[Guest Post] Mr. CEO’s First Blog Post – EVER

Alright GYFG, I think it’s time for me to start telling people what I have to say since you seem to be having all the fun. Before we get too far, I wanted to throw out a quick “about me” so people know who I am and why I am here.

[Mr. GYFG – just for fun I will interject occasionally]

Here’s my bullet point version:

• Born in 1979 (so I am just barely part of Gen Y – but I am claiming it!!!) [Mr. GYFG – its close enough]
• I went to school to be an English Literature teacher and yet keep finding myself in Finance roles. [Mr. GYFG – good thing one of us understands how to communicate using the English language]
• Married with three kids (16, 8 and 4 years old)

• Grew up in your typical American household. My parents were high school sweethearts. My dad played football and my mom was a cheerleader. We even had a white fence around our yard!!! It doesn’t get much more cookie-cutter than that. I have one sister that’s a couple years younger.
• I was a good student but not great. I never really applied myself in school and did just enough to make sure I got a B. I was more interested in working and making money.
• Not counting high school jobs, my first job was in the Hospitality Industry. I spent 7 years there and worked in every department. I got yelled at a ton, managed people twice my age, learned how to talk to anyone and everyone and discovered what being part of a team really meant. And to top it all off, I met my wife there! [Mr. GYFG – His wife rocks! Still not sure how he convinced her to marry him. Well aside from his charm and good looks, not sure what other selling points he has…J/K he’s a catch]

• I left the Hospitality job after realizing I didn’t want to work the crazy schedule anymore and went into the action sports industry for a “corporate” atmosphere. I went from being on call 24 hours a day to a regular 9-5. After a number of years there, I met and worked with GYFG before he moved on (I was at that company for 10 years). [Mr. GYFG – Yep, we did some hard time together in the corporate rat cage. It’s only now that we realize that we don’t fit in. We are square pegs trying to fit into a round hole]
• I recently moved on to another action sports industry gig and am in Finance yet again.
• Like GYFG, I am really optimistic. I don’t really have an “off” switch.

• Also like GYFG, I have done my fair share of “fake it ‘till you make it” but have learned a lot about myself and what I am capable of because of this philosophy.
• I like to coach and mentor. I coach youth sports but also my team members. Being a manager of people brings me a TON of joy. I would consider that my favorite part of working.
• Like most of you, I am navigating my way through a personal finance journey. As I was in school, I have done just enough to get by but haven’t really pushed myself to be where I want to be.

• I lost my way for the last couple of years with my personal development and growth. I spent too much time watching TV, going through the motions with my career and living the same old routine. My wife and I have been working to make changes with our health, our finances and our family to make sure we’re living the life we want and deserve. We have a plan in place and are working towards this plan together.
• GYFG inspires me more than anyone I’ve ever known (when he reads this, this will be the first time he ever realizes this and I can only imagine him celebrating one way – with a selfie party where he smiles and acts surprised 50 different ways on his camera to capture his joy). His optimism and ways of thinking continue to push me forward to make the right decisions for my family. We have a lot of great discussions about books, philosophy and perspective that have been key to this evolution I am going through right now (Go ahead GYFG, start your selfie party). [Mr. GYFG – dang it, where is my iPhone. I am blushing, glad to have a positive impact on your life. I really enjoy our conversations.]

Thanks for taking time to read this. I am so excited to be a part of this blog and let you see things from a different perspective from my partner. I read The Slight Edge for the first time this year and have been quietly making the right choices over the past few months to get my life where I want it to be. [Mr. GYFG – this book will seriously change your life. It is the one book I have given and recommended the most. If you have not read it yet, please go and buy it on Amazon now.]

That’s all for now!

– Mr. CEO

Gen Y Finance Guy

Hey, I’m Dom - the man behind the cartoon. You’ll notice that I sign off as "Gen Y Finance Guy" on all my posts, due to the fact that I write this blog anonymously (at least for now). I like to think of myself as the Chief Freedom Officer here of my little corner of the internet. In the real world, I’m a former 30-something C-Suite executive turned entrepreneur turned capital allocator. I am trying to humanize finance by sharing my own journey to Financial Freedom. I believe in total honesty and transparency. That is why before I ever started blogging, I decided that I would share all of my own financial stats. I do this not to brag, but instead to inspire motivate, and also to hold myself accountable. My goal is to be a beacon of hope, motivation, and inspiration, for you, the reader, by living life by example and sharing it all here on the blog. My sincere hope is that you will be able to learn from me - both from my successes and my failures! Read More