Ride Your Money Wave

How many times do we read the headlines of people who experience sudden wealth, whether professional athletes or lottery winners, who later end up broke or bankrupt?  We proclaim, "If I had that kind of money, I would never let that happen."  John DiGiorgio went from a single-family home with 4 siblings to a career in the NFL, where he made over $1,000,000 in just three years.  During his career, he saw others make foolish decisions with their money and vowed not to follow in their footsteps.  Instead, he invested in real estate and started teaching himself about finance.  Now, he owns 15 rental properties, recently got his real estate license, lives in a beautiful house that is paid in full, and is fully riding his own money wave, where his passive income is covering all of his expenses and more.  John talks about his humble beginnings and how he fully utilizes the offerings of every employeer, whether that is internships, personal development programs, networking associations, or 401(k) matches.

Ride Your Money Wave is growing!  I got my hands on some data and am pleasantly surprised to see how the message of RYMW is spreading.  Shout out to all of the people across the USA who are listening.  Next, I answer two of listeners' emails.  The first comes from Hillary, who is recently married and asked, "How many accounts should I have?"  Short answer is, it depends on what system works for you and I explain three different systems couples use.  Next, Kate is looking to buy a house within 1-2 years and wonders where she should park her money.  Want a question answered?  Email me at [email protected]

In this episode, I sat down with Nick and Dan to talk about their journey from working in finance to buying and running an established, private beach in California.  Dan filled us in on what was it like to leave the grind behind and what the transition was like to go from a corporate office to a business owner.   Nick helped close the show by offering some incredible valuable and insightful behaviors he uses and teaches to his clients to help them start building their wealth.  We discussed everything some San Francisco property values to our philosophies on credit cards.  If you listen closely, you may even hear "Frankenstein" the cat make a cameo appearance.

Alex Dinser started his own financial advisory firm after graduating from college.  He took his one-man operation and has built Horizon Advisers into a team of advisers, estate planners, and tax professionals who service 250 clients...and it is still growing.  Alex was kind enough to sit down and talk about his money journey and offer advice to people who are looking to save and invest.  Even though I have known Alex for several years now, I walked away replaying some of his insights on money, specifically the benefits of having a team of coaches guide you through your financial journey and preparing for the dismal and probable, like disability insurance.  Our talk shined a light on the fact that a truly healthy financial portfolio goes beyond simple diversification and protects against multiple areas of downside risk.

We all do it: we get comfortable, believe our own excuses, and settle for our Plan B.  Klay Williams listened to his calling and ventured to New York City with $500 in his pocket and a dream - to become a lifestyle expert who helps his clients by healing the interior while also making over their exterior.  In this episode, Klay explains how he went from couch surfing and struggling in the Big Apple to becoming an author of two books and now a re-occuring guest co-host on BoldTV.  He explains his process of Plan A discovery and how to begin pursuing and creating your best life.

Real estate is the largest purchase we will make in our lives, if we are lucky enough to be able to even make it.  With the real estate market being at its strongest since the 2008 crash, understanding your local market and being a qualified buyer is more important than ever.  Sam Stevenson from the Royal Oak chapter of Remax First stops by to talk about all things real estate.

In episode 10, we spoke with Simon Yu about his journey from working in the kitchen of his parent's Chinese restuarant and being written off as a problem child in school, to making it on Wall Street.  After the glitz and glam of Wall Street wore of, Simon spent time tutoring children in South Africa before returning to America refreshed and inspired.  In this episode, Simon talks about his entrepreneurial journey in starting up Yuday, an app that connects teachers and parents using everyday moments in the classroom.

Most of us would bet that a child who throws a chair at their first grade teacher isn't destined for success.  Luckily, that was a long time ago (and Simon has since apologized to the teacher.) Simon Yu went from the underdog in high school to working on Wall Street and later starting his own educational technology company, Yuday.  His journey highlights what it takes to carve your own path in life and his stories are pretty entertaining too.  In part 1 of the interview, Simon talks about how growing up with immigrant parents and working in a Chinese restaurant shaped him, how he succeeded at cold calling, and how a little luck helped him connect the dots to his success.

The average American who receives a tax return will receive almost $3200!  With that kind of small windfall, what should you do with the money?  It depends on your situation, but there are definitely more options than to just spend it or save it.  Ultimately, you want your money to work for you - paying down high interest credit cards, starting an emergency fund, paying down your mortgage, or even starting a Roth IRA are just a few of the tips we cover in today's episode.

What happens when your dad gets a MBA from Harvard?  Do you follow in his footsteps and take over the family business?  If you are Annie Wise, you blaze your own trail.  From getting her own MBA and working in a bank, to coaching tennis lessons and launching her own Etsy store, Annie has created her own money wave of multiple incomes that provides flexibility and scalability.  Annie shares some of the lessons she learned from her parents that got her money wave started at a younger age and shares some of her best financial decisions.  Check out her storefront on Etsy.