Jeffry Herman

At 73, I’m grateful for the passions that carried me this far, and excited for the ones still ahead.

As I look back on my life so far, I’ve had many passions, goals, and even seasons of life. I took part in pursuing each of them, but my Creator placed every one of them before me. I would be nowhere without His hand.

My early years were filled with fear, created by my dyslexia and by my dad’s many mid-year moves that kept placing me in new schools. Whether my social anxiety came from being called stupid or from my own mind, I’ll never know, but it was there.

It was my determination to show folks that little Jeffy Herman was not stupid that gave me my drive to succeed. Watching my dad bow down to those in power made me want, even at a young age, to own my own business one day. That desire led me to the motivational books and tapes that lead to my success! I devoured every one, learning how others had done what I wanted to do.
After barely graduating high school, one of my teachers sponsored me to attend Outward Bound to toughen me up, and it worked.
Later, still needing to get the Midwest out of the boy, I enrolled in modeling school, which also had a great effect on my life.

From there, I took on each season of my life with passion. I never reached the pinnacle in any one of them, but in each I was better than most.

Business – You can read about how I was led to start my own business, worked with great customers like Disney and Hooked on Phonics, and was able to retire at 50.

Love – God led me to my soul mate 47 years ago. Without Kara, I could not have achieved half of my life’s passions. She is God’s greatest gift to me.

Health – My health journey began when I was told about the “Herman curse”: all Herman men die young. I was determined to prove it wrong. My dad died of heart disease at 41, and my brother died of cancer at 60. My mom lived to 92 and passed of old age. At 73, I’m following in her footsteps. Living a Blue Zone life is the secret!

Travel – Kara and I have been fortunate to travel to so many amazing places: all over Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, the Caribbean, Alaska, and Napa. We were able to do all of that before we turned 60. We’re not world travelers, but we’ve been very fortunate.

Wine – We had our first taste of red wine, a Bordeaux, on 9/11 at Versailles. It hit us like a brick; it was truly a life-changing taste. In the 25 years since, we bought a timeshare in Napa and have visited most of the great wineries in Napa, Paso Robles, France, and Spain. There’s nothing like drinking fine wine while seeing the land where it’s grown and made.

Mountain Biking – I read the books of the best champions, and while I never raced, I was better than most and rode so many trails.

Snowboarding – Kia and I took up skiing in my late 40s, switched to snowboarding very quickly, and never looked back. We mainly rode Mammoth, June, and Mountain High, with occasional trips to Tahoe. As with all my pursuits, I was never the best, but I was better than most for my age.

Hiking – Hiking became a true passion. We’ve hiked across and down into the Grand Canyon three times, completed the Backbone Trail, covered nearly every trail in the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains, explored Zion and the Wave, and collected waterfalls and mountain peaks along the way.

Kayaking – I took up kayaking when we bought a house in Oxnard. Most Saturdays, I paddled out to the breakwater and beyond, over 8 miles. Then I set out to kayak every major lake and harbor in our area. Mission accomplished.

Leatherwork – I got into leatherwork when Kia made me my first wrap for my hiking stick. Soon all my friends wanted one, so I taught myself on YouTube and became proficient enough that Kia enlisted my help on a professional job.  

Investing – I was fortunate to retire at 50, and Kara and I have lived off our investments for the past 23 years. We’ve been both lucky and good with them.

Off-Roading – Off-roading is a brand-new passion at 72. I’ve owned an FJ Cruiser for years to haul my bike, but when my friend Barry bought a Jeep, we hit the dirt together, and we’ve just completed our fifth trip. I look forward to conquering many more trails and improving my skills as we go.

I have truly been blessed by God, and all glory goes to Him. I’m getting older, but I’m still above the sod, so let’s keep moving forward!