Today must be a day set aside to encourage the crusade!

Cornerstone Church in Auburn, Alabama is teaching a finance series called Cha-Ching.  As they prepared for the series, they decided to offer I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. as a resource for people.  Jack Fisher contacted me and purchased a CASE of books.  That is 81 books.  Well, they are two weeks into the series and they are nearly out of books and are ordering more!

The feedback they have been receiving from people who have read the book has been incredible.   In fact, Jack sent me this comment this morning when ordering more books.

"Another great Sunday with your book. The feedback is consistently excellent with everyone saying that it is something they can start on right away."

When I wrote this book, my top priority was to make it PRACTICAL and ABLE TO BE APPLIED IMMEDIATELY.  It is always good to get feedback that shows it happening!

THEN, Jack sent me another e-mail today.  It blew me away.

Right after I emailed you our local DARE Officer walked in talking about how he and his wife are fired up about how the book has changed them in just a few weeks. I attached his picture. That's what gets me going.

I am PUMPED to say that the I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. Group Study Guide is now available FREE as a PDF download!

I am on a crusade to help others accomplish far more than they ever thought possible with their personal finances.  I am on a mission to teach 100,000 people by October 2011 (first five years of doing this full-time).  This home group study helps allow me achieve the mission.

I am a huge believer in learning within the bounds of a home group.  It is where I can engage in vigorous debate, be challenged in my own personal thoughts, and be held accountable to personal goals.

I can't wait to hear the stories of life-change that take place all because small groups of people decided together to take their finances to the next level.

You can obtain your FREE copy of the I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. Group Study Guide HERE.

Last month, I wrote that I ordered more copies of I Was Broke. Now I'm Not.

Last week, I received that order of books.

I have to say I was stunned.  STUNNED.

Why?

Let me go back to January 2006 …

It had been about two years since Jenn and I had become debt-free, and it was becoming very clear that we needed to go teach this personal finance stuff full-time.  I really felt compelled to write a book that shared our journey out of debt and into financial freedom.

That last line I just wrote is FUNNY.  I mean laugh-out-loud HA-HA FUNNY.  I had never written a book.  How does one write a book?  What about copyrighting?  What about barcoding, LCCN, and all of that stuff?  What about the editing?  Not to mention the formatting, editing, and PUBLISHING!   I was totally intimidated.

I remember that Jenn and I made the trip down to NewSpring to visit Perry, Ken, and friends for New Years weekend.  Perry and Ken had starting doing this new thing called blogging.  I quickly realized that this was a way for me to start getting my thoughts written down on paper.  At that time, I did not care if anyone read this blog.  It was simply a tool for me to get my thoughts down on paper to possibly use in a book some day.

Fast forward two years later to January 2008.  I took a HUGE leap of faith and self-published the book - I Was Broke. Now I'm Not.  Let me break down what "self-published book" means.  It means that I paid cash to a book printer to print this book.  In other words, a publisher did not lay out the cash for me.  Jenn and I had to lay out the cash.  Lots of it.

We took a chance.  We took a step of faith.

Fast forward to today and why I am so STUNNED.  This week I received the same amount of books that I ordered in January.  When I stacked the new delivery of books next to the first shipment, it DWARFED the first set.  Why?  BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE BELIEVED IN THIS CRUSADE!  I am blown away, humbled, and very honored that so many people have invested in this crusade by purchasing a book.  I am blown away and humbled by the kind words that have been shared by people whose lives have been impacted by what they have learned and applied through the book. 

For all who have invested in this crusade, thank you.  I am overwhelmed that I get to do this stuff for a living.

I am FIRED UP to say that the home group study based on my book, I Was Broke. Now I'm Not., is in its final stages.  It will be released by the first week of August! 

This study has been written specifically for Church Home Groups, Small Groups, and Sunday school classes.

To help launch this study, I have come up with some special deals that can help you get your materials cheaper.

You can learn more and purchase your copies HERE.  All items will ship no later than August 7, 2008.

It is my passion to see people accomplish far more than they ever thought possible with their personal finances.

When people are financially free, they are much more likely to go do EXACTLY what they have been put on this earth to do!  THAT, my friends, is what this is all about. 

I AM FIRED UP!

This weekend was INCREDIBLE!

I'm off on Fridays, and I woke up ready to work on the yard.  This is unusual.  We are employing the "scorched earth" technique to our yard since the landscaping is over thirty years old and has overgrown everything and is eating the house.

So, my truck got to be a truck this weekend.  I hooked up the overgrown azaleas with a chain to the back of my truck and stepped on the gas.  It was AWESOME!  I chopped down some huge holly bushes.  I also put siding up on the house.

Then, on Saturday I got to teach the Financial Learning Experience at Rexam, a global business that is a world leader in the consumer packaging business.  It was AWESOME!  The folks that attended were so kind and in to it!  Lives were changed.

I raced home and watched the shuttle launch (I am still an engineer, folks!).  Then the family played Settlers of Catan.  I won one and lost one.  Not too bad! 

On Sunday, ALL three of the financial counseling appointments showed up, AND the appointments for the awesome NewSpring volunteer financial counselors also showed up!  The appointments were incredible!  In fact, one of the financial counseling appointments was done over the internet and a phone connection.  It is amazing what Google Docs allows one to accomplish!

If you are interested in receiving FREE financial counseling from one of the trained counselors at NewSpring Church, click HERE and let us know.  We will get you set up with a time that works for you and help you put together a plan that takes your finances to the next level.

Did I say lately that I can't believe I get to do this for a living?

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Purchase I Was Broke. Now I'm Not.

I am BLOWN AWAY at the fact that as of May 4, 2008, I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. cleared 1,000 books sold.

I am stunned, humbled, and honored.  One of my life goals was to write a book and sell at least one copy.  (Wrote about that in November '07 HERE).  I thought that maybe I could talk my mom into buying a copy if that was what it took to sell one.  Moms always want to see their kid's achieve their dreams. 

But for some reason people have bought the book.

Here are some of the reviews written by some different folks who bought the book:

• Kem Meyer wrote a review HERE.
• Rob Singleton gave a copy away HERE to the person who shared the funniest/dumbest financial decision they ever made.  Be sure to read all of the comments below that post.  It was incredible!
• Lori Capace shared her thoughts HERE.
• Paul Neel wrote a post HERE.

To everyone who has purchased a book - THANK YOU!  Thank you for investing in this crusade to see people accomplish far more than they ever thought possible with their personal finances.

Why am I so passionate about this?  Because when people are financially free, they are much more likely to do EXACTLY what they have been put on this earth to do - regardless of the income potential!

I am honored, and I am more FIRED UP than I have ever been!

Thank you.

Joe 

I can't believe it, but this book I wrote called I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. is selling like crazy!  I am so humbled that people would spend their hard-earned money on this book.  The tools that I teach in this book are THE TOOLS that Jenn and I used to become financially-free, and we still use these same tools to this very day.

So the book is selling well, and then someone like Kem Meyer decided to spend some of her time reading it, AND she wrote a REVIEW.  Let's just use some objective proof of what has happened since Kem's review - Amazon is nearly out of stock (two ZERO left as of this writing).  UNBELIEVABLE!  The book is available for immediate shipment via PAYPAL and will be available through Amazon.com within the next couple of days.

Thank you, Kem, for taking the time to read the book and writing a review!

I am FIRED UP by what I get to do this for a living!

I Was Broke. Now I'm Not is available via AMAZON.COM, BORDERS.COM, and PAYPAL.  You can read the Introduction HERE.

If you are looking to purchase a personal finance resource that you can hand out to others that you want to help, maybe a volume discount on I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. would interest you. 

Volume Discounts:

• 10+ $12.00/book (20% OFF!)
• Case Quantity 81 books $10.00/book (33.3% OFF!)  (Plus FREE Shipping!)

To purchase books at a volume discount, please contact me HERE.

By the way, I am in the process of writing home group study materials based on this book.  I am testing it out on my home group in April.  If everything goes well, I expect to have these materials available in July.

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Just found out that I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. is now available via Borders.com!

YAY!

So now, I Was Broke. Now I'm Not., is now available via …

Woohoo!  By the way, if you want to read the Introduction you can click HERE.

In THIS POST, I promised a copy of I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. (Paypal — Amazon) to the first person to contact me at the C3 Conference in Dallas, Texas.

And the free copy went to …

John Bartlett!  John writes a blog about a variety of subjects - It is HERE.

Congrats John!  It was great to meet you, and thanks for serving as a volunteer at the C3 Conference of Fellowship Church.

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