by Brooks Mendell | Nov 30, 2024 | Thinking/Analysis, Forestry
The economist Mohamed El-Erian, in his book The Only Game in Town, writes about the importance of having and revisiting frameworks to support clear thinking. He tells a story from the 1980s when the International Monetary Fund (IMF), for whom he worked at the time,...
by Brooks Mendell | Oct 31, 2024 | Books, Learning, Thinking/Analysis
In 1935, Eleanor Roosevelt published an article in The Saturday Evening Post titled “In Defense of Curiosity.” In describing the benefits of being curious, she wrote: I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most...
by Brooks Mendell | Jul 30, 2024 | Learning, Thinking/Analysis
In college, my friend and mentor Mark Lundstrom taught me that “earning good grades gives you more freedom.” I had struggled as a freshman, and Mark, an actual rocket scientist, talked to me about how getting straight on study habits and academic performance...
by Brooks Mendell | Jun 5, 2024 | Communication Skills, Thinking/Analysis
Liquidity – the ability to convert assets into cash – generally worries investors.[1] In talking with clients and in my forestry investment research, I find that the issue of liquidity varies significantly by investor and over time, and that we are quick to generalize...
by Brooks Mendell | May 8, 2024 | Communication Skills, Forestry, Thinking/Analysis
The growth of ESG investing – which screens investments and firms based on environmental, social, and governance criteria – and markets for forest carbon and other environmental “services” highlight the importance of clear communication skills and the value of those...
by Brooks Mendell | Apr 14, 2024 | Learning, Thinking/Analysis
Classic lessons and finance fundamentals inform my approach to investing. Start saving and investing early to crank the flywheel of compounding interest. Minimize costs to keep more of what you earn. Diversify to mitigate risk. Commit to regular and systematic...
