Your Legacy, Your Freedom

Hello, we are Alan and Mel, founders of Build Your Breakthroughs

Our Story

The story you're about to hear isn't about how smart we are, or how lucky we got. It's about what happens when you decide you're tired of being tired.

Just a few years ago, our life was a blur of long commutes and late nights. Alan was a high school teacher, and I was a respiratory therapist in the demanding D.C. area, and we were constantly chasing a work-life balance that always seemed just out of reach. We thought a career change would be the answer, so after two years of preparation, I got a full ride at The Ohio State University business program. We sold our house and moved to Columbus, ready for a fresh start.

While I worked hard to get my MBA as a mom, Alan continued his teaching career, this time with adult career changers at a coding bootcamp. We were still on the path we thought we were supposed to be on. We moved again to Nashville for my new job as a Business Analyst for a Fortune 5 company, and then back home when the pandemic hit and remote work became the new norm. With each move, we sold a home(lots of regrets here), convinced it was the right decision at the time. What we didn't realize was that we were still stuck in the same cycle—chasing a job title and a paycheck, not freedom.

Like so many during the pandemic, we took on multiple jobs just to get ahead. Alan juggled a full-time software developer role with an early morning contracting gig and weekend teaching. I balanced my Business Analyst position with being a mom to our two young daughters. We were constantly working, constantly exhausted, and constantly telling ourselves it would be worth it in the end.

But tax season revealed the hard truth. We saw just how much we had earned, and yet how little we had to show for it besides exhaustion and the immense guilt of missed time with our girls. That was our breaking point. The financial pressure, combined with the restraints of not being able to travel as a family, made it clear we needed to change our approach entirely.

I dove deep into research and discovered the power of business acquisition. It wasn't about starting from scratch; it was about buying an existing, provable and scalable asset that could work well for our lifestyle. The idea was initially daunting to Alan, a self-proclaimed traditionalist, but the long-term potential was undeniable. We left our W-2 jobs within three months of buying our first business, and that one decision has since led to acquiring multiple ventures and building a real estate portfolio.

Today, we're not just entrepreneurs; we're teachers. We launched Build Your Breakthroughs to show others how to escape the grind and create a life of purpose. Our mission is simple: to help you stop trading your time for money and start living a life where travel, family, and financial freedom are not just dreams, but realities.