The bank thought they took my power.
So I robbed it back.
Therefore, yes — today, I have robbed a bank.
Not of cash, but of sovereignty.
From: Dalton Bristow <dalton@amutualfriend.us>
To: Brad J. Korleski <BJKorleski@fnbsf.com> Trevor J. Andrews <tjandrews@fnbsf.com>; Kristie L. Thorson <KLThorson@fnbsf.com>; Cindy A. Dawson <CADawson@fnbsf.com>
Subject: Re: Card Request
Hello,
Now that the card has been deactivated,
I'm not able to pay for my property management software. That means:
- I won’t be able to collect rent from my tenants.
- I won’t be able to make my mortgage payments on the 16 unit rental portfolio.
- I won’t be able to process maintenance requests, move-outs, or meet my legal obligations for security deposits.
- I won’t be able to pay my truck loan with US Bank — I had just reached a 780 credit score, but I suppose I’ll get to watch it drop by 100+ points soon.
This is the reality, and still, I wanted to thank you.
Thank you for following your protocols to keep my $10,000 in my checking account safe. For the small price of my life’s work.
Thank you for the opportunity to start new again.
Thank you for the opportunity to find a way to pull it off without your help.
Thank you for the opportunity to pave my own path.
Thank you for the opportunity to learn and do it better next time.
Thank you for the opportunity to reflect on how my current way of conducting business wasn’t working,
and that I need to build in more flexibility and simpler money management systems.
And most of all, thank you for helping me build more confidence in myself and deeper instill the belief that I’ll figure it out no matter what.
Looking forward to your overdraft fees,
God Bless,
Dalton Bristow
How Do You Do It? (Short Version)
Step 1 – Accept: Fear is the mind killer.
- Accept what is.
- Invite in the chaos.
- Thank it for the opportunity to grow.
- This is you giving yourself permission to keep your power.
Step 2 – Accept: The obstacle is the way.
- Move with the process.
- Flow with it.
- Join it.
Here's a visual:
Step 3 – Find a way. Or make one.
Stop looking down and in. Start looking up and out.
Ask yourself:
- Who else can I ask for help?
- Who’s on my team?
- Can I request a delay or an extension?
- Can I reroute, rewire, or renegotiate?
- Can I flip the problem and turn it into fuel?
There are infinite paths.
Or....Go Even Deeper.
What do others want that I can transmute for my benefit?
- DoorLoop is always asking for feedback. (The management software)
- Can I turn my roadblock into a story they can use, a case study, a testimonial, a cautionary tale, and in doing so, earn their help?
- What do my tenants want most right now? Safety. Stability. Ease. Can I create that feeling for them while asking for their patience or flexibility?
- What do my partners, vendors, or even the bank itself want? Can I frame my ask in a way that serves them too?
What is the true objective?
Is it to stay or to go?
To hold or to release?
Is it to protect what I’ve built, or to let it burn so I can rebuild cleaner?
What gets me closer to my goal?
(Name the thing that feels small but moves the needle forward, the one call, the one email, the one ask.)
What pulls me further away?
(Name the distractions, the pride, the fear stories that slow you down.)
Build from there.
Breathe.
Find the path of least resistance,
Then, find the one that gets you closer to the desired outcome.