LIVE LOUDER: Start Living on Your Own Terms

In partnership with

You Don’t Need to Be Technical. Just Informed

AI isn’t optional anymore—but coding isn’t required.

The AI Report gives business leaders the edge with daily insights, use cases, and implementation guides across ops, sales, and strategy.

Trusted by professionals at Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft.

👉 Get the newsletter and make smarter AI decisions.

Lead with AI—no coding needed

Life’s Too Short to Live at Half Volume

You know that moment when you crank your favorite song, and for those three minutes the whole world fades away? That’s how life should feel. Real and loud!

But for too many of us, life’s stuck at a safe, polite volume. Right? we don’t want to disrupt things? We follow the “right” path right?. We just check all the boxes, and wake up one day wondering why it all feels like the same lame thing over and over. I know because I lived it. Climbing the corporate ladder for over 25 years in enterprise technology. I had the big job, the house, the steady paycheck. On paper, I was “successful.” But inside? I was kinda running on fumes. I was frustrated. Then came my divorcea fter 15+ years of marriage—a personal and financial detonation that left me stripped down to the studs. Dude… It was my midlife identity crisis.

And it was the best damn thing that ever happened to me. It was time to LIVE LOUDER and Start Living on my Own Terms! That blank slate was terrifying… but it was also freedom.

The Lie We’re Sold About Life

We’re all handed this default life script that looks something like this:

1. Go to college.

2. Get the job.

3. Buy the house.

4. Work 40+ years.

5. Retire when you’re too tired to care.

It’s packaged as security, but in reality? It’s a cage. You’re trapped. This path keeps you dependent on a paycheck, too burnt out to dream, and too scared to leave.

I played that game—and even “winning” kinda felt like losing. My identity was built on my job title, my role as provider, and other people’s expectations. When leaving my job and divorce pulled those labels away, I realized I didn’t even know who I was without them. Who the F am I?

The Identity Crisis Is Your Launchpad

Here’s the thing about starting over: you get to decide who the hell you want to be next.

When my old life crumbled down, I stopped asking, “What’s next on the script?” and started asking, “What do I actually want?”

For me, that meant:

• Picking up my guitar again and writing music after 20 years!

• Launching my blog and podcast, Heavy Metal Money and The Extreme Personal Finance Show

• Starting a nonprofit, The Luger Foundation, to help families facing premature births.

• Building real estate portfolio including the Oceola Medical Center Clinic

• Developing apps and creative projects just because they were fun.

None of it was part of a master plan. I just said “yes” to what lit me up—and “no” to what didn’t.

Continue Reading on Heavy Metal Money🤘

Other Stories

Thanks again for following along! Keep those Horns Up, my friend 🤘 🤘 And please share this newsletter with those you think would find value!