Grow Your Network: Danika Waddell Is An Intentional Investor

I'm on a mission to build a stronger Personal Network and, what I call, a Personal Archive. I'm inviting you to look over my shoulder as I go.

For the uninitiated: My Personal Networking includes talking to people I find interesting, and capturing the conversations (where appropriate) on YouTube at Cultish Creative. My Personal Archive includes taking notes on these conversations, and reflecting on ideas they gave me I can use in the rest of my life, which I share daily on CultishCreative.com.

Follow along to watch what I'm doing, and follow the links below to build your own Personal Network with me, and/or - add your own reflections to your Personal Archive!

Do you know Danika Waddell? Founder of Xena Financial Planning, professional woman helping professional women (and more), superstar parent/spouse, all-round cultural critic, and diversity and inclusion advocate in the truest of ways?

If not, allow me to introduce you. I know Danika from a bunch of mutual friends and finance industry interest groups, but the real reason I most wanted to connect with her (and capture it) is because I respect her thoughtful AND critical voice in our industry so, so much. I've watched her take on conferences, take on DEI (or whatever words you want to use around that), and do it in the most full-hearted of ways.

Our Intentional Investor interview is LIVE now on Epsilon Theory YouTube. Listen and you'll also get an extra revealing peak into how her family's dealing with her husband's tech industry layoff from earlier this year. It's an ultimate real work meets real life lesson. I'm so happy she shared it here.

In the meantime, I wanted to pull 3 key lessons from my time with Danika to share with you (and drop into my Personal Archive).

Read on and you'll find a quote with a lesson and a reflection you can Take to work with you, Bring home with you, and Leave behind with your legacy.

WORK: Take Control of Your Path

Key Concept: What appears to be the "safe choice" often carries hidden risks and limitations. True security comes from taking ownership of your path.

Personal Archive Note-To-Self: When I started in finance, I figured the same strategy that worked for school would work for corporate work. You do good work, and you don't need to be a straight A worker, but you have to be a solid B worker, and you just keep advancing as time goes on. Some mythical person above you makes the rules and you just keep graduating higher. It took a while (funny enough, almost the same amount of years as I was in school?) until I realized… I hated it. It was a safe prison, and prisons are not where I want to be. My sanity just wasn't going to survive it.

Danika realized it in her own way too. It took an external shock, but once she realized the safe structure work offered her wasn't actually safe, she shifted (and never looked back). The perspective she's going through now, with her husband's recent layoff too, it's deep. Safety is just a story we tell ourselves - good work, on your own terms, by your own standards, is everything.

Work question for you: What safe prison might you be accepting in your own career/company right now?

LIFE: The Power of Decisive Action

"I'm rarely the person that's kind of like, 'eh, I don't know.' I almost always know, and if I don't know, I'll do some research and sort of figure it out. But it's pretty unlike me to waffle or hesitate... So I'm pretty quick to move forward once I've come to a conclusion." -Danika Waddell, The Intentional Investor on Epsilon Theory YouTube

Key Concept: Balance data with instinct. Cultivate the courage to act decisively once you've reached clarity, while maintaining the flexibility to adjust course.

Personal Archive Note-To-Self: They call it "paralysis analysis." Looking at too much data and not getting around to acting. I'm a researcher on a lot of life stuff, but I'm also (and I've gotten much better at) being a gut truster. There's an improvisational/musical/creative instinct I always come back to on this. Some stuff is best seen as a live performance. You have to commit in the moment. The audience loves it because it's a high wire act, and all you have to do is not fail spectacularly. I love this stuff. But. The trick is, when you look back on these performances, you have to remember you were acting in the moment too. You can't judge it the same way as something you prepped and polished. Think for a moment about how much of life requires we just jump first in the name of getting started?

Danika's not reckless about this. But she doesn't mince words once she commits to a path. She also has a support network around her with her family on these decisions that is admirable to say the least.

Life Question For You: When was the last time you trusted your gut and it paid off?

LEGACY: Create Space for Others to Be Authentic

"I show up in the world in the way that feels authentic to me, and I don't expect anybody else to do that... The main thing for me is that everybody feels the comfort to do what's natural for them. It's not gonna look like what I do." -Danika Waddell, The Intentional Investor on Epsilon Theory YouTube

Key Concept: True inclusion isn't about tokenism or forced conformity—it's about creating environments where everyone can bring their authentic selves and unique perspectives.

Personal Archive Note-To-Self: I'm a pretty weird guy. I do a lot of stuff (some might say too much stuff). I can tell you about pop culture like I'm a teenager. I can tell you I spend way too much time playing fantasy soccer and pokemon ever since I deleted all of social media from my phone. I can tell you that none of this lines up with why I'd be a good consultant, or leader, or financial planner person.

But, you know what? It all contributes. It's all curiosity driven. It's all - if I'm not being me, who am I being, and why? Danika embodies this too. Like the "work" point above, you are the sole person responsible for your future and your happiness, so if safety is a myth and sole responsibility is everything, embrace your weird and get to work.

Legacy question for you: What part of your authentic self are you holding back that might actually be your greatest professional strength?

Be sure to: 

Connect with Danika Waddell on LinkedIn 

Check out our conversation for The Intentional Investor on Epsilon Theory, and -

Take a moment to reflect on all these ideas!

You have a Personal Network and a Personal Archive just waiting for you to build it up stronger. Look at your work, look at your life, and look at your legacy, and think about where you can start small in each category. A person and a Personal reflection today, who knows what tomorrow.

Don't forget to click here and tell me who you're adding to your network and why! Plus, if you already have your own Personal Archive too, let me know, I'm creating a database.

Last thing: If you need help, you can hire me. Get in touch with inquires, I’m easy to find.