The Rachel Cruze Show - Started from the Bottom Now They’re Here

Episode Date: June 10, 2019

Getting to a place of financial freedom  is hard. That’s why it’s so important to remember what you’re working toward—and that success isn’t just for yourself. In this episode, you’ll hear some of the most inspiring and motivating stories we’ve ever had on the show. You’ll learn:  The decision my dad made that completely changed my life The keys to overcoming adversity and staying motivated from podcast host Lewis Howes The one thing successful people do to stay happy How small-business owner Judy Zimmerman paid off $750,000 of debt and changed her family tree in more ways than one Resources (everything mentioned in this episode): Show Notes Page Financial Peace University Zander Insurance Lewis Howes’s Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What caused you to say, I want to be able to give this hope to other people? The hardest step is that first step. It's just what if you're making a difference for just one person? Hosts of the podcast's School of Greatness, Louis House. It's not about me, it's about we. I think that's where true greatness comes from. Living with that open hand, it is something. It changes you, not just with your money, but it changes your character and your heart.

The best I feel in my life is when I'm giving. All right, guys, we're just going to come out and say it. Debt keeps us from creating a life that we love. It does. And I don't know about you, but for me, creating a life I love means not just for myself, but setting my family up for success, looking to the future, thinking about sending our two girls to college and funding that now, those kind of things. Now, for some of you who are deep in debt, that seems so far away. But hear this. No matter what age you are, no matter what your income is, it's never too late to change your money situation. Now, some people have harder

situations, right? Like if you have $300,000 in debt and you make $40,000 a year, yeah, it's going to take you a little while to climb out of that hole. But here's the deal. You have the power to make a decision to change. And when you make a decision to better your life, it doesn't just affect you. It affects everyone around you. And it allows you to help other people. So on this episode, I'm really excited because we've got some great guests. We have hosts of the Podcasts, School of Greatness, Lewis How's on. Yes, he's coming on to share his rags to Rich's story and a key money lesson that he's learned along the way. And then we have a lady named Judy coming on who changed her life and you won't believe all she's doing to change

others' lives around her as well. And hang around because at the end of this episode, I've got a little giveaway having to do with just that. But first, let's talk about one of the decisions that completely changed my life. Those of you that know my family's story know that my parents filed bankruptcy the year I was born. And after filing for bankruptcy, my parents looked at each other and they were like, we're done. I was a newborn baby. My sister was a toddler.

And they were at the end of the rope. And they finally just said, we've had it. No matter what, we're going to stop making stupid decisions with our money. We're going to stop having other people determine our destiny. And we are going to live a debt-free life. And because of that decision, my life now has been completely changed. And so when we talk about you making great decisions for your money, it does. It affects everyone around you.

You guys, just like a few hours ago, I was on the Dave Ramsey show, and we took a debt-free scream. And there they are with their little four-year-old girl, Claire, adorable, blonde hair, blue eyes, but they paid off six figures worth of debts. Yes, it took some time, but they did it. He worked like crazy. And she talked about the struggles it was, not having him home all the time, but he said, He goes, it was worth it. No matter what I was doing,

I was going to get ourselves out of this mess that we created. And together as a team, they completely changed their lives. And then I'm sitting there looking at Claire as this little toddler thinking, man, her life now is completely changed. So again, your freedom from debt isn't just for you, but as a result of you doing that, it's going to affect everyone around you. Now, listen, that's just my story.

That's just their story. But there are millions of people's stories around with that kind of impact. And so I decided to go into my Facebook group because I wanted to hear their stories. Because listen, you can make a big impact, but sometimes just a small impact can motivate you. And so these stories were fantastic. Rebecca said, the owner of a grocery store outlet gave me a $50 gift card, and I cried. 50 bucks, you guys.

It wasn't like a huge amount, but something small completely changed her life. Shauna said, I bought some baby formula for a lady at our church. She cried when I gave it to her. Jenny said my nine-year-old son had an appendectomy last Thursday morning with an ER visit the night before, and so many friends and family offered help and assistance. Honestly, just knowing people care made a big impact, and this experience was a humbling one. Ginny said, a lady gave us a $25 gift card the week of Christmas one year. We were shopping in Wal-Mart. I have never forgotten it.

And from that year on, we've done the same for someone else. Guys, again, the impact is amazing. When you have freedom from debts, what you can do, even if giving a little, how it changes people. So I'm really excited about our first guest of the day, Lewis House, because he started from the bottom. And he has the most incredible story. You may have heard his podcast, The School of Greatness. It's a great one. So check out our interview.

All right, Lewis, thanks for being here. Stop it in on the Rachel Cruz show. We're here. Okay. So for people that are not familiar with you who are living under a rock, tell them a little bit about your story, who you are, what to do, all the things. I'm a passionate human being trying to make the biggest impact as possible on as many other human beings. And I do that through my show, The School of Greatness. We've got a bunch of other programs and books, but the main thing is our show.

And I try to lead by example by following my dreams. Totally. But your story is pretty remarkable. So go into that a little bit from like where you started from like the bottom of the bottom. to obviously where you are now. About 10 years ago, I was playing professional football just south of here in Alabama. Yeah. In Huntsville playing arena football, I got injured, I broke my wrist, and it was on my sister's

couch for about a year and a half. My whole identity had been stripped from me. The thing that I really loved and was passionate about and was good at, I could no longer do. So I had to learn how to reinvent myself. I had to learn how to become a human in the world without my talent. I had to discover what my talents were now. But it taught me some of the greatest lessons. You know, I think with our pain and with our breakdown

is an opportunity for breakthroughs and learning. That's awesome. So great. And so tell us a little bit more about the School of Greatness. Yeah, School of Greatness started out of a pain of mine. I was stuck in L.A. traffic trying to go two miles, and it took me two hours. And I was like, I wonder, like, all these people stuck in traffic, they've got to do something with their time.

Maybe they're tired of listening to radio. Maybe they want to try something different. And I really wonder if I, could create something where they have a resource to teach them about the principles of life. There were so many things that I struggled with in school that they didn't teach me. So I wonder if I record some of these, put them on a podcast and put it out there. I wonder if people would listen. And it's interesting when we do things because we really care about it and we love it and we want

to serve people, usually good things happen. Yeah. Usually. Not every time, but usually. And I got lucky with the timing, with my passion and excitement for. for it that it took off very quickly. Yeah, and so list off just a few of your top favorite interviews that you've done. I've had Kobe Bryant was a really powerful one.

Novak Djokovic, who's the number one tennis player in the world right now. Maria Sharpova, Bernay Brown. So obviously a ton of, like, huge people. So what are like a few top pieces of advice that you've heard kind of consistently through all of these great leaders and these great thought leaders in the space? Because I think it's always interesting because for the most part, I feel like when you are successful, there are these key principles that is the school of greatness that you're learning these great things from. So what are those that you're going to go?

One of the things that a lot of these leaders and influencers have in great, great minds is that they have a very clear vision. I think there's people that have a clear vision, but don't create big results because they lack the passion to pursue that. And I think opportunities flow to people who are passionate about something they love. And when you consistently show up every single day about the thing you're passionate about and you become talented at it, and you're clear on your vision, it's hard to fail. Yeah. Or you might fail, but you're going to learn and continue to grow and evolve along the way. So they have a clear vision.

All these great leaders live in service. Yeah. At some point, they learn like, it's not about me, it's about we. We are a society of seven plus billion people, and it's bigger than just my selfish desires. I need to learn how to serve other people, give back, serve, pay it forward, whatever you want to call it. And I think that's where true greatness comes from.

when you can achieve something that's meaningful to you and you have fulfillment in your hearts and you have peace in your heart because you know you're serving a greater purpose that's beyond you. They learn how to embrace adversity and turn it into their advantage. So a lot of these great leaders, like Kobe,

he talked about how when he was 13, I believe, he played summer basketball. He didn't score once all summer in this league. He didn't even score. That's amazing. He never scored one time in a whole season. summer of this like basketball league he was in. Yeah. And he said that adversity taught him so much more than scoring a bunch of points

when he was 13, 12 or 13. And then he became arguably the greatest player of all time. Yeah. It wasn't overnight, but it was like that adversity, he embraced it. They have this what I call champions mindset. They think like a champion. A champion isn't sloppy. A champion and develops habits and rituals, and they're structured in their approach to achieving what they want. They're not just like, I hope it happens. Yep.

Like, I'm gonna work sometimes hard. They're very structured with their approach. Yes, and I love that, because it's basically the hierarchy of that is intentional living. We talk about a lot of that on the show. And in order to win with money, like money's not gonna just show up in your bank account,

you're like, oh cool, there's $5,000 extra dollars. I just didn't realize I had. Like, you have to be purposeful and intentional, and you have to create those good habits. So I love that. It's so good. So to the giving point, I love that. Because it's one of your truths that you do talk about. But living with that open hand, it is something, it changes you, not just with your money, but it changes your character and your heart from moving, from being selfish to selfless. So talk about the money piece that you've seen in the world,

right? Like, I know you're not a financial expert. But when you go and talk to all these successful people and you see this part of them, there's an element of integrity and just joy that they have when they are giving and living out of this overflow of basically what they've been given. The best I feel in my life is when I'm giving constantly. And I think it's true for everyone. When you help a friend with something small, when you're there to just listen, when you donate, when you're there to use your resources, I feel the best. We build schools every year for kids because education is big for me because there's a lot of kids in the world that don't even have a school to go to. They don't even have the opportunity to learn. Even though I struggled learning,

I think I had a school. And I feel like I've created a school that I wanted to attend in my whole life. And so we donate constantly, and I'll take a trip every year and see the kids that are in the school. Where are these schools? Are they? Guatemala, Laos and Ghana. Okay. So places where they don't develop in countries that have nothing.

And they're so happy to have a pencil and a seat at a table. And that's all they care about. And they are joyful, they're smiling. They have nothing. I go see their home living in a little dirt hut. and they're joyful because they have their family, and they can contribute to the people around them. It's when we give, that's when we receive the most.

It's selfish to give because that's when it feels the best. Yeah, yeah. And so there are great leaders that I've interviewed who haven't mastered that, and I see them struggling. They might have all the money and all the accomplishments and awards and credibility, but they haven't mastered that fully, and I can see like a little angst in their heart. So how does that play out?

Tell me, because that's fascinating, Because I can tell that. I feel like I can sense it off people. When you're just talking to them, we're like, huh. I think it's a lack of legacy and greater purpose. Like, okay, we're doing all this for ourselves. But when you have all the money and you're hoarding it, like, that's not really serving people at a higher level. So you've accomplished something, but you still feel like, why am I missing something in my heart?

Yeah, so good. So speaking of finances, for you, I'm curious, how is your perspective of money changed from like sleeping on your sister's couch to now where you are? Yeah, it was... Obviously, way more successful. So... I had no clue how to make money. My dad was a life insurance salesman. We were very, I would say, in the lower class growing up, there's, you know, my parents had four kids.

And they started having kids at 19. So they never really got ahead early on. They just had more and more more responsibilities, right? And it wasn't until my dad got, when I got to be 13, my dad started to finally, like, hit the tipping point of his insurance business, where he started to make more money. So I went from not having any money as a kid to then my father having really an abundance of money to be able to pay for lots of stuff. My dad then got in a really bad car accident when I was 22, where he was on life support for three months in a coma. And that changed my entire life because my dad's still alive today, but he's not able to work and he's not all emotionally and mentally there. So it was a very challenging process losing my father emotionally and financially.

because he was always there to support me financially when I was in high school and college. He was like, go, you know, chase your dreams. When you're done, you can work with me. I had this backup plan. Totally, yeah. And when the backup plan was taken out, forced out, I said, oh, shoot, I never planned for this.

I never knew that I had to actually learn about money because I always relied on my dad. I never had a job. I worked as a truck driver and I played football. So I wasn't really making a lot of money I didn't learn how to build wealth. And it wasn't until that was taken away where I said, now I'm forced to.

It was like this desperation, this sense of like, there's nowhere to go. I have to learn this. There's no options at this point. No options I had to learn now. And it was the saddest time of my life, but it was also looking back, I wouldn't be where I'm at without that happening.

So I'm also grateful, and I've chosen to be grateful. Sure. But I think that kind of desperation forced me to start thinking more creatively. Yeah, totally. And it shifted the way I looked at money. And I think when we have things handed to us and given to us, it's actually a disadvantage.

Even though it might be the advantage at the time, we aren't creatively thinking about if I had to survive on my own, could I do it? Yeah. And that survival mode kicked in to where I just said, I need to obsess over learning about this. And I'm not going to spend a dime. I'm going to live like the cheapest life possible.

I mean, I remember I had a $500 car. The car broke down and I just walked for the next year. You know I started making more money. I was like, I just need to save all my money because I never wanted to be broke on a couch again. Yep. So I saved everything. I didn't spend on nothing. And I don't think that's smart either, but that's what I needed to do at the time.

Sure, totally. And then every phase of my wealth building stages, I had to relearn. It's like, okay, I learned how to make my first $10,000. Then I made $100,000. And I made a million, but I didn't know how to get to the next stage. So I would find resources like yourself or your dad and learn, okay, well, how do I pay off this credit card debt that I have? I'm making money, but I'm not paying this debt off. Yeah.

Now I need to learn about investing my money. I don't know how to do this. Never been taught this. So the survival mode just kicked in every stage. Yeah. It's a journey. I'm still learning. No, it's so good.

And that's always what I encourage people watching is that, like, there's going to be things in your life, especially with your money, that you don't know and you don't understand. But ask questions. You have to learn and you have to press in. Because if not, you're going to be in the same place that you are now five years from now. And so I think that's a perfect example of your whole story of doing that. Right. I think the smartest business leaders are always learning too.

They're always reading. They're always learning. They're always investing in coaches or trainings like you guys offer. And they're seeking out the wisdom from people smarter themselves. Or we've tried things differently to say, how can I take that approach to my mind? money or my life. Yeah, so good. Louis, thanks for coming by. Seriously, so encouraging. Where can everyone find you? Go to Lewishouse.com or School of Gradens Podcast. Love it. Guys, make sure to check out everything he's doing. So encouraging. Obviously, you're going to get some great tips on everything

when it comes to life. All right, so I'm going to say this about his interview and his story specifically that I loved is that I think so many people get in the belief that where they are is where they're always going to be. And he's a living example of saying, hey, if you want to change your life you can. And he talked about the belief aspect, which is such a big part of it, because a lot of people that are especially struggling with money and they're living paycheck to paycheck, their hope is gone. And when you don't have hope, then you really don't believe that things can change. And so having that belief is so, so important. And then putting people around you who are motivating you and who are cheering you on. Because if everyone around you is like,

nope, that's always going to be a part of your life, nope, you're never going to succeed. The little man just can't get ahead. All those people out there can do it, but we can't. Like, if you surround yourselves with, like, negative Nancy's all around, that's like your BFF, it's not going to be good. Not going to be good. So find people that are going to encourage you and challenge you as well. And so there's some key components to not just doing things like budgeting and saving. All of those are so, so important to win financially, but also having the belief and having the support system, you guys, is massive. Now, if you're feeling inspired, which I hope you are, I can't wait for you to hear from our next guest, Judy, who has taken all she has learned about debt and she is paying it forward.

So Judy's story is so fantastic. She'll talk about this here in a little bit, but she has this family farm, and she got some information about the farm and the financial status of it, and it was really heartbreaking. But through the principles that she and her husband had been living out, which were the principles we talk about on this podcast all the time, the Dave Ramsey principals, they started working for. for her and her husband. And so they took Financial Peace University, which is our nine-week course, and they just killed it. And so it helped not just her situation, but her extended family situation, which you'll hear about. And then she took it a step further and took these principles into her workplace and started mentoring people that were working for her when it comes to their money. And so it's really this beautiful story of Judy, who did this incredible things. And then Katie,

who was in the interview as well, who works for her. So you'll get to meet them both right now. When I was a senior in college, my dad was killed in a farming accident in our little farm. It was an eye-opening experience. Her farm was $750,000 in debt. And so as a 23-year-old, I didn't really know what all was happening with the finances of the farm. We had no bank that was going to lend us any more money. And my mom was still there on that farm. And I thought, this is not good.

She's going to lose it. And the farm is her life. We really had a huge mountain and a little bitty shovel. But we just started, started where we're at. By using the Dave Ramsey principles, we finally now are starting to see a goal. And in a year from now, we will be 100% debt-free. And I am going to get my mother to come here and we are going to scream it in front of Dave. I realized that that story started providing hope for others.

to have that financial freedom and not to worry about where their paychecks coming and going so quickly. So that alone just really gave us the excitement and the energy that, my gosh, let's start this for our office. We've coordinated at least seven classes. It's just what if you're making a difference for just one person? If we can do it, the little family farm, there's hope for anybody. Thank you guys so much for coming on. Sure. So appreciate it. Okay, so tell me, how do you guys know each other?

Well, so my best friend, Michelle, is her daughter, and we've been best friends since we were five. And you guys now work together. So, yeah. So fun. Okay, so Judy, you grew up on a farm, you learned some information about that as an adult, and that kind of changed your perspective maybe on how money's handled. So tell me a little bit about that. So, yeah, I had already gotten a little bit of the Dave Ramsey principles.

My husband and I were both on board, and we had a pretty good personal, fairly easy personal story. However, we had had kids then, and so we knew that, you know what, we want to plan for their future. We don't want to be a burden to our kids and the what-ifs of life can happen. So we took those practices to the family farm. And so in 2007, I guess 2009, we started cleaning some things up. And slowly but surely, you know, you think about that story of $750,000 in debt is a lot. Yes. And so to be able to share that with others, knowing that whatever your situation is,

a lot is still something that I can relate to, but to start with something, at least start with a plan. And a year from now, in 2020, on March 15th, her birthday, we will be 100% debt-free. That is so remarkable. And then it's trickled in all these principles to your life and your business. And you felt the need to pay it forward. So tell me a little bit about this journey of financial Peace University and you essentially helping people that you work with. Yeah, so years ago, again, another engineer who was providing benefits for his employees. I always like to ask him, hey, what else are you doing to help? Because we really pride ourselves on providing great benefits for our staff. And he said, hey, have you ever heard of this financial peace class? And he had an older

engineer walk into his office and who knocked on the door and said, I just want to tell you that this class has saved my marriage. And as he was sharing that story to me, I want that. I want that for my staff. Okay, so I'm going to interrupt Judy right there because this is something we hear a lot and I always, I kind of find it not funny, but I'm like, okay, Financial Beach University, it's not a marriage class, but yet it saves people's marriages. And I always find that fascinating because it comes back to the truth that money affects every part of our lives. And so just a shout out to all of you out there that are married is to be on the same page. Because it's amazing. When you can agree on your money, you're agreeing on more than just money. You agree on your goals,

on your dreams, on your fears, on your future. You are working as a team with your spouse. And so if you have one spouse who is reluctant and you're like, oh, how do I get them on board? If there's any way you can track them to a financial peace university class and you guys go through it together. It's one of the best things for your marriages. And then all you single ladies, all you singles out there, have someone in your corner. After Lewis's interview, we talked about having community around you. And this is so, so crucial. So if you're a single out there, find someone in your life to maybe go through the class with or someone that's just cheering you along on the sideline. But having people in your corner, you guys, it's so, so massive. So if you've

not gone through Financial Peace University, do it, do it, do it, do it. If you're married, do it together. And so, Katie, you were one of those that went through it. So how long ago did you go through? January of 2017. Okay. And yes. And she overheard me talking about my credit card debt. And so she immediately came over and told me, Dave Ramsey, Dave Ramsey.

And so I got on and kind of explored, and I actually started using the Every Dollar app. And so she very excitedly sat with me for an hour just pouring over. every aspect of my finances and just told me, you know, you're spending too much here. Maybe you should take less from entertainment and put it more towards paying off your debt. And so because of her and that one hour that she took out of her day to help me, you know, young never budgeted before, I was able to pay off over $20,000 in debt in 19 months. In 19 months? And you did it? Yes.

I mean, can you believe that? Did you look back and you're like, I had, what was it mostly? credit card debt? Mostly student loans. Student loans. But a car and credit card is. Car and credit card debt. If there's a 23-year-old watching and they think, you know what, debt's normal, it's not

that big of a deal, and there's no way I can pay off that much. It's just too much. I'm living paycheck to paycheck. What would you say to them? It's going to be difficult because society wants you to have all of these materialistic items. And so it's those constant little reality checks of where am I at, where do I want to be, and how do I get there?

Yeah, it's so good. So how does it feel being debt-free? Like, tell me, like, the pre-Kady, like, were you stressed? Were you, like, oh, I'm just not intentional? And now post-Kady, like, tell me the difference. So pre-Dave Katie was very content with where I was paying minimum payments on credit cards, you know, all the debt, just minimum payments during Dave, Katie, was more intentional. And I knew, you know, sacrifice now.

So later, you don't have to sacrifice. And I knew that. I saw that bigger picture. And I'm still working on it. I'm only 25 years old. But paying off that debt was step number one. And creating the future that I want for myself and for my future family. Yeah.

Oh, so good. So great. So, Judy, you kind of stepped into a major mentoring role because we talk about all the time that you need someone in your corner. And some people, I just. talk to that are single, it's someone at their work. Like, it literally is the same exact story, or it's a friend. And so as a mentor, what caused you to say, gosh, I want to be able to help this next generation. I want to be able to give this hope to other people. Yeah. And it's just, you know, what if I can make a difference for just one? And so then you think, well, maybe there's

just one more, or there's just one more. And I just, I love it. I cannot say the kind of joy that it gives me to be that what if, and it's that person who just needs to have their story heard and to help them. You know, the biggest challenge I see as a coordinator is people just don't know where they're at. Just that is so helpful. And so to get people to understand that let's just put that first plan. And it's the first step. The hardest step is that first step.

And that's what Dave says. I mean, it's just getting started. So good. Oh, you guys, seriously, so inspiring. and I love having like the two generations here. Like that's what always happens. So it is because it's amazing. Like you said, just the amount,

the little sacrifice of time to put into someone's life and truly completely change the way not only do they view money, but what they do and the habits they create going forward and what your future is. And so much is thanks to Judy and the work that she put in. So I think that that's just, it's so fun. So fun to see you guys win and at the farm's going to be paid off in a year.

I love that so much. So great. Well, thank you guys for coming on and share your story. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Wow, Judy and Katie are so inspiring. Oh, I'm so glad they came on and shared their story. I just loved talking to them. So now we wanted to pay it forward to you all. So the first 30 people who text get started to 33789 will receive free financial peace leader materials. Yes, the first 30 people again, text get started. to 33-789 because we want everyone to have financial freedom, but that means we have to work together. So do that now, again, the first 30 people. All right, thanks so much to Lewis Howes and Katie and Judy for stopping by. And if you've not subscribed to the podcast, make sure you do that.

And if the spirit leads, you can leave a review. And I'm so glad you guys listen. Seriously, this is such a fun thing that I get to do. and I hope you enjoyed this episode specifically. And to get anything that we talked about in this episode, make sure to click the link in the show notes, including all that information on the giveaway. And as always, remember to take control of your money

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