I’m very proud and excited to be welcomed into the Yakezie Network with the Gamma class. The past six months have been life changing for me. I owe much of the success of Financially Consumed to the support from this vibrant community. But, it almost didn’t happen.
Yakezie Test
I’m brand new to this; I’ve been blogging for just a little longer than I’ve been participating in the Yakezie Challenge. As a soon to be graduating student, my professor tasked me with identifying why financial planners have been slow to adapt to social media. My research lead me to the personal finance blog community where I discovered all the big networks, including Yakezie.
I created my own blog and engaged. Always the idealist, I drafted a scathing attack on bloggers that were clearly selling out. It’s still controversial today. Looking for reactions, I sent copies to some of the big-name bloggers in our community, including one Financial Samurai. Out of all the responses, Sam was the only person I went back and forth with via email. I joined the Yakezie Challenge the following day, knowing that it was a community where ideas could be shared and debated.
Mr. Mom
Today, the blog reflects my life and values. I’m a military spouse to a Navy meteorologist, a proud father of 3 sometimes-sassy children (all under the age of 10), and a mad keen cyclist. I have not had a paying job for 10 years, since our first child was born. This makes me Mr. Mom, Manwife, Manny, or whatever you want to call me. I don’t want to give the impression that I’m a slacker. I work very hard for my family, this decade has been very rewarding.
Punk Money
My professional background is mainly in credit analysis, having worked in mortgage lending and auto finance. I paid my way through college as a guitarist for punk rock band Dinky Crash, working at a department store, and cleaned windows before that. My first business venture was also an epic fail. Partnering with a friend in a lawn mowing operation, I chopped two fingers to pieces while adjusting the hight of the mower blades. Lots of good lessons there!
While I am an American Citizen, I am also very proud of my Australian heritage. My outlook and writing reflects those formative years. The cultural ideals of mateship, fair play, and equality are ingrained values. I’m happy to report that Yakezie shares these ideals with me.
My family strongly influenced my attitudes towards money. Both of my parents came from poverty. Mom grew up on the southern-most point of New Zealand and was rarely given more than an orange for Christmas. Dad was raised by his single mother who repaired lamp shades by hand to support them. My parents never had a credit card, and we didn’t get a telephone until I was around 10. Life got easier, but only after a lot of hard work. They rarely gave me any money. The result is the consumer advocate voice that I write with today.
Blog Focus
My main professional focus is now this blog. It’s my plan to continue to develop it to its full potential. I’m looking forward to expanding beyond the blog with associated products as it grows. I’m motivated and excited to get it going.
Thank you Yakezie, my blog would be nowhere without your support.
Welcome Hunter… I’ve enjoyed getting to know you and your ideas through your blog. I’m glad you’re a part of this network. I’m relatively new as well and can see the value of interacting with like minded individuals and supporting one another, even when our interest may differ a little.
I think it’s important that we have our own ideas, How boring would it be if we agreed on everything? I have discovered that blogging is a team sport and everything that I put into it comes back, and then some. I’m very grateful to be here.
Welcome Hunter! Glad to see you made it into the membership! I think it’s time for your site to take off! :)
Take-off, than would be nice. Thanks Derek.
Good intro and I look forward to reading more. Sounds like you won’t be holding back which is good :)
Now that my kids are at school all day, I have so much time to devote to other projects. The blog is getting more attention than ever.
Really glad to have you as a member Hunter. Since you first joined we have had a lot of positive interaction and I look forward to more of that in the future. You always have many well written and thoughtful articles, keep it up.
We’ve had a lot of excellent interaction, I agree. Thanks Justin. I just need to figure out how to win one of your giveaways!
I didn’t realize you started your blog for a research project. How interesting! It’s great to know a little bit more about your background. Glad you decided to join the Yakezie, Hunter. I enjoy reading your blog and I’m very impressed that your wife is a Navy meteorologist.
Agreed. That is sooo coool. Welcome and congrats on reaching this milestone. You have always been so pleasant to interact with. I wish for you the best going forward in blogging and in life.
Thanks Miss T, it’s always a pleasure interacting with you too. I am very happy to be here and look forward to building from here.
Thanks LH! Yes, my wife is a scientist and loves the Navy…most days. The best part about the Navy life is all the new places we get to live in. I have no idea where we will settle when she retires, although the West Coast is very appealing. The blog was part of my professional experience…not sure my professor was completely happy with all my articles, but I graduated anyway: )
Welcome, Hunter! I really enjoyed reading this and getting to know you a bit better. I know we had a fair amount of discussion at FINCON, but never really got each other’s backstories. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Shane. Likewise, was good to meet you at FINCON. It’s challenging telling the whole story when meeting so many people in a single weekend. Maybe the Yakezie get-together will be better fo that.
Thanks for sharing your story Hunter! It’s interesting to see how you got involved in the Yakezie. And being a stay at home dad for 10 years is extremely commendable. Your children will be forever grateful because even though there’s nothing like a mother’s love. There’s also nothing like time with dad.
True, I am very lucky to be able to spend so much time with my children. Unfortunately the noise of life and social opinion gets the better of me sometimes and I don’t always appreciate like I should. Blogging has been an incredibly positive outlet. I have connected with so many people here like I would in a work environment, I no longer feel like I am missing that worklife interaction. I see so much potential with online activities now that I don’t long for the traditional work environment.
Congratulation on making full membership! I’m a big fan of your blog and I’m very glad that you are a part of our PF blogger community. Thanks for linking to my blog. ;)
Thanks Joe! I look forward to collaborating more with you other projects. The group projects are definitely the most enjoyable and rewarding. You asked all the right questions on that interview.
Congratulations to a fellow member of the Gamma class! It was such a pleasure to meet you at FINCON and I learned even more about you from this post. A punk band?! Congratulations on your success thus far and I look forward to following your progress in the future.
Thanks Julie, it was fun hanging out with you at FINCON too. The band was awesome fun a great way to channel all that teen angst. We made good money playing to a mostly Uni crowd in the local bars in my home town just south of Sydney. We didn’t amount to much, but supported some bigger bands.
Thanks for joining the challenge, and congrats on completing it so successfully! I didn’t know you paid your way through college with a punk rock band – that’s a third option besides student loans and working through college (although I can see how a band would take some time up too!)
Best of luck going forward! And thank you for all the hints you’ve provided me with over the past several months.
Thanks Kellen. I like that LightWord theme!
The band was fun. The more we played the less we rehearsed, and this was a good thing because the rehearsal studio was our only real expense. We generally made a few hundred each gig, and split it equally. I have no idea how much we actually made over 3-4 years that we were playing, but I do know we spent way too much of it on beer. My main job was in a department store, and this was also the reason I didn’t grow my hair 3 feet long like the rest of the band. Probably a good thing. Looking at me now all you see is nerd, ha!
Glad you’re a part of it, Hunter. It was nice to meet you at FINCON. I never knew much of what you shared about your background. You have a compelling backstory, glad you shared it.
Thank Squirrelers! I’m looking forward to a big 2012. I have an action list of about 5 solid ideas from FINCON that I want to implement, but haven’t been able to make a breakthrough and actually get anything done. Maybe this weekend.
Great work. I always enjoy reading your blog. Thanks for sharing more about yourself – like Kellen, I enjoyed the punk rock band tidbit. I’m looking forward to getting to know you even more!
Ha! I grew up listening to the Ramones, thanks some older cousins that heavily influenced me. Gabba Gabba Hey!
Interesting story, Hunter. I like having my kids at home, but I keep thinking how much more I will be able to do when they are in school. It is bitter sweet. I hope to read more on your blog!
Yes, everything changes so quickly with young children. I honestly felt some guilt when our youngest began kinder this year, and I planned on spending that extra time n the blog. I know it is justified by the little bit of additional income it generates, so that makes things easier. We’re moving next August so it’s not like I can go and get a career focused job at a brick and mortar business. The web based business option has a lot of potential and the flexibility suits our mobile lifestyle. Thanks Melissa.
Hunter, I had the great pleasure of sharing a meal with you at Fincon. But….. I didn’t learn the story about the genesis of your site until today!!!! You are a wonderful addition to Yakezie!
It was great fun chatting with you over lunch Barbara, the next Yakezie get-together will be even better I’m sure. You have inspired me to plan a video series on Financially Consumed. All the technology in a smart phone puts this media within reach, so I plan on having some fun with it.
Molly: You are a prime example why I joined Yakezie! 1) you stir things up (I always love that!) 2) Your a manny! (so is my hubby) 3) You’re an Aussie! I’m not but my two close friends are and when one met me she screamed across the room, ‘You’re an Aussie- You’re my sista!’
I’m not but I guess I look like one. Any who- she’s moving back to Australia and now I find myself following Australian bloggers.
It’s great to meet you, Hunter. BTW- I’m Molly…(Mike thinks it’s pretty cool you’re a stir-it-up Australian too-he’s just not as vocal as me).
Hey Mike & Molly! You guys look like fun. I have been over to your blog, and I’m impressed. Youre design skills shine through; it looks fresh and original, and I like your writing style too. Congratulations on joining Yakezie. This is an amazingly supportive community.
I’m happy to hear you have some Aussie friends. We love to travel so you can usually find one or two of us wherever you go.
Welcome to the network! Really glad to have you aboard. I’ve loved some of your posts and your voice definitely shines through!
Hey Robert, thanks mate! I’m looking forward to working with you .
Awesome story and obviously welcome to the group!
It was nice meeting you at the Financial Blogger’s Conference, after which I’ve become a fan of your site too!
Here’s wishing you the best of luck, and I’m glad your a member!
Thanks MR!. Likewise, it was great talking with you in Chicago. I’m a regular visitor to your site. I like that you often write about your family. I easily relate to this, having a brewd of my own. Looking forward to working with you.
Good story, Hunter, and welcome to the network. Hard to imagine what it’s like supporting kids on a lampshade repair income.
Thank 101C. My Grandmother also had a surviving widows pension from WWII, but this was hardly adequate to support 3 children while living in Sydney.
Awesome to learn more about one of my favorite bloggers. Many interesting tidbits and love your attitude. Manny, Mr. Mom? You forgot you are a full time blogger! Glad to have you aboard and welcome!
Thanks Buck! I have tried to emulate your blog in many ways, without copying, if you know what I mean. I even used Final Thoughts once and later thought it was crossing the line. I’m looking forward to meeting the person behind the blog…will 2012 really be the year?
Congratulations on gaining full Yakezie membership. Thanks for sharing your story. I was home with kids for 10 years as well, but ended up going back to work when the youngest reached first grade
I wrestle with the going-back-to-work decision occasionally. For now, I’m having too much fun with the blog to justify sourcing after-school care for the children. I do feel the pressure sometimes, it’s a big step to get back out there after being out of the loop for so long.
Congratulations, Hunter. I like your coined term of Manny, although it reminds of my roommate (Manuel) in high school. You may be the only one who comments more than I do. :)
Ha! I do speak a little Spanish…yo habla muy poquito Espanol. Everywhere I go to comment, I see that you beat me there! YOU are the master commenter.
Congratulations Hunter! Your positive attitude shows in your writing and your interaction with fellow Yakeziers! Much success to you!
Thanks Frugal Toad. Always great interacting with you, and I look forward to working with together.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Hunter! Your drive is truly an inspiration to us all! Best wishes on your journey!
Thank you!
I am so happy for you Hunter! You are one of the closest friends I found on yakezie, wish you continued success!
Thanks SB. Likewise, I appreciate your friendship and support.
Hunter, you lost a couple fingers and were in a punk band? Crazy!
Don’t forget if you make it out to the east coast we gotta go cycling (on or off road!)
Hey CNC. It wasn’t all that bad. I was 15 when the mower accident happened. The fingers were not chopped off, it was more of a crush injury due to angle of the impact and very blunt blades. It was enough to put me in hospital for 3 days and needed the expert care of a brilliant surgeon. I started playing guitar a couple of years later. Yeah, I’m always up for a bike ride.
welcome to the community and congratulations. i had no idea on how you got started, still digesting that one a bit considering your blog looks very good.
My professor wanted me to write about personal finance topics from an independent and unbiased perspective. I think I do this, but I needed to throw a whole lot more personality into it to be successful. Finance can be dry.
Thanks to your wife for serving, and for the sacrifices you’ve made too. A lot of people don’t realize the strain military life puts on the spouses. It’s cool to be a dad who gets to spend time with the kids too.
It is cool being a Dad that spends so much time with the kids. Not many fathers get the opportunity to shape their children like I have. I’m very lucky. Thanks for your support Matt.
Hey Hunter, great reading your story. We all have such different backgrounds. Nothing boring about Yakezie.
Do the military peers of your spouse give you a hard time about your stay at home situation? I would think they could be a tough crowd.
Look forward to learning more about you.
We’re a diverse bunch, and that can only make for fun and lively discussion.
The social dynamic with my wife’s peers is interesting. There has been no outright tough-guy, I’m better than you type exchanges. But, there is a certain degree of social awkwardness that my situation throws into the mix. Most people are not comfortable with it, and I have come to accept that. I still try to be friendly to everyone.
Ironically, one of my closest friends is a Navy seal. We ride bikes together here in Virginia Beach. We don’t talk about ‘work’ when we’re riding, haha. No room for ego with these humble warriors.
Hunter, welcome to the Yakezie! I’ve been holding the Gamma Class open just for you, kinda!
Im surprised I was the only one to respond to you inquiry. Then again, I have a problem not responding and getting in trouble by forgetting what your site is when you email me with you and your wife’s full name which threw a curveball. Lol
Hope you have many years of fun blogging in the future! Your post was published the day I left for two weeks.
Best, Sam
Welcome Hunter! It’s been great getting to know you during the challenge. You have a fantastic positive energy and it really shows in your writing and support in the network. That’s awesome you earned money as a guitarist!
Welcome to the Yakezie, Hunter! I’ve enjoyed the posts and unique roundups over time, and good to learn more about your backstory.
It was great meeting you IRL at FinCon and I look forward to reading your blog for many years.
I think I missed your post on selling out the first time around, but read it today. Credit cards are a financial tool that can be good or bad depending on how you use them. I don’t think it’s selling out to share good offers with readers with the caveat they are not for all.
P.S. Welcome to the Yakezie!
Nice to meet you, Hunter. I am the father of six and would love to be able to stay home, but my earning power happens to be better than my wife’s so I put the food on the table while she referees at home.