It really is the most wonderful time of the year! There’s something about the snow, the lights, the quiet magic that settles in after dark. Whether that's decorating the tree, baking Christmas cookies, sipping eggnog, sitting by the fire, replaying old memories and making new ones with the people we love -- it’s a season that invites us to slow down, gather close, and remember what matters. And yet, I know this time of year can also be incredibly difficult. For many, it brings grief, loneliness, complicated family dynamics, or reminders of what’s missing. If today feels heavy or bittersweet, please know you’re not alone. Reach out to me or someone you trust. Even a small connection can help. Last night I attended Christmas Eve service, which felt especially meaningful. I’m adopted and reconnected with my birth mom and her family about 8 years ago, and I had the opportunity to attend service with her and her husband. The message was centered on peace, something that feels deeply needed right now. Jesus is called Mighty Counselor and Prince of Peace, and the idea of a peace that surpasses all understanding feels especially relevant right now. Even if you’re not religious, it’s hard to ignore the amount of turmoil in our world. I truly pray that each of you is able to find peace, not just today, but in the year ahead. Also, a big reason I even got into financial literacy and real estate investing was also about peace. Financial peace. Fewer sleepless nights. Less stress. More margin. That desire was sparked years ago thanks to Dave Ramsey, and it’s been a guiding thread ever since. My sincere hope is that I'm able to help you have peace around your finances as well! Anyway... Today I’m spending the day with my family and heading to my aunt and uncle’s house for Christmas dinner. Still very full from Christmas Eve and actively trying to not overdose on sugar cookies 😅 What's on your agenda today? Wherever this day finds you, I hope there’s a moment of warmth, calm, or joy tucked in somewhere. Sending love to all of you ✨️

Shout out to @Jeff Baer and @Demetra Lambros for hopping on the call tonight! I'm not dropping the recording in here because I was having technical difficulties -- but I did promise you a worksheet, so here's that! As I've been working with people over the years, what I've learned is most people don’t actually have a spending problem -- they have an ambiguity problem. A Zero-Based Budget fixes that because every dollar gets a job. It means there's no confusion, no guilt and no “where did my money go?” moments. This one covers: 💰 Income streams 🏡 Housing & utilities 🚗 Transportation 👗 Clothing 🍔 Food 💊 Medical 📚 Personal 🛡️ Insurance 💳 Debts 🎉 Recreation …and sinking funds (the secret weapon nobody teaches you). If your money feels like it’s leaking out of 100 tiny holes, this is the fix. Clarity = confidence and Zero-Based Budgeting isn’t about restriction. It’s about intention. It’s about giving every dollar direction so your life stops feeling chaotic and starts feeling designed. Your homework for the week is to either with pencil and paper, or a spreadsheet, write down all the categories you want in your budget and all of the line items you want added to in said category. Then, we will walk through this live on next week's call. Drop a ⭐ below if you'll be there.

Hi guys and gals, Sorry I've been MIA -- it's been a wild end of the year (not in a bad way!) and my energies have been pulled in various directions. Here's a quick update: I know some of you know this, but I am RECORDING AN ALBUM! Can you be a Rockstar without one? Of course, but it does build some street cred, I think 😅 It's an amalgamation (love that word lol) of songs I've written over the last 2 decades that I need to get out of my head and my soul once and for all and share them with the world. It's been an interesting process, to say the least. My vocal chords and range aren't quite what they used to be, but I've been training them for the past several weeks and have another 3-4 weeks before we wrap up the remaining tracks. I wrote all the chords and lyrics for the songs myself, and then my amazing friends helped me bring them all to life. It's been so wild having how I want things to sound in my head become a reality 🤩 There's some cool stories behind a lot of the songs and I can't wait to share them with you -- I've been spending 2 days a week in the studio since the beginning of December, which has taken WAY more out of me than I anticipated. Not in a bad way, but my creative juices are pretty much dried up once I leave the sessions. Anyway, I'm going to be changing things up in the community slightly for 2026 -- don't worry, we will still be budgeting and managing money, but I think you guys will appreciate the changes and it will make it more fun in here, too! I will be in Chicago tomorrow for the IRL and to hear @Krista Brea speak on Amazon KDP tips and tricks and I am very much looking forward to connecting with more folks in real life! I known @Demetra Lambros is out of town, but I'm hoping @Jeff Baer will make an appearance! And one of these days I'm going to meet @Keith Marvicsin in the flesh, I just know it! I finally hopped on a call with @Scarlett Wieliczki yesterday and it was absolutely lovely 🥰

I had the chance to see Mel Abraham speak this week, and to be honest I didn't know who he was prior but I've heard the name dropped over the years around financial literacy. He was teaching more about the investing first model, even when if it is small. I have always contributed to a 401k or a RothIRA from my employer, but I have never thought about making small investments from the money I earn from my business. I want to dig deeper into that in 2026 so I can have growth in the future and not just grinding. Anyhow not sure what the plans are yet, but this was just my initial thought thanks for letting me share.