About 30 Minute Living

~ The Mission of 30 Minute Living  ~

30 Minute Living seeks to provide information to enrich your life, resources to aid in your quest for personal development, and inspiration to propel you forward on your journey. Wherever you are in your life, may you discover something here that will encourage you and help you to develop further your own unique God-given interests, talents and abilities.

~ How it all came about ~

Thank you for visiting 30 Minute Living! My name is Marilynn Hood, and I’m the creator of this site and the author of Money For Life and Daniel: Esteemed By God.

A number of years ago, my husband and I realized we were ill equipped to make informed financial decisions. So I set about on a personal journey to gather the information and resources we needed.

After earning various designations and another degree (my credentials are listed below), I ended up teaching for my alma mater, Texas A&M University. My goal there was to help equip my students for their own personal journeys, with the topics being primarily related to personal finance.

Now that I have retired from university teaching, my goal has broadened somewhat. It is my sincere desire to help others in their quest be the best version of themselves, whether it’s in the areas of personal finance, career development, or in spiritual growth. After all, the many facets of our lives intertwine to make the whole of our being.

~ Credentials ~

Certificates, Licenses and Designations:
  • CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM Certification, Oct. 1997 to present
  • Chartered Retirement Plans SpecialistSM Designation, Jan. 2000 to present
  • General Lines Agent, Texas Department of Insurance, Jan. 2004 to present
  • Previous designations held, but no longer active, include: Texas Mortgage Loan Officer, Series 7 and Series 63 Licenses with the National Association of Securities Dealers, and Texas Teacher Certificate for Secondary Education in mathematics and English
College Degrees:
  • Bachelor of Arts, Texas A&M University, Curriculum & Instruction, May 1973
  • Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Texas A&M University, May 1992
College Teaching Experience:
  • Blinn College, Bryan/College Station, TX, part-time instructor for Department of Business
  • Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, full-time and part-time lecturer for Department of Finance, teaching Personal Finance and various Finance courses
  • Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, part-time lecturer for the Department of Agricultural Economics, teaching Insurance and Estate Planning as part of the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM curriculum in the Financial Planning Program