Unlocking Potential #19: Q&A With Mitch DeWitt

Unlocking Potential is back—this time with a Financial Week spotlight. I’m always interested in the people who can talk about money without turning it into either a spreadsheet sermon or a Reddit roulette wheel. Mitch DeWitt (CFP®, MBA) does exactly that: practical, calm, and a little rebellious in the best way.

Q: What’s a “financial truth” you wish more high-achieving people would accept sooner—because it would save them years of stress (or years of overconfidence)?

Stockpiling a bunch of money aimlessly is overrated. Figure out what matters to you and use your resources intentionally.

Q: What’s one belief about investing or planning you held early in your career that you’ve changed your mind about—and what experience changed it?

There isn’t always a “right” answer. As an engineer by education, I used to want a precise formula to achieve financial success; that simply doesn’t exist. Finances and financial planning are an art form. I didn’t have an “aha” moment to realize this—rather, it came from many years of experience.

Q: If you could give someone one constraint to follow for the next 30 days that would improve their finances fast (a rule, a ritual, a boundary), what would it be?

Find something to automate in your financial life. It could be a monthly transfer to your high-yield savings account, a regular contribution to your brokerage account, or increasing your employer retirement plan contributions. Sometimes people just need a little nudge—just do it and don’t overthink it.

Q: Beverage check (personal curiosity: since I own Garth’s Brew Bar on Monroe Street…gotta ask!): what’s your go-to drink when you’re celebrating a win—or decompressing after a long week?

I would consider myself a seasonal drinker. In the hot summer months I enjoy wheat beers (Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier). During the fall I enjoy a strong ABV, hoppy IPA (or double IPA!). However, when it comes to celebrating a win, I gravitate towards a dram of an Islay-style scotch.

Q: How can people find you?

Mitch DeWitt

Stay Positive & Cheers