I grew up believing we were simply living a normal life.

My parents were entrepreneurs who always found a way to provide for our family, even during the years when money was tighter than I realized. We always had food on the table, a rented roof over our heads in the nicest neighborhoods, second hand brand name clothes, and eventually, what looked from the outside like financial prosperity.

By the time I was 10 years old, my parents had built a thriving business and achieved what many people dream of: early retirement, financial freedom, and the ability to live generously.

But behind the scenes, something was missing.

Like many families, my parents had income and they even had investments… but they didn’t have financial education.

My father was a disciplined saver and became deeply interested in investing. He managed much of their finances himself and experienced significant success in the stock market for years. Life felt secure. Stable. Unlimited, even.

Until 2008.

I was halfway through earning my degree at UCLA when my father called to tell me there was no longer money available to pay for the rest of my education.

That phone call changed everything.

For the first time, I saw how quickly financial security could disappear when there wasn’t a strategy built to protect it.