Tweener



It's US Open time and an examination of the tennis tweener shot mesmerizes fans and at one time surprised opponents.  Being able to pull off this shot is now a necessity.  This blog will focus on the tweeners in other areas of our life.  Realizing that you are a tweener will improve your sanity and increase your chances of success.

High School Sports

I have spent the last month visiting my parents in Dallas.  Other then the political opinions, which haven’t changed since I lived here 25 years ago, the big change has been the opinions around having your children participate in tackle football.  The powerful combination of concussion data and a demographic shift have cased a significant drop in student participation in football.  This parental reality combats the unrealistic belief that our kids can be pro athletes someday.  High School athlete tweeners have been saved and can have extra time to focus on their schoolwork.

Business

Social media and reality TV have exposed us to successful business professionals who have given us advice on how to join their group.  It always sounds easier than it is and many tweeners think they can be the next Mark Cuban or Elon Musk.  Unicorns are mythical animals and private companies valued at billions dollars.  Don’t’ fall for their shiny horn and glistening mane.  Ninety plus percent of new businesses fail.  The failures are seldomly publicized and the 90% of tweeners should find a good mentor or an established training program before they jump into the entrenuerial pool.

Wealth Management

The positioning of most wealth management firms is a focus on holistic solutions for high net worth individuals.  This ignores tweatners who also need help.  First does anyone really know what holistic means and if your do - is it something we want.  The wealth management solutions that tweaners need are not as sexy as the solutions that are offered to high net worth investors.  Tweaners need to accept that they don’t need the same things that high net worth investors need. This reality is typically realized after the fact.  Most wealth management firms focus on high net worth clients and ignore tweaners.  We believe tweaners are a segment that deserves attention.


The Webster Dictionary definition provides a no-nonsense guideline for tweeners.  Webster defines Tweeners as having some but not all of the necessary characteristics.  This is a message we all need to hear and only the best teachers and advisors help us realize our personal reality.

Its taken me 56 years to realize I’m a tweener.  One of my good friends still reminds me what our choir master said about me in 1980 – “Jeff is great in the chorus”.  I’m still singing!

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