Mark Murphy: Are You Building Wealth—or Just Income?

21st Century Entrepreneurship

Mark Murphy is a top-ranked financial strategist, best-selling author, and CEO of Northeast Private Client Group. We spoke about how entrepreneurs can move beyond just surviving in business to creating multi-generational wealth and a life by design.

Mark breaks down the crucial difference between running a business for cash flow and building a business that funds freedom. As he puts it:

“Everybody has two businesses—the one that pays the bills, and the one they wish they had.”

We explored how to shift from reactive decisions to intentional bets, why true wealth is rarely built in the stock market, and how most business owners unknowingly “buy themselves a job” instead of building a scalable asset.

Mark also shares timeless insights on leadership, culture, and team building:

“You don’t grow a business—you grow people.”
“Good leaders create followers. Great leaders create other great leaders.”

From the difference between networking and net weaving, to why 5% of people are entrepreneurs (and why that number hasn’t changed in 50 years), Mark challenges conventional thinking while offering deeply practical tools.

Key themes discussed:

• The three true engines of wealth (and why your 401k won’t cut it)
• Creating “transformational” vs. “transactional” relationships
• Building company culture that scales—and attracts top talent
• The real reason top performers leave (it’s not the money)
• How to know when your current team or advisors have taken you as far as they can
• What it means to “play in a competition-free zone”

Key takeaways:

• Don’t chase more revenue—chase the right bets and informed guesses.
• Focus on your clients’ needs by “asking the check writers” what they truly want.
• If someone can do their job better than you, you work for them.
• Culture can’t be outsourced—it must be modeled by the founder.
• The best way to retain talent? Let them own something.

Mark’s philosophy is clear:

“If you’re an expense, you’re always on the chopping block. But if you’re an investment, I have an unlimited appetite.”

Whether you're scaling a business or building your legacy, this conversation is a roadmap to both financial and personal freedom.