Former KARE 11 meteorologist Jerrid Sebesta shares his in Mountain Lake presentation
On May 15, 2014, Jerrid Sebesta walked into his boss’ office at KARE-11 TV – where he had been a meteorologist since 2010 – and announced his decision to leave the station and make a move to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Shortly after making this decision, Sebesta and his wife, Emily, learned that they were expecting their third child. The couple and their two children ended up moving in with his wife’s parents in Winnebago.
For the next three months, Sebesta savored the summer of his life. He took his kids to the park and pool, went to a family reunion in Colorado with his son and dad, hunted for the first time in his life and helped out on his in-laws’ farm.
At the end of that summer, though, the TV position in Sioux Falls that Sebesta had planned on didn’t come to fruition.
However – he did get a curious e-mail from a stranger in Willmar. That stranger – Ben Taatjes – owns a retirement planning firm. He had contacted Sebesta because he wanted to hire him to do what he had done – to live a debt-free lifestyle and have the power to position themselves to follow their dreams.
Sebesta gook the job.
Now, as a life coach for Taatjees Financial Group, he travels throughout the Midwest, sharing his story of financial freedom. What Sebesta presents is about redefining success and having the financial power to follow this peace and serenity in life.
Sebesta will bringing that information to Mountain Lake this April.
Sebesta brings his keys to ‘livin’ the dream’ to Mountain Lake.
The Mountain Lake Public Library will host the 36-year-old motivational speaker in a free program on Thursday, April 14, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Refreshments will be served.
Forecast for a bright future
After 12 years of climbing up the TV ranks, Sebesta made the trade – family for fame. He was on the fast track to the big time having made it to the Twin Cities market in his mid-thirties. That success, however meant that he was the guy who wasn’t there for birthday parties, weddings and barbecues. Nearly every day, between the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts, he would drive from the station in Golden Valley to the family’s home in Maple Grove to spend time with his wife and two young children. He was trying hard to balance personal life and career.
But, Sebesta is really just a trailer park kid from Montevideo.
So, he jumped off that rat race fast track and into the slower lane.
A lot of folks dream about giving it all up to seek after their passion, but few actually follow through. There are bills to pay, people from kids to elderly parents to care for. It is the risk of failure and losing everything that stops that pursuit dead in its tracks.
The Sebestas, though, had been prepping for this move for years. They had simplified their lives and worked to eliminate $20,000 in debt = most of it from Jerrid’s student loans. By following the steps of financial author Dave Ramsey, Jerrid and Emily were debt-free within three months.
Part of what Jerrid shares are four concepts to achieve financial freedom – Get out of debt. Get on a budget. Save money. Live on less than you make.
The family still have dreams on moving to Sioux Falls some day. But, for now, Jerrid knows he is right where he needs to be.
And yes, he indeed remains a “weather-nerd.”
