Erin went from military to millionaire. In this episode we highlight her time in the U.S. Army and how she was able to become a self-made millionaire. She attended West Point and shortly after gaining her commission she was deployed to Iraq. She served for almost eight years. But days after returning from maternity leave she was tasked with a deployment and with her husband already slated to deploy and life changing with a new baby at home she decided that night to leave the military.
Passion after military service
Erin decided to attend WestPoint because she received a scholarship for swimming. She also was looking for independence from her parents. Her parents had provided for her but it always came with strings attached and she wanted to be on her own, even if she didn’t quite know what that meant. At Basic Training she felt free. She wasn’t attached to the constraints and pressures from her family and could focus on herself and achieving everything required.
Deploying to Iraq
After commissioning she went to the required training to be an Engineer. Then shortly after arriving at her first assignment, she deployed to Iraq. She was the last engineering unit assigned and they didn’t know how long it would be that they were in Iraq. It felt like they would never go home but in the fall things started moving and they were home by Christmas.
Leading
She served as a commander in the 82nd Airborne. While there she was able to be in the first class of women who went through pre-Ranger school. Already having received her SAPR tab she felt a lot of pressure to go through the training. She was the only woman to pass. Many of the other women were very close to passing along with her. The results were better than expected and were one of the key steps to allowing women to be able to attend Ranger school. Today, over 100 women have graduated from Army Ranger school.
Leaving the Military
She left the military in 2017 after getting orders to deploy and realizing that with a baby and lots of uncertainty for her family she would get out. Five months later she left the military and began to process what leaving meant. She had gotten her masters with tuition assistance and decided to use her GI Bill to get her PhD at Apollos University in Business Administration.
Self made millionaire
Today, Erin is a self-made millionaire who achieved financial freedom through real estate investing in less than four years. To date, she has helped over 600 other investors to build cash flowing real estate portfolios. A U.S. Army Veteran, Erin understands what it’s like to work for “the man” and be limited by a schedule and fixed income. Erin created a system to allow her to live a life by design. Now, she has the time and resources to give back and focus on her family.
She is a Realtor ® at eXp Realty and is passionate about growing her team of agents and mentoring them to build the business of their dreams. She currently has 15 agents with plans for continual growth. Erin’s real estate portfolio includes 95 rental units. Erin’s courses and conferences empower investors to dream big and ruthlessly pursue their goals! She has a personal goal of creating a million millionaires!
Check out more stories of military women on Women of the Military podcast!
Erin, your story is a powerful testament to resilience, leadership, and unwavering determination. From deploying to Iraq as an Engineer to making history as the only woman to pass pre-Ranger school in your class, your military career broke barriers and paved the way for future generations of women in the Army.
Leaving the military in 2017, you transitioned seamlessly into civilian life, using your education benefits to pursue a PhD in Business Administration. Your transformation into a self-made millionaire through real estate investing is truly inspiring. Helping over 600 investors build successful portfolios speaks volumes about your commitment to empowering others.
As a Realtor® at eXp Realty, your passion for mentoring and growing your team of agents is evident. With 95 rental units in your portfolio and a goal of creating a million millionaires, your vision is both ambitious and empowering. Your journey encourages others to dream big and pursue their goals relentlessly. Thank you for your service and for being a beacon of inspiration and empowerment.