"Passive income isn't just money in the bank; it's freedom in your pocket to pursue life's grandest adventures with the ones you love."

- Rise Capital

Today is our ONE year anniversary of the hardest thing we've ever done.

That's saying a lot because we've been married 27 years, have 6 children, started multiple businesses, lived in a house we remodeled together, home birth and homeschool!

It's the one year anniversary of the start of our family's hike of the Arizona National Scenic Trail, 800 miles across mountainous desert from the border of Mexico to the border of Utah.

It took us 3 months of grueling marching every day to reach our goal, and we took our 4 of our children with us (3 youngest daughters, and our young adult son joined us for the last 500 miles.)

Day 1: You can tell it's day 1 because look how clean we still are!

Our daughter set the world record at age 11 as the youngest ever finisher of the Arizona Trail.

A reporter saw us hiking through a state park and interviewed us while we were stuck in Flagstaff waiting for the Grand Canyon to reopen after catastrophic snow and rock fall damage so we could finish our journey.

🚫 After more than two weeks waiting in Flagstaff for the North Rim Trail to reopen, the damage from snow and rock falls were too extensive.

It was even illegal to hike over the North Rim other than one option that we rejected as too dangerous with no water. However, we walked to the South Rim anyway, not knowing what to do, and the same day we arrived an alternate route on an unmaintained trail with no conditions report was opened for advanced hikers.

Despite the naysayers warning we couldn't do that trail either, we had a squad of rangers, guides, and cheerleaders watching over us who knew our hiking, backcountry, and white water kayaking experience, giving us so much encouragement that we had what it took to do this safely even with kids.

The rangers at the North Rim recognized our family and stopped to encourage us.

We made it out of the Grand Canyon on Old Bright Angel Trail, taking over 16 hours to hike just 6 miles up the North Rim.

Old Bright Angel Trail hadn't been maintained for over 75 years.

It was the most difficult day we had on trail with steep ridges, slippery scree, wild water crossings, and hiking through thorny trees and bushes tripping us while tearing holes in our clothing because there was no visible trail.

Troy was a whitewater kayak guide in Idaho and helped us across this roaring creek so easily!

After we safely exited the Canyon, I found a signal to report back to our online groups that we were safe, posting all our tips and experience navigating legally and safely out on that trail.

In the coming days, people who hiked a lot faster than we did with kids in tow passed us on the way to the Utah border saying, "We saw that if an 11-year-old kid could manage that old trail, we could do it too!"

Crying with relief at this sign on the North Rim that we made it out safely!

Passive Income Saved Our Adventure

That year, very few hikers finished the AZT because with all the snow and trail damage, the conditions were just too dangerous.

What made us able to get it done when able-bodied, adult, experienced hikers couldn't?

No joke: passive income from real estate investing. How?

Remember that extended stop in Flagstaff? We spent over two weeks there hosted generously by a former US senator at her vacation house who reached out to help us after watching us struggle through some of the most challenging conditions the trail had ever presented while other hikers had to go home back to jobs and families left behind.

🚫 It wasn't too hot, like we had feared before hiking through Arizona.

🥶 It was too cold, with record snowfall in the mountains we passed through.

Anyone want to spend the summer in Arizona?

We were able to slow down, take our time, hiking just behind the leading edge of the weather, waiting for snow to melt, when others had to abandon trail covered in snow and dangerous mud because they had limited time off work. Many thought they would come back to try again in the fall: some did, most didn't.

Instead of worrying about getting back to work, we slowed down and hiked through a historic "super bloom" of perpetual spring, pleasant weather and wildflowers exploding everywhere because we weren't racing into the snow.

Seeds that lay dormant during drought years explode in wet years, creating a "Super Bloom" in the desert.

We had just started our private lending business, and our amazing partners had our backs setting things up during pre-revenue phase to be ready for when we returned with one of the greatest passive income testimonies of all time!

Getting our business organized with amazing partners as we prepared to leave on a wild adventure

We were able to accomplish something incredible because we had the time to spend 3 months hiking instead of rushing to beat the heat in the usual 6-8 weeks it took most years because we planned ahead by starting early, knowing we had the weakness of taking kids with us. We planned for extra time not worrying about a job or money.

That weakness of slow hiking became our greatest strength not only because we were able to stay behind the snow, but it also captured attention and offers of help because our kids were doing something so extraordinary.

We could see the North Rim, but it was still over 10 hours of hiking away!

Our dedicated focus on building a financial portfolio to support us on passive income with minimal attention has literally paid off in our ability to improve our own lives and now the lives of those around us.

We want to work with high achievers who value getting ahead to both give back and pay it forward, those who help others even before they reach financial freedom, and those understand that money is a tool to time, location, and service freedom.

If that's you, join us for your own adventure like no other at partnerwithrise.com