Our Story…
So what qualifies us to coach others on their financial journey? Let me tell you our story. I distinctly remember where my own financial journey started. I grew up in a solidly middle class military family. We never went hungry, but there wasn’t a trust fund to rely on, either. I remember being a sophomore in college, studying engineering at Marquette University. I had $12 to my name, and a significant amount of student loan debt. My net worth ledger at that point was deeply in the red. But I was determined to be successful in life, and build a financial foundation to live the life of my dreams. I devoured countless financial planning and investing books, learning from many different experts. After graduating in 2001, I put my new knowledge into action, paying down debt and learning to invest. Some lessons came easily; others I learned the hard way by making mistakes. But through consistent effort, I quickly achieved measurable results, which encouraged me to keep going. Goals were set and achieved; I paid off over $30K of student loan debt, then achieved my first $100,000 in investments. My new behaviors became habits as I met larger and larger goals. Year over year, my debts continued to shrink and my investments grew… $250K, then $500K. As my working career presented new opportunities in new cities, I learned to turn a first home into a cash-flowing rental property, then another, and another. As my net worth grew towards $1,000,000, I was excited to see my annual investment returns growing larger than my salary earnings from my engineering career.
One of those career opportunities brought me to Charlotte, where I met my wife, best friend, and business partner Lauren. We met at CrossFit, and quickly hit it off. We bonded talking about our many shared interests, including our careers. She was younger than me, and was just getting started on her own financial journey. I saw myself in her story, and sought to share the tips I wished someone had taught me earlier in life. We started using the tools and techniques I had learned over the years to help her on her own journey of eliminating student loan debt and starting to invest. She was a fantastic student, always giving insightful feedback and asking great questions. In teaching you will learn, they say, and Lauren proved that to me. In a few short years, Lauren started to achieve the same financial goals that inspired me as a young professional. Going through that journey together showed me just how amazing it was to have a true partnership in life. We married in 2022, and are expecting our first child this year. Now as a family, we have achieved a multi-million dollar net worth. We are excited to share our story with others, and inspire them to achieve their own success, however they define that for their family. The best is still to come.
Our experience gives us the confidence and capabilities to help almost anyone achieve their next financial goal. So, what’s your next goal? We would love to help you smash it!
