Client Story: Zakhar & Laura Keselman

Is debt just a way of life for you? You don’t even think twice about using your credit card to support your lifestyle? That’s where Zakhar and Laura Keselman were just a few short years ago. They were drowning in $645,000 of debt, at a precarious spot in their business, living in constant conflict and Laura hated her role as a mom.

“I was very poor in Ukraine. It wasn’t even a thing to live paycheck to paycheck. We were just surviving. I didn’t even understand that we were in debt. I thought that when the money came in we had to spend it. If you could afford the payment and you want it, just go out and get it,” Zakhar said.

When Zakhar became a Christian in 2004 and started going to church, everyone in his life was in debt. He was surrounded by people who lived paycheck to paycheck. His pastor, whom he honored and respected, was living in debt. Meanwhile, his wife, Laura, had no idea.

“I really had no idea just how deep in we really were. I didn’t know the numbers. He hid so much of it from me because he wanted to protect his wife.”

They were going out to eat 6-7 times per week, living in a huge house, and bought a brand new Cadillac as a work truck. On the outside, the Keslemans had all the markers of success. But as the debt grew, so did the pressure Zakhar carried on his shoulders.

“I didn’t want to wake up. I would wake up and all these thoughts would engulf my brain, and I would hide that stress from my family. Imagine owing money to your team that works so hard to build your business and you can’t afford payroll.”

Zakhar was building a wall between him and Laura, and the burden of stress and pressure created conflict in their home.

“I had many issues with my oldest daughter. We have opposite personality types, so I was always trying to change her. I was always asking ‘Why aren’t you doing it this way?'” Zakhar said.

As Zakhar struggled to hold up his family, Laura struggled with motherhood.

“I was really dealing with there being no joy in my life as a mom. It was probably to the point where I could use the word hate. No mom wants to know she hates being a mom. Knowing that this is what she is called to do and she is completely failing at it. But I felt like my significance was so dull. I was babysitting the children and my husband was going out there and creating all this success. It created jealousy in me,” she said.

Even though Zakhar was generating a significant income for their family, Laura was unimpressed. She didn’t honor or respect him, and there was contention in their marriage.

For years, a friend of Zakhar told him about Dani Johnson.

“He actually gave me a CD. I gave it a listen and said ‘Why is this girl screaming at me? I took the CD out and never listened to it again.’ But he kept bugging me about going to her event, and I was like okay I’m just going to honor him and I’m going to go.”

Laura and Zakhar attended First Steps To Success, a live training seminar in April of 2011. They sat in the audience not sure what to expect.

“When we first got to the event, I just kind of sat there not really knowing what we were getting into. But throughout the weekend I felt like the Holy Spirit just ambushed me and really revealed all this deep-rooted stuff,” Laura said.

Laura took everything she learned from the business training and applied it to her home, positioning herself so her husband could go out into the workplace and be effective and produce.

“She has massively elevated the results in our lives which in return has played a significant role in our overall success,” Zakhar said.

Zakhar’s business was declining before the event because 95% of his contracts were from a single investor. Within one year of First Steps To Success, that investor no longer generated any business for the company. Yet the company’s sales grew from $1,500,000 in 2011 to $5,000,000 in 2017. Zakhar and Laura paid off $645,000 in debt in two years.

They have learned how to understand each other’s strengths, weaknesses and motives and created intimacy and harmony in their marriage. Zakhar has learned to appreciate his daughters’ unique designs, and Laura finds joy in her role as a stay-at-home mom. The communication skills they have learned have impacted their relationships with the other people in their life.

“I had an opportunity to restore my relationship with my dad and lead him to Christ two years before his death because I learned how important forgiveness is,” Zakhar said.

Friend, whether you know it or not, you have been created with a purpose for such a time as this. If you are absolutely desperate for a way out, or if things seem to be going okay, but you know there is SOMETHING missing, join us at First Steps To Success.

You’re going to find a supportive community passionate about getting results and having more out of life, and a coach determined to pull the best out of you. Check it out and register now.