When I started my business almost a year ago, I never would have guessed that it would be one of the best and most fun experiences of my life.
 
But along with the thrill of being independent and steering the course of my future there have also been frustration and self-doubt.
 
Luckily, I now have a clear vision of where I want to go. And I attribute that to the lessons I’ve learned as an entrepreneur.
 
First, clarity proceeds clients. You must be absolutely clear about what you offer. If you have a lot of ideas, but no clarity about the value you add, then nobody will hire you.
Second, “if you build it, they will come” is absolute garbage and not a business plan. You can build a great product, but if nobody knows about it, you won’t make any money. You must network with others.
Third, having fun is contagious. I love crunching numbers and putting a budget together. If you dread the work, so will your clients. Be a dork, it’s okay!
Fourth, be present. Life is busy. The task list is never ending. It is easy to daydream and let your mind wander. But when you do, you might miss a key to understanding your client’s problem or need and you won’t be able to serve them.
Fifth, character matters. Define your core values and then make decisions based upon your values. If integrity matters to you, don’t lie, steal, or cheat. Not even a little. If family is important, give them priority in your schedule.
 
The biggest lesson is to be kind and genuine – and provide an incredible amount of value to the people you serve.
 
What have you learned from running your own business?

Proverbs 3:9: “Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.”
 
It is no secret that a large percentage of big-dollar lottery winners declare bankruptcy within a few short years of hitting it big. The number of professional athletes who struggle with finances despite making large sums of money is also staggering. Even the average American family is living paycheck to paycheck despite living in the most prosperous country in the history of the world. I firmly believe that the leading cause of money problems is a failure to acknowledge that God is the owner of everything and we are simply stewards of what God provides. When we have a biblical view of wealth and give back to God before looking to save, invest, or spend, we honor God with what is rightly His to begin with. How we honor God is also essential. When we give the best of what we have to other people, we declare that “things” don’t own us. God does. We are shouting that “things” aren’t the main thing. God must be the priority in your financial plans if you want to succeed in the long run. We honor God by giving our money, wealth, and possessions to the local church to support ministry in our community. We honor God by giving to missionaries and ministries glorifying God, making and growing disciples, and leading people to freedom in Christ. When Lyndsey and I worked on our debt-free plan, we prioritized giving because we knew God would provide for our needs. God could do more with 90% of our income than we could with 100%. He is a much better financial planner than we were! One primary goal in life is to be “reverse-tithers,” where we are giving away over 90% of our income. That will be an incredible day. Another way to honor the Lord with your wealth is to get your money behavior under control. A financial coach can help. Hey, I know one of those! Let’s chat.
#MaxonFinancialSolutions #CoachScott #MoneyMatters #HonorGod

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Proverbs 29:1: “Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery.”
 
Criticism is “the act of judging on the merit of a performance” (Webster, 1828). When you are listening to people criticize you, you want to make sure they have the authority. For example, when I was young, I played soccer. We didn’t listen to our parents, especially if they hadn’t played; we listened to our coaches. I was blessed with several fantastic soccer coaches that helped me develop. I wasn’t the best player, but I improved every year because of the coach.
 
Similarly, you don’t want to take financial advice from broke people. You want to listen to people who are winning with money. It isn’t enough to just know the rules of how money works; you want to follow someone whose behavior lines up with intelligent, biblical principles. It also helps when your coach has been there, done that, and recovered from stupidity. I’ve shared some of my story in the past, but when my wife and I got married, we had around $70,000 in consumer debt. We were given a book that outlined a plan. God used this simple book to provide the criticism we needed, probably because God knew I wouldn’t listen to anybody, but I would read a book!
 
If you are at the point in your financial journey where you think you have it all figured out and don’t want to listen to constructive criticism, press on! If you are ready to try a different approach and are willing to do the hard work of change, let’s chat!
 
Now, you may know what you’re doing and are successful at accomplishing your money goals; if so, I want to talk to you and learn!
 
#MaxonFinancialSolutions #Freedom #CoachScott

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​Proverbs 31:10-12: “Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.”
 
In addition to our reputation being better than money, who we choose for our life partner is also better than money. Listen, when you are looking for a husband or wife, look for someone virtuous, trustworthy, and selfless. Instead of chasing looks or money, go beneath the skin to their character. As you grow older, good character will bless you so much more than good looks. Looks fade. Character stays. I am fortunate that I married a Proverbs 31 woman. My wife is one of the hardest-working people I know. She also has a rare gift of always finding the best in horrible situations. She’s an encourager. She’s a blessing. She cares deeply about our girls and me. She sacrifices her desires to meet the needs of those around her. Yes, she is a sinner just like you and me, but she knows who she belongs to (Jesus) and knows how to receive and give grace. Can you tell I’m absolutely in love with her? If you are single, close your eyes and describe the perfect partner. Are you talking about physical features or heart features? If you’re married, how can you BE the person of virtue and love/respect your spouse regardless of their behavior toward you? I know this is a financial blog, but money is 80% behavior. A person’s character and virtue will impact your financial situation a lot more than their looks. Look for integrity, service, and excellence. You won’t regret it.
 
#MaxonFinancialSolutions #Freedom #CoachScott

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It seems like as you grow older, more and more of your life revolves around money. Money directly or indirectly determines what time you get up, where you live, how late you work, what kind of food you can buy, how often you eat out, where you vacation (if you vacation at all), and what type of car you drive. It is easy to obsess over the next dollar. We often fail to consider what matters in life. What is better than money? There are probably as many answers to that question as there are people. One answer is your name. What people think of when they think of you is crucial. Your reputation often goes before you. What are you doing to be a person of integrity? What are you doing to be held in high esteem? Your actions have a direct impact on the quality of your name. The stakes go up if you call yourself a Christian because it is no longer your earthly last name that is considered but your Heavenly Father’s name. And His name is perfect, holy, powerful, and righteous. Be careful not to let your pursuit of money in this world negatively impact your name or your Father’s.
Proverbs 22:1: “Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.”
#MaxonFinancialSolutions #Freedom #CoachScott

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The Bible is clear that only one debt is acceptable. Romans 13:8 instructs us, “Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another.” This means we pay our taxes, pay our bills on time, pay our debts on time (ideally, you work hard to get out of debt), and look for ways to give and love. I agree with Dave Ramsey that the only other debt that may be acceptable is a home mortgage, but if you can do 100% down, you should.
 
I’m tired of seeing God’s people being hindered in their mission because of debt. I’m tired of seeing people simply give to missions instead of having the freedom to go on mission. The biblical warning to avoid debt would relieve a lot of heartache in families, businesses, ministries, and churches, not to mention countries. There is no such thing as good debt.
 
Let’s heed this warning.
 
#MaxonFinancialSolutions #Freedom #CoachScott

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Have you ever been tempted with a “get rich quick scheme”? Considering the word “scheme” is in the title of these money moves, we know they won’t last. While I encourage people to pursue wealth and set goals regarding their use of money, these pursuits should all be secondary to humanity’s primary purpose in life: glorifying God. Often, when we chase money, we lose sight of more important things. When we take another extra shift at work, book another meeting over dinner, or agree to a 60-hour workweek, the pursuit of money becomes our number one priority. Our family becomes second or third, and our faith barely makes the top ten.
 
The Bible issues several warnings against those whose primary goal is to become rich.
 
First, you will be tempted to cheat others to get more. Proverbs 28:20-“The trustworthy person will get a rich reward, but a person who wants quick riches will get into trouble.” When the almighty dollar is all you think about, your integrity doesn’t matter as much anymore, and you are willing to do whatever it takes to get rich. That is a dangerous place to be.
 
Second, you may develop wrong motives and end up in poverty. Proverbs 28:22-“Greedy people try to get rich quick but don’t realize they are headed for poverty.” Going after money simply for the sake of a fat bank account calls into question your motives for work and relationships. This causes you to have blinders towards people and situations where compassion and care are required—another dangerous situation.
 
Third, you will face additional traps, temptations, and lusts that will destroy you. 1 Timothy 6:9-“But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.” When you are only focused on making money, the devil will come along and paint some pretty pictures of a life of luxury. He will then present “excellent business opportunities” that end up enslaving you. Don’t fall for this!
 
How do we heed these warnings and still pursue money? Because let’s face it, we need money to live. We need to pay for food, housing, clothes, and other things.
 
The key is priorities.
 
Ask yourself why you want to get rich. Is it so that you can relax and enjoy life on this earth? Is it to pursue worldly pleasures? If so, the warnings are for you.
 
If you want to “get rich” so that you can bless others, give to the poor, help a single parent, support global missions, and glorify God, these warnings are not for you.
 
Getting your heart to match up with your actions will pay huge dividends in the pursuit of money, wealth, and possessions.
 
#MaxonFinancialSolutions #Freedom #CoachScott

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“So follow the steps of the good, and stay on the paths of the righteous.”
Proverbs 2:20

Three years after my wife and I were married, we found ourselves in a tough spot financially. We were both working and making decent money, but we couldn’t seem to get ahead. We felt trapped by our debt and didn’t know what we could do about it. At Christmas, my step-mother-in-law gave me a book that she had just finished reading. It was Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover. I think I read the book in a day or two and got excited. My wife and I sat down and dreamed about what we would do if we didn’t have any debt payments. We had just bought a house too! It made sense to try something different because what we were doing wasn’t working. We got on a plan and started making progress. More importantly, we were on the same page. Following the steps of someone who had gone before us proved to be what we needed to start winning financially. We would get out of debt in 29 months, and then I thought we knew better than the next step in someone else’s plan, so we deviated. A few short years later, we were back in debt. We recommitted to the goal, and here we are again, debt-free! We stuck to the baby steps this time and are now saving up for a down payment on a house. Never again will we go into debt to buy “stuff.” We are choosing to follow the righteous path. If you’d like help getting on this path AND STAYING THERE, let me know. I’d be honored to support you.
#MaxonFinancialSolutions #Freedom #CoachScott

​I remember the first time I tried to hike the incline here in Colorado. I thought it was just a bunch of stairs that you can walk up at your own pace. While this is true, the stairs are not standard. They are brutal! I was a bit out of shape and forgot my water in the car. What a mistake! Even though I was never in scouts, I learned their motto: Be Prepared. I wasn’t prepared for the incline. Being prepared means always being in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty, discipline yourself in every order, think through different disaster scenarios, know the right thing to do, and then do it when the time comes. As adults, we are to look at our situations and prepare for anything and everything. Unfortunately, so many of us are unprepared for financial dangers. We live paycheck to paycheck, and if we had a $1000 emergency, most of us would have to pull out the credit card. This should not be! The Bible encourages us to be prudent and look ahead to danger. If we see trouble coming, we are to prepare. This means that we save money for emergencies, live with margin in our budget, and plan where our money goes to work. If this is something you struggle with, I’d love to show you how to develop a stress-free plan. It is time to become that prudent and prepared adult you know you should be.
#MaxonFinancialSolutions #Freedom #CoachScott

I grew up doing a lot of fishing. Some of my favorite memories involve sitting around the dinner table after a long time in the boat and eating fried fish. My dad made the best fish. I’m still not sure what type of batter he used, but it was good. He always taught us kids that we don’t keep any fish unless we eat it. When we cleaned the fish, my dad would throw the guts and other “unused” parts of the fish into a bucket. We would then take the bucket out to the garden and bury it where the fish remains would become fertilizer for our vegetable garden. We used every part of the fish for something. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my dad taught a valuable and biblical lesson: be diligent in stewarding the resources God gives you. Don’t waste anything, and don’t be lazy in your stewardship.​