Simplify, Simplify and Simplify!
By Bhuvan Gupta
May 20, 2023
Things work for you if you have intention, determination, and a defined purpose.
Yesterday I met Chris W. Mayer of Woodlock Family, author of a best seller 100 Baggers: Stocks That Return 100-to-1 and How to Find Them and a performance-based fee portfolio manager. Chris proved to me that as we climb up the ladder, we become more humble. Chris is an amazing personality with simple living, open thinking, and implementation. I drove from Washington to his place in Baltimore, where he stays with his wife. This place is roughly 48 miles from DC, but it has the appeal of Indian hills, and perhaps his presence is making it a bliss. He has a wonderful backyard, which is perfect for someone who would like to reflect on himself. It is a must-visit if you want to be a free thinker.
I had gone there with many questions about life, managing funds, and picking good stocks. After asking a few questions, I eventually dropped my questions, realizing there is nothing more to ask since the answers will be simpler than the questions, and I already have them. It is just that I am still not sure to take the simpler one. One thing which struck me was when he said, “Bhuvan, I have done everything in the stock market you can think of.”
That was my takeaway. I have spent hours telling and educating investors around the world to buy quality companies and hold on. Don’t worry about the macro, Fed rates, and politics—just focus on your circle of competence, stick to a few names, and don’t look at your portfolio every day. But it seems sometimes the world overpowers me, and I become like them. Meeting Chris is like touching someone you want to become like and validating if your thesis is still valid amidst the noise.
If you have reached so far, my message to you is “Simplify, simplify, and simplify.”
I carried dates and tea-coasters for Chris, and he was so excited about them, as if a child had got his Lego to play around. He is living in the moment, and I wish I could have taken more variety of dates for him. Those who don’t know Chris, click here or watch my earlier interview with him, here.
So what do Chris and I have in common? We buy quality stocks and hold on to them. Chris has his niche, and his clientele are very sophisticated, whereas I have a different approach. I spend a lot of time educating, probing, and convincing my prospects not to repeat the mistakes I did.
The thought process is the same, but Chris is more content, and I still have to decide which route to take.
Chris spends more time reading books, financials, and gardening. I do the first two, but his book collection is world-class. He has been writing for two decades and writes frequently, whereas many of my writings are still unpublished. 🙁 In short, I am a baby in the womb, and Chris is my future once I am born. 🙂
I suggest that if you want to make money in the simplest way possible and you are not inspired by me because you probably don’t value me much, feel free to write or tweet to Chris. With four books published, printed in several languages, he will definitely make your thoughts change and help you remove clutter from your life and get your money working for you. For example, when our father gives us advice, we don’t take it, but when the same thing is received from someone we respect more, we get it in a second. We all are the same.
Time is a valuable, perishable, and inevitable commodity. We all have it in limited quantities, and I want each one of us, including myself, to realize that. Stop looking at your stocks or money every day, stop watching one hour of daily news, and stop everything that won’t help us 10 years from now.
Pick up a book you think can make you better, read/write blogs, or pick up your favorite sport and play regularly.
On the recent crisis, Tom Gayner in the Markel Q1, 2023 earnings call put it in a few words:
“We have nothing to report to you about the recent headlines of bank failures, real estate defaults, or other bursts of speculative bubbles. We simply weren’t there; we were at home doing our homework, brushing our teeth, eating vegetables, and going to bed at a reasonable hour.”
Thank you for reading and valuing my thoughts. Hope you enjoyed reading.
About the Author
Bhuvan Gupta
(Founder and CEO – CFMC, CFCL)
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This is a personal article. Any views or opinions represented in this article are personal and belong solely to the blog owner and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated.
All content provided on this article is for informational & educational purposes only. The owner of this article makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information The owner will not be liable for any losses or use of this information.
Bhuvan Gupta
( Founder and CEO – CFMC, CFCL)
Follow Bhuvan Gupta on:
Disclaimer:
This is a personal article. Any views or opinions represented in this article are personal and belong solely to the blog owner and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated.
All content provided on this article is for informational & educational purposes only. The owner of this article makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information The owner will not be liable for any losses or use of this information.