April 14, 2026 • 28 mins
What happens when your whole financial future changes overnight? In this episode, Laura sits down with Rachel Duck—mom of three, real estate investor, coach, and author of A Single Mom’s Guide to Financial Freedom—to talk about rebuilding after divorce, creating a plan, and moving from financial survival to financial freedom. Rachel shares how becoming a single mom in 2020 forced her to rethink everything, and how that journey became the foundation for her book and her message.
Together, Laura and Rachel talk about the mindset shift single moms need most, the importance of defining a financial freedom number, why clarity matters more than perfection, and how small wins can help someone break out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. Rachel also shares the 7-step framework behind her book: mindset, defining the formula, reality assessment, budgeting, income growth, investing, and generosity.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why mindset is the first step toward financial healing
- How to calculate your own financial freedom number
- What to do when expenses no longer match your reality
- Why single moms need both practical plans and small wins
- How Rachel thinks about budgeting, income growth, investing, and generosity after divorce
If you know a single mom who feels behind, ashamed, or overwhelmed, send her this episode. Rachel’s message is clear: you have not failed, it is not too late, and financial freedom is possible.
Follow Rachel Here:
Instagram: @rachelannduck
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
You are listening to the Moneyand Legacy Podcast with Laura
Sexton.
I'm helping families pay offdebt, grow wealth, and build a
legacy without sacrificing whatmatters most.
This is where money feels easy.
Laura (00:15):
Hey, legacy builders.
We are going to be talking todayto my friend and hopefully soon
to be your friend, Rachel Duck.
She is a mom of three and she'sa real estate investor, a
consultant, an agent, a coach,and now an author.
She is written a wonderful newbook called A Single Mom's Guide
to Financial Freedom.
(00:36):
You know.
I'm going to love this book andso I know you are going to love
this book.
So Rachel, welcome to the show.
Rachel Duck (00:44):
Thank you.
Thanks so much for having me.
Appreciate it.
Laura (00:46):
Rachel is a part of the Brand Builders Group, which I'm
a part of, and she is launchingher book and we are so excited
to get some new eyeballs onthis.
Hopefully get some readers thatare going to just really be
served.
But Rachel, for the listenersthat are meeting you for the
very first time.
What made you, first of all, whoare you and, and who do you
(01:08):
serve?
And then, and then secondly,what made you decide to focus
specifically on single moms?
Rachel Duck (01:13):
So, I'm Rachel Duck.
I, I am a mom of three.
I live outside of Austin, Texas.
In my background, I've worked inreal estate for, two decades now
in different capacities.
So I work in property tax workand consulting and sales and
investing, and that's mypassion.
This book is an outpouring justof a passion project.
So I, I myself became a singlemom, in 2020, right when COVID
(01:36):
hit.
Kind of had to re-figure outwhat my life go, looking
forward.
My plan would be, I'm a very bigplanner, so I had everything
lined out like my ex-husband,worked in government and a, a
pretty stable job.
So I had, you know, our next.
30, 40 years planned outfinancially, and that shifted.
It opened a lot of cool doorsfor me and my kids, and I've had
(01:57):
a lot of friends go through thesame scenario.
Not exactly the same, butdifferent, different scenarios,
but becoming a.
Single moms after having a, apretty stable financial
lifestyle.
And how to, to, to regroup yourfooting, not just to survive,
but to really grow towardsthriving.
My, my goal is for everyone toend up in a place of generosity,
and abundance where they canlive their passion, and not be
(02:19):
kind of beholden to how am Igonna pay my bills?
'cause I think that's how we allshould live,
Laura (02:24):
Abundance is one of my favorite words.
But you saying that I'mintrigued.
Starting with generosity, thatseems really scary, especially
when you're going through a biglife transition.
Why is generosity the place tostart?
Rachel Duck (02:37):
Yeah.
And I I love that you askedthat.
In Brand Builder's Group, wehave our uniqueness.
It's kind of like our underrecurring word in mine I just
knew was gonna be generosity.
And it, it didn't necessarilyfit at first because it, it,
seemed like more accountability.
But I think generosity first inyour finances is really what
transformed my financial, life.
(02:57):
And this was before I gotdivorced, before I became a
single mom.
But.
The principle of giving first,and you know, if, if you are a
churchgoer, you hear this atchurch, but I think the
statistics are even amongst,churchgoing Christians,
something crazy, like only fiveto 10% actually practice a
regular tithing.
The 10%, and I remember one day.
(03:19):
Hearing my pastor speak on it.
And my reaction was always justthat gut wrench, which I think a
lot of people feel like, oh,they just want my money.
Yeah.
And something changed that day,and this was again probably 10
or 12 years ago.
My babies were babies and I, Ijust said, you know what?
I'm gonna try it, I'm gonna testit out, see what happens.
(03:40):
And it really changed my wholeperspective on my finances
because it's about giving first.
Because you're, it's a heartposture and so that's the
minimal level.
But, just having that heartposture of open hands, and this
isn't really mine, but I'm goingto steward it correctly, is
really what changes everythingwhen you get your mindset right.
In my, my book, I have sevensteps to, to move from financial
(04:03):
survival to thriving.
And the first step is mindset.
The last step's generosity, andso they kind of tie back to each
other because you're startingwith a mindset where you're
getting that giving first.
Even if you don't really wantto, you're just gonna do it and
you're gonna change how you'reapproaching it.
And then by the time you get tothe last step.
It just is a natural part of whoyou are, and you can live from a
(04:25):
position of generosity.
And that's really the goal is toget there.
So that's my heart.
Laura (04:30):
Yeah, I love that.
So one of the things that I sayall the times is if you're
holding your hands in a closedfist and you're holding your
money really, really tight.
Nothing else can get in.
Sammy W. (04:41):
Right.
Laura (04:42):
Like you might be holding it, but nothing like you can't
receive anything.
But if you hold your handsopenly, yeah, some money might
fall out, but also you canreceive so much more.
And so I love that that is yourposture as well.
I think that we're ratheraligned on that one.
Sammy W. (04:56):
Yeah.
Laura (04:57):
I wanna know more about your seven steps.
So
Sammy W. (04:59):
this
Laura (04:59):
is me being super nosy.
Can you tell me and like aerialview, what are those seven
steps?
Sammy W. (05:06):
So the first one's mindset, and that seems, I know
it seems kind of, you know, notas actionable, but to me it's
really important, especially formy, my audience, single moms and
for myself.
This is speaking fromexperience.
You come into a position thatyou weren't expecting, and
sometimes you're in a posture ofeither I'm a victim or if only,
(05:27):
and these things that go throughyour head like this would only
be easier if.
I one day just drew a line inthe sand and said, this isn't
helping.
And for many of, of you outthere who maybe went through
some pretty hard stuff, it, itprobably is true.
It's probably awful.
But that doesn't help you,right?
So if you're in that mindsetposture, you're not able to
improve your situation becauseyou're focusing on what happened
(05:49):
to you versus what can Icontrol,
Laura (05:51):
right?
Sammy W. (05:51):
And the reason I love finances for, for women going
through divorce or coming out ofdivorce is it is something that
you actually have some controlover.
Relationships are harder.
Finances.
Like, I can make a plan.
I, I, I can assess where I'm at.
And then I can get to that endgoal by, by making that plan.
So start with mindset, tryingto, to get aligned with this.
(06:13):
Okay, this happened.
I'm gonna replace those.
I call'em scarcity strip scriptswith abundance affirmations.
Flip the switch.
Just claim it.
Take ownership of my ownfinancial future.
And then my step two, I call itthe formula.
So that's when you define yourend goal.
The financial freedom formula iswhat I call it.
But basically it's just lookingat what amount of equity or
(06:35):
capital would you need to beconsidered financially free.
And what that means is whatamount of equity or capital.
If invested at a particular rateof return and we walk through
your return assumptions based onyour risk profile, what would
cover your expenses.
So, for instance, if you have$10,000 a month in expenses, 4%
(06:57):
return, two and a half millionwould be your number kind of
thing.
And that's gonna be differentobviously for everybody, but I
like to define it.
Just so you're, you put that onthe wall and say, okay.
This is my goal because I wantto get to a place where I have
the freedom to cover my expensesand not worry about what's going
on in my life.
Not to quit my job necessarily,but to have that freedom.
(07:19):
So I like to define it.
Laura (07:21):
Is that what you call your financial freedom number?
Sammy W. (07:23):
Yes.
Yes.
Laura (07:24):
Okay.
Great.
I love it.
Sammy W. (07:25):
Love it.
Yeah, and I think a lot ofpeople, they call it different
things.
It's the same idea where, wherewould I cover, where would I be
able to cover my expenses?
And then that, just have thatsigh of, okay, I'm okay.
Laura (07:35):
I ask, sorry, can I ask you a nitty gritty question?
Sammy W. (07:38):
Yeah.
Laura (07:39):
Where do you get the 4% amount that you're safely with?
Draw down.
Sammy W. (07:44):
So mine, so I said 4%.
Mine is based on a rate ofreturn assumption, not a
drawdown because it's based onthe cash flow off the assets.
And so my 4% is based on, so Ihave a risk profile assessment,
but basically how much risk youeach individual person is
comfortable with.
And so a very low, very low riskto a more high risk go up to
(08:08):
10%.
I'm not comfortable myself withthat as an assumption because I
feel like.
That's above where I would liketo be in a comfortable level.
So I, I use 4% as the kinda themiddle risk range, essentially,
just saying if I have thatcapital invested, can I achieve
4% off of it and that 4% covermy expenses Okay.
(08:29):
Versus draw down.
So that's, that's maybe Okay.
Laura (08:32):
No, I love that.
Sammy W. (08:33):
Yeah.
So your capital would still bethere versus the Right.
Laura (08:37):
Okay.
Sammy W. (08:37):
So my step three is, I call it reality assessment.
So it's basically, where are younow?
We, we don't know where we'regoing if we don't know with real
clarity where you are now.
And for a lot of women walkingout of divorce, they may have
never really been involved intheir finances.
A lot of my, my friends andpeople I've coached through
this.
Had no idea because theirhusband handled it.
(08:59):
Or maybe you do, or maybe you'rehiding things from yourself.
I did that where it's like, Ugh,I don't really want to admit
that I spent this amount orwhat.
So we do, 30 days of strictexpense tracking.
So you can either go backwardsor forwards or both just get a
real clear idea of what youractual expenses are, and then do
(09:20):
look at your assets andliabilities.
Create a, a balance sheet forwhat you have.
If you're about to go through adivorce, this is really
important because you need toknow what's out there, what
assets you have.
And if you're coming out of it,you also need to know, because
you need to know what you'restarting with.
And it might be you're startingwith a negative net worth.
You might have a lot of debtyou're bringing in and you might
(09:40):
have to claw yourself out ofthat.
And that's okay.
You just gotta know where youare or you won't know where
you're going
Laura (09:46):
or
Sammy W. (09:46):
you know where you're going, but you won't know how to
get there.
Um.
So that's step three.
And then step four, we work onstrict budgeting.
So I, I call that getting toground level.
So you've assessed your reality.
Now we're gonna get our expensesunder control first.
So we really want to achieve a,positive income gap between your
income and expenses.
(10:07):
And so some people may alreadyhave that.
Some people may be in a goodposition, some people may have a
lot of consumer debt that youreally have to attack.
Or get your expenses down phasedphase budgeting, you know, try
to do 10% each budget to try andcut it down.
And it might be easy at first.
You know, you can cut out the,the Starbucks run or the target
runs those discretionaryexpenses, but you might get to a
(10:29):
place where to get that marginlarge enough, you have to make
some hard decisions.
Like, is that car something thatI really need?
Can I move, out of this housethat I can no longer afford?
And those are harder decisions,you know, because there's a lot
more tied to that, especially ifyou have kids, but sometimes you
have to make those decisions.
I moved my kids eight times infour years.
(10:52):
My strategy was real estaterental.
So there's a strategy there, butit was not easy.
but it was, it was fun in itsown way.
So I, I get it.
There's some, some challenges,but that's why I want everybody
to define that number and knowyour why.
And if you really wanna pursueit, then you're willing to make
some sacrifices.
So that's step four.
And then step five, we work onincome growth.
(11:14):
So what are some, avenues foryou to grow your income, either
with your own employment or sidehustles?
What can you do with youravailable time not to reach a
period of, or a place ofexhaustion because.
You know, you need to be therefor yourself and your kids, but
how can you fit in pockets oftime or additional resources you
have?
Renting out rooms if it's safelydone or that kind of thing is
(11:37):
also an option.
So we walk through ways toincrease your income.
That goal is really to just keepthat income margin growing
because the next step isinvesting.
So once you've got your defense,strong offense is good with your
income growth.
How can we start investingsafely depending on your risk
profile, depending on yourknowledge base and what you're
(11:58):
comfortable with.
So get all through that.
And then the final steps isgenerosity, where you really are
able to live a life of purposeand passion in which you want to
do because you have the freedomto do so.
Sorry, that's a lot.
Laura (12:10):
No, that's so good.
And I'm glad that you know it aswell as you do, so that when
people come to you, you can belike, all right, this is exactly
where you start.
Do you.
Are, is there one specific areawhere you find single moms
struggle the most?
Sammy W. (12:24):
Yeah, I think, well, a lot of, I think they come, most
of the single moms I've workedwith come in struggling with
expenses, exceeding theirincome, because they were in a
scenario where.
Two incomes.
In a lot of cases, the male orhusband was the, the primary
(12:44):
breadwinner.
So now they have the samelifestyle because their kids are
comfortable and they're in theschools that they wanna be, but
they can't afford it.
And so having to.
Look at their reality, and then,okay, we gotta make a plan.
And I've had one of my goodfriends, she was in that
scenario, beautiful home.
(13:05):
She had to sell it, she had tomove to a rental, all these
things.
But she's doing it with joybecause she had her mindset,
right?
She knows the end goal, sheknows where she's going with her
kids, and you can make it, youknow, make it an adventure.
But it's hard.
It's hard to change that.
But I think that's what I'veseen most is that misalignment
with.
Expenses and income just becauseyou're coming from one scenario
(13:25):
into a new one.
Laura (13:27):
Yeah, I, I have a couple clients that I work with that
are going through this lifetransition where they're
becoming single moms, and onething I hear all the time,
whether they're clients or justcoming onto a clarity call to
get some information from me.
I hear all the time, well, Idon't want things to change for
the kids, and my response is.
(13:47):
99% of the times everything'salready changed.
Sammy W. (13:50):
Yeah.
Right, right.
Laura (13:51):
The staying in the same house isn't, you know, that
doesn't keep it from every timeI walk in this house.
It feels weird now.
Mm-hmm.
For them, I am a product of, howdo you say this nicely?
My parents got divorced when Iwas really young.
Sammy W. (14:05):
Mm-hmm.
Laura (14:07):
So I'm on the other side.
So a lot of times when I'mhaving this conversation with
women, I'm like, Hey, guesswhat?
My mom moved a bunch.
Sammy W. (14:13):
Yeah,
Laura (14:13):
I'm a completely, mostly normal, you know, rational human
being, and it's, it's gonna beokay.
And I think sometimes being juston the other side of that, I can
speak into it and it gives alittle bit of peace, but at the
same time, your whole life isblown up and you're like, I just
wanna hold onto one thing.
And I just feel like,
Sammy W. (14:34):
yeah,
Laura (14:34):
it's a false hope.
If that's where you're trying tohold onto, that's the wrong
thing to hold onto.
That's not a hope, that's gonnakeep you safe.
Sammy W. (14:41):
Yeah.
No, I think that's a greatperspective that you have as a
child of divorce to have that.
I mean that's, that isencouraging to be able to tell
somebody that.
Yeah.
Yeah, and I think it's.
I've heard that a lot too.
Like I don't want anything tochange.
And the hard reality is, likeyou said, it is changing, you
know, and the house is not gonnabe the thing that's the
(15:02):
stability for the kids.
It's gonna be you, you feeling,feeling peace and feeling you
feeling stable and you feelinglike you can take care of them.
And if that means you gottachange your physical location,
that's better for the kids.
Than the alternative.
So yeah, I think that thatperspective shift, it's hard and
I get it, there's a lot ofcompassion there because it's
(15:23):
not an easy process.
But like I said, the reason Ilove finances is because it is
something that we can worktowards.
We can, I find it so much easierto help someone fix their
finances than help them heal arelationship to me, that's,
that's a much harder, task totackle, but we can create a plan
here that you can feel manysuccesses each day as you move
(15:46):
forward.
And I feel like that'sempowering for someone going
through an earth shaking eventlike a divorce.
Laura (15:52):
Okay.
So I wanna ask you I wanna getinto this.
You have written a book called ASingle Mom's Guide to Financial
Freedom.
Sammy W. (16:00):
Yep.
Laura (16:02):
What is this?
Let's say some, one of mylisteners goes, picks up the
book and they're actually gonnafollow it.
They're gonna go all in.
They're gonna do this.
Where are they on day one, andwhat change do you think they'll
see 90 days in?
Sammy W. (16:18):
Yeah, so day one of the book, we're we're talking
about your mindset.
So we're talking about justreframing how you're thinking
about money, how you're thinkingabout your current P position,
and really getting on a solidfooting.
The book is meant to be done, asyou're working through the
actual process.
So it's not meant to be read andthen go back and do the work
(16:40):
because I don't think thatworks.
And so I very explicitly in thebook, okay, the mindset part.
Depending on where you are,maybe a week or two, we really
go through some exercises.
Write out your why.
Write out your life.
Kind of like a vision statement,what you want out of your life
so that you can come back tothat and know why you're doing
this.
So that can take some time ormaybe not if you're already in a
(17:02):
pretty good spot.
The next stage stage, um,calculating your financial
freedom number can go prettyquick.
Um, you just need to know someinformation about your expenses
or estimating, but then, so 90days in.
You'll be expense tracking stage30 to 60 days.
So you really need to go throughyour expenses, get your balance
(17:22):
sheet out, work on that.
And then you're coming intobudgeting.
So within 90 days you'reprobably starting, one of your
first phase budgets.
And I really want anyone readingthe book to just.
To work through it sequentiallyand do the work because
otherwise, you know, you mightget some motivation, you might
feel great, get some goodstories, but there won't be that
(17:43):
true change.
And that takes time as you gothrough the process.
Laura (17:47):
Okay.
Yeah, I see that.
A lot of my clients and a lot ofmy listeners are currently
paycheck to paycheck.
Sammy W. (17:56):
Mm-hmm.
Laura (17:58):
I know they're supposed to pick up the book and they're
supposed to go through it stepby step, which is great.
Where do you think the biggestdifference will come for a
person that is living paycheckto paycheck and they're ready to
get out of that cycle?
Sammy W. (18:12):
Yeah, I just think, that is a anxiety ridden cycle.
So waking up every day notknowing exactly.
I, that's, that's anundercurrent that impacts a lot
of, a lot of your life.
And to, to break free of thatmight seem.
Like, it's not possible whereyou are right now because you
can't see how that could happenbecause you're just worried
(18:33):
about paying those bills.
So, so someone in that cycleneeds, they need little wins.
And so you start workingtowards, you know, identifying
your expenses and start workingtowards your budget, but in the
meantime you need little wins.
So, you know, I talk about,going through your
subscriptions, just those littlethings to get an extra.
50 bucks.
20 bucks, going through callingyour insurance, trying to get
(18:54):
that lowered to get a couple,even if it's 20 bucks.
Get those little wins so you canfeel that momentum.
And then as you're going towardscreating your, your budget, we
look at cutting the first 10%.
So for someone paycheck topaycheck, you might be on a,
well, you can be paycheck topaycheck at different levels,
right?
There's a lot of people at veryhigh income that are paycheck to
(19:16):
paycheck, and then low income aswell.
So how can you cut out the first10% and that's the easiest parts
because you might.
Have a lot of discretionaryexpenses that you can cut, maybe
a little bit less, but you canfind ways to just really commit
to creating a little bit ofbreathing room and then creating
more, and then creating more.
And there's gonna be some harderdecisions that might have to
(19:38):
come if you are in a reallytight place financially.
But to get those expenses downfirst and then look at ways to
grow your income, and, andgrowing your income might
include opportunities at yourcurrent employment.
It might include looking at.
Different areas of employment.
There might need to be reallybig changes that happen there
for you to get that breathingroom that you need.
(19:59):
But I think just starting byknowing where you are and
getting those expensive,stabilized, even if it's
challenging, gives you thatbreathing room.
Laura (20:07):
No, I love that.
You mentioned having, ordeveloping a membership where
single moms can come in and.
What is the goal there?
Is it just come in and getsupport?
Are you going to be coachingthem financially?
What are you establishing there?
Sammy W. (20:22):
Yeah, so the membership's really, and the,
the first level, it's calledfoundation.
It's really meant to be alignedwith working through the book,
and through the state of theseven Steps.
So I wrote the book first andthen thinking, okay, if
someone's actually going throughthis and it's taking months.
Having some accountability, isgonna really be what helps them
get, get through to the finishline.
(20:42):
And so the initial levelmembership, it's pretty low
entry barrier to entry on costs.
But to just have anaccountability group and then
we'll do weekly coaching callswhere we'll talk about a topic
and then have, have some, q anda for anybody coming in and
saying, I'm really strugglingwith this.
Where, what are some feedbackfrom, from myself, from the
(21:02):
group as well to, to help youjust.
Continue down the path so youcan actually be successful.
That's the idea behind it.
So there are gonna be higherlevels too.
You know, my passion isinvesting, so I, I do have a, a
higher level membership thatwill be coming.
It's not available yet, but tokind of work on, investing goals
as you get through the, throughthat financial freedom process
Laura (21:24):
You're gonna talk about real estate.
Sammy W. (21:25):
Yes.
Laura (21:26):
Right because I know you love real estate and it's a,
it's a really big buzzword rightnow.
A lot of my listeners know wejust bought our first home,
which is really exciting.
But my question, knowing theworld is nuts.
So, and a lot of people arelike, you can never buy a home.
And I'm like, don't, is probablythat very large car payment
sitting in your driveway, butI'll get onto that soapbox
(21:46):
another day.
What are some real pros and consin today's market?
In the real estate market for asingle mom right now.
Sammy W. (21:54):
I started in real estate, you know, 2006, it's ups
and downs on, on both sides ofthe aisle.
So.
I'm in Texas, it's gonna bedifferent everywhere, but, it's
actually a decent time to try tobuy in Texas because you can get
good discounts.
Not a great time to sell, but asfar as an investment strategy
(22:15):
for me there, you know, it's notgonna work for everybody.
But my investment strategy hasbeen mostly long-term rentals.
And there's a lot of benefits.
You know, your tenants pay downyour mortgage.
You get a lot of tax benefitsfrom having the mortgage and
having the pay down, you get thecash flow and appreciation on
the property.
And so it has really beentransformative in my own
(22:36):
journey, investing journey.
Tangible that I have moreknowledge and control over
versus stocks I do invest in, instock funds mainly as well.
I think it's important to have adiversified portfolio as you get
into investing so that that'sgonna look different for
everyone.
Not everyone's gonna want to bein real estate and doing real
estate investing and that'stotally fine.
It is obviously.
(22:57):
A larger barrier to entry oncapital for a lot of the
instances to get in there.
But there's ways to get in, withsyndications and real estate
investment trust if you wannainvest in it with smaller, with
smaller initial capital.
But I also just love it.
So I think when you're lookingat what you want to invest in.
What you're comfortable with andwhat gets you excited are, are
(23:17):
important factors too.
So, yeah.
Laura (23:20):
Let's say there's a single mom that has been
listening to this episode andshe feels behind or ashamed or
like she's ruined something,which you and I both know that
she hasn't ruined anything inthe middle of life, but she's
listening anyway.
Is there something that youwould like to say to her
specifically?
Sammy W. (23:40):
Yeah, it's just really my heart for everyone really,
but specifically obviouslysingle moms to know that it's
possible.
I just like to tell everyonefinancial freedom is possible
for everyone, and I just, Ithink for that single mom
sitting in that position of, Idon't really know what to do
next.
I feel like my life's beenshaken.
(24:01):
I just want you to reassesswhere you are.
Take ownership of your ownfinancial future.
That's, that's kind of my, hard,hard love or, or challenge.
Love is that you can do it, butyou have to take ownership.
And it's not just for you, it'sfor your kids and it's for your
legacy and your generations, butgenerations, ahead of you or
behind you, however you look atit.
(24:23):
But that's, that is really whatI want everyone to think of.
It's not you want your kids.
To see you in a place ofsecurity and peace, and they
want to see you thriving.
And so that might mean makingsome difficult choices right
now, but it's gonna be worth itin, in the long run.
So I just want the single momout there to feel that a lot of
us have been there.
(24:44):
There's that community andsupport, that you can find out
there to help guide you throughthat because you're not alone in
it.
You haven't failed.
It's not too late.
You can do it, but just takethat next best step, and that's
gonna be different foreverybody.
But just take one step and thenit'll become the next one and
the next one, and then you canget there.
Laura (25:03):
Well, I think the best first step for them is to jump
on over to Instagram and followyou, Rachel and Duck, right?
Yeah, that's your handle.
Okay, perfect.
They need to go follow you onInstagram and then I want them
all to go out and grab the book.
So where is the best place to goget that book?
Sammy W. (25:20):
Yeah, no, I, I would love for y'all to follow along.
It's pre-orders are availablenow on Amazon and Barnes and
Noble.
So if, if you go to Amazon andjust Google Rachel Duck, the
book comes up first and thenthere's like a rubber ducky.
Nothing to do with me, but yeah.
But, or on Instagram at Racheland Duck.
If you go in my bio, I have apre-order link that you can go
(25:42):
to as well.
So yeah, I would love for y'allto, to grab a copy and, and
follow along.
And my website will be launchingsoon where those community
groups will be an option.
As, as well.
If you wanna join and have someaccountability and, fellowship
as you walk through it,
Laura (25:58):
Should women get together and wanna do their own book
club?
Sammy W. (26:03):
Okay.
I will have a small group guidebecause I, a big part of who I
think would benefit would besmall groups.
So whether it's church groups orwomen's book clubs or, or what
have you.
I think that would be a, avaluable tool.
It's not available yet, but yes,that's in the, in the works.
Laura (26:19):
Well, and then if anybody has questions, they can always
reach out to you and ask and,and who, who knows.
I hope this book is absolutelyridiculously, amazingly
successful because I know thatyou have a heart for this.
This is a God-given mission thatyou have on your heart, and I
believe that he funds what hefavors and he will do big things
(26:42):
through you, I hope.
Sammy W. (26:43):
It is my passion and I'm excited to see what, what
comes of it.
So thank you for your kindwords.
Laura (26:48):
Okay, one last question that I love to ask all of my
guests.
Sammy W. (26:51):
Yep.
Laura (26:53):
What is the legacy that you want to leave?
Sammy W. (26:59):
I have, three or four words that I want to be
remembered by once I leave thisearth.
I want to be remembered forimpact, for generosity, for
freedom and abundance.
And really what I want to leaveis that mindset of.
Generosity.
So I want people to remember meas someone, not just in the
(27:21):
context of money, but of spiritand of heart, and just when they
think of me.
Because I think of my grandma,and you think of that person in
the first word that comes tomind.
And I want it to be generosity,and I want to instill that
through my kids.
I want to create a legacythrough them that changes the
world in their own way.
And I tell my kids that everyday.
Like when you think of someonechanging the world.
(27:42):
You might think of a really bigthing and that's great, but we
all change the world each day bythe way that we compose
ourselves, the way that we actin the legacy we leave.
So that's my hope, is to beremembered that way when I leave
the earth.
Laura (27:54):
All right, well, thank you so much for being.
A guest on this show.
It has been an honor to speakwith you.
And we may have to circle backat some point when your
membership is up and going, and,share a little bit about some of
the transformation that you'remaking through that.
Sammy W. (28:10):
I would love that, and thank you so much for having me
on to talk.
Laura (28:14):
Legacy Builders.
Thank you so much for beinghere, and I will talk to you all
soon.
Go out and make a difference.
You are listening to the Moneyand Legacy Podcast with Laura
Sexton.
I'm helping families pay offdebt, grow wealth, and build a
legacy without sacrificing whatmatters most.
This is where money feels easy.
Laura (00:15):
Hey, legacy builders.
We are going to be talking todayto my friend and hopefully soon
to be your friend, Rachel Duck.
She is a mom of three and she'sa real estate investor, a
consultant, an agent, a coach,and now an author.
She is written a wonderful newbook called A Single Mom's Guide
to Financial Freedom.
(00:36):
You know.
I'm going to love this book andso I know you are going to love
this book.
So Rachel, welcome to the show.
Rachel Duck (00:44):
Thank you.
Thanks so much for having me.
Appreciate it.
Laura (00:46):
Rachel is a part of the Brand Builders Group, which I'm
a part of, and she is launchingher book and we are so excited
to get some new eyeballs onthis.
Hopefully get some readers thatare going to just really be
served.
But Rachel, for the listenersthat are meeting you for the
very first time.
What made you, first of all, whoare you and, and who do you
(01:08):
serve?
And then, and then secondly,what made you decide to focus
specifically on single moms?
Rachel Duck (01:13):
So, I'm Rachel Duck.
I, I am a mom of three.
I live outside of Austin, Texas.
In my background, I've worked inreal estate for, two decades now
in different capacities.
So I work in property tax workand consulting and sales and
investing, and that's mypassion.
This book is an outpouring justof a passion project.
So I, I myself became a singlemom, in 2020, right when COVID
(01:36):
hit.
Kind of had to re-figure outwhat my life go, looking
forward.
My plan would be, I'm a very bigplanner, so I had everything
lined out like my ex-husband,worked in government and a, a
pretty stable job.
So I had, you know, our next.
30, 40 years planned outfinancially, and that shifted.
It opened a lot of cool doorsfor me and my kids, and I've had
(01:57):
a lot of friends go through thesame scenario.
Not exactly the same, butdifferent, different scenarios,
but becoming a.
Single moms after having a, apretty stable financial
lifestyle.
And how to, to, to regroup yourfooting, not just to survive,
but to really grow towardsthriving.
My, my goal is for everyone toend up in a place of generosity,
and abundance where they canlive their passion, and not be
(02:19):
kind of beholden to how am Igonna pay my bills?
'cause I think that's how we allshould live,
Laura (02:24):
Abundance is one of my favorite words.
But you saying that I'mintrigued.
Starting with generosity, thatseems really scary, especially
when you're going through a biglife transition.
Why is generosity the place tostart?
Rachel Duck (02:37):
Yeah.
And I I love that you askedthat.
In Brand Builder's Group, wehave our uniqueness.
It's kind of like our underrecurring word in mine I just
knew was gonna be generosity.
And it, it didn't necessarilyfit at first because it, it,
seemed like more accountability.
But I think generosity first inyour finances is really what
transformed my financial, life.
(02:57):
And this was before I gotdivorced, before I became a
single mom.
But.
The principle of giving first,and you know, if, if you are a
churchgoer, you hear this atchurch, but I think the
statistics are even amongst,churchgoing Christians,
something crazy, like only fiveto 10% actually practice a
regular tithing.
The 10%, and I remember one day.
(03:19):
Hearing my pastor speak on it.
And my reaction was always justthat gut wrench, which I think a
lot of people feel like, oh,they just want my money.
Yeah.
And something changed that day,and this was again probably 10
or 12 years ago.
My babies were babies and I, Ijust said, you know what?
I'm gonna try it, I'm gonna testit out, see what happens.
(03:40):
And it really changed my wholeperspective on my finances
because it's about giving first.
Because you're, it's a heartposture and so that's the
minimal level.
But, just having that heartposture of open hands, and this
isn't really mine, but I'm goingto steward it correctly, is
really what changes everythingwhen you get your mindset right.
In my, my book, I have sevensteps to, to move from financial
(04:03):
survival to thriving.
And the first step is mindset.
The last step's generosity, andso they kind of tie back to each
other because you're startingwith a mindset where you're
getting that giving first.
Even if you don't really wantto, you're just gonna do it and
you're gonna change how you'reapproaching it.
And then by the time you get tothe last step.
It just is a natural part of whoyou are, and you can live from a
(04:25):
position of generosity.
And that's really the goal is toget there.
So that's my heart.
Laura (04:30):
Yeah, I love that.
So one of the things that I sayall the times is if you're
holding your hands in a closedfist and you're holding your
money really, really tight.
Nothing else can get in.
Sammy W. (04:41):
Right.
Laura (04:42):
Like you might be holding it, but nothing like you can't
receive anything.
But if you hold your handsopenly, yeah, some money might
fall out, but also you canreceive so much more.
And so I love that that is yourposture as well.
I think that we're ratheraligned on that one.
Sammy W. (04:56):
Yeah.
Laura (04:57):
I wanna know more about your seven steps.
So
Sammy W. (04:59):
this
Laura (04:59):
is me being super nosy.
Can you tell me and like aerialview, what are those seven
steps?
Sammy W. (05:06):
So the first one's mindset, and that seems, I know
it seems kind of, you know, notas actionable, but to me it's
really important, especially formy, my audience, single moms and
for myself.
This is speaking fromexperience.
You come into a position thatyou weren't expecting, and
sometimes you're in a posture ofeither I'm a victim or if only,
(05:27):
and these things that go throughyour head like this would only
be easier if.
I one day just drew a line inthe sand and said, this isn't
helping.
And for many of, of you outthere who maybe went through
some pretty hard stuff, it, itprobably is true.
It's probably awful.
But that doesn't help you,right?
So if you're in that mindsetposture, you're not able to
improve your situation becauseyou're focusing on what happened
(05:49):
to you versus what can Icontrol,
Laura (05:51):
right?
Sammy W. (05:51):
And the reason I love finances for, for women going
through divorce or coming out ofdivorce is it is something that
you actually have some controlover.
Relationships are harder.
Finances.
Like, I can make a plan.
I, I, I can assess where I'm at.
And then I can get to that endgoal by, by making that plan.
So start with mindset, tryingto, to get aligned with this.
(06:13):
Okay, this happened.
I'm gonna replace those.
I call'em scarcity strip scriptswith abundance affirmations.
Flip the switch.
Just claim it.
Take ownership of my ownfinancial future.
And then my step two, I call itthe formula.
So that's when you define yourend goal.
The financial freedom formula iswhat I call it.
But basically it's just lookingat what amount of equity or
(06:35):
capital would you need to beconsidered financially free.
And what that means is whatamount of equity or capital.
If invested at a particular rateof return and we walk through
your return assumptions based onyour risk profile, what would
cover your expenses.
So, for instance, if you have$10,000 a month in expenses, 4%
(06:57):
return, two and a half millionwould be your number kind of
thing.
And that's gonna be differentobviously for everybody, but I
like to define it.
Just so you're, you put that onthe wall and say, okay.
This is my goal because I wantto get to a place where I have
the freedom to cover my expensesand not worry about what's going
on in my life.
Not to quit my job necessarily,but to have that freedom.
(07:19):
So I like to define it.
Laura (07:21):
Is that what you call your financial freedom number?
Sammy W. (07:23):
Yes.
Yes.
Laura (07:24):
Okay.
Great.
I love it.
Sammy W. (07:25):
Love it.
Yeah, and I think a lot ofpeople, they call it different
things.
It's the same idea where, wherewould I cover, where would I be
able to cover my expenses?
And then that, just have thatsigh of, okay, I'm okay.
Laura (07:35):
I ask, sorry, can I ask you a nitty gritty question?
Sammy W. (07:38):
Yeah.
Laura (07:39):
Where do you get the 4% amount that you're safely with?
Draw down.
Sammy W. (07:44):
So mine, so I said 4%.
Mine is based on a rate ofreturn assumption, not a
drawdown because it's based onthe cash flow off the assets.
And so my 4% is based on, so Ihave a risk profile assessment,
but basically how much risk youeach individual person is
comfortable with.
And so a very low, very low riskto a more high risk go up to
(08:08):
10%.
I'm not comfortable myself withthat as an assumption because I
feel like.
That's above where I would liketo be in a comfortable level.
So I, I use 4% as the kinda themiddle risk range, essentially,
just saying if I have thatcapital invested, can I achieve
4% off of it and that 4% covermy expenses Okay.
(08:29):
Versus draw down.
So that's, that's maybe Okay.
Laura (08:32):
No, I love that.
Sammy W. (08:33):
Yeah.
So your capital would still bethere versus the Right.
Laura (08:37):
Okay.
Sammy W. (08:37):
So my step three is, I call it reality assessment.
So it's basically, where are younow?
We, we don't know where we'regoing if we don't know with real
clarity where you are now.
And for a lot of women walkingout of divorce, they may have
never really been involved intheir finances.
A lot of my, my friends andpeople I've coached through
this.
Had no idea because theirhusband handled it.
(08:59):
Or maybe you do, or maybe you'rehiding things from yourself.
I did that where it's like, Ugh,I don't really want to admit
that I spent this amount orwhat.
So we do, 30 days of strictexpense tracking.
So you can either go backwardsor forwards or both just get a
real clear idea of what youractual expenses are, and then do
(09:20):
look at your assets andliabilities.
Create a, a balance sheet forwhat you have.
If you're about to go through adivorce, this is really
important because you need toknow what's out there, what
assets you have.
And if you're coming out of it,you also need to know, because
you need to know what you'restarting with.
And it might be you're startingwith a negative net worth.
You might have a lot of debtyou're bringing in and you might
(09:40):
have to claw yourself out ofthat.
And that's okay.
You just gotta know where youare or you won't know where
you're going
Laura (09:46):
or
Sammy W. (09:46):
you know where you're going, but you won't know how to
get there.
Um.
So that's step three.
And then step four, we work onstrict budgeting.
So I, I call that getting toground level.
So you've assessed your reality.
Now we're gonna get our expensesunder control first.
So we really want to achieve a,positive income gap between your
income and expenses.
(10:07):
And so some people may alreadyhave that.
Some people may be in a goodposition, some people may have a
lot of consumer debt that youreally have to attack.
Or get your expenses down phasedphase budgeting, you know, try
to do 10% each budget to try andcut it down.
And it might be easy at first.
You know, you can cut out the,the Starbucks run or the target
runs those discretionaryexpenses, but you might get to a
(10:29):
place where to get that marginlarge enough, you have to make
some hard decisions.
Like, is that car something thatI really need?
Can I move, out of this housethat I can no longer afford?
And those are harder decisions,you know, because there's a lot
more tied to that, especially ifyou have kids, but sometimes you
have to make those decisions.
I moved my kids eight times infour years.
(10:52):
My strategy was real estaterental.
So there's a strategy there, butit was not easy.
but it was, it was fun in itsown way.
So I, I get it.
There's some, some challenges,but that's why I want everybody
to define that number and knowyour why.
And if you really wanna pursueit, then you're willing to make
some sacrifices.
So that's step four.
And then step five, we work onincome growth.
(11:14):
So what are some, avenues foryou to grow your income, either
with your own employment or sidehustles?
What can you do with youravailable time not to reach a
period of, or a place ofexhaustion because.
You know, you need to be therefor yourself and your kids, but
how can you fit in pockets oftime or additional resources you
have?
Renting out rooms if it's safelydone or that kind of thing is
(11:37):
also an option.
So we walk through ways toincrease your income.
That goal is really to just keepthat income margin growing
because the next step isinvesting.
So once you've got your defense,strong offense is good with your
income growth.
How can we start investingsafely depending on your risk
profile, depending on yourknowledge base and what you're
(11:58):
comfortable with.
So get all through that.
And then the final steps isgenerosity, where you really are
able to live a life of purposeand passion in which you want to
do because you have the freedomto do so.
Sorry, that's a lot.
Laura (12:10):
No, that's so good.
And I'm glad that you know it aswell as you do, so that when
people come to you, you can belike, all right, this is exactly
where you start.
Do you.
Are, is there one specific areawhere you find single moms
struggle the most?
Sammy W. (12:24):
Yeah, I think, well, a lot of, I think they come, most
of the single moms I've workedwith come in struggling with
expenses, exceeding theirincome, because they were in a
scenario where.
Two incomes.
In a lot of cases, the male orhusband was the, the primary
(12:44):
breadwinner.
So now they have the samelifestyle because their kids are
comfortable and they're in theschools that they wanna be, but
they can't afford it.
And so having to.
Look at their reality, and then,okay, we gotta make a plan.
And I've had one of my goodfriends, she was in that
scenario, beautiful home.
(13:05):
She had to sell it, she had tomove to a rental, all these
things.
But she's doing it with joybecause she had her mindset,
right?
She knows the end goal, sheknows where she's going with her
kids, and you can make it, youknow, make it an adventure.
But it's hard.
It's hard to change that.
But I think that's what I'veseen most is that misalignment
with.
Expenses and income just becauseyou're coming from one scenario
(13:25):
into a new one.
Laura (13:27):
Yeah, I, I have a couple clients that I work with that
are going through this lifetransition where they're
becoming single moms, and onething I hear all the time,
whether they're clients or justcoming onto a clarity call to
get some information from me.
I hear all the time, well, Idon't want things to change for
the kids, and my response is.
(13:47):
99% of the times everything'salready changed.
Sammy W. (13:50):
Yeah.
Right, right.
Laura (13:51):
The staying in the same house isn't, you know, that
doesn't keep it from every timeI walk in this house.
It feels weird now.
Mm-hmm.
For them, I am a product of, howdo you say this nicely?
My parents got divorced when Iwas really young.
Sammy W. (14:05):
Mm-hmm.
Laura (14:07):
So I'm on the other side.
So a lot of times when I'mhaving this conversation with
women, I'm like, Hey, guesswhat?
My mom moved a bunch.
Sammy W. (14:13):
Yeah,
Laura (14:13):
I'm a completely, mostly normal, you know, rational human
being, and it's, it's gonna beokay.
And I think sometimes being juston the other side of that, I can
speak into it and it gives alittle bit of peace, but at the
same time, your whole life isblown up and you're like, I just
wanna hold onto one thing.
And I just feel like,
Sammy W. (14:34):
yeah,
Laura (14:34):
it's a false hope.
If that's where you're trying tohold onto, that's the wrong
thing to hold onto.
That's not a hope, that's gonnakeep you safe.
Sammy W. (14:41):
Yeah.
No, I think that's a greatperspective that you have as a
child of divorce to have that.
I mean that's, that isencouraging to be able to tell
somebody that.
Yeah.
Yeah, and I think it's.
I've heard that a lot too.
Like I don't want anything tochange.
And the hard reality is, likeyou said, it is changing, you
know, and the house is not gonnabe the thing that's the
(15:02):
stability for the kids.
It's gonna be you, you feeling,feeling peace and feeling you
feeling stable and you feelinglike you can take care of them.
And if that means you gottachange your physical location,
that's better for the kids.
Than the alternative.
So yeah, I think that thatperspective shift, it's hard and
I get it, there's a lot ofcompassion there because it's
(15:23):
not an easy process.
But like I said, the reason Ilove finances is because it is
something that we can worktowards.
We can, I find it so much easierto help someone fix their
finances than help them heal arelationship to me, that's,
that's a much harder, task totackle, but we can create a plan
here that you can feel manysuccesses each day as you move
(15:46):
forward.
And I feel like that'sempowering for someone going
through an earth shaking eventlike a divorce.
Laura (15:52):
Okay.
So I wanna ask you I wanna getinto this.
You have written a book called ASingle Mom's Guide to Financial
Freedom.
Sammy W. (16:00):
Yep.
Laura (16:02):
What is this?
Let's say some, one of mylisteners goes, picks up the
book and they're actually gonnafollow it.
They're gonna go all in.
They're gonna do this.
Where are they on day one, andwhat change do you think they'll
see 90 days in?
Sammy W. (16:18):
Yeah, so day one of the book, we're we're talking
about your mindset.
So we're talking about justreframing how you're thinking
about money, how you're thinkingabout your current P position,
and really getting on a solidfooting.
The book is meant to be done, asyou're working through the
actual process.
So it's not meant to be read andthen go back and do the work
(16:40):
because I don't think thatworks.
And so I very explicitly in thebook, okay, the mindset part.
Depending on where you are,maybe a week or two, we really
go through some exercises.
Write out your why.
Write out your life.
Kind of like a vision statement,what you want out of your life
so that you can come back tothat and know why you're doing
this.
So that can take some time ormaybe not if you're already in a
(17:02):
pretty good spot.
The next stage stage, um,calculating your financial
freedom number can go prettyquick.
Um, you just need to know someinformation about your expenses
or estimating, but then, so 90days in.
You'll be expense tracking stage30 to 60 days.
So you really need to go throughyour expenses, get your balance
(17:22):
sheet out, work on that.
And then you're coming intobudgeting.
So within 90 days you'reprobably starting, one of your
first phase budgets.
And I really want anyone readingthe book to just.
To work through it sequentiallyand do the work because
otherwise, you know, you mightget some motivation, you might
feel great, get some goodstories, but there won't be that
(17:43):
true change.
And that takes time as you gothrough the process.
Laura (17:47):
Okay.
Yeah, I see that.
A lot of my clients and a lot ofmy listeners are currently
paycheck to paycheck.
Sammy W. (17:56):
Mm-hmm.
Laura (17:58):
I know they're supposed to pick up the book and they're
supposed to go through it stepby step, which is great.
Where do you think the biggestdifference will come for a
person that is living paycheckto paycheck and they're ready to
get out of that cycle?
Sammy W. (18:12):
Yeah, I just think, that is a anxiety ridden cycle.
So waking up every day notknowing exactly.
I, that's, that's anundercurrent that impacts a lot
of, a lot of your life.
And to, to break free of thatmight seem.
Like, it's not possible whereyou are right now because you
can't see how that could happenbecause you're just worried
(18:33):
about paying those bills.
So, so someone in that cycleneeds, they need little wins.
And so you start workingtowards, you know, identifying
your expenses and start workingtowards your budget, but in the
meantime you need little wins.
So, you know, I talk about,going through your
subscriptions, just those littlethings to get an extra.
50 bucks.
20 bucks, going through callingyour insurance, trying to get
(18:54):
that lowered to get a couple,even if it's 20 bucks.
Get those little wins so you canfeel that momentum.
And then as you're going towardscreating your, your budget, we
look at cutting the first 10%.
So for someone paycheck topaycheck, you might be on a,
well, you can be paycheck topaycheck at different levels,
right?
There's a lot of people at veryhigh income that are paycheck to
(19:16):
paycheck, and then low income aswell.
So how can you cut out the first10% and that's the easiest parts
because you might.
Have a lot of discretionaryexpenses that you can cut, maybe
a little bit less, but you canfind ways to just really commit
to creating a little bit ofbreathing room and then creating
more, and then creating more.
And there's gonna be some harderdecisions that might have to
(19:38):
come if you are in a reallytight place financially.
But to get those expenses downfirst and then look at ways to
grow your income, and, andgrowing your income might
include opportunities at yourcurrent employment.
It might include looking at.
Different areas of employment.
There might need to be reallybig changes that happen there
for you to get that breathingroom that you need.
(19:59):
But I think just starting byknowing where you are and
getting those expensive,stabilized, even if it's
challenging, gives you thatbreathing room.
Laura (20:07):
No, I love that.
You mentioned having, ordeveloping a membership where
single moms can come in and.
What is the goal there?
Is it just come in and getsupport?
Are you going to be coachingthem financially?
What are you establishing there?
Sammy W. (20:22):
Yeah, so the membership's really, and the,
the first level, it's calledfoundation.
It's really meant to be alignedwith working through the book,
and through the state of theseven Steps.
So I wrote the book first andthen thinking, okay, if
someone's actually going throughthis and it's taking months.
Having some accountability, isgonna really be what helps them
get, get through to the finishline.
(20:42):
And so the initial levelmembership, it's pretty low
entry barrier to entry on costs.
But to just have anaccountability group and then
we'll do weekly coaching callswhere we'll talk about a topic
and then have, have some, q anda for anybody coming in and
saying, I'm really strugglingwith this.
Where, what are some feedbackfrom, from myself, from the
(21:02):
group as well to, to help youjust.
Continue down the path so youcan actually be successful.
That's the idea behind it.
So there are gonna be higherlevels too.
You know, my passion isinvesting, so I, I do have a, a
higher level membership thatwill be coming.
It's not available yet, but tokind of work on, investing goals
as you get through the, throughthat financial freedom process
Laura (21:24):
You're gonna talk about real estate.
Sammy W. (21:25):
Yes.
Laura (21:26):
Right because I know you love real estate and it's a,
it's a really big buzzword rightnow.
A lot of my listeners know wejust bought our first home,
which is really exciting.
But my question, knowing theworld is nuts.
So, and a lot of people arelike, you can never buy a home.
And I'm like, don't, is probablythat very large car payment
sitting in your driveway, butI'll get onto that soapbox
(21:46):
another day.
What are some real pros and consin today's market?
In the real estate market for asingle mom right now.
Sammy W. (21:54):
I started in real estate, you know, 2006, it's ups
and downs on, on both sides ofthe aisle.
So.
I'm in Texas, it's gonna bedifferent everywhere, but, it's
actually a decent time to try tobuy in Texas because you can get
good discounts.
Not a great time to sell, but asfar as an investment strategy
(22:15):
for me there, you know, it's notgonna work for everybody.
But my investment strategy hasbeen mostly long-term rentals.
And there's a lot of benefits.
You know, your tenants pay downyour mortgage.
You get a lot of tax benefitsfrom having the mortgage and
having the pay down, you get thecash flow and appreciation on
the property.
And so it has really beentransformative in my own
(22:36):
journey, investing journey.
Tangible that I have moreknowledge and control over
versus stocks I do invest in, instock funds mainly as well.
I think it's important to have adiversified portfolio as you get
into investing so that that'sgonna look different for
everyone.
Not everyone's gonna want to bein real estate and doing real
estate investing and that'stotally fine.
It is obviously.
(22:57):
A larger barrier to entry oncapital for a lot of the
instances to get in there.
But there's ways to get in, withsyndications and real estate
investment trust if you wannainvest in it with smaller, with
smaller initial capital.
But I also just love it.
So I think when you're lookingat what you want to invest in.
What you're comfortable with andwhat gets you excited are, are
(23:17):
important factors too.
So, yeah.
Laura (23:20):
Let's say there's a single mom that has been
listening to this episode andshe feels behind or ashamed or
like she's ruined something,which you and I both know that
she hasn't ruined anything inthe middle of life, but she's
listening anyway.
Is there something that youwould like to say to her
specifically?
Sammy W. (23:40):
Yeah, it's just really my heart for everyone really,
but specifically obviouslysingle moms to know that it's
possible.
I just like to tell everyonefinancial freedom is possible
for everyone, and I just, Ithink for that single mom
sitting in that position of, Idon't really know what to do
next.
I feel like my life's beenshaken.
(24:01):
I just want you to reassesswhere you are.
Take ownership of your ownfinancial future.
That's, that's kind of my, hard,hard love or, or challenge.
Love is that you can do it, butyou have to take ownership.
And it's not just for you, it'sfor your kids and it's for your
legacy and your generations, butgenerations, ahead of you or
behind you, however you look atit.
(24:23):
But that's, that is really whatI want everyone to think of.
It's not you want your kids.
To see you in a place ofsecurity and peace, and they
want to see you thriving.
And so that might mean makingsome difficult choices right
now, but it's gonna be worth itin, in the long run.
So I just want the single momout there to feel that a lot of
us have been there.
(24:44):
There's that community andsupport, that you can find out
there to help guide you throughthat because you're not alone in
it.
You haven't failed.
It's not too late.
You can do it, but just takethat next best step, and that's
gonna be different foreverybody.
But just take one step and thenit'll become the next one and
the next one, and then you canget there.
Laura (25:03):
Well, I think the best first step for them is to jump
on over to Instagram and followyou, Rachel and Duck, right?
Yeah, that's your handle.
Okay, perfect.
They need to go follow you onInstagram and then I want them
all to go out and grab the book.
So where is the best place to goget that book?
Sammy W. (25:20):
Yeah, no, I, I would love for y'all to follow along.
It's pre-orders are availablenow on Amazon and Barnes and
Noble.
So if, if you go to Amazon andjust Google Rachel Duck, the
book comes up first and thenthere's like a rubber ducky.
Nothing to do with me, but yeah.
But, or on Instagram at Racheland Duck.
If you go in my bio, I have apre-order link that you can go
(25:42):
to as well.
So yeah, I would love for y'allto, to grab a copy and, and
follow along.
And my website will be launchingsoon where those community
groups will be an option.
As, as well.
If you wanna join and have someaccountability and, fellowship
as you walk through it,
Laura (25:58):
Should women get together and wanna do their own book
club?
Sammy W. (26:03):
Okay.
I will have a small group guidebecause I, a big part of who I
think would benefit would besmall groups.
So whether it's church groups orwomen's book clubs or, or what
have you.
I think that would be a, avaluable tool.
It's not available yet, but yes,that's in the, in the works.
Laura (26:19):
Well, and then if anybody has questions, they can always
reach out to you and ask and,and who, who knows.
I hope this book is absolutelyridiculously, amazingly
successful because I know thatyou have a heart for this.
This is a God-given mission thatyou have on your heart, and I
believe that he funds what hefavors and he will do big things
(26:42):
through you, I hope.
Sammy W. (26:43):
It is my passion and I'm excited to see what, what
comes of it.
So thank you for your kindwords.
Laura (26:48):
Okay, one last question that I love to ask all of my
guests.
Sammy W. (26:51):
Yep.
Laura (26:53):
What is the legacy that you want to leave?
Sammy W. (26:59):
I have, three or four words that I want to be
remembered by once I leave thisearth.
I want to be remembered forimpact, for generosity, for
freedom and abundance.
And really what I want to leaveis that mindset of.
Generosity.
So I want people to remember meas someone, not just in the
(27:21):
context of money, but of spiritand of heart, and just when they
think of me.
Because I think of my grandma,and you think of that person in
the first word that comes tomind.
And I want it to be generosity,and I want to instill that
through my kids.
I want to create a legacythrough them that changes the
world in their own way.
And I tell my kids that everyday.
Like when you think of someonechanging the world.
(27:42):
You might think of a really bigthing and that's great, but we
all change the world each day bythe way that we compose
ourselves, the way that we actin the legacy we leave.
So that's my hope, is to beremembered that way when I leave
the earth.
Laura (27:54):
All right, well, thank you so much for being.
A guest on this show.
It has been an honor to speakwith you.
And we may have to circle backat some point when your
membership is up and going, and,share a little bit about some of
the transformation that you'remaking through that.
Sammy W. (28:10):
I would love that, and thank you so much for having me
on to talk.
Laura (28:14):
Legacy Builders.
Thank you so much for beinghere, and I will talk to you all
soon.
Go out and make a difference.
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