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May 2024

WF Alumnus helping others find financial freedom

It took a self-described epiphany for JB McGinnis to turn his financial life around and begin to live in freedom. And he’s hoping his new book and related seminars will help others have the same successful experience.

A 1999 graduate of the Wichita Falls campus, JB said he fought the usual family history of bad spending habits and realized that pattern wasn’t working. When he was about to gain full custody of his daughter, he had an awakening that he needed to get his personal matters in order.

“When I knew that I was going to get custody, I started on a journey to make sure my daughter didn’t experience the things I had growing up. What really solidified everything for me is when I went to the airport and I walked to the jetbridge to pick her up,” he recalls. “My daughter got off the plane and just looked at me like, ‘I need you. I need stability and support and discipline,’ and I could see it in her eyes. That shifted my entire focus, and I became a frugal person, even more than I already was.”

That journey was rewarding for several reasons, and it put JB on a path to becoming financially independent and free to do more things. A full-time soldier in the Army, he was planning his retirement many years beforehand, knowing that he wanted to be able to relax, do things he enjoyed and not have to hold a full-time job.

He was stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base for a time after moving from dental apprentice as an enlisted soldier to a dental facility manager and finally to a dental apprentice instructor. The tri-service role had him working with Navy and Air Force personnel as well and he decided it was time to pursue his college degree. He found Wayland at Sheppard’s educational center and found it both convenient and personal to his needs. He followed the BSOE in 1999 with a master’s degree in human resources management in 2005.

“They were very accommodating and had different degree programs, and the staff was just great. They were very personable and they knew us, so they were great to guide us through the curriculum,” said JB. “It was a great fit for me, and I talk about Wayland a lot and how important it was for me.”

Sharing his wisdom

About five years before he was set to retire, JB was transferred to Grand Prairie, Texas, and he now lives in nearby Cedar Hill since retiring in 2010 as a Major after 25 years in the Army. From his home, he runs JBM Seminars and helps others achieve the financial freedom they desire with presentations all over the country.

In November 2023, JB compiled all the helpful information he had and content he’s shared with

multiple audiences and collaborated with his wife Mel to release his first book, titled “Mindset First, Money Second.” In the book, he details his system for financial security and tips for how he’s helped others achieve it.

He named the book because he sees the top barrier to financial freedom for many is the mental block.

“You have to be comfortable with having money and not going to spend it as soon as you get it. Some people just can’t do that. Money is not typically the problem; what you do with the money and how you manage it is,” he explained. “You have to have an epiphany, and once you get your mindset right, you can have a great relationship with money and not want to divorce it, which means giving it away. You can accumulate wealth and retain it.”

How it started

And though JB said he never set out to become a financial consultant, a natural gifting led him on this journey. As a squad leader in the Army, he recalls a soldier bouncing a check and his first sergeant instructing JB to help the soldier get his affairs in order.

“I figured I needed to make sure I was good to go before I told him what to do. So I did some research and then sat down with him. That soldier had a turnaround; he did a 180. Another person noticed the change and asked him about it, and he said he met with SGT McGinnis and ‘he got me squared away,’” he recalled. “That person told somebody who told somebody and the next thing you know, I’m the financial guy in the unit. From there, it just took off. Every place I’ve been from that point forward I’ve been the one who talks common sense to individuals about credit cards, credit scores, saving money, low-key investing and saving for the future.”

How it’s going

He started the seminar side of his business because he was in demand and would get contacted often to speak at churches, youth groups, high schools and colleges. His message is tailored for the audiences he visits, though it has universal truths that are good for any age group or stage of life.

JB says a few things he has followed is the 30-20-50 rule, which is to spend 30 percent of your income on things you need (bills and usual expenses), 20 percent on things you want and the other

50 percent goes to savings. With that method, he was able to purchase a Quiznos franchise and become an entrepreneur without a full-time traditional job.

“Because I love it, it’s not work… Because I love to teach and guide people in the right direction. There are many success stories, but this topic is not really sexy. It’s not instant gratification, but it takes time,” says JB. “As long as I’ve been doing it, I’ve had people reach out to tell me they bought their first house or are now debt-free. That’s how it was born, and I’ve just continued to add to it.”

JB can be found online at . His book is available on Amazon.

 

Devotional: A Hunger for God

For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:17 NLT

Do you have a hunger for God, His Word, and the things of His Kingdom? If not, what things are filling you, stealing away your appetite?

The process of determining the menu, sharing the experience with others, and obviously the physical act of consumption, are all components when it comes to having an appetite from beginning to end. 

Some may have an appetite that is healthy, to say the least, and are constantly on the search for new cuisines to experience. Likewise, a spiritual appetite should also be healthy, framed with certain restrictions.

Spiritually though it’s been an evolving hunger for God. The more we seek Jesus, the greater His smorgasbord of revelation and wisdom will become available. The more we eat of His word, the more we appreciate it and desire it.

As we grow closer to the Lord, the more we desire to sit at his table of righteousness.  This is because nothing can quench our spirit like His life fulfilling presence.  If we’d stop running around chasing the proverbial snacks of the world and sit with God, there’s a fully prepared meal and seat awaiting our arrival. The thief only wants to distract us with the junk food of this world. His only desire is to satiate us with garbage, to kill our Godly appetite, and steal our desire to hunger for God.

There’s a quote that seems to convey this idea:

“If you’re not hungry for God, you’re probably full of yourself.”

We can never think we’ve “made it” as Christians. It’s a constant refueling and we can never completely get our fill.

But a life centered on Christ eliminates our thirst for all the temporal things of the world and satisfies our hunger for God.

 

 

In the Mix

One of the most active organizations of 1923 at Wayland (College) was the Spit Curl Association with Ethel Cunningham as its president and the dictator in the styles of Spit Curldom.  What is Spit Curldom ("spit curl")?  It is a small curl of hair trained to lie flat on the forehead, at the nape of the neck, or in front of the ear. 

Lois Brazil was the official secretary and the magic worker in putting the curl into spit curls.  She furnished all the the material for the curl except the curl itself. Dona Hardin was the offical barber of the organization always ready with her shears and razors to trim the forehead locks into the most artistic styles of the day. 

Edna Dirr was the source of Gab. She furnished the humor and kept the club in tears of laughter while operations on the decorations were being accomplished.

Miss Blonda Weatherby was the honorary and faculty advisor. She was well pleased with the work and insisted on a more representative enrollment of the student body for the remaining days of the school year. 

If you were a client of the Spit Curl Association, we would like to hear about it.  Please send all stories to our director at: veraj@wbu.edu 

 

 

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