Welcome to the Life success and legacy podcast. We're glad you're here here and we hope you enjoyed the episode. Hey, everybody. Wanna welcome you back to this episode of the life success legacy podcast. My name is Chris Bay, and you will notice I am not joined by any mike's. We've tried to get Shelly to change her name to Mike, but she won't go for it.
No. So Shelley Forbes, if you were a client of life success in legacy you already know Shelly, and a adore Shelley like the rest of us, But if you're not a client, you're gonna get to have the opportunity to get to know Shelley For, who is our client coordinator. And, I'm super pumped, Shelley is 1 of my favorite human beings on this on this planet. And as my wife calls her, my work wife, because we work very closely than have for many years now, and it's way more than just
business associates. I mean, we're like family. And so I'm thrilled Shelley that you would take some time to join us on our podcast. Thank you. It's my pleasure. It's not my comfortable place, but I'm happy to me with I know. I know you'd rather be in the background just taking care of people and doing it not have the attention focused on you. Right? Yeah. Please. But our... So let's go back.
Well, what we're gonna talk about is really your you And Todd, but, your husband Todd, but you and your family's journey with infinite banking and how this all kinda got started and share with people. I think every time we post an interview the number of views jumps up. And I think people love to hear the stories. They're like, yeah, But how does that apply
to me. And when we tell stories, it's not the technical side of by Bc, You know, we're not talking about P ways and mech and things like that. We're just telling stories about how people and came to know about infinite banking and how they use it in their lives. So that's what we'd love to do is just get to know Shelly and Todd's, story and their family. You good with that? Great. Awesome. So take us back, where was the first time that you kind of had an inkling
about infinite banking? How did you get introduced to it? The first time I ever had an inkling about it was or a friend of mine that I worked with at the time was doing infinite banking and she said something about it I had no idea what she was talking about, but she and Chris Bay and Sean Bay and Todd and Shelley Forest. Have a mutual friend, if who all refer to a sweet tea. Yes. Who started at a little coffee shop and Ole the Kansas, and we were dying to go see it because we knew it was
something she dreamed of starting. And so Todd and I went to visit her, At new shop and met Chris Bay. And Chris started asking some questions out of Genuine curiosity, tell me about yourselves and what drives you what you love? What's your why? And Todd, I think what's my why? What do you mean and. Not his language at. But very quickly, we came to realize wait.
Sweet tease, coffee shop is because of Ib c. We knew that in part, but Chris started to ask us questions, about Eu chris about what if things were different. What if you didn't work a job, you didn't wanna work. And what if you dreamed about options, and it started peaking our curiosity, we just started having this conversation and we're long we're talking about the infinite banking concept. And that we don't have to do life the way we were doing it because we
felt like we had to. And that is how we were doing life at that time. We I have to have this job because it pays a certain amount of money to raise our kids, and I have to be in this work environment even though I want to do something different. And have we started learning with the infinite banking concept, possibilities really are infinite. And so we wanted to start learning about it. So that's where we had our first
introduction. We didn't know anything still, but we realized we want to learn about what this is. It's... Yeah. I like to go around to random coffee shops and and and pepper people with questions about their life and their finances and things like that. And what worthwhile you you you. Use the phrase earlier, Shell is 1 of my favorite people on the planet and likewise, for Todd and me, like, I brag to our clients all the
time. I work with the most amazing people in the world, not because of what, they know, but because of who they are and they genuinely genuinely care about people. I always get emotional too. Because I've not been in a work environment where that really is the case. You know, where they genuinely care about the people they serve and that... Stood out to me immediately.
That these are people I can trust because I can tell they're they're not asking questions because they're nosy or trying to get something, they just genuinely care and wonder how they could help. So I sucked me right into I have to know what this is and why it seems special. I don't know why, but it seems special. And it is. I I often feel like we are mas as an infinite banking, business. Because when you pull back the curtain, it's more about how do you help people create the lives they want?
Absolutely. And oh, by the way, there happens to be a financial element to many times to those stories. Yeah. And oh, by the way, we have this really amazing concept that we teach on the side. Yeah. But I... So many times, I I think of a client of ours who lives in... Used to live in Iowa and his moves since, Julie. And, the first time I met her at a boot camp, and after the boot camp, we sat down, and she's sharing her finances and all this stuff. And our conversation. Went way over here.
And next thing I know I'm talking to her about breakthrough something that you and I and experience you and I share together and she ended up going through breakthrough, and I never knew if she was gonna become a client or not. She did. But But I love that about life success legacy. I mean, We're about people. Yep. Yeah. And oh, by the way, we teach this financial concept. Yeah. Which happens to be amazing and transformational, but it edit. So, you started learning about Ib c, and was
that a difficult process. For you. And what I'm getting at is kinda contrasting your mindset or what you were taught about money or not taught about money and how you... Your relationship with money growing up, and all of that was compared to... Oh, my gosh. This concept is, like, way different than what I've ever heard about. Because that was hard for me. And It was not for me. And it's because I wasn't taught anything about money. Right. So I didn't have a lot
to un learn. The only thing I knew about money was to be afraid if I didn't have enough because I grew up without it. So I grew up really, really poor. And there's a there's a lot of drama in I growing up years as well, but because of all of that, I'll just leave that as it is, but because of all that, there was no sense of security in any way. No sense of security, lots of fear growing up as a child about everything.
Including money and watching my mom because if they're in her life, trying to figure out how to feed for little girls, and live in a place that's l, and never having quite enough to really make ends meet and working really hard to not be able to make ends meet. So I grew up with without understanding that if you don't have enough I used to scarcity mindset, truly a scarcity mindset.
So when I did learn about And obviously, know when I got a job and start learning how to manage money and got married had children way too young. I did find myself still in that, you know, that same way of living. I did not want my children to grow up with and not sure if I'm jumping too far ahead, but You go with that girl. Went blood and I got married, I just kinda followed along with what he did because I didn't know what else to
do. And his mindset, as a farmer is to do what you gotta do, you gotta get loans all the time. And so while we didn't have land debt was very comfortable for Todd, because that's the only way you get what you need. And so we quickly found ourselves in a truckload of debt for us, because our income was not huge just young, a young married couple with young children. And so we're incurring all this debt without enough income, and I started to get more and more fearful.
Eventually, Todd and I were introduced to the the, debt snowball concept, type. Z debt snow? Being yes. Cells. Yep? S, and it did teach us a lot of discipline, and we finally were able to kinda get a grip slow down that debt Snowball lease. But I also could quickly see Oh my gosh. I don't see how we're ever getting out of this todd hated it. He absolutely despise. That whole idea, but... I believe I've heard him call him Dan Ramsey. Sorry. Yeah. I wasn't.
I'll say it. He still calling that because your you on. There's just no fun, and you can't have what you want. And, there's no way to ever get what you want if you have all the debt that we had and not enough income. So anyway, but I also have this aversion to debt because I grew up with the scarcity mindset, and it was getting worse and worse and worse and we're gonna pass it on to our kids and I don't like that. And so I got pretty bold and strong. I'm like, we're
changing this. We can't keep doing this. And so we did get disciplined, and that's a good thing. But also knew we were never gonna get ahead and teach our kids something completely different. So the only learning I had was what we learned from Dave Ramsey. And so when we learned about the infinite, banking concept I got so excited because it was really easy to see and 1 of the reasons I loved it is because it's so simple. It is... Ridiculously simple. So I'm like, got it. Done. Let's do
it. Well, Todd. He has a great mind about money except that his was more about how to finance things and and make it work for you. And but still, we were never getting ahead and but he had this... He could not wrap his mind. He still has a hard time sometimes time wrapping his mind around the infinite banking concept. But now he sees it. He sees it working and knows... So no. It wasn't hard for me. It was for Todd. So we kinda had to work through that. It took us a while.
I remember my wife, Sean talking about and sharing her perspective on Ib scenes. She says the hardest thing, which I think you were ahead of the game in some ways, the hardest thing for her is inch out, the old learning to make space for the new learning. Right. Well, that noise as Nelson would call it, that we've been listening to. It's been... You know, we talk about the rut in our brains.
And we created all these rut. And all of a sudden, there's a whole new pathway, and we gotta figure out how to get rid of those old routes to make space for the new pathways. Yes. Yes. The I will say there is 1 piece that did have me stuck for a while is I because I'm process minded, and I have to know 0.1 0.2 0.3 Yeah. And it gets each of those. Right? And I hear this with our clients a lot too. And so that... This is why I want to say it. I can remember being it,
several boot camps. Because like I said, it took us a while to get on the same page, but I remember being at several boot camps and seeing why it worked. But I didn't see exactly... Okay, But what do I do step 1? What do I do step 2? What do I do step 3? Before we even were working on an individual plan. Yeah. And I wanted all of those answers before we even worked on an individual plan. And I can remember Mike everett saying, just calm down. You'll you'll figure it out as we go,
but you're you're just learning right now. You don't have to know all of those. And that just... That was very hard for me to not know not get exactly weight how do I take a loan? How do I use loan? How do I pay a loan back, like, logistically, what are those steps? Yes. That made me afraid? But that was really the only piece that tripped me up. Yeah. Yeah. So fast forward a little bit, you guys implement the infinite banking concept? I'm just curious, when when did you start your first policy?
Was December 2016. 2016. Okay. And so over this time period that you've had your system. Can you just talk to the listeners about how you and Todd have used your Ib c system? What are some of the examples uv used it for? Yeah. The first example was we got rid of all of our speed at very fast. And because of the plan that that the team helped us put in place, I was able to leave my job, my career, which was a great job to have 1. I hadn't it... But it was not at all what I love doing.
So it gave me just having the plan gave me the... Space in the freedom to say, I can walk away from this, and I did. So that was huge that that was part of our financial plan. There was a strategy to that... I didn't just leave. So but the timing couldn't have been more perfect in terms of what our family needed. Our daughter was in need of some very urgent. Incredible medical care.
So I was able to focus my time and energy on that for a while, because of our plan which helped us figure out how to do that. So we got Ashley taken care of. We turned debt, and really, we worked on capitalizing that 1 policy for the first 4 years before we learned about, the income snowball concept as well. And we have now started working on that to to create passive income, for the future. So we're... Now we have 5 policies, which is they're all fully capitalized now as of this spring,
Yeah. Looking forward to starting more, but we're using our banking system to fund our incomes snowball. Kind of like your own personal ever growing line of credit that no 1 asks any any questions about Yep. We... And we actually... We just recently bought some office space that we intended... To use, but we bought it just from our banking system. We didn't have to take a loan. We had cash to
buy it, which was really cool. Felt really great We're also remodeling our home and so we ended up deciding you know low? We jumped the gun a little bit on this. We don't have capacity. So we actually just sold that space yesterday. The building that we did. We I mean told you yet. We sold it. Not we just like that. I I can't think about this right now. Bunch of the irons in the fire. Yeah. We actually do have another space that we'll be using with my father
love. So it's fine, but Yeah. But it was really cool that we had the cash on hand to just do that and not have to go to the bank and we were gonna be pay ourselves back for it. And you know, just the power to make those decisions when opportunities are in front of you. Now we have to stop and think wait, let's think about this It's so easy to jump right into it. We need to still take some time to think a little bit more, but it was
okay. I'm I'm reminded Nelson Nash talking about, when you have capital, opportunities will find you. True. And there are, you know, times in my life, it it sounds like for you as well, that there weren't opportunities. And but now it is, you have to be discerning. Right? Because you do have access to capital and opportunities present themselves. So now I have to decide. Sean and I have to decide
Is this an opportunity we wanna take? Does is this an alignment with what we want and what we're creating? Mh. I'm curious because you and Todd, like Sean and myself come from, you know, alternative universes and how be approach life and think and our behaviors and our personalities like that's what makes marriage. So darn frustrating and exciting all of us at
time. Yeah. What would you say for you guys would be found successful or help you guys thrive, and what would you suggest to maybe other... Couples who may come at things differently. I know for us, we have, regular, week... Sean calls them financial dates, And I think you guys have had similar meetings or whatever you call them? What are some of those things because you and Todd clement? You view things so differently what... How you been able to come together?
Yeah. I don't think we could be any more different than we are. Which you're right is frustrating and in incredibly exciting at the same time. And... So 1 of them is, you know, we've been married for over 30 years and so we just you learn each other and how to communicate effectively or the best that we can. And 1 of the things I know about Todd is just be ready when he's ready. So I kind of have myself always in a ready spot. I'm ready to talk when you are and
So I'm always ready. I've got I got my charts and everything ready to go when he's ready. Although sometimes he'll say, he'll just ask random questions, and I don't have those charts pulled up. Like, we have to have a meeting. Which... So you tell me when you wanna meet because we need to look at all this together. I can't just rattle these out of midway. But we do... When he starts thinking about things and getting excited about, you know, when... How soon can we pay off this
piece of land when when... Use our banging system to do that. So then we'll sit down and just... Talk through things, wish we would have done that with the building too, but we didn't we jump right in, but we'll look at all of our information and, you know, when when are our next premiums do, how much cash value do we have now, what will we have when we pay our next premiums because it will grow.
What's the smartest thing to do when and we also utilize our coaches when we need to, and we just a lot of times, things that we think we want to do in terms of paying off land or buying a piece of equipment or whatever, we we can step back from what used to be an emotional decision and actually see the numbers in front of us and compare if we do this, here's what will happen. But if we do that, our money will grow. So should we wait on that?
And here's a for instance, when we left the Kansas city area to move to where our farm is in Northwest Missouri. Our mortgage was cut by like 70 percent. Like, we paid 30 percent of buckle were paying before. And I joke around and say, we live in a tiny home. It's a ranch style home. It's not a tiny home, but it's a little home in rural northwest z, and it needs some updates and all of
that. And for the longest time, and, I just made you laugh every time I know because we would waffle back and forth between, let's build something out in the country versus no. Let's just fix up what we have and stay here. Do we really want a huge... Property, and do we wanna be tied to a huge mortgage in rural Northwest Missouri. What makes the most sense? And we've just gone back and forth them back and forth
And we finally... We really have settled on stain where we are because it gives us so much freedom. I'm not saying it would have been wrong to build that would have been fine it could have been folded into our plan, but we start to see what's more important to us and having freedom to go where grandchildren are, we only have 1 now, but we plan to have many. I like. And grandparents talk about. We plan to have many planned out. Seems like there's some other players in that
in performance. They're irrelevant. But they're irrelevant. I small rules. Hey bright. We like having the freedom to be able to go on a camping trip with all of them or just to go hang out or to go help take care of somebody who's sick or whatever and not have to worry about, the bigger monthly expenses that aren't earning us anything. Yeah. If we we used to think a home was an asset, and it not. It's a liability and we don't wanna be tied to a barrel liability.
We... If... Unless it becomes something that it's can make us some money somehow. Maybe we'll do that. But so that's how we kinda make those decisions based on is it expanding our freedom and helping us grow into the future that we wanna have for our family or does it hold us back?
I wanna get to family, but there's something that you were talking about and all these choices and everything, and Corey sheer, is a friend of ours and a consultant who we have tapped into his his organization is called trust centric, and he asked Mike, Everett and myself 1 day, and I don't even remember the context, But he asked us what is our definition of wealth. And as we were all discussing kind of where we landed was, wealth is having options. And and I get to see that a close and personal
on Wednesday afternoons. I get the volunteer a food pantry, and I get to see the lack of options. Well, plan. And so anyway, I think, you know, 1 of the things about life success and legacy is we wanna inspire financial hope and freedom. That is wealth. That is options. It's not that we are so money driven or anything like that. I mean, there well, I've caught we have clients who are rushing it compared to what we're doing with our system.
I mean, they're building so much passive of income, you know, ridiculous. That's not me. I I find joy and simplicity. I find joy in helping people. I'd rather spend my time doing this with you. Or coaching a client, then researching the latest and greatest return on investment stuff. That's just not me. Now we may lose some clients they're are like, what is he talking about. But honestly, that's just that's not me. That's not what motivates me.
So I like that definition of wealth being having options. Yes. So let's go to family. Okay. Kent, you now have multiple generations, and I'm curious how that has played out how Ib has played a role with your adult you and Todd's adult children, and even then to grandchildren Yeah And and maybe to an extent even older generation. When yeah. Sure. So that's a lot isn't it. Yeah. I will say, I won't go into his story because it's
his story. Mh. But odds dad did learning about the infinite banking concept, and could very much see the value in that, and, you know, we took them through that, process, and there are ways that it helped him for sure, and that's the story I don't really want to tell, but I will say he definitely, it it has been helpful to him. And he and Todd still work together with all that. I kinda remove myself from it. You know, you've talked about. You know, with family, yeah, it it can be kinda hard to
we're to navigate that well. Mh. But it definitely has been, you for sure blessing in his, like, I'm very helpful. My son, Logan, gosh, amazing guy has a background in wealth management specifically with, on the insurance side of things property and casualty. So risk stuff. And at first, he thought, walmart what he he after said, what are you doing? You need to bring your money into our company and. Well, that's me for you, Blah blah.
And I agreed I would talk with him more about it if he would learn more about Ib c. And it took a while. Gosh. I think a couple of years, before he even came to a boot camp. And I remember mike Ge even saying, I sent Logan might have the arrival syndrome just a little bit. He he does. But at 1 point it all clicked with Logan and he realized. I really need to be serious about looking
at this. And so he at he and his wife, Alex have far surpassed odd me in our plan, and they actually, well, I don't wanna tell their story either, but they have an amazing clayton that they can choose to work. Yeah. In not too many years from now, like, less than 10 years or now. They could choose not to work if they wanted to. Now they're not the kind who wouldn't work. They'll always contribute to society in a very. Big way, but they won't have to. They have an amazing planet
So, again, well... Options. They have options. Yep. They do. Yeah. And then So my son and daughter daughter. So they're in a situation where they're not ins she. And so we're not able to ensure them, but my granddaughter, we can ensure. And we have as soon as she was born we got a policy started on her because, you know, having a a child who can't be insured makes you kind of think differently about
how soon this should get done. And so we kind of tend to be preacher at live success legacy about, oh, you have little ones to get them insured today right now. Because you never know what tomorrow holds, and that's maybe a fear situation that I have always going on in my brain, but I don't think it's... Fears as much as I think it's just smart to get that coverage being. It enough. I mean, I've experienced it. Mike Ever has experienced it with his grandchildren.
Yeah. I mean, there's... I can give example after example of kids that cannot get insured. Yep. Or adults that can't get insured and don't don't have insurance. And so, yeah, we we do preach. Now we do get on our soap box about that because it makes a difference. So at just this week, we had a kiddo, a grandchild that was denied. Yep. And, you know, to some degree, it's heartbreaking, especially as you go into the future and
you think about, okay, That... That kiddo is something gonna get married. Right? And if they don't have it can't get insurance, what does that mean for their family if something were to happen to them? The besides the whole C thing. Yeah. Yeah. But there... You know, the hopeful thing in the middle wall of that, you know, the fact that we can ensure and did ensure Capri still gets her family started. Really.
Right now. And that's 1 of the things I I tell clients, you know, when we have to give them the hard news that this child not or you're not ins insure, so your child can't have that death benefit, assurance on your life, durable But because of Ib, there are options, it's still infinite. Even, you know, even if you're not ins insure, there are still options. And so, I I just always like to mention that.
So even for my son and lo daughter, if they decide to learn about Iv and ever implement it in their lives there are options. Mh. We won't go into that here, but I'm the thrilled that I have... We've got a policy going on my granddaughter and we talked about it. She's only 3. And I bought Beaver the banker, the book that I learned about. And the author was there in Mike Everett at New and he went and grabbed it about a book for I'm, like, I need that book. And so I jumped online and
got it for right away. And we just read it this trip. I was there last week and we read it into she loves that book. She loves beaver and hadn't ever heard about banking and what is this about? So she has no idea what I will say. But she's being introduced to the words. So she won't grow up having to un unload anything, to make space for Ib c. It's just gonna be. He's just gonna So tell listeners a little bit about Cap, because sometimes Cap and our meetings will pop up on your lap and
if in engage with us. Really she just wants. Grandma. Right? What does she call you? Gigi? Gigi. That's right. Gigi. She just wants Gigi to get off her computer and play. Right? Well yes, but she also, I... She does now because she's associated the fact that work takes me away from her. But you know, I got to help take care of her for the first 4 months of her life. Most of our clients know this either because I've been there while I'm coaching them and she pops in.
Or because I just have to talk about her because I love her so much. But she grew up in front of the computer screen with me working. She she was often right there with me. And so it's... And gets it. This is this is part of our life. And this is part of the infinite thinking concept. And So... Yeah. Yeah. Shelley form this, conversation. Is so rewarding for me.
Just listening to what you and Todd and your family have created and are creating, And and then what you bring to the table for our life success legacy clients. I can't imagine and, in fact, I hate to do this, but I have to give credit to your husband who told me I needed to hire you. Adam yeah. In this conversation. We'll do another conversation. We need a follow up. Where we talk more about your role as the client coordinator within life success and legacy. Okay good.
The personal side, the story, the journey that you guys have taken is so fun to hear, It is just an absolute absolute blast to hear. And I know our listeners are gonna enjoy it as well. Well, thanks. I. Appreciate the opportunity to tell my story even though I don't like telling it on the camera. But. Is there anything else that you would want the listeners to know before we wrap this up? I think I I think I basically already said this, but it's a...
Conversation that I find myself having frequently with clients is, especially people who have an accumulation mindset or they're not having enough. I I do hear that a lot, what if I can't pay that? It feels like a bill. What if I can't pay it, or what if whatever? There are so many what and I remember that feeling, all what if and all the fear and Id has really helped me understand money is just a tool. It really is just a tool.
Not to be played with lightly and taken lightly and, you know, be irresponsible, but it's just a tool. And if you use it that way weather and I've heard mike ever say this a lot. Whether it's a little, or it's a lot, it works the exact same way. And so if you live within your means and use money as the tool that it is, it will all work out. It it just
will. I mean, there there's responsibility in the middle of all that, you have to, you know, be responsible, have coaches who can help you think through stuff, use them, follow the plan. That's key. I mean, you can't just buy a life insurance policy and say, okay. I'm done now let's see it work. Yeah. Actually, you take action. And I feel like once once we had a plan, and we're able to use it and... Follow
it and take the action. Fear just goes away because it does what it's supposed to do if I do what I'm supposed to do. That's really all it is. The question people always ask is there's always a risk. What's the risk? Yeah? Yeah. And and and they kinda give us the side eye when we go you are. It's so true. It's so true When you guys told us how to start, we did not do it the way you said. We did it
half of what you said. And it's fine because it still worked the same way, but dang it, it could've worked better. Bob not kick ourselves all the ty work. We should've have done what they said. And that is just absolutely the truth and and now working with life 6. Just legacy I see. The sausage you get made. I see what happens on the back end and I hear everybody talk about. No. Let's give them plenty of room. Let's let's be sure we don't come short here.
Let's be sure we help. Know how conservative we are. So conservative. And if I would have realized that, back let's we got started, but my fear of not having enough to live in To fear of not being able to do everything he wants to do. Held us back. And so, yeah, I I think trusted the process, and following it and, you know, doing what the plan says. You gotta do what the plan says. And You don't have to be afraid. Money just
a tool. Even though Mike Ever didn't do what his plan was supposed to do the first 3 years of his plan. Still worked. Yeah and work better if you follow the plant. Totally. My friend. This has been so fun. Thank you for stepping out of your comfort zone and stepping in front of a little camera. I appreciate that so much. And I look forward to our next 1 where we start talking about your role within life success and legacy. To our listeners, we wanna thank you all
for joining us at the life 6... Us legacy podcast. Check us out. Our website is life success legacy dot com, we have tons of resources. So whatever your learning style is, whether it's listening to whether it is reading, if you like to, kinda study on your own, We have a learning kit, with lots of resources for you, or if you prefer to talk, then just reach out to us. We have a contact us,
button on our website. And if you wanna talk with 1 of us, we'd love to do that, can also sign up for webinars that we do 2... We usually 2 times a month or so. Mike Everett typically does those. It's kind of an introduction and a, summary of the becoming your own banker book. And then our deep dive learning is our boot camps, which we do about every 6 weeks. That is a 2 and a half to 3 hour deep dive into infinite banking. We recommend you do some pre learning before
you get to that. Do the webinar, Read Nelson's book, etcetera before you jump to the boot k up because that would be, like, jumping into calculus, and you don't know your math facts yet. Right? So to our listeners, thank you again for joining us, and we will catch you next time on our life success legacy podcast.