Liberty’s Lane: By Liberty V Justice This time, instead of paying the penalty later, I invested upfront. I picked up the phone and called the Franchise Tax Board. I didn’t try to guess. I didn’t try to figure it out later. I asked. That conversation was a small investment of time that created a massive return in clarity, peace of mind, and protection for my future. I was no longer trying to avoid the pothole after hitting it – I was learning how to see it before. That is how you turbo-charge your future. The lesson wasn’t that I needed to know everything. The lesson was that I needed to ask the right person. Asking is giving – you are giving someone else the opportunity to use their knowledge and making them feel valued because their experience matters. I asked Dan, the editor of 10-4, about this very topic, and his thoughts on communication sparked an even bigger question for me: how can I save you from my scars? While reading Bruce Mallinson’s article (The Performance Zone), I was reminded of this lesson: communication matters. His work consistently reinforces the importance of asking questions, having conversations, and getting clarity before small problems become big ones. Because some things you can’t Google, and some things can’t be replaced by technology. Sometimes, you just need In 2026, dropping the hammer and turbo-charging your profits doesn’t start at the fuel pump – it starts with creating intentional conversations. It starts with being willing to ask questions that most people are too afraid to ask. Are you afraid to ask for information? I feel you. For a long time, I was terrified of looking uneducated, unprepared, or getting beat down (verbally) for asking questions. So, I stayed quiet. I observed. I guessed. I assumed. And I paid for it. Silence is expensive. When you don’t ask, you don’t learn; when you don’t learn, you don’t earn; and when you don’t communicate, you don’t connect. Remember last month’s article? I wrote about the three hidden leaks that drain your budget: the “Thirsty Well” mistake, the “Fear Tax,” and the “Silent Ego” cost. Money doesn’t always disappear through one big mistake. Sometimes it just leaks away through small decisions repeated over time – conversations you avoided, questions you didn’t ask, and information you never verified. Most losses in business don’t start as disasters. They start as silence. But, the right conversations don’t just prevent losses, they compound them. Every question you ask adds knowledge, and every relationship you build creates opportunity. Every lesson you learn can multiply your future success. Like compound interest, a small investment today can create a much bigger return tomorrow. Just like money in the bank, what you don’t invest doesn’t stay neutral, it starts working against you. You start moving backward. I know because I paid the price. When I started the LLC for my film company, I froze. I had already made a major mistake with my previous business because I was afraid to ask questions. I assumed I understood what I was doing, but I didn’t. I thought because I wasn’t making money, I didn’t have to file a tax return. The Franchise Tax Board later confirmed that assumption was wrong. Because I failed to understand what I needed to do, I lost my business’ legal status – along with $6,000. I had to close that business. That was my Fear Tax. 10-4 Magazine / August 2026 49 to have a conversation with someone who has the experience, knowledge, or authority to help you avoid that pothole before you hit it. Every driver and business owner faces potholes. The goal is not pretending they don’t exist, it’s building enough knowledge, relationships, and awareness so that you recognize them before they damage your operation. That is why communication is a financial strategy. Your network is part of your net worth. The people you know, the questions you ask, and the lessons you learn all create a return. Everything compounds including fear, knowledge and relationships. So, what are you investing in? What Fear Tax, Silent Ego cost, or Thirsty Well mistake did you pay that someone else can profit from avoiding? Share it with me so I can share it with our readers (I’ll leave your name out if you prefer). Email me at libertyvjustice@yahoo.com. Because in 2026, dropping the hammer and turbo-charging your profits doesn’t start at the fuel pump – it starts by creating intentional conversations. n COMMUNICATION IS KEY
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