What does it really take to build something meaningful over time, and how does that shape the way you define wealth?

Is it about financial outcomes, personal fulfillment, or something deeper that evolves along the journey?

In this episode, Kevin Swanson interviews Edward Oates, Co-Founder of Oracle, about his path from uncertainty in college to helping build one of the most influential technology companies. He shares lessons from early computing, leadership, and decision-making inside a growing startup. Edward also reflects on motivation, hiring philosophy, and the role of wellness in long-term performance. The conversation explores how financial stability, purpose, and relationships shape a meaningful life.

Key takeaways:

• How early uncertainty and curiosity shaped his career path toward computing and data systems
• Lessons from managing massive datasets in the Army and solving accuracy challenges creatively
• Why disciplined cash flow and selective hiring guided Oracle’s early business decisions
• How leadership evolved as the company scaled and why roles had to shift over time
• The connection between financial stability, wellness, and long-term life fulfillment
• And more!

Connect with Potentia Wealth:

• Potentia Wealth
• 408.288.7886
• ask@potentiawealth.com
• LinkedIn: Potentia Wealth
• LinkedIn: Kevin Swanson

Connect with Edward Oates:

• LinkedIn: Edward Oates
• Website: Oracle
• Website: San José State University

About our guest:

Edward Oates is a co-founder of Oracle and a key figure in the early development of relational database technology that helped shape modern computing. With a background in mathematics and a career that began during the early days of programming, he played a central role in building scalable data systems and guiding Oracle’s growth from a small startup into a global technology company. Beyond his work in technology, Edward is deeply engaged in education and philanthropy, supporting initiatives at San Jose State University and serving on nonprofit boards. His perspective blends technical innovation, business discipline, and a strong belief in lifelong learning and personal fulfillment.

Why do people keep chasing more, even when it doesn’t seem to bring lasting fulfillment? Many discover that achievement alone does not deliver the satisfaction they expected.

In this episode, Todd Barney and Kevin Swanson speak with Fred Luskin, Director of the Stanford Forgiveness Projects at Stanford University, about the relationship between wealth, fear, and happiness. They explore why humans are wired to pursue security even after their needs are met, how status comparisons quietly shape dissatisfaction, and why meaningful relationships and contribution play a larger role in fulfillment than accumulating assets.

Fred shares:

• Why humans are biologically wired to scan for threats and scarcity even when their financial needs are met
• How status comparisons quietly fuel dissatisfaction even among highly accomplished individuals
• Why shifting focus from survival and safety toward relationships improves overall well-being
• How the “marshmallow effect” explains investor behavior when gains are followed by losses
• Why gratitude, relationships, and contribution help create deeper satisfaction than accumulating wealth
• And more!

Connect with Potentia Wealth:

• Potentia Wealth
• 408.288.7886
• ask@potentiawealth.com
• LinkedIn: Potentia Wealth
• LinkedIn: Kevin Swanson
• LinkedIn: Todd Barney, CEPA®, CIMA®, CPWA®, CFP®

Connect with Fred Luskin:

• LinkedIn: Fred Luskin
• Website: Fred Luskin

About our guest:

Dr. Frederic Luskin is a psychologist who has been teaching at Stanford University for the past 30 years. He has a Ph. D in Counseling and Health Psychology from Stanford University and holds clinical licenses as a Psychologist and a Marriage and Family Counselor. Currently, he is on the faculty for the GSB Executive Education program, where he teaches mindfulness, emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and positive psychology to executives from all over the world. When not at Stanford, Dr. Luskin often speaks to a variety of audiences, including investors, corporate leaders, medical and mental health professionals, educators and several other organizations and individuals.

He also serves as Director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Projects. The forgiveness projects sponsor teaching and research that validate his nine steps to forgiveness. Dr. Luskin is one of the world’s recognized authorities on forgiveness, both of self and others and has taught forgiveness to tens of thousands of people.

Medicare enrollment feels overwhelming even for financially confident individuals. With 11,000 people turning 65 daily, the complexity of choosing the right plan, understanding hidden costs, and maintaining access to care creates real anxiety.

In this episode, Kevin Swanson and Todd Barney sit down with Julie Brajenovich, Agency Owner at Senior Life Matters, Inc., to demystify the Medicare process. Julie walks through initial enrollment periods, the difference between Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans, how IRMAA impacts costs based on income from two years prior, and why annual review matters as doctors retire and medical groups change. She explains why working with an independent agent costs nothing out of pocket while providing access to all available plans instead of just one carrier’s offerings.

Julie discusses:

• Why Medicare creates anxiety regardless of financial status, and how early planning alleviates overwhelm
• The HSA contribution penalty timeline and when to sign up for Medicare Part A versus delaying Part B
• How Medicare Advantage plans work county by county, while supplements offer nationwide flexibility
• Why IRMAA lookback periods catch retirees off guard, and how to appeal incorrect income assessments
• The critical importance of annual plan reviews as access to care becomes increasingly challenging

Connect with Potentia Wealth:

• Potentia Wealth
• 408.288.7886
• ask@potentiawealth.com
• LinkedIn: Potentia Wealth
• LinkedIn: Kevin Swanson
• LinkedIn: Todd Barney, CEPA®, CIMA®, CPWA®, CFP®

Connect with Julie Brajenovich:

• LinkedIn: Julie Brajenovich
• Website: Senior Life Matters, Inc
• Facebook: Senior Life Matters, Inc

About our guest:

Julie Brajenovich is the Agency Owner of Senior Life Matters, Inc., where she specializes in helping clients navigate the complexities of Medicare enrollment and planning. With her motto “Medicare Made Simple,” Julie works to demystify a system that overwhelms even financially confident individuals approaching retirement. Licensed in 10 states and leading a large team of agents, she provides independent guidance across all available Medicare plans without charging clients for her services. Julie’s approach focuses on early planning, understanding individual healthcare needs, and providing year-round support to ensure clients maintain appropriate coverage as their situations evolve. Her expertise includes Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans, IRMAA planning, and helping clients maintain access to care during annual enrollment periods.

In less than two minutes, a routine experience can turn into a moment that defines every decision that follows. This episode explores how the human brain reacts under extreme pressure and why those same instincts often take over when markets become volatile.

In this episode of the Power of Wealthness Podcast, Todd Barney and Kevin Swanson sit down with Joe Hart, a seasoned investment professional and survivor of the Miracle on the Hudson, to explore how people make decisions under extreme pressure. Joe retells his experience aboard Flight 1549, from the bird strike to “brace for impact,” and the rapid mental shifts he felt in the moments that followed. He explains how the brain defaults to emotional shortcuts, fight, flight, and fast pattern-matching, before logic has a chance to catch up. The conversation connects those same reactions to investor behavior during market corrections, when fear (or exuberance) can override long-term plans. Joe also discusses how financial media and constant account-checking can amplify emotional decision-making. Together, they emphasize the value of a clear plan, realistic expectations, and advisors who can help clients stay steady when stress is high. The episode reinforces the core Wealthness theme: money decisions are deeply human, shaped by values, emotion, and guidance, not just numbers.

What to expect:

• Joe’s minute-by-minute account of Flight 1549 and how quickly “normal” turns into crisis
• What fight-or-flight looks like in real time (and why it often feels “logical” in the moment)
• How the same psychology shows up in investing during corrections, crashes, and headline-driven fear
• Why checking balances too often and consuming market media can lead to worse decisions
• Practical ways to stay grounded: build a plan, define expectations, and lean on a calm, objective guide
• And more!

Connect with Potentia Wealth:

• Potentia Wealth
• 408.288.7886
• ask@potentiawealth.com
• LinkedIn: Potentia Wealth
• LinkedIn: Kevin Swanson
• LinkedIn: Todd Barney, CEPA®, CIMA®, CPWA®, CFP®

About our guest:

Joe Hart is a professional investor and survivor of US Airways Flight 1549 (Miracle on the Hudson), an experience that profoundly shaped his understanding of decision-making under pressure. A longtime student and speaker on behavioral finance, Joe is passionate about helping investors understand how emotions, past experiences, and cognitive biases influence financial choices, especially during times of uncertainty.

Headlines compete for attention every day, each claiming urgency and importance. With so much noise, how do you focus on what actually impacts your financial future?

In this episode, Todd Barney and Kevin Swanson sit down with Bill Tucker, The Power of Wealthness Podcast Producer at ProudMouth, to address the confusion surrounding today’s biggest investment questions. They tackle interest rates and their broader impact, AI sector valuations, geopolitical uncertainty, and midterm election concerns. Bill brings his unique perspective from years of market coverage to help separate media sensationalism from investment reality, showing how to build portfolios that work regardless of daily headlines.

What to expect:

• How interest rates affect all asset classes beyond what Federal Reserve announcements suggest
• Bond portfolio strategies and when to use short-term versus long-term maturities for different goals
• AI investment approach balancing real transformation against stretched valuations and market hype
• Why geopolitical tensions follow historical patterns and how diversified portfolios handle uncertainty
• Midterm election volatility patterns and why political outcomes rarely derail long-term market performance
• And more!

Connect with Potentia Wealth:

• Potentia Wealth
• 408.288.7886
• ask@potentiawealth.com
• LinkedIn: Potentia Wealth
• LinkedIn: Kevin Swanson
• LinkedIn: Todd Barney, CEPA®, CIMA®, CPWA®, CFP®

Bitcoin started with a pizza purchase and somehow became one of the most debated assets in modern investing. Some people think it’s the future. Others think it’s pure speculation. Most investors just want a clear explanation.

Todd and Kevin sit down with Kathy Kriskey, Head of Alternatives at Invesco, to discuss what cryptocurrency is and how to think about it in a real-world portfolio. Kathy breaks down why Bitcoin was created, why it’s now viewed more like a store of value than a spending currency, and what people get wrong about mining, supply, and security.

From there, she explains the differences among Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana using a simple analogy that makes the space easier to understand. The episode also digs into stablecoins, tokenization, and why more institutions are starting to take crypto seriously, even if most investors should approach it carefully.

What to expect:

• Why Bitcoin’s origin story matters and how it became more “digital gold” than currency
• The clearest explanation of Bitcoin vs. Ethereum vs. Solana (and why they behave differently)
• What stablecoins and tokenization are and why they’re shaping the future of markets
• How to think about crypto in a portfolio: volatility, liquidity, custody, and sizing
• Why the best first step for most investors is simply getting off zero
• And more!

Resources:

• Podcast: Galaxy Brains

Connect with Potentia Wealth:

• Potentia Wealth
• 408.288.7886
• ask@potentiawealth.com
• LinkedIn: Potentia Wealth
• LinkedIn: Kevin Swanson
• LinkedIn: Todd Barney, CEPA®, CIMA®, CPWA®, CFP®

Connect with Kathy Kriskey:

• LinkedIn: Kathy Kriskey
• LinkedIn: Invesco
• invesco.com

About our guest:

Kathy Kriskey is the Head of Alternatives at Invesco, where she leads the firm’s work across the “three Cs”: commodities, crypto, and currency. She previously helped build commodities businesses at UBS, RBC, and CIBC, and brings a long-range, institutional perspective to how alternative assets are evaluated, implemented, and managed.

Commercial real estate headlines are loud right now, and most of them leave people confused. One channel says it is collapsing. Another calls it a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

Todd and Kevin sit down with commercial real estate expert Susan Caccia, who brings fifteen years of hands-on experience working with multifamily, office, land, gas stations, and more.

Instead of reacting to fear or hype, Susan breaks down what is actually happening behind the curtain. She shares how depreciation, lending cycles, bonus depreciation rules, and property health all factor into smart decisions. Listeners will also hear how to think about liquidity, diversification, passive losses, and the difference between owning an asset and owning a financial product.

What to expect:

• The real story behind office vacancies
• What qualifies as commercial real estate
• How bonus depreciation works in 2025
• Why diversification and liquidity matter more than ever
• And more!

Connect with Potentia Wealth:

• Potentia Wealth
• 408.288.7886
• ask@potentiawealth.com
• LinkedIn: Potentia Wealth
• LinkedIn: Kevin Swanson
• LinkedIn: Todd Barney, CEPA®, CIMA®, CPWA®, CFP®

Connect with Susan Caccia:

• LinkedIn: Susan C.
• Vantage Realty
• Instagram: @susancaccia
• Facebook: Susan Caccia
• (415) 608-6292
• susan@vantagesanfrancisco.com

About Our Guest:

With an unwavering dedication to guiding clients through the intricate landscape of real estate investments, Susan leverages a dynamic skill set of data analysis, market acumen, and a client-centric ethos.

Prior to joining Vantage Commercial, Susan honed her expertise at The Trafton Group, where her commitment to realizing clients’ real estate ambitions garnered widespread acclaim. Her professional journey is marked by stints in private equity, where she consistently surpassed investors’ financial objectives in biotech and new media sectors.

Susan’s proficiency extends to the nuts and bolts of property enhancement, drawn from her hands-on involvement in remodeling and up-fitting projects. From her time serving on trade association boards to her immersion within construction trade companies, she possesses a deep-seated understanding of the intricacies that define property potential.

Her track record speaks volumes, characterized by a string of successful deals across multifamily, retail, industrial, and net lease properties. Susan’s adaptability to diverse markets underscores her mastery of the ever-evolving real estate terrain.

Outside her professional endeavors, Susan remains deeply committed to philanthropy and community enrichment, channeling her resources toward housing and educational initiatives. Her genuine drive for excellence, coupled with an unwavering dedication to client satisfaction, cements Susan Caccia’s status as a trusted advisor and stalwart advocate in the competitive realm of commercial real estate.

What really happens behind the scenes in college athletics?

In this episode, Kevin Swanson and Todd Barney sit down with Jeff Konya, Director of Athletics at San José State University, for an inside look at how the world of college sports is transforming.

From name, image, and likeness (NIL) to revenue sharing and the realities of the transfer portal, Jeff shares how schools like San José State are helping student-athletes balance opportunity, education, and long-term success. He also reveals how the university’s Beyond Sparta program gives athletes real-world skills, from financial literacy to career readiness, that set them up for life after graduation.

What to expect:

• Real stories of how scholarships change lives beyond the field
• How NIL and revenue sharing are reshaping college athletics
• The importance of financial literacy and career education for athletes
• Why athletics drives school pride, alumni engagement, and community impact
• And more!

Connect with Potentia Wealth:

• Potentia Wealth
• 408.288.7886
• ask@potentiawealth.com
• LinkedIn: Potentia Wealth
• LinkedIn: Kevin Swanson
• LinkedIn: Todd Barney, CEPA®, CIMA®, CPWA®, CFP®

Connect with Jeff Konya:

• San Jose University
• jeff.konya@sjsu.edu

About our guest:

Jeff Konya was named Director of Athletics at San José State in 2021 and began his leadership of the department on July 12, 2021. Konya is responsible for athletics department stewardship and is the 15th Athletics Director in department history.

Under his guidance, SJSU athletics has reached peak performance as football and men’s basketball made postseason appearances for the first time in the same year in athletics history, while men’s basketball advanced to the Mountain West tournament semifinals for the first time and won a program-best 21 games in 2022-23. The women’s golf team continues to be ranked inside the top 10 in the country, making consecutive appearances at the NCAA Championships and Lucia Lopez Ortega became the second straight Spartan to earn an NCAA runner-up finish at the national championships.

Konya hired Associate Head Coach Tina Estrada to take over the reigns of the women’s soccer program in 2022, and she became the first head coach to win the Mountain West regular season and tournament championship in their first year of leadership. He also hired new women’s basketball coach April Phillips that made history at the conference championship, becoming the first No. 10 seed to win a game at the tournament with a win over Air Force in the opening round.

Over the course of his first two years at San José State, Konya re-imagined the executive leadership team and organization of the department to provide a cutting-edge experience for the student-athletes. The Spartans enhanced their brand by signing strategic partnerships with NBC Sports Bay Area, increased their multimedia rights deal by significant dollars with Playfly Sports and became one of the first Mountain West institutions to provide Alston awards to student-athletes. SJSU produce a first-class Sammy Awards, recognizing nearly 500 student-athletes at the historic downtown San Jose California Theatre, televising the show on NBC Sports Bay Area.