Long before R. Lee Vann wrote a book about money, he learned his first financial lesson at home.

His father never graduated from high school, but Vann remembers him as a man who understood numbers, made careful financial decisions and lived by a simple rule for creditors: “Pay them folks.”

“He didn’t necessarily sit down and talk [about finances],” Vann said. “But I observed him, which was more powerful.”

Growing up in Memphis, Vann watched his parents sit down regularly to go over the family’s finances. He watched his father choose to invest in rental property instead of buying expensive cars. Those decisions, he said, shaped the way he thinks about money to this day.

His mother provided another influence.

“My father is the one that taught the discipline,” Vann said. “My mother [taught] the spirituality. … That really made me most of who I am.”

Years later, after serving in the Air Force, spending 15 years in corporate America and navigating one of the most difficult chapters of his life, Vann found himself returning to those lessons in an unexpected way.

They became the foundation for Rich Without the Rush.

A book born from starting over

Vann said he never intended to write a personal finance book.

“I didn’t set out to write a book about money,” he said. “I set out to survive.”

The idea began taking shape during his second divorce.

As he worked through the emotional and financial strain of starting over, Vann filled journals with thoughts about Scripture, money and what he wanted life to look like moving forward. Looking back through those journals later, he found a note he had written about creating a book based on biblical principles that would also appeal to readers looking for practical financial guidance.

That idea eventually became his first book.

Although faith is woven throughout the book, Vann said he intentionally wrote it for a broad audience.

“The plan stands on its own,” he said. “It’s grounded in faith, so Scripture shows up where it fits, but you don’t need to be religious for the tools to work for you.”

Looking beyond retirement benchmarks

Vann believes one of the biggest mistakes people make is comparing themselves with someone else’s financial timeline.

Many retirement guides tell people how much money they should have saved by a certain age.

Vann said that advice often creates more anxiety than encouragement.

“They’ll tell you that by a certain age you should have a certain amount saved,” he said. “That causes anxiety.”

Instead, he encourages readers to calculate what he calls their “Enough Number,” a retirement goal based on their own financial needs rather than national averages or online advice.

He also devotes a chapter to what is often called the “sandwich generation,” adults balancing the needs of aging parents while continuing to help adult children establish themselves financially. Those competing responsibilities, he said, often make traditional financial advice difficult to apply.

Slow and steady

At the center of the book is what Vann calls the Tortoise Formula:

Direction × Discipline ÷ Distraction = Wealth.

Direction means knowing where you want to go.

Discipline is consistently moving toward that goal.

Distraction is everything that pulls people away from it.

The idea is rooted in Proverbs 13:11, which teaches that wealth gathered little by little will increase.

For Vann, it also brings to mind a familiar childhood story.

“The Tortoise and the Hare,” he said. “Slow wins the race.”

Measuring peace

One exercise in the book asks readers to measure something that won’t appear on a bank statement.

Vann calls it the Peace Index.

Rather than focusing only on dollars and cents, the exercise encourages readers to think about how they feel about their finances and to revisit that measure over time as they build healthier habits.

“The most important thing for me is peace,” Vann said.

He said the book is not intended to replace professional financial advice. Instead, he hopes readers use its exercises to better understand their own financial situation before meeting with a financial planner.

A partnership on every page

While Vann wrote the manuscript, he credits his wife, Angela, with shaping the finished book.

She illustrated it, designed the layout, handled the typesetting and edited the manuscript, often pushing him to clarify ideas or correct inconsistencies.

After finishing his first draft, Vann admitted he was ready to move on. Angela wasn’t.

“This would not have been possible without Angela,” he said.

For Angela, the project became the couple’s first major collaboration after marrying just over a year ago.

“It really gave me even more confidence that we are good together,” she said. “We can work well together. We can accomplish things together. We’re true teammates and partners.”

Lessons worth passing on

Looking back, Vann said many of the principles in Rich Without the Rush trace back to the lessons he learned by watching his parents.

His father taught discipline.

His mother taught faith.

Together, those lessons became the foundation for a book he hopes will help readers who feel like they’re starting over, wondering whether it’s too late to build financial security.

For Vann, the answer isn’t to move faster.

It’s to keep moving forward, one step at a time.

“Pay them folks.”

It was simple advice from a father who taught by example instead of lectures.

Years later, those lessons became the foundation of Rich Without the Rush. Now, he hopes they’ll help someone else who’s trying to rebuild, catch up or simply find a little more peace with where they are.

Vann will kick off his book signing tour from 2 to 3 p.m. Thursday, July 30, at Pak N More, 11180 U.S. Highway 51, Suite 7, in Atoka. Readers can purchase signed copies at the event or order the book online through Amazon or at RichWithoutTheRush.com.