I once owned a multimillion-dollar mansion with a Sub-Zero refrigerator, something of a prized possession.

As the branding tagline loves to point out, a Sub-Zero refrigerator “is more than a refrigerator. It is a monument to fresh, delicious food.”

But thanks to the Great Recession, I had to kiss that monument goodbye. Along with the rest of the house and the lifestyle I’d been living. And so did my wife and five kids.

I wouldn’t relive that time in my life for anything…

But I think the saying is true – “There is nothing stronger than a broken man who has rebuilt himself.”

This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for the man I became as well as for my tough wife and kids who stood by me through one of the darkest times in my life. 

So today, as we gather together, count our blessings, and celebrate the journey back to financial security… I’m going to share a little about those times, and why I am grateful for them now.

The Dark Times

When my oldest daughter Lauren was born, I was an up-and-coming real estate developer building million-dollar shopping centers.

I have great memories of juggling careers as a new parent and trying to meet grand opening deadlines for brands such as Wal-Mart and PetSmart.

As my family grew, so did my real estate portfolio, which peaked at around $100 million.

Life was good.

I used to take my family on ritzy vacations to Sea Island, Georgia.

Multiple European cars parked in the front driveway.

And of course, that monumental refrigerator in the kitchen.

But that lifestyle ended abruptly when the global financial crisis hit in 2008. I was already reeling from a bad business partnership.

And had been about to separate myself from him… But the poor decisions had gone on too long without my knowledge, and it was too late.

My assets were all tied to his…

My life changed overnight, and I was forced to pivot.

My wife and I got rid of our European cars.

We pulled our kids out of their private schools.

And I had to tell them there would be no more expensive vacations.

Not only that, but that we were selling our multimillion-dollar mansion and moving in with my in-laws.

It truly was one of the darkest times of my life.

But even though it was intensely painful for me… Seeing me struggle again and again, and get back up each time, was one of the best examples I could have set for my children.

And for me, they were the driving factor to get back up on my feet…

I could not look them in the eye if I didn’t do everything in my power to provide for them.

And just like my single mother had, I started working multiple jobs to feed my family and make sure we had a full and loaded table when Thanksgiving came back around.

Rebuilding Myself

As I started from scratch again, one of my multiple jobs was writing my analysis of the real estate market for different publications.

As a former real estate developer, I knew the real estate business backward and forward. And I could predict – based on the trends in the market and the companies’ financials – which ones would succeed and which would fail.

It turned out, I was correct more often than not. And investors who followed me began to take notice.

In 2010, I began writing for a publication called Seeking Alpha and generated about $10,000 for that year.

Hardly enough to feed a family of seven. (Hence the multiple jobs.)

But I kept grinding out articles. And each year, I grew my circle of influence.

In 2013, Forbes started publishing my work. And my second career as a research analyst took off.

I began to grow my wealth back along with my following. And the meaning behind my writing began to expand.

I didn’t just want to recommend different profitable investments to my readers or tell them what stocks to stay away from – I wanted to give them the tools they needed to grow their wealth and experience financial freedom… like I had once again.

And that’s why I founded Wide Moat Research… It’s the vision of yours truly to steer investors on the path to financial freedom. And here at Intelligent Income Daily, we aim to give you a firm grasp of how the markets work, so you can build a stress-free retirement and sleep well at night.

My financial freedom gave me the opportunity to provide for my family and love doing it – at the same time.

When you are passionate about what you do, it drives you to do more than you ever thought possible.

Like the following list of milestones for me:

• 2016: Published my first book

• 2017: Published my second book

• 2018: Became an advisor to a U.S. President

• 2020: Published my third book

• 2023: Published my fourth book

Thirteen years after publishing my first article on Seeking Alpha, I now have over 113,000 followers – more than any other writer on the investment website.

In all these years, I’ve written a combination of over 5,000 articles on sites such as Seeking Alpha, The Street, Forbes, and The Motley Fool.

I’ve also been featured in Barron’s, NPR, Bloomberg, Fox Business, Reuters, and Kiplinger’s.

And while I’m proud of all these accomplishments, they are driven by the single goal: to bring you and as many other investors as possible to this same level of financial freedom.

I am now wealthier – with a greater diversification of assets – than ever before.

And it’s how I can confidently say: It is possible to lose everything and still get back up and achieve your financial dreams.

So this Thanksgiving, I would love to hear from you what those dreams are, what obstacles you’ve overcome, and what you are most grateful for this year. Please write to me here.

And in the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving feast with those you love and cherish most… And attain the freedom to put what’s important to you first.

Happy SWAN (sleep well at night) investing,

Brad Thomas
Editor, Intelligent Income Daily