How a CPA Lost Millions and Started Again
6/11/202631 min
What happens when you become a millionaire three times, lose everything, and still refuse to quit?
In this episode of LIVING THE RED LIFE, Benedette Diaferia, founder of B DIAFERIA CPA PC, shares the mindset, financial strategies, and life philosophy that helped her rebuild after devastating business betrayals, financial losses, and personal challenges. Known for her unconventional tax planning, outside-the-box thinking, and commitment to helping entrepreneurs build real wealth, Benedette reveals why most people focus on getting rich when they should be focused on creating lasting wealth. From saving clients hundreds of thousands of dollars to overcoming setbacks that would stop most people in their tracks, she shares practical lessons on entrepreneurship, financial independence, accountability, and resilience.
Whether you're building a business, navigating financial uncertainty, or searching for a better definition of success, this conversation delivers powerful insights that challenge conventional thinking.
Key Takeaways
• Wealth is far more than money and includes health, relationships, time, and purpose.
• Entrepreneurs have greater control over their financial future than traditional employees.
• Failure is often the tuition paid for future success.
• Accountability and integrity create long-term opportunities and trust.
• The ability to start over is one of the greatest advantages an entrepreneur can develop.
Notable Quotes
• "I've been a millionaire three times over. Lost it all. Started again."
• "You have to love what you do. If you love what you do, money will come."
• "Rich comes and goes. Wealth stays."
• "Don't be the smartest person in the room. Be the one who learns the most."
• "Failure is not the end. It's the price of education."
Connect with Rudy Mawer:
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsBenedette DiAferia· Guest0:00
I've been a millionaire three times over, lost it all because people stole it from me.
Ray Gutierrez· Host0:03
Yep.
Benedette DiAferia· Guest0:03
And I had to start again. I'm starting again already.
Ray Gutierrez· Host0:05
Yeah.
Benedette DiAferia· Guest0:05
And I don't care. I don't care. I wanna start again, and I know I can help a lot of people out there.
Ray Gutierrez· Host0:09
Yeah.
Speaker 30:09
Benedette DiAferia is a trailblazing and resilient CPA, and the founder of BDiaferia CPA PC, best known for helping clients save thousands through creative financial strategies, and her outside-the-box approach to accounting and business.
Benedette DiAferia· Guest0:23
Hershey, he failed nine times. And some king in, in, in England, uh, loved his chocolate, and that's how he became famous. Nine times. So think about that, guys.
Ray Gutierrez· Host0:31
That's ... Yeah.
Benedette DiAferia· Guest0:31
That made me keep going, I'll tell you honestly. 'Cause he learned, he learned, he learned, and he finally hit it. Hershey's chocolate? What's better than that? You have to love what you do. If you love what you do, the money will come. Um, and we talk about getting rich. Uh, [laughs] get rich. Rich quick, it doesn't work. You wanna build wealth. And wealth, it encompasses a lot of things. It's not only dollars. It has to do with health, and, and it has to do with friends, and family, and love, and relationships, and, and just giving back to your community, and just making people happy. Making people smile. Even if you just say hello, it can make them happy. To me, that's wealth.
Rudy Mawer· Soundbite0:59
My name's Rudy Moore, host of Living the Red Life podcast, and I'm here to change the way you see your life. In your earpiece every single week. If you're ready to start living the red life, ditch the blue pill, take the red pill. Join me in wonderland, and change your life.
Ray Gutierrez· Host1:13
Welcome back to another episode of the Living Your Legacy podcast, the Red Life edition. Uh, for Inside Success, I am Ray Gutierrez. Joining me today, all the way from where?
Benedette DiAferia· Guest1:24
Brooklyn, New York.
Ray Gutierrez· Host1:25
Is an amazing ...
Benedette DiAferia· Guest1:26
CPA.
Ray Gutierrez· Host1:27
And her name is ...
Benedette DiAferia· Guest1:28
Benedette DiAferia.