Meikles & Dimes

Lowell Crabb is the Founder and Principal of Drive Wealth Advisors, an independent wealth advisory firm specializing in serving business owners, corporate executives, and high net worth individuals. Lowell is based out of Utah, and is a graduate of BYU. I hope you enjoy learning from Lowell Crabb today. In this episode we discuss the following: While private wealth management operates in the financial world, it’s also deeply psychological, which worked out well for Lowell given his undergraduate degree. I especially appreciated Lowell’s insight about the two ingredients required for trust: ethics and competence. When he lost an early client, it wasn’t because the client questioned Lowell’s integrity or intentions. The hesitation came from uncertainty about Lowell’s experience and ability. Just being a good person wasn’t enough—we also have to demonstrate that we can deliver results. I also enjoyed Lowell’s emphasis on playing the long game, not only in business but in life.

Michael Norton is a professor at Harvard Business School and author of the book, The Ritual Effect. He researches the effects of social norms on people’s behaviors as well as the psychology of investment. His research has been the answer to Final Jeopardy, and his TEDx talk, How to Buy Happiness, has been viewed more than 4.5 million times. He holds a B.A. in Psychology and English from Williams College and a Ph.D. in Psychology from Princeton University. Prior to joining Harvard Business School, Michael was a Fellow at the MIT Media Lab and MIT’s Sloan School of Management. In this episode we discuss the following: When we face uncertainty, stress, or grief, we spontaneously create structured, repeatable, often elaborate behaviors that provide order and give us a feeling of control. The rituals we create, whether clinking silverware together before meals, singing Happy Meatloaf, or going through a 12-step process before a tennis serve, probably don’t change the outcomes. But they do change our experience. Violating rituals also reveals how much they matter to us. The anger people feel imagining an ex-partner reusing “their” couple ritual shows how much meaning and emotion is embedded in these small, repeated acts. The goal isn’t to create more rituals. But rather, notice the significance of the ones we have. And if you can, be sure to ask your parents what their bedtime ritual was for you.  

Sangeet Choudary is a Senior Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, and has presented at leading global forums, including the G20 Summit and the World Economic Forum. He’s the best-selling author of the new book Reshuffle that was awarded the 2025 Thinkers50 Strategy Award for The most impactful idea in the field of strategy. He has advised CEOs at more than 40 Fortune 500 companies as well as pre-IPO tech firms. In this episode we discuss the following: As Sangeet said, “Yesterday’s advantages become tomorrow’s commodity.” We should ask ourselves, “What are my enduring, unfair advantages that align with my skills, energy, and purpose?” Don’t focus on what AI can do today—focus on what only you are uniquely capable of doing as AI continues to improve. For magicians, it isn’t about creating tricks that can’t be figured out; it’s about recombining ideas in ways that inspire wonder.

Adam Waytz is an award winning professor of ethics and decision making at Northwestern University, where he researches how people think about minds and the psychological consequences of technology. Adam received his BA in Psychology from Columbia University, his PhD in social psychology from the University of Chicago, and received a National Service Research Award from the National Institute of Health to complete a post-doc at Harvard. In this episode we discuss the following: I’m intrigued by Adam’s perspective on saying yes, which goes against much of the research and conventional wisdom about protecting our time. By saying yes to things, countless unexpected doors have opened for Adam. But of course, we must be willing to cut ties with projects that lack purpose or a reasonable ROI. Being "easy to work with" is not just the right thing to do. It also reduces friction for others and creates a psychological preference for us in our colleagues' minds, making us the first person they think of for future collaborations.

In this episode we bring in Ethan Clayton to talk about his friendship with Tozer.

In this episode we bring in Professor Shaun Parkinson to talk about his friendship with Tozer.

Hortense le Gentil is an executive coach, author, and leadership expert who has worked extensively with C-suite leaders on authentic leadership and personal transformation. She's the author of the book, The Unlocked Leader which has been read and recommended by Ralph Lauren, Arianna Huffington, and Marshall Goldsmith among others. Hortense argues that too many leaders remain trapped in the outdated myth that they must be superhero leaders - infallible, unflappable, and fearless, even though the human leaders who embrace empathy, vulnerability, and authenticity are proven most effective. In the episode we discuss the following: Hortense had been ignoring her inner voice and had become physically ill for not making the decisions she knew she needed to make. But thanks to a dream of her wise grandmother, Hortense decided to find her “path of roses” and make choices she knew she needed to make. As CEO of her company, in a room full of engineers, she gained the trust of the engineers, not by pretending to be one but by honestly admitting what she didn’t know. As Hortense said, the world doesn’t need a repetition of someone else. The world needs us to be courageous enough to be ourself.    

Beth Campbell is an award-winning professor of management and leadership development at the University of Minnesota. Her main research projects focus on the consequences high performers spark for themselves and how high performers affect their peers and their teams. She has published in leading academic journals, including the Academy of Management Journal and the Journal of Applied Psychology, while also serving as Chief Operations Officer of the OB Division of the Academy of Management. She also serves on the editorial boards of the Academy of Management Journal, the Journal of Applied Psychology, and as Associate Editor at Personnel Psychology. Beth holds a Ph.D. in management from the University of Maryland and a B.A. in organizational psychology from the University of Michigan. In this episode we discuss the following: Hiring a star performer seems like an easy win, but Beth’s research shows that hiring stars can trigger status conflicts and envy. Research suggests that "star power" hits diminishing returns once a team is composed of more than 20% high performers, as too many "hot shots" can lead to ego clashes rather than collaboration. To avoid these pitfalls, leaders can look for stars who possess humility and high emotional intelligence, as they’re more likely to share credit and lift those around them. Success isn't just about chasing the best talent, but being thoughtful about the character traits of stars and the system they’ll be working in. 

Tom Hardin, also known as Tipper X, was a rising Wall Street analyst when he traded on a few insider tips leading to the FBI knocking on his door. He decided to cooperate with the FBI, and became a key informant in Operation Perfect Hedge, the largest insider-trading investigation in U.S. history. He is also the author of the book, Wired on Wall Street. In this episode we discuss the following: Tom’s experience reads like a case study in an ethics textbook. Tom felt like he was on the outside looking in. So when given an insider tip, he traded on it. When Tom’s boss looked the other way, while simultaneously applying pressure, Tom started rationalizing his behavior. After all, he was trying to be a good dad and husband, which made him feel like he had moral credits to spend on illegal trades. Once caught by the FBI, Tom turned his scars into service, contributing to an investigation that resulted in dozens of guilty pleas. Our ethical failures rarely come out of the blue, rather they are the predictable result of surrounding ourselves with the wrong people and making seemingly small ethical compromises.  

Scott Kaufman is a psychologist, coach, professor, keynote speaker, and best-selling author. He is a professor of psychology at Columbia University and director of the Center for Human Potential. He also hosts The Psychology Podcast which has received over 30 million downloads and is widely considered among the top  psychology podcasts in the world. Scott’s writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Scientific American, Psychology Today, and Harvard Business Review, and he is the author and editor of 11 books. In his most recent book Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential, he explores the limiting beliefs and widespread anxiety that puts people in boxes, lowers expectations, and holds them back. In addition to teaching at Columbia, Scott has also been a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and NYU. Scott received a B.S. in psychology and human computer interaction from Carnegie Mellon, an M. Phil in experimental psychology from the University of Cambridge under a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, and a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Yale University. In this episode we discuss the following: Scott’s definition of intelligence: the dynamic interplay of engagement and abilities in the pursuit of goals. When we give people a chance to go deep into an area that they love, over a long period of time, they can develop expertise and brain structures that can override some of our IQ limitations. The thing that surprised Scott most as he researched intelligence was just how predictive IQ is. Scott thought he was going to be on a vendetta against IQ but ended up falling in love with the science of IQ, intelligence, and the brain. Differences in ability are both natural and valuable, and recognizing them—rather than denying them—creates better paths for growth and contribution. Unlocking our potential requires intellectual honesty, patience, and environments that allow passion and skill to reinforce one another over time.