About Owning the Dash
The Owning the Dash philosophy means to recognize and take ownership of opportunities in life by making smart decisions today to help ensure a happy and fulfilled future. (Video originally released April 2019.)
From the Author
On January 17, 2015, I experienced the death of my cousin, Greg Plitt. Greg and I grew up together, and he was like an older brother to me. Greg discovered early that in order to find happiness, he needed to take ownership of his life and find value in himself.
When Greg passed, his videographer and close friend Mark created a tribute video highlighting several of Greg’s most valuable life lessons. The first time I saw the video, I knew that my own life moving forward would be forever changed. I am still learning from my cousin and am grateful for every life lesson that he shared. His legacy lives on in Owning the Dash® and the thousands that he inspired.
When writing Owning the Dash®, I had many ideas about topics that could go into the book. Each time I watched my cousin’s videos on life and fitness philosophies, I discovered more comparisons between fitness and finance. In essence, both require a growth mindset and clear goals. On a drive to the gym one morning, the title and foundation for the book became abundantly clear. Greg’s app started to play the soundtrack from his Sweat Equity video. Owning the Dash® was born.
The Video that inspired a Dream
The Origin of Owning the Dash
The Owning The Dash Kids' Books
Greg was the inspiration behind Owning the Dash, but two incredible kids truly brought the brand mission to life! My children Abbie and Jason have been part of this journey since the first book release. They even offered to help their dad make the first book announcement video!
Dash and Nikki - The first kids' Picture book
After the release of Owning the Dash, readers asked me to write a second self-help book that discussed the transition into retirement. I started writing The No-Regrets Retirement Roadmap just as the Covid outbreak crept into our lives.
Those days were filled with work and parenting responsibilities, so I wrote during the evening hours after everyone had gone to bed. One evening while writing in my basement office, my door inched open, and I heard an adorable voice say, "Hi, Daddy!" Abbie stood at the door beaming with a giant smile. She, like her dad, had a creative mind that became most active during the evening hours.
Instead of trying to convince her to go back to bed, I offered to let her sit next to me and write her own stories. It started as a fun father-daughter bonding experience, until one night we came up with the idea to write a children's rhyming picture book that taught a basic lesson about money. I would do the writing, and Abbie would give feedback on the story and rhymes used.
Jason soon heard about the project and joined us in the fun. After several months, we finished the first draft and found a fantastic illustrator to help bring the characters to life. On December 2, 2021 Dash and Nikki and the Jellybean Game made its official debut.
The Owning the Dash Kids Book Series
Dash and Nikki received great praise from kids, parents, teachers and even financial advisors!
As a result, more kids' books followed to create the Owning the Dash Kids' Books series. Each book strives to teach the fundamentals of financial literacy, promote inclusion and diversity, and inspire the next generation to take ownership of their lives and their decisions.
Thank you for being part of our journey! Please stay in touch to hear about all the exciting new projects we have in store.
