The sound of “No” echoed through my childhood like a broken record.
🚫Can I have this? No
🚫Oooh, can I have that? No
🚫What if I could do x so I could then have that? No
The reason was always the same – we didn’t have the money.
If you grew up in similar circumstances, you know how this constant negative response can shape your entire relationship with money.
The Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything
I thought I had made it.
There I was, running my first company, married to my first husband for three years. We shared humble beginnings and similar values about money, and he managed our money and paid all the bills.
Life seemed perfect – until the day my Porsche vanished.
I walked outside and was so upset, thinking somebody had stolen my car.
I was so concerned. “Oh my God, my husband is going to kill me!”
Fearing his reaction, I called the police.
Only to find out my car hadn’t been stolen—it was repossessed.
“Repossessed?” I said to the police officer. “For what?”
“Nonpayment,” he said.
“But wait, we are wealthy!” I protested to the bewildered police officer, who simply replied, “Well, ma’am, I don’t know what to tell you, but someone hasn’t been paying.”
I was m-o-r-t-i-f-i-e-d! To say the least. 😳
The Million-Dollar Lesson
This humiliating experience taught me what would become my golden rule of financial management: Always manage your own damn money. 💰
It’s a principle I’ve never strayed from since, and for good reason – no one will ever care more about your money than you do.
The revelation that high income doesn’t automatically translate to good money management was just the beginning.
Through building my second multi-million dollar company, I discovered several crucial principles that transformed my relationship with wealth:
- Your business isn’t actually designed to give you freedom. It’s designed to give you CASH. 💸
- The key is to always pay yourself first. Because it’s not about how much money you make, it’s about the money you KEEP.
- Wealth is based on Habits. Nothing more. Nothing less.
- Develop the habit of spending less than you earn—invest the surplus.
- And always consistently put your money to work for you. (You want your money working harder than you did for it.)
Beyond Financial Independence
Today, I work because I CHOOSE to, not because I have to.
Following these money principles has allowed me to have WEALTH, FREEDOM, and the LIFESTYLE I love, which in turn allows me to create a LEGACY for my family and the charities I so dearly care about.
The journey from hearing constant “No’s” to creating abundant “Yeses” wasn’t just about making money.
It was about transforming my relationship with wealth and understanding that financial freedom isn’t just for others – it’s for anyone willing to learn and apply these principles consistently.
Are you ready to rewrite your financial story?
Mia 💜
