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I left corporate America as an executive vice-president
of a highly successful architectural firm in January 2003. Before then, my goal had been to settle into a large company just like the one I was in and climb the corporate ladder to the top, but I learned (as I have in so many other areas of my life) that God's plans may vary from mine, and if we use wisdom, we'll allow His plans to supersede ours. In my mind, I had assumed that I would retire there, because it was a great company, and I was on my way to attaining my goal. I was one step under the highest position in the firm – a partner.
But what I discovered is that the higher on the corporate ladder I went, the more involved in the rat race I became.
I was making a good salary, but I was still living paycheck to paycheck.
I didn't have any assets to show for my success. I was becoming dissatisfied with the grind of long hours day after day after day. Every time I took another step on the corporate ladder, I thought everything would be better. And here I was, as Executive Vice-President, thinking, "Oh, but if I could only get that next promotion, everything will be all right." I suddenly wondered why I was thinking it would be different on the next step. Perhaps being partner wouldn't satisfy me, either.
What I didn't know at the time is that the Lord was setting me up for a radical change.
He was making me uncomfortable at where I was so I would start putting on the mind of Christ regarding the situation rather than my own. I was unsettled and didn't know why.
These uncertainties were confirmed when I met with one of the partners of the firm one evening after hours. This partner was talking (bragging) about his hectic schedule and his long work hours. He spoke about how he took work home with him, and how he would leave the office in the late evening to go home for dinner. But then he would work at home after dinner or go back to the office to work until eleven o'clock or so. He was saying all of this as a positive note, and he was basically hinting to me that this is what it took to take that last step to become partner. But what that partner meant as an encouragement, God used as a confirmation.
I left the office that evening knowing that God had something different and better for me.
There are still many great people working in that firm, just like you may be in the job position you are in. Thank God you have a job and perform it with excellence and to the best of your ability, until He tells you otherwise like He did to me.
I started investing in real estate part-time while continuing my corporate job as an architect. God had already been working on my mindset for the last couple of years, and I knew that real estate was something I wanted to get into. I started out with a ten-year plan to accumulate enough real estate so I could quit my job. But God accelerated that ten-year plan to a three-month plan. Since my wife and I had spoken of the possibility of my leaving the firm, she had been in fear about me going out on my own because of the lack of security that would bring – no weekly paycheck coming in like clockwork! But when that lovely wife of mine looked me square in the eye one evening after a bad day at work and said, "You know what? Maybe it's time you go ahead and quit now," I knew – that was all I needed. The Holy Spirit confirmed the decision with her, and we both knew that we would be okay.
I continued for a period of time doing architectural work on my own while building my real estate business.
I started with residential real estate, and then moved into commercial properties and developments, as well as luxury home deals and apartment buildings. I've also started other businesses related to authoring, publishing, financial education, network marketing, and various multiple streams of income .
I just walked through the doors of opportunity that the Lord put before me, and He's been faithful every step of the way.
The Lord has given me a desire to encourage and empower other Christians to achieve God's best for their financial future by showing them how to create multiple streams of income through businesses, investments, and real estate. That's the purpose of my company, EPIC Wealth Strategies.
Blessings!
Mark Freeman