Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Jim Stovall for his willingness to consider, support, and undertake this collaboration. I learned very quickly why Jim is a highly sought-after speaker and prolific writer, as his words and actions breathed life into this project when it was little more than a hopeful notion.

Every word and phrase in this book benefited from the review and critique of Dorothy Thompson, Jim’s right and left hands, and Robin Maurer. The latter also answers to Mom when I or my brothers are around and helped ensure the book’s content was technical enough to teach but fluid enough to read.

I so value and have internalized Drew Tignanelli’s thoughts in the study of money and life, they most assuredly have been presented as my own throughout this book in addition to where he is quoted. I thank him for his selfless contributions to the book’s content, and to me and my family, personally.

Many colleagues and industry experts have contributed their comments and encouragement, such as Steve Forbes, Mark Victor Hansen, Don Green, Don Golden, Denis Waitley, Ezra Kucharz, Carol Anderson, Carl Schramm, Dick Wagner, Rick Kahler, Carmen Wong Ulrich, Pat Goodman, Addison Wiggin, Marcus Harris, Aaron Patzer, Jesse Mecham, Odysseas Papadimitriou, Dan Singer, Sean Kelly, Kelly Morrison, Russell Lagreca, Manash Ray, Eric Pines, Matt Rakerd, Greg Rittler, Chris Guillebeau, Kimberly Palmer, Robert Brokamp, and Josh Itzoe, lending considerable strength to this project.

Thought leaders in the arenas of money and life who unknowingly lent their wisdom and humor to this book are Stephen Covey, David Allen, Dave Ramsey, Ted Klontz, Warren Buffett, Richard Foster, Rob Bell, Bono, and, of course, Chevy Chase.

Special thanks to everyone at John Wiley & Sons for bringing this content to the page, but especially Laura Walsh for helping craft the vision for this project and Judy Howarth for aiding in the implementation of that vision.

Finally, I’d like to thank my colleagues at the Financial Consulate for their support of this initiative—Ben Lewis, Chuck Bender, Roger Bair, Kelly Allen, Sue Fenimore, Suzanne Hall, DeAnna Tefke, Amber Shinsky, Jeff Will, and especially Mike McCarthy, who worked tirelessly to create the online exercises for the Timely Applications in each chapter.

Tim Maurer