Long before R. Lee Vann wrote a book about money, he learned his first financial lesson at home.<\/p>\n
His father never graduated from high school, but Vann remembers him as a man who understood numbers, made careful financial decisions and lived by a simple rule for creditors: \u201cPay them folks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn\u2019t necessarily sit down and talk [about finances],\u201d Vann said. \u201cBut I observed him, which was more powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Growing up in Memphis, Vann watched his parents sit down regularly to go over the family\u2019s finances. He watched his father choose to invest in rental property instead of buying expensive cars. Those decisions, he said, shaped the way he thinks about money to this day.<\/p>\n
His mother provided another influence.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father is the one that taught the discipline,\u201d Vann said. \u201cMy mother [taught] the spirituality. \u2026 That really made me most of who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n
Years later, after serving in the Air Force, spending 15 years in corporate America and navigating one of the most difficult chapters of his life, Vann found himself returning to those lessons in an unexpected way.<\/p>\n
They became the foundation for Rich Without the Rush<\/i><\/span>.<\/p>\n Vann said he never intended to write a personal finance book.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t set out to write a book about money,\u201d he said. \u201cI set out to survive.\u201d<\/p>\n The idea began taking shape during his second divorce.<\/p>\n As he worked through the emotional and financial strain of starting over, Vann filled journals with thoughts about Scripture, money and what he wanted life to look like moving forward. Looking back through those journals later, he found a note he had written about creating a book based on biblical principles that would also appeal to readers looking for practical financial guidance.<\/p>\n That idea eventually became his first book.<\/p>\n Although faith is woven throughout the book, Vann said he intentionally wrote it for a broad audience.<\/p>\n \u201cThe plan stands on its own,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s grounded in faith, so Scripture shows up where it fits, but you don\u2019t need to be religious for the tools to work for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Vann believes one of the biggest mistakes people make is comparing themselves with someone else\u2019s financial timeline.<\/p>\n Many retirement guides tell people how much money they should have saved by a certain age.<\/p>\n Vann said that advice often creates more anxiety than encouragement.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ll tell you that by a certain age you should have a certain amount saved,\u201d he said. \u201cThat causes anxiety.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead, he encourages readers to calculate what he calls their \u201cEnough Number,” a retirement goal based on their own financial needs rather than national averages or online advice.<\/p>\n He also devotes a chapter to what is often called the \u201csandwich generation,” adults balancing the needs of aging parents while continuing to help adult children establish themselves financially. Those competing responsibilities, he said, often make traditional financial advice difficult to apply.<\/p>\n At the center of the book is what Vann calls the Tortoise Formula<\/b><\/span>:<\/p>\n Direction \u00d7 Discipline \u00f7 Distraction = Wealth.<\/b><\/p>\n Direction means knowing where you want to go.<\/p>\n Discipline is consistently moving toward that goal.<\/p>\n Distraction is everything that pulls people away from it.<\/p>\n The idea is rooted in Proverbs 13:11, which teaches that wealth gathered little by little will increase.<\/p>\n For Vann, it also brings to mind a familiar childhood story.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Tortoise and the Hare,\u201d he said. \u201cSlow wins the race.\u201d<\/p>\n One exercise in the book asks readers to measure something that won\u2019t appear on a bank statement.<\/p>\n Vann calls it the Peace Index<\/b><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Rather than focusing only on dollars and cents, the exercise encourages readers to think about how they feel about their finances and to revisit that measure over time as they build healthier habits.<\/p>\n \u201cThe most important thing for me is peace,\u201d Vann said.<\/p>\n He said the book is not intended to replace professional financial advice. Instead, he hopes readers use its exercises to better understand their own financial situation before meeting with a financial planner.<\/p>\n While Vann wrote the manuscript, he credits his wife, Angela, with shaping the finished book.<\/p>\n She illustrated it, designed the layout, handled the typesetting and edited the manuscript, often pushing him to clarify ideas or correct inconsistencies.<\/p>\n After finishing his first draft, Vann admitted he was ready to move on. Angela wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u201cThis would not have been possible without Angela,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n For Angela, the project became the couple\u2019s first major collaboration after marrying just over a year ago.<\/p>\n \u201cIt really gave me even more confidence that we are good together,\u201d she said. \u201cWe can work well together. We can accomplish things together. We\u2019re true teammates and partners.\u201d<\/p>\nA book born from starting over<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
Looking beyond retirement benchmarks<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
Slow and steady<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
Measuring peace<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
A partnership on every page<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
Lessons worth passing on<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n