About Zach Rodriguez
From Navy Pilot to Financial Guide
I founded Outlive Financial Planning after years of chasing success in ways that looked good on paper—but left me feeling disconnected from what truly mattered.
My journey
My journey began in the cockpit of a Navy helicopter. I spent my twenties in high-stakes environments, leading teams, flying missions, and measuring success by rank, performance, and resilience. But six months into my first squadron tour, a helicopter crash landing to the aft end of an aircraft carrier flight deck changed everything.
I walked away physically intact—but mentally and emotionally, something cracked open.
That moment planted a seed: "Life is fragile, and time is nonrenewable"
I started to ask questions I had long avoided.
What's the point of building wealth if you're not present for your life?
What are we working so hard for, if not to live well now?
That curiosity sent me down an unexpected path.
I explored environmental science, soil health, medicine, and eventually financial planning—not as a career, but as a lens to understand how people make choices.
I saw how easy it is to drift through life—even with a good paycheck and a solid resume—and still feel off-track, overwhelmed, or behind.
Eventually, I realized that the world doesn't need more traditional advisors.
It needs guides—people who bridge the gap between money and meaning.
So I started Outlive Financial Planning. A firm grounded in two simple truths:
Who It's For
Outlive is for people like me—people who want to live intentionally now, without sacrificing their future.
People who want to:
Raise healthy families
Design flexible careers
Optimize for vitality
Build wealth that aligns with who they are
People who are ready to stop outsourcing joy to "someday"
My Job
My job isn't just to help you save more or invest better. It's to help you design a life that feels right—on paper and in your gut.
True wealth is when your time, energy, and money are all working in harmony.
That's the kind of planning I do.
If that resonates, I'd love to connect.
Get To Know Me: FAQs
A fit body, a calm mind, a house full of love. These things cannot be bought - they must be earned. -Naval Ravikant
Wheeeeew, this is tough! Can I say it depends on the season? Or, maybe I can say both since I live in San Diego and the beach is 10 minutes away from our house and the mountains are 25 minutes away! Mountains wins out by a hair, mostly the feeling of going down the slopes on a pair of skis or snowboard is epic!
Wake up nice and early (~4:30 with a solid 7-8 hours of rest) before my kids wake up and have some time for self-reflection and reading. Grab a workout with my wife (Ideally, our kids stay asleep. In reality…🙃 Then, cook a Saturday breakfast with my kiddos (We pretty much eat a Saturday breakfast everyday anyways). After we fuel up, head to the beach with our family and some friends. Rotate between a nice pick up game of football, spikeball and a surf session. Then, hop on a private plane (Since it’s ideal and all) to somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, nap, land and go skiing/snowboarding!
Hero On a Mission, by Donald Miller. If you want the long answer, please ask! Here’s the short one: Most of my twenties was dedicated to learning how to fly, becoming a subject matter expert (SME, as we like to say) and learning how to employ the MH-60R helicopter. The mission was clear, but I knew I was ready for something else. As I thought about transitioning to life outside of the Navy, trying to figure out the next mission for myself was a struggle. While reading Hero On a Mission, I was reminded of the 'Hero' and 'Guide' in all of us that helps pick others up from the ground to their feet and motivates them to take charge of their situation and life!
The story below is my best answer:
The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman:
An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna.
The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, “only a little while.”
The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish?
The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.
The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, and stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.”
The American scoffed. “I have an MBA from Harvard, and can help you,” he said.
“You should spend more time fishing, and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat.
With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, and eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.
Instead of selling your catch to a middle-man, you could sell directly to the processor, eventually opening up your own cannery.
You could control the product, processing, and distribution,” he said.
“Of course, you would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles, and eventually to New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”
To which the American replied, “Oh, 15 to 20 years or so.”
“But what then?” asked the Mexican.
The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time was right, you would announce an IPO, and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions!”
“Millions – then what?”
The American said, “Then you could retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play guitar with your amigos.”
Time. Health. Purpose.
I believe true wealth means having the freedom to spend your time well, invest in your health, and integrate your money with what matters most.