I started out in economic research and learned two things: crunching numbers that don't make people's lives better is not what I wanted to do, and numbers don't mean anything outside the context of people's lives.
When I moved to financial advisory, I realized the premise behind The Millionaire Next Door was right: income isn't wealth, and the people who build wealth are not who most people think. Many intelligent, successful people do not understand the financial system or how their beliefs affect their results.
Financial literacy alone doesn't work. You do need reliable information on how to navigate the system, and this is learnable. However, if you do not master your emotions and beliefs around money, you will never create the wealth, financial independence and freedom you crave. I've witnessed people build the mindset and create wealth, and I've witnessed people who earn high incomes and do not build wealth.
You cannot go where your mind hasn't gone before you.
You are not free if you are not financially free. I want that freedom, that power to choose, in your hands.
I started this path in 2011, when I created and taught an economics and financial reality program at my son's middle school. Since then, I've built out my understanding and experience of how people internalize their financial beliefs and where the gaps are in financial knowledge. The problem is longstanding and goes back many generations.
It's no one's fault. You cannot pour from an empty cup. But you do not have to stay stuck where you are now. I've also witnessed people who did the work, shifted their behavior to reinforce new information and created beliefs that made the changes permanent.
What happened in the past is in the past. There is no fault and no cause for shame. What matters is what you do now, today, to move forward. One step forward at a time.
Let's get started.