Introduction: The Quiet Shift from Control to Connection
A Personal Turning Point
Presence and mutuality are not just therapeutic concepts or philosophical ideals, they are the foundation of trust. In my own life, it was a horse named Doc who taught me how presence, not pressure, creates transformation. What I learned through him has since shaped the investment philosophy at Steed Talker Capital, where I now help high-income professionals build lasting wealth through secure, high-performing alternative investments.
I had spent much of my career immersed in academic studies, systems psychology, counseling, and organizational behavior. But my most profound insights came not in a classroom or consulting room. They came in a dusty paddock, standing beside a frightened, reactive, and profoundly misunderstood horse.
Doc didn’t belong to me. He had been recently acquired by a friend of mine who was looking for a calm, dependable companion, what she affectionately called a “rocking chair horse.” She had been promised a gentle gelding, a quarter horse by breed, which are typically known for their steady temperament. But the moment she brought Doc home, it became clear that something was terribly wrong.
He was not at all the quiet, cooperative horse she had expected. In fact, Doc was dangerous. When she attempted to bridle him, even with a bitless bridle, he did more than shy away. He reared, kicked, and exploded into defensive chaos. He refused to be touched. Every gesture from a human was met with suspicion or violence. Her dream of trail rides and peaceful companionship had turned into a safety hazard. Unsure what to do and facing the real possibility of having to send him away, she called me.
She knew I had experience with horses and a deep commitment to natural horsemanship. What she may not have known was that I, too, had begun to question those very techniques. I had started to sense that even the gentlest-seeming forms of training were still rooted in manipulation and control. So, when I came to meet Doc, I brought no tools, no agenda, no plan to correct or retrain him.
Instead, I simply stood with him.
He paced. He pawed. He glared. He tossed his head and gave every signal he could to say, “Stay away.”
I did.
I stood still in a contemplative, meditative presence. I didn’t ask anything of him. I didn’t try to make him do anything. I just remained near, calm, grounded, and fully attentive.
Twenty minutes passed.
Then, slowly, something began to shift. The muscles in his neck softened. The tightness in his spine loosened. His eyes, once wide with fear, began to relax. And then, for the first time since arriving, Doc lowered his head.
This moment wasn’t just about horsemanship. It was about relationship.
Without resistance, I gently lifted the bridle and slipped it on. No fight. No flinch. No fear. I took it off again, and then on again. Still no reaction. He was no longer preparing for battle. He had, for the first time in a long time, felt safe.
That one moment of connection was the beginning of Doc’s transformation, not into a compliant animal, but into a willing companion. Over the following months, his entire demeanor changed. The trauma he had carried from years of being forced into unnatural roles, likely as a show horse required to perform, began to dissolve. He went from being labeled “dangerous” to becoming one of the most affectionate, dependable horses I have ever known.
Doc’s healing came not through dominance or even technique. It came through trust.
That same principle now underlies everything we do at Steed Talker Capital.
Because the truth is, many high-income professionals today, doctors, dentists, optometrists, and others, find themselves in a similar place. They have done everything “right,” earned degrees, built careers, accumulated income. But when it comes to building wealth, they have been handed tools that are all about control, performance, and pressure. The markets must be timed. The risks must be tolerated. The returns are uncertain. And all of it, despite looking sophisticated, feels disconnected from real security or meaning.
Like Doc, they are weary of the noise. Suspicious of promises. Guarded, and rightly so.
At Steed Talker Capital, we don’t approach capital with commands. We meet it with care. We don’t force performance. We create conditions for it. We believe wealth, like trust, cannot be chased. It must be invited.
And invitation begins with presence.
Executive Summary
Most high-income professionals spend their lives earning well, but not building lasting wealth. They follow conventional advice, invest in stock-heavy portfolios, and hope the numbers add up in the end. But something feels off. The volatility is unnerving. The jargon is opaque. The control rests elsewhere. And what is often promised as “diversification” is simply more of the same, just in different wrappers.
This white paper introduces an alternative. Not just an alternative asset class, but an alternative philosophy. One that does not chase quarterly gains, but builds long-term resilience. One that does not rely on prediction, but on presence. One that recognizes the most valuable kind of wealth is the kind that gives you your time, your purpose, and your peace of mind back.
The story of Doc, a traumatized horse transformed through patient presence and mutual trust, is more than a metaphor. It is a model. Like many professionals who have experienced stress, burnout, and disillusionment with traditional systems, Doc had been taught that relationships meant performance and pressure. He resisted until he was met with something entirely different. He softened only when he felt safe.
At Steed Talker Capital, we offer that kind of experience with capital.
Our work is not about selling. It is about curating access to secure, high-performing alternative investments that most people will never hear about. These are private placements, often in commercial real estate or private equity, that are thoroughly vetted and intentionally selected. They offer the potential for tax-advantaged, inflation-protected, and recession-resilient growth, without the volatility or emotional rollercoaster of Wall Street.
We do not serve everyone. We serve those who are ready to step off the hamster wheel of traditional finance and enter a quieter space where wealth is built on trust, alignment, and shared values. Our investors are not chasing the next big return. They are reclaiming the life they worked so hard to create.
If you are among them, you may find what you have been missing is not a new investment strategy, but a new relationship with your capital. One that begins, like Doc’s healing did, with presence.
The Investment Philosophy: From Pressure to Presence
Real wealth is not chased. It is cultivated. It grows in the space between urgency and trust. The same way Doc’s transformation did.
Doc had learned to brace for pressure. He expected any human to ask something of him, or to demand something from him. When I met him, I did not bring a whip or a reward. I brought my presence. And in the quiet, something opened.
Your capital is not so different. If it has been locked in volatile markets, pushed toward risky ventures, or handed off to strangers whose priorities are not your own, it is likely in a defensive state. To truly build wealth that is stable and life-enhancing, you must shift the relationship.
At Steed Talker Capital, we invite our investors into a new posture. A posture that reflects four foundational principles:
- Wealth is Relational, Not Transactional
The world of public investing is designed to be impersonal. You deposit money, and the rest happens behind a curtain. The goal is often to extract as much as possible, as quickly as possible. But extraction is not the same as growth. And returns that cost you your time, peace, and values are not returns worth having.
We believe wealth is a relationship. One that deserves care, understanding, and consistent attention. You do not need to control it, but you do need to show up for it. Not to micromanage it, but to understand where it lives and how it grows.
- Presence Unlocks Possibility
In that first moment with Doc, when I stood quietly beside him, I could feel how much tension lived in his body. His posture was tight. His mind was scanning for danger. He did not trust anyone. And why would he?
But presence created space. That space allowed him to feel. To relax. To consider a different reality.
When we engage with investors, we begin with the same kind of presence. We ask different questions. What is your capital for? What do you want your wealth to support? Where have you felt unseen, or unheard, in previous financial experiences?
Presence opens doors that performance cannot. It is in that space that we begin to explore the kinds of investments that truly serve your life.
- Control is the Illusion That Creates Risk
Wall Street thrives on the appearance of control. It packages complexity into tidy forecasts and persuades people that the system is sound, even when it is clearly not. In truth, much of what happens in the public markets is outside your influence. You are reacting to headlines, not directing your destiny.
The alternative investments we provide access to are grounded in real assets and human relationships. They are not speculative bets. They are curated opportunities to participate in projects that offer long-term income, stable growth, and tax-efficient returns. They are chosen with care, not with speed.
This is not about controlling the outcome. It is about choosing the soil where your wealth has the best chance to take root.
- Mutuality Builds Stability
Mutuality was what turned Doc from a resistant, dangerous horse into a companion. I did not train him. I met him. I listened with my body and my attention. And over time, he offered something in return—his trust.
The same principle applies to capital. When we treat it as a tool to dominate or impress, we often lose it. But when we engage it with awareness and mutual respect, it can become a powerful ally.
We do not believe in forcing returns. We believe in cultivating environments where capital wants to work. That means finding syndicators and sponsors who are values-aligned. That means prioritizing ethical development. That means choosing assets that provide real utility—like housing for working families or infrastructure that supports communities.
This is not charity. It is intelligent investing grounded in mutual benefit.
The Steed Talker Capital Methodology: Building Wealth Through Trust
Access to high-performing alternative investments is not just about knowing where to look. It is about knowing how to listen. It is about recognizing when something aligns not only with your financial goals, but with your values, your time horizon, and your personal definition of enough.
At Steed Talker Capital, we offer a hands-on, deeply relational process for introducing investors to private placement opportunities. Our approach is rooted in patience, education, and transparency, shaped by lived experience and tested in real-life outcomes.
We do not start with numbers. We start with people. Specifically, we start with you.
Phase One: Establishing Presence
Before we talk about returns, we talk about rhythm.
How fast is your life moving? How much time do you spend monitoring the markets, wondering if your retirement account is safe, or questioning whether your investments are actually working for you?
In this first phase, we invite you to pause. Not to slow down your growth, but to clarify your direction.
This phase includes:
- Investor Clarity Call
A one-on-one conversation where we learn about your goals, your experience, and your concerns. Many of our clients are new to private investments. That is not a disadvantage—it is an opportunity to begin with a clean slate. - Educational Briefing
We walk you through how private placements work, including terms like equity multiple, preferred return, and capital stack. No jargon. Just clarity. - Alignment Exploration
We ask questions you may not have been asked before. What does financial freedom look like to you? How do you want your wealth to behave? What kind of impact do you want it to have?
This stage mirrors the first moment I stood with Doc. No action. No pressure. Just presence. From there, everything can change.
Phase Two: Building Mutuality
Once we understand your vision and values, we begin to introduce you to carefully vetted investment opportunities that match your profile. These are not mass-marketed. They are not one-size-fits-all. Each is reviewed thoroughly and selected for its alignment with the principles of stewardship, resilience, and long-term value creation.
In this phase, you gain access to:
- Exclusive Offerings via SPVs
We use Special Purpose Vehicles to pool investor capital into single opportunities. This means you know exactly what you are investing in before you commit, and your funds are kept distinct from unrelated projects. - Detailed Due Diligence
Every sponsor and deal goes through a rigorous vetting process, which includes operational history, asset performance, financial modeling, and integrity checks. If we would not place our own capital in the deal, we will not offer it to you. - Personalized Support
You will never receive a generic pitch. We present opportunities that we believe are genuinely suited to you and walk you through every element of the structure until you feel confident and informed.
Just as Doc learned that the bridle no longer meant force, you begin to experience what it feels like to make investment decisions without pressure or confusion. You are not being sold. You are being supported.
Phase Three: Stewardship and Stability
The most overlooked part of investing is what happens after the paperwork is signed. At Steed Talker Capital, our relationship does not end at closing. That is when it begins to deepen.
We continue to walk with you through:
- Quarterly Updates
Regular reporting on property performance, cash flow distributions, and capital improvements. We believe investors deserve to know not just if they are receiving returns, but why they are receiving them. - Tax Efficiency Guidance
We provide timely information about your K-1s and help you understand how depreciation, bonus depreciation, and tax deferrals may apply to your investment. - Long-Term Partnership
As your capital grows, we remain available to discuss reinvestment, diversification, or strategy shifts. Our goal is not to place you in a deal. It is to accompany you on a wealth journey that gets easier and more rewarding with time.
This is the stage where the shift becomes tangible. You begin to feel what it is like to have your money working while you return your energy to your calling. Whether that is medicine, service, art, family, or rest, your capital now supports your life. It no longer demands it.
Why This Matters: The Quiet Power of Private Market Investing
Most of the professionals we work with never set out to become investors. They set out to serve. To build a practice. To master a craft. Whether through medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, or entrepreneurship, they pursued excellence in their field and earned financial success through years of hard work, long hours, and personal sacrifice.
But now, many of them are asking the same quiet question: Is there a better way to make this money work for me?
They are tired of feeling exposed to market volatility. They are disillusioned by one-size-fits-all financial advice. They are busy, successful, and yet still uncertain about whether their financial strategies are leading them toward the kind of freedom they imagined.
And most of all, they are realizing that time—not money—is their most valuable asset.
Private market investing offers a different path.
At Steed Talker Capital, we serve high-income professionals who want to shift out of constant oversight and anxiety and into a position of peace, clarity, and true financial confidence. We do this by providing access to private placements—secure, stable, tax-advantaged investments in real-world assets that are typically inaccessible to the average investor.
Here is how that changes everything:
- Reclaiming Time and Mental Bandwidth
Managing public market investments can feel like a part-time job. Between news cycles, price fluctuations, and endless opinions, many investors find themselves caught in a loop of second-guessing.
Private placements, on the other hand, are passive by design. Once invested, there is no day-to-day management required on your part. There are no apps to refresh. No portfolios to rebalance every time the economy shifts. Just quarterly updates, distributions, and steady progress.
This allows you to focus on what matters most in your life, without sacrificing the growth of your capital.
- Creating Stability Through Tangible Assets
Public market assets are priced by sentiment. Private market assets—such as apartment communities, mobile home parks, and income-generating developments—are priced by income.
That difference matters.
When you invest in a well-managed private offering, your returns are driven by rental income, occupancy rates, operational efficiency, and tangible improvements. These are factors that can be measured, improved, and protected from volatility.
Private investments do not live or die by the latest headline. They operate in the real economy, with real people paying rent or using services, generating predictable and resilient cash flow.
- Accessing Strategic Tax Advantages
Many high-income professionals are frustrated by their tax burden. They feel punished for working hard and earning more.
Private investments offer a different tax profile.
Through legal structures such as cost segregation, depreciation, and bonus depreciation, investors in private placements often receive passive income that is largely sheltered from taxes. These strategies can significantly reduce your tax liability, especially when coordinated with a savvy CPA or financial advisor.
You keep more of what you earn—not just in your job, but in your investments.
- Building Toward Freedom, Not Just Retirement
The traditional model tells professionals to work for forty years, save diligently, and one day retire.
But what if retirement is not the goal?
What if the goal is freedom—freedom to work less, to be more selective, to take sabbaticals, to pivot, to say no without fear?
Private investing can accelerate that timeline. By generating income outside of your practice or W-2, you are no longer dependent on one stream of income. You are building stability through diversification—not diversification across dozens of volatile stocks, but across entirely different asset classes, geographies, and sponsor teams.
That is how freedom begins. Not all at once, but one decision at a time.
From Trauma to Trust: Doc’s Journey as a Mirror for the Private Investor
When I first met Doc, he was unpredictable, guarded, and reactive. A horse with strong instincts, sharp awareness, and every reason to doubt the intentions of people. His past had taught him that humans meant force, pressure, and control. So he did what made sense. He resisted.
His resistance was not irrational. It was learned. And it had kept him safe in a world that demanded performance without relationship.
This, I have come to see, is precisely how many intelligent professionals approach investing.
They are not naïve. They are discerning. They are not paralyzed by ignorance. They are cautious because they have been burned, or have seen others burned, by financial systems that asked for trust without offering clarity. They are skeptical of anything that sounds too good to be true. They are trained to diagnose, to question, to protect.
So they hesitate.
They over-research, unsure of whom to trust.
They delay decisions, afraid of choosing wrong.
They feel the internal tension between wanting more control over their financial future and not knowing where to start without risking it all.
Just like Doc, they brace. Not because they are unwilling, but because they have not yet felt safe.
Doc did not change because I convinced him. He changed because I stopped trying to convince him. I simply stood there. Present. Patient. Willing to be in relationship without expectation.
I did not ask him to do anything. I gave him space to choose.
That was when he softened. That was when he let his guard down, just slightly, and allowed the possibility of trust to enter.
Private investing is very similar.
Most professionals do not need more financial data. They need more clarity. More trust. More presence in the process. They need someone to stand quietly beside them and say, “You are not crazy for being cautious. Let’s look together.”
That is what we offer at Steed Talker Capital.
Not a pitch. Not pressure. Presence.
We meet you where you are, whether you are exploring your very first private investment or recovering from a disappointing financial experience that left you wary. We do not rush. We do not hide behind jargon. And we never offer anything we would not place our own capital in.
What we offer is a space for relationship. A relationship between you and your money, and between your capital and your future. We offer alignment over acceleration. Integrity over noise. And mutuality over manipulation.
Doc taught me that all living beings—horses and humans alike—can transform when met with patience, safety, and trust.
You do not have to force your wealth to grow. You have to give it the conditions it needs to thrive.
That is the work we do. Quietly. Deliberately. And always in partnership with you.
A Second Case Study: Patrick’s Shift from Burnout to Financial Confidence
Not every transformation begins with a crisis. Some begin with a quiet reckoning.
Patrick was a seasoned executive in the insurance industry. He had spent his career building a strong income, earning well into the high six figures for decades. On paper, he was successful. He had worked hard, provided for his family, and followed the standard financial advice by turning his portfolio over to a traditional financial advisor.
In Patrick’s case, the advisor had done a fair job. His investments had grown steadily. Nothing was wildly aggressive, but nothing was wildly wrong either. It had worked well enough.
Until it didn’t.
At 60 years old, Patrick found himself burned out. He was tired of the grind. He was emotionally and mentally done with the industry that had once given him structure and status. He wanted out. But when he looked at the numbers, he saw a problem.
Despite a lifetime of high income and diligent investing, he had accumulated around two million dollars in investment assets. That might sound like a lot, and in many ways it is. But every financial projection he reviewed told him the same story. He could retire now and live the lifestyle he had grown accustomed to, but by age 85 he would run out of money.
Of course, none of us knows how long we will live. But at 60 years old, Patrick was in excellent health. There was every reason to believe he could live well beyond 85. And what happens when we live longer than our money does? What happens when we are older, more vulnerable, and less able to re-enter the workforce to make up the shortfall?
Patrick felt trapped.
He was too tired to keep working, but too uncertain to stop. His portfolio was entirely in public markets. He was paying more than $100,000 in taxes every year. And worst of all, he felt alone in the process—like there was no path forward that did not involve either sacrifice or fear.
When Patrick came to us, he was kind, intelligent, and accomplished. But beneath all that, he was anxious. He was standing in the dark, unsure if there was a way out.
We met him exactly where he was.
We did not start with numbers. We started with listening. We gave him space to explore what he wanted—not just from his portfolio, but from his life. And just as I had done years earlier with Doc, we did not ask anything of him at first. We stood beside him, offered presence, and waited for the right moment to begin.
Over time, Patrick moved his portfolio out of the public markets and into a series of private placements through our network. His first year with us, his tax liability dropped from over $100,000 to zero. That alone gave him breathing room.
But the deeper change came not from the numbers, but from the feeling.
For the first time, Patrick felt confident. He was receiving passive income distributions each month from the investments he had made—steady cash flow, tax-sheltered, and reliable. He still had years to go before those investments reached disposition, but he understood the timeline. He understood the process. And he trusted it.
That is what matters most in private investing. Not just what happens this quarter, but what is building beneath the surface.
Based on current projections, Patrick’s private placement portfolio is expected to double in five to seven years. That would take his invested capital from two million to four million. If those funds are reinvested into new opportunities with similar performance, he could potentially double that amount again in another five to seven years.
This is not wishful thinking. It is a realistic projection based on the actual underwriting of the private placements he holds. No guarantees, of course. But far more clarity and confidence than he had when he was relying entirely on public equities and mutual funds.
At the writing of this paper, Patrick is well into his planned exit. He can see the end point and that burnt out feeling is no longer present. He sees the end point. He is on a new path, one defined by sustainability, monthly income, tax efficiency, and long-term growth. He is no longer anxious about running out of money. He is no longer questioning whether retirement is a risk. He is living with intention. And he knows he has not only protected his own future but created a meaningful legacy to pass on to his children.
Conclusion: Wealth, Reimagined Through Relationship
The transformation of Doc, the path Patrick took, and the stories quietly unfolding within our network all point to the same truth. Wealth is not simply built through hustle, high income, or market speculation. True wealth—the kind that supports your freedom, your peace of mind, and your legacy—is built through relationship.
A relationship with your money that is rooted in trust, not fear.
A relationship with your investments that is based on stability, not volatility.
A relationship with yourself that honors what you have worked for and what you are still becoming.
At Steed Talker Capital, we do not offer tips, tricks, or quick wins. We offer access. Access to investments that are quiet, powerful, and deeply intentional. Access to conversations that are honest and clarifying. Access to a different rhythm of life, one that allows you to grow your wealth while reclaiming your time, your calling, and your sense of possibility.
This is not about beating the market. It is about opting out of a system that was never designed with your values in mind.
If you have read this far and something in you feels a quiet yes, you are already on the threshold. And the next step is simple.
Ready for a Conversation That Puts You First?
If you are exploring a new path for your capital and want to know whether private investments through Steed Talker Capital are aligned with your goals and values, I invite you to schedule a brief Access Consultation.
This is a 15-minute, no-pressure conversation to explore:
- Whether your current financial strategies are serving your long-term freedom
- What matters most to you beyond return percentages
- Whether private market access is the next right step for you
No slides. No pitch. Just alignment.
👉 Book your 15-minute Access Consultation here
Your wealth should reflect your life—not just your labor. Let’s explore how to make that happen.
About the Author
Dr. Allen Lomax is the founder of Steed Talker Capital and Streams to Impact. A retired psychology professor with a Ph.D. in Organizational Systems, Allen helps professionals build wealth through secure, high-yield investments—so they can live purposefully, give generously, and leave a legacy of impact. He believes prosperity begins with presence and grows through connection.
About the Author_Dr. Allen Lomax
Dr. Allen Lomax – Founder, Steed Talker Capital
Disclaimer: This material is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. Investments offered through Steed Talker Capital are private placements and are intended for accredited investors only. All investments carry risk, and past performance does not guarantee future results. Dr. Allen Lomax is not a licensed financial advisor, CPA, attorney, or insurance professional. Before making any investment decision, please consult your own financial, legal, and tax advisors to determine suitability for your personal situation.