🎸Come As You Are: A Tribute to You, Through the Eyes of a Generation Shaping Up

"Come as you are, as you were, as I want you to be…"

Mrs. Shoemaker stood at the front of our Garnet Valley High School English class—Sheryl Crow doppelgänger and grunge fan through and through. I still remember the goosebumps when she said it:

“Remember this time. For decades to come, people will look back at this era—when alt rock came out of Seattle and defined a generation.”

She was right.

Nirvana. Pearl Jam. Soundgarden. It wasn’t just the music. It was an identity. Raw. Loud. Unfiltered. For the first time, it felt like we didn’t have to fake anything.

And for a while… I didn’t.

Before the suits, the spreadsheets, and the equity comp plans, I was a wanderer. A little reckless. A lot curious. I chased concerts, camped without plans, backpacked with little more than hope and a walkman. I said yes more than I said no. Because I had little to lose—and everything to gain.

Somewhere along the way, I gained it all.

But in doing so, I felt something else creeping in.

The Quiet Burden of Midlife Success.

Not in the obvious way. Not the 80-hour work weeks, the ties, or the meetings (although those can feel heavy too).

It was subtler.

It was the pressure to be who others expected—whether that was the “trusted advisor,” the “good provider,” or just the dependable one who keeps everything together.

But here's the shift:

Lately, I’m peeling that off—layer by layer.
I’m intense. I’m raw. I’m purpose-driven. Deal with it.

The mission now?

To live a life of intensity, authenticity, and purpose.
To help others grow while growing myself.
To stop optimizing for appearances and start aligning with truth.

That’s what Members’ Wealth was born from—not a pitch deck or a playbook, but a feeling. A belief that wealth, done RITE isn't about control—it's about freedom.

When we bring our true selves to the table—clients, advisors, friends—we don’t just manage finances. We elevate lives.

So here’s your reminder:

You don’t have to throw it all away to evolve.

You don’t need to burn down the life you built just to feel alive again.

You can resurrect the self you were, add in the wisdom you've earned, and step into the version of you that’s been quietly waiting in the wings.

The one who still loves concerts and camping and saying no to conformity.

The one who’s both free and fancy and grounded in success, but light enough to dance in the sand.

The one who wants more, without shame.

The one who’s finally ready to come as they are.

🎸

Let’s keep evolving.
Let’s keep growing.
Let’s wander well.

–Dane
The Wandering Wealth Advisor