Book Review by Taylor Berrett
If there were ever a family that perfectly represented the dream that families everywhere have of working their way up to financial independence, it would be the Higdon family. Ray and Jessica Higdon have followed a distinct path to success, from their beginnings living on the wages from Jess’s job as a salesclerk at a makeup counter to running one of the most successful coaching and training companies in America worth millions of dollars in revenue.
Now, the Higdon’s have set out to translate everything they’ve learned and achieved in business and financial freedom and apply it directly to families and individuals everywhere with their book Time, Money, Freedom: 10 Simple Rules to Redefine What’s Possible and Radically Reshape Your Life.
Generally, Jessica and Ray keep it simple— they focus here on 10 easy-to-follow guidelines designed to serve as a basic outline for families and individuals who want to pursue their personal paths to freedom.
Outlining the Rules of Success
It’s hard to argue with the fact that the Higdons are well-equipped to serve as guides on the path to freedom. They’ve turned their business into an Inc 5,000 company worth millions of dollars that helps thousands of entrepreneurs each day.
But while many of the insights in Time, Money, Freedom are gleaned from the running of their business, the authors focus more here on personal and family financial freedom as opposed to business goals. They’ve taken a highly personal approach that’s marked by their impressive passion, bona fide credentials and their skill at communicating powerful ideas in simple and easy-to-follow ways.
Their tips throughout the book range from the specific and concrete to the more general and inward-facing, but they all share powerful insights into why some families obtain the financial freedom they seek.
Tips and concepts discussed in the book include:
- Make room for change in your life by banishing doubt and anxiety
- Create a vision for your personal brand of freedom outside the corporate grind of the status quo
- Talk about and make money without shame— the money you have and the money you want
- Wave goodbye to your inner perfectionist
- Know exactly what to do on a daily basis to make more money from home
- Have a commitment strategy, not an exit strategy
- Always remember that money can’t buy happiness
Defining Success for Yourself
While Time, Money, Freedom’s subtitle may suggest a prescription-style guide that’s one-size-fits all, the authors actually make a concerted effort to communicate that their guidance is designed to help readers reach a wide range of specific goals that are unique to them. Whether your ultimate goal is more money and time for travel, more financial security for you and your family, or the chance to launch your own business, the Higdons promise to help you reach your goals— and they mostly deliver across their book’s relatively brief pages. You won’t find deep dives into business theory here, but rather the inspiration and insight to set yourself on the path to increased financial independence.
If you’re looking for a book that will provide deep, technical business insights to expand on your existing knowledge of finance, you might be better served by looking elsewhere. But if you’re eager to experience financial freedom for the first time in your life and don’t know where to start, Time, Money, Freedom may just be the effective tool you’ve been waiting for to set you on the right path.
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Taylor Berrett is a Contributing Writer at Soundview. He is also a freelance writer, editor, and host of the podcast Alone in a Room. His other book reviews can be found here.