Old School: Wisdom From Grandma & Grandpa

Common sense, hard-won lessons and the way our grandparents did it, from the people who lived it. Still works.

The BRO Code. What to do, what not to do, and a few laughs on the way.

When morning stiffness lasts an hour, it isn't wear and tear

Wear and tear loosens up in ten minutes. If your hands are still locked at 8 a.m., that's a different problem and it has a clock on it.

GuideBusinessRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

What to check in the books before you buy somebody's business

The seller's P&L is a sales document. The bank statements are the truth. Start there and work outward.

Ask BRO

Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

Ask it

GuideMoneyRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

Retirement accounts and the one question that sorts them

401(k), IRA, Roth, HSA, SEP. Strip the alphabet soup and it comes down to who taxes the money and when.

Dude.com — 16 AI advisers who listen, talk and are here with you

PartnerDude.com

Fitness6 min read

Root canal, crown or extraction and what each really costs

A cracked molar forces a decision in about ten minutes. Know the three paths, the real price of each, and how long you'll be off the bar.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideStartupsRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

Your Farmers Market Stand Isn't a Hobby, It's a Business

The Saturday math that decides whether the market pays you or quietly bills you, and why half the stands are gone by September.

$The rent versus buy math nobody runs before they sign$

GuideMoneyRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20265 min

The rent versus buy math nobody runs before they sign

A $350,000 house, an $1,850 rent, and five years of arithmetic that doesn't flatter either side.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

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GuideFitnessCal BrennanSep 23, 20266 min

Vertigo that lasts 20 seconds is usually fixable at home

It's loose crystals in your inner ear, not your brain, and the maneuver that puts them back takes about five minutes.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideSkillsWes DunbarSep 23, 20266 min

Sharpen a chainsaw chain by hand, in the right order

If your saw is throwing dust instead of chips, ten minutes with a round file will give you back a saw that pulls itself into the wood.

GuideMoneyRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20265 min

Negotiate your raise with a page of evidence, not nerve

Courage doesn't move a budget line. A one-page file with numbers, dates and a market range does, and you can build it in a few evenings.

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

Ask it

GuideFitnessCal BrennanSep 23, 20266 min

When one ear goes dead overnight, you have about 72 hours

It gets written off as wax or a head cold, the treatment window is short, and getting seen today takes a specific phone call.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

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GuideBusinessRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

Negotiating with suppliers when you're the small account

You don't have volume leverage. You have four other kinds, and most small operators never use any of them.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideStartupsRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

One Hour on Friday Is All Your Books Need

Do your bookkeeping in a fixed weekly hour and you'll always know three numbers that decide whether your business lives.

GuideFitnessCal BrennanSep 23, 20266 min

Dry, tired eyes from screens and AC, and what actually helps

Your eyes aren't failing at 4 p.m. They're evaporating. Fix the airflow, fix the blink, and pick drops that don't make it worse.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

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GuideBusinessRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20265 min

Write the job post so the wrong people don't apply

Most hiring problems start with a posting that could belong to anybody. Put the pay in, name the hard part, and watch your applicant pile get smaller and better.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

Money5 min

The family tax breaks that are worth the paperwork

Fitness6 min

Bleeding gums are the warning you keep rinsing away

Ask BRO

Rehearse the raise conversation with me

Ask it

GuideBusinessRay OkonkwoSep 23, 20266 min

Handing the family business over without blowing up the family

Most successions fail years before the lawyer gets involved. The fix is a date, real authority, and a number everybody agreed to while things were calm.