August 30th,  2024  [4 min. read]

By Drew W. Boyer, CFP®

This past weekend, while waiting on my youngest daughter to get out of her Saturday choir practice, I stared down at my left arm.  When you’ve been wearing something for most of your life, it’s easy to overlook it and forget it’s there. For me, it’s two 6+ inches scar-lines covering two metal plates for the two bones I broke back in 9^th grade during noon rec.

It had all started with a normal basketball game after lunch: the ones where you eat your food quick and run into the gym to do your best impression of your favorite NBA-er.  Jordan was that man then- no one could pull-off Shaq! Picking the pocket of another kid, I stole the ball with my right hand and passed it to my left. THEN… as fast as I stole it, this kid tripped me from behind (classless) and my momentum carried my forward, full superman, and came down 100% on my left arm.

SNAP!!!

Both bones broke at the same time and to everyone’s horror, I seemingly grew another elbow. I was shocked, the kid who tripped me probably wet his pants, and the faculty were probably thinking ‘lawsuit’.

And to think, being a son of a veterinarian, I drank milk my entire life to have healthy, strong bones and to keep my Dad’s clients utters flowing. In hindsight, that might’ve been the biggest let down!

A 45-minute trip later to the nearest hospital with my Dad doped up on pain meds, I was in the good hands. Hands that tried to manually reset the bones (strike 1), hands that tried to use electro-shock to reset the bones (strike 2), and hands that decided surgery was the last best option (it was). As they gave me anesthesia to go nighty-night, I expected to wake up when it was over, not in the middle of surgery drilling plates into my broken arm bones. Twas’ an experience no one should go through, but I did.

When life throws you lemons, make lemonade. I did just that. 

I let go of any athletics dreams and leaned into my drumming talents. Which led me to all of my lifelong friends now and the ability to make friends anywhere, anytime in the world. Music is the universal language.

To the same degree, I have financial scars from ‘broken bones’ that have all healed, but chartered my financial life in another direction for the better. If I hadn’t written my book, “Debt Row 2 Cash Flow”, you’d probably not even know. Money is a very personal topic and for good reason. Most people want to be financially successful and talk about their winnings at that casino, or that stock/crypto sh*tcoin they bought that went ‘to the moon”, not the L’s they take.

At my lowest point, I was -$100K in debt. $25k to student loans, $25K to my parents, and -$50K to the devil himself; the credit card companies. I was B-R-O-K-E-N financially and had to take action similar to fixing and rehabbing my left arm. It took courage, it took renegotiating my debt lower, and it took five years to repair the financial damage, but I didn’t go the easy route of bankruptcy. I paid back every cent, but with reasonable interest.

Wanna know how?   Sign-up for my book at www.hiphopxfinance.com. 

When you’re starting over though, you’re starting from experience. I’m proud to say that the financial brokenness of 25 year old me led to the financial security of 45 year old me. What didn’t kill me made me stronger than ever and I know I can talk to anyone, anywhere about it.

What you can perceive as an unmitigated disaster in the moment can be the life-changing, course-correct you needed.

If this blog hits home, then take the action. Don’t know where to start? I know a guy; give me a call.