When I reflect on what are the most important aspects of my life, without a doubt it's my role as husband and father. My daughter is a great person and will be soon heading for college. My wife Pam and I have been married since 1982 and we are very close. Pam is the president of Myvesta.org. To the right is a picture of my wife and daughter with our friend and my business coaching client, Andy Paige in the middle. You may recognize Andy from NBC's daytime reality show, Starting Over.

I was the co-founder and president of Myvesta.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people find financial peace of mind. After nine years at the helm of Myvesta the organization had grown from just Mike Kidwell and I in the beginning, to a nationally respected and recognized organization.

While at Myvesta I created programs for people at all points in the financial spectrum, including people who are compulsive shoppers, problem debtors and others who want a convenient bill management solution.

During all of my years at Myvesta I still found time to work with clients. It's my passion and I've always felt a closeness and wanted to give hugs to people suffering through money troubles. So, after many years of trying to manage an organization and also helping individuals, I decided that I enjoyed working with people more than I like administration. So in 2003 I left Myvesta to spend my days working as a private money coach, helping people in trouble.

I began helping others with money issues because of my own painful personal experiences with debt. In 1990 I filed bankruptcy.

I am the author of:

• Eliminate Your Debt Like a Pro: Inside Secrets From Money Coach Steve Rhode
• The Beach Misses You: A financial fable for happiness and internal peace
• The Path to Happiness and Wealth
• The History of Credit and Debt
• Get Out of Debt: Smart Solutions To Your Money Problems
• The CheapMeals.com Cookbook.

Private Pilot One July 4th night my family and I were flying from Danbury, Connecticut to Gaithersburg, Maryland. This was probably the most amazing surealistic flight of my life. As we flew over New York city, the lights below made it look like a postcard. We watched fireworks exploding from towns, right and left, as we flew towards Baltimore, Maryland. As we approached Baltimore a heat lighting storm broke out distantly over the Chesapeake Bay. What an incredible journey.

I also write a syndicated weekly money advice column that is carried by more than 60 newspapers around the country and host money advice segments that are carried by 120 radio stations. I regularly provide expert commentary on money and life matters to CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS and NBC. Dr. Phil and Oprah refer their show participants to me for follow-up care.

I have an MBA and I'm a certified financial recovery counselor with specialized training in money disorders counseling and financial interventions. But most of all, I have years of experience in providing loving and caring help for people seeking financial solutions and inspiration.

Fly Planes - I'm an experienced pilot and love to fly.

Ride Motorcycles - I love to ride motorcycles and scooters. What I find most amazing about riding is the friendship that exists between motorcyclists from all walks of life. It doesn't matter if your riding a big BMW K1200LT like I did, a Harley Davidson or you are on your first bike, we all understand the freedom, adventure and the unique experiences and insight we gain from riding. Every time I ride I get a smile on my face. Sometimes it's just the little wave from the child in the backseat of the family sedan at a red light or the thumbs up from someone as they pass. People wave, bikers wave and for just a second, we are all one. Today I spend more time riding my scooter around town. It is a blast.

Cook - I love to cook. My favorite dishes usually involve good friends and good ingredients.

Photography - I studied photojournalism in college and the photo editor of my college paper. I still love photography today.

Cruise - It wasn't until just a few years ago that my family and I discovered how wonderful cruising can be. It's an amazing way to see new countries and places without havig to pack your stuff every day. A day at sea is so refreshing. My favorite trip was when we sailed from New York to Southampton on the QE2. The six days at sea were so relaxing. What a special treat.

Ride a BMW K1200LT Riding motorcycles can be peacful and relaxing. Long distance trips are a dream on this bike. This photo was taken of me during my cross country back roads trip from Washington, DC to San Diego.

Write - I love to write. When I'm working on a book I wake up early every morning and spend a few hours writing until the project is over. After that, I take a break until I'm ready to work on the next book. Typically, it's a few months on and then a few months off.

Ophthalmology - I spent years in ophthalmology. My career included massive amounts of patient care, emergency on-call coverage, surgical assisting, practice management, lecturing, writing and training.

Run a Business - I'm an entrepreneur at heart. I had a lawn mower repair shop as a kid, a car repair business as a teenager, a freelance photo and scuba business as a young adult and even now I'm interested in developing and running multiple businesses. Currently, I also run a little business that specializes in selling historic aviation documents and restoring gun camera movies.

Law Enforcement - I helped to work my way through college as a police dispatcher and police photographer. I have the utmost of respect for law enforcement and police officers from all branches. I know how difficult the job can be with little recognition or reward. Currently I'm 10-7.