“The Financial Fitness Program is a force for GOOD–helping people Get Out Of Debt.” -Jerry Harteis
It’s been said that your legacy is not something that you leave for people, rather something that you leave in people. When someone learns the principles of the Financial Fitness Program, it is almost impossible not to share the simple–yet little-known–truths with other people all around them. In the preceding article on this blog, we featured the success story of Matt and Michelle Mielke. Not surprisingly, this classy couple took the knowledge that they had gained on how to escape the Financial Matrix and paid it forward by sharing it with another professional couple, Tom and Pat Aul. Not only did Tom and Pat look over the Financial Fitness Program, but they started leveraging it rigorously to make huge changes in their lives. Read on to catch the highlights of their story from Tom’s perspective…
My wife, Pat, and I worked our way through the Financial Fitness Program over the winter and started applying what we learned in early 2015. At the time, our debt load was approximately $370,000. $32,000 was credit card debt. The rest was settlement debt from resolution of approximately $3.2 million of commercial real estate loan deficiencies resulting from the 2008-2009 real estate meltdown that erased our retirement nest egg–which included over $1.5 million of after-tax dollars that we had invested in a small commercial real estate portfolio.
As a self-employed estate planning attorney approaching age 70, and having practiced law for nearly 45 years, the real estate meltdown was devastating to our finances.
Shortly thereafter, Matt & Michelle Mielke approached us with a business opportunity. We got started, began to associate with the community and learned our way through the suite of products available. Being one of the bestselling products, we didn’t really know if the Financial Fitness Program would work for us; but we decided to apply the 47 principles. We jumped in with both feet–we set up an emergency fund and a sacred savings account, and started targeting the issue of paying off debt head-on. Since the beginning of 2015, we have been blessed with two windfalls and–instead of purchasing a condominium and going deeper in debt–we paid off $32,000 in credit cards, $30,000 of bank loans, completely paid off the $60,000 balance on our Florida home mortgage, and, within the past 2 weeks, $102,000 of the mortgage on our Wisconsin vacation home. The total came out to $226,000! We are now only $144,000 away from being completely free of $3.2 million of debt!!
Pat and I are eternally grateful for the defense principles taught through the Financial Fitness Program. We have also learned a great deal about the playing field, and we are now implementing the offense principles through our business!
Now, just as Matt and Michelle passed the torch on to Tom and Pat, this couple is ecstatic to keep the fire burning by sharing their newfound knowledge with others. The legacy of true financial fitness will not burn out as long as there are people who are willing to apply the life-changing principles, and then endorse them to the world around them.
By combining the offense, the defense and the playing field into their daily financial routine, Tom and Pat are quickly escaping the Financial Matrix. What can you do today to improve your financial fitness?
Nancy Monsipapa says
What a testimony to our Financial Fitness Program!
#lovelifeleadership
Peggi Kern says
I love hearing how the Financial Fitness Program and the principles it teaches are changing the daily decisions of everyone who applies the information! Tom and Pat’s testimony is an inspiration and I can’t wait to hear more!
Michelle says
Tom & Pat, Thank you for your humility in sharing your story. As Chris Brady says, there are circumstances, sometimes beyond our control, that work to strip the status off of us! Instead of leaving a legacy of debt and financial despair, your choice to learn and apply financial principles in the Financial Fitness Program literally reversed the financial legacy for your family. Praise God for your humility to learn (who says you can’t teach an “old” dog new tricks?!) and apply new knowledge! its been exciting to have a front row seat to watch your financial progress. We’re excited to continue to dream big financial dreams with you. Thank you for your example of making right choices. Matt 17:20 “For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” We love you guys! Matt & Michelle
Maggie Stahl says
Dad and Mom
I am so proud of you. You both are a great example of what the Financial Fitness Program and what Life Leadership can do for others. Here is to erasing it ALL 😉
Love
Maggie
Elly Widener says
Thank you for your testimony! It is encouraging and inspiring to read success stories that come from great information being leveraged in hungry people’s lives. So many people are in the same circumstances in which the Auls started. How great it is that there is a solution! No financial situation is hopeless with applied information from the Financial Fitness Pack!
Sabra Barnett says
Tom & Pat, thank you so much for openly sharing your personal financial situation. It will impact so many lives that only someone in your situation could touch. The debt story from real estate is one that we hear very frequently. Knowing that we can offer a way out and evidence from testimonies like yours gives people hope and confidence. We have a partner who had a similar story to yours. He has come from somewhere around $2.5 M in debt to just over #1M. It’s amazing how much progress they have made but the balance due is still enough to choke most of us just thinking about it. He tells the story every time he does a home meeting and is growing the business to the point that he will be on stages across Life Leadershp soon. There are so many people living lives of quiet desperation and are at a stage in their life that starting over is daunting. Showing this much progress in such a short period of time is very encouraging. You are an inspiration. Looking forward to seeing you in Chattanooga.
Rick A says
Blessings as you move forward!
Heather says
Great testimony to see the trickle and influence of LIFE Leadership impacting the lives of others! Way to go!
Elaine Mallios says
Oh yea! I bet our story is comparable. Great post! thanks.
tall footwear says
Lovely just what I was looking for. Thanks to the author for taking his time on this one.