Ah, the self-written bio.

An uncomfortable project for anyone who’s ever had to write one.

A herculean endeavor for a copywriting professional.

Not just because I’m tasked with putting myself out there, but because doing so properly means being authentically authentic, which is always going to be uncomfortable. I also offer to write authentically authentic bio’s just like this for my clients, so, you know, no pressure.

So, let’s get down to it then… who is Josh Richner?

I’m a marketing and copywriting professional with a focus on personal finance.

I’m taking you back before that, though.

As many of us do, I had a tough time as a kid growing up in Pennsylvania. Poverty and family dysfunction chewed me up and the public school system and teenage addiction spit me out.

After a series of crisis’s, rehabs, and relocations in an effort to get myself right, I found myself going to sleep on the last night of my 17th birthday in a halfway house in Delray Beach, Florida. It wasn’t easy, but I did find myself on the path to personal growth and development.

I attended a 12-step fellowship for a very long time, and have tremendous gratitude for the role it has played in my life.

I’m doing amazing today, I haven’t shut the door on that experience, but my journey has evolved.

My early life experiences led to over 15 years of public speaking, learning to quickly connect with my fellow humans on a meaningful level, and showed me the deep personal gain of being of service to others.

So, why does this matter?

I don’t work with faceless corporations. I work with people. People with backgrounds, stories, and gut-wrenching, impassioned reasons that make them pursue their missions.

I want to share a glimpse into my own gut-wrenching, impassioned experiences.

Plus, one of my biggest insecurities is that I never went to college. Losing my teenage years to the aforementioned villains of my past meant I didn’t have the opportunity to pursue a degree. I had to get to work, pay rent, and survive.

For me, I’m okay with that. I’ve done just fine without one and don’t have a desire to pursue a degree. Nevertheless, the blank education field on forms, bios, and applications always makes me uncomfortable.

Now, back to business!

At the ripe age of 18 I sold my soul and became a telemarketer. I was slinging subscriptions to a rag-tag New York newspaper to people living in Ney York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

I crushed it!

I had the stamina to do the job and the personality to make the sale.

Realizing there wasn’t much opportunity to be had, a friend, Dallas (RIP, my friend) took me under his wing to learn the debt relief industry. He was managing a debt settlement company and needed someone that he could train to do all of the things he did. Dallas moved on to establish other businesses, eventually helping raise people out of addiction, and I was left to manage this business at 21 years old. Through a lot of luck and a bit of networking, I was earning a great income and learning what it takes to run a business.

It was a great experience, but in this time the industry went through some big changes, and the person I was working for wanted out. The new regulations were too restrictive, they felt. 

Being willing to do the work and comply with the regulations, I was presented with another opportunity and established a debt settlement company at 24 years old.

The company was successful, and while it is rather dormant now I still have it today.

Recognizing it for what it is, I’m still proud to say I have a nearly 10-year-old business that has provided for my family and served me through the service of others.

Through that experience, I learned a tremendous amount, especially my love for marketing.

I’ve continued to work in the debt relief industry and presently serve as the Marketing Director for a consumer rights law firm focused on helping people get out of debt, stand up to harassing debt collectors, and more.

In addition to my work for the firm, I also offer marketing consulting services to a variety of other businesses and entrepreneurs.

I’ve found great success as a top-writed personal finance writer on UpWork, and love the variety of projects I get to work on. I always watch for opportunities for synergy, make connections, and focus on the biggest of pictures in all of my work relationships.

The work I do provides an opportunity for continuous learning. I thrive on learning about the businesses I work with. That allows me to craft unique marketing strategies, write helpful, on-brand copy, and design high-converting sales funnels.

Want to know what else I’m passionate and working on these days?

My favorite personal project is a new family project we’ve begun, Rich Life Adventures. Along with my wife, Jenalee and our two kids, the Traveling Titan and the Pioneering Princess, we’re building a family travel blog, podcast and YouTube channel.

We love to travel and share our adventures with others in the hopes of inspiring them to align their life with their values.

If you’d like to work together, talk shop, or have an idea you want to collaborate on, drop an email or schedule a time for us to chat.

All the best,

Josh