I BELIEVE (In A Thing Called U)

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I believe everyone can achieve greatness in their career, their relationships, and their finances. That everyone can have

• financial independence
• ultimate happiness
• and live a life of full of awesome experiences

No matter your stage of life, or your age in life.

When I got out of college, I had student loan debt, financed a brand new Jeep, and compounded that with some credit card debt. I paid off all those debts, and then for some reason decided once wasn’t enough because I still hadn’t learned much about money. I financed a car with an $800/month payment and put 5% down on a huge house. Which I filled with furniture that I financed. And I was broke. I had zero savings after I moved into my house.

On the outside, I had it all, the house, the car, the job, but on the inside, I was scared to death of all these payments and no safety net.

We’re all going to ask: Are all these hours I’ve worked, for all this stuff I have but the bank really owns,

• Is the stress worth it?
• Does having all this stuff really make me happy?
• Can I get out of this paycheck to paycheck cycle?

Those are questions that we wonder, and it caused me to take a more in-depth look at myself and how I was managing my money. I ended up selling my car at a massive loss after owning it for only a year. I started throwing everything extra I had at my mortgage to make it more manageable.

I got part of my finances in order, but I reached a point of being completely burned out and unsatisfied with life. My girlfriend of 5-years dumped me, my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and I realized I had been chasing after the wind and had a meaningless life. I had absolutely no friends other than a few co-workers.

So I made a big leap, and I quit my job. I took a 65% pay cut to work for myself. I made enough to cover my mortgage, insurance, food – just my basic needs. I started for the first time ever to donate my time and money.

Then everything changed.

• For the first time in my life went from being a taker to a giver
• I went out and met new people and had friends
• I was saving for the future, I had a spending plan, and a saving plan

Coming out of college, I didn’t know what I was doing because nobody taught me. I didn’t know what an emergency fund was, or a budget, how to buy insurance, negotiate, how to invest, or why I should save. I lost $40,000 and most of my retirement savings by following lousy investment advice.

The challenge is it’s hard to believe you can:

• Have a job where you look forward to Monday mornings
• Get out of debt and stop living paycheck to paycheck
• Become a millionaire

But I’m here to tell you, you can. Once I started sharing what I had learned and all the money moron mistakes I made, it was an overwhelming response from people who for the first time:

• Had hope for their situation
• Got inspired to make big changes
• Became debt free

I went from living paycheck to paycheck and in debt at age 21, to being a millionaire at age 35. And I say that very humbly. I’m forced to share my success in life because I’m here to inspire people. I hope when we get a chance to meet someday, or you’ve been listening to me for a while, you’ll see I’m a pretty simple guy.

My story, journey, and advice started showing up in

Money magazine, CNBC, Forbes, and Business Insider

I sold over 12,000 copies of a book about investing. That’s crazy good for a first-time, self-published author. It spent 18 months at the top of the charts on Amazon.

And I came from nothing financially. Nobody in my small town of 2,000 people had much. My dad worked for the town for 33 years and then worked in a factory for 6 years. My mom raised five kids and worked at a diner part-time.

They never owned a home, never had a car loan, never had a credit card, never went to college. They had a really simple life without a lot of material things. It took me a long time to recognize later in life how much easier life is without debt.

I believe you can go from surviving to thriving.

• I believe you can stop living paycheck to paycheck
• I believe that you can have a career you love
• I believe you can become financially secure

And I believe you can be guided along this path to financial independence, not only so you can sleep well at night, but so you can have a life of abundance not only for yourself but for those around you.

Because life is more than a bunch of stuff that’s going to end up in a landfill somewhere, someday. Imagine the time

• You’ll be able to help out a sick friend and write a check for their medical bills.
• Or take a month or a year off to travel the world.
• Or maybe you’re like my wife and you just want to host big dinner parties because you love to cook for other people.

I like stuff. You probably do too, right? But I’ve found after many years that more stuff just isn’t that satisfying. And it took a lot of reflection and wasted money to figure that out.

There is saying that he who dies with the most toys wins. But the richest person in the cemetery – they’re still dead!

And if it isn’t about stuff or the most toys, and we’re here for experiences and to be happy, let’s not let our current situation of the things that have gone on in our past define what our tomorrow and our future is going to look like.

Millions of other people have been right where you are.

• Broke, but not broken,
• Poor in a paycheck, but not poor in passion
• Starting with less than nothing but still willing to start again

Let’s not let what you can have in your finances, business, and life tomorrow be based on what your situation is today.

My job is to help you:

• find clarity on the things that are important to you
• help you be more, earn more, save more, and thrive more
• have a secure future without worry or stress
• make sure you stay motivated along the journey

To provide the guidance to get you what you want faster and more efficiently than anyone else can. To help you have the financial freedom you never imagined possible.

My job is to help you live like a financial rock star. I believe you can rock your finances and your life.

I also believe I’ll have another cookie, Captain Picard is better than Captain Kirk, and there is a spaceship at Area 51. I can’t help myself, I have to goof off and have a good time! Yeah! Metallica!

Please forward this email to anyone who you think needs to be lifted up today.