June 12, 2025

Welcome Back,

Happy Thursday, everyone! 📅
Good morning! I hope today greets you with clear skies, good vibes, and maybe one less Zoom call than expected.

Quick question to kick things off: Have you ever looked at your calendar and thought, “Wow, I’m busy… but am I actually building anything that matters?”

Today’s idea flips that thought on its head. Because guess what? Wealth isn’t just built with money—it’s built with your time. Every block on your calendar is either a deposit into your future or a withdrawal on your energy. ⏳💸

So today, we’re diving into how to treat your schedule like your most valuable asset—and how those quiet little time blocks might just be your greatest investment yet.

Let’s turn busy into wealthy.

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
— Walt Disney

Your reputation is a lagging indicator of your consistency.
In business and life, what people say about you tomorrow depends on what you do today — over and over again.

— Ryan Rincon, CEO and Founder at The Wealth Wagon Inc.

Market Update

Market Update: Markets slipped today with all three major indexes—Nasdaq, S&P 500, and Dow Jones—closing in the red. Bitcoin also dropped 0.86%, while Coinbase followed suit, falling 1.67%. Amazon saw a sharper decline of 2.03%. On the upside, gold and silver provided some stability, up 1.49% and 0.62% respectively. Visa also gained ground with a 0.68% increase. Overall, tech and crypto struggled, while traditional safe havens held firm.

Career

Starbucks Fast-Tracks New Staffing Model Across All North American Stores

Boosting Efficiency, Morale, and Customer Experience—At Scale

Starbucks has announced it will roll out its new staffing model to all 18,000 stores in North America by the end of summer, a dramatic acceleration from its original plan of targeting just one-third of stores by year-end. The decision comes after highly successful pilot tests demonstrated improvements in both sales performance and in-store operations.

Key Takeaways:

• Operational Agility: The new model optimizes staff schedules to align with peak customer traffic, which helps reduce unnecessary labor costs while boosting responsiveness.

• Employee Experience: Baristas and store staff benefit from clearly defined roles and more structured support, which has led to better morale and less burnout during high-traffic periods.

• Customer Flow: Enhanced staffing improves order speed and accuracy, creating a smoother customer experience—especially during morning and lunch rushes.

Why It Matters:

• Retail Benchmarking: Starbucks may be setting a new standard for how large chains leverage data for workforce planning, and other major retailers could follow suit.

• Strategic Insight: This is a proactive move in a tight labor market where retaining workers and improving productivity are critical to maintaining profit margins.

Retail

J.M. Smucker Cuts Earnings Outlook Amid Coffee and Tariff Pressures

Consumer Staples Feeling the Heat of Global Price Swings

J.M. Smucker Co. projected full-year 2026 earnings of $8.50–$9.50 per share, falling short of Wall Street’s $10.26 expectation. The revision stems largely from rising green coffee costs and the increasing burden of tariff-related expenses on imports.

Key Developments:

• Tariff Trouble: The company cited unpredictable trade policy shifts as a major factor weighing on supply chain costs.

• Cost Pass-Through: Smucker has already announced targeted price increases to offset these pressures, though it's unclear how consumers will respond.

Market Impact:

• Margin Squeeze: With revenue under pressure, Smucker may resort to cost-cutting, marketing pullbacks, or operational streamlining.

• Sector-Wide Signal: As a staple in food and beverage, Smucker’s struggles may foreshadow challenges for other FMCG brands, especially those exposed to volatile commodity pricing.

Business

GameStop Revenue Falls 17% as Store Closures and Bitcoin Bet Take Center Stage

Digital Transition in Progress, With Unexpected Profit and Crypto Move

GameStop reported Q1 revenue of $732.4 million, down 17% year-over-year, reflecting a decline in demand for physical games and ongoing store closures. However, the company posted a $44.8 million profit, partly driven by cost-cutting and its bold disclosure of a 4,710-bitcoin reserve.

Key Themes:

• Digital Disruption: GameStop’s sales slump underscores its struggle to pivot from brick-and-mortar to digital gaming ecosystems.

• Crypto Capital Strategy: The large Bitcoin holding represents a non-traditional treasury diversification, likely to attract both support and scrutiny from investors.

Investor Lens:

• While revenue remains weak, GameStop’s surprise profitability gives it some breathing room as it continues restructuring.

• The crypto play adds volatility and raises questions about financial governance, but also positions GameStop as a potential innovator in non-core asset strategies.

Finance

Fed Likely to Hold Interest Rates Through September, Says Reuters Poll

Inflation Risks Delay Cuts, Pressuring Rate-Sensitive Sectors

A new Reuters survey of economists predicts that the Federal Reserve will hold rates steady at 4.25–4.50% through September 2025, despite earlier market hopes for summer cuts. The move comes amid persistent inflationary pressures from tariffs and rising fiscal expenditures.

Market Implications:

• Fixed-Income Recalibration: Bond traders should prepare for continued rate suppression, which could weigh on bond prices but support yields.

• Sector Sensitivity: Industries like housing, autos, and consumer lending may feel pressure from sustained high borrowing costs.

Fed’s Balancing Act:

• Policymakers are weighing whether slowing job growth and cooling spending are sufficient to justify easing, even as inflation remains above target thresholds.

Investing

Voyager Technologies Raises $382.8M in Strong Space-Tech IPO

High Demand Pushes Pricing Above Range, Reflecting Sector Momentum

Voyager Space Technologies debuted on the NYSE with a $382.8 million IPO, pricing shares at $31, above the projected $26–$29 range. The space-tech and defense-focused firm plans to use the funds to expand satellite infrastructure and aerospace innovation.

Why It’s a Standout:

• Market Validation: Investor demand pushed the IPO above range, signaling strong appetite for space and defense-related innovation.

• Strategic Focus: Voyager supports mission-critical infrastructure, making it attractive to both commercial clients and government agencies.

What It Signals:

• This IPO adds fuel to a growing trend of space-tech becoming a legitimate asset class—not just for defense, but also commercial exploration, telecom, and logistics.

• Expect increased M&A activity and public listings in the sector as investor confidence grows.

PRESENTED BY GENEVA

The Science City You Didn’t Know You Needed to Visit

Did you know that the World Wide Web was born in Geneva, Switzerland? Indeed, the first version of the Internet cropped up at CERN in 1989. Today the world-renowned center is home to the largest particle accelerator and to the CERN Science Gateway – a must-see hub for science enthusiasts that features hands-on exhibits, immersive virtual reality experiences, and live demonstrations.

Plan your visit and explore the cutting-edge world of physics and innovation at the CERN Science Gateway!

Today’s Snapshot

Wealth Is Bought in Time Blocks: Why Your Calendar Is the Ultimate Investment Strategy

You know about investing money.
But have you ever thought about how you invest your time?

Here’s the truth:

Wealthy people invest time like money.
Struggling people spend it like it’s free.

Whether you’re trying to:

• Grow your income

• Scale your business

• Close better deals

• Escape the 9–5

• Or simply figure out where to begin…

The way you use your calendar could be the biggest driver (or blocker) of your wealth.

Let’s unpack why.

🧠 Time Allocation > To-Do Lists

Most people approach their day with:

• A long to-do list

• A bunch of “urgent” requests

• No system to prioritize

But wealth builders approach their week like this:

“Where are the highest-ROI blocks of time? And how can I protect them?”

They don’t let their inbox set their agenda.
They treat time like a limited asset — because it is.

💡 The 3 Types of Time That Build Wealth

Let’s simplify your calendar into three buckets:

1. Income Time (Makes You Money Now)

This is time spent:

• Delivering client work

• Closing deals

• Running ads, promotions, launches

• Executing services or selling products

🧠 Goal: Make this efficient, not endless.
This pays the bills. But it doesn’t scale on its own.

2. Asset Time (Builds Future Income)

This is time spent building things that pay you later:

• Writing a digital product

• Creating a sales system or funnel

• Building an audience or newsletter

• Investing in stocks or real estate

• Documenting SOPs so you can delegate

🧠 This is where real wealth comes from.

Most people neglect asset time — because it doesn’t pay off this week. But 6 months from now, it’s the reason you’ll work half as much for double the money.

3. Growth Time (Increases Your Earning Power)

This is time spent:

• Learning new skills (sales, code, copywriting, finance, AI)

• Studying markets, trends, or competitors

• Meeting people, networking, building relationships

• Improving systems, strategy, or mindset

🧠 This time doesn’t make you money directly — but it unlocks everything else.

Want to charge more? Grow faster? Invest smarter?
Growth time is how you do it.

📅 Wealth Builders Time-Block These First

People who build serious income don’t “find time” for these activities — they schedule them first.

• Income time pays today

• Asset time pays next quarter

• Growth time pays for the next decade

Block it before life blocks you.

🔁 The Weekly Wealth Calendar Template

Here’s a sample structure you can use no matter your situation:

Adjust as needed, but always ask:

• Am I only working IN the business/job… or ON the wealth engine too?

• Is my future getting richer, or just my to-do list?

🧍 For Beginners (No Job, No Capital Yet)

Even if you're just getting started, this still works.

Your calendar is your capital.

• Spend 60% of your time learning a monetizable skill

• Spend 30% of your time building proof (a small project, samples, results)

• Spend 10% pitching, applying, connecting

You can literally build income from a blank calendar.

🧑‍💼 For Corporate Professionals

• Protect time for strategic thinking, not just execution

• Build a side income asset during lunch hours or weekends

• Use commute time for growth time (podcasts, audiobooks)

Don’t let your job eat the future you want.

🧑‍💻 For Business Owners

• Delegate 80% of delivery → buy back time

• Block out asset time weekly to create new offers or systems

• Track your time like you track your cashflow — seriously

Working “harder” without scheduling time to scale? That’s a treadmill.

🧠 Final Thought: If You Don’t Control Your Time, You Don’t Control Your Wealth

Here’s the real takeaway:

Most people schedule their day for urgency.
Wealthy people schedule their week for ROI.

The good news? You don’t need more hours.

You just need better hours.

So this week, block time for:
✅ Making money now
✅ Building assets for later
✅ Growing your power for the long term

Because when your calendar compounds…
Your income will, too.

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Fun Stuff

😂 Funny Joke

Why don’t startup founders play poker?
Because they fold too many times before the Series A.

🕰️ Financial History: What Happened Today?

June 12, 2007:
Apple released the first iPhone commercial just weeks ahead of launch, signaling the dawn of a new era.
The smartphone revolution would soon redefine tech, media, retail, and finance.

🤔 Would You Rather

Would you rather…

• Build a company that gets acquired in 2 years for $5 million,
  OR

• Build one that makes $1 million/year profit forever, but never gets press or a buyout?

(Quick cash vs. long-term freedom — which exit is your style?)

🧠 Brain Teaser

A venture capitalist invests $1M for a 10% stake in a startup.
The startup then raises another round, doubling its valuation.
What is the VC’s stake worth now (on paper)?
Answer:
Original post-money valuation = $10M
New valuation = $20M
10% of $20M = $2 million
(That’s a 2× paper return — welcome to the cap table.)

*Answers at the bottom

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*Promoted

Fun Stuff: Answers

Brain Teaser- Answer:
Original post-money valuation = $10M
New valuation = $20M
10% of $20M = $2 million
(That’s a 2× paper return — welcome to the cap table.)