• Chris Englert, 58, started planning to retire early when she was in her 20s.
• She spent years saving and investing to build a $2 million portfolio, then retired early at 49.
• They sold their home and most of their belongings and now travel full-time on a budget.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Chris Englert, 58, a woman who retired early after building up her savings and investment portfolio. Now, she travels full-time with her husband. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

At my first job out of college, I attended an orientation session about 401(k) matching and investing.

I was just 22 years old, and my mind was blown by all these financial tools I hadn't thought about before. That's when I decided I wanted to make the most of them and that I'd do everything I could to try to retire early.

At that job and each after, I put away as much money as I could from every paycheck by living below my means. I checked my savings often, invested in mutual funds, and bought stock purchase plans at discounts through companies I worked for.

Although I originally hoped to retire at 55, I felt ready to do it once I'd accrued $2 million in savings and investments. It happened faster than I thought.

At 49, I retired and started making plans to travel the world.

Once our kids were grown, my husband and I sold our house to travel full-time

Although I retired six years earlier than anticipated, I didn't start doing a ton of travel right away.

I wanted to wait for my husband to retire, too. We keep our finances separate, and he wanted to hit a certain amount in his savings and investments before joining me. We also wanted to wait to start traveling until our kids were older, at least college-age.

In the meantime, I took a five-month solo trip to South America and tried living in different cities for one month at a time. I realized that this model of spending 30 days in one place and then heading to the next one could be fun to do full-time.

After doing some math, I realized it could also be financially feasible for my husband and me to live that way.

Between bills like our mortgage, utilities, and car insurance, we were spending about $6,000 a month to live in Denver. If we eliminated our biggest expenses, like our house and car, we could travel and live comfortably on less every month.

So once my husband retired a few years after I did and our kids were grown, we sold almost everything we owned and packed the rest of our belongings into two carry-on suitcases and backpacks.

Once we were "home-free," as we like to call ourselves, we began traveling full-time in May 2021.

We try to spend about $4,000 a month and have strategies for keeping costs low

We've since traveled to more than 40 countries across places like Africa, Southeast Asia, South America, and Europe.

Our budget is about $4,000 a month — half for housing and the other half for things like health insurance, entertainment, food, and any transit we use.

Our travel plans vary, but we usually try to chase warm, 72-degree Fahrenheit weather and stay in each place for 30 days. We save money by not having to move so often and we're usually able to negotiate with renters for discounts on longer stays.

In more expensive cities, we do house-sitting to save money on accommodations. It's extra nice because the houses often come with a car we can use throughout our stay.

To cut costs when switching continents, we try to skip flights and instead take repositioning cruises, which are discounted sailings when cruise lines move their fleets from one market to another.

Above all, we love the excitement of this lifestyle and plan to keep it up

So far, traveling so much has been great. Every day is different, and we love having new challenges to keep our minds active. In many ways, frequent travel helps keep us young.

Although we're away often, we stay connected to our family and talk to them often. Our travels have only made us appreciate our visits back to the US even more.

We don't have grandkids yet, but when we do, that might be part of the rub of this lifestyle. For now, though, we have no plans to slow down.

If we can stick to our budget of about $4,000 a month, we should have the funds to continue traveling for many more years.

• Work has been the center of my identity for most of my adult life, so I want to retire early at 50.
• I realized how much money I would need to do that in the US, so I moved my family to Thailand.
• The cost of living in Thailand is low, so the bulk of my earnings are going toward retirement.

My Gen Z children's view and attitude toward work were a wake-up call. They taught me a whole new way to live by not making work my entire identity. Of course, that was easier said than done.

So, I went to therapy, and my therapist challenged me to think about my long-term goals, how I want to spend each day, and my purpose.

I realized I spent too many years of my life making work a significant focus. I let what happened with my job affect my mental health because work was my identity.

I missed special moments with my children growing up because of work, which I could have put off since I'm a business owner.

I came to understand that my career is part of my purpose, but the main goal of my business is to create financial freedom. I want my business to generate enough revenue to make work optional.

With this healthier view of work, I set the goal of retiring early by 50. I'm 44 now, and that'd give me six years to push hard, save, and invest enough money to retire early. I realized that wasn't feasible in the US.

I'd need multimillions to retire early in the US

I was born and raised in Wisconsin and have lived in Florida for the past six years. I've raised six children in the US, helped support family members, and, like everyone else, witnessed the rise in the cost of living.

Life in the US is expensive, and retiring early means needing multimillions, at least. Early retirement typically involves a 4% stock portfolio withdrawal each year, so the invested money would need to be large to pay for everyday US living expenses.

My wife and I talked about this. She's older than I am, at 52, and has a goal of retiring early at 55. We realized it's not realistic (for us) to retire early in the US, so we started looking at where in the world we could move to accomplish our goal.

In our relationship, we've traveled extensively and have even lived in places with lower living costs, such as Medellín, Colombia.

We decided to move to Thailand

When we thought about the cost of living, quality of life, access to great healthcare, delicious food, safety, and access to amenities and goods, we settled on Thailand.

We got to work on the planning and logistics of leaving the US. The most shocking part has been discovering that it's costing us as much to leave the US as it costs us to live there.

Now that we're leaving, selling our vehicles is an issue because their value isn't the same. We have to take out personal loans to pay for the difference in what we sell the cars for. There's also getting rid of the physical items and other costs associated with the move.

Leaving the US was so complicated that it reaffirmed our decision to leave for good. The cost of being a human being shouldn't be this high.

We're slowly setting up our lives in Thailand

My wife, my two 22-year-old daughters, and I were approved for a five-year Destination Thailand Visa. We're also moving with our dog and two cats.

My wife and I came to Thailand ahead of our daughters and animals. We also signed a two-year lease on a beautiful apartment in the center of Bangkok.

The apartment came fully furnished, but we purchased a few items, like an 86-inch TV, to make it feel like home. We also set up our cellphone plans and everyday items and hired a cleaner.

Thailand is giving my family a better quality of life, a lower cost of living, and the opportunity to explore the rest of Asia.

Thailand's low cost of living will help us retire early

Our monthly expenses in Thailand are less than $3,000. That price covers our monthly rent, electricity, phone plans, cleaner, WiFi, water, groceries, and entertainment.

Compared to what I paid living in the US, these savings mean I can save and invest more of my earnings. I can now allocate the bulk of my income to my retirement fund.

Living in a country where dollars stretch far is how I'll achieve my goal of retiring by 50, and I can do so without sacrificing our quality of life. My wife loves Thailand so far, and I'm sure our daughters will also when they get here next month.

I had to ask myself how I wanted to spend my limited days on this earth, and it wasn't working in the US. I want to write, create art, travel more, romance my wife, and do many other things besides work.

Moving to Thailand checks all the boxes to live a more fulfilled life and accomplish my early retirement goal.

• I'm a business owner who set a goal of reaching $1 million in revenue.
• My reward for reaching that milestone would be buying my first Rolex watch for $14,000.
• Some don't understand the lavish purchase, but I see it as a visual representation of my success.

I've been an entrepreneur since I was 19. I start every year by setting difficult goals because I know that's how I'll create a business that allows me to retire in six years when I'm 50.

In early 2023, I set an ambitious goal: to reach $1 million in revenue in one calendar year. As a reward for achieving that goal, I would buy a luxury watch.

I've been a "watch guy" since becoming an adult, but I never thought I'd have the money to buy a Rolex, my dream watch. Reaching a million in revenue was incredibly ambitious for my business then, so I attached an equally ambitious reward to the goal.

I have an education business and corporate consultancy

My business sells several online courses and three published books. We also have a software product, and I have a team that consults corporations on leadership.

In addition to consulting corporations, I'm selling information and self-study training. I knew I had offers that could be sold and scaled to higher revenue without taking up too much of my time.

I worked hard throughout the year, focusing on sales and marketing. The idea of having a Rolex motivated me through so many moments when I felt like giving up on the goal and having an easier year.

Whenever I thought about coasting, the thought of a Rolex Yacht-Master on my wrist gave me the extra strength to keep working hard.

I reached $1 million in revenue in December 2023

The moment I saw the million-dollar Stripe notification, I was ecstatic. Thankfully, I was in my favorite city, Tokyo.

The next day, I visited a luxury watch store in Shibuya, Tokyo. I knew the exact model I wanted, so I tried two of their Rolex Yacht Masters and agreed to buy one for $14,000.

As the clerk swiped my card, I shed a few tears looking at the watch on my wrist, but I was also a little nervous about spending that much money on a single item.

I walked back to my hotel, admiring the watch. I FaceTimed my kids, family, and friends to show them the watch. They were excited for me to accomplish a major goal, but didn't understand why a Rolex.

There's been no shortage of opinions

I've repeatedly heard some version of, "I have a Casio; it tells time just like your Rolex," not understanding the significance of a luxury watch or why I bought it.

Whenever someone says that, I feel it diminishes what I have accomplished. It feels like an insult.

Buying a luxury watch, jewelry, or clothing item can be a special moment in your life; they are milestone markers. You then relive that special moment every time you put on the item — at least, I do with my Rolex.

My Rolex is not just a watch or a device for telling time; it's a visual representation of success and the hard work it took for me to reach the point of being able to buy one.

I worked hard to reach a major milestone and bring in seven revenue figures.

I'll also say that the watch has appreciated since I purchased it, so it has been a store of value.

Every time I put on my Rolex, I understand visually what's possible

The Rolex shows me daily why I should continue working hard on my life and business goals.

A Rolex or other luxury item someone values should be a goal you set and an accomplishment that changes you when you achieve it. Only you know what it took to achieve that goal, and the visual representation of success doesn't have a price tag; it will continue to inspire you.

Since getting the Rolex, I've set a new goal and attached an item to it.

The goal in 2024 was $1.5 million in revenue, and the reward was a Patek Philippe watch. I did not hit the goal, but I upped the revenue and set that watch as a reward for this year.

• I rode in Premier class for the first time on a Eurostar train from Paris to London with my family.
• Some things surprised me about the first-class ride, such as the large seats and reliable free WiFi.
• Overall, we found the short train ride was more comfortable and exciting than a flight.

For my wife's 52nd birthday, I planned an epic family trip. After all, one of the things that drew us to each other is our shared love of travel.

I accumulated one million credit-card points that I could use to subsidize travel costs and made a plan to see lots of countries while traveling in style.

Our group of four left out of Florida and spent our two-week sojourn in places like Dublin, Amsterdam, and Valencia. We mostly flew first or business class to get from place to place.

While in Paris, we wanted to take the Eurostrain train to London. So, I made our ride special by upgrading our seats to premier, Eurostar's version of first class.

At our time of travel, the difference between standard and premier class was $361 per ticket. Overall, I spent $1,736 for four tickets, or about $434 a person.

Here's what the experience was like.

The train stations in Paris and London felt like mini airports

For our trip, we went from Gare du Nord to St Pancras International.

Both train stations looked beautiful and felt like miniature airport terminals with their numerous restaurants, cafés, shops, and lounge areas.

Gare du Nord had multiple levels, which we explored before checking into the Eurostar premier lounge.

Throughout the train station, we saw signs in French and English and ones with flags to signify international destinations — as Americans, this made it extra easy for us to know where to go.

We enjoyed snacks and air conditioning in the first-class lounge

Complimentary lounge access was a nice perk of having a premier ticket.

Paris was quite hot when we visited, and so was the main train terminal. Luckily, our premier lounge had air conditioning.

We cooled off while snacking on sandwiches, nuts, chips, coffee, and soda in the lounge. While waiting for our train, we were able to spread out in the comfortable lounge chairs.

Since the train before us wasn't full and our premium tickets were flexible, we were able to switch trains and get to London an hour and a half earlier than we planned.

The seats on the train were comfortable, and we had plenty of food

After our time in the lounge, we went through the nearby customs and security area. This process felt similar to airport security — we went through a small immigration check and security scan.

After, we walked to the tracks and found our train. Each is marked with a car number and signs for departure times on specific tracks — premier class was toward the front.

We boarded the train and placed our suitcases in an area designated for them.

Once on board, we were delighted to see the seats felt wide, large, and comfortable. We found we had enough space between each seat and plenty of legroom.

The onboard bathrooms also felt plenty spacious, and the cabin itself had enough room for us to get up and stretch out if needed.

As our trip continued, a staff member on the train gave us a menu and let us know we'd be able to order a starter, cold or hot meal, and dessert.

The options sounded elegant and included dishes like an asparagus panna cotta, smoked salmon, and a chocolate mousse with a strawberry-rhubarb compote.

We were also offered other snacks and an assortment of complimentary drinks, including alcohol.

My family loved the experience of seeing the French and English countryside in style

I had to work some during the train ride, but luckily the free onboard WiFi signal was strong and quite reliable. My family was even able to stream YouTube videos with it.

We also really enjoyed looking out of the window during scenic parts of the route through the French and English countryside.

Riding underneath the English Channel tunnel was another special highlight.

We'd definitely book these premium train tickets again

All in all, our train ride took just under two hours and felt more comfortable and exciting than a flight.

A flight probably would've taken us about the same amount of time (once we factor in going through airport security), but we wouldn't have had as many scenic views or such comfy seats in a cabin we could stretch out in. I liked not experiencing turbulence (just a little bit of rocking).

Between the lounge access and complimentary food, our premium upgrade also felt worth paying for.

Overall, we traveled comfortably in the Eurostar premier class, and I'd book theese tickets again.

• My wife and I moved from Florida to Medellín, Colombia, where we could afford a life of luxury.
• I had a private chef, a cleaner, and a personal trainer; I also had great healthcare.
• Now that we are back in the US, I can't justify the costs anymore.

I was born, raised, and spent most of my life in Milwaukee. I married and had three children with my first wife there.

After vacationing in Maui, Hawaii, in my 30s, my wife and I decided to move there in 2014. We fell in love with the island and its slow pace of life. I stayed for two years but ended up getting divorced; I moved back home to the mainland.

In 2018, I started dating a friend, Cindy, who I would marry. We dated long-distance at first because she lived in Florida. After all three of my children graduated from high school, I moved to Florida to be with her. My kids liked visiting their dad in a warm climate.

Eventually, Cindy and I decided to sell everything and travel full-time, but we quickly got sick of traveling to a new country every month. That's when we decided to settle down once more in Colombia.

I decided we should move to Medellín, Colombia

Medellín is a popular destination for expats and digital nomads. I enjoyed my previous visits to Medellín. I knew my wife and I could have a good quality of life there.

I knew Colombia has great healthcare and a lower cost of living than the US, so I decided to make it our home to recover from constant travel.

I applied for and received a two-year student visa to study Spanish. Cindy was still traveling between Colombia and visiting family in the US, so she had a tourist visa.

We got to Medellín in June 2022 and got to work on setting up our lives.

I lived in the best part of Medellín, the Golden Mile in Poblado, and optimized my life. The Golden Mile is a great area because it's walkable to everything one needs. I secured a beautiful two-bedroom, two-bath apartment in a fancy building in Poblado.

Two malls, with many restaurants, were within a 10-minute walking distance. American brands such as Starbucks are also nearby. My language school was also located there.

I lived a life of luxury for less in Colombia

I hired a cook, cleaner, and personal trainer to come to the apartment daily. These professionals freed up my time to focus on building my business and getting healthier.

I had great healthcare in Colombia and used it frequently with no copays. While there, I had some issues related to a vasectomy and needed to go to the hospital. The stay, procedure, and doctor's visit didn't cost me anything out of pocket.

I also used Rappi — a cross between Uber Eats, Amazon, and an errand service — almost daily. You can order food, get medicine from the pharmacy, have groceries delivered, have Rappi run errands for you, and even get cash delivered. It's an all-in-one app that made me never want to leave my apartment.

In Colombia, I had all the comforts of a wealthy life without the high costs, and I didn't have to hustle to earn those comforts.

My wife and I moved back to Florida in 2024 to be near our grandkids

After two years in Colombia, my wife and I returned to the US for our families. We are back to paying a large amount for rent, so I can't afford any of the comforts I could before. I can't imagine how much it would cost to hire professionals.

We're in the process of leaving the country for good because I can't justify living in the US anymore. I can't keep lying to myself about paying the always-increasing cost of living, and I'm afraid a medical emergency while in the US will bankrupt us.

Life abroad offers us a better quality of life and saves us money. We can save, invest, and work toward our goal of financial freedom without sacrificing our quality of life.

• PepsiCo announced on March 17 that it will acquire prebiotic soda brand Poppi for $1.95 billion.
• Allison Ellsworth is the cofounder and chief brand officer, and she says she thrives on chaos.
• She travels often, has no morning routine, and loves shopping and getting her nails done.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Allison Ellsworth, the 37-year-old cofounder and chief brand officer of Poppi based in Austin. It's been edited for length and clarity.

Before starting Poppi, I was an independent landman contractor who traveled across the US to run big oil and gas projects.

The travel wore on my body. I was tired, my stomach hurt, and I couldn't access good food. I started reading labels and understanding how what you put into your body can affect how you feel.

Now, I run Poppi, a prebiotic soda brand, along with my husband, Stephen, and my team. PepsiCo recently announced it will acquire us for $1.95 billion (pending regulatory approval).

I drank soda my whole life and couldn't find a better option

I went to my kitchen one day to create my own soda. I used Stephen, the other cofounder of Poppi, as a guinea pig for my homemade soda.

What started in my kitchen grew into a brand we called Mother Beverage, which we launched in 2016. It got us a deal on Shark Tank.

After Shark Tank, we underwent a deep rebranding process. The word "mother" was replaced with bright, bold images because we couldn't trademark the name. We changed the name to Poppi and relaunched it in March 2020.

My role is chief brand officer, which means I run our creative team and shape the brand and vision. Stephen is the chief product officer.

I constantly communicate with my team through text, Microsoft Teams, email, and phone calls — I get over 100 texts and 400 emails daily.

Here's what a typical day looks like.

Every morning, my three children wake up around 5:45 a.m.

My children are 2, 6, and 8. When we get up, it's full-on chaos. Stephen is incredible. If I'm traveling, he'll take care of the kids and let me sleep until 6:30 a.m.

I don't have a morning routine. I make lunches, fill water bottles, and get the older two kids ready for school. We put them on their bikes, and they ride themselves to school.

I get myself and the baby ready, and then I usually drop him off at day care around 8 a.m.

I'm then off to a plane if I'm traveling

Travel days are different from typical days. Sometimes, I fly to Boston to speak at Harvard and then to Montreal to meet agencies and shoot content. Then, I hop from Montreal to New York to shoot a live podcast. I try to be super available and work through my flights.

I do a lot of speaking, which involves a lot of content creation. Between organic and paid traffic, we have about two billion views on TikTok. I create 50 to 100+ pieces of content every month.

When I go to another city, we'll add an extra day for me to shoot content. I'll visit grocery stores, walk up and down the streets, interview people, and shoot trends and commercials.

We're the Lakers' official soda, so I became their honorary captain. I then shot content and represented our big launch in October 2024.

If I'm not traveling, I have a 15-minute drive to the office

I visit the Austin office five days a week if I'm home. We started as a remote company during the pandemic but now have in-person teams in the East, Central, and West.

Poppi grew from two employees to over 200 in four years. There are 20 of us here in Austin. I usually have one-on-one meetings with our team and shoot content in the office.

I don't think I've ever taken a formal lunch break

I eat my lunch at my desk and while on Zoom, and I don't fear doing a lunch meeting with my mouth open.

I strive for and love chaos and busy schedules. I'm a creative person, so I'm very unorganized.

If a new initiative arises, I'm usually one of the first to help set the strategy. I get meetings put on my calendar from every department back to back.

I have a shared calendar and an executive assistant who helps manage my schedule. I've tried to improve my organization, but if someone sees an hour open on my schedule, they'll fill it.

I leave the office around 6 p.m., commute home, and have a family dinner

Cooking is one of my favorite things to do. I try to shut my computer when I get home. I'm with my family for at least one hour at night, even if the kids are screaming, running around, and jumping on the tables.

I love services like Marley Spoon, where all the ingredients are there and you can make dinner in 20 minutes.

If it's a busy week, we'll stop on the way home to get tacos. Our schedule is not so structured that every meal has to be perfectly cooked every night.

I include self-care in my schedule

I love spending time with my kids. Working out, meditating, reading, or other traditional things people say are not part of my self-care routine. I love rewarding myself with shopping and getting my nails done.

My family loves Poppi. My kids have at least two cans a day, and my husband and I probably drink three cans a day.

We have a Poppi fridge in our garage, and sometimes, kids in the neighborhood ring our doorbell and ask for a Poppi. We go through 50 to 100 cans a week at our house.

After dinner, it's quickly off to baths and bedtime for the kids

After dinner, we leave the kitchen messy and focus on the kids. We read books, do a puzzle, and try not to turn on the TV.

When they go to bed around 8 p.m., we clean up around the house. I then get in bed with a glass of wine, put on a show, and the computer reopens.

I read emails, review PowerPoint decks, approve them, and get back to people waiting for me.

I'll work for an hour or two while watching TV and then get to bed around 11 p.m. Since I'm a night owl, if I'm in the groove, I'll work until midnight.

On average, I get six to seven hours of sleep at most. Then I wake up and do it all over again.

• I fell in love with writing at 12, but my parents discouraged me thinking I'd never make real money.
• A middle school English teacher made me believe in myself and gave her time to teach me how to write.
• One of my proudest life moments was giving her signed copies of my published books.

Growing up, my grandfather gave my brother and me books as birthday and Christmas gifts every year. I didn't appreciate books as a child because I wanted lots and lots of toys.

When I turned 12, I decided to read one of the books while I was grounded. The book was called "The Charm School," and the story captivated me so much that I wanted to become a writer.

Being mesmerized by the story made me want to write stories and have others experience what I did at that moment. I was able to follow my passion because of one teacher in my life.

My immigrant parents wanted me to become a doctor or lawyer

When I told my parents, at age 12, that I wanted to be a writer, they laughed, thinking it was a kid's dream.

My mother is from Kenya, and my stepfather is from Congo. They told me pursuing prestigious careers was the only way to be successful. I heard repeatedly that writers don't make money, and it would not be a career that brought honor to our family.

I told my friends, cousins, school teachers, and anyone who would listen that I wanted to be a writer. Everyone thought I was too young to understand and that writing wasn't a realistic career.

My middle school English teacher was the one person who believed in me

When I started middle school, I was fortunate to have Mrs. Nantz as my English teacher. In my very first class with her, I fell in love with writing again.

She introduced us to classic books, writers, and writing that challenged our developing brains as middle schoolers.

For two years, Mrs. Nantz encouraged me to pursue my dream of being a writer and taught me how to write. She worked with me after school and during lunch breaks. She gave me extra homework and new and exciting books to read. She gave her time so generously and for free.

She cheered and celebrated every poem, short story, paper, and piece of writing I turned in. Her support, guidance, and education showed me it was possible to be a writer and helped me learn the skills.

I didn't immediately take the path of becoming a writer as an adult

I didn't pursue the path my parents wanted, was kicked out our my home, was homeless at 17, and had to get three jobs to survive. I got "grown-up" jobs and started a business at 19.

At 21, I started writing for fun again. That year, I wrote my first book by hand, read books every day, and began pursuing writing professionally.

By 23, I was blogging and building an audience, sharing my thoughts on life and work. I self-published that first book, "Tales of the Everyday Working Man and Woman," and it felt incredible to finally make money as a writer.

I wrote a second book, "Are You Living or Existing?" and a third book, "Stop Chasing Influencers," for which I was able to sign a traditional publishing contract.

It was an incredible moment to show Mrs. Nantz the results of her influence

Twenty years after the encouragement and belief of an English middle school teacher, I was a professional writer with three published books and a full-time living as a writer.

Mrs. Nantz and my grandfather are why I'm a professional writer today.

I wanted to show Mrs. Nantz what her influence had led to, so I cried hard when I packed up and sent her signed copies of my published books.

She got the books, called me, and we both spent time crying together — it's one of my proudest moments in life thus far.

Every year, Mrs. Nantz shows her students my books and what's possible as she teaches them about English and writing.

It's also special that my children witnessed this journey from jobs I hated to living my dream as a writer. They also got to hold my books and tell their friends about them; my youngest child also writes.

In a way, Mrs. Nantz's influence and belief in a 12-year-old's dream now spans multiple generations.

• I grew up in a deeply religious home, was kicked out at 17, and lived in a homeless shelter.
• My relationship with my family has been strained for most of my adult life.
• My mother and brother have cancer; despite mending our relationship, I'm having difficult feelings.

Everything changed after my parents found religion when I was 14 years old.

My brothers, sister, and I had to dedicate our lives to living religious principles. I grew up in a home environment where appearances were everything. We had to "look" godly, or we'd be spanked.

For three years, I tried, but when I told my parents I wasn't going to seminary and didn't want to become a pastor, they kicked me out at 17 years old.

I found myself crying every ounce of liquid out of my body every night at the Pacific Garden Mission. I dropped out of high school and worked three low-paying jobs to survive.

I become so bitter at my parents, especially my mother. I was angry she kicked me out and that I couldn't see my little brother, who's two years younger than me.

Years later, they're both dying, and I'm unsure how to feel.

I didn't talk to my family for years

As I tried to work my way out of the homeless shelter, I met the woman who would become my first wife working at Burger King. We married the day after I turned 18 and got an apartment together. I was able to leave the homeless shelter.

A year later, we had a son. Over the next three years, we had another son and a daughter. I was not talking to my parents or family during this time.

My mother wanted to see her grandchildren, so we talked through some of our grievances. I don't know if I would have ever talked to my mother if I hadn't had children.

But I didn't want my kids not to know their grandparents, so my mother and I talked through things to the point where we could maintain communication.

I wouldn't call it a deep connection, but I decided to move on from the bitter stage and move to a cordial relationship where the main focus was my kids seeing their grandparents.

At this point, I got to talk to my brother again, who had been living with my parents. Having the short calls and being allowed to catch up and reconnect felt good.

Over the next 20 years, I kept a cordial relationship with my parents and didn't spend much time with my brother. They lived their lives, and I lived mine.

My mother and brother got cancer, and things became more complicated

My brother was diagnosed with Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) three years ago, and my mother found out she had stage four lung cancer a year ago.

I got a call earlier this year that the cancer was spreading, and I flew to spend time with them.

I knew it would be hard seeing them battling late-stage cancer, but what I walked into was my brother in the Advanced Cancer Care Center, unable to move, and my mother wanting to hold an "end of life" planning meeting. It was worse than I anticipated.

It was hard to see him not moving and the nurses having to help him do everything. My mother looked like she weighed 50 pounds and had sores on her mouth as a side effect of cancer medication; I couldn't even hug her due to the risk of possible infection.

I'm worried I won't feel anything when they pass away

Spending this time with my mom at the end of her life has made me realize I needed to forgive and let go of the grudge I've been holding onto for 27 years.

I'm not dismissing what happened to me, but I'm choosing to spend these final days getting to know the mother I didn't. I've gotten closer to my brother and made up for all the time we haven't had together.

However, as I watched my mother and brother battling terminal cancer and having what could be their last moments in life, my thoughts have been that I'm not sure I'll feel anything when they die. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that a part of me is still angry and struggling to let go.

I feel bad for them as a person would feel bad for another person who feels bad — but not emotionally, as in a "normal" way you'd feel bad toward a family member getting cancer.

I think it might be just another day when they pass away. I've been thinking — what does that say about me? Am I a bad person for not falling on the ground and losing it for over half of my family dying?

Or is this nothingness an OK feeling due to the complicated relationship we've had most of my life?

I don't know the answers, but these are conversations I'm having with my therapist.

I'm spending as much time with them as possible, not wanting to regret how I handled this opportunity to say goodbye more healthily.

• After escaping a cult, Julia McCoy turned freelancing on Upwork into a successful business.
• McCoy's business, Express Writers, grew to $1.8 million in revenue with 100 contractors.
• She sold Express Writers for over $1 million and now runs FirstMovers.ai with AI agents.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Julia McCoy, a 33-year-old business owner in Arizona. Business Insider has verified the financial claims. This story has been edited for length and clarity.

I was 19 years old when I decided to follow my passion. I Googled "How to make money writing," and I found Upwork, which back then was Odesk.

Freelancing on Upwork allowed me to escape the difficult living situation I grew up in. Once I was free, I turned my freelancing into a successful business. My entrepreneurial ventures now support my husband and two children.

I grew up in a cult that made it difficult to work

I lived inside what I considered to be a cult for over half my life. It was a religious extremist environment with a dress code of long dresses, curfews, and spiritual rules. I was allowed to use the internet, attend community college, and work at McDonalds, but only if I gave my father the bulk of my earnings.

Within a month of creating a freelancer profile, I tripled my income at McDonald's. I woke up at 4 a.m. every day, applied for hundreds of gigs on Upwork, and fulfilled any gigs I got in the afternoons.

While freelancing, I met the man who would become my husband. Josh hired me to run SEO for his website, and we immediately hit it off. I told him about growing up in a cult, and I realized I had to get out.

I bought a car in cash with my freelance money in 2012, packed up in the middle of the night, and drove from Pennsylvania to Missouri to be with Josh. We started dating right away. I haven't talked to my father since.

I made $30,000 in my first year as a freelancer

Being a one-woman show was difficult because I was responsible for the sales, marketing, content creation, tech, and fulfillment departments. Josh wanted to leave his business as a website developer, so he joined me as the CTO of my company, Express Writers.

We got married in 2013. Josh and I working together helped the business grow quickly, but everything else took a back seat once we had our daughter in 2014.

We started talking about the logistics of parenting. I had been the breadwinner since the beginning of our relationship and would continue to be.

We had stability because I hired some managers and implemented a delegation process. I could work an hour a day, sometimes even less, and spend most of my time with the baby.

Josh went back to building the technical side of the business, and I went all in on continuing to grow it after a year off

Josh worked a lot less than I did. As I worked more and late into the night, Josh took over making dinner, caring for our child, and doing household tasks.

The business grew significantly. Revenue hit $1.8 million in 2018.

My husband and I were the only employees, but we had 100 people who were all structured as contractors. My team did everything a client could need content-wise: Wrote blog posts and website pages, edited copy and articles, wrote ebooks and guides, and offered content strategy.

I sold my business and started a new one

When the business started making seven figures in revenue, I started to think about selling it. I wanted to do something else and was tired of being responsible for that many people. I also saw what ChatGPT was capable of, and AI was a real threat to writing and freelancing.

After hiring a brokerage specializing in e-commerce, I sold my business for over $1 million in 2021.

I started a new company called Content Hacker, which I would also sell to my next employer for a multimillion-dollar valuation in exchange for a partnership stake. I created courses, taught, and built an online community with Content Hacker.

Our son was born in March 2022

Josh stepped into his role of taking care of us four — the home, family, cleaning, and even growing food for us. He installed solar panels and made the house almost fully off-grid.

I don't think I would've reached this place of success without Josh's support. I'm very ambitious, and Josh knew if he were to try to box that in, I would lose my passion for life.

Next, I took a job at an AI startup

In January 2023, I discovered an AI company I was interested in and pitched the founder for a job. I told him I was a former content writer who had sold my agency, knew the content space, and could help his business grow.

He hired me, and by March, I was promoted to vice president of marketing. I was doing well, so I told him to make me president and bump my salary. My salary was $100,000 initially, but it increased to $300,000 by August 2023.

I've since left that position and returned to entrepreneurship with my third company, FirstMovers.ai. I have a small team and have created AI agents to manage most of the business's tasks.

Josh takes care of everything at home, and I'm grateful

I start work at 8 a.m., and if I'm at a networking meeting, I might not be home until 9 p.m. When I do come home, everything is done and taken care of.

Even though I'm the breadwinner, we haven't split up our finances — we share one bank account. Nobody has a side account; nobody says, "This is mine!"

We keep a family budget; if we want to make a big expenditure or investment, we discuss it and always make a joint decision. That communication has helped us overcome any kind of animosity.

Being the breadwinner has not affected the relationship romantically. It's funny because Josh says he sees it as a very sexy thing.

I feel grateful for this opportunity to support our family and have an amazing husband who supports me by caring for the home and our children.

• Kurt Kane, the CEO of TruGreen, started his career in the military before moving to Procter & Gamble.
• As a CEO now, Kane wakes up at 5:30 a.m. and goes to the gym before the office five days a week.
• After a day of meetings, he heads home to catch up with his wife, talk business, and walk his dogs.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kurt Kane, the CEO of TruGreen based in Nashville. It's been edited for length and clarity.

My career journey started in the military. After graduating from high school, I attended West Point and joined the Army as an Air Defense Artillery officer.

I spent a few years in the service and then returned to graduate school at the University of Texas. From there, I built my career around brand management, trying to figure out how to reinvent underperforming mature brands and help them rediscover growth.

I'm now the CEO of TruGreen, the nation's largest lawn care business with over 2.3 million residential and commercial customers across North America. During my almost 12-month tenure, I have not been disappointed.

I jumped around household brands at the start of my career

I started at Procter & Gamble before moving into the beer business at Molson Coors. From there, I went to Frito Lay and spent some time in the snack food category. Then, I jumped into restaurants, where I spent almost eight years with Yum Brands. My last roles were Global Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Food Innovation Officer.

I then moved to Wendy's to be CMO and spent my last four years of eight as the US President.

I received some outreach from board members about the opportunity at TruGreen. I wasn't sure it would be the right match for me, but I talked with the board members about what TruGreen needed.

I found that many of the things I had done across all those other categories applied. It felt like an opportunity to lead a sleeping giant of a company that could explode in growth.

Here's what a typical day has looked like since I started.

I wake up at 5:30 a.m.

In this business, customers are at our branches early to get out onto people's properties. I also try to model that by waking up at 5:30 a.m.

When I wake up, I check our daily sales and performance reports before I go to the office to see what's happening with our business insights and analytics and how yesterday performed.

I'm not a micromanager, but it's helpful to see the trends and if the weeks are breaking the right way because we can influence outcomes on a week-to-week basis.

I get out of the house and go to a local gym where I live in Nashville to get a quick workout. I just moved to Nashville from Memphis because we're opening a second support center here.

If I work from home on a particular day, I'll work out at home. After working out, I take a shower and get ready to go.

I'm at my desk and get going with work at 8:30 a.m.

I typically head into the office five days a week. I'll leave at 8 a.m. and arrive by 8:30 a.m. because of traffic. If I'm working from my office at home, I start engaging in discussions around 8 a.m.

I start my workday with set meetings with our leadership team. I also have many one-on-one conversations with my direct reports, where I talk to them to understand what's on their plate and how I can be supportive.

Between those more formal conversations, there are many ad hoc conversations with people in the field. We also have connection points with board members to ensure we all stay connected.

I take a lunch break at my desk between meetings

I order food or grab a protein bar — whatever I need to keep going through the day. I usually don't take much time for lunch because I'm too busy doing other things. As the CEO, I get 200 to 300 pieces of outreach and communication throughout a typical day.

Our planning process, cycle, sales, and engagement follow the seasons naturally. Some may think that TruGreen is a seasonal business, but the truth is we're busy year-round.

Spring and summer are our two busiest seasons, except in the Southern regions, where it's warm weather all year. On the corporate side, we don't have a 'slow season.' We use the fall and winter as a planning period across all departments.

My afternoon is a continuation of my morning

On a normal day, the afternoon is a continuation of the one-on-one meetings, outreach into the field, and being able to talk to some of our branch or our other field leaders.

We have a great leadership team, and engaging with this category has been a lot of fun.

I usually wrap up from the office around 6:30 p.m.

I head home for dinner, but I can't fully shut it down

I'm always thinking about what's going on in the business. Even when relaxing at home, I have work on my mind.

I've got a very supportive spouse who likes to talk about the business and how we're doing, and I use her as a sounding board on some of the things that I may have heard during the day. Our evening conversation tends to revolve around TruGreen, lawn care, what the team's up to, and what I encountered that day.

I just became an empty nester, so I lost my ping-pong partners. I played tennis through college, and I've hung on to it. I like to build relationships with friends and colleagues through tennis.

I also golf during my downtime. Golf is great for me as the CEO since we're the PGA Tour's official lawn care treatment provider.

I'll take the dogs for a walk, spend time with my wife, and unwind. I go to sleep, wake up, and do it over again.

• Dave Peacock, the CEO of Advantage Solutions, has a very structured daily routine.
• Peacock's career spans roles at Anheuser-Busch, in retail, and at Continental Grain Company.
• He emphasizes routine, empowerment, and work-life balance for effective leadership.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dave Peacock, the 56-year-old CEO of Advantage Solutions in St. Louis. It's been edited for length and clarity.

Before becoming the CEO of Advantage Solutions, I spent 20 years at Anheuser-Busch, where I held multiple roles and served as president for four years.

I then pivoted into retail for about four and a half years, where I learned the importance of frontline personnel and leading with purpose, and I did so through the pandemic.

After that, I moved to New York and spent a year and a half with Continental Grain Company. I lived in St. Louis my whole life, so this was a different experience.

A friend and mentor, Jim Kilts, the chairman of Advantage Solutions, reached out to see if the company might be a good fit for me. I said yes to the CEO role and was thrilled for the opportunity to work with more than 60,000 teammates and lead a multinational organization.

I started in February 2023 and moved from New York back to St. Louis for the role. Here's what a typical and structured day in my life looks like.

I wake up between 6 and 6:30 a.m.

Until I was 30 years old, I was very much a night person. Then, being in the beer business, which starts with early days, I became more of a morning person.

I start my day between 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. by going through emails for about 10 minutes. I then read a biblical devotional every morning.

To get my head right, I also do deep breathing and self-affirmations. My executive coach and I have discussed how deep breathing and mental and cognitive calm are great ways to prepare for the day. Over the years, I've learned to start my day balanced mentally, spiritually, and physically.

I then read key articles from various business publications for about 20 minutes.

I'll then make breakfast

I make the same breakfast every morning, which includes some protein, typically sausage, and blueberries, my favorite fruit.

As I'm getting breakfast ready, I jump into some emails. I'll call and text different departments to check up on things and talk to our Chief Commercial Officer or CFO. In between, I'll watch some news to understand what's happening.

I work out a bit every morning with a trainer or on the elliptical while watching ESPN or CNBC. I'll shower, and then I'll hit the ground running.

Depending on traffic, I leave home and get to the office between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.

We have an office in St. Louis and around the country. I like being in an office and around people, as I'm an auditory learner. I thrive on the energy and the varying numbers of people — I work better in an office.

During the pandemic, I found that working from home with a house full of teenagers was not ideal. I realized I needed a separate workspace to do as much real work as possible.

When I get to the office, I'm booked all day with an occasional 15 min gap

When you're a CEO or C-suite executive, your schedule, rhythm, and routines are monthly or quarterly, as no two days are alike.

I have a monthly routine around performance reviews with my teams. Then, I have quarterly routines around board meetings, earnings, and investor communications. Annually, there's a rhythm with industry events and shows.

I'm a big routine guy — I think having routines is supercritical. My assistant and I started working on my 2025 calendar last June, and by October, we'd been more than two-thirds locked and committed. I believe in trying to have 70% of a plan with 30% time adjustable as needed.

I don't leave the office or take a lunch break

I have a protein bar at 10 a.m. and a banana at 11 a.m., and I bring deli meat, lettuce, blueberries, and protein shakes to the office to snack on throughout the day. I'm difficult to work with if I've gone two hours or more without protein.

My day consists of meetings and hands-on work with the team. I try not to over-mange our team; I let great people do what they're capable of, but I like to be on top of things and not be surprised. I think the more you micromanage, the more you lose the ability to adapt. You need to have a strong, empowered organization.

I work a little on weekends — usually quick calls with my team, reviewing pre-reads, and always devoting time to reading business media for articles to share with the team.

My evenings vary, but they're pretty boring as an empty nester

It's now just my wife and I, as our kids have left home for their adult lives. I build in nights out and protect vacations relentlessly, and I do the same with my team. I put my team members' vacations in my calendar as all-day events to ensure I don't call, text, or email them. Time off to recharge drives performance.

I'm doing something client-related, such as dinner meetings, several nights a week. I'm also part of a civic group and several charity boards — we have events a few nights a week. On the nights I'm not going out, I'm also going through some emails and pre-reads for the next day's meetings.

I sometimes will have an IPA, preferably a Logboat Snapper, a great Missouri brand. I usually drink nonalcoholic beer.

I try to throttle down around 8:30 or 9 p.m. I watch a streaming series, sports, or read. We stream a lot, as I'm a massive fan of most genres (excluding horror). Sports documentaries are some of my favorites, but I also like "Shrinking," "The Diplomat," and old comedies like "New Girl."

I sleep, wake up, and do it all over again.

• When the pandemic hit, Keith Romes moved to Mexico to work remotely without telling his employers.
• Romes sought a better quality of life and lower living costs than he had in California.
• He plans to work remotely abroad again because he values affordable living and cultural exploration.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Keith Romes, a 40-year-old tech professional in California. This story has been edited for length and clarity.

I didn't go to college after graduating from high school. Instead, I started applying for work right away in 2005. I enjoy tech, video games, and Star Wars, so I wanted to get a job in that world.

I became good at interviewing by doing group interviews and seeing what others did, and I landed a position doing quality assurance for LucasArts. I had a six-month contract to work on the video game Star Wars Battlefront II.

I landed more contract roles at Electronic Arts, Friend Finder, and eventually companies like Meta and TikTok. For my first few contract roles, I was living in California.

During some of my more recent contracts, I worked remotely from Mexico without telling anyone — and got away with it.

While working at Friend Finder, I took my first international trip

My pay at Friend Finder was enough for me to take my first international trip to Tokyo, which started my love for travel.

I stayed at Friend Finder until 2008 and then got a great opportunity — my first full-time job at Apple in the App Store division. I worked at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino.

I had a crazy schedule because the launch of the App Store involved a lot of work. I worked 80-hour weeks and reached burnout.

I realized I didn't want my work to be my entire life. I stayed there for two years and then decided to take shorter contracts again and build more breaks into my work.

I reentered the world of contract work in 2010

I got a contract with Google to work on the Google Play store and did the same quality-assurance work I had done at Apple. I was at Google for close to a year and left in 2011.

After that, I worked for a video-game company called Kabam in San Francisco for six months before leaving to take on a series of contract roles at Meta, working in developer operations and testing chatbots.

I did analysis work on Facebook's news feed feature but left because I felt like I had a terrible work-life balance and was burning out again.

After Meta, I worked for six months on a project-based contract at Twitter's headquarters in 2016. Then, I decided to take some personal time off to regroup.

In 2018, I returned to Meta for another contract role.

I realized I wanted a better quality of life and fewer bills than in California

I had been looking into dental work in Mexico because the cost was lower, and I heard there was a better quality of life there. I decided to move to Mexico in 2020 but had to figure out the logistics.

When the pandemic started, we were told remote work would be mandatory. That made the decision to go to Mexico much easier. I started that contract in California but didn't tell my bosses about my decision to move to Mexico.

I moved with just some luggage, set up my life and workstation in Cancún, and started working for Meta remotely from Mexico. I had no time-zone challenges.

The cost of living was incredible compared to California — it was the total package for me. I enjoyed beach access, amazing food, the amenities of my apartment complex, and friendly people.

My new lifestyle was very affordable

I easily lived on less than $1,200 a month. For the first year, I lived in an Airbnb, and my expenses were one-third to one-fifth of my living costs in California.

I worried at first about having an issue remote working from another country, but as soon as I got there, I connected to Meta's systems. I didn't have to use a VPN for remote work — just a regular WiFi connection.

While in Mexico, my pets and I survived two hurricanes, and WiFi was pretty good both times — I didn't lose any data. The streams were great for holding meetings.

I had no issues working remotely internationally, so I stopped worrying about it

While still in Mexico, I got a second contract job as an app marketing manager for Avalara, an automated sales tax compliance software company for businesses. I used a family member's address in California to apply for the role and did not tell Avalara I lived in Mexico.

I had to fly back to California to pick up a company laptop but then returned to Mexico. I don't know if they would've fired me for quietly working from another country, but I didn't want to take any chances.

I took my meetings from my villa in Mexico, and I was loving life. I also visited cities near Mexico City, such as Guadalajara, and took mini vacations often.

I worked both jobs until December 2021, when my contract at Meta was completed. Then, I continued to work only in the role at Avalara.

A new job brought me back to the US

In March 2022, I left Avalara and started a new contract role at TikTok. That October, TikTok ordered me back into the office, and I returned to California to regroup.

I didn't want to leave Mexico but needed the money from the TikTok job. I stayed at TikTok until February 2023.

Currently, I work in two remote roles focused on content review and AI content from California.

I want to move abroad again

I plan to return to Mexico or explore other countries like Colombia, Japan, or the Philippines.

My salary averages around $40,000 per six-month contract. I plan to set up a side hustle in addition to my contract positions to make more money and have more flexibility.

I want to leave the US again for a better quality of life. Less expensive, universal healthcare and opportunities to explore other cultures are important to me.

• Daniel Peebles left a film career to care for his sons, one of whom has cerebral palsy, full time.
• Peebles' wife, Courtney, started a toy business in 2023, which she runs from their home.
• The family business, Solobo, supports them now as Peebles embraces life as a stay-at-home dad.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Daniel Peebles, a 27-year-old stay-at-home dad in Arizona. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

While I was growing up with my dad in Virginia Beach, he would surf often. When I was 8, he asked me to start filming him surfing.

I learned to love telling stories, and as I got older I picked up the camera again to make videos for my family and friends in our town for $100 each.

I grew that into a successful film career, but I quit to stay home and care for my two children, one with special needs, while my wife runs a company.

When I was 18, I started making real money with film projects

I decided not to go to college because I knew what I wanted to do for a career. At first, filming was just a hobby, but I started to get serious and charge more.

Through word of mouth, local businesses in our area contacted me to ask if I offered filming and editing services. I charged local companies between $1,000 and $3,000 per project.

In 2017, I met the woman who would become my wife

Courtney was working as a producer at a megachurch. We worked together on film projects and hit it off. We married in 2018 and moved in together.

I realized that the film projects I was doing here and there would not be enough income for a family — I needed a real job.

In 2018, I worked for six months at a mortgage company. Courtney was a multimedia specialist at the time. We were making good money but were miserable and wanted to spend more time together. We both quit at the end of that year.

I went back to freelancing for film projects in 2019

Our first son was born in December. Courtney stayed home with our son, and I picked up freelance film work, but I lost all my film clients when the pandemic hit. Since opportunities were scarce, I networked and got a full-time job as a film director at Ironclad.

I was grateful for the work and the $80,000 salary. With bonuses, it was well into the six figures annually. Our second son was then born in May 2021.

My younger son has cerebral palsy, which meant a lot of care

I traveled constantly. There were some weeks where I was gone three weeks out of the month. Every time I left home, I felt a ping because I didn't want my sons to grow up with a dad who wasn't around.

After my son's diagnosis, I started scaling back and moved into more postproduction, which kept me at home.

My son requires supervision at all times and is on long-term care through our state. I'm the registered provider under the program. If I weren't registered, attendants would come to our home whenever needed.

Courtney became frustrated with our younger son's toys

Courtney found that the toy industry lacked toys for neurodivergent kids. My younger son had a lot of mobility issues with his hands. She couldn't find any toys to help him with those movements.

She started making things just out of cardboard, and then she kept having more ideas. Courtney started Solobo LLC, our family toy business, in March 2023. We invested $10,000 we had saved into prototypes.

At first, she worked on product creation, marketing, sales, and logistics for the business at night while I worked during the day.

We decided I would quit my job and let Courtney pursue her dream

As the business grew, I told Courtney how miserable I was being away from her and the boys, and we talked about her passion for the business. I hesitated about becoming a stay-at-home dad, but it seemed to be the right choice.

I was on my way to becoming the lead director of production when I quit my job at Ironclad in June 2023. I took the leap even though we had no savings at that point.

My dad traveled a lot for work while I was growing up, and I didn't get to see him as much as I wanted to. Staying home with my sons was more important to me than the money.

My day-to-day life as a stay-at-home dad is totally different

One of my kids wakes me up — they're my alarm. I get up and cook breakfast for the family. Courtney goes upstairs to work while I play with the boys.

We have activities a few times a week. I teach them practical things, like how to swim. The boys go to school a few times a week, too — it's an inclusive learning space through play.

I help Courtney with fulfillment coordination, inventory, and logistics at night. We have a few regular subcontractors and a team of pediatric experts.

Money is tight at times, but the business pays our bills

Our relationship has become stronger. Courtney and I first met through work, so it's cool to be working with my best friend again. I get the privilege of spending more time with my boys than most dads, and it's beautiful.

I've had people approach me who are genuinely puzzled that Courtney and I don't get tired of always being around each other. We work, laugh, cry, and dream together, and I wouldn't have it any different.

How I grew up — dads work and moms stay home — I felt there was a stigma for stay-at-home dads, but I did it anyway. I can see how we're building a better future for our boys.

The toy business continues to grow

I love the stay-at-home dad life. The only reason I would consider returning to work depends on the level of care our son needs (as he gets older) and where our business is by then.

Everyone thought I was crazy when I quit my film industry job to become a stay-at-home dad, but it was the best decision for our family.

• My first wife and I decided to move to Maui after vacationing there.
• After our difficult divorce, I left the island in a hopeless state.
• Years later, I took my new family to Maui to show them the place that saved my life.

I met my first wife working at a fast food restaurant and developed a friendship that turned into a relationship. We were married three months after we met — the day after my 18th birthday. Like me, she was from Milwaukee, and we raised three kids in Wisconsin.

With our 10th anniversary coming up, we wanted to celebrate somewhere special. After doing a bit of research, we chose Maui, Hawaii.

I expected to enjoy the island but didn't realize how special Maui would be. We instantly fell in love with Hawaiian culture, the ocean breezes, delicious food, and a slower pace of life. Every day on Maui felt like a life I had always dreamed of living.

The island became an important hub in my life — through two marriages and a lot of healing.

We decided to move to Maui, and it was paradise — until it wasn't

We debated whether we could afford to live in Maui and whether it was smart to be away from family. But we knew it was the right decision.

The kids were excited to leave Wisconsin and live on a warm, tropical island, and so were we. We sold most of our possessions, rented a home, moved to Maui, and lived a few blocks from the beach.

Life on Maui was everything we hoped it would be and more. While life was good, my relationship with my first wife wasn't.

We were far from the place and life we were comfortable with. Tiny ripples of arguments turned into daily eruptions that eventually led to the end of our marriage two years after moving to Maui.

Divorce is expensive, and paying to support my ex-wife and three children meant I wouldn't have much money left.

The divorce and decisions I made from being in a desperate and hopeless place left me with $28 in my bank account and no hope for life when I left Maui. I used my last few dollars to book a flight to the mainland.

I was homeless and stayed on a friend's couch

I left Hawaii for South Florida around Christmastime because my friend said I could stay at his home. He saw my state and let me sleep on a couch.

I still had my business and focused on earning more revenue. I sell online courses, so I offered some promotions and created a ton of content for social media; thankfully, a few sales started to trickle in.

Even though my money was low, I knew I needed help, so I used the spare few pennies I could muster on some therapy sessions.

As I healed, an inner voice told me I needed to return to Maui, a place that meant everything to my mind and spirit. I couldn't explain it, but I knew my healing and growth wouldn't be complete without returning to Hawaii.

I went back to Maui to fully heal

After paying my bills and child support each month, I was still low on cash, but I did have some travel rewards. After booking my flight to Maui with points, I booked a stay in a $20-a-night hostel for the month of January. I would be roughing it with the young folks.

Once I was on Maui again after leaving in such a broken way, my suspicions were right: I had completed my healing.

I spent mornings in the ocean, letting the sounds and breezes calm me. I worked on my business every day from cafés that overlooked the water. Being so close to the beach, I slept well every night. I reconnected with friends, exercised, ate fresh food, and spent time with my kids.

I healed through Maui's amazing energy and left the island a month later in a better mental state and with a plan.

I had an incredible year that year, and my life, mindset, relationships, and business have grown exponentially since then. That bonus month on Maui allowed me to write a new chapter in my story — a triumphant chapter.

I brought my new family to Maui, too

Three years after my healing experience, a friendship with my now-wife Cindy blossomed into a relationship that grew into a marriage proposal.

I remarried, was out of debt, and running a thriving business.

I wanted to take my second wife and stepchildren to Maui to experience a place that had profoundly changed my life. I had told them so much about the island and what it had done for me, and they wanted to experience it for themselves.

It was such an incredible family vacation to introduce my family to the awesomeness of Maui. They loved it so much and understood its impact on my life. We made a once-a-year family trip every year up until the year of the great fire in Lahaina.

Your environment can profoundly affect you as a human being, and Maui continues to be the place that impacts my life. It's the place I come back to for healing, inspiration, and growth.