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"I grew up lower-middle-class, ... so I continue to be careful with my money, but I treat myself to whatever I want, as long as I feel I am getting value."
By
Joyce Lamb
published
14 February 2026
in Features
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Welcome to Kiplinger's My First $1 Million series, in which we hear from people who have made $1 million.
They're sharing how they did it and what they're doing with it. This time, we hear from a retired real estate broker associate in San Francisco. She retired in 2024 but is still working part time as a referral agent at age 75.
See our earlier profiles, including a writer in New England, a literacy interventionist in Colorado, a semiretired entrepreneur in Nashville and an events industry CEO in Northern New Jersey. (See all of the profiles here.)
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Sign upEach profile features one person or couple, who will always be completely anonymous to readers, answering questions to help our readers learn from their experience.
These features are intended to provide a window into how different people build their savings — they're not intended to provide financial advice.
To hear more about My First $1 Million, you can check out this podcast with bestselling author and tax attorney Toby Mathis:
How They Made Their First Million: The Garbage Man - The Writer - The Teacher. - YouTube
Watch On
The Basics
How did you make your first $1 million?
I decided on a career change (to selling real estate) shortly before I turned 50, and a month after I started working in the field, my husband and I decided to divorce, so it was a "sink or swim" moment for me.
I had a young son at the time, and we shared custody. I had him half the week, which gave me some concentrated time to dedicate to my business.
As part of our divorce settlement, I got to keep our house, and my ex-husband got pretty much everything else, except some retirement funds I had from my prior work as a corporate systems analyst.
Looking at the "big picture" was way too scary, so I decided that I was just going to go into work every day, do the best job I could for everyone I met and treat people the way I would want to be treated.
Fortunately, my strategy worked — I sold nine properties during my first year in the business, and within a few years, I was one of the top agents in my company.
Luckily, within the first few years, I connected with a very good financial adviser, who helped me invest my earnings, and I also invested in a few rental properties over time.
Due to these strategies, my assets greatly increased, and my current net worth is over $10 million.
What are you doing with the money?
I kept investing regularly, purchased some rental properties and took care not to accrue any debt.
The Fun Stuff
Did you do anything to celebrate?
Not even sure when I reached that milestone, but I just kept investing and stayed the course.
What is the best part of making $1 million?
Financial security. Not having to worry about living expenses or financial emergencies.
Did your life change?
Not really, as I never lived above my means.
Does anyone know you're a millionaire?
My son, my significant other and his daughter (who is an executor to my estate, along with my son, and like a daughter to me).
I think my friends and family probably know I've done well, but I've never shared anything specific with them.
I grew up lower-middle-class (lived in a three-room apartment in the Bronx until I was almost 15), so I continue to be careful with my money, but I treat myself to whatever I want, as long as I feel I am getting value.
Did you retire early?
I fully retired at the end of 2024 after 25 years in real estate (and am now a "referral agent"). I was working only part-time since about 2020.
Looking Back
Anything you would do differently?
I made the mistake of investing in a startup with my ex-husband early on and took a substantial hit (of about $65,000) during the dot-com bust, but aside from that, no major regrets.
Also, I overindulged my son, as I had the means to do so, but I should not have. Luckily, he turned out fine anyway!
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Set goals and stay the course.
Did you read any books that helped you on your journey?
I've read some of them, but they did not sway me in any significant way.
Did you work with a financial adviser?
Yes, (an adviser) with Ameriprise. I have a special arrangement with her to pay a flat annual fee rather than a percentage of my assets.
Did anyone help you early on?
My wonderful (and irreplaceable) tax person, who has since passed on. She and her husband had invested in property, and she helped me make some prudent decisions along the way.
Looking Ahead
Plans for your next $1 million?
Just staying the course.
Any advice for others trying to make their first $1 million?
Live below your means, avoid debt as much as possible and make prudent investments to the greatest extent possible.
Do you have an estate plan?
I just redid my estate plan and have a revocable trust. I am giving a portion of my money to causes I believe in and the rest to my son.
What do you wish you'd known …
When you first started investing? Nothing significantly different than what I ended up doing — stay the course, as slow and steady wins the race.
Also, I never panicked during down markets and just hung on to what I had.
When you first started working with a financial professional? I first worked with Eric Tyson, who ultimately became famous writing "Dummy" books and moved on.
When I met my current financial adviser, I was very clear that I was willing to pay her a flat annual fee or by the hour, but not a percentage of my assets (advice I received from Eric). As she was also pretty much starting out, she agreed, so I have a special arrangement with her that is different from her other clients.
She has given me excellent advice over the years (as I am not at all tuned in to investments), and we have a very good working relationship.
If you have made $1 million or more and would like to be anonymously featured in a future My First $1 Million profile, please fill out and submit this Google Form or send an email to [email protected] to receive the questions. We welcome all stories that add up to $1 million or more in your accounts, although we will use discretion in which stories we choose to publish, to ensure we share a diversity of experiences. We also might want to verify that you really do have $1 million. Your answers may be edited for clarity.
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Joyce LambSocial Links NavigationContributed Content Editor for Adviser Intel, Kiplinger.comAs Contributed Content Editor for the Adviser Intel channel on Kiplinger.com, Joyce edits articles from hundreds of financial experts about retirement planning strategies, including estate planning, taxes, personal finance, investing, charitable giving and more. She has more than 30 years of editing experience in business and features news, including 15 years in the Money section at USA Today.
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