Meet the Creators

Anyone who spends a little time with us will quickly discover that we prefer to be behind-the-scenes people. That said, we, like many of our peers, want to know who is behind the company or organization before we are interested in what they do.

So, for you, here is our story.

Our family...

Except time away at various schools, we were born and continue to live in Southern California. Robin and I met at Brethren High School where we were boyfriend and girlfriend for about three weeks. Robin tells everybody she is an introvert and a 'slow to warm up" child so she says God introduced me early. Anyway, that started a friendship that continues to this day. We married in 1994, officially kicking things to the next level. In 1996 and 1999, our two sons, Zack and Josh, arrived on the scene. As you can expect, two teenagers can keep parents very busy. Ours are no exception. We are also very involved with our mostly local, extended family.

Our professional background...

Robin has an incredible gift for research and analysis. She worked many years as a research assistant for a non-profit foundation. In this capacity, she helped launch several prorgrams. She has also contributed to several other non-profit organizations. She has a B.S. in Child Development and an M.S. in Administration of Non-Profits. Her background has been invaluable to getting Money Lounge up and running.

For much of my life, I worked in the transportation industry, primarily customs brokerage. Quite a few years ago, I started a new chapter by completing a Bachelor's degree in Web Deveopment. While I was quite good as customs broker, I never loved what I did. Web development is something I am really enjoying. I love the creativity and the potential impact of the medium.

If this was a resume, you would notice the last decade has been spent teaching the financial principles in God's word. About five years of that, we worked as Directors of Los Angeles County for Crown Ministries. Since then, we have done that through our own non-profit, Money Lounge. Here is a great spot to mention that Money Lounge would not exist without the insight, encouragement, and support of a multitude of people. For a good look at this, check out the timeline on the Money Lounge Facebook page. We are SO grateful for all of you!

Our beliefs...

Robin and I have been Christians for most of our life. We don't always get it right but we have a strong desire to live more of God's word on a daily basis. It is our hope that our daily decisions and actions reflect what we believe and give others cause to meet Christ for themselves.

Beside reading the Bible and praying (talking with God), we believe an important part of being a Christian is hanging out with others who have made a similar commitment of faith. We do this at SeaCoast Grace Church and also with some close friends in a ministry called Getting Real With God at Rosewood Church. In these settings we learn God's best plan for life, practice what we learn, and find encouragment to keep pressing on.

So there you have it. Spend a little time on Money Lounge and you will probably start to see how our beliefs and experiences have helped shape it. We invite you to join us in the community and to add your own experiences to the mix.

Cheers,
Doug and Robin Michaels