34-year-old Mark Harvey is a self-made man millionaire. He lives with his wife Nicky and four children (Courtney, 12, Sienna Rose, 6, Freya, 4 and Theo, 1) in an 8-bedroom mansion in Derbyshire and he has a monthly income of 7,000 pounds – about 8,500 euros – that is, 1,750 pounds per week – about 2,000 euros.
Mark grew up in an environment deprived of luxuries, since even the shoes he wore were his sister’s pink sneakers that he had to paint black to avoid embarrassment. After finishing school he worked with his father as a builder, but after two years of hard work, he started a career in sales and acquired a large fortune.
“I came into IT at a software company that at the time was not doing well at all, but we managed to turn it around, doing half a million pounds worth of sales in 18 months,” he explained. This helped him build a property portfolio that is now worth several million pounds.
The father of four credits his discipline and mental strength with helping him succeed. “I wake up at 4 in the morning, meditate to find space in my mind and body, and then do some yoga. Then I fall straight into the freezing water. This is good for the body but the biggest benefit is for the mind,” he says.
He was always of the opinion that it is not the fault of anyone who is born into a poor environment, but it is the fault of those who remain in it and do not do something to improve their lives. However, he quickly realized that it is not always easy for everyone to take a step further and change their life.
Billie
Taking part in Rich House, Poor House, Mark agreed to swap lives with Billie Thompson, a single mother of two who works as a part-time carer. He earns 100 pounds (about 118 euros) every month, etcand since it pays its fixed obligations, she only has 60 euros left in her pocket to spend the rest of the month with 5-year-old Maxie and 12-year-old Blayne. “I’m struggling to make ends meet and quite often I borrow from my mom,” she says.
She is studying carpentry and hopes one day to have her own company which will employ only women. “I’m good at my job, I’m very good at my job. I try to do my best,” said Billie. He admits that he never did good financial management because of this has ended up £16,000 in debt (almost 19,000 euros). People who see me say ‘Billie has a good life, she has a nice car, but it’s on loan’ she admits. Even Deb’s mom has to give her a tough talk. “Stop living like a millionaire when you’re not,” he often tells her. But Billie has dreams for her professional future. “I want to be somebody, I want my kids to know that they can do whatever they want to be. And by taking the carpentry classes I’m doing something that a man does and not many women do. I feel very good about myself,” he says according to the Daily Mail.
For a whole year she had to stop everything to take care of her grandfather who had cancer. “I didn’t go to college and my whole life revolved around going to my mother’s house and helping out. I was putting all her needs before mine.” But she still hopes that one day she will be her own boss.
When they exchanged lives
Mark went on the show because he wanted to see how he and his family would cope with Billie’s £52 a month financial hardship. “That’s less than £10 per person,” he said, reflecting on his family of six. “Theo you’re going on a diet,” he joked to his one-year-old son. “We’re going to the store to buy enough food, just for one meal, because we’ll have to think about what we’re going to do with the money. We should use this money to make money,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Derbyshire, Billie and Deb burst into tears when they entered the villa with Mark’s eight bedrooms. “Just imagine living here,” Deb told her daughter. The icing on the cake was the £1,750 they had available to spend for one week.
“It was just very shocking. This is something I would like my children to have and I don’t think I will ever be able to. And that saddens me,” said Billie, who experienced all the comforts the mansion provided. She gave some of the money to buy woodworking tools and take her children to the zoo, luxuries she didn’t have in her own life.
The millionaire lived Billie’s life, shopping for the neighbors, as she does every day. “I see how easy it is to fall into the trap of not having time. You want to create new things in your life: where is the space if all the other spaces are filled by doing the same thing over and over again” he wondered.
Meanwhile he and his wife Nicky got free wood and tools from Billie’s woodworking class to make items they planned to auction off to make more money.
How they lived like others
After the days passed the two families met to exchange experiences. “I want people to look at me the way they look at you. And it’s hard to do. I don’t know where to start,” Billie told Mark.
“Don’t worry about how they look at you,” he replied.
“I’ve always been very insecure about myself,” Billie continued, and the millionaire replied that he wants to help her live a better life.
“You really want to transform your life and you’re really ready to do that. I am willing to work with you, guide you, whatever you need, point you in the right direction, give you a series of training programs. So you can be sure of what you want to do, so you don’t have to rely on your mother or anyone else, you can stand on your own two feet. I don’t think having money makes you happy, but when you’re happy, if you want money, you can get it.”
Billie couldn’t believe she would have someone so successful by her side. “That all sounds very good to me. I am truly grateful. If you want something, you can get it, as long as you change your mindset,” he said.
Source: News Beast
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