A Life-Changing Cruise.
Back in 2007, we embarked on an unforgettable road trip through California, and one of the true highlights was spending two incredible days with Chet Holmes.
Until then, Chet had been Yoni’s mentor, but those two days shifted everything—from mentor to friend.
Fast forward to 2008, and I was knee-deep in planning our annual summer vacation.
We had our sights set on Norway, ready for another road trip adventure. I’d already booked the rental car when Yoni got a call from Chet.
“What are you doing between July 10th and 17th?” Chet asked.
Yoni, caught a bit off guard, replied, “I think we’re on vacation in Norway.”
“Cancel it!” Chet said, with the kind of urgency that makes you stop in your tracks.
Yoni, always the diplomatic one, threw the ball in my court.
“I’ll need to check with Vered,” he said, “to see if we can cancel the tickets we’ve already booked.”
“Don’t take too long,” Chet insisted. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
And then he laid it all out. “There’s this exclusive cruise on a private yacht, and only the most elite group of people are invited. Most of them are top real estate agents from across the U.S.
It’s a week-long cruise in the Mediterranean, starting in Monte Carlo with stops in Sardinia, Corsica, and other islands.
But it’s not just any cruise. They’ve invited some of the world’s top motivational speakers and personal development trainers.
Each evening, one of them will give a lecture. It’s an amazing chance to meet these people up close.
Plus, I got you a special discount. You’ve got 24 hours to let me know.”
Yoni was still processing the whole thing when he blurted out, “But we can’t leave our daughter Thom alone…”
Before he could finish, Chet jumped in, “Don’t worry. There will be other kids on the cruise, including the daughter of a good friend of mine, Mark Thompson.
She’s just a year younger than Thom. She’ll be fine.”
We were torn. On one hand, this was a golden opportunity to connect with people we’d only ever seen in videos or read about in books.
On the other hand, even with the discount, the cost was astronomical for us.
But in the end, we realized that when the Universe hands you an invitation like this, you don’t say no.
To save some money and add a bit more adventure to the trip, we decided to drive from Amsterdam to Monte Carlo.
We drove through Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. When we finally arrived in Monte Carlo, we tried to park our car as far away from the yacht as possible.
Our little car looked embarrassingly out of place next to the luxury vehicles lined up there.
As we boarded the private yacht, the reality of the wealth around us hit like a wave.
By 2008, we were doing well, but the level of luxury on that yacht was beyond anything we could have imagined.
I don’t know about Yoni, but I felt totally out of place—it took me a while to relax and just be present.
By 2008, we’d transitioned from personal development workshops to more business-oriented and financial development programs.
One of our key topics was the mindset of wealthy people. This cruise turned out to be a front-row seat to see that mindset in action.
What I learned was that, in the end, wealthy people are just people. Money doesn’t define them—it only amplifies who they already are.
Most of the people on that cruise were genuinely wonderful, and we forged connections and friendships that have lasted for years.
They were kind, giving, and most importantly, treated everyone with respect and appreciation.
One afternoon, while listening to a presentation from one of the trainers, Yoni leaned over and whispered to me, “One day, I’d love to give a presentation to a group like this.”
Less than 10 minutes later, a note was passed to us from the woman organizing the cruise. It read: “Would you be interested in giving a presentation tomorrow, and what would be the topic?”
Yoni didn’t hesitate. He said YES. That night, we were up late, working together to prepare.
It was a powerful reminder of how quickly dreams can become reality when you set a strong intention.
Yoni’s presentation was, of course, amazing, but the real magic was seeing how it resonated with people we once thought were out of our league. And here we were, inspiring them.
That Dream Boat Cruise didn’t just change our vacation plans; it transformed our entire mindset about wealth, rich people, and financial freedom.
It became the springboard for creating those things in our own lives.
