Summer may be winding down, but apparently nobody told the thermostat.

Jeff and Marc kick off September talking about Marc’s 115-degree trip to Phoenix, his slowly expanding golf career, and their upcoming adventure speaking together to Kansas City’s next generation of leaders.

From there, happy hour wanders into some surprisingly useful territory: hiring great people through your network, creating an office culture people actually want to be part of, and what happens when you finally give yourself permission to step away from work for more than a week.

That leads to Marc’s wife Bridget preparing for an eight-week sabbatical, Jeff’s recent conversations with CEOs who have taken extended time off, and an important question: If you spend your sabbatical working on a PhD, is it still technically a sabbatical?

Then Jeff gets a spam text that begins, “Hey Dad, I missed the sound of your laugh,” sending the conversation toward AI scams, fraud, and Marc’s increasingly useful advice for modern life: doubt everything.

Plus, golf, football, giving back, podcast swapping, and several attempts to successfully record one simple sentence.

Grab a drink. It’s 4 O’Clock Somewhere.

This episode is brought to you by Searcy Financial. Your financial future begins with a simple question: Where do you want to be? At Searcy Financial, we help successful individuals and families through our mission to simplify your financial journey, empowering you to enjoy life and wealth on your terms. The question sparks a conversation that goes beyond numbers, helping us understand what truly matters to you and the kind of financial plan that aligns with your life goals. It also allows us to identify potential challenges and opportunities so we can proactively address them. The outcome is a plan that empowers you to acquire, grow, and preserve your wealth.

Searcy Financial is celebrating 50 years of service. Don’t miss out on any of the excitement! To sign up for information on Marc’s book, “One for All,” including where to buy and exclusive website content, or to sign up for the Searcy Financial Wealth Matters email newsletter, use the links below:

- Marc's Book "One for All": Keep Me Updated!

- "Wealth Matters" newsletter: Sign Me Up!

The opinions expressed herein are those of certain Searcy Financial Services, Inc. personnel and are subject to change without notice. The opinions referenced are as of the date of publication and are subject to revision due to changes in the market or economic conditions and may not necessarily come to pass. Any opinions, promotion, endorsement, projections, or forward-looking statements expressed herein are solely those of the author, may differ from the views or opinions expressed by other areas of the firm, and are only for general informational purposes as of the date indicated. Searcy Financial Services, Inc. was not compensated, nor are there material conflicts of interest that would affect the given statement.

In this August episode of It’s 4 O’Clock Somewhere, Marc Shaffer and I talk about something that sounds simple but is weirdly hard for a lot of us: slowing down without feeling guilty.

Marc shares how “summer hours” have created more open space in his schedule, even if golf has not exactly made the calendar yet. We talk about taking inventory of your time, resisting the urge to fill every open slot, and why creative space matters.

We also get into:

• Business development when you are in a slower season
• Why useful content can keep working long after you write it
• Reconnecting with great people like Linda Endicott and Isaac Lee Collins
• Marc’s health journey, running, walking, and being down eight pounds
• Larry Lewis being honored in the Buck O’Neil seat at a Royals game
• Preparing for speaking engagements
• Books and ideas from Awareness, Be Yourself at Work, and Jim Rohn

It’s work, life, health, leadership, and a little permission to stop treating your calendar like a junk drawer.

Pull up a chair. It’s 4 o’clock somewhere.

This episode is brought to you by Searcy Financial. Your financial future begins with a simple question: Where do you want to be? At Searcy Financial, we help successful individuals and families through our mission to simplify your financial journey, empowering you to enjoy life and wealth on your terms. The question sparks a conversation that goes beyond numbers, helping us understand what truly matters to you and the kind of financial plan that aligns with your life goals. It also allows us to identify potential challenges and opportunities so we can proactively address them. The outcome is a plan that empowers you to acquire, grow, and preserve your wealth.

Searcy Financial is celebrating 50 years of service. Don’t miss out on any of the excitement! To sign up for information on Marc’s book, “One for All,” including where to buy and exclusive website content, or to sign up for the Searcy Financial Wealth Matters email newsletter, use the links below:

- Marc's Book "One for All": Keep Me Updated!

- "Wealth Matters" newsletter: Sign Me Up!

The opinions expressed herein are those of certain Searcy Financial Services, Inc. personnel and are subject to change without notice. The opinions referenced are as of the date of publication and are subject to revision due to changes in the market or economic conditions and may not necessarily come to pass. Any opinions, promotion, endorsement, projections, or forward-looking statements expressed herein are solely those of the author, may differ from the views or opinions expressed by other areas of the firm, and are only for general informational purposes as of the date indicated. Searcy Financial Services, Inc. was not compensated, nor are there material conflicts of interest that would affect the given statement.

​This episode was originally released under The Corporate Couch podcast series in May 2026

In this May edition of *It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere*, Marc Shaffer and I are back with another happy hour-style conversation about what’s working, what we’re learning, and why the best connections often happen when you least expect them.

We start with the aftermath of Searcy Financial’s 50th anniversary celebration, including a harmless little parking lot prank involving Marc’s car. From there, we talk about the incredible momentum behind Run for the Roses, which has raised more than $320,000 for Growing Futures, crushing its original $150,000 goal.

We also dig into:

* Searcy’s strategic planning week and what it means to think 3 and 10 years ahead * The challenge and opportunity of leading a team spread across the country * Volunteering, scavenger hunts, streetcars, and “vacationing” in your own city * Kansas City restaurant shoutouts, including Ragazza, Joe’s Kansas City, OurHouse, Bamboo Penny’s, and Classic Cup * Our upcoming tag-team talk for Next KC * Teaching kids about money before they start charging property taxes on their toy Lexus * Adam Grant’s *Think Again* and the importance of questioning what we think we know

Marc also previews a trip to Pittsburgh, a new advisor credential, and a visit to PNC Park, which leads, naturally, to a little downtown baseball stadium talk.

As always, this episode is part business, part life, part community, and part “two friends talking over drinks.”

Grab a drink. Pull up a chair. It’s five o’clock somewhere.

This episode is brought to you by Searcy Financial. Your financial future begins with a simple question: Where do you want to be? At Searcy Financial, we help successful individuals and families through our mission to simplify your financial journey, empowering you to enjoy life and wealth on your terms. The question sparks a conversation that goes beyond numbers, helping us understand what truly matters to you and the kind of financial plan that aligns with your life goals. It also allows us to identify potential challenges and opportunities so we can proactively address them. The outcome is a plan that empowers you to acquire, grow, and preserve your wealth.

Searcy Financial is celebrating 50 years of service. Don’t miss out on any of the excitement! To sign up for information on Marc’s book, “One for All,” including where to buy and exclusive website content, or to sign up for the Searcy Financial Wealth Matters email newsletter, use the links below:

- Marc's Book "One for All": Keep Me Updated!

- "Wealth Matters" newsletter: Sign Me Up!

The opinions expressed herein are those of certain Searcy Financial Services, Inc. personnel and are subject to change without notice. The opinions referenced are as of the date of publication and are subject to revision due to changes in the market or economic conditions and may not necessarily come to pass. Any opinions, promotion, endorsement, projections, or forward-looking statements expressed herein are solely those of the author, may differ from the views or opinions expressed by other areas of the firm, and are only for general informational purposes as of the date indicated. Searcy Financial Services, Inc. was not compensated, nor are there material conflicts of interest that would affect the given statement.