# Blog ### Welcome to our Personal Finance Blog ![Pic of Senior Advisor Drew Browne](https://mail.sapience.com.au/images/author-pic/ceo-drew-browne-round.png) Money bewilders most of us. How to spend it, save it, invest it, and how to best protect the person who makes it. These questions we all face daily — a puzzle we all attempt to understand and solve just about every day. Yet despite money's centrality to our lives and businesses, it's something we all grapple with, and mostly in private. - Money is the 'Lord Voldemort' of topics — feared by most and mentioned by a few. It's oddly uncomfortable to discuss socially and rarely even with our partners, parents, and children. Perhaps that's because managing our money and life's risks inevitably involves the fusion of both the emotional and practical aspects of our decision-making processes. **The most difficult of questions are those with both economic and emotional answers**. At Sapience, we're all about **The How**. Our educational **Personal Finance Blog** is for people who want to grow and remain wealthy. And while the journey toward wealth is clearly marked, you still have to be looking in the right direction. ### Explore Our Blog by Speciality Select a speciality below to view our curated specialist insights and practical strategies. [🧠 Evolutionary Finance](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/evolutionary-finance) [🌳 Family, Legacy & Aging](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/family-legacy-aging) [⚖️ Estate Law & Succession Planning](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/estate-law-succession) [🛡️ Specialist Risk & Insurance](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/specialist-risk-insurance) [🤝 Small Business Risk & Partnership](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/small-business-risk-partnership) [🌍 Social Leadership & Conscious Business](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/social-leadership-conscious-business) [🏠 Wealth Builders & Home Finance](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/wealth-builders-home-finance) [📰 Sapience General Archive](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/sapience-general-archive) ![Not made by AI sapience financial](https://mail.sapience.com.au/images/icons/not-made-by-AI-sapience-financial-black.png) --- [ ![An illustration of a old fashion magical lamp hopefully containing a genie able to grant you 3 wishes](https://mail.sapience.com.au/images/blog/leadership/working-smarter-not-harder-is-bad-advice-drewbrowne-modern-small-business.jpg) ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/working-smarter-not-harder-is-bad-advice "Working smarter not harder is bad advice") ## [ Working smarter not harder is bad advice ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/working-smarter-not-harder-is-bad-advice) ### Working smarter? It just might be bad advice The Genie is out of the bottle (mind the metaphor) Information about building a business has never been more accessible. But many small businesses still fail in the first 2 years. Why? - [ leadership ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/all-tags/leadership) - [ Modern Small Business ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/modern-small-business-blog) - [ 🤝 Small Business Risk & Partnership ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/small-business-risk-partnership) [ Read more … ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/working-smarter-not-harder-is-bad-advice) [ ![An apparently homeless person on the street with a cardboard sign offering advice for $50.00 in good advice for a different amount](https://mail.sapience.com.au/images/blog/leadership/asking-great-questions-is-better-than-finding-simple-answers-drewbrowne-modern-small-business-blog.jpg) ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/asking-great-questions-is-better-than-finding-simple-answers "Asking great questions is better than finding simple answers") ## [ Asking great questions is better than finding simple answers ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/asking-great-questions-is-better-than-finding-simple-answers) ### Asking great questions; It's better than finding simple answers > Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers - Voltaire - [ leadership ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/all-tags/leadership) - [ Modern Small Business ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/modern-small-business-blog) - [ 🤝 Small Business Risk & Partnership ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/small-business-risk-partnership) - [ 🌍 Social Leadership & Conscious Business ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/social-leadership-conscious-business) [ Read more … ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/asking-great-questions-is-better-than-finding-simple-answers) [ ![A close up photo of love heart candy embossed with affectionate words](https://mail.sapience.com.au/images/blog/leadership/when-was-the-last-time-you-were-propositioned-drewbrowne-modern-small-businesss-blog.jpg) ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/when-was-the-last-time-you-were-propositioned "When was the last time you were propositioned?") ## [ When was the last time you were propositioned? ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/when-was-the-last-time-you-were-propositioned) ### Uncomfortable confessions from a conference - Knowing how 'you’ll deliver' is part of the attraction I confess: there’s something that has baffled me for years but I've been too embarrassed to ask about, and now I wonder if I’m too old to bother. - Last week at a business conference, a well-dressed supplier sidled up to me in public, and ogling my name tag asked, “So what's your value-proposition Drew?” - I was taken aback. I've never been asked for one so directly. I remember immediately thinking, ‘I’m not sure you’re my type’ and ‘shouldn’t we at least have coffee first to get to know more about each other?’ I must say, the interaction left me feeling manhandled; and a little objectified, too. - [ 🤝 Small Business Risk & Partnership ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/small-business-risk-partnership) [ Read more … ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/when-was-the-last-time-you-were-propositioned) [ ![A close up view of a French patisserie cake shop with berries and icing](https://mail.sapience.com.au/images/blog/leadership/tales-from-the-dessert-cart-drew-browne-modern-small-business-blog.jpg) ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/our-communities-need-leaders-now-not-promises-of-money-later "Our communities need leaders now, not promises of money later") ## [ Our communities need leaders now, not promises of money later ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/our-communities-need-leaders-now-not-promises-of-money-later) ### What you really value you start today -(Tales from the dessert cart!) Many things in life and business depend upon insights grown and tested over time. - [ leadership ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/all-tags/leadership) - [ Modern Small Business ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/modern-small-business-blog) - [ 🤝 Small Business Risk & Partnership ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/small-business-risk-partnership) - [ 🌍 Social Leadership & Conscious Business ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/social-leadership-conscious-business) [ Read more … ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/our-communities-need-leaders-now-not-promises-of-money-later) [ ![A top down view of a person in jeans wearing a blue shoe and a yellow shoe](https://mail.sapience.com.au/images/blog/leadership/Are-you-solving-the-wrong-problem-with-the-right-answer-drewbrowne-modern-small-business-blog.jpg) ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/are-you-solving-the-wrong-problem-with-the-right-answer "Are you solving the wrong problem with the right answer?") ## [ Are you solving the wrong problem with the right answer? ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/are-you-solving-the-wrong-problem-with-the-right-answer) ### A new way to look at round pegs Small business, at its simplest form is about being able to manage and solve problems for people, just in time. So why do many business owners say they regularly struggle to diagnose business problems correctly? What if the problem they’re solving is the wrong one? And what’s the long term outcome when you’re constantly pouring your limited time, focus and resources, into the wrong cup? - [ leadership ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/all-tags/leadership) - [ Modern Small Business ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/modern-small-business-blog) - [ 🧠 Evolutionary Finance ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/evolutionary-finance) - [ 🤝 Small Business Risk & Partnership ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/small-business-risk-partnership) [ Read more … ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/are-you-solving-the-wrong-problem-with-the-right-answer) [ ![A man in a business shirt taking off his glasses as he stands in a corridor thinking about an idea](https://mail.sapience.com.au/images/blog/leadership/what-does-it-feel-like-to-be-wrong-drewbrowne-modern-small-business-blog.jpg) ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/what-does-it-feel-like-to-be-wrong "What does it feel like to be wrong?") ## [ What does it feel like to be wrong? ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/what-does-it-feel-like-to-be-wrong) ### Learning how to think better in a team decision environment depends upon this skill For a small business owner whose competitive advantage is their ability to out-think the competition, this is a problem we need to understand better. And it starts with learning how to think better in a team decision environment. Never just trust your gut. - [ leadership ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/all-tags/leadership) - [ Modern Small Business ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/modern-small-business-blog) - [ 🤝 Small Business Risk & Partnership ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/insights/small-business-risk-partnership) [ Read more … ](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/what-does-it-feel-like-to-be-wrong) 1. [ Give with your head more than your heart](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/give-with-your-head-more-than-your-heart) 2. [ Whos invested in your business?](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/whos-invested-in-your-business) 3. [ The evolving financial effects of prostate cancer surgery and how to mange this new risk](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/the-evolving-financial-effects-of-prostate-cancer-surgery-and-how-to-mange-this-new-risk) 4. [ What does it mean you have to spend money to make money?](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/what-does-it-mean-you-have-to-spend-money-to-make-money) 5. [ What happens when the dominos begin to fall in a business?](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/what-happens-when-the-dominos-begin-to-fall-in-a-business) 6. [ How much money does your business owe you?](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/how-much-money-does-your-business-owe-you) 7. [ The 7 Personality traits responsible for 85% of your success](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business/the-7-personality-traits-responsible-for-85-of-your-success) ### [ Modern Small Business Leadership](https://mail.sapience.com.au/blog/modern-small-business) Page 43 of 49