In July 2013, I began my dream job.

I became the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Editor-in-chief of a startup magazine. This meant I got to set the vision for each issue, write content I was passionate about, and lead the team. During my tenure, I was blessed with some amazing highlights:

• I interviewed David Backes, captain of the St. Louis Blues, at the Scottrade Center.
• I worked with the St. Louis Rams on several projects promoting them and our magazine.
• I interviewed and played catch with Max Scherzer, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, right after he won the 2013 AL Cy Young Award.
  

  

Seriously…I played catch with a Cy Young Award winner. For someone who loves baseball as much as I do, it doesn’t get better than that.

This was my dream job. And then it all fell apart.

For reasons not important for this particular blog post, I left my dream job at the end of January 2014 and had to brave the world of the unknown. Here I was with no income, a family to feed, and a mortgage to pay. While I needed to search for a job, that wasn’t enough. Apparently, you only get paid when you actually have one, and I wasn’t at the point where I was willing to take unemployment.

So, what’s a husband and father to do?

In between filling out countless job applications, I got some freelance work, squeezed every dollar out of my tax refund, and became…a flower delivery guy.

Valentine’s Day was right around the corner, and I discovered that flower shops have so many deliveries on February 12-14 that they hire contract drivers and pay them pretty well. So I went down to a local flower shop here in Phoenix, filled out the application, and had a tryout. The manager gave me five deliveries to make sure that I could handle it, and I’m happy to say I passed the test.

In the early morning on February 12, 2014, I put on a pair of khaki pants and a collared shirt, kissed my wife and son goodbye, and began my new job as flower delivery guy. It was humbling. And as I drove to the flower shop, my eyes welled up a little bit. What had happened? A couple months ago, I was living my dream, and now I was unemployed and delivering flowers.

But then it hit me, as a husband and a father you need to be willing to do whatever it takes for your family, especially when it comes to putting aside your own pride and ego.

This wasn’t about me. This was about them.

For those three days, I delivered flowers like I wrote cover stories…with my whole heart. I hustled when I pulled up to each house, smiled when the customer opened the door, and wished them a Happy Valentine’s Day. At the end, I was paid $5.25 per delivery and averaged 6 deliveries an hour. If you do the math, that comes out to $31.50 per hour. Not bad. And I was able to write off my gas mileage and other things pertaining to my vehicle.

I drove home at the end of that Valentine’s Day with tears in my eyes, this time for a different reason. After three full days, I knew I had done right by my family. We didn’t have to worry about grocery money for the next two months. And it only cost me three days and a slice of my pride.

As I pulled into my garage, I wiped those tears away, walked inside, and was greeted by my wife and son as if I had come home from any of my past jobs. I kissed them both and gave some flowers to my wife. (It was Valentine’s Day after all, and I did just deliver them.)

And as I walked up stairs to go change my clothes, I couldn’t help but smile and think: This is what it means to be a husband. This is what it means to be a father.

Relieve the underlying stress in your life

Many people don’t realize the underlying stress in their life is caused by financial troubles. Perhaps that’s you. Or perhaps it’s someone you know. I’ve been there. I’ve felt it. Thankfully, I’m not there anymore. 

And I want to help. 

As a certified financial coach (by Dave Ramsey’s team), I teach people how to take back control of their finances so they can have peace of mind and a better future.  

If you’re looking to get out of debt, build some savings, or need help setting up your budget, schedule an appointment today (online or in-person), and I’ll help guide you on that path toward peace.