🤑 you can’t save your way to wealth

what actually builds wealth, a lease vs. buyout debate, and the squash dish that wins dinner.

Subscribe here | Unsubscribe here | Wellness Wed May 21, 2025 ✅ Today's Checklist:  What actually builds wealth Thania's car lease or buyout dilemma Recipe of the week: Spaghetti squash with bacon & goat cheese 🤔 Trivia: What flower is associated with May and is also used in royal wedding bouquets for its symbolism of humility and purity? Find out. QUICK LINKS 🦴 Build stronger bones without the supplements aisle spiral. 💻 Learning management systems that won't make your team groan. 🚧 Ambition isn't the issue—invisible barriers are. 🤖 This AI productivity stack is seriously worth stealing. FINANCIAL LITERACY     💸 Money Mindset Isn't Enough…Here's What Actually Builds Wealth We love a good journaling sesh as much as anyone—but if you've been "manifesting abundance" and still feel stuck financially? You're not alone. There's a difference between money mindset and actual money momentum. And in this blog post, Tess from Wealth with Tess explains why awareness is just the first step—and what it actually takes to start building wealth: 🔍 Unpack your money story. Our beliefs around money form early (often before age 10). These "money scripts" can shape your entire financial reality, even if you're not conscious of them. 📓 Track your emotional triggers. When do you avoid money? When do you overspend? Noticing your patterns is step one. Tess suggests money journaling as a powerful way to identify and reframe those emotional loops. 🧠 Mindset is where you start, but growth is how you build. Believing you're "just bad with money" is a fixed mindset. A growth mindset says, "I don't know this yet, but I can learn." That shift alone is powerful. 📈 Set up systems that work while you rest. Wealth-building doesn't require day trading or spreadsheets. Start by automating your investments, understanding your accounts, and building a strategy that grows over time—even while you're off living your life. One of Tess's favorite reminders (from The Psychology of Money): "Doing well with money has little to do with how smart you are and a lot to do with how you behave." That's why we're bringing Tess in to speak with you (live) next week. We've collab'd on a free money mindset workshop to help you: What "money mindset" really means (and 3 powerful ways to rewire yours for wealth) How to shift into a "growth mindset" so you stop stalling and start making real moves with your money The 3 keys to building a rock-solid financial foundation (and finally figuring out where to start upleveling your money) 👉 Save your seat here. RECRUITING TOOL     My BFF Swears by Greenhouse for Recruiting   Recruiting the right talent is one of the biggest challenges for any company. Between posting jobs, sorting resumes, and scheduling interviews, it's easy to feel overwhelmed—especially when it comes to managing feedback across hiring managers. Building a strong team should start with an efficient, collaborative, and data-driven recruitment process. When I asked my best friend (who's been in recruiting for years) about Greenhouse, she wouldn't shut up about how awesome it was—the text pictured above was part 1 of many gray bubble responses. She told me Greenhouse makes hiring way more collaborative—giving managers access to the platform so everyone's on the same page for scheduling and feedback. Plus, the customizable scorecards for interviews make gathering actionable feedback super easy. And if you're into optimizing (who isn't?), the data you get from the platform is a game-changer. You can see the types of applicants coming in and tweak your search strategy in real-time. TL;DR: If you're looking to cut down your hiring time, improve collaboration with managers, and get deeper insights into your talent pool, Greenhouse is a must-have.  Joanna (TA Co-Founder) ADULTING     When to Purchase Your Car Lease or Get a New One Three years ago, I moved from LA to Idaho and quickly realized I'd need an all-wheel drive vehicle for snowy roads and mountain terrain. It was 2022, car inventory was sparse, and I had to make a quick decision. So I leased a 2022 Mazda CX-9. At the time, it made sense. Leasing for three years was going to cost me about $23K—basically renting the car. As a small business owner who primarily uses her car for work, I knew I could write off the lease as a business expense. I figured by the end of the term, I'd be ready to buy an EV or hybrid once the market (and tech) matured. Well, fast-forward three years—and guess what? Still not sold on the EV market. So now I'm in that end-of-lease limbo: Do I buy this car I already know and love, or do I swap it for something else? Here's the quick breakdown: What I love about my car I'm the only person who's ever driven it It has low mileage and a super clean record It fits 7 people comfortably I know how it drives and I've already invested money into it What annoys me No foot sensor to open the back gate No heated steering wheel The monthly payment ($600+) isn't my favorite Also? The thought of spending another three years "renting" a car I won't own? Not into it. But buying a new car doesn't excite me either. So I weighed my options: Buy out my current CX-9 lease Lease a new Mazda Lease a totally different car Buy a different Mazda Buy a different car altogether When I called the dealership, the rep—Bryant from Culver City Mazda—offered me two options: buy out the lease with a "service contract" (aka an extended warranty I didn't ask for) or lease a newer model for about the same price. To be honest, the service felt pushy and vague. Thankfully, I'd done my homework. My local credit union (STCU) offers way better APRs on auto loans than the dealership. And that "required" service contract? It's 100% negotiable. What I've learned so far: You can finance your lease buyout through a third party (like a credit union) to get a better deal You don't have to accept the dealership's added warranty or "extras" The dealership might not be super motivated to sell it to you if your car is in great condition—they know they can profit from reselling it As of now, I've texted Bryant to let him know I'll be financing the car on my own and not paying for an extended warranty. Stay tuned—I'll report back on how it goes. And if you're in the same boat: do your research, know your numbers, and don't let a dealership rush your decision. You've got options.  Thania (TA Content Mgr) VEHICLE TRACKING     When Your Vehicles Go Off-Track, So Does Your Day   When routes shift, deliveries stall, or drivers go silent, it's easy to feel like you're one step behind. Verizon Connect helps you stay ahead with real-time GPS tracking, fuel and idle monitoring, and driver behavior insights—all from one clean, easy-to-navigate dashboard. Whether you're managing 5 vehicles or 500, it's built to save you time and help you run tighter ops. Looking for more oversight? Samsara adds AI-powered video, diagnostics, and safety alerts, giving you a full command center feel that helps you catch issues early and keep things moving. Both tools support compliance, reduce risk, and help you make confident, data-backed decisions without constant check-ins. RECIPE OF THE WEEK Have a recipe you love? Share it here. STAFF PICKS Stuff We're Loving This Week   📥 Marketers, your inbox is missing out! Masters in Marketing delivers the insights you want—no jargon, just secrets behind viral campaigns. 🛏️ Your hair's 8-hour hydration plan right here. 🖱️ This multi-device mouse + keyboard = smooth AF switching without the Bluetooth dance. 💄 This quilted set makes packing your makeup feel oddly satisfying. JUST FOR FUN JOB LEADS   Your Next Gig = One Click Away PHASE Scientific Americas is hiring for an HR Generalist (Garden Grove, CA). Rockwoods Inc is hiring for a Loyalty Marketing Manager (Tysons, VA). Infosys is hiring for a Group Engagement Manager (Dallas, TX). Management Consulting Group is hiring for a Principal Program Manager(Oakland, CA). Diamond Personnel is hiring for a Senior Corporate Paralegal (New York, NY). ⭐ View more jobs here > SPILL THE TEA Take Our Poll     Have more feedback? 💌 Reply to this email and tell us. ✨ P.S. Want more inspiration and positivity to kick off your week? Sign up for our Motivational Monday texts (U.S. only). 👀 Want to see if your company is a good fit for our 100k+ ambitious readers? Join our Sponsor Waitlist here. UPDATE YOUR PREFERENCES Only Get What You Want  Here's how to update your preferences in just a few quick steps: Click the link below and on the "Update Your Preferences" page, click the "Email me a link" button. Open the email with the subject line "The Assist Subscribers: Update Profile" and click the link inside. Choose the weekly email newsletters you'd like to receive from us (Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat). Click "Update Preferences" to save your changes—and you're all set! 👉 Update my subscriber preferences here. Catch up on all Wellness Wednesday newsletter here. We send 4 emails a week — update which issues you receive at any time. Never want to hear from us again? Break our hearts and unsubscribe. Visit our Etsy shop for awesome templates. THE ASSIST, LOS ANGELES, CA 90045, UNITED STATES