How Money Conversations Can Strengthen Your Marriage with Corinne Acampora

When it comes to marriages, money conversations are no exception.

Rather than being the elusive elephant in the room, these discussions become essential pillars of trust, love, and support within your marriage.

Our guest, Corinne Acampora, Founder & Principal Designer of Acampora Interiors, takes us on a fascinating ride, sharing how she and her husband navigated their financial landscape together.

From the challenges of graduate school debt to starting their own business, we uncover how their money conversations have been instrumental in creating a strong and united front as a couple.

Don't let money be a barrier between you and a thriving marriage. It's time to take charge, have those conversations, and create a future filled with love, trust, and financial success. Tune in now!

IN TODAY’S EPISODE, I DISCUSS: 

• Nurturing independence and confidence in children
• Making bold decisions for career and relationship growth
• Why the financial journey is a couple's journey

CONNECT WITH CORINNE:
Learn more about Acampora Interiors: https://acamporainteriors.com/about
Tune in to the Grit by Design podcast: https://acamporainteriors.com/podcast
Follow Corinne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acamporainteriors

RECOMMENDED EPISODES FOR YOU
If you liked this episode, you'll love these ones:

• Building Legacy & Wealth Through Podcasts with Travis Albritton
• How to Redefine Your Future with Lori Harder
• How a CFO Can Transform Your Profits & Wealth with Michael King
• Capturing the Affluence Vision for Your Life

TAKE THE FINANCIAL FREEDOM QUIZ:
Take this free quiz to see where you are on the path to financial freedom and what your next steps are to move you to a new financial destiny at http://www.YourFinancialFreedomQuiz.com 

OTHER RESOURCES:
Special Live Training: https://www.affluencelive.com
Private Money Mentoring Coffee Chats: https://melabraham.com/coffee
7-Day Money Plan Workshop: https://www.TheMoneyPlanWorkshop.com
Affluent Entrepreneurs Private Facebook Group https://www.melabraham.com/group

CONNECT WITH ME:
Website: MelAbraham.com
YouTube: MelAbraham.com/tube/
Instagram (@melabraham9): MelAbraham.com/ig/
Facebook Group: MelAbraham.com/group/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@melhabraham

GET MY BOOK:
“The Entrepreneur's Solution The Modern Millionaire's Path to More Profit, Fans, & Freedom” – melabraham.com/book/

Transcript

Mel Abraham [00:00:06]:

This is the Affluent Entrepreneur Show for entrepreneurs that want to operate at a high level and achieve financial liberation. I'm your host, Mel Abraham, and I'll be sharing with you what it takes to create success beyond wealth so you can have a richer, more fulfilling lifestyle. In this show, you'll learn how business and money intersect so you can scale your business, scale your money, and scale your life while creating a deeper impact and living with complete freedom, because that's what it really means to be an athlete. Entrepreneur. Hey there. If you followed me for any length of time, you probably know that I.

Mel Abraham [00:00:46]:

Say that your financial journey is a couple's journey if you're an intimate relationship, a marriage, or a committed relationship.

Mel Abraham [00:00:50]:

And that is important.

Mel Abraham [00:00:57]:

And our guest today.

Mel Abraham [00:01:01]:

It was such a great conversation with her.

Mel Abraham [00:01:04]:

She's been following the show and following.

Mel Abraham [00:01:08]:

Me and doing some of the things. And how she ended up as a.

Mel Abraham [00:01:12]:

Guest on the show is she sent me this note, and our conversation is.

Mel Abraham [00:01:19]:

All around this, and she said, hey.

Mel Abraham [00:01:20]:

Mel, I just want to drop you.

Mel Abraham [00:01:23]:

A line to let you know that your podcast and show have really sparked a lot of conversation between my husband and me.

Mel Abraham [00:01:30]:

Has been so good for us from.

Mel Abraham [00:01:32]:

Not only a financial perspective, but a relationship perspective. We realize that we have two parallel.

Mel Abraham [00:01:38]:

Success stories but not fully integrated them.

Mel Abraham [00:01:41]:

After being together for more than 20.

Mel Abraham [00:01:43]:

Years, we've decided to break down the.

Mel Abraham [00:01:45]:

Silos and really be team players for each of us rather than rooting each other on from the sidelines. We both really love your take on.

Mel Abraham [00:01:53]:

Family and entrepreneurship and money and how they need to work in harmony. Feels like after so long, we've had some sort of awakening. We even decided to go on a second honeymoon. Thank you, Corinne.

Mel Abraham [00:02:13]:

We ended up having such an amazing conversation.

Mel Abraham [00:02:19]:

This is an entrepreneur.

Mel Abraham [00:02:22]:

He's got his own business.

Mel Abraham [00:02:25]:

It wasn't without struggles. They have two children.

Mel Abraham [00:02:29]:

How did they create the finances? What was it like to have those conversations? What was it like to start to.

Mel Abraham [00:02:35]:

Build a life that's full of richness and realize the things that matter and.

Mel Abraham [00:02:44]:

How to make that happen?

Mel Abraham [00:02:46]:

Listen, we can have the money, we.

Mel Abraham [00:02:48]:

Can make the money, we can build.

Mel Abraham [00:02:50]:

The wealth, but it doesn't mean anything if we don't build the life. And our conversation today is about how we use the money and how we build a life.

Mel Abraham [00:03:01]:

I hope you enjoy this episode because it was an incredible joy for me.

Mel Abraham [00:03:07]:

To make with a bright, amazing, shining soul. I hope you enjoy it. I'll see you in the episode.

Mel Abraham [00:03:15]:

Hey there, Corinne. It's so good to have you on the show, man.

Mel Abraham [00:03:20]:

This was such a cool thing to.

Mel Abraham [00:03:23]:

Be able to get a chance to chat with you.

Mel Abraham [00:03:27]:

I told them in the intro about.

Mel Abraham [00:03:32]:

The text you sent me, the direct.

Mel Abraham [00:03:34]:

Message that you sent me because, one.

Mel Abraham [00:03:39]:

It warmed my heart.

Mel Abraham [00:03:42]:

It was really what everything that I'm.

Mel Abraham [00:03:44]:

Doing is about, is this whole idea.

Mel Abraham [00:03:46]:

Of creating a deeper relationship, a deeper.

Mel Abraham [00:03:53]:

Experience of life, a richer experience of life. But then you sent me your bio.

Mel Abraham [00:04:00]:

And your links, and I go, oh.

Mel Abraham [00:04:02]:

My God, she's doing all kinds of stuff.

Mel Abraham [00:04:07]:

Just for the sake of the audience, to understand who you are, where you.

Mel Abraham [00:04:14]:

Come from, what your background is. Can you just kind of let them.

Mel Abraham [00:04:17]:

Know a little bit about you?

Corinne Acampora [00:04:19]:

Sure.

Corinne Acampora [00:04:20]:

Well, first of all, thank you so much for having me. Honestly, when I got the text back from you, I gasped out loud. I immediately showed my husband and was so thrilled and honored and really humbled.

Corinne Acampora [00:04:35]:

To have this opportunity with you.

Corinne Acampora [00:04:38]:

I really admire the work that you do and have already grown so much because of it.

Corinne Acampora [00:04:41]:

Thank you for having me.

Corinne Acampora [00:04:43]:

Yeah.

Corinne Acampora [00:04:43]:

So, a little bit about me. I live outside of Boston, Massachusetts, one.

Mel Abraham [00:04:50]:

Of my favorite towns in the country.

Corinne Acampora [00:04:53]:

It is a good one. When the weather is nice, it's fantastic. And I am a mom of two. We have a ten year old son and we have a nine year old daughter who happens to be a type one diabetic. I've been known my husband for 21 years now, and we are coming up on our 12th anniversary. And that's really my heart and soul. My family is where it's at for me. I grew up right down the street from where I live now. My husband and I grew up just a few towns away from each other. Both grew up in very supportive, loving families. We met at the right time. It was the stars aligned somehow. I was 18, he was 17.

Corinne Acampora [00:05:44]:

Wow.

Corinne Acampora [00:05:45]:

We were like little spring chickens. But we really met at a time that was just so incredible for both of us. It was senior year of high school.

Corinne Acampora [00:05:57]:

He took me to his prom.

Corinne Acampora [00:05:59]:

We went to different high school.

Mel Abraham [00:06:00]:

This is a fairy tale story.

Corinne Acampora [00:06:03]:

I know. Honestly, it really is. And I love talking about it, and I recognize that it's unusual, but I think what has helped us really get this are and still be totally smitten with each other is that we're honest. We're open with each other, we support.

Corinne Acampora [00:06:23]:

Each other, we have the difficult conversations.

Corinne Acampora [00:06:26]:

We don't push stuff under the rug, that kind of thing. And we both are strivers. We strive to be the best at whatever it is that we're doing.

Corinne Acampora [00:06:35]:

And yeah.

Corinne Acampora [00:06:35]:

So for me, my career was not a straight line. When I went to college, I went to school for interior design, which is what I do now, but a couple of years then I said, absolutely not, I need to study abroad. And they weren't going to let me do it. So I switched everything and graduated with history and political science and was headed straight to law school to definitely not go to law school.

Mel Abraham [00:06:59]:

Just so you know, I was heading straight to law school, too, and I.

Mel Abraham [00:07:01]:

Never made it either.

Corinne Acampora [00:07:02]:

Really?

Mel Abraham [00:07:03]:

It was constructed on the road or something.

Corinne Acampora [00:07:05]:

I don't know.

Corinne Acampora [00:07:06]:

Yeah, it really was just one of those things that seemed like a fantastic idea until I got to that crossroads, and it was just like, no, this is not it. Instead, I went to graduate school in New York City for art business, essentially.

Mel Abraham [00:07:24]:

That's almost abroad.

Corinne Acampora [00:07:26]:

Yeah, exactly. It's almost abroad. But that was at a time so I worked at Christie's Auction House. I got my master's degree there and then worked there for a hot second until everything fell apart. It was 2008, nine. I remember when the Lehman Brothers fell.

Corinne Acampora [00:07:47]:

And it was they call it the.

Mel Abraham [00:07:49]:

Great Recession, but I'm still trying to.

Mel Abraham [00:07:50]:

Figure out what was great about it.

Corinne Acampora [00:07:52]:

Yeah. Nothing, except it put me on a different path. So that was good. I found the silver lining. But Brian, my husband, was with me and supporting me the entire time in terms of kind of figuring out my next step. He ended up going to business school in Ithaca, Cornell, and I almost didn't go with him. So this was now 2010. Got married in New York City, and I said, I have this job, actually, this is after all the turmoil with the market and everything, I went back to work for a law firm as.

Corinne Acampora [00:08:28]:

A paralegal because I just needed a.

Corinne Acampora [00:08:30]:

Job and needed to pay the bills. And now all of this graduate school debt that I had. And he went up to business school, and we had just gotten married in New York. Like, I don't know what the heck I'm going to do in Ithaca. What am I going to do there? I need to make money. But ultimately, I decided to really just follow my heart at that moment, and I really wanted to be with him, and I wanted to get back to kind of my passion of interior design. And so I went up, and it was the coolest story ever. So we went up to Ithaca looking for a place to live. We had no money. We were young, whatever. And we get up there. We were looking for, like, a studio apartment or something.

Corinne Acampora [00:09:14]:

Nothing.

Corinne Acampora [00:09:14]:

Absolutely could not find a darn thing. And we found this, like, antique Victorian home with the rent sign out front. We're like, oh, well, we like real estate. This is not for us, but let's go check it out. Maybe it's an apartment within the building. We get there. No, it's a whole seven bedroom home. It turns out that the people that owned it were also Cornell. They were Cornell professors, actually. They just bought it. They wanted to renovate it and then move into it.

Corinne Acampora [00:09:41]:

They lived right across the street.

Corinne Acampora [00:09:43]:

We struck up a deal with them. Brent. And I said, okay, I'm going to leave New York. I want to get back into interior design and start my own business. Let me renovate this thing while I live in it and we take my time, whatever time I put into it, off of our rent. We moved into this ridiculous house. And you know what? It was such a labor of love. I started my portfolio, then my business started. Then I got other clients in Ithaca, interior design clients because of it. And it really actually kick started my career. So this is back in 2010.

Mel Abraham [00:10:29]:

This is so beautiful because I think that we're at an inflection point and.

Mel Abraham [00:10:36]:

We'Re not through it yet.

Mel Abraham [00:10:38]:

We have the uncertainty in the economy.

Mel Abraham [00:10:41]:

There's some layoffs that have already started. We've got interest rates going up, we've got inflation, and people are looking at their life. The one thing a lot of people.

Mel Abraham [00:10:52]:

Don'T realize is during these times is the greatest time of the number of millionaires that are made one, but also businesses are born FedEx.

Mel Abraham [00:11:06]:

I mean, I can go through a.

Mel Abraham [00:11:08]:

Whole bunch of them get born in these times. And what happens is we have to think about our life differently. And you going there and saying, have.

Mel Abraham [00:11:20]:

I got a deal for you. I got some skills, I have some talents, I have some things that can.

Mel Abraham [00:11:27]:

Serve your need and you have some space that will fill our need, have a deal. And that kind of thinking is what's going to get people just like it did you to move to that next stage. And it's just looking at it and saying, well, what if I just threw the rules, if you will, or the.

Mel Abraham [00:11:52]:

Expectations out the window and said, what would work for me now? How do I make this happen?

Mel Abraham [00:11:57]:

So I love that.

Corinne Acampora [00:11:59]:

Totally.

Mel Abraham [00:12:00]:

You did?

Corinne Acampora [00:12:00]:

That so cool.

Corinne Acampora [00:12:03]:

It was a risk, but it was like the foundation was there with Brian. I knew he was going to support me. He got a scholarship to go to school and he had two years of he owed back to his company. After that, we were solid, we were stable.

Corinne Acampora [00:12:18]:

That part was just there.

Corinne Acampora [00:12:25]:

But it wasn't an obvious decision right away. I struggled with it a lot actually, before going up there. But once we made that decision and I was like, no, this is ridiculous. We got married two weeks ago. You're going to leave and I'm going to be in New York at this job that I don't even want, that I'm like, I'm not going to pursue this career in law. It was the best decision I think I and we have made, at least for my career and honestly, our trajectory as a couple in so many ways. So we get there. It's the two weeks after I took a couple of weeks after off, after our wedding went up there. We postponed our honeymoon into spring break.

Mel Abraham [00:13:10]:

I was going to say, so you didn't say that you spent your honeymoon.

Mel Abraham [00:13:13]:

In a seven bedroom mansion.

Corinne Acampora [00:13:15]:

Yeah, it was like stripping wallpaper and painting. I was doing what I wanted to. But you know what? It didn't even matter. I was there and I was actually doing something that was like it felt really good. It was like, okay, this is a new path forward. I don't know exactly where it's going.

Corinne Acampora [00:13:33]:

To lead, but it feels right.

Corinne Acampora [00:13:37]:

It was great, but by that point, we had already been together for ten years, so we are nine years or.

Corinne Acampora [00:13:45]:

Whatever, so along comes our son.

Corinne Acampora [00:13:48]:

I was pregnant on our honeymoon when we went sit down to Puerto Rico for spring break. So we go to this beautiful place that we went completely on points because, again, we had no business being there. But because he was in consulting, he had like, a million points that he was hoarding. For that reason, we're at this beautiful place, and all I want is, like, grilled cheese sandwiches and, like, kid food because I'm nauseous.

Mel Abraham [00:14:16]:

You certainly weren't taking the pina coladas in either.

Corinne Acampora [00:14:19]:

No, I certainly wasn't. I was, like, sleeping half the time. But before then, we got it. We got a puppy, we found out we were pregnant, and then we were like, but we need to get another dog because why wouldn't we have one to take care of the other one now that we're going to have a child? But this is how we rolled for so long, is that it is, like, hard charging.

Corinne Acampora [00:14:44]:

This is what we're doing.

Mel Abraham [00:14:47]:

I'm curious about this, but it's not.

Mel Abraham [00:14:50]:

One or the other.

Mel Abraham [00:14:51]:

You're both in this together.

Mel Abraham [00:14:53]:

Oh, yeah.

Mel Abraham [00:14:54]:

You just both said, let's do it.

Corinne Acampora [00:14:57]:

Yeah.

Mel Abraham [00:14:59]:

I hope that.

Mel Abraham [00:15:03]:

Our viewers and listeners can glean.

Mel Abraham [00:15:07]:

I think one of the most important.

Mel Abraham [00:15:08]:

Lessons, which is one of the things.

Mel Abraham [00:15:10]:

That we try to deal with with the affluent entrepreneur, is that it's less about the money and more about the.

Mel Abraham [00:15:18]:

Experiences and the feelings and the living, the richness that life has to offer.

Mel Abraham [00:15:25]:

And that came out of you sitting.

Mel Abraham [00:15:28]:

Back and going, I can make a financial decision.

Mel Abraham [00:15:30]:

Stay at a law firm away from my husband of two weeks.

Corinne Acampora [00:15:35]:

Yeah.

Mel Abraham [00:15:37]:

Or I follow my heart. I'm with the man I love, and.

Mel Abraham [00:15:41]:

We build a life together.

Mel Abraham [00:15:43]:

And if that happens to be in.

Mel Abraham [00:15:46]:

A house that's falling apart, that we.

Mel Abraham [00:15:48]:

Got to rebuild, if that happens to.

Mel Abraham [00:15:51]:

Be points in Puerto Rico, so be it.

Mel Abraham [00:15:54]:

And yet they're some of the richest times of your life today.

Corinne Acampora [00:16:00]:

Oh, my gosh.

Corinne Acampora [00:16:01]:

100%. We look back at that time again, we had no business. We did and we didn't. But we were so happy. So happy. Life got very real, though. We had our son. It was second year of business school. Luckily, Brian front loaded all of his classes, and he knew that he had this job coming out. We would not have done it had he not had a job locked up for two years after that because my.

Corinne Acampora [00:16:31]:

Stuff was still pretty uncertain.

Corinne Acampora [00:16:33]:

It was something in terms of my career or him having a career and me having a career. That was always a discussion that we.

Corinne Acampora [00:16:41]:

Had had probably since we met.

Corinne Acampora [00:16:43]:

That was always the plan. But life got really real when our son came along and all of a sudden we found ourselves in a completely different mindset, fairly young and right out of the gate even though we had been together for so long. That was a real jolt. And I wouldn't do it any other way. I wouldn't. But I think what I would say.

Corinne Acampora [00:17:07]:

Is that once he graduated, he was.

Corinne Acampora [00:17:10]:

On a straight and narrow path to.

Corinne Acampora [00:17:12]:

Partner at his consulting firm.

Corinne Acampora [00:17:14]:

He ended up switching a few times.

Corinne Acampora [00:17:16]:

But he made partner last year, which is wonderful.

Corinne Acampora [00:17:20]:

An incredible, incredible feat. And it was really challenging, like it is for everybody and I'm so grateful for it and so is he. It set us up really well, but it comes at a cost sometimes. He graduated. We moved back to the Boston area because we knew he was going to.

Corinne Acampora [00:17:42]:

Be traveling four days a week doing.

Corinne Acampora [00:17:44]:

What he was doing. We quickly then decided to have another child and we did that on purpose because a lot of it had to do with me being able to have a career and build something of my own as well.

Corinne Acampora [00:17:57]:

While it seemed like we were just.

Corinne Acampora [00:17:59]:

Stacking up the responsibilities, emotional responsibilities and financial responsibilities and all of these things, it really was part of the plan. And again, I wouldn't do it any other way. It came from a place of love and it came from a place of support for each other, but it added a lot of pressure. And so three weeks after our daughter sorry. Three months after our daughter was born, I had been working full time for another interior design firm, Brand. I talked about it a ton. I resigned and I incorporated from a little baby Ikea table in my living room. Incorporated and said, you know what? No, I want the flexibility for our family of my own business and our own business and followed my heart there again too. And it was another incredible decision that we made together and that served us really well. Major struggle.

Mel Abraham [00:18:58]:

So you went out on your own.

Mel Abraham [00:19:00]:

So now you've got a successful interior design business and he's got his own successful career, got two beautiful children.

Corinne Acampora [00:19:13]:

Yes.

Mel Abraham [00:19:14]:

That you're going into the teenage years soon.

Mel Abraham [00:19:16]:

So good luck.

Corinne Acampora [00:19:17]:

We sure are. Our kids sometimes refer to each other as Sassy tweens. There you go. And they are. They're sassy, both of them.

Mel Abraham [00:19:31]:

From mom and dad, I'm guessing. So I'd love to see because you mentioned something in that text that you all were rooting each other on from the sidelines yeah. Versus being on the field with each other.

Corinne Acampora [00:19:58]:

Totally.

Mel Abraham [00:19:59]:

Tell me a little bit about that.

Mel Abraham [00:20:01]:

What you meant by that, and how you kind of came together. I know I forced you I didn't force you to have conversations. I suggested you to have conversations about.

Mel Abraham [00:20:10]:

Money and that kind of thing.

Corinne Acampora [00:20:12]:

Yeah.

Corinne Acampora [00:20:12]:

No.

Corinne Acampora [00:20:15]:

When I tell my story, I love telling my story because it really is.

Corinne Acampora [00:20:21]:

One of love and happiness for the.

Corinne Acampora [00:20:24]:

Most part, but it really is not.

Corinne Acampora [00:20:27]:

Without its struggles, like anybody, for sure. And I think that once we moved to Massachusetts and again, Brian, I think, had this very intense feeling, like he.

Corinne Acampora [00:20:39]:

Needed to go hard charging, and this.

Corinne Acampora [00:20:44]:

Was his straight and narrow path to success and financial stability and freedom for our family. And I have the utmost respect for that. For me, my why in building my business has a lot to do with my mom, has everything to do with our kids and showing them that they.

Corinne Acampora [00:21:01]:

Can do whatever they want to do and achieve whatever they want to achieve, but not but.

Corinne Acampora [00:21:08]:

And I guess in the process of us kind of both on these really intense I guess that's probably the best word for it paths with a whole.

Corinne Acampora [00:21:22]:

Lot of passion behind them and two kids, one with a condition that we manage every five minutes.

Corinne Acampora [00:21:34]:

There is no break with managing type one diabetes ever.

Corinne Acampora [00:21:39]:

And three dogs.

Corinne Acampora [00:21:41]:

We got another dog. We've got a lot of stuff going on, and so oftentimes we'd feel like.

Corinne Acampora [00:21:49]:

Ships passing in the night. And I was always supportive of him.

Corinne Acampora [00:21:55]:

Working late nights because I knew that that was for the betterment of our family and a goal that he wanted, and he would do the same for me. And I would stay up. I'd be all over creation in my clients homes and whatever, but by the.

Corinne Acampora [00:22:10]:

Time we would get home and put the kids to bed, then eat dinner.

Corinne Acampora [00:22:15]:

Ourselves, when the kids were smaller, it would be like 930 or 10:00. I would basically pass out because I was so exhausted from the day. And he would dive back into his computer until probably like, one or two.

Corinne Acampora [00:22:28]:

In the morning for years. And that is not really a great way to live.

Corinne Acampora [00:22:35]:

It created those kinds of silos because.

Corinne Acampora [00:22:38]:

There was no time to connect, and.

Mel Abraham [00:22:42]:

You were driven by a why, but.

Mel Abraham [00:22:45]:

Underneath that was this desire to create a financial foundation, which was driving that, I'm sure.

Corinne Acampora [00:22:56]:

Oh, for sure.

Corinne Acampora [00:22:58]:

Again, we both came from very loving, supportive families that gave us everything that we needed emotionally and supported us financially, and we're both so grateful for that. There's a lot of pressure when you come out of business school and me out of grad school.

Corinne Acampora [00:23:20]:

He was fortunate to get a scholarship.

Corinne Acampora [00:23:23]:

For his graduate school. But I still have graduate loans that I'm paying.

Mel Abraham [00:23:29]:

You're still paying off student loans for graduate school?

Corinne Acampora [00:23:32]:

Yeah.

Corinne Acampora [00:23:40]:

A lot of this was to just.

Corinne Acampora [00:23:42]:

Provide the stability and the security that.

Corinne Acampora [00:23:46]:

And you say it all the time.

Corinne Acampora [00:23:47]:

That we'll live longer than we do. And building that generational wealth is really.

Corinne Acampora [00:23:54]:

Top of mind for us and something.

Corinne Acampora [00:23:56]:

That we were not skilled at. Even though if you went to a.

Corinne Acampora [00:24:00]:

Top notch business school, and even though.

Corinne Acampora [00:24:03]:

We have had access to these things.

Corinne Acampora [00:24:06]:

It wasn't something that we grew up with necessarily as kind of ingrained in us as kids. And so with our kids, like I said, they're nine and ten. They're in the investment club at school, not because we told them they needed to be, but because they're interested in it. It's so awesome. We have Acorns accounts for them. And so our son, he's a total sneakerhead, and he loves all kinds of basketball shoes. It's so funny. I love it about him. And he earns money. He'll like detail cars or he works for it. He earns money.

Corinne Acampora [00:24:47]:

But our thing is, okay, if you're.

Corinne Acampora [00:24:50]:

Going to go buy an expensive pair of shoes that you really don't need, you have to give back some of it, and you need to invest some of it.

Mel Abraham [00:24:58]:

So you're actually having these conversations with.

Corinne Acampora [00:25:02]:

Our nine and ten year olds.

Mel Abraham [00:25:04]:

I hope that the listeners and viewers, because in fact, I'm going to be doing an interview with myself.

Corinne Acampora [00:25:09]:

Oh, cool.

Corinne Acampora [00:25:10]:

Jeremy, right?

Corinne Acampora [00:25:11]:

Yeah.

Corinne Acampora [00:25:11]:

Heard you talk about him.

Mel Abraham [00:25:13]:

Because we start having those conversations at.

Mel Abraham [00:25:15]:

The same age that you're having.

Corinne Acampora [00:25:18]:

Well, but I'm having them with my kids because you shared that about your oh, good.

Mel Abraham [00:25:23]:

That's good to know.

Corinne Acampora [00:25:26]:

That's not me blowing smoke. That is actually real. This is why your show has been.

Corinne Acampora [00:25:31]:

So influential for our family, because it.

Corinne Acampora [00:25:34]:

Really had a lot to do with that. Oh, that I never thought about that.

Corinne Acampora [00:25:38]:

They're so little, but they're incredibly smart.

Corinne Acampora [00:25:43]:

Little kids, and they can grasp this idea.

Mel Abraham [00:25:47]:

So good to hear.

Mel Abraham [00:25:48]:

Because you're giving them a gift, are you? If we give them the tools to understand how money works.

Mel Abraham [00:26:01]:

They'Ll work hard for all of it.

Mel Abraham [00:26:04]:

They'll appreciate if we do it right for all of it, but they won't. But they will set themselves up for life.

Corinne Acampora [00:26:11]:

Right.

Mel Abraham [00:26:16]:

They don't need anything from me. They've got it dialed in.

Corinne Acampora [00:26:21]:

That's like, well, and you said another.

Corinne Acampora [00:26:23]:

Thing on one of your podcasts.

Corinne Acampora [00:26:27]:

I'll paraphrase you. You'll know what I'm talking about. But with entrepreneurs that are first generation millionaires yes.

Corinne Acampora [00:26:37]:

Right.

Corinne Acampora [00:26:37]:

Then the next generation loses it. There's some crazy percentage. And Brian and I are working our tails off to set our kids up for success. We really are striving for that generational wealth for them to be set up. So we really need to teach them. Now, here's the thing.

Mel Abraham [00:27:00]:

Part of that came out of I.

Mel Abraham [00:27:02]:

Had a family, two sons, two two.

Mel Abraham [00:27:05]:

Boys that came to me after their mom passed away.

Mel Abraham [00:27:08]:

And they were worth $5 million when mom passed away.

Mel Abraham [00:27:12]:

And so they said, we don't know what to do.

Mel Abraham [00:27:15]:

What do we do with this? But as I started to go through it with them, I find out that their dad passed away five years earlier. Oh, so they lost their dad five.

Mel Abraham [00:27:28]:

Years earlier, and when their dad passed away, they were actually worth $180,000,000. They lost $175,000,000 in five years. If you take $180,000,000 and put it out at 5%, that's $800,000 a month.

Mel Abraham [00:27:44]:

Without ever touching 180. You have to try really hard.

Corinne Acampora [00:27:49]:

Yeah.

Mel Abraham [00:27:50]:

Jeremy, when I was saying something to.

Mel Abraham [00:27:52]:

Him, he said, how did that happen?

Mel Abraham [00:27:54]:

I said, yeah, because as a society.

Mel Abraham [00:27:59]:

Often we are so caught up in.

Mel Abraham [00:28:01]:

Acquiring, accomplishing, achieving, collecting, and then transferring the assets.

Mel Abraham [00:28:11]:

We never think about how to transfer.

Mel Abraham [00:28:13]:

The skill sets, right. Anyone that we work with, I said.

Mel Abraham [00:28:19]:

We never transfer assets to the children.

Mel Abraham [00:28:21]:

Without transferring skill sets first.

Corinne Acampora [00:28:24]:

I love that. I love that, because you can take.

Mel Abraham [00:28:27]:

180,000,000 and make it five. Now, five isn't bad, but not 180.

Mel Abraham [00:28:32]:

Impact that they could have done right was lost because dad did a great.

Mel Abraham [00:28:39]:

Job of acquiring, achieving and accomplishing, but a horrible job at transferring the knowledge.

Mel Abraham [00:28:44]:

The skills to his wife, to his children. And they got bad advice and it's a mess. But that's the thing.

Mel Abraham [00:28:54]:

That's why for you, you're giving such a gift, a gift of independence, a.

Mel Abraham [00:28:59]:

Gift of freedom for your children by.

Mel Abraham [00:29:02]:

Having these conversations, being open about it.

Mel Abraham [00:29:05]:

And having them also understand that there's earnings, there's investing and there's giving, there's graciousness, there's gratitude, there's generosity that comes.

Corinne Acampora [00:29:18]:

From it, for sure.

Corinne Acampora [00:29:20]:

That's a big part of all of.

Corinne Acampora [00:29:22]:

That for us is that because our.

Corinne Acampora [00:29:26]:

Daughter is a diabetic, we're really involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and.

Corinne Acampora [00:29:34]:

The Jocelyn Diabetes Center, and we brought.

Corinne Acampora [00:29:38]:

Them to the gala with us. Black Tie Affair and Brian's company sponsored a table and he was there with.

Corinne Acampora [00:29:49]:

All of his partners, and there were.

Corinne Acampora [00:29:52]:

Our kids sitting right there next to us. And that was incredibly important for us to show them that that is just because I'm like waterworks the whole time I'm crying because they have the presentations and all of this stuff and they see that too, and they see everybody in the room, whether or not they know somebody with diabetes or they have it themselves. Just really giving back is a huge.

Corinne Acampora [00:30:16]:

Aspect for us as well, because you.

Corinne Acampora [00:30:20]:

Say it all the time, is building a rich life and the richness comes from the gratitude, in my opinion.

Mel Abraham [00:30:28]:

Yeah, it's gratitude is contentment. It's appreciating what we have.

Mel Abraham [00:30:37]:

Yeah, we're going to go through rough times.

Mel Abraham [00:30:39]:

That's just the way life is.

Corinne Acampora [00:30:42]:

Absolutely. What I was going to say, though, is that we're here now, but there's still stuff that we need to work on with Brian and I in terms.

Corinne Acampora [00:30:54]:

Of breaking down the silos, because we.

Corinne Acampora [00:30:58]:

Still are hard charging in terms of our businesses.

Corinne Acampora [00:31:02]:

And it came to a head, actually.

Corinne Acampora [00:31:06]:

Right around the time it was like the universe spoke. I heard your podcast. It was like all of this stuff actually really happened at the same time. And Mother's Day happened, and it was the first Sunday in May or whatever, and I needed to get all my.

Corinne Acampora [00:31:26]:

Invoices out, and.

Corinne Acampora [00:31:31]:

That was like, literally the only time I had to do it was that Sunday, and I was sitting right where I'm sitting right now. This I'm in my office right now. And Brian was with the kids for.

Corinne Acampora [00:31:40]:

Most of the day while I was working here, and I was so grateful.

Corinne Acampora [00:31:45]:

And this is another point that you made, too, was about harmony and how it's not balance, but it's harmony. And up until then, I had always kind of thought about it in terms of balance, and there's this, like, push and pull. And even that day, it was just.

Corinne Acampora [00:31:59]:

Like, oh, my gosh, there's so much.

Corinne Acampora [00:32:01]:

Guilt that I have because I'm not with my kids on Mother's Day. This is the opposite of why I started my business.

Corinne Acampora [00:32:09]:

The opposite.

Corinne Acampora [00:32:10]:

But I'm so grateful to have these incredible clients and this incredible team of women that work with me to be able to do this. I'm so privileged, and I know that, and I have so much gratitude for everything that I have, but it really made me step back and take a look together. Me, myself, but also with my husband.

Corinne Acampora [00:32:30]:

About.

Corinne Acampora [00:32:33]:

To what end are we doing this? We decided we decided to go on another honeymoon.

Mel Abraham [00:32:40]:

I just love that part that you decided this time you get a chance to drink.

Corinne Acampora [00:32:46]:

Yeah, exactly.

Mel Abraham [00:32:47]:

And no grilled cheese sandwiches.

Corinne Acampora [00:32:49]:

No. Yeah, we can actually go to the nice restaurant I know know where we're going to go yet. But it was funny, but though, because we've talked about it a lot, and we're like, I don't know. I don't know. We haven't done this for ourselves in years. We've not gone away together solo, just the two of us. And I don't even know how long.

Corinne Acampora [00:33:06]:

I don't even know how long.

Mel Abraham [00:33:08]:

What was the catalyst that got you.

Mel Abraham [00:33:10]:

To get I know that Mother's Day.

Mel Abraham [00:33:13]:

Happened, but what was because you guys had obviously there had to be a.

Mel Abraham [00:33:16]:

Conversation, and it probably revolved around your.

Mel Abraham [00:33:18]:

Career and money and all that stuff.

Corinne Acampora [00:33:21]:

What happened?

Corinne Acampora [00:33:21]:

I mean, it was just like that day truly was so hard for me. And what really was the hardest part.

Corinne Acampora [00:33:33]:

Was that my kids, our kids saw.

Corinne Acampora [00:33:37]:

Me in this place of kind of.

Corinne Acampora [00:33:42]:

Angst, but that I created.

Corinne Acampora [00:33:46]:

And it's like, that's not the point that will deter them from doing something like this. That's not the role model that I.

Corinne Acampora [00:33:55]:

Want to be for them.

Corinne Acampora [00:33:57]:

There needs to be more harmony in.

Corinne Acampora [00:33:59]:

Terms of all of the different aspects.

Corinne Acampora [00:34:02]:

Of our life rather than just it was completely out of harm. It was very much weighted towards my business. And my business will always be a.

Corinne Acampora [00:34:12]:

Very important part of everything, for sure.

Corinne Acampora [00:34:16]:

And I love it so much and so grateful for it, but something has.

Corinne Acampora [00:34:21]:

To give a little bit. And it's like COVID was tough.

Corinne Acampora [00:34:25]:

I built my business, like, I doubled.

Corinne Acampora [00:34:27]:

It during COVID while everybody was kind.

Corinne Acampora [00:34:30]:

Of, like, sorting things out, taking a.

Corinne Acampora [00:34:31]:

Little bit of.

Corinne Acampora [00:34:34]:

A breather a little bit, or everybody kind of got to slow down a little bit. And reassess is probably a better way of saying it. The interior design business, at least, where.

Corinne Acampora [00:34:46]:

I exploded because everyone was in their.

Corinne Acampora [00:34:50]:

House, they had more disposable income in a lot of ways, at least the clients that I work with. And so my business, like I said, almost doubled. I hired a lot of people, but.

Corinne Acampora [00:35:00]:

Now it's kind of all shaking out.

Corinne Acampora [00:35:04]:

A little differently and it's kind of settling down and it's feeling better now that it's settling down.

Corinne Acampora [00:35:10]:

And I feel like it's at a.

Corinne Acampora [00:35:13]:

Place where it's not drinking from a fire hose, which, again, is a difficult thing to say because I'm so grateful for it and I feel so privileged for all of those opportunities.

Corinne Acampora [00:35:24]:

But it doesn't come with that an extent.

Corinne Acampora [00:35:27]:

No.

Mel Abraham [00:35:28]:

Well, and I think that being able.

Mel Abraham [00:35:31]:

To recognize that is important.

Mel Abraham [00:35:36]:

The way you and Brian and your family, it.

Mel Abraham [00:35:41]:

Sounds like the way you guys now.

Mel Abraham [00:35:43]:

Look at money, the use of money as a tool has shifted.

Corinne Acampora [00:35:52]:

Yeah, it definitely has.

Corinne Acampora [00:35:55]:

And it's always going to be important. And I think that's the giving back.

Corinne Acampora [00:35:59]:

Part, too, is that you feel your money can.

Corinne Acampora [00:36:05]:

I think part of the reason why.

Corinne Acampora [00:36:09]:

We really do want to make a.

Corinne Acampora [00:36:13]:

Nice amount of money is that we.

Corinne Acampora [00:36:14]:

Can give it back.

Corinne Acampora [00:36:15]:

We can feel like we can be.

Corinne Acampora [00:36:17]:

More impactful, and that's really the driving.

Corinne Acampora [00:36:20]:

Force, and I think that will always be the driving force. But to find that kind of harmony is really important and to be intentional and present and not like at dinner.

Corinne Acampora [00:36:32]:

With your kids, but thinking about other things, that is not the goal.

Mel Abraham [00:36:40]:

And I'm guilty of it, too, sometimes where I got the phone next to.

Mel Abraham [00:36:44]:

Me and everything, I go, I got to stop.

Mel Abraham [00:36:46]:

I'm at dinner with my wife, I got to play.

Mel Abraham [00:36:51]:

Because this moment is precious and it's the moments that really, truly matter.

Mel Abraham [00:37:00]:

The only reason we want the money.

Mel Abraham [00:37:03]:

Is because we want to be able to buy the moments back in our life.

Corinne Acampora [00:37:07]:

Absolutely.

Corinne Acampora [00:37:08]:

And it's something so COVID hit right.

Corinne Acampora [00:37:12]:

March, like, 17th, was when everything shut.

Corinne Acampora [00:37:15]:

Down for us anyway. Brian's mom was diagnosed with cancer at.

Corinne Acampora [00:37:19]:

The beginning of February.

Corinne Acampora [00:37:21]:

She died on March 31 of 2020. And so it was one of those moments that just was like, earth shattering.

Corinne Acampora [00:37:35]:

Because it's exactly what you said.

Corinne Acampora [00:37:37]:

It's like, to what end are we doing what we're doing? You know what I mean? It's like when really what matters is right front back and you don't get that time back.

Mel Abraham [00:37:50]:

I know for me, the cancer brought in clear focus.

Mel Abraham [00:37:54]:

Clearer focus.

Mel Abraham [00:37:55]:

The idea of actually our days are numbered. Hopefully it's a big number, right?

Corinne Acampora [00:38:03]:

Yeah, right.

Corinne Acampora [00:38:04]:

It is finite, but you don't get it back.

Corinne Acampora [00:38:10]:

And that was a real big.

Corinne Acampora [00:38:15]:

Tectonic.

Corinne Acampora [00:38:16]:

Shift, I think, in terms of how we were thinking about a lot of things.

Mel Abraham [00:38:21]:

So as a family or as a.

Mel Abraham [00:38:24]:

Couple even, do you have regular conversations around your vision, your money and all that stuff now?

Mel Abraham [00:38:31]:

It's changed.

Corinne Acampora [00:38:33]:

Yeah, it has changed. It's changed a lot because Brian's so busy with his work and because he's respectful of mine and me building this thing here. There was kind of a separation to some extent. Like I said, there were these kind of silos and also because my business really grew so much so quickly. We had like a groundbreaking year last year.

Corinne Acampora [00:38:59]:

I wasn't fully prepared.

Corinne Acampora [00:39:03]:

But after these kinds of conversations happening, I hired a fractional CFO. It's been life changing. And now the conversations, the conversations that Brian and I can have are based in so much more detail and the analytics we can run are really incredible. But it kind of all started snowballing into this kind of healthier relationship with money and growth and success and what that all means because of these things.

Corinne Acampora [00:39:33]:

That have transpired you.

Mel Abraham [00:39:35]:

You all had it sounds like a.

Mel Abraham [00:39:37]:

Very close and open relationship to begin, but yes. Was it challenging?

Mel Abraham [00:39:43]:

Because I know that some couples go, I don't know about opening up this conversation with my husband, my wife.

Mel Abraham [00:39:54]:

How was that.

Mel Abraham [00:39:57]:

Talking to another couple, thinking about that?

Mel Abraham [00:40:01]:

What would you tell them?

Corinne Acampora [00:40:06]:

I think this is why our relationship.

Corinne Acampora [00:40:08]:

Has been so close and so tightly.

Corinne Acampora [00:40:11]:

Knit for so long, is the communication aspect of it. But of all of the kind of buckets of things that we talk about, finances were probably there was like nothing in the bucket. We did not really talk about it that much. And I think it's because we were on these separate paths and we had.

Corinne Acampora [00:40:31]:

So much going on in our professional.

Corinne Acampora [00:40:34]:

Lives, but our personal lives as well. It was like we almost just couldn't find the time. The time to talk about one of.

Corinne Acampora [00:40:45]:

The most important things.

Corinne Acampora [00:40:47]:

It doesn't run itself.

Corinne Acampora [00:40:48]:

You have to take it by the reins and direct it.

Corinne Acampora [00:40:53]:

And that's been an evolution for us, for sure. But I would say to other couples.

Corinne Acampora [00:41:00]:

Dive in there and really talk about it.

Corinne Acampora [00:41:03]:

Because the sooner you can figure out systems that work for you and get hooked up with maybe a financial planner or someone that you really can respect and trust and both of you can relate to that's been really great for.

Corinne Acampora [00:41:19]:

Us to kind of open up those.

Corinne Acampora [00:41:21]:

Conversations, because it's one of those things that if this is speaking from experience.

Corinne Acampora [00:41:26]:

If you don't talk about going to.

Corinne Acampora [00:41:29]:

Get any better, it's actually going to go the other way. Because if there's miscommunication or lack of communication about any of it and you're not fully aligned on it, then there's a lot of room for error and it can lead you in a way that's not where you want to go.

Mel Abraham [00:41:53]:

The funny thing is that I was reading a statistic that it is. Money issues are the second leading cause.

Mel Abraham [00:42:01]:

Of divorce behind infidelity. I think both of them can be solved with communication conversations.

Corinne Acampora [00:42:11]:

Agreed.

Mel Abraham [00:42:12]:

Being there with each other, as painful.

Mel Abraham [00:42:15]:

As it might be.

Corinne Acampora [00:42:16]:

Totally.

Corinne Acampora [00:42:17]:

We.

Corinne Acampora [00:42:21]:

Always say, I say this to my team all the time. The only thing worse than bad news.

Corinne Acampora [00:42:25]:

Is bad news late.

Corinne Acampora [00:42:29]:

Right? Have this difficult conversation.

Corinne Acampora [00:42:33]:

Got to just get it out. If it means crying, cry, whatever it.

Corinne Acampora [00:42:39]:

Might be, but just get it out and be on the same page so that you can come to a solution. And as an entrepreneur, my mindset is always that there is a solution. No matter what, there's always a solution.

Corinne Acampora [00:42:52]:

And that's kind of how we have approached things.

Mel Abraham [00:42:55]:

No matter what any of us are going through, there are solutions out there. That doesn't mean they're easy.

Mel Abraham [00:43:00]:

No, but it also doesn't mean that you need to do it siloed or in isolation or alone.

Mel Abraham [00:43:09]:

There is support, there is help. The sooner I think and this is.

Mel Abraham [00:43:15]:

What I mean, the cancer is what.

Mel Abraham [00:43:17]:

Got me on this journey to really go out and more speak on this.

Mel Abraham [00:43:21]:

Side of the stuff other than what other stuff that I speak and teach and consult on because he's such a huge need. And when your note came in, it.

Mel Abraham [00:43:32]:

Was one of those moments for me.

Mel Abraham [00:43:34]:

That I said, I'm doing the right thing. I'm doing what I'm called to do because it was less about, hey, Mel, guess what?

Mel Abraham [00:43:45]:

We made this investment. We made all this money and it's great now.

Mel Abraham [00:43:49]:

It was more about, hey, Mel, you helped us bring our relationship closer, our life better. And now I hear about your kids and I'm going, that, for me, is.

Mel Abraham [00:44:05]:

What this is all about.

Mel Abraham [00:44:07]:

I talk about money, but it's more than that.

Corinne Acampora [00:44:10]:

Yeah.

Corinne Acampora [00:44:12]:

And everything that I've said is 100% true. That's just the truth. These kinds of podcasts that you put out and they spark so much thought and so much introspection and reflection for us that it's really made a profound difference. And it definitely is. Like I was saying, we communicate a lot about a lot of things, my husband and I, but that was kind of the one that was lacking the most.

Corinne Acampora [00:44:40]:

And it's kind of it's almost, like, solved.

Corinne Acampora [00:44:45]:

And it's like we're doing this. We're like, on this journey together now where it just felt like, well, I made my money and you made yours, and we take care of the kids together and it's just like, but wait, hold on. We're so much more powerful together, too. But besides that, it's not about power, but we can do so much more with it together.

Mel Abraham [00:45:06]:

You're a force to be reckoned with.

Mel Abraham [00:45:08]:

And a force for good.

Corinne Acampora [00:45:10]:

Yeah, completely. And having that communication and bridging that gap has made all the difference.

Corinne Acampora [00:45:17]:

And it's actually fun. It went from being stressful to not.

Corinne Acampora [00:45:22]:

Being actually as stressful and being like.

Corinne Acampora [00:45:27]:

I don't know.

Corinne Acampora [00:45:29]:

We've always had hope that we're doing the right thing and we're on the right path and stuff, but it's really put a lot of wind in our.

Corinne Acampora [00:45:35]:

Sails in terms of this stuff that there's really no limit, which feels nice.

Corinne Acampora [00:45:43]:

And again, for good reason.

Corinne Acampora [00:45:45]:

It's not about like and you say.

Corinne Acampora [00:45:47]:

It all the time. It's about the richness of life, and.

Corinne Acampora [00:45:49]:

That'S what we want and that's what we're starting to get.

Mel Abraham [00:45:55]:

So cool.

Mel Abraham [00:45:57]:

A couple more thoughts just before we.

Mel Abraham [00:45:59]:

Close out, because I know we've been going for a little bit, but I've.

Mel Abraham [00:46:02]:

Had an experience lately watching my son.

Mel Abraham [00:46:06]:

And his wife navigate new parenthood with an almost one year old.

Mel Abraham [00:46:11]:

Now another one on the way.

Corinne Acampora [00:46:14]:

That's exciting.

Mel Abraham [00:46:15]:

And I just god, that the tears will well up just when I think about seeing them, how they are together, how they work and how they're living a life. And you are now with a nine year old and a ten year old.

Mel Abraham [00:46:35]:

You and Brian are getting a chance.

Mel Abraham [00:46:37]:

To watch them do things that some people never even think about, like the.

Mel Abraham [00:46:45]:

Investment club and all.

Mel Abraham [00:46:47]:

As you watch your children, as they're doing some of these things, what's it.

Mel Abraham [00:46:53]:

Like for you and Brian to sit.

Mel Abraham [00:46:55]:

Back and go.

Mel Abraham [00:46:58]:

I think we're doing okay here.

Corinne Acampora [00:47:00]:

Yeah, we just said that the other day about something we're like.

Corinne Acampora [00:47:05]:

Because.

Corinne Acampora [00:47:07]:

We'Re strivers and we're achiever, we can be hard on ourselves yeah. And stuff. And we've learned over time to give ourselves grace and understand that we are not by any stretch perfect and never will be. But we try our best. We dropped Millie off at camp. For the first time ever. She's at a diabetes camp and she's nine. And we were so nervous about it. She can probably feel our nervousness, and she's a fairly anxious kid, too. So we were doing our best to kind of keep it at bay as we dropped her off. But we got there and in Millie fashion, she's got like, bright red heart sunglasses on and her hair is all up and I think, you know, she's got these, like, rainbow earrings in and but still feeling nervous. But then we watched her. We kind of stood back. We brought her up to her cabin and she just walked in and was like, I'm here. And she just with such independence. And she had this giant squishmellow if you don't know about these yeah, you will as a grandfather squishy, stuffed animal type things. But she walked in with such confidence.

Corinne Acampora [00:48:33]:

And she had this giant smile on.

Corinne Acampora [00:48:35]:

Her face, and, I mean, I immediately teared up and kind of tried to hide it from her, but then we were like, okay, Mill, it's time for us to go. And we gave her a nice big hug and took some pictures with us.

Corinne Acampora [00:48:45]:

And then we just watched her, like, didn't turn around.

Corinne Acampora [00:48:47]:

And look, there were no tears on her part. She just walked right in and was.

Corinne Acampora [00:48:51]:

Like, great, I'm here, and I'm doing this. And it was just like, okay, how.

Corinne Acampora [00:48:56]:

The heck did that happen? But it's so hard as parents because.

Corinne Acampora [00:49:00]:

You want to protect your kids so.

Corinne Acampora [00:49:02]:

Much, and we have no idea what this experience is going to be like for her. I pray to God we'll pick her up tomorrow. Hopefully it went well. But to see her kind of take on a new, really intense challenge with.

Corinne Acampora [00:49:17]:

Such grace, actually, and confidence was like.

Corinne Acampora [00:49:22]:

Okay, all right, she's got this.

Corinne Acampora [00:49:24]:

And ultimately, that's what we want to instill is independence, right?

Corinne Acampora [00:49:28]:

Yeah.

Corinne Acampora [00:49:29]:

And it doesn't make it easier for.

Mel Abraham [00:49:32]:

Mom and dad, but it doesn't protectiveness.

Mel Abraham [00:49:37]:

My son's 32, and Cammy's 30. The protectiveness doesn't go away.

Corinne Acampora [00:49:42]:

Yeah, no, I'm sure it doesn't. I'm sure it doesn't. Oh, and another thing happened. August is our son, and Millie is our daughter at their new school. This was recently. And Brian and I looked at each other. We're like, okay, something's working. There was a talent show. Millie got up and sang a whole solo song on her own. She practiced it with her band teacher in front of, like, I don't know, 200 people. Like, sweet. In August, our son got up and did stand up comedy.

Mel Abraham [00:50:10]:

No way.

Corinne Acampora [00:50:11]:

And I was like, dude, this is so awesome. And all the big kids are cheering from him, for him from the back. And we're like, wow, they're taking risks. Like, measured risks, but they're confident, and they have this sense of self that's damn cool.

Mel Abraham [00:50:29]:

I'm inspired by it, I got to tell you.

Mel Abraham [00:50:32]:

I always said if our greatest successes are our children and we do while.

Corinne Acampora [00:50:39]:

We'Re here yeah, totally.

Corinne Acampora [00:50:42]:

I completely agree.

Mel Abraham [00:50:46]:

This is so good.

Mel Abraham [00:50:47]:

And I hope that the viewers and.

Mel Abraham [00:50:50]:

Listeners get a chance to really listen to what's possible if we're intentional and willing to step out, have the conversations.

Mel Abraham [00:51:03]:

Have difficult conversations, if that's the case, to know that on the other side of those conversations is the harmony, is the richness, is the happiness and the.

Mel Abraham [00:51:11]:

Contentment and allow the difficult times to bond us versus separate us.

Corinne Acampora [00:51:19]:

I love that. That's a great way of thinking about it.

Corinne Acampora [00:51:23]:

Absolutely.

Corinne Acampora [00:51:23]:

Because that's where the opportunity comes, actually.

Mel Abraham [00:51:26]:

Yeah, it really is. I know that people ask me what.

Mel Abraham [00:51:32]:

Happened to my relationship with Stephanie during.

Mel Abraham [00:51:34]:

The cancer, and I said, we're closer than ever. I watched the woman I love step.

Mel Abraham [00:51:42]:

Up and stand by my side and give me the grace that I needed.

Mel Abraham [00:51:45]:

To be graceful during a hard time.

Corinne Acampora [00:51:49]:

That's incredible.

Mel Abraham [00:51:51]:

I couldn't ask for a better partner in life.

Corinne Acampora [00:51:54]:

That's the main thing.

Mel Abraham [00:51:57]:

Now that gets.

Mel Abraham [00:51:58]:

Me to want to work hard and.

Mel Abraham [00:51:59]:

Do the things and provide and give.

Mel Abraham [00:52:01]:

Her the world and the people I.

Mel Abraham [00:52:04]:

Serve the world and the people.

Mel Abraham [00:52:06]:

I love the world because she helped me get the gift of life back again. And so I think that's all we can hope for and you do it.

Mel Abraham [00:52:18]:

And I so appreciate you being willing.

Mel Abraham [00:52:21]:

To reach out and send a note going.

Corinne Acampora [00:52:24]:

I'm just.

Corinne Acampora [00:52:28]:

Like, I don't know if I'm going to hear back, but he just needs to. Whether it's you or an assistant or anybody, if the message gets to you. I just really wanted that message to get to you.

Corinne Acampora [00:52:37]:

It was that impactful.

Mel Abraham [00:52:38]:

Well, it did get to me directly.

Corinne Acampora [00:52:41]:

That's great.

Mel Abraham [00:52:43]:

I'm going to reach out to her.

Corinne Acampora [00:52:45]:

Yeah, that was really great.

Mel Abraham [00:52:48]:

Well, listen, I love your story, yours.

Mel Abraham [00:52:53]:

And Brian's story and your spirit around life.

Mel Abraham [00:52:59]:

And I think it's an example for.

Mel Abraham [00:53:00]:

All of us, no matter what we're.

Mel Abraham [00:53:02]:

Going through, to find that experience and to live it. I appreciate you coming in and having.

Mel Abraham [00:53:09]:

The conversation, being open and honest with. If people want to kind of figure.

Mel Abraham [00:53:15]:

Out where you are, what you're doing and all that stuff, where can we let them know?

Corinne Acampora [00:53:20]:

Yeah. Oh, thank you. Well, I have an Instagram account that's Akampura Interiors, and I'll hook it up.

Mel Abraham [00:53:31]:

In the show notes too.

Corinne Acampora [00:53:33]:

Awesome.

Corinne Acampora [00:53:35]:

Kind of a side project of mine, actually is a podcast of my own called Brit by Design and it came out of all of this stuff when I really started diving into personal development. I just felt the need to serve more people and I wanted people to have a platform, even though it's a very small platform at this point, maybe one day it'll be bigger, but to tell their story and to tell about their success but their hardships and the things that they've faced. So it's Grit by Designs podcast and.

Corinne Acampora [00:54:09]:

It'S on all of the different outlets.

Mel Abraham [00:54:11]:

Awesome. Are you doing it weekly now or what?

Corinne Acampora [00:54:15]:

That is the goal, Mel. I am not quite there yet, but I just started recording season two, as I'm calling it. Season one was about, I don't even know, 810 episodes. And it's one of those things where it's kind of a passion project of mine where it is kind of in the background and I would love to put more time into it because it.

Corinne Acampora [00:54:41]:

Brings me so much joy to get other people's stories out into the world.

Corinne Acampora [00:54:46]:

So good.

Mel Abraham [00:54:46]:

So good to hear. I'll make sure that it's hooked up.

Mel Abraham [00:54:49]:

And just so you know, it doesn't.

Mel Abraham [00:54:51]:

Matter how big the Joe or the.

Mel Abraham [00:54:53]:

Podcast is because we're really just trying.

Mel Abraham [00:54:56]:

To reach that one that needs to hear the message. And your soul shines through and I'm sure it shines through on that. I'm going to go subscribe to it now.

Corinne Acampora [00:55:05]:

Oh, good. Maybe you'll be on it one day.

Mel Abraham [00:55:09]:

Let me know when and we'll make it happen.

Corinne Acampora [00:55:11]:

Awesome. Thank you so much for having me. This has been really delightful.

Mel Abraham [00:55:15]:

Awesome.

Corinne Acampora [00:55:16]:

I've gotten so much out of it. Thank you.

Mel Abraham [00:55:17]:

All right.

Mel Abraham [00:55:17]:

Blessings to you and Brian and the kids.

Corinne Acampora [00:55:20]:

Thank you.

Mel Abraham [00:55:21]:

Keep making a day.

Corinne Acampora [00:55:22]:

Thank you.

Mel Abraham [00:55:23]:

Anything I can do, let me know.

Corinne Acampora [00:55:26]:

Thank you, Mel, so much.

Mel Abraham [00:55:28]:

Thank you for listening to the affluent Entrepreneur show with me, your host, Mel Abraham. If you want to achieve financial liberation to create an affluent lifestyle, join me in the affluent entrepreneur Facebook group now by going to Melabraham.com group and I'll see you.