June 18, 2025

Happy Wednesday, everyone! 🌞
Good morning! You’ve made it to the middle of the week—where ambition meets “is it Friday yet?” Either way, you’re doing great.

So here’s a fun twist: building wealth isn’t just about spotting opportunities... it’s about knowing which ones to ignore.

Today we’re talking about the underrated superpower of the wealthy: Opportunity Filtering. It’s the ability to say “no thanks” to 97 shiny distractions so they can say “heck yes” to the 3 that actually matter. 🧠🚦

Let’s explore how to sharpen that skill—because sometimes, your future depends more on what you don’t chase than what you do.

“Every time you make a rule, you take away a choice.”
— Peter Drucker

Productivity isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing what matters most, first.
In life and business, are you optimizing for activity… or impact?

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

Market Update: Markets pulled back today as the Nasdaq dropped 0.91%, and the S&P 500 and Dow Jones also closed lower. Gold dipped slightly, while silver posted a modest gain. Bitcoin was one of the few bright spots, rising 0.41%. In equities, Tesla and Nike both saw sharp declines, down 3.90% and 3.07% respectively, while PayPal fell 2.20%. Overall, risk-off sentiment weighed heavily across sectors despite some strength in crypto and metals.

The U.S. dollar has firmed up against key currencies like the yen and Swiss franc as investors flock back to safe-haven assets amid renewed tensions in the Middle East.

With the Fed expected to hold rates steady, traders are pricing in elevated geopolitical risk, reinforcing the dollar’s role as a “hard currency”—a global benchmark in turbulent times .

Crude futures have dropped by approximately $1 per barrel, with Brent at $73.23 and WTI at $71.77, after reports that Iran may seek a truce with Israel.

The pullback is easing inflation pressure and improving margin projections for energy-intensive sectors, though supply concerns linger given the fragile geopolitical setting .

Recent strikes in the Israel–Iran conflict have already hit vital energy infrastructure: Iran’s Kharg Island export hub and around two-thirds of Israel’s gas output.

Market watchers are increasingly concerned about broader supply chain vulnerabilities as pipelines and refineries are taken offline.

The Irish finance ministry has sold off its last remaining stake in Allied Irish Banks, concluding a decade-and-a-half-long recovery following the 2010 financial crisis. The move caps a long-term fiscal normalization and signals regained market confidence in Ireland’s financial health.

Microsoft and OpenAI are renegotiating their multi-billion-dollar partnership, prompted by shifting AI ambitions and market competition. Any changes could redefine GPT model access, cloud infrastructure commitments, and enterprise AI costs—crucial factors for tech stakeholders.

In today’s world, there’s no shortage of ways to make money.

You can:

Every day, something new pops up promising fast growth or passive income.

But here’s the secret:

The wealthy don’t chase every opportunity — they filter relentlessly.

This skill — Opportunity Filtering — might be the most underrated wealth lever in the game. And once you master it, your time, capital, and focus become exponentially more valuable.

Everyone talks about decision making.
But few talk about decision eliminating.

Every opportunity costs more than money. It costs:

And when you chase too many ideas at once?

You dilute your progress.

Wealthy thinkers don’t ask:

“Can this make money?”

They ask:

“Is this the best use of my money, time, and skill?”

They operate through filters, not feelings.

Here’s how you can apply the same system to evaluate — or eliminate — any new money idea.

Great opportunities don’t require you to bet the farm.

Look for plays where:

💡 Examples:

Wealthy people love bets with limited downside and exponential upside.

Just because something works for others doesn’t mean it will work for you.

Ask:

💡 Example:
If you’re great at design and marketing, building a no-code SaaS is more aligned than buying raw land to flip.

Play games you're built to win.

If you’re trading time for money with no end in sight, you’ll hit a ceiling.

Good opportunities include leverage like:

💡 Rule of thumb:
If the upside only grows when you work harder, it’s a job — not wealth.

Some opportunities are long games. Others are sprints.
You want a mix, but don’t confuse the two.

🧠 Know what you need right now — and choose accordingly.

Even if a project doesn’t “win,” will you:

If yes — it might still be worth doing.

Wealth multiplies when you stack transferable assets and knowledge.

Let’s say you get pitched two opportunities this week:

1. Build an Amazon FBA store from scratch

2. Launch a paid newsletter based on your career niche

Which has better alignment, leverage, and timing?

Not always the sexiest play — but often the simplest, most aligned one wins.

Here’s a simple tool:

When a new opportunity comes your way, ask:

If the answer isn’t a strong yes to at least 3 of these, it’s probably not worth your time.

The world doesn’t reward you for trying everything.
It rewards you for going deep on what compounds.

The most successful people don’t chase more — they filter better.

So next time something “exciting” pops up in your inbox or feed?

Pause.
Filter.
Decide intentionally.

That’s how wealth gets built — one smart decision at a time.

Why did the cryptocurrency trader bring a parachute to the office?
Because they were expecting a hard fork.

Clue:
Founded in 1998 by two Stanford PhD students, this company started as a research project and now handles over 8.5 billion searches a day.
Its parent company was created in 2015 to house its many moonshots.

June 18, 1983:
Sally Ride became the first American woman in space, aboard the Challenger shuttle.
The innovation, tech breakthroughs, and visibility from NASA’s efforts later influenced STEM investing, private aerospace ventures, and the rise of companies like SpaceX.

A company’s profit doubles every year.
In Year 5, its profit is $1.6 million.
What was its profit in Year 1?

*Answers at the bottom

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*Promoted

Guess the company - Answer: Google (Alphabet Inc.)

Brain Teaser - Answer:
Work backwards:
Year 4 = $800K → Year 3 = $400K → Year 2 = $200K → Year 1 = $100,000