Today is not the first step on my family’s journey to wealth.
We have made our way for more than 20 years.
And I was at it even before that.
But today is one of the first days that I am sharing where we’ve come from, and how we’ve approached the journey.
We have achieved financial independence (FI).
Office work, rental property, small businesses, consistent investing, and good fortune were our formula.
Going to the office is optional.
Working is not. We are doers.
We have work to do, properties to tend, businesses to run, and efforts to help.
With FI, I have grown curious as to what others did with theirs.
What change did they make? What work did they do? Who did they help?
One finds that there are not too many people to consult for those answers.
It is relatively easy to find people to consult when building wealth is the focus.
But it is harder to find people who have experience to share regarding what comes after financial independence.
There are the likes of Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, yes.
But there are fewer stories of the millionaire next door, as J. Thomas Stanley called them.
In the United States we do not talk much about simple wealth gained.
It is a private matter for most, and understandably so.
It is often not until a person’s life has ended that we can appreciate what they achieved.
Obituaries, biographies, and testimonials, in all their imperfection, often serve as the few available personal histories of wealth.
And so I read them.
I read what I find to satisfy my interest in what others chose to do with FI.
As I find compelling stories I will share them with you, time permitting.
My hope is that you will find in the stories guidance along your path to wealth.
Thank you for joining me.