Hope 4 Hardship’s Michael Russell has waded deeply, in, around and through the very path you find yourself on today. For all accounts and from the outside looking in, he had it all; a college education, a caring wife, a successful family real estate business, a healthy family and every imaginable opportunity to build upon that foundation. Unfortunately, his refusal to learn the value of the dollar created and engrained a wholly unrealistic entitlement to an excessive lifestyle. Eventually this entitlement led to overwhelming financial problems, divorce, foreclosure, short sales, bankruptcies and the worst consequence we can ever face; crippling shame borne of the complete deterioration of each relationship we held dear. That lengthy, pain riddled path forged a concrete understanding of one inalienable truth for Michael; money was neither the problem nor the solution. No one could have convinced him of that while he was embroiled in the uncertainty and stresses of financial ruin, but with hindsight he can now see the true crux of the struggle was his decision-making paradigm. An immensely flawed process of choices made up for both self-serving and self-seeking purpose. Along the way and into the path of financial ruin, these poor choices masked themselves as, solvable with money. He would convince himself every day that money would fix everything. But having, finding, winning or asking for money to solve the financial problems would not have solved his decision-making flaws. No, money would have only bailed him out of the struggle temporarily. Of course, that dream of money magically appearing to remedy the problems would never materialize into reality. Knowing very little about how to best navigate financial struggle back then, Michael would end up with the worst results possible. Bankrupt, foreclosed, uncertain, afraid and extended suffering for many more years to come. He became quite adept at blaming everyone and everything but himself. He was forced out of his home into living conditions he despised, his credit sank to the floor and again, the most painful of the consequences would linger; family trust, relations and sanctity, shattered. He was forced out of his home into living conditions he despised, his credit sank to the floor and again, the most painful of the consequences would linger; family trust, relations and sanctity, shattered. It would take the better part of decade to mend these problems. The financial turnaround would prove to be awe inspiring; the restoration of family relationships became the most valuable journey of Michael’s life. It was only then that he would begin to recognize a path to continue mending his own heart. The path so simple; to give freely to others, the invaluable knowledge that he had gained since his own struggles. To help people avoid making the wrong decisions while facing financial hardship, like he did. Because after all, the one thing that cannot be faked is the power of shared struggle. And so Hope4Hardship would be born.