Wrong move.

The freeze is your oldest threat response. Older than fight or flight. When someone freezes, their primitive brain just overrode their conscious control.

Whatever you said landed deep.

FBI research confirms the freeze appears before any other defensive behavior. Catch it early and you understand what's actually happening beneath the surface.

Here's the play:

Deliver your point.

Spot the freeze.

Stay silent.

Let them sit in it.

They'll fill the space and reveal what actually matters.

Most professionals are terrified of silence. They rush to smooth things over, clarify, soften the blow.

That's exactly when you need to shut up and wait.

The truth emerges in those 5-10 seconds of discomfort. Not through interrogation. Through strategic silence.

You don't need to be an FBI agent to spot the freeze.

You just need to stop talking long enough to see it.

Your career isn’t being held back by a lack of talent—it’s being held back by shallow connections.

And before you blame your network, ask yourself this: are you actually building one, or just stockpiling names?

Many professionals focus on network breadth (how many people they know) while completely neglecting network depth (the quality of those relationships).

But here's the real truth:

A sprawling network of surface-level connections rarely delivers meaningful opportunity.

What determines your network's power isn't its size but its interconnectedness and the mutual investment in each relationship.

I call this "relationship density" - and it's the hidden factor behind truly valuable networks.

High density networks feature:

• Trust-based relationships (not just transactional exchanges)
• Ongoing value creation (not just value extraction)
• Proactive connection (not just reactive outreach when you need something)
• Genuine knowledge of others' needs and goals
• Strategic relationship nurturing

Low density networks feature:

• Superficial connections with little trust
• Sporadic engagement only when beneficial to you
• Little understanding of others' true priorities
• No systematic approach to relationship maintenance

After studying thousands of professional relationships, the pattern is clear:

Those with smaller but denser networks consistently outperform those with larger but looser connections.

Quality defeats quantity every time.

The irony? Building relationship density takes less time than endlessly expanding a low-quality network.

It's not about doing more - it's about focusing your relational energy more strategically.

What's one relationship in your network that deserves more intentional investment this week?

You’re one question away from being unforgettable.

Most conversations die because nobody shifts the depth.

You meet someone. Exchange pleasantries. Talk about work. Then nothing.

Here's what changes everything:

Listen for care signals.

When someone mentions what they're trying to do, don't respond with surface questions.

Ask about motivation instead.

They say: "I've been mentoring junior engineers."

Most people: "Oh, how's that going?"

You: "What made you want to do that?"

Watch them pause.

Then they tell you something real.

"Nobody did that for me. I don't want them to figure it out the hard way."

You just went from small talk to substance.

This is identity-level disclosure. You're asking WHO they are, not WHAT they do.

People remember the person who sees them.

The formula: Care signal → Motivation question → Let them go deep.

Try it this week.

You'll be the conversation they remember.

Most networking conversations die the moment they end.

You exchange cards. Promise to “stay in touch.”

Then nothing.

After coaching over 10,000 clients, I’ve learned the real problem:

You never created anything worth following up on.

Here’s what I mean:

When someone says “I’m building AI capabilities, but finding engineers who understand business is impossible” — most people respond with sympathy.

“That’s tough.”

“Yeah, hiring is brutal.”

Wrong move.

What just happened? They revealed their goal AND their constraint in one sentence.

Goal: AI capabilities.

Constraint: talent gap.

Now instead of offering to “pick your brain sometime,” do this:

“I know someone who just left a similar role. Want me to make an introduction?”

Three things just happened:

→ You proved you were listening

→ You demonstrated relevant relationships

→ You created a concrete reason to follow up

This is genuine reciprocity. Not manipulation. Just specific help that matters.

Harvard Negotiation Project research confirms it: micro-help builds trust faster than grand promises.

When you prove value within 48 hours, the relationship shifts.

They text you back.

They think of you when opportunities surface.

They actually want to stay connected.

The formula:

1. Spot their goal
2. Spot their constraint
3. Offer one specific action within two days

Not “let me think about it.”

One introduction. One article. One suggestion they can use tomorrow.

Most people leave events with cards and no next steps.

You can leave with three people who remember exactly how you helped them.

That’s the difference between collecting contacts and building relationships.

You've been climbing the wrong pyramid your entire career.

Maslow's hierarchy promised that if you checked the boxes (basic needs, safety, belonging, esteem) you'd reach self-actualization and feel complete.

The National Institutes of Health calls this "one of the most pernicious ideas in the social sciences."

Bill Burnett and Dave Evans from Stanford explain exactly why on this week's podcast.

Listen to this.

You contain more aliveness than one lifetime permits you to live.

If there's more potential inside you than you could possibly express in 80 years, and fulfillment requires living all of it, then you're chasing something mathematically impossible.

You were designed to feel incomplete.

Bill and Dave call this the "achieving brain." The mode most people operate in 99.7% of the time. Always optimizing. Always asking what else do I need to do?

Meanwhile, you miss the meaning that's already here.

Bill stopped on his way to class last week. A bush covered in blue flowers, blooming in late fall when it shouldn't. He took a picture. Tucked a flower in his notebook.

That was a meaning-making moment. Not because it was profound. Because he noticed.

Dave calls this the difference between the "transactional world" and the "flow world." Same reality, different lens. One keeps you stuck performing. The other lets you experience your life.

The shift that changes everything: Got to versus get to.

Bill used to drag himself to staff meetings he created. "I gotta go to this meeting."

Then he flipped it: "I get to work with some of the smartest people in the world trying to make the planet better."

Same meeting. Different experience.

Where you look is where you go.

Motorcycle riders know this. Stare at the ditch and you drive right into it.

Same with your career, your relationships, your entire life.

Stop climbing the pyramid.

Start noticing what's already here.

This one habit instantly makes you more likable, more connected, and more effective at work.

Show genuine appreciation.

We don’t praise people enough because we often believe that people in our lives already know how we feel about them.

This creates what scientists call a liking gap.

We have a psychological bias to underestimate how good our compliments make others feel.

Most think our good vibes are clear without saying much. Not true!

In fact, science shows that people love receiving appreciation almost as much as receiving physical gifts.

It’s magical, really.

The simplest way to start is to express gratitude to the people around you.

Letting your peers know what you think about them not only creates connection but also boosts your own mental health and resilience.

Bet you didn’t think praising others could help you feel more chipper, right?

It creates social support and lowers the stress response which improves productivity and motivates us.

This is huge for careers and making friends.

Creating true connections is what matters. 

That way, your network is full of people who really support you.

Whether it’s at work or in day-to-day life, showing appreciation is the fertilizer for any relationship.

Let people know how important they are to you, and you may be surprised by their response.

Why do some leaders get loyalty while others get excuses?

It comes down to one thing: authority versus influence.

Authority comes from your position.
Influence comes from connection.

Authority can demand action.
Influence inspires commitment.

This difference explains why:

• Some managers get bare minimum effort, while others get discretionary energy
• Some parents get compliance while others get genuine cooperation
• Some salespeople get reluctant purchases while others get enthusiastic referrals

True influence isn’t about techniques or tactics. It’s built on a foundation of genuine connection.

And the counterintuitive key to that connection? Appropriate vulnerability.

Not oversharing. Not manufactured weakness.

But sharing your human experience authentically—enough to create bridges, not walls.

I’ve seen executives transform their leadership simply by explaining the thought process behind decisions instead of just announcing outcomes.

I’ve watched professionals strengthen client relationships by acknowledging the limits of their expertise rather than pretending to know everything.

The most influential people understand this: genuine vulnerability doesn’t diminish your impact—it amplifies it.

Because influence doesn’t come from appearing perfect.
It comes from being human in a way that allows others to connect with you authentically.

The question isn’t whether you have authority—it’s whether you’re creating the kind of connection that builds lasting influence.

What kind of connection are you creating today?

The fastest way to deepen any relationship is simpler than we make it.

Think of the friend you most enjoy being around.

Why do you enjoy their company?

There are many factors at play here, but typically, when we think about the people we are closest to and the ones we enjoy being around, there is a consistent theme.

It’s actually quite simple.

They actually care about 𝘺𝘰𝘶...

About what’s going on in 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 life...

About the things that get you excited…

The things that scare you…

Even the things that motivate you…

They may not be saints.

They may not check off certain boxes.

But at the end of the day, what matters is that they actually care about you.

That’s a big part of being a high-value person.

Do you care?

Do you give a little bit of your time, attention, empathy, etc. to the people who are giving it to you?

None of us want to be takers.

We all envy the people who give freely of themselves and in return, reap friendship, admiration, and loyalty.

And the good news is, it’s not out of reach.

You got this in you.

Start small.

Care big.

Watch the magic unfold.

Vivid Advisory

Comprehensive financial planning for high-income professionals, women executives, business owners, and first-generation wealth builders.

Vivid Advisory is a boutique financial planning firm that specializes in helping high-income professionals simplify their finances and build long-term wealth. We work with attorneys, physicians, corporate executives, and business owners who want to align their financial strategy with their lifestyle, values, and goals.

We provide fee-based financial planning, investment management, insurance strategies, and tax-efficient wealth building—all tailored to professionals navigating complex financial lives.

Our typical clients are:
	•	Women breadwinners and executives in law, healthcare, and business
	•	First-generation wealth builders looking to create financial freedom
	•	High earners in their 30s–50s who feel “behind” or overwhelmed despite strong income
	•	Business owners and entrepreneurs preparing for growth, succession, or exit

We help clients:
	•	Create personalized cash flow and savings systems
	•	Optimize equity compensation, retirement accounts, and tax strategies
	•	Protect their wealth through insurance and estate planning
	•	Invest inside and outside of traditional accounts (real estate, brokerage, etc.)
	•	Plan for key milestones like homeownership, family expansion, or early retirement

If you’re seeking a financial advisor who understands the unique needs of high achievers, and delivers clear, actionable planning not fluff or jargon we should talk.

📩 DM me or visit www.vividadvisory.com to schedule a consultation.

Founder & CEO

HBCU Access New York, Inc.

HBCU Access New York is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing awareness, access, and opportunities for New York City students to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Founded in 2025, we seek to empower students from underrepresented communities by providing the resources, knowledge, and support they need to pursue higher education at HBCUs, institutions known for their rich history, cultural impact, and commitment to producing leaders in various fields.

Advisory Board Member

Visionary Network

Building intentional community for bold, forward-thinking professionals

The Visionary Network is a curated ecosystem of leaders, creatives, and builders across law, business, tech, healthcare, finance, and the arts—united by a shared desire to grow, connect, and make impact.

We host intimate, high-vibe events that bring together people who are not just doing well—but thinking bigger. Our members are visionaries in their industries, and we create the space for them to cross paths, collaborate, and elevate.

This is for you if you’re:
	•	A leader or creative who wants to be around other sharp, mission-driven people
	•	Craving deeper conversations—not just surface-level networking
	•	Ready to expand your circle and explore aligned partnerships
	•	Passionate about legacy, wealth, purpose, and community

Our goal?
To build a private, values-aligned network of 200+ top professionals who support each other’s growth personally and professionally.

We’re already collaborating with brands, creators, and business leaders to bring our events and offerings to life. If you’re interested in becoming a member, partnering on an event, or learning more, I’d love to connect.

Let’s build something bigger together.

DM me or follow @visionaryatwork to tap in.

Founder

Northwestern Mutual

Director of Growth and Development

Wealth Management Advisor

Howard University

HUSA 56 Financial Advisor 

PepsiCo

Utilized social media marketing to promote Pepsi Max brand on Campus

Brand Ambassador

I didn’t grow up around wealth.

My mother worked tirelessly to provide for our family, and I saw firsthand the weight that falls on the breadwinner. That experience shaped my mission: to help professionals especially women who carry that responsibility turn high income into lasting wealth without sacrificing family, health, or peace of mind.

Today, as a CFP® professional and founder of Vivid Advisory, I work with lawyers and senior executives earning $400K+ who feel like their net worth isn’t moving fast enough. What I’ve found is that it’s rarely about discipline it’s about silent tax drag, investments that aren’t structured for real life, and “someday” planning that keeps getting pushed while prime years pass.

That’s where I step in. I help clients cut tax drag, restructure their portfolios around goals and liquidity needs, and build a coordinated plan that runs without more effort from them. The result isn’t just better returns on paper it’s clarity, confidence, and more wealth without more work.

Clients often tell me things like:

“We saved thousands this year without changing our lifestyle. Now I know exactly where I’m headed.” — Law Firm Partner

“For years I felt like I was working nonstop but my money wasn’t. Now my equity plan is on autopilot and I finally feel confident about the future.” — Senior Executive, Woman Breadwinner

What makes this work is the combination of a decade of experience focused on attorneys and executives, the rigor of being a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, and a process designed to simplify your financial life: a 90-day plan, measurable next steps, and ongoing coordination with your CPA and attorney.

If you’re earning $400K+ and want more to show for it, let’s talk. You can schedule a confidential 15-minute consult via the link in my profile or DM me directly.

Anthony H. Williams, CFP®

She makes $310K at her job

And another $150K consulting.

But the first thing she told me was:

“I don’t combine money with my husband. Every time we talk about it, it becomes a problem.”

So she keeps everything separate.
Quiet. Hidden.

She pays her niece’s med school tuition.
Helps her sister.
Handles emergencies no one else talks about.

Then one day her sister said,

“You said you’d help with her education.”

Not a question. A reminder.

That’s when it hit her:

She was responsible for everyone’s future except her own.

No system.
No plan.
Just income in, income out, guilt, repeat.

When we started working together, she said:

“I make almost half a million a year, and I still don’t feel safe.”

High-earning women aren’t irresponsible.
They’re overloaded.

And that’s how wealth disappears quietly
while everyone calls you strong.

Helping Women Lawyers & C-Suite Execs Pay Less in Taxes, Keep More of What They Earn, and Protect What They’ve Built

My account lost $15,000 in eight days.
Cousin. Aunt. Sibling.
All emergencies.

If you're the first one who made it out, you already know the role.

You become the safety net.
The person everyone calls before they even consider another option.

And the guilt hits harder when you remember where you came from 
the tight months, the stress, the we’ll figure it out days.

Now you're earning real money.
So people assume you have room to fix everything.

But the truth is: your own plans keep getting pushed back.

Last month my cousin called again.
“Between jobs. Short on rent. Can you help just this once?”

I opened my banking app.
Typed $1,500.
Thumb hovering over send.

Something felt off.

So I called instead.

“I can’t send it this time. But I can help you look at the numbers, and I know someone hiring.”

He got quiet.
Then said, “Alright. We can talk.”

I didn’t send the money.

Two weeks later, he called about that job.
He got it.

Here’s what I realized:

I wasn’t hurting financially.
I was slowing myself down by jumping into every crisis that wasn’t mine.

And almost every high-income client I work with carries the same load.
They earn well… but they’re drained.
Not by spending, but by supporting everyone else first.

You can still show up for your family.
But not at the cost of your future.

The $1,500 I didn’t send?
It went straight into my business.

Build yours first.
Help from overflow, not from empty.

That’s how you actually move forward.

Helping women Lawyers & Execs Pay Less in Taxes, Grow Wealth, and Protect Their Legacy | DM “FREEDOM” to keep more this year

Three missed check-ins did more damage to my marriage than any bill ever could.

I was working 60 hours a week.
Distant.
Every Sunday I said,
“We’ll do it next week.”

We started living beside each other
instead of with each other.

Then my wife asked,
“Do you want to go to Orlando with me?”

I said,
“I can’t. Too much going on.”

The second I said it, I felt the distance I was creating.

Five minutes later, I called back.
“Let’s go.”

In Orlando, we finally sat down for our check-in.
What’s working.
What’s not.
What we’d both been carrying alone.

It wasn’t about money.
It was about the things we stopped saying when life got loud.

Nothing in our life changed that weekend.
We did.

You don’t lose a marriage in one big moment.
You lose it in the Sundays you skip.

Anthony Williams, CFP®

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This Thanksgiving, I’m not calling anyone out.
Not my friend who works 70 hours a week
while her grown son sleeps all day, his girlfriend lives rent-free,
and they brought three cats into her house.
And she still carries the whole load.

I’m not calling out the family members
who take over the dinner table
with topics nobody understands
just to avoid the real conversations.

I’m not calling out the people
who stay until midnight because they don’t know how to leave.

I’m not even calling out the money stress, the emotional labor,
or the weight some of us carry in silence.

I’m just saying this:

If you’re the one who holds everything up
financially or emotionally 

I see you.

You deserve rest.
You deserve peace.
You deserve a holiday that doesn’t drain you.

Happy Thanksgiving from me and my wife.

Take one moment for yourself today.
You’ve earned it.

Her family thinks she’s doing fine.

They don’t know she makes $399K.

She hides it because the minute they know, the asks don’t stop.

She told me,
“If they knew the real number, I’d lose peace. And once you lose peace, you lose everything.”

So she keeps her income quiet.

But hiding from her family turned into hiding from her own money.

She spends thousands on her daughter’s activities because she grew up with none.

She buys things to make life feel easier but never checks what it adds up to.

And the Airbnb she bought to get ahead?
It loses money every month.
She avoids looking at it.

Then she said,
“I’m not telling them what I make. But I’m finally ready to see what it’s costing me.”

So we sat down and looked quietly, without judgment and built the first version of a plan that protects her first.

She wasn’t hiding her income to avoid pressure.
She was hiding from the truth:

Earning a lot and still falling behind.

Peace isn’t lost in one moment.
It’s lost in everything you avoid.

On our first date, I told my wife we needed to split the bill 50/50.
She looked at me like, “WHAT?”

I wasn’t being responsible.
I was scared.

Even when I had money, I acted like it could disappear overnight.
Like one wrong move would put me right back at zero.

When you grow up without money, you don’t learn how to enjoy it.
You learn how to protect every dollar.

So even when life gets better, your mind stays in survival mode.

That was me.
Always tense.
Always expecting something to go wrong.

And here’s the part I didn’t understand yet:

The real trap isn’t losing money.
It’s never feeling safe enough to use it.

Money didn’t scare me.
My past did.

I made a rookie mistake on my flight.

I went to the bathroom right before the turbulence hit.

Five minutes in, the plane starts shaking like crazy.
The pilot’s voice comes over:
"Everyone, please fasten your seatbelts."

And there I am, gripping the walls, trying not to fall over.

When I finally step out, it feels like everyone is watching a scene play out.
The guy next to me is already laughing.
He says, “Man, I was imagining what was happening in there.”

We ended up talking for the rest of the flight.
A little chaos.
A little embarrassment.
And just like that, strangers felt like friends.

Funny how that works sometimes, the moments you’d rather hide are the ones that make people feel real.

They made $590K last year.
And almost ended their marriage over where her money was going.

She makes $310K.
He makes $280K.

Every month, thousands left her account for family back home.

That’s the weight first-gen oldest daughters carry.

He didn’t grow up like that.
So he watched the money leave and felt like he was building one future
while she was funding another.

Then they finally said the quiet part out loud:
He felt alone.
She felt responsible.

They weren’t fighting about money.
They were fighting about two different definitions of family.

When we sat down, they didn’t need investment advice.
They needed order.

So we set one number for family support.
One plan they both believed in.
A structure where she could give without guilt and he could breathe again.

Most couples don’t break up because of money.
They break because one person is carrying two families
and the other has no idea.

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I used to be so mad at my dad.
My mom scraped together money for school supplies while he was too busy at his mechanic shop.

I thought he didn’t care about us.

Years later, as a financial planner, I went through his old tax docs.

Some years, he made $120K–$180K.

His CPA told him to spend money to save on taxes.

So he got into:
Bad investments
Equipment he didn’t need
Partnerships that went nowhere

He went broke trying to be smart.

We struggled. 
My mom worked so much
I took out student loans for college.

He wasn’t broke because he didn’t make money.
He was broke because nobody taught him what to do with it.

A lot of us grew up like that, parents working themselves to death with no strategy, just survival.

That’s why I do this now.

I don’t help people save on taxes.
I help them build wealth.

Because spending money to avoid taxes isn’t a plan.
It’s how you stay broke.

You don’t have to repeat that cycle.
You can be the one who breaks it.

DM me STRATEGY. Let’s build a plan that actually grows your wealth.

I met with a couple last month.
Both doctors.
Making $520K a year combined.

And neither of them could tell me where $8,000 went last month.

They’re the first in both their families to make this kind of money.

2 kids in daycare.
A mortgage.
A rental property that’s more stress than cash flow.
Student loans. 
Family support.

The rest?

Somewhere between Target runs, DoorDash, and trying to recover from 60-hour weeks.

When I asked, “Do you know how much you spend each month?” they both went quiet.

She looked at her hands.
He took a breath.

Not because they’re irresponsible.
But because nobody teaches you what to do once the money finally shows up.

Swipe. Hope. Repeat.

So we built a simple system:
Fixed costs
Family support
Real goals
Safety net

Then we automated it.

Retirement funded first.
Investments next.
Bills, spending, and family support handled without thinking.

When we finished, she let out a breath she’d been holding for months.
He said, “Wait… that’s it? We just check in weekly?”

Yep. 15 minutes.

Last week she texted me:
“Just did our weekly check-in. We finally have clarity.”

If you’re making good money but can’t explain where it goes, you need a system that works while you’re working.

Send me a message, let’s build one together.

She got a $25,000 bonus and didn’t feel happy for even a second.

She just stared at it.

Then she said,

“Do I save it?
Do I help my niece?
Do I get myself something?”

Extra money doesn’t feel like a reward when you grow up first-gen.
It feels like pressure.

So she didn’t spend it.
She didn’t save it.
She just sat there choosing which guilt she could live with.

Then she said,
“I make good money, but every dollar still feels borrowed.”

So we gave the bonus a job.

What helps her family
What builds her future
What she can enjoy without guilt

First-gen earners don’t fear losing money.
They fear losing the safety they never had.

Even when I had money, I still felt one dollar away from losing everything.

Two years ago, I was ready to hire a business coach.
$10K.

I had the money.
My business needed it.

But I still couldn’t pull the trigger.

I waited two months.
Checked my account constantly.
Talked myself out of it every other day.

“What if it doesn’t work?”
“What if I waste it?”

When I finally hired him, I felt guilty for weeks.

My parents never had $10K to invest in themselves.

Now I do.

And I still feel like I’m about to lose it all.

Nobody taught me safety.
Nobody taught me how to invest in myself without fear.

Survival teaches one rule:

Carry everything.
Carry everyone.
Put yourself last.

Freedom isn’t a mindset shift.

It’s a skill you were never taught.

"My friend got cancer.
We make almost the same income.
And she’s struggling with money."

That’s what a client shared with me on a call, and it scared me more than I expected.

Watching her fight two battles at once, her health and her finances hit different.

Then she whispered the part nobody hears:
“Even with my advisor, I still feel behind.”

So we're rebuilding everything for her.

A system that could hold her when she couldn’t:

cash flow that works without her
insurance that actually protects her
investments that don’t stop just because she has to

Here’s the truth most high earners never admit:

You’re not scared of getting sick.
You’re scared your money wouldn’t survive it.

OMG it’s Black Friday. 
And everything suddenly turns into “I deserve it.” 

You deserve that bag you keep looking at. 
You deserve to get your daughter something nice. 
You deserve the thing you’ll use once because you’re tired, you work too hard, and everybody leans on you. 

But most high-earning women aren’t shopping for fun today. 
They’re coping. 

It’s “I never get anything.” 
It’s “I’m drained and I want to feel good for five minutes.” 
It’s spending to breathe. 

And that’s how money disappears 
without you seeing what it’s costing you. 

So here’s the only thing I’ll say today: 

Buy what you want. 
Just don’t buy away the future you’re trying to build
because you’re exhausted in the present. 

That’s why I give clients a Freedom Fund
money they can spend without guilt 
because the rest of their life is actually handled. 

Enjoy today. 
Just don’t forget tomorrow.

She opened the call with one sentence:
“I carry the kids, the bills, and the stress.”

She makes $360K.
Her husband makes way less.

She pays for almost everything:
rent, daycare, groceries, the nanny.

Then she said,
“I feel like a single parent with a roommate.”

Whenever she brings up money, he shuts down.
She starts choosing her words.
Trying not to make him feel small.

Her question wasn’t about investing.
It was simpler:

“How do I stop feeling like everything depends on me?”

So we built something she never had.
Clear roles.
One plan.
One weekly check-in so they talk like partners again.

Money doesn’t break her.
Doing everything alone does.

The first time she saw her tax bill, she stared at the $67,000 for a long time.
Then she laughed.
“I need a better CPA.”

The call ended.
She went back to work.

Nothing changed.

When we talked again earlier this year, she said,
“I know I’m paying too much.”

Then she paused.

“I just want to make sure I don’t mess it up before next year.”

“Why didn’t you fix it last year?”
Long pause.
“I kept meaning to.”

So we fixed it mid-year.

Adjusted her quarterly payments while she was still earning.
Set up a system so April wouldn’t be a surprise.

She texted me last week:
“I just realized I’ve been making quarterly payments all year and didn’t even stress about it. That’s never happened before.”

I cried the night my ankle blew out.
Not from the pain.
From knowing the dream was gone.

One wrong step.
Years of work, gone.

I finished the season, but something in me had already broken.

Success is fragile.

My clients earning $400K–$500K feel that every day.
Not on a court.
In their bank accounts.

They’re one moment away from everything shifting.

a parent who suddenly needs help,
a partner who loses their job,
a tax bill the size of a small car.

The fear isn’t losing money.
It’s realizing their entire life depends on a system they never built.

High income isn’t protection.
Structure is.

Because without it, one wrong step isn’t an injury.
It’s a collapse.

I used to hate asking for help.
It made me feel weak.
Like I wasn’t doing enough.

So I carried everything myself.
Every task.
Every problem.

When you grow up without much, you don’t learn to trust people.
You learn to trust work.

But I wasn’t strong.
I was exhausted.

So I had to unlearn a lot.
Let people in.
Let people help.

Now I look at my team and I’m grateful.
We don’t carry everything alone anymore.
We carry it together.

Survival taught me independence.
Growth taught me support.

I was about to set $54,000 on fire.
I was ready to dump it into a can’t-lose real estate deal 
because everyone around me said it was the smart move.

Meanwhile, my business was quietly falling apart.
No assistant. 
No systems. 
No real structure.

Just me tired, overwhelmed, and grinding through 70-hour weeks 

Then a mentor stopped me with one question:

“Why are you investing outside when you haven’t even maximized what you already control?”

I froze.
Because the truth was I didn’t have an answer.

I was so busy chasing the next shiny investment that I completely ignored the one asset that was actually working: my business.

So I made a shift.

→ Hired a full-time assistant
→ Built simple systems so I wasn’t doing everything myself
→ Doubled down on the one offer that was already bringing in results

And I never bought that property.

Honestly, it was the best decision I made.
My revenue doubled that year.

Not because I spread myself thin.
But because I invested in order.

If you’re out there chasing the next big investment while your foundation is shaky… pause.
Fix what you control first.

“How much will I make?”
That was the first thing she asked me.

Not her goals.
Not her timeline.
Just that.

She has $800,000 in cash.

I asked why she hadn’t invested any of it.

She said,
“I’m scared I’ll lose what took me years to build.”

But as she kept talking, it became clear:

She wasn’t protecting her money.
She was protecting her past.

She still supports her siblings.
Still treats every dollar like it has to save someone.

So when I showed her a simple plan, she froze.
Went quiet.
And then she ghosted me
because the thought of investing scared her more than doing nothing.

Caution builds savings.
It doesn’t build wealth.

You don’t lose $800,000 in one bad decision.
You lose it in 30 years of standing still.

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AJ Harbinger

Anthony H. Williams, CFP®

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The Battle

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Anthony H. Williams, CFP®

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