SCHOOL FEATURE | How Phil Wood achieved his financial dreams

Welcome back to Season 3 of MONEYO2!

If you’ve ever wondered how to turn a big dream into a real, funded life, this episode is for you. Today’s guest, Phil Wood—a veteran beauty educator and coach—went from experiencing homelessness at 15 to building multiple income streams, supporting his family and in-laws, and ultimately relocating to Hawaii. His path wasn’t magic; it was clear goals, disciplined money choices, and relentless follow-through.

In this conversation, Phil gets specific about what actually moved the needle—how writing goals and tracking progress compounds, why values-aligned spending accelerates the timeline, and how to stack skills and income streams without burning out. He also shares practical first steps you can put to work right away.

You’ll hear how vision boards and written goals helped Phil hit major milestones (home, dream car, the Hawaii move), how he built multiple income streams over 20+ years in beauty education (from service desk to national educator), and what financial discipline looks like in real life—intentional spending, saving, and sequencing big moves. We talk about the work ethic behind 16–18 hour days across three jobs while still playing the long game, the link between money and self-worth, and what it looks like to grow a career while serving as the primary breadwinner for a partner and elderly in-laws. We close with simple starters: get specific on goals, pay yourself first, set up sinking funds, and stack skills for stability.

Why this matters: Big goals aren’t luck—they’re math and mindset. Phil shows how consistent behaviors and values-aligned choices can fund the life you want, even if you’re starting from zero.

Tell me your biggest takeaway—I read every message. DM me on Instagram @erinkuhnbhansali or email erin.kuhn@qnityinc.com, and I may share your insight in a future episode.

Keep the conversation going with Phil: @philipjames_pmfs (tag your favorite takeaway and what you’re implementing first).

Ready to turn vision into a plan you can execute? Listen to the full episode here.