real people, real stories
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Nothing communicates like a true story. Here are some stories you may connect with. No hype or glitz, just reality of going from the norm to a Life of Purpose.
Andy Traub
Free Agent Academy is for people who want to take action and need encouragement, wisdom, and accountability to do it. It’s for people who want more out of life and aren’t afraid to admit they need help to get whatever that “more” is. It helped me launch into self-employment and has brought me my best friends in the world. Take it seriously, or keep wandering. I hope you take it seriously and reach your dreams. I know FAA can help you do just that!
Brett Traudt
Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to own my own business. I would have an idea and start it… soon to stop believing in myself or my idea. I have also tried many get rich quick plans or multi level marketing companies that didn’t work for me.
It wasn’t until I joined the Free Agent Academy that I understood why those plans didn’t work for me. They didn’t fit my personality, my skills and abilities and my values, dreams and passions. They weren’t part of God’s plan for my life.
Since I joined this community I have been on a mission to get healthier. I saw that our leaders were always active and realized that part of having a balanced life was to become healthier, so I started the Health and Wellness group here. I have lost over 35lbs and feel so much better about myself since joining. I love seeing others start discussions about their pursuit to live a healthier lifestyle and the encouragement everyone gives.
I originally joined to pursue financial and career coaching because I thought they 
would be a great career, but this community has helped me realize that I can do what I love and make money while doing so.
My wife and I have started our business S’more Outdoor where we take couples camping to Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks a few times a year. We love camping and serving others and this is a way where we can enjoy doing both… while getting paid!
I make homemade soap and have always wanted to sell that on line, but had a hard time discovering my brand and niche… now I have launched Mountain Man Soap “Shave with your axe. Bathe with our soap!” where people can enjoy my product… while I get to enjoy knowing people like what I have created.
Through my soap business I also discovered a great way to keep the soap gunk off of the shower or sink soap holders and have created a remarkable product called the Soap Dock. There is nothing like the feeling of having an idea, creating a product and then making your first sale!
These ideas would not have come to fruition if I didn’t have such a great support team and people who believed in me when i didn’t believe in myself and to help guide me along the way. They have helped me overcome my biggest obstacle… fear! The fear of failure (maybe a little fear of success) and the fear of going on the journey alone.
This community cares about me, how my products and services can have an impact in the lives of others and about helping me create a financially sustainable business.
I am still working in a typical job, but I now have hope for my families future and get excited about the lives that I will touch with my ideas and about the lifestyle that I am creating.
Self employment is not easy, but the journey I am on with such a great group of friends I have come to love… is worth the pursuit toward my freedom.
www.SmoreOutdoor.com
www.Soapdock.com
www.MountainManSoap.com/
Deb Ingino
I was fortunate to have had the chance to live the “American Dream” – the high profile corporate job in New York, salary, and the fancy title. And yet, as much as I enjoyed the work, the company, the people I worked with, the world travel, and the perks, there was something missing. Even at that level, I did not have control of my time. So at times when my family needed me, I was required to be on the other side of the world.
As often happens in mid-life, I began to think of “legacy”. I felt the pull to do something meaningful with my life, and it would not be ignored.
Those who know me know that I will be the first to admit I am not a one-woman show. I work with a team. I have built my business with a team. I live my life with a team. A big part of my team is Free Agent Academy. If you are trying to build a business, the reality is, you cannot do it alone. There is no other place you can go that offers what Free Agent Academy does – the chance to find yourself, find your calling, find a team (of experts and support), and live your dream.
You can try to do it on your own and hope that your dream comes true, or you can join the team that will invest in you to help you make it a reality. As my friend and fellow professor Gary Barkalow says, “It’s your call.”
Deb serves as the Free Agent Academy professor of Strengths. She is CEO of Strength Leader Development LLC (www.strengthleader.com),the host of the weekly Leadership Insight Podcast on iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/us/
Dallon Christensen
By all accounts, I’m the typical American guy. I have a beautiful wife, two active boys, and a house in the middle of a neighborhood in a small Iowa city. My hometown has a strong manufacturing presence, and the idea of a traditional job runs deep in the community. I should be a normal guy, going to my job every day and living what would appear to be a normal life.
However, I’m not normal. Free Agent Academy has made all the difference in the world to help me achieve the dream of free agency I had in November of 2007 while sitting in a wine bar in Chicago.
Even when I was in college, I didn’t major in accounting to be a partner at a traditional, “Big Four” firm. I one day wanted to own a business of my own, and accounting was the language of business. However, I joined a Fortune 100 company as an accountant and moved up the ladder. Even as I accomplished a great deal and earned promotions, I always felt like something was missing. I was doing well in my work, but I wasn’t really fulfilled. I was always looking to do new things and try new ways of getting my work done, but office politics and bureaucracy always held me back.
I joined FAA in January 2010 after a coaching program with Marketing professor Justin Lukasavige. I instantly found a community that knew what I wanted and could help me. It has not always been easy. I have been challenged and have had to rework assignments several times to understand my true purpose and message. It has all been for the best. I attended an FAA event in May of 2010 and it transformed my life. I could see those who had achieved their dreams of free agency, and I could walk with those attempting to achieve my same goal.
Starting on May 7 2012, I will begin my dream of full free agency. I could not be more excited to start this journey. There is no doubt in my mind that FAA was a key part of my journey. I tried to do self-employment by myself, and I did not succeed. I needed the community and counsel of a great group of people.
If you are thinking about whether FAA is right for you, don’t think. Just join. It will be the best investment of your life. It has meant everything to me as I build the life I have envisioned for my family and for me.
Rob Clinton
I’m a member of the Free Agent Academy, and yes I am Free Agent. It was the winter of 2009 when I hired Kevin Miller after already being involved and getting started with the 212 Connection. I had read Dan Miller’s books and newsletter, started to develop a connection to him as my number one mentor, and loved/soaked up everything he was saying. He was transforming my life. All of this led me to go deeper and arrive with the 212 group.
I felt a sense of empowerment there; that something amazing was about to happen. So I was intentionally listening in to classes and doing worksheets and the like all while I was in a corporate job.
I would take breaks during work just to get away and listen to something and learn something new. My lunch breaks and commute to and from work was my school and I was soaking in as much of it as I could.
About that time, corporate laid me off twice that year, and Kevin and I had already started the process of branding 180 Career Coaching, and it was then I had to decide what I was going to do.
At that point we knew there was purpose behind what was happening. We decided to be Free Agents, and build the business. ‘Till this day we are still Free Agents, but we’ve worked odd jobs along the way trying to incubate and build a dream, but we’re getting close to where odd jobs will be no longer. I can honestly say, I never went back to a traditional 9 to 5. That’s all but a piece of my history, and that’s empowering to know. I took ownership, and no matter what pitfalls we crossed, we suffered, but moved on through each circumstance and are better for it.
Much of what I’ve gained and learned in the process of building my dreams was then transformed into the Free Agent Academy where many people can strategically go through what I went through with a lot more intensity, time, and an amazing synergistic community. People come to FAA because they want more, and those who apply it get more! Bottom line, it works like anywhere else. You have to do the work if you want to see it happen, and everyone there wants to help you get there!
Free Agent Academy is my kind of school. Even though I would basically be considered a graduate, there is still ongoing things to learn, new technology, new ideas, new ways to invest in yourself and in your business, so you will still find me going back into the classes and seeing what’s new and what course I should go learn and graduate now.
Let me tell if you want ownership, if you want to own your career, and “really” call it your own. If you want to not be just an Entrepreneur, but a Free Agent who’s living their dream, then join the Free Agent Academy and send a message to the world that you are your greatest asset!
Jay Peroni
A client asked me a question I couldn’t answer: “Jay, can I expect God to bless my investments if I am investing in companies that violate His principles?” I was being paid to provide financial advice and improve the financial lives of my clients. Such a powerful question had never been posed to me. Here was a Christian woman asking if she could expect God to bless her investments (401[k], stocks, and mutual funds) if she was investing in the abortion industry or pornography companies.
This question challenged and convicted me.
Before I was asked the question, I was like almost every financial advisor, I concentrated almost exclusively on numbers – finding the best investments, getting the highest returns, protecting and growing wealth, but it all changed in an instance. Though I enjoyed what I was doing for a living, something was missing – my faith and the faith of my clients. I never considered my financial planning practice my ministry nor did I ever ask my clients if there were any moral or faith issues that impacted their finances. This is much different today.
Kevin Miller and Free Agent Academy helped me build a business around what God put on my heart. Around the same time of my personal journey, I found Dan Miller through a lifelong friend of mine. I contacted Kevin Miller, Dan’s son, and we soon became close friends. Through my interactions with Kevin, I have found my true passion – helping clients incorporate their faith into their financial plans and writing books, speaking, and creating information products to help others with faith-based financial planning.
My mission in life is to help change minds, hearts, and wallets for God’s glory. I believe God brought Kevin into my life for the right reasons – to help me grow, learn, and develop a business model to help me share what God has put on my heart. Kevin and Free Agent Academy have truly been a blessing in my life. Through Kevin’s coaching, live group interactions, and peer input, I have been able to break free from corporate America and live out my passion each and every day. I highly recommend FAA to anyone serious about finding their purpose in life and creating a lifestyle and business around that purpose!
Jay Peroni, CFP
Chief Investment Officer
Faith-Based Investor
http://www.faithbasedinvestor.com
