Juicy Title:

I'm a Wealthier Couples Coach.

Website:

https://naked-finances.com/

XYZ Statement:

I help committed couples and newlyweds figure out how to deal with their financial emotional baggage. I help them understand their individual financial habits and hang-ups so that they can effectively work together to address their money issues with confidence.

Michael Starks

I was supposed to be there to study science, with thirty of the brightest science students from across the state of Colorado. And we all learned a lot of science that summer, before our Senior year of high school. But it’s not what I remember most. Each of the students was able to be there because of the program sponsors. Toward the end of the eight-week Frontiers of Science Institute, we had to demo our science projects to our sponsors — after a nice lunch and a bit of entertainment.

What I remember most about that day is providing the entertainment.

I signed up to make it happen. We discovered that several of us could play musical instruments. I got a group of us together, and I got everyone to agree on a song. I helped transcribe the music for the different instruments, something I had never done before. I helped put together our arrangement of the song. I got everyone to practice it. I helped get us all prepared for the performance.

The day arrived before we were ready. As the fancy meal ended, I looked out across the sea of expectant faces. After we were introduced, I got up and walked to the piano. I could feel that familiar nervous energy. I wanted it to go well, not just for me, for all of us. I could tell that the others didn’t want us to embarrass ourselves.

With a nod of my head, we started to play the song, “I Sing the Body Electric”, from the 1980 movie Fame. We made a few mistakes. I know I did, but we kept playing. We were there for each other. The audience grew quiet, less restless. I could feel the group coming together; as we let our talents and skills shine, nothing else existed outside of that beautiful song. No worries about our futures; no insecurities from our pasts. Just the movement of our performance.

It was an exhilarating moment, how we all came together to create something new. I don’t know how good it was objectively. The subjective experience was amazing! The genuine applause was intoxicating. And the smiles, the thrill of working together. It was something we could all be proud of.

While that moment happened so many years ago, I remember it like it was yesterday. Since then, I’ve worked on too many creative projects to count. We’ve told stories, played music, danced into the night, performed on stage, and created a lot of movies. We’ve given each other the gift of discovering something worthwhile together.

I believe in the value of art, of science, and of playful expression.