Brian Siemens
Brian Siemens got his first job at age 14, thinking he’d have some pocket money he could spend on himself until he got paid again. $10 from mowing a yard once a week wasn’t enough to lead to any trouble, right? What could possibly go wrong with having some spare change?
Just about everything, that’s what. Brian tore a path of self-destruction that threatened everything he had ever dreamed of.
Many people would be too embarrassed to share such a story and certainly would never want it to reach the light of day, but not Brian. He wants to be an example for others.
For everyone else’s benefit, his story must not only be told, but read!
I never anticipated becoming an author. Writing was never even on my radar. I always thought that I wanted to be in business, either working for someone else or running my own business—that’s why I studied management, information technology, and finance. But as I got older and my worldview evolved, I learned that my real passion is helping others. I had determined some time ago that I had more to offer this world than just showing up to a job and collecting a paycheck. It just took me a while to figure out what exactly it was and how to do it.
Initially, I stepped out on my own and tried working as a financial coach, helping people who reached out to me change how they viewed their relationship with money and how to get better at managing their finances. Basically, I was a fixer. The problem with that was it was one-on-one, plus not many people admit they need help to begin with. Fewer people act on that need and get help, and even fewer stick with their new plans. I also realized that being a personal financial coach was just me trying to compromise and stay loyal to what I thought I wanted (running a business) and what I really wanted (to help people). I decided that my greatest contribution would be to get in front of more people and to do it at the right point in their journey, the point where I first needed help myself: at the beginning, where views and habits first take hold and then take control.
So, I became an author. Writing allows me to reach a bigger audience and help educate people up front as they start their journey instead of trying to fix problems on the back end, after so much suffering has occurred. The topics I write about are personal, which gives me the courage to go all in, to be as honest and transparent as I possibly can, and to not hold anything back. To share my mistakes, regrets, and successes, what not to do, and how to overcome. I hope that my writing inspires my readers. It’s the first “job” that has made me feel like I have purpose and that I can make a difference.
In addition to being an author, I’m a father, husband, and foster parent. I love animals (we have three dogs and two cats), rooting my kids on as they play sports or do any other activity they choose, exercising, reading, and traveling.
Brian Siemens got his first job at age 14, thinking he’d have some pocket money he could spend on himself until he got paid again. $10 from mowing a yard once a week wasn’t enough to lead to any trouble, right? What could possibly go wrong with having some spare change?
Just about everything, that’s what. Beginning with that first job, Brian was an absolute mess when it came to managing his money and his personal finances. In fact, if you asked him about his past finances today, he’d tell you that he used to be a financial idiot. That might sound a little harsh, but as you will soon see, who could argue with that?
Brian tore a path of self-destruction that threatened everything he had ever dreamed of. He was a slow learner, too—hardship after hardship, setback after setback, he came back for more punishment time and time again. It took him nearly 20 years to figure it all out.
But he came out the other side all the better for it and with something to share, something guaranteed to make the path much easier (and less painful) for other teens and young adults who dare to read his story.
Many people would be too embarrassed to share such a story and certainly would never want it to reach the light of day, but not Brian. He wants to be an example for others. He wants to put his embarrassment aside and let it all hang out. He wants to tell others about his past mistakes and regrets and the lessons he’s learned from years of pain and suffering.
In the end, Brian’s story is one of overcoming obstacles and emerging triumphant. It’s a story that he proudly shares with you so that you can make your own story better.