Myraio Mitchell’s passion for serving others has led him on a life-changing journey from bankruptcy to helping others gain financial freedom.
In 2000, determined to dedicate his life to service, Myraio left his corporate job in the fax/copier distribution industry to work in facilities maintenance for his church—a decision that came with a very significant pay cut. Many financial hardships followed, including bankruptcy, but he was still determined to make it work.
Six years later, Myraio was listening to personal finance expert Dave Ramsey on the radio, searching for tips to navigate the continued financial hardships that came with his career change. It was then that he decided to attend a local 13-week Dave Ramsey course, which proved integral to his life’s direction from that point on.
“That course altered the way my wife and I viewed money and personal finances,” says Myraio. “We restructured our lifestyle, renewed the way we saw money, and ultimately began building generational wealth for our family.” He began having conversations with his coworkers and others at local events. Soon, he was asked to pioneer and facilitate a program at work.
Myraio’s first class consisted of 65 people with over $1M in consumer debt combined, outside of mortgages. By the end of the course, 98% of the class received a certificate of completion (which required attendance goals, weekly budgeting homework, reading assignments, and active participation) and paid off over $300K in combined consumer debt.
As his course’s popularity rapidly grew, Myraio quickly trained others into facilitator roles and expanded the program into multiple locations in three states. In 2013, he began coaching individuals as part of a business that he shares with his family. “In our individual sessions, we stress the importance of being intentional—on paper and on purpose—to create a monthly budget that tells their money where to go, instead of asking themselves ‘where did my money go,’” he explains.
Myraio has now facilitated over 400 classes with over 1,000 families—four of whom have reported back to him that they have become completely debt-free, including their mortgages, with his help. Classes are now offered virtually, which expands his reach even more. Now, between the family business and earning multiple promotions at the church, Myraio has more than made up for the huge pay cut he took to follow his dream of helping others. “I chose to do something I didn’t know anything about in order to get to do what I love,” he says.
Myraio continues to help others in his position at MarketSource as a travel and expense auditor on our accounting team. He explains, “I love the opportunity I have to help others daily, whether it’s answering questions about expense reports, talking through policies, or helping my coworkers obtain specific reports that help them accomplish their own tasks.”
However, his favorite part about MarketSource is our culture. Myraio joined MarketSource in 2017 as a way to fund his daughter’s college tuition debt-free. Well, she graduated two years ago and he hasn’t gone anywhere. “I love the culture at MarketSource,” says Myraio. “I still enjoy what I do; the people here are incredibly special, and leadership is such a joy to work with.”
Reflecting on his 21-year journey since deciding to leave his distribution job, Myraio observes, “I find many people don’t lead their lives—they accept their lives. I can tell you from personal experience that ONE IDEA can change your life. My dad used to tell me to not let inability stop me from moving forward into new opportunities. You can continue to better your inabilities, but you may not always have the open door of opportunity.” And Myraio certainly took that advice to heart.