I had a recent conversation with my business coach that has stayed with me far longer than most whiteboard moments tend to.

He drew a simple triangle. At the top point he wrote Business. At the two bottom corners he wrote Lifestyle and Income. He paused, looked at me, and then said, “What if we tip the triangle?”

He redrew it. Same three elements. This time Lifestyle sat at the apex, with Business and Income as the supporting corners.

That simple act. A small tilt of a pen. It got me thinking.

What’s at the top of my triangle?

Before I go any further, let me be clear about a few things.

First, this is a deeply personal reflection. There is no right or wrong answer. No moral high ground. No prescribed formula. What belongs at the top of your triangle is yours to decide, and it may change over time. That doesn’t make it inconsistent. It makes it human.

Second, I recognize the privilege embedded in even contemplating this question. The ability to step back, reflect, and ask what we want to optimize for in our lives and businesses is not universally available. I am deeply grateful for that privilege and don’t take it lightly.

That said, I believe most entrepreneurs, almost by default, place Business at the apex of their triangle.

And why wouldn’t we?

We are builders. We are wired to create, to improve, to push, to make something that didn’t exist before. We want to build great companies. Sometimes with an exit in mind. Sometimes to create generational wealth. Sometimes in service of a mission that feels bigger than ourselves. Often some combination of all three.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. In fact, it’s admirable. It’s how progress happens.

But the question that’s been quietly working on me since that conversation is this:

Is that always what should sit at the top?

It could be that I’m reassessing as I approach what I’ll gently call the twilight of my career. Or maybe it’s simply the benefit of a few more laps around the track. Either way, I’ve found myself tipping the triangle.

For me, the word Lifestyle never quite sat right. It felt too curated. Too inward. Too close to consumption rather than contribution.

The word I’ve chosen instead is Wellbeing.

And to be clear, I don’t mean wellbeing as a synonym for comfort or ease.

I define wellbeing as well-roundedness. Completeness. Fulfillment.

It’s waking up each day knowing that the work I’m doing has a positive impact on the people I serve and the communities I touch.

It’s prioritizing my physical health and treating a gym session or a long walk with the same respect as any other calendar commitment. Not because it’s indulgent, but because it’s foundational.

It’s being present for my grandchildren. Fully present. On the floor. In the moment. Not distracted. Not half there.

It’s deeply enjoying this season of life with my wife of 36 years. Appreciating not just the history we’ve built together, but the future we’re still writing.

And here’s the important part: tipping the triangle has not meant stepping away from work.

I still work hard. I still want to. Building my business and helping others build theirs remains a powerful driver for me. I love the craft. I love the challenge. I love the progress.

What has changed is the hierarchy.

I’m also very much at peace with being what some might call a “dirty capitalist.” I believe in markets. I believe in value creation. I believe profit matters.

But my relationship with wealth and money has evolved.

Today, I view wealth across five dimensions: time, financial, social, mental, and physical.

Money, for me, is no longer how I keep score. It’s a tool. An important one, but still a tool. And I see it serving three primary purposes.

First, security. For us, and for our children and grandchildren. The kind of security that creates choice, not excess.

Second, experience. I don’t care much about the car I drive. I care deeply about the places we visit. Travel. Exposure. Shared experiences that turn into lifelong memories.

And third, to do good. I’ve had good fortune. And I’ve come to believe that doing good with that good fortune isn’t just a duty. It’s a meaningful contributor to happiness itself.

I’m not offering this as a prescription.

I’m offering it as a contemplation.

A question worth sitting with. Revisiting. Wrestling with.

Because whether you’re early in your journey, deep in the messy middle, or looking back on what you’ve built, the orientation of your triangle matters.

So I’ll leave you with the same question that’s been quietly reshaping my own thinking:

What do you want at the top of your triangle?