Money for Meaning: Philosophy for a Life of Extraordinary Freedom (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780997963908)

Mark Lancia wrote "Money for Meaning" because he saw so many good people suffer financially, living check to check and in debt as indentured servants to banks - with limited choices. Mark was able to pay cash for a great house and travel the world by the age of 30 without being a high earner or having a "glamorous" start to life. Mark grew up in a lower middle-class neighborhood and went to a bad public high school, with many drug addicts and several individuals who later became convicted murderers. Despite this downward pull, Mark rejected this path and graduated from college with an Industrial Engineering degree while recording four music albums and performing in front of tens of thousands of people. During his first job out of college, Mark started out being overworked and underpaid like much of America. He decided to make some real changes in his philosophy toward money, which led to an extraordinary freedom. Following his passions, Mark became a leader in lean principles and cost savings, focusing on eliminating waste not only in industry, but also in the lives of many individuals. Mihaela Jekic, Ph.D. learned at an early age how fleeting money and possessions can be, and what really matters in life. Her family lost all their possessions in the war in Bosnia that raged in the early 1990's. Overnight, they found themselves as refugees with no home or country. Mihaela witnessed an economic collapse where banks went under and national currency became nearly worthless due to breakneck inflation. Her family eventually started a new life in North America when Mihaela was 13 years old. Mihaela quickly learned English, excelled in her studies and went on to earn a Ph.D. in Engineering. Mihaela became the gold medal-winning captain of her varsity fencing team, earning the Athlete of the Year award for her university and a bronze medal at the Canadian national championships. She also started a technology company and went on to raise over $100,000. After graduation, Mihaela took a position to create programs that help entrepreneurs achieve their dreams and access start-up capital. Mihaela eventually left her job to start her own consulting practice - on her terms - while enjoying spending time with her two young children. Mihaela deeply believes in the pursuit of passion over possessions, and is passionate about helping others live a life that truly resonates with who they are.