By Renae Pelo

When I was about six years old, my mother taught me a poem—At Breakfast Time by Edgar A. Guest. She signed me up to recite it at our local church talent show, and to my delight, I won a quarter.

That night, something ignited in me. I realized I could stand on a stage, say something that made people smile, hear their applause—and even get paid for it. That moment planted a seed in my heart: I wanted to be famous. I wanted to be rich.

I started small, dressed in a starched cheesecloth dress and angel wings in the grade school Christmas pageant. I went on to speech classes and dramatic monologues in junior high, and eventually starred in several three-act plays in high school. I loved it. The audience loved me, too. They clapped… but no more quarters came my way.

Still, I had made a promise to myself: I would be rich one day. So I went to college. But life had other plans—I got married a year later. Before saying yes to Dale, I made sure he had a solid plan for a prosperous career. He passed the Certified Public Accountant exam on our honeymoon, and I thought we were well on our way to a life of abundance. I soon became a mother, fulfilling another one of my greatest dreams.

Within eight years, we had five beautiful children, and Dale was on track to become a partner at the largest accounting firm in Missoula, Montana. But then, everything changed. He was offered the chance to teach early morning seminary for the LDS Church—and he loved it. His supervisor encouraged him to consider teaching full-time.

We discovered that taking the teaching job meant a $3,500 pay cut—a big deal with five kids. Dale declined the offer. But the man who interviewed him encouraged him to pray about it. That prayer changed the course of our lives. We packed up and moved to Utah, ready to make sacrifices. I had faith—we’d be taken care of. And we were.

But still… I wanted more than just “getting by.” I wanted to give my kids more than just the basics. I dabbled in several network marketing ventures with varying success. For a decade, I earned about $20,000 a year—nothing to sneeze at, but still, not rich.

What I did best, though, was raise incredible children. I had babies, cooked meals, sewed clothes, gardened, cleaned, homeschooled. I was doing the most important work in the world. But that dream of abundance still lived inside me. I didn’t just want wealth for wealth’s sake—I wanted to do things. Travel, give generously, invest in opportunities, buy courses, and (let’s be honest) buy more books. I love books. I wanted a beautiful library to put them in. Fame didn’t matter to me anymore—but that library? Still did.

Now the kids are grown, raising families of their own, and I have time. The desire to be rich is still there, but the motive has shifted. I want to influence the world. I’ve learned more than I ever imagined. I’ve experienced pain I didn’t think I could survive, and joy I didn’t think a mortal could hold. I have something to share—something only I can give.

It’s no longer just a dream. It’s a calling. A fire. I have a million messages I feel compelled to speak. I’ve seen what happens to people who silence their dreams—they fade long before their hearts stop beating. I want to help awaken others to their divine potential—to the joy and power that comes from truly living and creating on purpose.

We are co-creators with God. Life can be lived intentionally, and that is so much more fun than living by default. I want to help families dream together—to raise children who ask, “How can we make this happen?” instead of hearing, “We can’t afford it.”

That little girl on stage with a quarter in her hand is still very much alive in me. Today, I’m sharing my message with the world. People are applauding. The money is finally coming in. It took longer than I expected—but the journey was worth every step.

Would you like to come with me?

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