By Zach Whitchurch
President | Wealth Advisor
Certified Private Wealth Advisor®
CFP®
As a wealth manager, I’m constantly on the lookout for sources of inspiration and education. While plenty of websites, podcasts, and blogs offer useful information, I prefer books that delve more deeply into the subjects they cover. I’m always eager to recommend the ones I’ve gotten the most out of to colleagues, friends, and clients.
This is my 2024 reading list. Each one of these books has made a major impression on me. I’m always grateful for the chance to learn and consider new ideas. These volumes have allowed me to do just that, and I hope they do the same for you.
Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things
By Adam Grant
When we see successful people who have climbed to the top of the mountain, we tend to assume they have inherent talent and skills we don’t possess. This belief restricts and understates what we can do.
Hidden Potential provides a framework for lifetime growth and pursuing joy and excitement along the way for everlasting education. As a wealth manager, I’ve found Grant’s book to be very relatable.
The Boys in the Boat
By Daniel James Brown
I enjoyed the movie version of The Boys in the Boat and wanted to explore the narrative in more depth. The book tells the story of the University of Washington rowing team that defied all the odds to win the gold medal in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. It’s a great underdog tale that shows how to overcome struggles and create a unified team.
Like Hidden Potential, this book emphasizes persistence and hard work over innate talent, something successful people strive to accomplish.
The Power of One More
By Ed Mylett
The idea behind this book is to push ourselves to do incrementally more than usual. It focuses on how we make decisions in difficult times and how to detect possible opportunities for success. Mylett also discusses how self-image plays a huge role in motivation.
I believe we can use The Power of One More to find success and fulfillment in all parts of life, from work and personal pursuits to family and relationships.
Making Winners
By Michael Lewis
I’ve been a soccer coach for many years. It’s taught me a lot about leadership and team-building. Lewis, a very personal writer and podcaster, focuses on coaching others to earn success in Making Winners. The book is framed by conversations with his old baseball coach. The result is workable, practical advice that is inspirational and humorous.
The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance
By W. Timothy Gallwey
This is another book that’s informed my soccer coaching, but it applies to almost every facet of life. The Inner Game of Tennis takes a psychological approach to improving one’s game, overcoming anxiety and doubt to create winning situations with “relaxed concentration.” Attitude can be just as important as the right skill set, as Gallwey explains.
Supercommunicators
By Charles Duhigg
This eye-opening anthology of stories and studies shows how directed and effective communication can create change and lead to better choices. It breaks down elements of communication to help readers manage how they talk and listen to others, which are important aspects of being a wealth manager.
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
By Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
There’s a traditional view of family dynamics in which parents only try to get their points across. A better practice is to engage in conversation with our children—not necessarily to provide answers, but to form a more real connection with our kids. How to Talk features insights and practices for more meaningful communication and understanding between parents and kids.
Four Thousand Weeks
By Oliver Burkeman
As humans, we only have about 4,000 weeks from birth to death. How are we going to choose to spend them—worrying about everything or being excited about what life can bring us? Burkeman talks about how time management and goal-setting can be streamlined to enable great accomplishments. He also describes how to retool unhealthy work habits to become more efficient and productive.
The Power of Moments
By Chip and Dan Heath
In The Power of Moments, the Heath brothers discuss how fleeting experiences can have a major influence on our lives. Among other things, they teach us how to get the most out of each and every moment instead of fretting about major achievements.
Market Mind Games
By Denise Shull
As a wealth manager, I’m always focused on risk management. Shull’s book explains how emotion plays a part in market decisions just as much as rationality and intelligence. She suggests ways to let our feelings guide us through tough decisions and how to honor them without letting them get out of hand.
Reading Is Fundamental for Wealth Managers—and Everyone
The insights from these books are invaluable, extending far beyond the realm of wealth management. At Solidarity Wealth, we are eager to share what we’ve learned to enhance our clients’ lives.
If you’re ready to see what wealth management can do for you and your business, reach out to us at info@solidaritywealth.com or call 385-374-1665 to schedule a discovery call.
About Zach
Zach Whitchurch is the President and a wealth advisor at Solidarity Wealth, a privately held, independent wealth management firm that serves as a multi-family office to some of the Mountain West’s most successful families, technology entrepreneurs, and executives. Zach works with clients to develop both “Wealthy Financial Habits” and “Healthy Financial Habits” and thrives on helping them understand their finances by simplifying the complex. He uses his broad knowledge on a wide variety of topics to implement creative strategies for clients as he helps them feel both seen and heard, and supports them along the path to their dreams.
Prior to co-founding Solidarity Wealth, Zach was a financial advisor and a senior vice president of investments at Wells Fargo. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in finance from the University of Utah and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Certified Private Wealth Advisor® designations. He is also a Managing Partner of Solidarity Capital. Outside of work, Zach enjoys spending time with his wife and four children and being active in both indoor and outdoor sports. He is also involved with coaching youth sports, and loves to read and learn about how the world works on a deeper level.
Solidarity Wealth is a registered investment adviser. This material is solely for informational purposes. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Solidarity Wealth and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by Solidarity Wealth unless a client service agreement is in place.
