David, what was the uh-oh that you're prepared to share with our leaders who are emerging leaders in the workforce, newer in the corporate world, maybe learning just to manage people? What was something you did that was a big uh-oh in your life?

This has nothing to do with managing people, but it has to do with managing myself in a big way.

It was at Utah.

Oh, actually, I was 63.

And after 18 years with the same corporation, I got fired totally unexpectedly.

And it wasn't a day I wish I would wish on anybody because when I did the math, I realized that if we drained all of our savings and all of our retirement, we were scheduled to be broke by the age of 65.

At this point, I'm thinking, who is going to hire me at my age? But the hardest part of it was not that, although that was very hard.

David, if folks were to go down this route and look at your information, what would they be avoiding by doing this and implementing some of your knowledge? What would they be avoiding?

So what is your origin story, David? Where are you from? What was your upbringing life? And just work us through to today and where you see where you want to share.

Sure.

I'm from a small town in Ohio called Ashtabula.

It's right on Lake Erie.

In the summertime, we could walk down to the beach every day if we wanted.

And it was a great, perfect, I hate to say perfect childhood, but it's a very good childhood.

I had wonderful parents, wonderful family.

For the people who get burned, what do you say to them?

Keep yourself and your loved ones prepared, no matter what comes next, at JACE.com.

Let me tell you, Dave, the more specifics of how I gained financial independence, because I think that might help your listeners a lot.

Because that's the one common denominator, everyone.

We all want to be financially independent, whether we want to vacation the rest of our life or we want to do something that's a passion or a combination.

The one thing we need is financial independence.

So one of the things I did was I doubled my portfolio three times in a six-year period.

Now people say, David, that's not possible.

It is complex, and you don't know, people don't know, and we can be misled very easily, right? I mean, that's where a lot of things, but how do you, what would you suggest for people to be proactive in knowing and managing their wealth?

Like, when you look back at the day you were, you know, let go at 63, is there a small, quiet moment from that time, the kind nobody else would think was important, that stayed with you?

Well, yeah, a couple things.

Um, let me just kind of briefly review it with you.

Um, when I was 63, as you mentioned, I had just got fired after 18 years with the same company.

I tell you, Saima, I wouldn't wish that day on anybody.

I did the math, and if we drained all of our savings and all of our retirement, we would be broke by 65.

At this point, I'm thinking, "Who is gonna hire me at my age?" But that wasn't the hardest part, as hard as that was.

So for someone listening right now who senses like they have been carrying that financial noise for far too long, what's a real gentle first step you'd, you know, offer them from, uh, probably offer them this week?

And so David, what is the backstory of this book? Why did you write this book?

Well, I will tell you right off, my intention was never to be an author, but something happened to me that I just couldn't keep quiet.

[laughs] And so I'll just explain briefly.

Uh, when I was 63, I had just got fired after 18 years with the same company.

I tell you, I would not wish that day on anybody.

I did the math and it was brutal.

If we drained all of our savings and all of our retirement, we would be broke by 65.

And so I want to give you an opportunity to share how they can get that free resource that you mentioned and how they can learn more about you and your book.