From Financial Struggles to Financial Freedom

Hello, I’m Paul Stryer my journey with money began at 18 when I left home with no financial education. My parents and school never taught me about managing money. My early lessons were limited to asking my dad for money or finding ways to earn it myself, often through non-traditional means like renting PAs to bands and events. Despite my resourcefulness, I had no clue how to handle money responsibly when I ventured out on my own.

For years, I struggled with credit card debt, starting with balances of $500 to $1,000. As my career advanced, so did my debt, with balances hovering around $10,000 to $20,000. Alongside high car payments, home payments, and extravagant spending, I always found myself with more month than money. Each raise and bonus only provided temporary relief, as I quickly grew into my new financial level. Sleepless nights were spent worrying about my debt and the looming fear of losing my job, which would bring my fragile financial situation crashing down.

Compounding my financial struggles were my difficulties with relationships. Lacking guidance on both money and love, I chose partners poorly, leading to two marriages that ended in financial disaster. In an attempt to make my wives happy, I allowed us to sink deeper into debt, believing it was a way to buy their happiness.

After my second divorce, I had a wake-up call. I realized I needed to change my relationship with money and women. I had been listening to Dave Ramsey and Clark Howard on the radio for years, but it wasn’t until 2014 that I fully committed to their principles. The pain of my financial situation had finally become greater than the pain of changing it. By following Dave Ramsey’s methods, my financial situation began to improve, and as it did, so did my life.

In 2014, as I began to transform my finances and my life, friends and co-workers started to notice. Having spent the past 30 years as a network engineer, I was accustomed to writing technical courses and teaching them—something I excel at. My students often said, “Paul takes insanely complex subjects and makes them ridiculously simple.” Leveraging this strength, I naturally began teaching financial freedom to those around me while I fixed my own finances. I took on 12 pro-bono clients, all of whom made significant improvements in their financial and personal lives, with some even saving their marriages.

Fast forward to 2024, I was laid off from my job at Cisco Systems after 26 years. Remarkably, I felt no worry or stress. Instead, I felt relief—no more studying or projects. Had I not fixed my financial issues, I would have panicked and frantically searched for a job. But now, five months later, I haven’t lifted a finger to find new employment. Instead, I’m focused on slowly building my Financial Coaching business and my other venture, XploreGEO, without worry or stress.

I’ve cut unnecessary expenses, stopped eating out, and am vigilant about every penny to stretch my savings. Yet, I’m enjoying life and building the business I’ve always wanted. My financial transformation taught me invaluable lessons:

• Less is More: Becoming a minimalist and downsizing my life footprint has brought me immense happiness.
• Things and Toys = Pain: When living paycheck to paycheck, owning numerous financed toys is a burden. You’re too busy making money to pay for them, and you can’t afford to maintain them, so they eventually break down.
• Communication and Honesty: Communication and honesty are crucial in any relationship. Telling your spouse everything is fine and encouraging them to buy expensive items when you have no idea how to pay for them leads to long-term problems. Spending money to make your spouse happy without a clear plan will inevitably backfire.

Seeing the smiles on the faces of people who, just a few months earlier, wore the stress and despair I once knew so well, is the most rewarding part of my journey. Today, I’m passionate about helping others achieve financial freedom. As a Ramsey Certified Coach, I bring firsthand experience and proven strategies to guide you through your financial struggles and into a life of peace and prosperity. Join me, and let’s transform your relationship with money together.