Discussing the Impact of Financial Literacy with Ryan Harris

Like many people, Ryan Harris grew up believing that debt was inevitable – and paying it off was impossible. In school, he studied the quadratic formula but was never taught applicable terms like compound interest.

Now retired from a 10-year career with the NFL, Harris is a bestselling author, public speaker and radio host who uses his own experience to teach others about the importance of achieving sustainable financial well-being.

On this week’s episode of Start With a Win, Harris joins RE/MAX CEO Adam Contos to share how his experience playing professional football was incentive to take control of his own finances and become financially responsible. Wealth, he says, is sustained growth over time – not just winning the lottery and being instantly rich.

As a member of several NFL teams – including the Denver Broncos – Harris noticed a dangerous trend where players earned large salaries but eventually lost their financial security. Seeing the culture of impulse spending firsthand, Harris made sure to prioritize sustainability and wanted to learn – and make necessary lifestyle changes – to ensure he was building lasting wealth for his family.

“It’s not gigantic changes you have to make, but small changes that make a huge difference in ways you could never know,” shares Harris. “Especially in two [pivotal points] of my career, it made my financial security – based on my financial literacy – help me get not only the best contract I could, but play in the best position I could to continue my career.”

Tune in to hear the three most important changes Harris believes one must make to build wealth.