How Maggie Q Went From Spending $0.75 per Day to Hollywood Stardom and a Wellness Empire

23:06Everyone was like, you're so amazing. You're so awesome. You're so this. And I was like, what are they talking about? I'm just doing my job. Just like a normal person who works hard. Right. But it was just weird. I didn't know compliments and I fully rejected them. And do you feel like when you got them, they weren't genuine or they just were given out more loosey goosey than Jackie's? I felt that they were given out too generously. and so they didn't mean as much right it's like if i if i get a compliment from my you know someone who knows me really well and who knows my flaws and who knows my journey and is like hey you know i know all this and you've cut from here to here and that's pretty cool that means a lot to me that means the world to me but even with people who like the work or whatever and they're complimentary It's very nice, but you really can't take it to heart because at the same time, you'd have to take all the negative stuff to heart too.

24:06And you shouldn't take that to heart either. So I just try to cross the board, not kind of indulge in any of it. Well, it also sounds like you are utilizing something that we see on Wall Street, which is it's better to beat low expectations. My husband had a hedge fund. he was on Wall Street for 30 years and he always says to me honey under promise and over deliver always and I'm like okay that's great so it was part of my personality already but I learned a lot from him in that way a lot what has he taught you about money oh gosh well first of all what if you taught him I'm sure too I teach him more of the softer side of serious things about life you know like that he always tells me like you've taught me the little things matter you know this and that where, you know, like with your partner, but he's such a global thinker.

24:55I'll put it that way. And he's such a big picture guy, obviously. And he admittedly will say, honey, I'm sorry. I'm not good at the small stuff, but I will, you will always be taken care of. I will always watch out for your welfare. I will always give you the best advice, you know, that kind of thing. And I don't know anyone like that. I don't know anyone like him. And I think because my husband has had great success in his career. He's not insecure about my success. I've never had that. Never had that. I've been with nice people who have been like, good for you. And then I've been with insanely jealous people who have not overtly said they don't want me to make it, but never wanted me to make it because it was some kind of personal attack on their own level, fame, money, or otherwise.

25:43And it's not pie, right? It's not. Yeah, there's enough to go around. It's crazy. And I never thought that a man would compete with me. The wrong man competes with you. And that's when it's over. That's when you're like, okay, this is done. Did you realize that when it was too late? No, because I got out of all those. So that was good. Yeah, it's really good. And now I'm right where I belong, which is really nice. And somebody who has earned everything that he's earned. And actually, he's pushing me for my success. You know, he really wants to push me in business and everything else that I'm doing because he's like, honey, the more success you have, the happier you're going to be as an individual.

26:22He's like, do you need to make money? No, but I want you to. And I want you to have success in the fields that you're interested in because you're going to be a happy person. And that makes us a happier couple. And so, right. How did you guys meet? We met through my lawyer years ago. He was married for a long time. I was engaged to someone else. And my lawyer was like, let's have a dinner you were all nice people and I was like okay so we go to dinner and she was right like him and his wife were so such nice people so grounded his story was exactly my family's story exactly they fled on the same day same war same city his family went on a boat my family went out in a helicopter and both ended up in refugee camps both ended up in the United States And so his story was very, really touched me that somebody like him, who, you know, has 10 brothers and sisters and grew up in a 600 square foot apartment where they're all sleeping on the floor, was able to have the massive success that he has had in his career.

27:31And that's like the ultimate immigrant story, right? Came from nothing. I'm so proud of him. I mean, it's unbelievable. But I remember meeting him just as a friend, as a human being and going, I'm so proud of you as a human. Like, you are the perfect immigrant story. You're the American dream. And, you know, he really did it because he watched his parents suffer because they were so poor. And he just was like, I don't want my mom to suffer anymore. I'm done. I'm not going to have it anymore. So that's why he made it. And so in seeing his story, I just thought, what an admirable human being. And that's what I left the dinner with.

28:06Like, what a great human being. Didn't see him for years. and then I was raising money for a charity based out of the UK that was helping kids in Vietnam. And I'm like, who would be interested in this? And I thought about him. So I called my lawyer. I said, do you think he'll meet with me about this charity? I need money. And she goes, of course, he'll meet with you. And I said, well, you just ask him because I don't want to pressure him to see me and just show up. And so she did. And then I showed up at his office. And this was, I think, like two and a half years after that dinner. And he's like, how's everything going?

28:36And I said, good. He said, how's your fiance? I said, I'm actually not engaged anymore. And I said, how's, how's home life? And he's like, I'm divorced. And I was like, how strange. Still nothing happened. We were just friends for a couple of years until anything happened. But that day he asked me what my plans were in my businesses. And I said, well, I'm opening my second business. And he's like, tell me about that. And then he became one of my investors that day. So that was cool. Very cool. Never gave me money for my charity, by the way. Oh, why not? I don't know. He was like, he's so interested in business.

29:10And he, I mean, he said he would, I just never pressed it. And then I met a bunch of his other friends who were like, we'll give you money. And then they did. And then I didn't need any more. So that was fine. But yeah, so that's how it all happened. We were friends for a few years after we had remet back up and he was obviously, you know, had been married for a very long time, faithfully married for a very long time. So So he was having a great time. He had all these pretty girls and stuff. And I would have dinner with them. And yeah, I really was just a real friend. And then when did it? I think everybody around me knew.

29:44Everyone around him and everyone around me knew. And so they'd say things like, how's your friendship going? I'm like, great. Is he dating anyone? I'm like, yeah, he's dating like a few people. And they're like, and you're not one of them. I'm like, no, no, no, just a friend. And I was like, why do people keep asking me this? They don't understand. And also, mind you, I was, to be fair, very wary of men with success. Why? I didn't like them. I just didn't. I lived in Hong Kong, which was, you know, how much money is in that city? And I knew at that time so many people with massive amounts of money, you know, people who came into money, people who made it on their own.

30:26and um it was just all very douchey you know it was just all very just everything was like they're very unfaithful like it was just all gross like what I was exposed to in the money world and of course this is like big city and all that so I just lumped him in with all the rich guys I've known in my life and just thought well he's the same obviously you know all these guys are the same you know they're successful and they think they can have whoever they want and which is for the most part true. So you thought hedge fund guy, douchebag. Totally. A hundred percent. Yeah. I really did. And he is the polar opposite of that.

31:03He is not a dirtbag at all. He is the greatest human being I've ever known in my life and a very honorable human being. So, you know, I've always, I think, and was always looking for someone that, a partner that I could look up to. I want to look up to my partner. Admire, yeah. Want to be like. And it sounds like it was familiar too, just your guys' stories. Yeah, which is interesting, right? Really interesting. So it all kind of came together very strange. And it's beautiful because his ex-wife is now married to somebody that she loves and we're married now. So it's really nice. Everyone's happy.

31:44Hold onto your wallets. Money Rehab will be right back. And now for some more money rehab.

31:57And you have a stepson. I do. Yeah. How is that gone? Oh, awesome. Yeah. He's perfect. I don't know what else to say. He's a perfect person because he has a really good heart. He's very kind. He's not weird. He was always very accepting of his dad's happiness. And I just never had an issue with him. And mind you, I've had issues before. I mean, I've been with people who've had kids. Yeah, it's not easy. And it's not their fault. It's just not easy. It's not an easy scenario. And so I think because I did go through a lot of that, it was really difficult in other relationships. Maybe this is my gift.

32:36I don't know. Yes, you paid your dues. It sounds like. Yes, that's what I was trying to say. Yeah, I've been with men who had kids. And it was, you know, it's always really hard. nobody grows up thinking like you know what I want to be is a stepmom really want to be a stepmom I really want their kids to resent me and want their mom you know originally in this in the Cinderella story was supposed to be the mom and then they made it the stepmom because they felt like it's societally just wrong to hate to hate your mom yeah yeah yeah well and also I think the stepmom scenario I mean more often than not you know the horror stories it's not fun and I cannot understand people who go into a scenario with children, and obviously children can be their own pill, right?

33:21But ever want bad for them or ever treat them. I just don't understand treating children that way. Like at all, because even if they mistreat you, they're children. They're angry or confused or they're hurt or they want something that's not happening. And you have to understand them. You're the adult. I cannot get behind these people who are not good to step kids. I hear it all the time. It happens too often and it really upsets me. I will say sometimes they say things that feel like an adult and you have to like, oh, you have to, you have to remind yourself. That's the thing about being the grownup, right?

33:57You have to be the grownup. I just had a baby. She's eight months old. Congratulations, by the way. You look amazing. Thank you. Trauma is an amazing diet. It's fine. What was your relationship like with kids? Did you want kids? Yeah, you know, it's funny because I never, well, there's a few things I didn't put emphasis on. Marriage, like we were talking about. Family or any of that. And I think that it sneaks up on you. Because I was so focused on being financially independent, like we talked about, nothing else was really factoring in. Not men, not, in fact, I treated men terribly. Terribly.

34:36I treated them like they were replaceable and not important to me and awful. Like, it's not good. I do not respect that about myself at that time when I was young. Your former self. My former self, exactly. I think it's a terrible thing to be, to just be focused on yourself. I know why. I know where it comes from. But you don't treat people like that, number one. And so I think that I kind of alienated people who wanted to be close to me because I wouldn't let them be close to me. And it's like, that's all you want, right? When you're with someone. And if you're not going to let someone do that, then you shouldn't let them into your life, right?

35:12But I did it anyway. So I, yeah, I just, as I kept growing in my field, I just kept wanting to grow and grow and grow. And then I got involved in nonprofits that meant a lot to me. And then that kept me really busy with fundraising for them. And then I had my own career. And then I had dreams of starting a business where I could give back to the charities that I love. And then And I did that. And so it was just like, it was kind of nonstop. The train left the station and it never stopped again. And so all of the things that I think are really important in hindsight were not important to me at all at the time.

35:49And so you just start getting older and older and you're like, am I going to do this or not? And then, you know, I only met my husband five years ago. Well, I met him much further back than that, but we got together five years ago. So yeah. And then we sort of talked about it and we thought, well, we won't be careful at all. And if we have a kid, great. And we just never did. Yeah. So that was kind of the mandate, you know, and he still tells me like, do you want, and we're like, oh my God, but we're so old now. And we love our lifestyle. Well, it sounds like your stepson is about to go to college.

36:22Yeah. So you'll be empty nesters and then potentially starting all over. But we could, I have 10 nieces and nephews. My husband has 38 eight nieces and nephews. He has 10 brothers and sisters. That's wild. Hi. So we definitely have a lot of kids in our orbit, which is great. And I take a lot of pride in, you know, my nieces and nephews and being involved in their lives and, you know, helping them where I can and all of that. So I definitely have kids around me. I just never had the dream of having them. I think having kids is probably the most, well, it is the most incredible thing in the world.

36:57And if it could happen for me, I absolutely would have, but I chose my partner and we've tried. And yeah, because you also have other babies with businesses too, which is how I thought of this too. I had my daughter when I was 40 and I really came to terms with the idea that, you know, I'm a mother in other ways. Like I'm a mother through teaching women about financial literacy and through businesses and I have book babies and other things. It's funny when I was telling my husband, actually that you were coming over he's like I love all the stuff I've seen her in but also like her stomach there's something on going on with her stomach it's a supplement yeah and I'm like yes and so during the pandemic I was watching YouTube and I see a 30 minute commercial I know isn't that crazy we've done our long ones yeah and I swear to God and this is not sponsored or anything.

37:52I was so into it. I was so captivated by you and your storytelling and how beautiful it was. I'm like, how am I watching an ad 27 minutes in? This is crazy. And I ordered by the way, it was sold out. Oh, good. Okay, good. They canceled your you can't I don't know whoever canceled my order. I was like, what the way you told the story about the supplement, I swear to God, no one has ever nailed it the way you thank you so much because it's true. because I think the truth resonates. Yeah, you can tell. And, you know, a lot of celebrities, you know, they have brands, right? It's a thing now. Back when I had the idea for my business, there was really not a lot of that going on.

38:35And even if it was, it was sort of like the celebrity would come and be absorbed into a brand, which is fine. I mean, you're the face of it. You're the face of it. And there's nothing wrong with that. That's great. I had an idea for a company because I really wanted to help people because I was in a place of ill health in my 20s that was like unthinkable at that age, right? At that age, you're supposed to be irresponsible and be able to do whatever you want. And I didn't have that. And so I thought, oh my God, I went on this journey to get better and I got better. And it took years, years and years and so much education and so much of what I had to do to learn about this was just get out there into the world, stalk doctors, like literally stalk these doctors that I respected, Not famous doctors, but famous in their field.

39:20Show up at their conferences, take notes. I mean, that was my college. I didn't go to college, right? So I would be there learning everything I could. And these people were very appreciative. They actually really loved that I was showing up at these things. And they said, you know, if you need anything, you need to be mentored, come back. I'll talk to you about, you know, my expertise. I'm like, oh my God. So that's what I did for years and helped myself. And once I did, I thought, I want other people to feel good too. That was my MO. just, it was very simple. I want everyone to feel good because when you feel good, like you're just a better person.

39:52Like you do good, you feel good. So I went out to start looking for investors or people that I could partner with. And I had no idea about business, nothing. All I knew was I had a vision and I knew how to do it, but I didn't know the business part of it. So I ended up luckily finding a parent company that already existed. So I didn't have to end up like raising the money they put the capital forward to start the company and they already had a brand with dr gundry and they were really just doctor based and so they were like well we want to do this with you but no one's going to listen to you because you're not a doctor and i'm like i hear you but i know what it's like to feel terrible happy yeah and then come back from it and that's what i want to help people with i mean we can get doctors in to consult for help, but I really think it'll resonate.

40:41And they're like, no, it won't. And it did. Because we had a medical director that came on with me because they were afraid that no one would listen to me. And then nobody was listening to him. And then they had to actually exit him from the company. And then it was just me. But they didn't believe in what I was doing. They were like, we'll see, but we doubt it. And here I am 10 years later. Yeah. So it's been interesting. It's been really interesting learning about business as I go. Because my second business, I made a ton of mistakes. You know, I did that from the ground up. I raised my first round and did everything and hired everybody.

41:15And so that was really tough. I learned a lot and I think I'm going to go into my third venture soon, probably next year. And that'll be my last business I'm doing because I want to retire at some point. I mean, it sounds like you can retire now, but you're on a mission. What were some of those lessons that you did learn from business. Just all of it, right? Just all of like where you're spending, where you should be spending, where you shouldn't be spending, what positions I didn't need to fill yet until later and what positions I should have spent more money on. One of the biggest mistakes I made, unfortunately, we launched that business during COVID and that was the timing.

41:58I mean, we were ready to go and COVID hit in Europe and we were a month away from launching and I'm like, oh my gosh, what's happening in the world? So that happened. So now we're out during COVID, you know, everybody's frozen their bank accounts and aren't, you know, I mean, everyone's, you know, shit scared, right? Obviously. And what I should have done, which would have been really smart, very risky, but what I should have done was I should have put more money towards ad spend when everything had shut down rather than hold back. Because you were scared? I was scared. I thought it was a big mistake.

42:32I thought nobody was buying, but... I was buying. Yeah. My husband said, you were wrong because that fear didn't last very long. And then people needed something to do. And they had their Peloton bikes at home. And they were doing yoga on Zoom and all that. And the culture was consistently living its life. It just wasn't doing it out in the public. But you had money at the time. So why did you want to bring on investors? For their expertise as well. You know, there was a bunch of different people I met with where I just needed them as advisors, you know, people who were successful in the space.

43:06And now I know in a much clearer way who and why I will go to certain people because I'm doing the same thing now, raising money for something else. It's not just about because there's money everywhere. Anyone can give you money, but they can't give you the advice that you need every step of the way. And certain people can. And so that's really who you should gravitate towards. How much money did your husband give you? $250 ,000. Yes. Have you given it back? I have not. Good. Have you given investors money back? I have not yet. But I have an idea, actually, because I want to wind one thing down and roll it into something else.

43:51So I may actually roll their investments into something else that I'm doing, which I'm kind of excited about. So, yeah. Will your husband invest in that? Yes. Definitely. And also he wants to do business together, which I can't think of a more trustworthy and smarter person to be in business with. So that will actually be fun because then we just get time together in that space. Just from the desire so early on to be financially independent, have you kept finances separate? Yes. For me, I've never had a joint bank account ever. And I never will because I don't even know what that does. I've always just worked and had my own money.

44:31And I've seen so many women, it just breaks my heart. Like it kills me. That's why I love so much what you do, you know, friends, sisters, or, you know, people who put all their eggs in that basket and then it ended and their money was just gone, you know? And I just, oh, that makes me, makes me so sad because you should trust your partner and you should have that you know I mean there's nothing wrong with having your money together and having trust and all that sort of stuff but it does go south and you always have to be prepared for that it was funny I told a friend's sister recently to start moving money out of her accounts because she was telling me stories and the stories were like this is not gonna end well like have a secret account before they get divorced correct I'm like you need to just because it's your money too I mean you know it's not like she was stealing his money I mean like just you know start putting your paychecks into your own account because the stories you're telling me she's like you think it's bad I'm like it's so bad I don't know why she couldn't see it but that was the advice and then it ended badly yeah and so you know I hate to be that person where you're like prepare for the worst but you kind of you do have to prepare for the worst no matter what I hear you I think that you always have to have your own back especially if you don't come from money so how do you guys deal with it does he pay for house vacations yeah yeah yeah exactly yeah he takes care of his family he takes care of us but what I do and what he's really happy about for me is he's like yeah you have your own stuff take care of like he's like obviously your family needs anything I'm here there's no problem but he loves that I have my own thing going on because I take care of my family too you know and I you know want all my sisters to be okay my parents to be okay and everybody to be okay.

46:17So I make sure he's like, you focus on your family, you make sure they're good, you make sure they're, you know, and he knows that me earning what I earn on my own and take care of my family makes me feel good. Right. So he's like, whatever, like we're involved, like, you know, that involves us. You don't have to worry about that. That's taken care of. I got that. And so I get to focus on people that I really love and not worry about it. And your businesses and my businesses. Yeah. So it sounds like you guys didn't sit down and say, okay, like yours mine ours no we were just like let's get married and we'll just nothing really changed right we're just kind of the same yeah i was seeing that you like to read some woo woo books and healing how do you incorporate that into business we had do you know lavinia erico why does that name sound familiar co-founder of equinox okay yeah friend she's awesome she's been on the show she says practical woo came into her business oh interesting so yeah how does that manifest for you because you love so much of the health stuff.

47:17And I think financial health, we started our conversation talking about this, is a big part of just general wellness. I think financial wellness should be part of more of a wellness conversation. I totally agree because how can you have good mental health if you're not financially stable? I can't. Doesn't that drive people to divorce and arguments and this and that murder? I mean, all kinds of stuff happens around money. Yeah. It's crazy. It's so funny I say murder. I have a cop show, so of course, I'm incorporating that. We see it all the time. I haven't seen the homicidal part of it, but I'll take your word for it.

47:49On my side, I've seen it. I have so many friends. They're all detectives. It's great. I love Dateline. It's the whole thing. So one of the woo-woo books you're probably talking about is The Untethered Soul. So Michael Singer, I think, is one of the most profound authors alive, spiritual men. And again, he's not, I won't call him a guru because I can't stand that word and those people who just need sycophants and just need that's a whole nother ball game michael singer is more like you'll love this and if you don't know his story you should he was on the board of a company that he built i can't remember what the business was he was worth hundreds of millions of dollars and then he was under investigation all of a sudden for fraud something somebody in the upper ranks of his company was being fraudulent and they had to investigate everybody so basically he literally lost everything literally everything okay all his money his status his company everything he built and he was innocent right i mean done anything and so he said the greatest spiritual lesson of his life was when he lost everything because if you're not okay when you've lost everything and you have hundreds of millions of dollars, he said, you should be the same person.

49:08There should be no difference in your nervousness, peace. Nothing should be disturbed. And that's a crazy concept. Okay. So, okay. He's under investigation for six years. Okay. They come after him and you know, when they come after you for financial fraud, they come after you and he could do nothing. He couldn't get another job, start another company and make more money. Nothing. So he sat there for six years under investigation until he was cleared. But now he has nothing. Zero. He had to start over. And he just said, I came into my spirituality when I was under investigation because I knew that I had to get to a place where I was okay no matter what.

49:52And, you know, people have interviewed him and said, how can you be under investigation, lose hundreds of millions of dollars and you're okay? He's like, but that's the challenge. That's what we're here for. We're here to be okay no matter what. And I think it's the disease of our society, period. Like I'm okay if he loves me. Not okay if he doesn't love me. I'm okay if I have money. I'm not okay if I don't have money. I'm okay if I'm famous. But if my fame starts to recede, I'm not okay. Right? And so I think that the spiritual lesson that he teaches is the most important one you can teach anyone because it just crosses every boundary.

50:26It doesn't matter who you are, how much you have, what industry you work in. It's true no matter what. And so that book, and he has three of them, he has a surrender experiment, he has the untethered soul, and then he has a more recent one. They are, Nicole, when I tell you they are the most freeing books you can ever read because they're really just about letting go no matter what's happening to you, no matter what. I'm talking like from the smallest thing, like being in traffic, we live in LA, so we know what that is and being okay with it to losing hundreds of millions of dollars or not getting the guy or losing the friend, whatever it is, should be okay.

51:03And he really teaches how to do that practically. So that's how I was able to cross that over into business. You have to have that. I'm going to call it Zen for lack of better word, but you have to have it because no matter what you're losing, as we know, there's going to be something gained. Maybe it's not tomorrow or the next day, but something will, you know, how many times have you broken up with someone and been devastated? And then you're fine. And now you're with your husband and you're like, Oh my God, I'm so glad I didn't. Well, there's also this arrival fallacy. Like I'll be happy when I get there.

51:33And then you get there and you're like, but I'll really be happy when I get somewhere. But that's what Michael Singer is talking about. Exactly what he's talking about. And at our wedding, we had a little quote from him right under, and my husband is friends with him. He actually reached out to him just to tell him how much his books meant to him. And Michael reached back and he was like, what? I never respond to anyone. And he responded to my husband. And so they're in communication now. And we had these chargers at the wedding and they were glass. And so right under it, I had a Michael Singer quote and it said something like, I stand in awe of knowing that everything that happens to us happens in the perfect time, in the perfect place.

52:09And it's okay. Like it's all okay. Yeah. Because it's so profound, you can apply it to anything in life. And I definitely apply it in business because as you know, business is up and down. You will lose way more than you win. I mean, the only constant is change. And that resonates with me so much after losing everything in the fires this year. I'm sure. Same thing. It was, it puts everything to perspective. I just, after that, I just wanted to get rid of most of what I owned. Well, a lot of what I owned did get taken away. So you lost your house? Yep. I lost my house. Unfortunately, the one, Was that the one that you bought when you were in your 20s?

52:47No, that was when I bought here. That was mine. So it had been my thing, you know. And it's so crazy when this is your biggest asset, right? And it's just gone and you're standing there and it's gone. And again, back to Michael Singer, you have to be standing there. And it was the most pitiful scene. I was standing there. It was pouring rain. I was up to my knees in mud. I'm looking at it and it's crushed. and the fire department's walking up the hill and they're firefighters. They've seen everything. And they were like, I mean, they had their hands over their mouths and they didn't know what to do.

53:23And I'm just bawling, just standing there crying and they didn't know what to do. So they all kind of looked at each other and they all just hugged me. It was so sweet, but that's the Michael Singer moment of I'm standing there, I'm looking at my house and everything I've done and owned. And I when things get taken away from you. And I'm supposed to be okay in that moment, as okay as I was when my house was standing. And that's the challenge. And I take that challenge really seriously. And I think it's incredibly profound to live that way. It's one thing to read it in a book. It's another thing to actually put it into practice.

54:02Oh, it's so hard. It's so hard. and I didn't just face losing a home. I faced like neighbors who were awful, just like awful. So there was a mud slide. It was on state property. State land was the mountain behind my house. So the mountain collapsed, went just through my home. Unexpectedly. Yeah. You couldn't get anything out. I wasn't even there. I was like, my husband and I were doing something and then the neighbors texted my assistant and said, oh, there's some damage to your gate, like my drive-in gate. but I'm thinking my driving gate is quite far down from the house like how can my gate be damaged by something then I get there and it's steel and it's completely bent up I mean because the boulders were so big and the mud was so forceful that it came right through steel and it just bent the steel all the way up and I'm like holy and I keep walking and then as I get up to the house it's just crushed I mean completely crushed I mean the mud was above the roof so you're seeing part of the house and you're going, oh God.

55:01And so, you know, I'm from an island, right? Something like that happens on an island. It's a little unfair, you know, how I compare them because I'm from an island where people are very loving. There'd be a line around the block with people with like shovels and like food. Let's go, Maggie, what do you need? Let's dig some stuff out. Let's try to, and that just didn't happen here. People were mad at me because they had mud in their driveway, but they wanted to sue me it was so awful and that was the other thing i was like i'm out of here i'm done i can't do this i don't want to be around people who are just trying to get and get and get that's not who i am so a month later i run into all the firemen i'm at the coffee shop here in brentwood and i'm sitting there and i see all these guys they're not in full garb but i see their faces and i'm like how do i know that guy is he an actor i like had no context because it was so traumatic right but i know the face and so they get their coffee they sit down and i'm looking at them like this and they're looking at me and i'm like oh my god so i walk up to them i'm like guys it's me remember they're like of course are you okay i'm like i left and every single one of them nodded they were like good for you get out because no one's gonna help you it was crazy the state turns their back on you they're like oh that was our land that fell in your house sorry I mean, not our fault.

56:22Yeah, it's crazy. Did you have insurance? Yeah, but it doesn't cover mudslides. They took it off the policies a couple years ago. Of course, of course they did. And, you know, you have mudslide, but then there's also flooding, right, from the rains. But that's not the flooding they cover. They only cover flooding that comes from pipes within the house. Zero coverage. So if there's a fire, like there's potential for coverage. If you have fire coverage, obviously, but they don't cover mudslides. You have to, in California, get extra earthquake coverage. That's not included. Exactly. It's all extra.

56:53It's really just, it's too big of a risk. It's just too big of a risk. I mean, how can you, you know, have an asset that big and then, you know, not be able to insure yourself? I hope you take this compliment from me. It's so genuine. I'm so in awe and so proud of everything that you've built despite everything you've gone through. Thank you so much. we end our episodes by asking for a tip that listeners can take to the bank. And so through all of the financial ups and downs and trauma that you've been through, what would you tell somebody today that they could implement into their own life? I'll give them a tip from my mom.

57:34And this is hilarious. We obviously didn't grow up with anything like I spoke about, but I wanted things because when you have nothing, you want everything, right? And so I would, as an annoying kid, would say to my mom, mom, mom, mom, can we get this? You know, I don't know what it was, whether it was like cookies or like a bag or whatever it is. And I would say, it's 50 % off or it's 60 % off or whatever it is, right? Because I thought that would appeal to her, right? And my mom, my mom would say to me, you know, she's very accented. She said, honey, I don't buy 100 % off.

58:09and i'm like oh god and you just sort of go that's true it's actually so true so i think my advice would be per my mom if you don't need it don't get it even if it's on sale even if it's on sale don't let that fool you because that's part it's a marketing it's a thousand dollar sweater now That's only 500. And you're like, what? Basically free. It's not hard earned anymore. I would just advise it not to be marketed to. Be like Maggie's mom. Save 100%. Wash your Ziploc bags.

58:51Money Rehab is a production of Money News Network. I'm your host, Nicole Lappin. Money Rehab's executive producer is Morgan Lavoie. Our researcher is Emily Holmes. Do you need some money rehab? And let's be honest, we all do. So email us your money questions, moneyrehab at moneynewsnetwork.com to potentially have your questions answered on the show or even have a one-on-one intervention with me. And follow us on Instagram at moneynews and TikTok at moneynewsnetwork for exclusive video content. And lastly, thank you. No, seriously, thank you. Thank you for listening and for investing in yourself, which is the most important investment you can make.

59:31Thank you.