Hi {{first_name | EduCreator}},

On October 15, 2016, I officially separated from my then husband. Suddenly I found myself sitting in his music studio, because the human leaves before their stuff does, knowing this big house that was going to be filled with small feet was now only home to me.

I just barely made enough as an Elementary School Director to cover the mortgage of this now oversized three level brand new townhome in an up and coming neighborhood in Washington, DC.

I had two options: sell or find a way to earn more income.

By December, I turned my big beautiful master bedroom with a garden tub and a view of the city into a weekend bed and breakfast on AirBnB. I took in guests for the weekend and cooked them breakfast.

I quickly fell in love with hosting and by April 2017, when the stress of my 10 year career in the public school system came to a dramatic head, I was a full time entrepreneur.

Fast forward, I added 3 rooms total to AirBnB and created a brand for my new bed and breakfast: Bliss House DC.

I hosted dinner parties, exclusive events, taught yoga and meditation classes (I was an instructor at the time), and learned very quickly that “marketer” was my new role and responsibility.

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I’ll share more about this story over time because it’s a huge part of my own “Hero’s Journey” but for now, I’ll just say that within 2 years I was forced to sell the house due to the divorce (after a grueling legal battle) and completely walk away from Bliss House DC.

This was 2019 and after traveling on the road for a summer up and down the East Coast, I landed in Miami where my mother had just moved.

I had to start completely over.

This is the rite of passage most entrepreneurs have to go through. Lose it all only to learn how to gain it back and then some.

We become financially free when no one can take away the assets we’ve built and the experience we’ve gained.

We can start over any time as needed because we’re willing to surrender to a higher purpose.

Most people chase money first and purpose later. That order keeps them stuck.

Real financial freedom begins when you surrender to who you were designed to be.

When you understand your identity, everything sharpens.

• What comes naturally to you
• What problems you notice others overlook
• What people already ask you for help with

This clarity removes confusion. You stop copying paths that were never yours.

Purpose is not vague passion. It is practical.

You are designed to solve a specific problem for a specific group of people.

When you align with that assignment:
• Your work feels lighter
• Your message becomes clearer
• Your effort compounds

You move from striving to serving.

The marketplace is not cruel. It is responsive.

Money flows to value. Value flows from service. Service flows from purpose.

When you help people solve a real problem you are uniquely equipped to solve, wealth becomes a byproduct.

Not hustle. Not hype. Alignment.

Surrender is not quitting. It is choosing the right lane.

You stop asking how do I make money and start asking who am I meant to help.

That shift changes everything.

• Your ideas multiply
• Your confidence stabilizes
• Your income becomes sustainable

Financial freedom is not about escaping work. It is about doing the right work.

When identity drives contribution, contribution creates value, and value creates wealth.

Purpose first. People served second. Income follows.

That’s all for now,

Christel

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In 1999, the S&P 500 peaked. Then it took 14 years to gradually recover by 2013.

Today? Goldman Sachs sounds crazy forecasting 3% returns for 2024 to 2034.

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