SoFi Blog

Five years ago, running a startup wasn’t even close to being on Michael Zanetti’s mind. But life is unpredictable—and that’s exactly how he likes it. As a veteran with combat experience in the Army, Michael thrives on unpredictability. After all, in the Army, every mission requires a contingency plan.

After serving in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, and receiving a Bronze Star, Michael went on to serve in the National Guard. He transitioned from the military into civilian life in 2011, and earned an MBA in 2014 from Thunderbird School of Global Management. A year later, he partnered with his friend Brady Bagwan—also a former army officer—to co-found TradesFactor, a professional network for people in the skilled trades.

Equity markets continued to fall last week. The S&P 500 matched its longest losing streak since 1980 with 9 straight losing days as polls indicated a tightening race for president. The search for safety from political uncertainty resulted in rising Treasury prices (and falling yields) throughout the week. While the price action has been painful over the last couple weeks, the economy continues to look good and we still expect a December rate hike from the Federal Reserve.

You’re no stranger to the slew of productivity tools available today. You probably swear by Evernote to keep a running list of your ideas, and have some favorite planner apps to stay on task. And you do those things because being efficient and productive helps you bring your A game to work every single day.

But to do your best job and realize major successes, it’s crucial that the ways in which you work and the tools you use, are in sync with your work culture and your success goals. For example, if you’ve ever used a productivity tool in the hope of upping your effectiveness twofold only to discover that you’re slogging through tasks at a slower pace, there’s a solid chance the tool just doesn’t match up with the way you receive and process information.

If you’re a doctor, dentist, or lawyer nearing the end of your training, give yourself a pat on the back. Getting to this point hasn’t been easy—financially or personally. But you’re eager and ready to put all you’ve learned to task! After spending years answering to your professors, mentors, partners or attending physicians, you might even be thinking of starting your own practice.

Yet, while becoming your own boss can be pretty appealing, it can also be terrifying. Medical, dental, and law students often graduate with heavy student debt loads, but little practical training on how to start a practice. But that doesn’t mean that building the private practice of your dreams is impossible.

For SoFi’s latest member spotlight, we sit down with JJ Owen, Director of Development for the Movember Foundation, to discuss mental health, finances and, of course, moustaches. We learn about JJ’s college days playing baseball, getting his MBA and how refinancing student loans became his first major financial decision, enabling him to take better control of the present to plan for his family’s future.