How Maggie Q Went From Spending $0.75 per Day to Hollywood Stardom and a Wellness Empire

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin

Episode: How Maggie Q Went From Spending $0.75 per Day to Hollywood Stardom and a Wellness Empire
Air Date: September 22, 2025

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Overview

In this episode, Nicole Lapin sits down with actress and wellness entrepreneur Maggie Q to explore her remarkable financial journey—from eating $0.75 worth of food per day in Hong Kong to Hollywood success and business ventures. Maggie opens up about her money mindset, the grit it took to survive, the impact of family and immigrant roots, lessons in love and partnership, building businesses, and why mental and financial health are forever intertwined.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Money Struggles and Resourcefulness

• Maggie Q's Humble Beginnings:
  Maggie describes growing up with little money, financing college herself with an athletic scholarship, and the physical/emotional toll of balancing multiple jobs and training.

  “I had it in my head that financial freedom equaled freedom, just period, full stop... It gave me, you know, the kind of security that no person could give me.”
  — Maggie Q (05:09)

• International Hustle:
  Maggie recounts leaving Hawaii for Tokyo and Taipei, facing “indentured servitude” as a model, then taking a Hail Mary to Hong Kong, where she survived for months on three steamed buns a day (each $0.15–$0.20).

  “I didn’t eat meals. So in Hong Kong… I would buy three [buns] for the day and I'd eat one in the morning… and that's what I did for a while. So you can imagine how I never wanted malnourished bow bun again.”
  — Maggie Q (10:09)

2. Breakthrough and the Jackie Chan Connection

• Career Breakthrough:
  Jackie Chan’s management team noticed Maggie after commercials and offered her movie training, even though she scoffed at first.

  “I just laughed. I was like, why would anyone want to see me in a movie? … And then six months to the month, they came back and said, people are still talking about you.”
  — Maggie Q (11:09)

• Professional Training:
  Maggie credits Jackie Chan’s stunt team for instilling a profound work ethic, discipline, and opening Hollywood doors.

  “It wasn't pleasant training, but you can't have a better experience in terms of work ethic, I'm sure.”
  — Maggie Q (13:54)

3. Early Financial Milestones and Mindset Shifts

• First Big Paycheck & House:
  Maggie reflects on the surreal moment of earning real money and her decision to buy her first house at 22, seeking lasting security, not fleeting status.

  “My whole thing was like, I want a home that's mine... I want to be free.”
  — Maggie Q (14:09)

• Navigating Temptation and Scarcity Mentality:
  She admits to indulging in status symbols at first, but quickly learned substance outweighs show.

  “You later learn that all the things don't make you happy and they don't matter and they're kind of fun. But really, you know, there's more to life.”
  — Maggie Q (14:09)

4. Lessons from Hollywood and Scarcity Wisdom

• Planning for Change:
  Maggie recounts how hitting big roles early—like Mission Impossible—fueled her practical streak.

  "At 25… I went, okay, there's a time limit to this. I have to start now, start thinking about what's my exit plan.”
  — Maggie Q (16:38)

• Immigrant Family Mentality:
  Citing her mother's frugality (washing Ziploc bags, never wasting anything, staying out of debt), Maggie shares how deep-rooted values and intergenerational wealth wisdom shape her daily choices.

  “My mom is worth millions of dollars now, by the way. And she washes the Ziploc bag.”
  — Maggie Q (18:03)

5. Relationship with Money and Love

• Financial Independence in Marriage:
  Maggie and her husband (a former hedge fund manager) keep finances separate, a stance driven by her life experience and witnessing friends go through tough divorces.

  “I've never had a joint bank account ever, and I never will… you kind of have to prepare for the worst.”
  — Maggie Q (42:08)

  • They each support their respective families and mutually respect each other’s ambition and independence.

• Choosing a Supportive Partner:
  Maggie talks about meeting her husband—himself from a refugee background—admiring his drive and humility, dispelling her earlier skepticism about wealthy men.

  “He is the greatest human being I've ever known in my life… I've always been looking for someone I could look up to. Admire. Want to be like.”
  — Maggie Q (28:47)

6. Stepfamily and Children

• Step-Parenting Joy:
  Maggie describes her experience as a stepmom as unexpectedly smooth and fulfilling.

  “He's perfect. I don't know what else to say. He's a perfect person because he has a really good heart.”
  — Maggie Q (29:49)

• She reflects honestly on never feeling called to motherhood, focusing instead on business and philanthropy, but still embracing family.

7. Entrepreneurship & Wellness Empire

• Business Origins:
  Health struggles in her 20s inspired Maggie to start a supplement company (“ActivatedYou”), motivated by her desire to help others achieve wellness.

  “I had an idea for a company because I really wanted to help people because I was in a place of ill health in my 20s… I want everyone to feel good. Because when you feel good, like, you're just a better person.”
  — Maggie Q (36:31)

• Business Lessons:
  She openly shares entrepreneurial missteps, especially around resource allocation during the COVID launch, and the importance of choosing investment partners with more than just capital.

  “There's money everywhere. Anyone can give you money, but they can't give you the advice that you need every step of the way. And certain people can.”
  — Maggie Q (40:46)

• Funding and Independence:
  Despite her success, Maggie remains cautious, preferring partners whose expertise aligns with her goals, and never tying her financial fate to any one person—including her spouse.

8. Mental Health, Financial Health, and Spirituality

• Importance of Financial Wellness:
  Maggie and the hosts agree that financial well-being is critical for mental health and overall happiness.

  “How can you have good mental health if you're not financially stable?”
  — Maggie Q (45:15)

• Spiritual Resilience & Loss:
  Maggie draws inspiration from Michael Singer’s books (e.g., The Untethered Soul) about detachment and finding peace regardless of material loss—a lesson tested when she lost her home in a mudslide.

  “If you're not okay when you've lost everything and you have hundreds of millions of dollars, he said, you should be the same person… And that's a crazy concept, okay?”
  — Maggie Q (45:21)

  “I was standing there… pouring rain… just bawling, just standing there crying… But that's the Michael Singer moment… And I take that challenge really seriously.”
  — Maggie Q (51:46)

• Insurance Realities:
  She highlights hidden financial risks (her insurance didn’t cover mudslides) and the importance of understanding “the fine print.”

9. Practical Money Advice

• Final Financial Tip:
  Maggie shares a powerful, simple lesson from her mother on spending:

  “I don't buy 100 percent off. So I think my advice would be, per my mom, if you don't need it, don't get it.”
  — Maggie Q (55:20)
  (Repeated as: Even if it’s on sale!)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Financial Independence:
  "Financial freedom equaled freedom… it gave me the kind of security that no person could give me." (05:09)

• On First Big Break:
  “I wanted to be free. I want to have freedom. And so at 22, I bought my first house.” (14:09)

• On Growing Up Without Money:
  “My mom is worth millions of dollars now, by the way. And she washes the Ziploc bag.” (18:03)

• On Money in Relationships:
  “The wrong man competes with you. And that's when it's over.” (23:38)

• On Financial Boundaries:
  “I've never had a joint bank account ever, and I never will… you kind of have to prepare for the worst.” (42:08)

• On Losing Everything:
  “And that's when things get taken away from you. And I'm supposed to be okay in that moment, as okay as I was when my house was standing. And that’s the challenge. And I take that challenge really seriously.” (51:46)

• On Practical Spending:
  “I don't buy 100 percent off.” (55:20)
  “If you don’t need it, don’t get it—even if it’s on sale.” (56:14)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:14] Maggie on finding happiness and her non-traditional wedding
• [05:09] Linking financial health and mental health
• [06:41] College struggles and modeling indentured servitude
• [10:09] Surviving on $0.75/day buns in Hong Kong
• [11:09] Meeting Jackie Chan and transitioning to film
• [14:09] Receiving first big paycheck; focus on buying a house
• [16:38] Planning for the future amidst Hollywood success
• [18:03] Family, frugality, and the immigrant experience
• [21:10] Hollywood validation vs. personal fulfillment
• [23:38] Navigating success and supportive relationships
• [27:58] Skepticism about wealthy men—and finding real love
• [29:49] Stepmom experiences and family building
• [36:31] Origins of Maggie’s supplement business
• [40:46] Business lessons: choosing the right investors
• [42:08] Why she keeps finances separate in marriage
• [45:15] Financial wellness as the foundation of overall well-being
• [51:46] Losing her house in the mudslide: lessons in resilience
• [55:20] Money advice from her mom: only buy what you need

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Episode Tone and Feel

The conversation is candid, honest, at times vulnerable but always pragmatic—peppered with Maggie’s dry humor and grounded perspective. Lapin’s and Lavoie's questions pull out actionable wisdom and relatable anecdotes, making this episode both inspiring and instructive for anyone seeking financial stability, especially women and first-generation Americans.

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Key Takeaways

• Financial independence is true freedom; self-reliance is a lifelong asset.
• Stay frugal, unafraid of hard work, and avoid lifestyle inflation.
• Choose business partners (and romantic ones) for their integrity, not just their resources.
• Financial wellness is inseparable from emotional health—prepare for loss, but don’t let it define you.
• Only buy what you actually need. Sales are marketing—don’t be fooled.

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Transcript

[Nicole Lapin]

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[Morgan Lavoie]

Out of the early 2000s.

[Nicole Lapin]

Just picture where fun goes to die.

[Morgan Lavoie]

That was it.

[Nicole Lapin]

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[Morgan Lavoie]

Need a dictionary to understand.

[Nicole Lapin]

It's time for some Money Rehab. Maggie Q's story isn't the typical Hollywood fairy tale. She went from couch surfing and hustling overseas to starring in blockbuster films and building a wellness empire. You've seen her in Mission Impossible 3, Divergent, the Protege Nikita, and most recently she starring in the Bosch spinoff Ballard. But what you might not know is that behind the red carpets and all of the amazing stunt work, Maggie's been on a serious self made financial journey. Today we talk about how she went from broke to building real wealth, the unhinged things she did to save money, how Jackie Chan changed her life and what losing her home in a mudslide taught her about the intersection of mental health and financial health. She also takes us behind the scenes of starting her wellness company, which she started after having her own health issues and seeing serious gaps in the supplement industry Maggie opens up personally in a way that I truly found so, so moving. She talks openly and honestly about what makes her relationship with her husband so special and whether or not she wants to have kids. Her answers right now.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Maggie Q. Welcome to Money Rehab.

[Maggie Q]

I'm so happy to be here because we've been in touch for a minute.

[Morgan Lavoie]

I had you on CNN, like, 15 or maybe 20 years ago, but remote. I was in Atlanta.

[Maggie Q]

Oh, okay. Got it. Yeah.

[Nicole Lapin]

And now we're here.

[Maggie Q]

And now we're here.

[Morgan Lavoie]

And I just read that you are so happy right now, which makes me so happy.

[Maggie Q]

Oh, thank you. I am really happy right now.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Amazing.

[Maggie Q]

Tell me more.

[Morgan Lavoie]

How are we so happy?

[Maggie Q]

Well, so I just recently got married.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Congratulations.

[Maggie Q]

Thank you. But we actually cheated because we were.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Married just in a civil ceremony.

[Maggie Q]

Exactly. And. But we never had a wedding party. And so, you know, family started to get older, parents started to get sick and diagnosed with things and all that stuff. Life stuff. Yeah. And so that was kind of terrible. And I just thought, you know what would really make my mom happy? If we had a huge party. And we did plan on having a party. So we were like, let's just do a party. And then I'm like, we should probably do a ceremony. And he's like, okay, let's do a ceremony. So we did the whole thing.

[Morgan Lavoie]

You did it?

[Maggie Q]

We did it. Did it. Yeah. It was fun. I didn't really realize before that why people got married. I understood the institution of marriage, which I think is awesome. But the. The party and stuff, and I guess maybe it's the Hollywood jaded thing. I don't want to go to another party.

[Morgan Lavoie]

I want to be invited, but also.

[Maggie Q]

Have the option to say no. It's just. It's another event that you have to kind of get ready for it. And I'm like, I get ready for an event. I understand it. For people who never get to do that, I think that's the coolest thing ever. But for me, I was like, honey, I don't need to do a party. I. And then I did it, and I realized why people do it. It was just this profound, wonderful thing where I looked around and I was like, everyone I love is in one place. That's so cool.

[Morgan Lavoie]

That's exactly how I felt, actually, for. We had a super tiny, tiny wedding, and I was against it. I was like, let's just go to the courthouse. Let's not do a thing.

[Maggie Q]

Me, too. I was like, I don't care.

[Morgan Lavoie]

And it was the only time, I think, that everybody.

[Maggie Q]

We Love was together. And even people that you love that don't spend time together and then they fall in love with each other, and you're like, I knew. I knew it. You're all good people.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Well, also, I mean, the financial part, where obviously I'm. Money rehab, I was like, it's such a waste of money to.

[Maggie Q]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Do all of these things that will be temporary.

[Maggie Q]

Exactly.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Was any of your financial health a contributing factor to your amazing mental health?

[Maggie Q]

I. I think it always is, because I think that as a young woman, very young woman, like, in my teenage years, I don't know why this happened to me, but I had it in my head that financial freedom equaled freedom, just period, full stop. As a woman, it just gave me a ton of choices. It gave me, you know, the kind of security that no person could give me. Because even if a person gave that to you and had security, that person could go away. But if you did it yourself, you'd always sort of have a type of security. And maybe it was because I was a very insecure person and needed something to feel secure about. And so I thought, well, money and success would do that for me. Not in a gratuitous way, not in a way where you're showing off your money and success, but just knowing in your heart and in your mind that I can take care of myself. So that was always a big thing for me from. From. Go.

[Morgan Lavoie]

What a wise young lady. That's so cool. But take me back to that time in your life, because you went to your first year of college trying to save up for your second year, Right. And then you couldn't go back. So you didn't come from money.

[Maggie Q]

I did not come from money. And I. Well, maybe that's part of it. Didn't grow up with really anything. And then the decision to go to college was mine and mine alone. And if I wanted to do that, I had to pay for it. And so that's okay. You know, a lot of people are in that position. And so I got a scholarship for athletics, and I started. And at the time, I was working retail, I was having to train. So to keep a scholarship. I don't know if you guys have ever, you know, had an athletic scholarship.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Not an athletic.

[Maggie Q]

You get it, and you have to keep it. Right. Like anything. And as a very physical person, it was. It was really tough because I had trainings in the morning, trainings in the afternoon, but after school hours, I had to work as well. And so that was. It was just. It was impossible. It was one of those things. It was like, I'm not going to survive this because I have to work retail till midnight and close the store I was working at and then be up at 5am again for training, go to school all day and then have training and then go back to work. I just knew that I wouldn't survive, just physically survive. Mentally, I'd go crazy. And so, yeah, so I left.

[Morgan Lavoie]

And at that point, did you go to Hong Kong?

[Maggie Q]

I actually went to Tokyo first. Okay. I went to model. Strange story. Well, I was not a model, to be very clear. A girlfriend of mine who's very beautiful and always has been was a model. And essentially what it was was she felt sorry for me because she saw what dire straits, how stunning you are. No, she was like, maggie, how are you going to do this? You're paying rent at this place. And I'd been living on my own already for a minute. You're working, you're going to school, like you're not going to survive. And I was like, well, that was my thought. And she said, why don't you come with me to Tokyo? I can introduce you to my agency. Mind you, I don't know if you know the modeling world, but models don't do this. They don't go, hey, come with me. I'll introduce you to my agent and my clients. You know, this is a person who's just remarkable. And her heart was huge. And really all she saw was my suffering and thought, how can I help her alleviate her suffering? And so she took me with her. And it was really. It was gross. It was indentured servitude. It was like they. It really was. I mean, they front your ticket and they front your rent, and then you have to pay them back by getting jobs. Which makes sense. I mean, you obviously have to pay people back if they're fronting for you, but there's no risk for them because you can't leave until you make the money back for them. Yeah, it was. It was a really. That industry is not okay.

[Morgan Lavoie]

That's not how it still works.

[Maggie Q]

I don't think that's how it's. I don't think people can get away with that now. They might be able to get away with it with people that they can take advantage of.

[Morgan Lavoie]

But you had no money.

[Maggie Q]

I do money.

[Morgan Lavoie]

I had 20 bucks. Oh, I read that you had.

[Maggie Q]

I don't know if that's probably less than that. I had nothing. So it was. I arrived in a foreign place going, why better work? And it was Interesting, because I was there for a while and I got one job that allowed me to pay them back. And so I went back to Hawaii after that to get my life together. And I just. There was nothing there for me. There was nothing. I wanted to see the world. I'd got out and gotten out already. Lived in Tokyo, this big city that was so exciting. And I'd met so many cool people from all over the world. And then I went back to my little island and I. I wasn't happy. I didn't want to be there anymore. I just knew there was so much out there. So my second trip was Taipei. I went with the same friend. We went to Taipei. That didn't work out, got no work. Nobody wanted me. They were like they wanted. At the time, they wanted famous Chinese people, which I'm not. I'm not famous. Or Chinese and. Or blondes with blue eyes. That was the look at the time. And so my look was just not on the board. And so they kind of just every room, they were like, leave. We're not looking for exotic. We're not looking for any of that. So I bought a one way ticket, like a Hail Mary to Hong Kong. And that's where I ended up settling for about eight years.

[Morgan Lavoie]

What's the craziest thing you did to save money during this?

[Maggie Q]

I didn't eat. I didn't eat meals. So in Hong Kong they have these bows, you know, the buns, Right. Like at dim sum, you can get that bun. It has the meat in the middle.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Or you weren't vegan at the time?

[Maggie Q]

No, I was too poor to be vegan. Fair. There was no Erewhon in Hong Kong. There was no. It wasn't easy and it was kind of gross at the time. But I still did it, even when I did do it. But yeah, no, I was eating whatever I could eat. So those buns were. They were like $0.15 or $0.20 US so I would buy three of them for the day and I'd eat one in the morning. And then I'd go out and try to get jobs and do that. And then one in the afternoon and one at night. And that was kind of what I did for a while. So you can imagine how he never.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Wanted malnourished bow bun again.

[Maggie Q]

I never want anyone to look at those. So gross.

[Morgan Lavoie]

And at what point did you meet Jackie Chan?

[Maggie Q]

I modeled for about a year. And when I say modeled, I use the term very loosely. Okay. I was doing toothpaste commercials and bank commercials and all that. So for Whatever reason, he had a. He had a management company at that time where he managed talent. And so Jackie is the ultimate businessman. If you ever get to interview him, you should. He parlayed his movie career into just everything, right? Like merchandise, directing, having an agency where he was training young stars, bringing young stars up, because he knows he's not gonna be around forever. So he was looking for the next generation of action stars. And, you know, I was a runner and a swimmer. Like, I wasn't. I don't do martial arts, right? And so his company approached me and said, hey, you know, you did these commercials, and people are talking about you and they want to see you in movies. And I. I just laughed. I was like, why would anyone want to see me in a movie? That's so ridiculous. And they said, well, it may seem silly to you, but that's the demand out there. What do you think? And I remember, I. I just. I didn't know why they were approaching me, so I said no, because I just thought it was ridiculous. And I thought, this big famous star, and I'm going to do something that I don't know how to do and then disappoint him. And why would that. That's such a silly place to put yourself in, right, when you have no expertise.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Did you think it was a scam?

[Maggie Q]

Not a scam. I just thought it. They didn't know what they were talking about, which is very silly because they obviously know what they're talking about. He's obviously very successful. And so I said, how about this? In six months, if people are still asking for me, then we can talk again. And six months to the month, they came back and said, people are still talking about you. Let's. Let's do it. And so I ended up becoming one of their. They call them artists over there. And that's when I met him and his team. Jackie travels with a team of 10 stuntmen who are always there and always interchangeable. So, because he's Jackie Chan, right? So for sure, when he's in a movie, right? I mean, he's a level that no one's at. So when he's in a film, if you know him and you know the team, I know who he's fighting in every film because it's the same people. Because he can't just fight some guy, right? He can't just fight some actor or some stuntman.

[Morgan Lavoie]

He's not BYO Stunt.

[Maggie Q]

Yeah. Yes, exactly. Right. And they're with him everywhere. They're like these little minions that, like, follow him around, you can always spot him because there's always like 10 people following him everywhere he goes.

[Nicole Lapin]

Do you still talk to him?

[Maggie Q]

I talk to him if I see him. I don't like text him or anything.

[Morgan Lavoie]

But does he text?

[Maggie Q]

I don't know. On the fence, he ended up dissolving the whole agency. It's not even there anymore, the agency I was with. And he moved all his operations to China. I don't even think he's based out of Hong Kong anymore. But yeah, he's got a totally different life from when I started with him. And so I was trained by his team for action movies. So I mean, you really can't have a better. I mean, it wasn't pleasant training, but you can't have a better experience in terms of work ethic, I'm sure.

[Morgan Lavoie]

And that sounds like it changed your life at that point.

[Maggie Q]

It really did.

[Morgan Lavoie]

That was when you got your first big paycheck.

[Maggie Q]

Yes, exactly.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Do you remember that moment from yes, Three Bow buns a day to like real money?

[Maggie Q]

Yeah, it was very surreal to have any money because I didn't grow up with money. I still remember not knowing what to do with it. And I do see people who spend all their money and go bankrupt, who come from nothing. And I'm like, yeah, I get that. I totally get that. You're excited and you want all the things. Right. You later learn that all the things don't make you happy and they don't matter and they're kind of fun. But really, you know, there's more to life and you come to that at some point if you don't lose all your money before then. But my goal was to buy my first house. My whole thing was like, I want a home that's mine. I don't want to pay rent, I don't want a landlord, I don't want to deal with anyone. Like, I want it again. I want to be free. I want to have freedom. And so at 22, I bought my first house. And I was so ecstatic. I can't even tell you. It was that feeling of just, this is mine, this is my home. You know, I came from my parents house to being out in the world, hotels, rentals, and then finally having something of my own. It was. I can't describe that feeling. I recommend it for every woman.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Agreed.

[Maggie Q]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoie]

And so you never went crazy like you never, as soon as you got money? Spent it.

[Maggie Q]

I did spend some of it. I mean, I got sucked into the whole, like, I wanted the nice bag and I Wanted, you know, I want all those things, especially in a city like Hong Kong, because it's extremely shallow. You know, everybody walks with their bag out front like this, you know, so it's the first thing you see before, you know, they walk into the room. And so the bag was a big status symbol back late 90s, early 2000s. I mean, I think it still is, but it was a really big deal back then, you know.

[Morgan Lavoie]

What did you buy?

[Maggie Q]

I think it was Gucci. I think it was Gucci. It was like Gucci and lv. Like, those were the two. I mean, those are still big. Yeah, obviously. But at that time, it was like, it was major. And then when I started getting campaigns and I started working with fashion houses, I didn't have to buy bags anymore. So that was exciting.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Because they gave them to you.

[Maggie Q]

Exactly.

[Morgan Lavoie]

They always give them to you when you don't need them.

[Maggie Q]

It's really interesting.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Give it to the people that have the money.

[Maggie Q]

I know, it's so ironic.

[Nicole Lapin]

Hold on to your wallets.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Money rehab will be right back.

[Nicole Lapin]

And now for some more money rehab.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Do you think that being in Hollywood changed your relationship with money, especially as a woman negotiating your worth and trying to figure out what money has to do with that?

[Maggie Q]

Oh, my gosh. Definitely. I mean, I don't know what every woman's worry is in Hollywood. I know that mine from the beginning. You know, at 25, when I got Mission Impossible, it was, I guess I'm a real planner aheader, because at 25, you know, getting like the biggest movie in the world. I went, okay, there's a time limit to this. It's not going to be forever. I'm not going to be this forever. I'm not going to look like this forever. People aren't going to want me. So I have to start now, start thinking about what's my exit plan. And that was my thought at 25. I know.

[Morgan Lavoie]

That is so wise beyond your years.

[Maggie Q]

It was weird. I think I just. You see it happen all the time, right? And if you're not seeing people's stories and you're not learning from the lessons that they unfortunately didn't get to learn from, then you're really missing out, right? It's like just to participate in gossip and all that sort of stuff. It's fun, but it's like there should be cautionary tales that actually affect you, and you should look at people's lives and go, how did so and so go from being so rich and famous to now, like, bankrupt? It happens all the Time with singers.

[Morgan Lavoie]

We've done a ton of episodes about it.

[Maggie Q]

Have you? Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoie]

And it sounds like also coming from a place where you didn't have a lot of money, it felt like maybe a scarcity mentality when you got it.

[Maggie Q]

Yes. My mom's an immigrant, and we're like, you know, she. My mom washes the Ziploc bag. My mom is worth millions of dollars now, by the way. And she washes the Ziploc bag. And she's like, honey, don't throw that away. I called my parents the first conservationist. My dad's in his 80s. My mom's in her late 70s. I'm like, you guys are the real conservationists. All these young people are like, climate change on their iPhones and this and that, you know, and crypto and all that sort of stuff that uses more energy than anything. It's funny. It's like, actually, the person who's washing the Ziploc bag, that's the environmentalist, and.

[Morgan Lavoie]

They just didn't know they were buying Tupperware.

[Maggie Q]

Yeah, right. Exactly.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Reusing the pickle.

[Maggie Q]

My mom doesn't throw any jar away.

[Nicole Lapin]

I think all.

[Morgan Lavoie]

So I'm first generation, too, and I think all immigrant families are kind of the same.

[Maggie Q]

It's.

[Morgan Lavoie]

It's the best, but also in the idea that they don't want to take on debt. So did you ever go into debt?

[Maggie Q]

No. And luckily that came from my mom. So my mom didn't let my dad touch the money. My mom took all of his paychecks away and gave him an allowance. Okay. Yes. She was like. Because she didn't trust him. She's like, you're not good with money, and I am. And so this is not a department you're going to head up. This is my job. Yeah. And so, you know, I mean, luckily, he was fine with it, you know, and he has everything he has today because of her. Without her, he'd be broke. I mean, he likes things, and he just has all these little interests, and he thinks buying this is fun and that. And she would not let him do any of that. Isn't that funny?

[Morgan Lavoie]

So you felt like when you got your first big gig, that it wasn't gonna last forever. I heard that you now have a role with your team that until a project is really far along or serious, they can't tell you about it.

[Maggie Q]

Correct.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Is that stem from that?

[Maggie Q]

I just don't want to know. I think that it's not that hard to figure out the formula that makes actors crazy. It's not really? That hard?

[Morgan Lavoie]

Tell me the formula.

[Maggie Q]

Well, it's just sort of like this expectation of what's either coming or what should be coming. My husband was telling me the other day that the most unhappy people always use the word should. I should have gotten this. I should. She should have married me. I should be rich, I should be, you know, all these things. And, and so that's a. It's a real trap, right? And so I think ego gets involved. I think expectations are natural. I think that's a total human nature to have expectations, but I don't want to have them. I want to be very counter human. I want to go into everything and sort of realize that I'm starting from zero. And the reality is, in Hollywood, like anything, I mean, even with a house or whatever it is, if you're not signing on the dotted line, it's not yours. Right? So I look at everything like that, you know, no matter what kind of compliment they give me. And I think that goes back to Hong Kong too, because being represented by Jackie's company and his team, there were no compliments. So when I got back to the States and I was working on my first movie here, it was so funny because everything I did was amazing. Everyone was like, you're so amazing. You're so awesome. You're so this. And I was like, what are they talking about? I'm just doing my job, just like a normal person who works hard. Right. But it was just weird. I didn't know compliments and I fully rejected them.

[Morgan Lavoie]

And do you feel like when you got them, they weren't genuine or they just were giving out more loosey goosey than Jackie's?

[Maggie Q]

I felt that they were given out too generously and so they didn't mean as much. Right. It's like if my, if I get a compliment from my, you know, someone who knows me really well and who knows my flaws and who knows my journey and is like, hey, you know, I know all this and you've cut from here to here and Meg, that's pretty cool. That means a lot to me. That means the world to me. But even with people who like the work or whatever and they're complimentary, it's very nice, but you really can't take it to heart because at the same time, you'd have to take all the negative stuff to heart too. And you should take that to heart either. So I just try to, across the board, not kind of indulge in any of it.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Well, it also sounds like you are utilizing something that we See, on Wall street, which is. It's better to be low expectations.

[Maggie Q]

My husband had a hedge fund. He was on Wall street for 30 years. And he always says to me, honey, under promise and over deliver always. And I'm like, okay, that's great. So it was part of my personality already. But I learned a lot from him in that way. A lot.

[Morgan Lavoie]

What has he taught you about money?

[Maggie Q]

Oh, gosh. Well, first of all, what have you taught him? I'm sure, too, I teach him more of the softer side of Sears. Things about life, you know, like that he always tells me, like, you've taught me the little things matter, you know, this and that, you know, like with your partner. But he's such a global thinker, I'll put it that way. And he's such a big picture guy, obviously, and. And he admittedly will say, honey, I'm sorry, I'm not good at the small stuff, but I will. You will always be taken care of. I will always watch out for your welfare. I will always give you the best advice, you know, that kind of thing. And I don't know anyone like that. I don't know anyone like him. And I think because my husband has had great success in his career, he's not insecure about my success. I've never had that. Never had that. I've been with nice people who have been like, good for you. And then I've been with insanely jealous people who have not overtly said they don't want me to make it, but never wanted me to make it because it was some kind of personal attack on their own level, fame, money or otherwise. And it's not pie, right? It's not.

[Morgan Lavoie]

There's enough to go around.

[Maggie Q]

It's crazy. And I never thought that a man would compete with me. The wrong man competes with you. And that's when it's over. That's when you're like, okay, this is done.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Did you realize that when it was too late?

[Maggie Q]

No, because I got out of all those. So that was good. Yeah, it's really good. And now I'm right where I belong, which is really nice. And somebody who has earned everything that he's earned and actually is pushing me for my success, you know, he really wants to push me in business and everything else that I'm doing because he's like, honey, the more success you have, the happier you're going to be as an individual. He's like, do you need to make money? No, but I want you to. And I want you to have success in the fields that you're interested in because you're going to be a happy person. And that makes us a happier couple. And so. Right.

[Morgan Lavoie]

How did you guys meet?

[Maggie Q]

We met through my lawyer years ago. He was married for a long time. I was engaged to someone else, and my lawyer was like, let's have a dinner. You were all nice people. And I was like, okay, so we go to dinner. And she was right. Like, him and his wife were so. Such nice people, so grounded. His story was exactly my family story exactly. They fled on the same day, same war, same city. His family went on a boat. My family went out in a helicopter. And both ended up in refugee camps. Both ended up in the United States. And so his story was very. Really touched me that somebody like him, who, you know, has 10 brothers and sisters and grew up in a 600 square foot apartment where they're all sleeping on the floor, was able to have the massive success that he has had in his career. And that's like the ultimate immigrant story, right? Came from nothing. I'm so proud of him. I mean, it's unbelievable, but I remember meeting him just as a friend, as a human being, and going, I'm so proud of you as a human. Like, you are the perfect immigrant story. You're the American dream. And, you know, he really did it because he watched his parents suffer because they were so poor. And he just was like, I don't want my mom to suffer anymore. I'm done. Not gonna have it anymore. So that's why he made it. And so in seeing his story, I just thought, what an admirable human being. And that's what I left the dinner with. Like, what a great human being. Didn't see him for years. And then I was raising money for a charity based out of the UK that was helping kids in Vietnam. And I'm like, who would be interested in this? And I thought about him. So I called my lawyer. I said, do you think he'll meet with me about this charity? I need money. And she goes, of course he'll meet with you. And I said, well, you just ask him, because I don't want to pressure him to see me and just show up. And so she did. And then I showed up at his office, I think, like two and a half years after that dinner. And he's like, how's everything going? And I said, good. He said, how's your fiance? I said, I'm actually not engaged anymore. And I said, how's. How's home life? And he's like, I'm divorced. And I was like, how strange. Still, nothing happened. We were just friends for a couple years until anything happened. But that day he asked me what my plans were in my businesses. And I said, well, I'm opening my second business. And he's like, tell me about that. And then he became one of my investors that day. So that was cool.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Very cool.

[Maggie Q]

Never gave me money for my charity, by the way. Oh, why not? I don't know. He was like, he's so interested in business. And he. I mean, he said he would. I just never pressed it. And then I met a bunch of his other friends who were like, we'll give you money. And then they did, and then I didn't need anymore, so that was fine. But, yeah, so that's how it all happened. We were friends for a few years after we had re. Met back up. And he was obviously, you know, had been married for a very long time, faithfully married for a very long time. So he was having a great time. You know, he had all these pretty girls and stuff, and I would have dinner with them. And yeah, I was just a. I really was just a real. A friend.

[Morgan Lavoie]

And then when did it.

[Maggie Q]

I think everybody around me knew. Everyone around him, and everyone around me knew. And so they'd say things like, how's your friendship going? I'm like, great. Is he dating anyone? I'm like, yeah, he's dating, like, a few people. And they're like, and you're not one of them? I'm like, no, just a friend. And I was like, why do people keep asking me this? I don't understand. And also, mind you, I was, to be fair, very wary of men with success.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Why?

[Maggie Q]

I didn't like them. I just didn't. I lived in Hong Kong, which was, you know, how much money is in that city. And I knew at that time so many people with massive amounts of money, you know, people came into money, people who made it on their own. And it was just all very douchey, you know, it was just all very. Just everything was like, they're very unfaithful. Like, it was just all gross, like, what I was exposed to in the money world. And of course, this is like big city and all that. So I just lumped him in with all the rich guys I've known in my life and just thought, well, he's the same. Obviously, you know, all these guys are the same. You know, they're successful and they think they can have whoever they want. And which is, for the most part, true.

[Morgan Lavoie]

So you thought hedge fund guy, douchebag.

[Maggie Q]

Totally 100. Yeah, I really did. And he is the polar opposite of that. He is not a dirt bag at all. He is the greatest human being I've ever known in my life and a very honorable human being. So, you know, I've always, I think, and was always looking for someone that. A partner that I could look up to. I want to look up to my admirer. Yeah. Admire. Yeah. Want to be like.

[Morgan Lavoie]

And it sounds like it was familiar, too. Just the story.

[Maggie Q]

Yeah. Which is interesting, right? Really interesting. So I. It all kind of came together very strange. And. And it's beautiful because his ex wife is now married to somebody that she loves, and we're married now. So it's really. It's really nice. Everyone's happy.

[Nicole Lapin]

Hold onto your wallets.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Money rehab will be right back.

[Nicole Lapin]

And now for some more money rehab.

[Morgan Lavoie]

And you have a stepson?

[Maggie Q]

I do, yeah.

[Morgan Lavoie]

How's that gone?

[Maggie Q]

Awesome. Yeah, he's perfect. I don't know what else to say. He's a perfect person because he has a really good heart. He's very kind. He's not weird. He was always very accepting of his dad's happiness, and I just never had an issue with him. And mind you, I've had issues before. I mean, I've been with people who've had kids. Yeah. It's not easy, and it's not their fault. It's just not easy. It's not an easy scenario. And so I think because I did go through a lot of that, it was really difficult in other relationships. Maybe this is my gift. I don't know.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Yes, you paid your dues.

[Maggie Q]

It sounds like that's what I was trying to say.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Yeah. I've been with men who had kids, and I. It was, you know, it's always really hard. Nobody grows up thinking, like, you know what I want to be as a.

[Maggie Q]

Stepmom, really want to be a step mom. I really want their kids to resent me and want their mom. Why?

[Morgan Lavoie]

You know, originally in the. In the Cinderella story was supposed to be the mom, and then they made it the stepmom because they felt like, societally just wrong to hate.

[Maggie Q]

To hate your mom. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, and also, I think the stepmom scenario, I mean, more often than not, you know, the horror stories, it's not fun. And I cannot understand people who go into a scenario with children. And obviously children can be their own pill. Right. But ever want bad for them or ever treat them. I just don't understand treating children that Way, like, at all. Because even if they mistreat you, they're children. They're angry or confused or they're hurt or they want something that's not happening. And you have to understand them. You're the adult. I cannot get behind these people who are not good to step kids. I just. I hear it all the time. It happens too often, and it really upsets me.

[Morgan Lavoie]

I will say sometimes they say things that feel like an adult, and you have to, like.

[Maggie Q]

Oh, you have to. You have to remind yourself. That's the thing about being a grown up. Right. You have totally.

[Morgan Lavoie]

That's your own grown up.

[Maggie Q]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoie]

I just had a baby. She's eight months.

[Maggie Q]

Congratulations, by the way. You look amazing.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Thank you. Trauma is amazing. I'm perfect.

[Maggie Q]

It's fine.

[Morgan Lavoie]

What was your relationship like with kids? Did you want kids?

[Maggie Q]

Yeah. You know, it's funny because I never. Well, there's a few things. I didn't put emphasis on marriage. Like, we were talking about family or any of that. And I think that it sneaks up on you because I was so focused on being financially independent, like we talked about. Nothing else was really factoring in. Not men. Not. In fact, I treated men terribly. Terribly. I treated them like they were replaceable and not important to me and awful. Like, it's not good. I do not respect that about myself at that time, when I was young.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Your former self.

[Maggie Q]

My former self, exactly. I think it's a terrible thing to be. To just be focused on yourself. I know why. I know where it comes from. But you don't treat people like that, number one. And so I think that I kind of alienated people who wanted to be close to me because I wouldn't let them be close to me. And it's like, that's all you want, right? When you're with someone. And if you're not gonna let someone do that, then you shouldn't let them into your life. Right. But I did it anyway. So I. Yeah, I just. As I kept growing in my field, I just kept wanting to grow and grow and grow. And then I got involved in nonprofits that meant a lot to me. And then that kept me really busy with fundraising for them. And then I had my own career, and then I had dreams of starting a business where I could give back to the charities that I love. And. And then I did that. And so it was just like, it was kind of nonstop. The train left the station and it never stopped again. And so all of the things that I think are really important in hindsight, Were not important to me at all at the time. And so you just start getting older and older and you're like, am I going to do this or not? And then, you know, I only met my husband five years ago. Well, I met him much further back than that, but we got together five years ago, so. Yeah. And then we sort of talked about it and we thought, well, we won't be careful at all. And if we have a kid, great. And we just never did. Yeah. So that was kind of the mandate, you know. And he still tells me, like, do you want. And we're like, oh, my God. But we're so old now and we love our lifestyle.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Well, it sounds like your stepson is about to go to college.

[Maggie Q]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoie]

So you'll be empty nesters.

[Maggie Q]

And then that crazy.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Potentially starting all.

[Maggie Q]

But we could. I have 10 nieces and nephews. My husband has 38 nieces and nephews. He has 10 brothers and sisters.

[Nicole Lapin]

That's wild.

[Maggie Q]

Hi. So we definitely have a lot of kids in our orbit, which is great. And I take a lot of pride in, you know, my nieces and nephews and being involved in their lives and, you know, helping them where I can and all of that. So I definitely have kids around me. I just never had the dream of having them. I think having kids is probably the most. Well, it is the most incredible thing in the world. And if it could have happened for me, I absolutely would have. But I chose my partner and we've tried and.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Yeah, because you also have other babies with businesses too, which is how I thought of this too. I had my daughter when I was 40 and I really came to terms with the idea that, you know, I'm a mother in other ways. Like, I'm a mother through teaching women about financial literacy and through businesses. And I have book babies and other things. It's funny, when I was telling my husband actually that you were coming over, he's like, I love all the stuff I've seen her in, but also like her stomach. There's something going on with her stomach. It's a long supplement.

[Maggie Q]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoie]

And I'm like, cool.

[Maggie Q]

Yes.

[Morgan Lavoie]

And so during the pandemic, I was watching YouTube and I see a 30 minute commercial.

[Maggie Q]

I know, Is that crazy?

[Morgan Lavoie]

We've done activated you.

[Maggie Q]

Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoie]

And I swear to God. And this is not sponsored or anything.

[Maggie Q]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Morgan Lavoie]

I was so into it. I was so captivated by you and your storytelling and how beautiful it was. I'm like, how am I watching an ad 27 minutes in?

[Nicole Lapin]

This is crazy.

[Morgan Lavoie]

And I ordered activated you, by the way. It was sold out.

[Maggie Q]

Oh, good. Okay, good.

[Morgan Lavoie]

They cancel your. You can't. I don't know whoever canceled my order. I was like, what? The way you told the story about the supplement, I swear to God, no one has ever nailed it. The way you.

[Maggie Q]

Thank you so much. Because it's true. Because I think the truth resonates.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Yeah. You can tell.

[Maggie Q]

You know, a lot of celebrities, you know, they have brands, right. It's a thing now. Back when I had the idea for my business, there was really not a lot of that going on. And even if it was, it was sort of like the celebrity would come and be absorbed into a brand, which is fine.

[Morgan Lavoie]

I mean, you're the face of the face of.

[Maggie Q]

And there's nothing wrong with that. Great. I had an idea for a company because I really wanted to help people because I was in a place of ill health in my 20s. That was, like, unthinkable at that age, right? At that age, you're supposed to be irresponsible and be able to do whatever you want. And I didn't have that. And so I thought, oh, my God. I went on this journey to get better, and I got better. And it took years, years and years. And so much education and so much of what I had to do to learn about this was just get out there into the world, stalk doctors. Like, literally stalk these doctors that I respected. Not famous doctors, but famous in their field. Show up at their conferences, take notes. I mean, that was my college. I didn't go to college. Right. So I would be there learning everything I could. And these people were very appreciative. They actually really loved that I was showing up at these things. And they said, you know, if you need anything, you need to be mentored. Come back, I'll talk to you about, you know, my expertise. I'm like, oh, my God. So that's what I did for years and helped myself. And once I did, I thought, I want other people to feel good, too. That was my mo. Just. It was very simple. I want everyone to feel good. Because when you feel good, like, you're just a better person. Like, you do good, you feel good. So I went out to start looking for investors or people that I could partner with. And I had no idea about business. Nothing. All I knew was I had a vision and I knew how to do it, but I didn't know the business part of it. So I ended up, luckily finding a parent company that already existed so I didn't have to end up like raising the money, they put the capital forward to start the company and they already had a brand with Dr. Gundry and they were really just doctor based. And so they were like, well, we want to do this with you, but no one's going to listen to you because you're not a doctor. And I'm like, I hear you, but I know what it's like to feel terrible.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Happy. Yeah.

[Maggie Q]

And then come back from it. And that's what I want to help people with. I mean, we can get doctors in to consult for help, but I really think it'll resonate. And they're like, no, it won't. And it did because we had a medical director that came on with me because they were afraid that no one would listen to me. And then nobody was listening to him. And then they had to actually exit him from the company. And then it was just me. But they didn't believe in what I was doing. They were like, we'll see, but we doubt it. And here I am ten years later. Yeah. So it's been interesting. It's been really interesting learning about business as I go. Because my second business, I made a ton of mistakes. You know, I did that from the ground up. I raised my first round and did everything and hired everybody. And so that was really tough. I learned a lot. And I think I'm gonna go into my third venture soon, probably next year, and that'll be my last business I'm doing because I want to retire at some point.

[Morgan Lavoie]

I mean, it sounds like you can retire now, but you're on a mission. Well, what were some of those lessons that you did learn from?

[Maggie Q]

I mean, just, just all of it, right? Just all like where you're spending, where you should be spending, where you shouldn't be spending, like what positions I. I didn't need to fill yet until later and what positions I should have spent more money on. One of the biggest mistakes I made, unfortunately. We launched that business during COVID and it. That was the timing, you know, I mean, we were ready to go and covet hit in Europe and we were a month away from launching. And I'm like, oh my gosh, what's happening in the world? So that happened. So now we're out during COVID You know, everybody's frozen their bank accounts that aren't, you know, I mean, everyone's, you know, shit scared. Right. Obviously. And what I should have done, which would have been really smart, very risky, but what I should have done was I should have put more money towards ad spend when Everything had shut down. Rather than hold back because you were scared. I was scared. I thought it was a big mistake. I thought nobody was buying, but I was buying. Yeah. My husband said you were wrong, because that fear didn't last very long. And then people needed something to do, and they had their peloton bikes at home, and they were doing, you know, yoga on Zoom and all that. And the culture was consistently, like, living its life. It just wasn't doing it out in the public.

[Morgan Lavoie]

But you had money at the time, so why did you want to bring.

[Maggie Q]

On investors for their expertise as well? You know, there was a bunch of different people I met with where I just needed them as advisors, you know, people who were successful in the space. And now I. I know in a much clearer way who and why I will go to certain people because I'm doing the same thing now, raising money for something else. It's not just about. Because there's money everywhere. Anyone can give you money, but they can't give you the advice that you need every step of the way. And certain people can. And so that's really who you should gravitate towards.

[Morgan Lavoie]

How much money did your husband give you?

[Maggie Q]

250,000? Yes.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Have you given it back?

[Maggie Q]

I have not.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Good. Have you given investors money back?

[Maggie Q]

I have not yet, but I have an idea, actually, because I want to wind one thing down and roll it into something else, so I may actually roll their investments into something else that I'm doing, which I'm kind of excited about. So. Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Will your husband invest in that?

[Maggie Q]

Yes, definitely. And also, he wants to do business together, which I can't think of a more trustworthy and smarter person to be in business with. So that will actually be fun because. Because then we just get time together.

[Morgan Lavoie]

In that space just from the desire so early on to be financially independent. Have you kept finances separate?

[Maggie Q]

Yes. For me, I. I've never had a joint bank account ever, and I never will because I don't even know what that does. I've always just worked and had my own money, and I've seen so many women. It just breaks my heart. Like, it kills me. That's why I love so much what you do, you know, friends, sisters, or, you know, people who put all their eggs in that basket and then it ended and their money was just gone, you know, And I just. That makes me. Makes me so sad, because you should trust your partner and you should have that, you know, I mean, there's nothing wrong with having your money together and having trust and all that. Sort of stuff. But it does go south, and you always have to be prepared for that. It was funny. I told a friend's sister recently to start moving money out of her accounts because she was telling me stories. And the stories were like, this is not gonna end well.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Like, have a secret account before they get divorced.

[Maggie Q]

Correct. I'm like, you need to just. Because it's your money too. I mean, you know, it's not like she was stealing his money. I mean, like, just, you know, start putting your paychecks into your own account. Because the stories you're telling me, she's like, you think it's bad? I'm like, it's so bad. I don't know why she couldn't see it, but that was the advice. And then it ended badly. Yeah. And so, you know, I hate to be that person where you're like, prepare for the worst, but you kind of. You do have to prepare for the worst. No matter what.

[Morgan Lavoie]

I hear you. I think that you always have to have your own back, especially if you don't come from money. So how do you guys deal with it? Does he pay for the house, vacation?

[Maggie Q]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah. He takes care of his family. He takes care of us. But what I do and what he's really happy about for me is he's like, yeah, you have your own stuff take care of. Like, he's like, obviously, your family needs anything, I'm here. There's no problem. But he loves that I have my own thing going on because I take care of my family too, you know, And I, you know, want all my sisters to be okay and my parents to be okay and everybody to be okay. So I. I make sure he's like, you focus on your family. You make sure they're good. You make sure they're, you know, and he knows that me earning what I earn on my own and take care of my family makes me feel good. Right. So he's like, whatever. Like, we're involved. Like, you know, that involves us. You don't worry about that. That's taken care of. I got that. And so I get to focus on people that I really love and not worry about it.

[Morgan Lavoie]

And your businesses.

[Maggie Q]

And my businesses. Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoie]

So it sounds like you guys didn't sit down and say, okay, like, yours, mine, ours.

[Maggie Q]

No, we were just like, let's get married and we'll just. Nothing really changed. Right. We're just kind of the same. Yeah.

[Morgan Lavoie]

I was seeing that you like to read some Woo Woo books and healing. How do you incorporate that into business. We had. Do you know Lavinia Erico?

[Maggie Q]

Why does that name sound familiar?

[Morgan Lavoie]

Co founder of Equinox.

[Maggie Q]

Okay, friends.

[Morgan Lavoie]

She's awesome. She's been on the show. She says practical Woo came into her business.

[Maggie Q]

Oh, interesting.

[Morgan Lavoie]

So, yeah. So manifest for you because you love so much of the health stuff, and I think financial health. We started our conversation talking about this is a big part of just general wellness. I think financial wellness should be part of more of a wellness conversation.

[Maggie Q]

I totally agree. Because how can you have good mental health if you're not financially stable?

[Morgan Lavoie]

I can't.

[Maggie Q]

Doesn't that drive people to divorce and arguments and this and that.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Murder.

[Maggie Q]

I mean, all kinds of stuff happens when you're around money. Yeah, it's crazy. So funny I say murder. I have a cop show. So, of course, you know, I'm incorporating that. We see it all the time. Like, I haven't seen the homicidal part of it, but I'll take your word for it on my side. I've seen it. I have so many friends. They're all detectives. It's great. I love Dateline. It's the whole thing. So one of the Woo Woo books you're probably talking about is the Untethered Soul. So Michael Singer, I think, is one of the most profound authors alive. Spiritual men. And again, he's not. I won't call him a guru because I can't stand that word. And those people who just need sycophants and just. That's a whole nother ball game. Michael Singer is more like, you'll love this. And if you don't know his story, you should. He was on the board of a company that he built. I can't remember what the business was. He was worth hundreds of millions of dollars. And then he was under investigation all of a sudden for fraud. Something. Somebody in the upper ranks of his company was being fraudulent and they had to investigate everybody. So basically, he literally lost everything. Literally everything. Okay? All his money, his status, his company, everything he'd built. And he was innocent, right? He hadn't done anything. And so he said the greatest spiritual lesson of his life was when he lost everything. Because if you're not okay when you've lost everything and you have hundreds of millions of dollars, he said, you should be the same person. There should be no difference in your nervousness. Peace. Nothing should be disturbed. And that's a crazy concept, okay? So, okay, he's under investigation for six years. Okay? They come after him. And you know when they come after you for financial Fraud. They come after you. And he could do nothing. He couldn't get another job, start another company and make more money. Nothing. So he sat there for six years under investigation until he was cleared, but now he has nothing. Zero. He had to start over. And he just said, I came into my spirituality when I was under investigation because I knew that I had to get to a place where I was okay no matter what. And, you know, people have interviewed him and said, how can you be under investigation, lose hundreds of millions of dollars, and you're okay? He's like, but that's the challenge. That's what we're here for. We're here to be okay no matter what. And I think it's the disease of our society, period. Like, I'm okay if he loves me, not okay if he doesn't love me. I'm okay if I have money. I'm not okay if I don't have money. I'm okay if I'm famous, but if my fame starts to recede, I'm not okay. Right? And so I think that the spiritual lesson that he teaches is the most important one you can teach anyone, because it just crosses every boundary. It doesn't matter who you are, how much you have, what industry you work in. It's true. No matter what. And so that book, and he has three of them, he has a surrender experiment. He has the untethered soul, and then he has a more recent one. They are, Nicole, when I tell you they are the most freeing books you can ever read, because they're really just about letting go. No matter what's happening to you, no matter what. I'm talking, like, from the smallest thing, like being in traffic. We live in la, so we know what that is. And being okay with it, to losing hundreds of millions of dollars or not getting the guy or losing the friend, whatever it is, should be okay. And he really teaches how to do that, practically. So that's how I was able to cross that over into business. You have to have that. I'm going to call it Zen, for lack of a better word, but you have to have it, because no matter what you're losing, as we know, there's going to be something gained. Maybe it's not tomorrow or the next day, but something will. You know, how many times have you broken up with someone and been devastated and then you're fine, and now you're with your husband and you're like, oh, my God, I'm so glad I didn't.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Well, there's also this arrival, fallacy. Like, I'll be happy when I get there. And then you get there, and you're like, but I'll really be happy when I get.

[Maggie Q]

That's what he did. But that's what Michael Singer's talking about. Exactly what he's talking about. And at our wedding, we had a little quote from him right under. And my husband is friends with him. He actually reached out to him just to tell him how much his books meant to him. And Michael reached back, and he was like, what? I never respond to anyone. And he responded to my husband. And so they're in communication now. And we had these chargers at the wedding, and they were glass. And so right under it, I had a Michael Singer quote. And it said something like, I stand in awe of knowing that everything that happens to us happens in the perfect time, in the perfect place, and it's okay. Like, it's all okay. Yeah. Because it's so profound. You can apply it to anything in life, and I definitely apply it in business, because, as you know, business is up and down. You will lose way more than you win.

[Morgan Lavoie]

I mean, the only constant is change. And that resonates with me so much after losing everything in the fires this year, I'm sure.

[Maggie Q]

Same thing. It was. It puts everything to perspective. I just. After that, I just wanted to get rid of most of what I owned. Well, a lot of what I owned did get.

[Morgan Lavoie]

So you lost your house? Yep, unfortunately. The one. Was that the one that you bought when you were. That was twenties?

[Maggie Q]

No, that was when I bought here. That was mine. So it had been my thing, you know? And it's so crazy when this is your biggest asset. Right. And it's just gone. And you're standing there, and it's gone. And again, back to Michael Singer. You have to be standing there. And it was the most pitiful scene. I was standing there. It was pouring rain. I was up to my knees in mud. I'm looking at it, and it's crushed. And the fire department's walking up the hill, and they're firefighters. They've seen everything. And they were like. I mean, they had their hands over their mouths, and they didn't know what to do. And I'm just bawling, just standing there crying. And they didn't know what to do. So they all kind of looked at each other, and they all just hugged me. It was so sweet. But that's the Michael Singer moment of I'm standing there, I'm looking at my house and everything I've done and owned, and I Just renovated it, of course. It was, like, perfect. And that's when things get taken away from you. And I'm supposed to be okay in that moment, as okay as I was when my house was standing. And that was. That's the challenge. And I take that challenge really seriously. And I think it's incredible, incredibly profound to live that way.

[Morgan Lavoie]

It's one thing to read it in a book. It's another thing to actually put it into practice.

[Maggie Q]

Oh, it's so hard. It's so hard. And I didn't just face losing a home. I faced, like, neighbors who were awful. Just, like, awful.

[Morgan Lavoie]

So there was a mudslide. It was on state property.

[Maggie Q]

State land was the mountain behind my house. So the mountain collapsed, Went just through my home unexpectedly.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Yeah, you couldn't get anything out.

[Maggie Q]

I wasn't even there. I was like, my husband and I were doing something. And then the neighbors texted my assistant and said, oh, there's some damage to your gate. Like, my drive in gate. But I'm thinking my driving gate is quite far down from the house. Like, how can my gate be damaged by something? Then I get there, and it's steel and it's completely bent up. I mean, because the boulders were so big and the mud was so forceful that it came right through steel, and it just bent the steel all the way up. And I'm like, holy. And I keep walking. And then as I get up to the house, it's just crushed. I mean, completely crushed. I mean, the mud was above the roof. So you're seeing part of the house and you're going, oh, God. And so, you know I'm from an island, right? Something like that happens on an island. It's a little unfair. You know how I compare them? Because I'm from an island where people are very loving. There'd be a line around the block with people with, like, shovels and, like, food. Let's go, Maggie. What do you need? Let's dig some stuff out. Let's try to. And that just didn't happen here. People were mad at me because they had mud in their driveway. They wanted to sue me. It was so awful. And that was the other thing. I was like, I'm out of here. I'm done. I can't do this. I don't want to be around people who are just trying to get and get and get. That's not who I am. So a month later, I run into all the firemen. I'm at the coffee shop here in Brentwood, and I'm sitting there And I see all these guys. They're not in full garbage, but I see their faces, and I'm like, how do I know that guy? Is he an actor? I like it. No context, because it was so traumatic, right? But I know the face. And so they get their coffee, they sit down, and I'm looking at them like this, and they're looking at me, and I'm like, oh, my God. So I walk up to them. I'm like, guys, it's me. Remember? They're like, of course. Are you okay? I'm like, I left. And every single one of them nodded. They were like, good for you. Get out, because no one's gonna help you. It was crazy. The state turns their back on you. They're like, oh, that was our land that fell on your house. Sorry. Not our fault. Yeah, it's crazy.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Did you have insurance?

[Maggie Q]

Yeah, but it doesn't cover mudslides. They took it off the policies a couple years ago. Of course. Of course they did. And. And, you know, you have mudslide, but then there's also flooding, right, from the rains. But that's not the flooding they cover, Right. They only cover flooding that comes from pipes within the house. Zero coverage. So if there's a fire, like, there's potential for coverage. If you have fire coverage, obviously, but they don't cover much light.

[Morgan Lavoie]

But you have to, in California, get extra earthquake coverage. That's not included.

[Maggie Q]

Exactly. It's all extra. It's really just. It's too big of a risk. It's just too big of a risk. I mean, how can you, you know, have an asset that big and then, you know, not be able to insure yourself?

[Morgan Lavoie]

Well, I hope you take this compliment for me. It's so genuine. I'm so in awe and so proud of everything that you've built, despite everything you've gone through and so much. We end our episodes by asking for a tip that listeners can take to the bank. And so through all of the financial ups and downs and trauma that you've been through, what would you tell somebody today that they could implement into their own life?

[Maggie Q]

I'll give them a tip from my mom. And this is hilarious. We obviously didn't grow up with anything like I spoke about, but I wanted things because when you have nothing, you want everything, right? And so I would, as an annoying kid, would say to my mom, can we get this? You know, I don't know what it was. It was like cookies or like a. A bag or whatever it is. And I would say it's 50 off or 60 off, whatever it is. Right? Because I thought that would appeal to her. Right? My mom, my mom would say to me, you know, she's very accented. She said, honey, I don't buy 100 off. Oh, God. And you just sort of go, that's true, actually. So true. So I think my advice would be, per my mom, if you don't need it, don't get it.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Even if it's on sale.

[Maggie Q]

Even if it's on sale. Don't let that fool you because that's part of marketing. It's a thousand dollar sweater now. It's only 500. And you're like, what? Basically free. It's not hard earned anymore. I would just advise them not to be marketed to be like Maggie's mom. Save 100%. Wash your Ziploc bags.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Money Rehab is a production of Money News Network.

[Nicole Lapin]

I'm your host, Nicole Lapin.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Money Rehab's executive producer is Morgan Lavoie.

[Nicole Lapin]

Our researcher is Emily Holmes.

[Morgan Lavoie]

Do you need some Money Rehab?

[Nicole Lapin]

And let's be honest, we all do.

[Morgan Lavoie]

So email us your money questions moneyrehaboneynewsnetwork.com to potentially have your questions answered on.

[Nicole Lapin]

The show or even have a one on one intervention with me. And follow us on Instagram, MoneyNews and TikTokoneyNewsNetwork for exclusive video content. And lastly, thank you.

[Morgan Lavoie]

No, seriously, thank you.

[Nicole Lapin]

Thank you for listening and for investing in yourself, which is the most important investment you can make.