Two FaceS
Authenticity in a World That Rewards Performance
I realized a long time ago that the goal is not to win every argument or prove every person wrong.
The goal is peace.
The goal is being able to say what you need to say and move on. Because when you argue with fools long enough, eventually you become part of the circus too.
That realization changed me.
In this industry, many people that look like me will understand exactly what I am about to say. There is a constant balancing act that exists in professional environments where you are not always sure if people are accepting you or the version of yourself you created to survive the room.
A mask.
Not because you are fake. Not because you are dishonest. But because there are environments where you learn very quickly that being fully yourself may come with consequences.
It could be your tone.
Your hair.
Your cadence.
Your clothes.
Your confidence.
Even the way passion comes across when you speak.
People have no idea how exhausting that becomes over time.
Imagine walking into every client interaction or Zoom call wondering less about your expertise and more about how you are being perceived. Wondering whether one small mistake confirms someone else’s internal bias about you. Wondering if you need to overdeliver just to be viewed as equal.
That pressure is real.
I think that is one of the biggest reasons I started 9i Capital Group in Fort Worth.
I got tired of playing somebody else’s game.
Tired of shrinking parts of myself to fit into environments that were never truly built for people like me. Tired of feeling like professionalism meant becoming a watered-down version of myself just to make other people comfortable.
And truthfully, it was not easy to break away from that mindset.
For years, if I lost a client or someone decided not to move forward, I internalized it. I replayed conversations in my head. Was it something I said? My delivery? My appearance? My tone?
Then one day I realized something baseball taught me a long time ago.
You do not get a hit every at bat.
You can do everything right and still strike out sometimes. That does not mean you are not talented. It does not mean you are not prepared. It just means not everybody is meant for you, and you are not meant for everybody.
That lesson brought freedom.
Now, I focus on one thing:
Providing the highest level of service possible to the people who trust me with their lives, families, businesses, and futures.
That is it.
I know I am great at what I do.
Not because of arrogance, but because I have put in the work. I do not need to hide behind the logo of a massive institution for validation. I have respect for advisors at firms like Merrill Lynch, RBC Wealth Management, or Goldman Sachs because independence is not easy.
Building something from scratch takes belief.
Real belief.
Especially when there is no giant brand protecting you from failure. Only your work ethic, your consistency, and your ability to connect with people.
The confidence took time to build.
When I earned my CFP®, I finally started realizing maybe I did belong in these rooms. Then came the RICP®. Then the EA designation. Then the media opportunities: Yahoo Finance. Newsweek. Financial Planning, NewsNation.
Little by little, the mask started coming off.
And now?
When you meet Kevin Thompson, founder of 9i Capital, you are getting the real version.
No corporate costume.
No watered-down personality.
No fake cadence designed to fit somebody else’s standard of professionalism.
Whether it is the afro, the braids, or me speaking exactly the way I speak, what you are getting is authenticity.
And honestly?
That version of me is the most dangerous one yet.
Because once someone stops fearing judgment, there is very little left that can stop them.
Stay humble, stay safe.