Sheepdog Financial

Many former military people need to find jobs when they get out. This can be a daunting task that can make the transition period even more stressful. I have a career expert on the show today who’s going to share some top tips and advice to make this period easier. Jen Walker Wall began working in a hiring capacity. This led to her seeing a lot of resumes and noticing what was being done right and not being done right. She started consulting and became an interview and resume expert.  Eventually this experience led Jenn to starting Work Wonders Careers to not only help people find jobs, but find the right career that fits their life. Jenn says that the single most important factor is having confidence about your skills and presenting them in a big picture way. Many people doubt that their skills are transferable, but things like leadership, communication, and working under pressure are always in demand. Jenn also shares resume tips, when to start looking for that job, LinkedIn profiles, and her views on working for yourself and side hustles.    Highlights from This Episode: [00:49] Jenn acquired experience in a job that required a lot of hiring.  [01:28] Through Work Wonders Careers, Jenn offers a complimentary skill set to very ambitious professionals that makes them more confident and mobile in their careers. [02:35] Don't have so much content on your resume that it's impossible to read quickly. Be selective about what you're offering with clean margins and a good-sized font. [03:06] Learn how to properly customize your resume for specific opportunities. Align your resume, application, and Linkedin profile to the type of job you're looking for.  [04:02] A resume is for a specific role and a LinkedIn profile should work for the breadth of your career. [04:54] Every professional from every field feels like their experience isn't transferable. Think about the bigger picture of what your role entailed. [05:21] Focus on bigger picture things like leadership, training, communication, and working under pressure. [06:29] Jenn started a side consulting business which led to Work Wonders Careers ever since. [09:06] Saying no and being discerning is a huge part of landing the right job for you. [10:24] Be really confident about communicating your story. Summarize things succinctly for people and be really confident about delivering that story. [13:03] Confidence is something that you develop and nurture as you go. Reflective exercises can help get clarity on this. [14:00] Work on your communication skills and get comfortable talking about your experience. [14:53] Jenn likes to work with people for at least through months. It takes time to make a change. People who are actively applying usually start getting interviews within six to eight weeks. [18:10] Give yourself credit. You're more qualified than you think. [19:10] A job search can take between 6 to 12 months. If you don't give yourself enough time, you don't get to be as picky. [21:18] Having gaps in your career is normal. It's okay to take some personal time after a long military career.  [24:45] Jenn and her friend Jenn have a podcast called Making Life Work. They talk about making time for what it is that you are really passionate about. [26:07] Side hustles can be a great way to explore career options. Be mindful of what you're trying to do and set some goals for yourself. Also figure out how to tell the story in an interview situation. [28:17] People frequently want to be self-employed. Even though it can be terrifying. The smallest way to explore this can be a side hustle.  [31:28] Running a business is easier than starting a business.    Links and Resources Work Wonders Careers Uncomplicate Your Job Workbook Jenn Walker Wall on Twitter Jenn Walker Wall on LinkedIn Jenn Walker Wall on Instagram How to Put More YOU in Your Job Search Making Life Work Episode 3.9 Side Hustles

Ailbe Astor is the Veteran Services Coordinator at Freedom Service Dogs of America. FSD helps veterans and active-duty military find new levels of confidence and independence with these specially trained dogs. Ailbe went into the Marine Corps right out of high school. Even when he got out, he continued to work with veterans and be around veterans, so he never really had a tough transition period. He is so passionate about matching these wonderful dogs with vets who can benefit from them.  He shares a little bit about the program and the rigorous training that the dogs go through. He also shares how the purpose of the dog is to help the client reintegrate into society and do the things that they want to do, not just the same old thing that they have been doing. It’s about freedom and independence. He also talks to us about the process to get a dog, and how he works hard to gain the trust of the vet to make the perfect match. He also shares tips like applying right away. You can always change your mind, because there is a two to three year waiting list.    Highlights from This Episode: [00:47] Ailbe served in the Marine Corps in the 90s straight out of high school. [01:25] When he got out, he started working with vets and never stopped. [02:33] One of the toughest parts about transitioning is losing the known entities that you can trust. [02:55] Ailbe is the Veteran Services Coordinator at Freedom Service Dogs of America or like his wife calls him, the dog matcher.  [03:07] He meets with veterans and gets to know them a little better before matching them with dogs.  [03:52] He wants to match the personalities according to personality, energy, and what the vet does day-to-day.  [05:46] The goal of getting the dog is to help the vet reintegrate back into society. Which includes pushing outside of their comfort zone.  [06:46] Freedom Service Dogs has been around for 33 years. The founder ended up getting paralyzed in an accident and eventually discovered the benefits of a service dog and wanted to share with others.  [08:23] The dogs now help with physical disabilities, PTSD, and people on the spectrum.  [09:10] Once they get the dogs they go through an established curriculum. They work with prisoners for two months, and then move on to other training.  [10:24] Dogs can help create space in crowds or a bubble.  [12:06] They have a very robust group of volunteers at the facility and fosters for the weekend. [13:31] Operation Freedom is an umbrella for any program that serves veterans.  [14:31] They take dogs to all of the places that the veterans would go like the grocery store, the VA, and the airport. [15:27] They also send the trainer to the client's home to introduce the dog to environments and replicate anything that they can.  [18:27] Ailbe shares a story of a veteran that was able to go to the movies for the first time in years.  [21:07] They go all over to find dogs to put into the program.  [23:08] There is no shortage of vets in need. They frequently find the program. After therapy and meds, they usually discover service dogs. Many of the people they see have been in treatment for a long time. [25:00] The interview for the potential vet is very intensive. Ailbe really needs to find out who they are and gain their trust to match them to the correct dog. [30:35] The dogs get lifetime support with a trainer.  [31:59] The VA is working on a program to offer vouchers for service dogs. They do offer pet coverage. [33:23] Ailbe knows that service dogs add value to the lives of those with PTSD.  [36:43] Start the process, the moment you think you might be interested in a service dog. A two to three-year wait can be a devastating piece of information. There's no harm in applying and changing your mind. [38:04] Focus on improving yourself while you're waiting to get your dog.   Links and Resources Freedom Service Dogs Freedom Service Dogs on Facebook Freedom Service Dogs on Instagram Freedom Service Dogs on LinkedIn Ailbe Astor on LinkedIn

Kim Colgrove is here to talk about her mission of helping first responders and veterans find a way to manage their emotions, stress, and trauma. These people are under a huge amount of stress and trauma. Kim knows this all too well after her husband took his own life after 30 years of being in law enforcement. After the loss of her husband, Kim went on a journey of discovery about stress and trauma. She wanted a way to help first responders manage their stress and improve their emotional health.  Kim was introduced to meditation when she was 10 years old, and she has been meditating for 43 years. She decided to devote her career to teaching meditation and mindfulness to first responders. Kim runs Pause First: Mindfulness for First Responders which offers training sessions to introduce first responders to meditation and mindfulness. She is also the author of Mindfulness For Warriors: Empowering First Responders to Reduce Stress and Build Resilience. Kim’s passion is contagious as she shares what meditation and mindfulness is and how and why to get started.    Highlights from This Episode: [00:49] In 1976 when Kim was 10 years old, her parents had her trained in transcendental meditation. This technique is still around. It's not what Kim teaches, but it's the foundation that everything was built on. [01:20] Kim has been meditating for 43 years. [01:43] In 2011, Kim quit her full-time job to teach meditation and mindfulness. [02:01] She taught small classes and then corporate clients. [02:41] In 2014, Kim's husband David retired from a 30-year law enforcement career. Less than three months later, he took his own life. [03:25] Kim went on a journey of discovery about stress and trauma. She learned about secondary trauma and post-traumatic stress and how all of that impacts first responders. [04:48] In 2017, she put together her first class of meditation and mindfulness for first responders. People signed up for this four hour block of training, and she's been teaching classes ever since.  [05:59] Kim has written a book called Mindfulness For Warriors: Empowering First Responders to Reduce Stress and Build Resilience. It's part memoir where she shares the story of her husband. She also interviews nine first responders who share their healing path. [07:11] Meditation is the daily exercise. Kim recommends 15 minutes. Mindfulness is a state of being that is cultivated through meditation. [08:19] Mindfulness is about breathing and checking-in to this moment in time and the here and now. [08:45] Studies show that meditation can help alleviate stress, anxiety, and help lower blood pressure. It's also connected with better brain health. [10:44] Meditation can help to deactivate the amygdala and lower stress. [11:40] The habitual stress response can impact people's behavior. A hyperactive amygdala can cause people to kick into that fight or flight response. [13:18] Kim teaches meditation as a brain training exercise. She bridges the gap between the skeptics and the active participants. [14:48] The idea of sitting still in silence is terrifying for some people.  [15:04] Kim has the participants in her class meditate, and the response has been very positive. [17:05] Silent meditation is when you're just sitting there and being. You're not engaged in anything. [18:19] Kim wants to help first responders to take an honest look at their stress and trauma and improve their emotional health.  [20:22] Meditation is integrated into yoga. Yoga is movement. Mediation and yoga are two different things.  [21:09] Meditation is similar to when you reboot your computer.  [21:58] To get started with meditation, find a book, teacher, or podcast that appeals to you.    Links and Resources Pause First: Mindfulness for First Responders  Kim Colegrove on LinkedIn Kim Colegrove on Twitter Mindfulness For Warriors: Empowering First Responders to Reduce Stress and Build Resilience Eight Weeks to a Better Brain

Maria Reed has been a military spouse for 17 years. Prior to that she was in the television industry. She was a director and a producer before meeting her husband. Military families have to move a lot, and there is a lot of work involved and a lot of uncertainty. Deployment is another big issue for military families when one spouse is left at home to take care of everything by themselves.    One Christmas, Maria was watching home improvement shows on TV. She thought that something seemed a little off and that she had the production experience and the military experience to create an amazing home improvement show to honor military families. That’s when Moving With The Military first began. Once she had the idea she didn’t let budget constraints or network rejections stop her. She now works to bridge the civilian/military divide by giving military families incredible spaces to make their houses into homes.    Highlights from This Episode:   [00:43] Maria Reed has been an Army spouse for 17 years. She's the mother of two awesome teenagers, and the Armed Forces Insurance Army spouse of the year. [01:05] She's also a serial volunteer and serial entrepreneur.  [01:14] She does everything she can to help military families. She feels like it's a whole new career. She used to be in television. She was a director and producer before meeting her husband. [01:43] Maria created a TV show called Moving With the Military about three years ago. On the show, they honor families for their service and commitment with surprise home makeovers. [02:35] Maria is busy, and she uses apps and pen and paper to manage her life. [03:49] Her husband is deployed. They have been through multiple deployments. She taught her kids how to cook and how to do laundry. Everyone does their part. [05:43] Maria's first military experience was in 2003. She had her family for help, but she felt alone until she went to her first FRG meeting. [07:50] She has had really great experiences on post and off post. [08:40] The show does DIY events that people can watch or attend. It's about making a connection and bringing people together. [09:24] Maria's advice for a family's first deployment is to thrive. [10:38] Go out and live and do and have fun and share those experiences with your spouse. [11:34] Maria had been watching a lot of home improvement shows on television. She had the production background and the military background and wanted to do things right.  [12:54] She spent hours creating a strategic plan and a website. She told her husband about it, and he approved and he was deploying in 30 days. [13:18] Two months after he deployed, they did their first episode. She was turned down by networks, and they funded the show themselves. [14:53] They do one room makeovers and the furniture is a gift. They also purchase the goods and pay the tax on it.  [16:56] Maria's favorite part is her military families surprised faces and how grateful they are. She also loves traveling. All of it fuels her with happy surprises.  [19:04] The show is very personal for Maria. She leaves a part of herself there every time. [19:30] Last year they filmed a makeover for a coast guard family. The military spouse was in hospice. She wanted to leave her girls with a beautiful home. They filmed for five days and ended up doing the entire house. [21:05] The Coast Guard community came together and no one complained. [22:19] Maria's has always dreamed big. Getting on home improvement channels and a bigger audience could be in the future.  [24:06] A PCS is a move for a military family. [24:27] Marie developed an app called My ultimate PCS. Moving is like starting over with a lot of paper. The app is cloud based. Everything is there.  [27:01] Staying at the hotels during the PCS can be a funny challenge. Once they made a whole Thanksgiving meal in a hotel room. [29:03] Get the app for My Ultimate PCS. There are also quick guides. Get the orders. You can learn to live anywhere for a short amount of time. Look at it as an adventure and enjoy the journey.   Links and Resources   Moving With The Military My Ultimate PCS Maria Reed on LinkedIn Moving With The Military on YouTube Moving With The Military on Instagram Moving With The Military on Facebook Moving With The Military on Twitter Moving With The Military on Pinterest

Jeff Rose was in the National Guard for nine years. He also was deployed to Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was also a financial planner for 16 years, before he struck out on his own with his Good Financial Cents blog. He also has a YouTube channel called Wealth Hacker Labs. He is also a Certified Financial Planner, the CEO of his own wealth management firm, and he wrote a best-selling book on personal finance.   He is fortunate to share wealth building advice online, although sometimes his advice goes against conventional wisdom. He is also a huge proponent of Roth IRAs. Jeff and I talk about being in the National Guard, his transition to civilian life, and some benefits the Guard offers. We also touch on how counseling is a positive thing and how adjusting after military life can be a struggle. We also talk about military finances, and Jeff shares tons of advice and personal stories.    Highlights from this Episode [00:45] Jeff was a financial planner for 16 years. Now he is fortunate to run a blog called Good Financial Cents. He also runs the Wealth Hacker Labs YouTube channel.  [01:42] Jeff has been having a great time sharing lessons on wealth-building online. [01:52] He was also in the National Guard for nine years. He was in the guard for six years and got his education paid for. He became a financial advisor but spent one weekend a month in the guard after reenlisting for three years.  [03:23] His unit was activated and he was sent to Baghdad in 2005 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. [03:43] When he got back from Iraq, his wife gave him the ultimatum of the military or her. He thinks he made the better choice. [04:33] Jeff found transitioning from the military to being a civilian one of the top five transitions in his life. [05:46] After getting back, Jeff was just trying to remember who it was. [06:28] When Jeff got back, his buddies had graduated. His wife had bought a house. She got a new job. He had a new dog because his old dog got killed. He was like where am I.  [07:39] He and his wife got into a huge argument, and he passed out in his friend's backyard. He knew something had to change and he went to counseling and went on to do some amazing things. He also gave himself grace. [14:05] Jeff shares some of the benefits of being in the National Guard like health care.  [15:56] It's a big deal for a National Guard unit to be deployed. He received tons of care packages. He even got boots and a case of Red Bull sent to him. [18:33] Jeff did his best to get as many soldiers as possible to sign up for a Roth IRA or a TSP. He saw guys spend their money before they even got home.  [19:24] Investing $100 a month when you're young is about the potential of the money not the $100. [20:54] Blowing bonuses is like watching a train wreck happen. [21:48] Jeff looks at the TSP the same way he looks at a 401k. If you know nothing about investing and you need to do something, this is the perfect thing to sign up for. [22:30] Jeff argues starting with a Roth IRA that forces you to learn about investing and what you're putting your money into.  [24:48] The latest thing won't make you a millionaire overnight. Learn about where you’re putting your money and let it grow.  Links and Resources Good Financial Cents Wealth Hacker Labs on YouTube Good Financial Cents Podcast Good Financial Cents on Facebook Jeff Rose on Twitter Soldier of Finance

Ryan Brandt is a former marine who served two tours in Afghanistan. He is now a business development executive for Viqtory a company that focuses on recruitment marketing. We all know that transitioning out of the military can be a challenging time. The more planning done in advance when it comes to marketing your skills, getting the right mindset, and getting your finances in order the easier the transition will be.  We talk about this, and Ryan shares struggles that he and his fellow military brothers and sisters have been through. We talk about how it’s smart to get financial advice from the beginning and not live check to check. Having a plan now will payoff in large dividends in the future. Ryan shares mistakes that he made, and what he would do differently. He also shares how transitioning military people can make their resumes relevant for the civilian world and advises to not just stick with MOS codes.  Highlights from this Episode  [00:51] Ryan was a marine who did two tours to Afghanistan. He was a sergeant and a radio operator. [01:14] When he got out of the Marine Corps he moved to the northern Virginia area where his family is from. He worked at a SaaS reseller. [01:44] He then started working in enterprise sales in the DC Metro area. He worked with GSA contracts, the DOD, and the Department of Homeland Security. [01:58] He met his wife in Annapolis, Maryland. They moved outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania about six years ago. [02:33] He continued working in sales in different companies. [02:58] He was given an opportunity at Victory to help his brothers and sisters in arms better than self stirring the transition process. [03:52] Ryan got his bachelor's in criminal justice from Memphis University before the Corp.  [04:20] He also played in the minor leagues with the Chicago White Sox for a while. [06:41] Ryan now realizes how scary the transition process can be. In the military, you become part of something bigger than yourself. Then you take a 5-day transition class and you're done. [08:56] It can be equally stressful for career military people. [10:30] When a military career comes to an end, it's on the transitioner themselves to make moves towards a new life. People often think they have to do something in civilian life that is similar to what they did in the military. [12:02] There weren't a lot of people to talk to during the transition period. [14:11] Ryan shares how he didn't get a lot of support from the military when he was leaving.  [15:45] Ryan markets for Viqtory to find corporations that want to hire military veterans.  [16:13] Ryan shares the skills that military people have that are valuable to employers like competing missions and leadership skills. [17:41] Don't be MOS focused. Military people have a lot of intangible skills.  [18:44] When creating your resume. Talk about the overall skills you acquired. Leadership and achievements. Put what you did into something that resonates with a civilian.  [20:19] Being on time is a huge skill. [21:03] Transitioning people stay for about five years if they make it past the first year.  [22:21] The biggest hurdle is the mentality of bettering yourself on your own.  [24:05] It's about being self-sufficient as opposed to being part of the team. [26:10] After deployment, it makes sense to make a plan for accumulated money. Don't live for the weekend.  [30:48] Ryan shares a story about getting guys he was in the military with straight on finances and talking about avoiding huge debt and security clearances.  [32:41] Credit scores matter when getting hired. [34:31] After getting out of boot camp, go talk to someone about finances and put yourself on a solid plan. The better off you will be in the future. Don't live paycheck to paycheck. [37:24] If someone can make a commitment to their country, they can make a commitment to their finances. There are also financial advisors on post now.   Links and Resources Ryan Brandt on LinkedIn Viqtory Ryan.Brandt@Viqtory.com

Transitioning from the military can be a huge change for people who have served. Their whole life can be turned upside down, and they can even discover a loss of identity that was tied to their military life. David Pere says the solution for this is to have a purpose and a plan before you leave. David has been in the military since 2008, and he still serves. After reading Rich Dad Poor Dad, he started taking an active role with his finances and cut spending, started saving, and investing in real estate. David now owns 14 properties. One is a 10 unit commercial property and the rest are rentals. One of them is currently being renovated. David not only took an active role in controlling his finances and his future, but he helps other military members do the same. He runs From Military to Millionaire where he helps other service members build wealth through real estate investing, entrepreneurship, and personal finance. He’s also the host of The Military Millionaire Podcast.  David and I talk about his story, how he feels about investing in real estate, and how to find the right property manager. We talk about benefits, opportunities, and retirement choices that apply to military members and how to get the most out of them. This episode is about making a plan, so that you can have options in or out of the military.    Highlights from this Episode  [00:45] David has been in the military since 2008. He's still an active duty Marine. He works in logistics and transportation. In 2015, he read the book Rich Dad Poor Dad. That changed his life. [01:13] He started real estate investing and got better with this finances. In the last 4 years he's bought and sold a lot of Real Estate. He has 13 rental properties and one that's being renovated. [01:29] He tripled or maybe quadrupled his net worth. [02:28] David was a finance specialist. He took a week-long course about finances. The class is very thorough, but there's a lot to learn in one week. [03:41] The program is used to help people already in trouble. David would prefer it was there to help people before they get into trouble. [05:19] Before talking about your finances, you need to have your basic information.  [10:13] David has a 10 unit commercial property and he uses a property manager for it. [11:37] Always interview more than one property manager. Also look for hidden fees. Make sure they are licensed, insured, and you are a good fit for them.  [15:00] To start investing. Fix your budget and save money. Then learn about investing and network. Then take action. [16:40] Buy and hold real estate investing is a long term strategy. There are also tax benefits. [18:28] David does his own bookkeeping. He also has someone who files his taxes for him. It's very important to get the first year with basis correct.  [22:14] David took the blended retirement system. For him, it allows more flexibility with his career.  [25:43] David joined in 2008, he lost money by contributing to the G fund compared to what he could have made in the market.  [27:33] The life cycle fund is the fund you need to use.  [29:06] The biggest success for transition is to have a plan. Losing identity is what hurts people transitioning from the military. Find a purpose now.  [32:08] Income is rarely the problem. Expenses are. [34:59] It's a good idea to cut your expenses. [35:35] Don't get caught up trying to keep up with other people.    Links and Resources   From Military to Millionaire The Military Millionaire Podcast From Military to Millionaire on Facebook David Pere on Instagram David Pere on LinkedIn David Pere on Twitter Rich Dad Poor Dad

Amanda Huffman served in the Air Force for six years as a civil engineer. She got married and was expecting a baby when she decided to transition to civilian life. The transition was harder than she thought it would be as she discovered her identity was tied to the military. She didn’t really feel like she fit in with veteran groups or training programs, because she was a woman and wasn’t looking for career opportunities. She was going to stay at home with her baby and identified more with military spouses.  She began writing about her experience and started the Airman to Mom blog. Through her work, she discovered that military women had interesting stories to tell, and she wrote Women of the Military: A Compilation of Stories from American Women Service Members which also led to her Women of the Military Podcast where she talks to military women and gives them an outlet to share their stories. We chat about Amanda’s story, veteran organizations, and some of her favorite stories. We also talk about how her and her husband handle their finances, tools they use, saving or paying for college, and retirement possibilities.  Highlights from This Episode [00:58] Amanda served in the Air Force for 6 years as a civil engineer. She is now a stay-at-home mom and a military spouse. Her husband is in the Air Force. [01:22] After leaving the military, Amanda was struggling and having an identity crisis, so she decided to write about it in her blog Airman to Mom. [01:28] In 2017, she did a series on deployments. She had an overwhelmingly female response, and she realized she was in the right place at the right time. [02:00] She started collecting stories about military women, and that's what Women of the Military is all about. [02:08] She features 28 stories about military women. She also podcasts about the same topic.  [02:37] Amanda was surprised by how much her identity was tied to her military service. She was transitioning out of the military and just had a baby. It threw her for a loop she didn't expect. [04:16] There weren't any available resources for people getting out of the military to be a stay-at-home mom. [05:08] Amanda has been out of the military for 6 years, and she's just now getting involved with veterans organizations. [06:41] The first organization Amanda got involved with was Wreaths across America. It brought back her connection to the military. [08:45] Amanda began writing on her blog and now mostly focuses on her podcast.  [09:32] One of the most moving stories that Amanda recorded was about a woman who was raped twice while serving. This woman became an advocate for another rape survivor and turned her story into positive action.  [12:02] Amanda's book has a lot of anonymous stories, but they are great stories.  [12:56] Amanda met the first female cadet from the Air Force Academy. This woman was kicked out of the academy for failing calculus even though men who failed were not kicked out. The story explains how the odds were stacked against the over 100 women who graduated. [14:26] Her husband travels a lot. It's like deployment where they have to drop everything and go.  [15:42] They track their finances with mint. It's more accurate than a spreadsheet. [19:14] We talk about the blended retirement system.  [20:04] They have GI bills for their kids college fund.  [23:58] Amanda and her husband were able to save a lot so now Amanda doesn't have to work, and they have an emergency reserve.    Links and Resources   Women of the Military: A Compilation of Stories from American Women Service Members Women of the Military Podcast Airman to Mom Amanda Huffman on Facebook Amanda Huffman on Twitter Amanda Huffman on Instagram Wreaths across America VETTYS Service Women’s Action Network Mint Tiller

Tim K. is the founder of The Veterans Project which is an online journal that profiles the experiences of veterans. He is the host of The Veterans Project podcast and he also started The Caregiver Project. Tim shares how he grew up with a proud military tradition. His father suggested he do the honorable thing when Tim was looking for ways to pay for college. Tim decided to enlist and be a cook. He finished high school, went to basic training, and started college. Tim was in for the surprise of his life when he ended up being deployed in Iraq in a mostly infantry mixed unit.  In retrospect, this turned out to be one of the best experiences of his life and what enabled him to embark on his meaningful and impactful passion of sharing stories of other veterans. Tim shares his journey and a very touching story from one of his first interviews. He also shares why it was so important to evolve from just focusing on the stories of veterans and start The Caregiver Project. Tim also shares the surprising impact of his podcast and how it has enabled him to reach a new audience. This is the perfect story of passion and work creating a real impact.    Highlights from This Episode [01:08] Tim is from South Texas. They have a proud military tradition there. His dad was in the Air Force for about 10 years. [02:01] He grew up in San Antonio with a respect for military tradition. [04:15] In 2005, Tim needed college funds, so he became a cook in the military. [05:48] He went to basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Basic training was rough. [08:01] He became a cook, then halfway through his college career he was deployed to Iraq. [09:04] Tim was called into a mixed unit with mostly infantry. It became one of the best experiences of his life. [10:39] Without having gone to combat, Tim  wouldn't have The Veterans Project. [10:53] His deployment taught him a lot about himself and the rigors of deployment overseas. [11:39] After returning from Iraq, Tim went into a Master's program. He began learning photography.  [14:53] His teacher suggested that he tell veteran's stories for his capstone project. He was so impacted by the process, that he couldn't imagine not doing this.  [18:28] The Veterans Project is a comprehensive black and white essay where Tim follows veterans around and tells their stories. He also talks about reintegration and their lives before the military. [18:55] He began with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. He then expanded into World War II. His first interview was so amazing that it was almost unbelievable.  [25:10] He did a project that included all of the prescriptions and struggles of a vet after the military. This story has such an impact on students he shared it with. Unfortunately, this vet took his own life a year later.  [27:12] Tim wanted to share the family stories too. This began The Caregiver Project. He began with a white star family and then moved immediately to a gold star family.  [30:58] Many of these families have made the ultimate sacrifice, and it never goes away. Even after they've moved on with their lives.  [32:13] Tim has to tell the stories of ultimate sacrifices made. [33:07] Tim would love for his work to one day be a permanent Smithsonian exhibit. [33:39] His goal is to constantly keep the project funded, so he can continue to tell the stories. [34:56] Civilians also make sacrifices at home. The podcast focuses on some of the support provided by the civilian community. It bridges the gap and shares stories of veterans, civilians, and caregivers.  [37:21] He had some fear and trepidation about starting the podcast. It's been going for about 6 months now.  [37:49] Tim realized by starting the podcast, he was reaching a whole new demographic of people. It's another way to tell stories, and he's making every effort to share those stories.    Links and Resources   The Veterans Project The Veterans Project Podcast The Veterans Project on Facebook The Veterans Project on Twitter The Veterans Project on Instagram The  Caregiver Project The  Caregiver Project on Facebook The  Caregiver Project on Instagram

Janis Bruns is a retired Special Forces Officer. He served in the military in Latvia for 13 Years. He was also deployed in Afghanistan and Africa. He trained in Germany and was a Special Forces Instructor. His military career had been going well, yet he felt some areas in his life were lacking. He was also influenced by his mother who cured herself from cancer and went on a journey of self-discovery.  After taking a good hard look at his life, he decided to make the transition from military life to civilian life and help people by being a personal development coach and work in the field of emotional trauma. He wrote The Transition Manual to help people with successful integration from the military into functional civilian life. Service members retire, people need their lives to work out well, and emotions can be difficult. This manual can help and so can this episode.    Highlights from This Episode [00:52] Janis is a retired Special Forces Officer. He's from Latvia. He served in the military there for 13 years and did his officer's training in Germany.  [01:32] He's been deployed to Afghanistan and Africa, and he's spent the last years being a Special Forces Instructor. [01:47] The world has totally changed since he joined and left the service. [02:43] Things were going well career wise, but his private life and his financial life were a mess. [04:47] His mother cured herself from cancer and was doing a lot of work with breathing and meditation. She also worked with Janus, and he started seeing himself and the world in a different way. He wanted to help the world in a different way. [06:20] He decided to become a personal development coach in the field of emotional trauma and emotional work. [07:26] With meditation you shut off the chattering in your mind. When the chatter stopped, he experienced a deep calmness and ease.  [08:24] He wanted to share this experience with other people. He wanted to inspire people to change themselves. [08:57] He saw a lot of soldiers who are stuck in their emotions. He knew they could change their lives by understanding how their minds work. [09:49] His book is primarily for military people active or retired, but 95% of it has civilian stuff inside, so it can help anyone. [11:10] He felt a calling to help people step out of the military in a more harmonious way. [12:17] He wanted to address mind, body, emotions, relationships, and financial issues to help people make the transition smooth and easy. [13:02] 95% of our minds reside in the subconscious. [15:54] Perceptions of the mind can be changed. Still associating yourself as a military member drags all of those emotions from the past into the present. [16:44] Our emotions happen now but can be triggered by our past and our memories. We need to stop thinking of ourselves in the perspective of the past and create a person for today. [22:02] One of the things that Janis does is use breath work to expand the mind and consciousness. He also recommends consulting with a professional before engaging in these breathing techniques. [23:13] Just focus on the breathing, that's it. This synchronizes your heart with your brain and makes your body more coherent. [24:24] There are multiple benefits. Athletes and Navy Seals all use this method. [24:48] Google breathing techniques such as breathing for calmness or breathing for focus. [25:52] Expanding your consciousness allows you to access your subconscious mind. [27:10] You can also try tension release exercises. You can shake out your system. Also address the emotional work. [29:17] Try breathwork therapy or meditation, or anything to address the subconscious mind. [31:39] We need to clear out the anger and fear and emotional trauma from childhood. [32:12] Affirmations can also help address the subconscious mind. Use these to change your negative beliefs. [33:02] Neuroplasticity allows us to change the neurocircuitry of our brain.  [37:32] Try different breathing circles such as the Wim Hof Method.  [40:36] Get educated about your mind, emotions, and spirituality. It's about your relationship to your inner self.   Links and Resources The Transition Manual The Transition Manual: Successful Integration After Military Service Into Functional Civilian Life Janis Bruns on Facebook TRE Wim Hof Method

Doug Nordman was a submariner in the Navy. He has been retired for over 17 years and has been living a life of financial independence since 2002. He also spends as much time as possible traveling around the world. He and his family will often take trips that revolve around visiting family or going to conferences like FinCon or FI Chautauqua which is based on interesting conversations with interesting people in interesting places.  He is also a financial blogger, author, and podcaster. His blog and his book are called The Military Guide. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge with other service members about how to retire early, be financially independent, invest wisely, navigate complicated benefit structures and get the most out of them, and find the knowledge to make informed decisions. Doug is also a surfer and lives in Hawaii. He is someone who lives the life he wants and helps others to do the same.  We dive deep into this episode and talk about Doug’s journey, and specifics of military retirement. We talk about the TSP program, VA disability, reserve benefits, TAP, and more. All of these topics are huge, but Doug shares enough to help understand what’s out there for you and what you need to learn more about. Doug’s website and book are full of helpful resources, and we also provide helpful links in this episode.    Highlights from This Episode  [01:12] Doug is living the life that you live after financial independence and after the military. One of the things he is doing now is slow travel.  [02:00] He recently went to FI Chautauqua in Portugal. The theme of it is interesting conversations with interesting people in interesting places. [02:45] Doug has been retired from the Navy for 17 and 1/2 years. His wife is also retired and they have been financially independent since 2002. [03:08] They were able to become world travelers when their daughter went to college in 2010. [03:28] Doug was a submariner in the Navy and he got to Pearl Harbor in 1989 and never saw a reason to leave. [04:24] His wife retired from the reserves, and the retirement process is more complex than it needs to be. [05:10] After twenty good years in the reserves, you are allowed to retire. The gray area is the time between when you stop being active in the reserves and when you can collect your pension. The normal age is 60, but there are some earlier options for people who've been on active duty. [07:11] In the reserves, you can buy TRICARE Reserve Select. In the gray area, you can still get it, but it's more expensive. [09:31] The VA disability rating is also very confusing. It's ironic that those who are the most in need of the benefits are the least able to get through the process. [12:15] Going to the dentist in other countries is cheaper and they go when they travel.  [13:23] Only 15% of service members would ever serve long enough for a pension. 85% left the military with only what they put away in their Thrift Savings Plan and their investments.  [13:52] Service members wanted a 401k or something that does matching. This is where the tsp, Blended retirement system, and the 5% match from the Department of Defense started up. [15:23] The TSP is ran by a contractor for the federal government called BlackRock. The funds mimic the index and other funds.  [16:30] The TSP used to be the world's largest collection of index funds with the lowest expense ratios. Now it has a lot of competition from other funds with lower expense ratios.  [17:18] When choosing between a TSP or another 401k, do the math see who gives you the highest match and has the lowest expense ratio. Usually, the TSP will win. [18:23] A traditional TSP could give you a tax break by allowing you to put money in before it's taxed. These taxes are only deferred, and you'll have to pay them sooner or later. This is why there can be benefits to a Roth. [19:16] A Roth TSP can grow tax-free, you can withdraw what you put into it, but you do have to do required distributions. [20:28] A Roth also passes to your heirs easier. [21:44] When you get pay increases, you can put away serious money in your Thrift Savings Plan. Eventually, you'll maximize the TSP and your other IRAs. Then you put the rest of your savings in taxable accounts. [23:15] Index funds are an easy and simple way to stay in the market. Doug also has some angel investments that he's waiting to see how they play out. [26:21] Doug started out using Excel and then moved on to Quicken to manage his money.  [27:07] He uses the Personal Capital app to track all of this spending.  [28:03] Basis is what you spend on a property when you buy it and possibly the improvements. It's also the cost of selling the property. [30:04] Have a professional help you when you first purchase your rental property, because if you calculate your basis incorrectly it will affect you for the rest of the life of the property. [31:19] Doug and his family went to the Naval Academy. [33:17] The GI bill can be a great tool. Sometimes people don't use it because of lack of knowledge. [34:12] Doug has been following the financial independence movement since the early 90s. [35:29] Financial independence can give you a lot of choices and allow you to make a career change if you want. [40:05] It's easier now to transition out of military service with online services. There is a TAP program that can educate service members and their spouses. Review your VA benefits.    Links and Resources   The Military Guide Doug Nordman on Facebook Doug Nordman on LinkedIn The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement FinCon FI Chautauqua BlackRock Personal Capital Transition Assistance Program

Having a grasp on financial literacy can make a huge difference in a young person’s life. Yet many young people don’t even start saving until they are in their mid 30s. George and Gina Plytas are a couple who have worked in the financial industry for years. They even did a stint in collections and saw first hand how devastating it can be to not have a grasp on one’s finances.  They knew that they not only wanted to educate themselves, but they also wanted to educate their children about financial literacy. They coauthored the book Kids Get Rich: Teaching Children the Secrets to Wealth and Success and run the website Kids Get Rich. It’s their goal to help educate parents on how to educate their kids on understanding finances. In this episode, we talk about how important it is to begin things like saving early to create lifelong habits.  George and Gina share their principles for good financial discipline and how they implement this with their kids. It’s their goal to help instill good financial habits when kids first encounter money. These habits can be used throughout adulthood. They talk about age-specific habits and share what has worked for them and others. They share their simple, yet powerful system that can help make wealth and success habits for life.  Highlights from This Episode  [00:47] Gina has worked in the financial services industry for over two decades. The majority of her career has been in talent development, knowledge, and learning. She's worked with institutions training their new hires and leaders around finances.  [01:15] George currently has an IT consulting company. He also began his career in the financial services industry. He also worked in collections while he was in school and trying to make some extra money. [01:44] Gina also spent part of her career in the collections area. [02:23] The reality is that even people who work in the financial services industry make mistakes. [02:48] George and Gina wanted to make a difference in the way they operated their finances, and they were very purposeful with their children and teach them how to effectively manage finances. [03:04] They wrote the book Kids Get Rich. They wanted to write the book for their kids and for other people and their kids too. [04:01] The book is about sharing knowledge and best practices that they discovered when they started learning about finances. [04:52] Their six strategies include inspiring the spirit of advancement, pay yourself first, and starting early so positive habits become almost automatic. [06:50] The idea is to pay yourself as if you're paying a bill.  [07:26] Kids get access to money in different ways. Teaching discipline at a young age makes it a habit. 50% of an allowance can be saved. Pay in divisible denominations.  [09:39] Starting with physical money makes it tangible.  [10:37] Pay-for-performance is a strategy to help kids make the connection between working hard and earning money. [11:40] Save for a rainy day. The impact of unexpected expenses can be stressful. Kids can use their rainy fund for their phone if it's lost or stolen.  [13:53] George and Gina paid for grades. The financial reward for good grades can be effective.  [15:14] The kids even set their own goals. [15:28] Strategy five is investing in your future. Money compounds and grows. Show kids what happens when you save a little for a long term.  [17:47] Giving back with money and time and other things. [20:53] Find ways to give together through volunteer work. [22:17] Teach kids what you are learning. [22:49] Everyone in the house has responsibilities. There are also additional items that can be incentivized with cash.  [27:20] You can share some basic monthly expenses with kids and share the math. [28:11] This is also a good way to introduce budgeting. Sharing financial information made a light bulb go off for their kids.  [29:17] Money oriented games are also good.  [30:08] George shows his kids his stock charts. [30:44] Some schools have programs where kids pick and research stocks.  [31:31] Get two piggy banks. One is for saving and one is for spending. Save at least 50% of any money that comes in.  [33:05] The book has a wealth check and helps open the conversation about money.  [34:30] They are going to building workbooks to help parents work with their kids.    Links and Resources Kids Get Rich Kids Get Rich: Teaching Children the Secrets to Wealth and Success

Riley Adams is here to talk about financial independence and taxes. After all, we are nearing that time of year again. We all know that taxes are something that need to be planned for in advance instead of waiting until it’s time to file. Riley has a master’s degree in applied economics, he is a CPA, and he works at Google. He also runs the website Young and the Invested. This is a place for young professionals to learn about financial independence and entrepreneurship. Riley and his wife live in the Bay Area. She is a doctor and they have a six-month-old son. Riley’s dream is financial freedom for him and his family, so he can work at whatever he wants to work at and not be dependent on a certain employer to make ends meet. We talk about saving, investing, paying yourself first, and the new tax laws. We tackle depreciation, tax savings, and why it’s not a good idea to invest solely based on tax savings. Riley’s enthusiasm for smart wealth building is contagious and this is a fun and informative episode.    Highlights from This Episode  [00:58] Riley is from New Orleans. He has a master's degree in applied economics. [01:47] After graduating, he got a job at the power company in New Orleans. He dealt with financial planning, strategy, and renewable energy policies. [02:04] He worked there for six years. He learned all about your renewable energy, and he even met his wife there. [02:20] His wife graduated from medical school, and now they live in the San Francisco Bay Area. [02:37] Riley now works at Google. His project is to streamline the advertising programs. He and his wife also have a six-month-old baby. [03:42] At the end of 2017, the Tax Cuts and Job Act was passed. [04:08] It's geared toward benefiting corporations by making the tax rate 21% as opposed to 35%. [07:26] Depreciation is when you make a large capital investment, and you can't expense it in the same time that you purchase the asset. You recognize a proportional expense over a period of time. [08:48] Depreciation with rental properties is very common. The depreciation can make a rental property income a loss and lower your taxes. [11:37] You can depreciate the improvements versus the land value. [12:12] The standard deduction was dramatically increased. The idea was to create less work without having to itemize deductions. [16:06] State taxes do things a little bit differently. Each state is different. Navigating multiple states is complex.  [23:35] There can be a huge amount of tax savings if you derive most of your income from qualified passive income. [24:42] Saving on taxes shouldn't drive your decisions for investing. [26:18] Riley is hoping that through wise financial decisions and investing, he will be able to free himself up from employers and have the freedom to do any job that he wants.  [26:56] Millennials want to follow their passion and be able to do what they want to do. [27:38] Riley recommends that millennials pursue financial independence. [29:03] The FIRE movement is about being able to retire early. The Fat FIRE movement is about being able to retire early without scrimping and saving and living such a frugal life. [31:30] Riley and his wife have savings goals. They look at their income and make a savings target. Whatever is left is to spent and enjoyed.  [33:15] They have different IRAs and some shared accounts and a home savings account.  [34:32] Multiple accounts make you liable for multiple capital gains at tax time. [35:15] Young and the Invested is Riley's financial website. His target audience is his wife. [37:01] The site explores ideas on reaching financial independence for young professionals. [38:54] There was an article about him from NerdWallet that was syndicated in the New York Times. [39:19] Sacrifice frivolous purchases to create financial independence.    Links and Resources   Young and the Invested riley@youngandtheinvested.com Mint Tiller Financial Samurai Time Your Credit Card Application This Bonus-Friendly Season Young and the Invested on Twitter Young and the Invested on Facebook

Tony Elion made $300,000 in 13 months by investing in the stock market. He has a unique story that highlights the benefits of being in the military, formal education, self education, and taking smart risks. Tony went to college and graduated, but he didn’t really know what he wanted to do, and he was facing a tough recessionary job market. He learned to speak spanish, play the guitar, and take siestas, in Spain before coming back to the US and joining the Navy.  He had a seven month gap before his deployment and worked in an Amazon fulfillment center. Amazon was giving employees shares of stock, and he received two shares of Amazon stock. This was his first introduction to the stock market. While deployed in Japan he continued to educate himself about finances, stocks, and investing. After leaving the military, he decided to take advantage of the GI bill and get his advanced degree and then attend law school.  He also used scholarship money to invest. His investments started paying off, but Tony wants to emphasize that it was education and discipline that led to his success. He has also written a new book called Sailor to Student: How I Made a Quarter of a Million Dollars in the Stock Market, and You Can Too. In this episode, Tony gives us a first hand account of his amazing story along with sound tips and advice for investing, finances, and life.    Highlights from This Episode [00:47] Tony is from Memphis, Tennessee. After college, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do. [01:13] He taught English in Spain for a while. [02:25] Two weeks after returning from Spain, he signed up for the US Navy. [03:58] He was an assistant for the chaplain and worked with people all day. [04:47] He was in Japan for four years. He used his GI bill to get his master's degree. He then decided to go to law school. [08:01] Penn State gave him a $33,000 a year scholarship. [09:50] The GI bill is a versatile tool to change your future or your family's future. [10:48] Tony recently wrote a book called Sailor to Student: How I Made a Quarter of a Million Dollars in the Stock Market, and You Can Too. [11:24] Tony used his scholarship money and invested in the stock market. In 13 months, he was able to grow his portfolio to over $300,000. [11:43] He would post his investments on social media and people started asking him questions. [12:37] He decided to answer everything in one place in the new book. [15:07] His first introduction to stocks was when he worked at the Amazon fulfillment center, and they gave everybody two shares of stock. [16:25] When he came back from service, he now had 19 shares of Amazon stock and it was worth $18,000. [17:02] His first investment was putting $20,000 into Amazon stock. [17:27] He would look at companies that he knew. His next choice was Netflix. [18:26] The most money he ever made was with a cannabis investment in Canada. He sold all of his stocks and bought this stock. He held it for 8 days and made $175,000. [20:59] Tony is a big fan of discipline and delayed gratification. Create plan, a budget, and stick with it, and you can really grow your finances. [23:29] He founded Love Now Incorporated in 2017. [23:55] Tony's been successful, and he wanted to give back. [24:53] His organization is about taking people where they are and giving them the help they need. [25:11] Last year they had a coat giveaway event for International students who didn't have them.  [26:49] Tony left the military in 2016. [28:23] Tony would go to the library on base and learn all about finance. His success was more about discipline than luck.  [30:01] It's better to sit down and learn everything on your own.  [31:28] Passive investment is almost mandatory as society progresses. People need to take advantage of investing to benefit from compound interest.  [33:55] The military is now creating programs to protect people who enlist after they leave.  [35:44] Look at your money. Make a budget and track what you. Stick with your budget and save. Life insurance is an investment, have your foundation in place. Get an emergency fund. Then invest.  [39:20] When stocks start to fall is the time to buy. Save now.    Links and Resources Tony Elion Sailor to Student: How I Made a Quarter of a Million Dollars in the Stock Market, and You Can Too. Love Now Inc. on Facebook Tony Elion on Facebook Tony Elion on Twitter Tony Elion on Instagram Personal Finance for Dummies

David Stein is the host of the Money For the Rest of Us podcast and the author of Money for the Rest of Us: 10 Questions to Master Successful Investing. David was an institutional investment advisor who managed money for endowments, foundations, and financial planners. Eventually, he knew that he wanted to branch out on his own, and he started Money For the Rest of Us.  According to David, his new book distills the financial information that he has been talking about for the last 20 years. He breaks the chapters down into 10 questions that we can ask to build a framework for investing. He says that we don’t have to be experts to invest, but having a plan and a framework to work through can help us ask the right questions to discover which investments are right for us.  He says that portfolios don’t have to be complicated and can be as simple as two or three funds. In this episode, David walks us through his 10 questions and shares insight and wisdom from his financial experience. He shares the difference between optimzing and diversify and why you can think of your portfolio as a flower garden with a diverse range of plants. He also gives his advice for people who are just starting out with investing and saving.    Highlights from This Episode  [00:44] David was an institutional investment advisor for about 17 years. He managed money for endowments, foundations, and financial planners. [01:02] When he was in his mid-forties, he realized he wanted to do something else. [01:16] He now works for himself and runs the Money for the Rest of Us Podcast where he teaches people about investing and how money works.  [01:58] David Stein is the author of the book Money for the Rest of Us: 10 Questions to Master Successful Investing where he has distilled everything he has been talking about for the last 20 years. [02:40] His book is geared towards individual investors to give them a sense of confidence. [03:13] David wants to help individual investors find a way to analyze all of their options. This book will help them decide how to make decisions around investing and what to invest in. [04:08] The book does include some tactics but those are to reinforce the strategic plan. [04:35] The book is structured with each chapter having a question to ask ourselves before we invest. Together these questions form an investment discipline. [05:45] Question 1 begins with what is it. If we can explain what we're investing in then it may not be the best option. [07:22] Question two asks whether it's investing, speculation, or gambling. Is there an income component? Will the return be positive or negative? Gambling has a negative expected return. We do it for entertainment value. [09:24] We should be spending money on things that help us figure out our purpose in life. When people leave the military they are often not sure what to do next. [11:18] Be aware of the return on your investment whether it's college or another investment. [12:54] The next two questions are what is the upside and the downside. Investments can be broken down into cash flow, how the cash flow is growing, and what are investors paying for that cash flow stream. [14:35] The downside is the maximum potential lost that could happen and what the impact of that would be. [15:30] Understanding how to measure risk helps us to make allocation decisions. [17:18] We've been in a 10-year bull market with stocks. Don't assume recent events are going to continue. [19:33] The next question is who's on the other side of the trade. Knowing who's selling something and why can be valuable information, because you'll know how motivated they are. [22:46] Trading is a zero-sum game and there's a loser for every winner. When you trade Forex or options you're competing against institutions. Those institutions know more about trading and the flow of the orders and the drivers of the market. [29:14] Question number seven is what does it take to be successful. In real estate, you need to separate the underlying expenses and cash flow. [31:00] Question eight is think about who's getting a cut of the return. A lot of the return can go to taxes. Recognize taxes and fees. Having to pay taxes does mean you've been a successful investor. [32:22] Question nine is how does it impact your portfolio. This comes down to asset allocation. Think of it as a flower garden that you want to diversify. You don't optimize your garden, you diversify it. [35:33] Question 10 is should you invest.  [37:24] Answering these questions will help you form an investing discipline. [37:34] David's book was endorsed by Annie Duke. We shouldn't beat ourselves up for the outcome of our decisions. [38:15] Professionals have a framework or checklist to guide them. [39:45] Thrift Savings Plans have the G fund which is a government bond fund. It has a higher yield than many bond funds. The price won't fall as interest rates rise. [40:42] You could invest in a TSP and then put your taxable money into an ETF or Index Fund. [41:37] Portfolios don't have to be complicated. Investing can be as simple as owning two or three funds.  [45:54] Start small with investing and about investing. You'll always be learning more. Set the discipline to start saving. Try to allocate 15 to 20% to savings.    Links and Resources Money For the Rest of Us Money for the Rest of Us: 10 Questions to Master Successful Investing David Stein on LinkedIn Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts  

College can be one of the most important choices that a young person makes. Yet, it’s getting more and more difficult to navigate the admissions process and all of the financial choices that come along with it. A large percentage of students don’t even know what they want to do or what their interests really are. Contributing to the issue is that high school counselors don’t have the time and resources to really help with an individualized plan for most students.  The answer to these issues are personalized college admissions consultants and we have two of them on the show today. Brooke Daly is one of the nation’s leading experts in college consulting. She is the immediate past president of the Higher Education Consultants Association and the owner of Advantage College Planning which she started in 2008. She is joined by Lindsey Ringenbach. Lindsey has extensive experience in college admissions starting her career at UNC Chapel Hill where she worked in undergraduate admissions.  Together they love to guide students and parents through the college admissions process and help ensure the student ends up attending a college that fits their personality and provides the experience they desire. In this episode they explain what a consultant does and how the selection and admissions process can be improved for kids and adults.    Highlights from This Episode  [01:30] Brooke started Advantage College Planning in 2008, after working for a nonprofit in the college planning process. She wanted to branch out on her own and start a business that would help families make this process less stressful and help them find affordable college solutions.  [02:09] Lindsey has a background in college admissions and college counseling. She's a former assistant director of admissions at UNC Chapel Hill. She's spent time at public and private schools and colleges.  [02:59] Brooke and Lindsey work with families in the planning process, and they take the budget and affordability into account. They don't want students to graduate with a lot of debt hanging over their heads. [04:08] The college fit is very important. It's a major problem when a student has debt and hasn't even graduated. [05:09] Look at the Higher Education Consultants Association or the Independent Education Consultants Association to see if your potential consultant is a member. [05:48] The match between a student and a consultant is very important. Different consultants have different strengths such as helping athletes find the right school. [07:27] A sweet spot to start working with students for the admissions process is in their freshman or sophomore year of high school. [08:04] Brooke and Lindsey do a variety of personality and aptitude assessments. [09:02] The application process and writing essays starts in the junior year. A great high school experience creates college opportunities and makes the high school years fulfilling. [11:21] Curriculum is one of the most important factors. Students should challenge themselves. Students should look for ways to stretch themselves by taking advanced courses, but not be overloaded.  [13:00] Taking a summer junior college class can also help. [14:08] Online classes can be a great fit for some students. It really depends on a student's readiness. [15:43] The first most important factor is rigor of curriculum and the second most important factor is grades. You want mostly A grades.  [18:08] Lindsey and Brooke also help students make academic goals. [18:44] Test scores round out the student profile. They help students understand what test to take and when and how to prepare for them. [21:32] Gap years are becoming more popular. The time should be used wisely.  [23:28] In North Carolina, credits from community colleges transfer over to the state universities. There may be more scholarship opportunities for state college freshman.  [25:17] Military affiliation could be taken into consideration. It really just depends. [28:14] A consultant can give you more personalized help compared to an overworked high school counselor. [29:29] Reach out to the admissions office of your college and see if they have staff that works with non-traditional students. [31:47] With extra curricular activities focus on depth of involvement as opposed to breadth. Be the kid with lots of angles instead of well-rounded. What was your involvement and contribution? [34:59] Learn how to be organized and manage the process. Have an email just for college.    Links and Resources Advantage College Planning Brooke Daly on LinkedIn Lindsey Ringenback on LinkedIn Higher Education Consultants Association Independent Education Consultants Association

According to today’s guest, unemployment for military spouses is six to seven times higher than it is for the general population. This makes sense considering that military families move frequently. Starting over and finding a new job can be a challenge. Today’s guest experienced this herself. Ashley Metesh-McCoy was raised in the military and was used to the moves. She also served for about ten years. In this time, she met her husband, and now she is a military spouse and a veteran.  After Ashley left the military she earned an MBA at George Washington University. She found a job working in corporate strategy for Carnival Cruise Lines. She also discovered that travel was a viable career option and the perfect fit for military spouses. After all, they travel frequently and the ability to work remotely would mean they wouldn’t have to switch jobs after every move. She had always wanted to be an entrepreneur and turned her idea into a business.  Ashley founded Kinship Vacations which is a travel design firm that helps people plan unique travel experiences. Ashley is the owner and lead travel advisor. She also found a way to help other military spouses. Within her business is a training component that teaches military spouses and veterans how to create long-term career opportunities in the travel industry in a portable business model. Her entire team consists of military spouses and veterans. In this episode, Ashley shares her business success and how she helps others do the same.  Highlights from Episode 24 [01:22] Ashley's step dad was an Army Ranger. She joined the Washington National Guard to help with college expenses. She then started school at the University of Washington. She drilled as a guardsman and got an ROTC scholarship.  [03:10] After graduating, she was commissioned as an officer in the National Guard. [03:25] She was then deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 to 2007, and that's where she met her husband.  [03:49] They've been married now for almost 12 years.  [04:03] She got out of the military in 2011 and got her MBA. Her husband also got his master's at the same time.  [04:35] They then moved to Florida. Ashley had a baby and her first post-military job was working for Carnival Cruise Lines in competitive intelligence.  [05:26] Ashley always wanted her own business. The next time the family had to move, she decided to start her own travel agency. In the process, she learned that this would be a cool opportunity for military spouses. [06:07] Military spouses want to work and for most families a dual-income is necessary. [06:33] Military spouses move all the time and live in really cool places, so they have a really great travel knowledge and need portable careers. [06:41] Ashley started a program for military spouses and veterans which trains them on how to start their own home-based travel agencies. [06:52] The program has been going for about a year-and-a-half now, and she has seven sub-contracted travel agents working with her and one administrative person.  [07:55] She won an ASTA Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Her competition included people who had been on Shark Tank.  [11:25] Coming from a military background with all the challenges that we face makes us very entrepreneurial. [12:57] Ashley uses Zoom to stay in contact with her virtual team that's all over the world. They also have a private Facebook group and use Trello. [14:57] To avoid isolation when working at home, it's crucial to align yourself with some type of community. [17:58] Having a remote business had been a life changer for Ashley and the people she works with. The flexibility is great.  [23:16] The challenge of finding jobs for military spouses is finally getting the attention it needs. Ashley is working on a grass roots level. [24:11] The Kinship training program has three components. The training portion is virtual module based training. The second component is structured mentorship. The third part is Ashley's proprietary system. [26:08] Her program is designed so that someone who has never worked in the travel industry but has a passion for it can step into the job. The program is a year-long, but it's technically at your own pace. [28:19] Everyone in Ashley's program is a military spouse and some are also veterans. [28:50] Industry familiarization trips or research travel is a tax write-off for travel agents. [29:17] Agents are also offered discounts and even free trips. Ashley has been to Slovenia twice in the last two years. [30:38] Find something that brings you joy that you can monetize. Align yourself with a supportive community.   Links and Resources Kinship Vacations Ashley Metesh-McCoy on LinkedIn Ashley@KinshipVacations.com Kinship Vacations on Twitter Kinship Vacations on Instagram Kinship Vacations on Facebook American Society of Travel Advisors Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle Zoom Trello Hiring Our Heroes

The sooner you start getting informed about your finances and actively planning your earning, spending and investing the more wealth you can accumulate. I have Michelle Waymire on the show today. Michelle is a Certified Financial Planner and the creator of Young & Scrappy a specialty practice geared towards investing for younger people. She is also the host of the Young & Scrappy Money podcast a weekly podcast featuring tips and tricks to take control of your finances.  Michelle takes a unique approach to many financial practices. She shares what a money squad is and how valuable it is to have a group of experts to help with decisions, especially for people who move frequently like military families. Michelle shares how she feels about real estate investing within a self-directed IRA and the importance of diversity. We also talk about things to ask before becoming a landlord. She shares her technique to make budgeting and keeping spending under control effortless. We also talk about a sinking fund, financial freedom, and Michelle gives her one best piece of advice that really applies to everyone.    Highlights from Episode 23 [01:06] Michelle lives in the suburbs of Atlanta which creates more room for her dogs.  [02:04] A money squad are the people in your life that help you keep your finances together. These are people like your CPA, bookkeeper,  estate planning attorney, financial adviser, financial planner, and anyone else who is a good financial influence. [03:17] Having a money squad is important for military people, especially when they move around a lot.  [05:29] Having a rental property depends on your personality, goals, and finding help for the management. It also depends on where you live and possibility for positive cash flow.  [08:32] Michelle doesn't recommend using IRAs to invest in real estate. It can be tricky and have tax consequences. There are ETFs and REITs for investing in real estate with diversification.  [12:16] For Michelle, budgeting is a time to build an aspirational spreadsheet. She tracks what's coming in, predictable expenses, savings goals, and what's left over to spend. She decides in advance how much to spend on the fun stuff based on what is spent on the necessary stuff.  [13:42] She divides her overall spending bucket into a weekly amount and gives herself an old school weekly allowance.  [14:28] She puts her spending money in a separate checking account, so she always knows how much she can spend without having to do any work. [16:22] Michelle's family has semi-combined expenses. It's a separate joint bank account where they each pay the same amount on the first of the month. Shared expenses come from this account.  [17:20] You have complete freedom when creating a joint or separate system with a partner or spouse. Find out how much you want to combine and if you are both on the same page.  [18:57] There's usually a savings component to your budget. Have an area to pull money from if you go over your budget.  [20:30] Consistent overspending is a good opportunity to take a look at your budget and see if it's realistic. [21:21] A sinking fund is for large and unpredictable recurring expenses. List what's problematic and how much it costs. Divide that money by 12 and transfer it into a savings account.  [23:16] Start with a $1000 emergency fund. A full emergency fund is anywhere from 3 to 6 months expenses.  [26:05] Financial freedom equates to choice and having the options to do what you want in this world.  [27:52] People with heavy student debt need to know that they aren't alone. Don't hide from it. There are options, but you need to do your homework.  [29:29] You can get information about your private student loan on your credit report.  [30:30] Michelle's one best piece of advice is to not ignore your finances. Don’t wait.    Links and Resources   Young & Scrappy The Young & Scrappy Money Podcast MIchelle Waymire on Twitter Michelle Waymire on Facebook Michelle Waymire on LinkedIn National Student Loan Data System Annual Credit Report Repayment Estimator

Rob Berger is a personal finance expert, Forbes Deputy Editor, and author who is here today to talk about his new book and give us solid advice about finances and retirement. Rob practiced law for 25 years but instead of living the big law firm lifestyle, he wanted to focus on getting out of debt and financial freedom. He started a personal finance blog in 2007 along with a subsequent podcast. He was able to sell both and retire from his law career.  After years of running a finance blog and podcast, he learned a few things about personal finance and retirement. He has a new book out called Retire Before Mom and Dad: The Simple Numbers Behind A Lifetime of Financial Freedom. He also writes about finance for Forbes. Rob shares proven methods for building wealth. He shares methods to start small with changes that won’t even affect your life and then move on to bigger things like changing the way you think about money.  He is an out of the box thinking who gives a series of questions that you can ask yourself about your financial situation. He isn’t a fan of hard and fast rules of thumb, because everyone’s situation is different. It’s his goal to help people build financial freedom no matter what stage they are at. We talk about the power of compounding and the value of time, budgeting, tools, money audits, and more powerful ways to transform your financial future.  Highlights from Episode 22 [01:08] Rob is married. He has two kids. He lives in Northern Virginia, and he practiced law for 25 years. [01:13] He didn't want the big law firm lifestyle. He created goals on being out of debt and achieving financial freedom.  [01:28] This led to his blog in 2007 and then his podcast. He sold both of these, and they allowed him to retire from the practice of law.  [01:37] He now works for Forbes and began writing his book.  [02:04] His goal is to help people achieve financial freedom in a relatively short period of time. His book is called Retire Before Mom and Dad: The Simple Numbers Behind A Lifetime of Financial Freedom. [02:35] The book is for everyone.  [02:53] The more you save, your level of freedom begins to grow.  [03:40] He calls the ultimate freedom being able to achieve 25X your annual expenses.  [04:26] Many people pursue passions after retiring.  [05:56] Financial freedom is about how much you have in relation to your expenses. Lowering your expenses makes achieving financial freedom easier. [06:34] Break your finances down to attainable steps. Rob has seven levels to help measure progress. [07:34] Everyone should track their net worth over time. Assets-Liabilities=Net Worth [08:32] YNAB is great for budgeting and tracking your spending.   [11:17] Everything in your budget affects your net worth.  [12:21] Don't follow a blanket rule of thumb. Don't give up an employer match. Prioritize and work on multiple goals at once.  [14:15] The most powerful tool we all have is compounding. Part of the equation is time. The sooner you start saving, the sooner the compounding kicks in.  [16:26] Think about car cost in opportunity costs. A car can be the difference between a comfortable retirement and living paycheck to paycheck. Hold on to your cars longer.  [20:10] Defined benefit plans are part of your compensation. They force us to save for retirement.  [22:03] The downside is that we have no control and can't leave it to our children.  [24:25] Thrift Savings Plans or TSPs are some of the best savings plans. Small differences over time matter. Fees need to be understood. TSPs are virtually free. This can translate into money into your pocket.  [30:16] Conduct a money audit and find ways to save money without changing the way you live. Map out all of your expenses. Is there anything you can cancel? Is there anything you can change to a lower cost? Then comparison shop for whatever is left.  [33:05] Automated savings is the way to go. Wealth is produced over time. Repeat your money audit every year. [38:37] Use what if questions to see what you can cut or if there is anything that you can change or stop for awhile.  [41:59] There are families making the same amount of money with lives that look similar, yet one is living paycheck to paycheck and the other is a millionaire.  [43:50] Rob is a fan of index funds at Vanguard or one of the other low cost brokers. You could do a three fund portfolio with US stocks, International stocks, and bonds.  [46:46] When just starting out nail down your net worth and budget. Find the percentage you are saving and work through the money audit and some what if experiments.  [47:29] Know your expense ratio. Put the ticker in Morningstar and find your expense ratio. You shouldn't be above 10 or 20 basis points.    Links and Resources Retire Before Mom and Dad Retire Before Mom and Dad: The Simple Numbers Behind A Lifetime of Financial Freedom Rob@RetireBeforeMomandDad.com Rob Berger on Forbes Rob Berger on LinkedIn Rob Berger on Twitter Robert Berger on Facebook Mint YNAB Tiller Morningstar

Treveal C.W. Lynch is a certified personal trainer, ordained minister, mentor, motivational speaker and author. He is the founder of iamthepossible®, a company built on the philosophy that “everything you hope to be tomorrow, you already are today.” He is committed to inspiring audiences to see their value and self-worth inside of their true selves. His new book is WHAT Is Enough: How to Lighten Your Load and Find What Makes You Happy.  He is passionate about helping other people to see their true value not the labels society or others have put on them. In this conversation, he shares his wisdom and his journey to finding his true self and value. He is humble yet exudes a quiet confidence. He wasn’t always this way, though. He grew up without a dad and had a mother with addiction problems. He was that kid in the neighborhood who always got picked on, and it really began to erode his self-esteem.  Through the love of his grandmother and his own self awareness, he had an aha moment that changed his journey from one of self doubt and low self-worth to one of growth and true happiness. He is now on a journey to help others do the same, and we are lucky enough to have him on the show today to tell his story and share his life philosophy.  Highlights from Episode 18 [00:47] Treveal is a self-worth specialist and speaker. He's a pastor and an author who understands the pain and tribulations of growing up in an environment that was conducive to tearing down his self-value.  [01:25] When he was seven or eight, he put on weight and was known as the fat kid. He also didn't have a father in his home. His mom was on drugs and alcohol. [01:44] He also was bullied because of his mother's lifestyle choices. [01:57] Then he started stuttering when he was around 11 or 12. [02:25] He was picked on in his neighborhood, and he thought of himself as worthless. [03:06] He had low self-esteem and was smoking a lot of pot in college and not taking it seriously. His grandmother gave him an ultimatum.  [03:21] He chose the latter choice and was kicked out of his grandmother's house and started staying where he could for the next two years. He was sleeping on a cockroach laden floor with his shirt for a pillow.  [04:01] When he was 19, he purchased an ounce of pot for $120. It was a robbery set up. His life or his weed. For $120 bag of weed he was willing to risk his life. This was the beginning of the turning point for him.  [07:11] Treveal's company is founded on the philosophy that the greatest form of self development is self-discovery. [07:27] Self-observation was the beginning of his awakening and the revelation of his own self-value. [08:52] Being told a teacher sparked something within in. This began an 18 year journey of the power of self discovery.  [09:44] Once we discover our center of value we also discover our center of confidence. [10:33] Treveal is the author of WHAT Is Enough. This is a question that answers itself. A lot of us live in a deflated image of ourselves. If we can only do enough or work hard enough we will be enough.  [11:50] He shares his life journey and what he discovered through observation.  [13:15] There's a lot of roles in the military. How one feels about themselves shouldn't be dependent on your office or rank. Humanity should be looked at as equal. Don't invest too much in your name plate or rank.  [17:09] The number one thing that surprised him about writing a book is how much we can idolize other people. [17:53] Treveal wakes up humbled and privileged every morning. It's a daily process to love and care for yourself.  [19:54] We need to realize that we are a success to be a success. You are the source of your greatest confidence. We need to be able to self inspire.  [21:34] Working from your worth makes you a slam dunk success.  [22:23] Define what you really desire. Making more money doesn't make you happy. You want to be satisfied in and of yourself. Happiness is within it's not goals.  [25:06] Three of the six human needs are significance, love, and certainty. Being retired gives you an opportunity to get in tune with other areas of your life.  [27:11] Get involved in something where you again can experience significance, love, and certainty.  [28:57] Ask what you can be to satisfy your needs. Discover what you are and what you are born as.  [31:03] We can diagnose personal prerequisites by taking some time out each day and looking at ourselves and observing patterns.  [32:36] Ask why you want what you want. Don't postpone your joy to obtain what you don't want.  [36:40] Quiet yourself and begin to take note on what you do well. [38:12] You are enough is the most important thing that you can take away. Don't compare your life to other people.  [39:46] Don't let outer things define your value.    Links and Resources I Am the Possible WHAT Is Enough: How to Lighten Your Load and Find What Makes You Happy Treveal C.W. Lynch on Facebook Treveal C. W. Lynch on Instagram Treveal C. W. Lynch on Twitter Tony Robbins

People talk about paying off their debt, but many people are stuck and have that sinking feeling that it will never get paid off. Today's inspiring story features Denis O'Brien and Katie Welsh who paid off over $200,000 in debt. Katie knew that she was in trouble with all of her debt, she just didn’t know how much until Denis compiled a spreadsheet of all of her debt. She had a cry and then made an action plan.   Her plan included selling things, going back to work, and having a side hustle. We also talk about tackling student loans. She was able to get $5,000 of her debt forgiven. Katie also paid $3,000 a month on her student loans when her teacher salary was less than that. That's the power of having a side hustle. Denis and Katie recently got married. They share how they made a plan to have a debt free start and how paying off debt can actually become addictive.    Highlights from Episode 18 [01:15] Katie and Denis got married in July. Katie had a ton of debt, and it had never occurred to her to take a good hard look at it.  [02:04] Katie moved from Florida to be with Denis, but all of her bills from Florida followed her.  [02:44] Katie was a teacher and when she moved in with Denis, she didn't have a job. As the bills were coming in, he started asking her questions that she didn't have an answer to.  [02:58] Denis decided to help Katie and used a spreadsheet to add up her bills which totaled $200,000. [03:28] Half of her debt was her house in Florida. She had a car payment and a student loan.  [04:14] Denis had created a step-by-step plan where she could be debt free in three years.  [04:40] She was able to sell the house. The car had negative equity. She was able to put the money from the house towards the car.  [05:34] She was paying almost $700 a month for a Honda.  [06:24] She originally had $30,000 in student loans that had become $42,000. With deferment and minimum payments, it wouldn't be paid off until she was 60 years old. She had another $40,000 in interest to pay with her current plan. [07:02] Denis said he would cover living expenses and her job was to get out of debt. [07:22] She was for teacher loan forgiveness. She taught for five years in a low income school and $5,000 of her debt was forgiven.  [09:06] You have to follow the rules perfectly with these programs. One mistake and you're hitting reset.  [09:58] They looked for low hanging fruit to knock down the debt as quickly as possible.  [10:24] Selling the house and making the biggest payments where it would make sense. Any spare money left over goes towards debt. They also saved up to pay for their wedding in cash.  [12:02] The more Katie paid, the more motivated she became.  [13:30] Katie started looking for ways to make an extra $1,000 a month. When you work all the time, you're too busy to spend money. [17:17] Realizing the value and future value is critically important.  [18:13] Katie was a waitress during the day. They also rented a room in their home through Airbnb.  [22:56] Katie is also a VA for an author. She tutors twice a week. She used to get paid to charge Bird scooters.  [24:18] Scott makes extra money being a soccer referee, and he and his wife used to mystery shop movies.  [25:35] Side hustles help them bring in an extra 20% of savings.  [28:29] Denis received a bonus that helped them make their goal early. [30:13] They would do some things for themselves when they would reach a goal.  [31:33] It's a challenge deciding what to do with your money. It helps to figure out what is important to you and when you want to reach your goals.  [33:40] Having a significant down payment eliminates PMI. Having a paid off home allows you to put more towards retirement. Everything is related. Strategize about what's important to you. [35:13] Denis did a lot of number crunching with Excel. He's an Excel ninja and an accountant.  [36:57] They are huge fans of setting goals, writing goals down, and accomplishing goals. [39:09] Katie's mom sent her care packages to help Katie not be tempted to spend. She was super supportive. [40:02] Having their podcast and being open about their goals was another way to stay accountable.  [43:41] Taking on more debt is a big decision, but there are times when it is necessary.  [45:13] When spending, you have to weigh your values and find what is important to you. [47:13] Common pitfalls happen. Life doesn't stop. Things happen. Have an emergency fund for costs that aren't foreseen.  [48:35] Watch out for extra interest with deferred payments.  [50:44] To get out of debt, get started. The first step is the hardest.    Links and Resources Chain of Wealth Chain of Wealth Podcast Chain of Wealth on Facebook Chain of Wealth on Twitter Chain of Wealth on Instagram info@ChainofWealth.com Airbnb Bird Robinhood Mint Tiller 

Early retirement is one of those things that many people dream about and some do. My guest today is Tanja Hester. Tanja and her husband Mark Bunge were able to retire from formal employment when she was 38, and he was 41. Tanja is now able to devote her life to fun and purpose. She is the author of Work Optional: Retire Early the Non-Penny-Pinching Way. Tanja and Mark have an award-winning financial independence blog called Our Next Life. Tanja also podcasts on The Fairer Cents Podcast with her friend Kara Perez where they explore marginalized and tricky financial topics.  Her new found freedom also allows her to focus on interests like gathering women together to talk about financial independence at Cents Positive retreats and volunteering in her community. She’s also able to indulge her love of traveling the world, and enjoy sports like skiing, hiking, biking, paddling, and climbing around her home in North Lake Tahoe, California. She is basically living the dream. On today’s show, we talk about how she and her husband tracked their progress and timed their leaving work and how they downsized their lifestyle to retire early.  Tanja has researched and explored every aspect of early retirement from the best strategies for saving to redefining your identity without a career. She applies those lessons every day in her work-optional life. She has a regular column on MarketWatch. She’s spoken at Google, Tesla and at conferences around the U.S. She has been featured in the New York Times, TIME, MONEY Magazine, Vice Media, Yahoo! Finance, Forbes, LifeHacker, Bloomberg, Buzzfeed, and media outlets around the world. If you want to learn how Tanja was able to retire early and make it work, this episode is for you.    Highlights from Episode 18 [02:11] Tanja retired early at 38. [02:20] Tanja's definition of retired probably most closely matches the military definition of retired.  [02:40] She feels that things like being able to podcast and write are a privilege, because they don't feel like work. [03:01] When approached with projects, she's more concerned with the fun aspect as opposed to how much it may pay.  [05:01] Every six month period of Tanja's retirement has been different.  [05:31] Tanja was 38, and her husband was 41 when they both retired. Looking back, they would probably have gone a little slower and not been so aggressive with their savings goals and said yes to more things.  [06:18] If they could do it over again, they would have taken more vacation and rested more.  [06:58] They both started out at entry level pay, but they were making six figures before retirement. At the end, they were saving quickly.  [08:01] A micro retirement is more of a career intermission where you take a year or two off. You could also use it as a bridge to a new career.  [09:40] Tanja saw her dad retire with a genetic disability when he was 42. She didn’t want to be powerless and forced into retirement. She wanted to travel, hike and have fun.  [12:01] She developed her love of travel as a kid.  [14:44] Tanja and her husband were die hard index fund investors. They have tax advantaged funds that they can't access until later and then regular investment accounts that they can access.  [18:04] Solid investors have to think about downturns. Good investors need to be mentally tough or not look at things and get emotions involved.  [20:04] The worst thing would be to retire and not have a cushion.  [22:35] They have insurance on the exchange and pay $1000.00 a month.  [24:58] If you want to look into retiring early, track three months of spending and see where your money is going. Then get very clear about what you want to spend. Set up automated saving and investing.  [29:43] When you are watching your savings grow, it's a lot easier to avoid that impulse buy.  [30:43] If you know you're going to retire, think about what you want to do in advance and where you get your identity and community.  [33:28] She’s found ways to do public speaking without having to have a job.  [33:51] Tanja has learned that podcasting takes more time than anyone thinks. She also found that writing her book was more enjoyable than she thought it would be.  [35:35] She's a Top Gun fan!   Links and Resources Work Optional: Retire Early the Non-Penny-Pinching Way Our Next Life ADVENTURES in Early Retirement The Fairer Cents Tanja Hester on Twitter Tanja Hester on Facebook Tanja Hester on Instagram

  Welcome to Sheepdog Financial, episode 18. Scott is here with Deb Meyer. Deb is the author of the recently released book Redefining Family Wealth. As a financial advisor, she realized that most everyone she talked to was having the same economic issues. She felt the need to write a book to be able to reach people on a broader level so she could help more people no matter what stage of life they are in. Her passion is teaching people to reconcile the tension between living true to your values and living in a consumeristic society.   Deb speaks about bringing your unique gifts to the world and doing it in a way that impacts your community. Figuring out your particular values and matching those values with some long-term goals and visions for your family. The first step is to find your why, without knowing that, it’s hard to set the small goals that will get you to.   When your child asks you to buy them something, is your typical response, “we don’t have the money for that”? Listen as Deb gives us examples of how to make that a teaching moment that will follow them as they get older. You might think that it won’t matter. They don’t understand, but children absorb so much that you don’t even realize, and what you say now will influence how they handle situations in the future.   Are you ready for retirement? As we age, we all wonder when will be the best time to retire. Deb talks about retirement age being relative, working if we don’t have enough saved, and how to help the community if we need to stay busy.    If you are planning to retire or want to find out how to have fun while you are still working, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. Sit back, relax, and listen in as Deb gives us the rundown planning your financial future. Highlights from Episode 18   [00:59] Welcome to the show, Deb! [01:09] Deb tells us what inspired her to write the book. [02:54] She discusses how she stayed focused and finished the book. [04:13] Why did you go to Spain on vacation? Had you been there before? [05:51] Deb defines family wealth as how to bring your unique gifts to the world and do it in a way that impacts your community. [06:49] Matching your money with your value, putting family before work. [07:42] Figuring out what your particular values are and matching those values with some longer-term goals and vision for the family. [08:01] The first step in financial planning is figuring out your goals, and when you want to retire.  [09:54] How are you preparing your children for financial success as they get older. [12:42] Deb discusses how kids absorb so much of what they hear, so be mindful of what you say in front of them. [13:53] How do you help people who are thinking about retirement? What do you recommend? [16:17] Scott and Deb talk about different jobs they have seen seniors take to enhance their money and to keep them busy. [18:18] They discuss taking a sabbatical before retirement, when changing jobs or just because you want to. [21:09] What do you think the financial mindset of people is today? Are we moving in the right direction? [24:39] Charitable giving can be supported by financial gifts or by volunteering. Still, there are strategies that you might want to talk to an advisor about. [28:42] Why do you think it is essential to have a financial advisor? [32:06] Deb’s final advice is to stick with it, and celebrate your success as you journey through this and find more purposeful living, recognize times that you are making progress. Links and Resources   Deb Meyer Email WorthyNest Redefining Family Wealth @redefiningfamilywealth Facebook | Instagram 

Sheepdog Financial is happy to welcome Karen Wickre to the show. Karen is an editor, curator, content strategist, and connector of people and ideas. She was an editorial director at Twitter, until age 65 when she decided to leave to reinvent herself as a writer and consultant. Her love of communication has carried her for over thirty years in the technology business as a writer, editor, and communications professional. Karen wrote a book called “Taking the Work Out of Networking: An Introvert’s Guide to Making Connections Count.” It shares her tips and strategies on how to manage the transition from corporate to what comes next. She is a true introvert and would rather be connecting with people from her laptop than working a room at a conference. Karen discusses being an introvert and how that doesn’t mean she is shy; it just means she needs a quiet place to process and regroup. She says that introverts have three superpowers, the ability to listen, the power of observation, and the ability to be curious and open. Having these three skills is necessary when you are trying to connect with new people. She speaks about networking, in essence, being a one to one experience, whether you use social media or private messaging. Karen tells us that keeping in touch with people is as simple as taking ten minutes a day to send out a quick email or short private message to people you want to connect too. Listen in as Karen gives us tips and tricks to networking when to do it, how to do it, and why to do it. You don’t need thousands of followers. You need some quality contacts that will be there for you when you need them to be, and remember not everyone you meet needs to be in your network. If the word networking stresses you out, this is the episode for you so plugin and get ready to relax. Highlights from Episode 17 [01:14] Welcome to the show, Karen! [01:41] Karen speaks about networking, what it is, and why it is a necessary evil. [04:44] A good definition of networking is making connections that count. [06:00] How do you fit continuous networking into our daily lives? [07:30] Connect with people you genuinely get a good feeling from or have a connection with. [08:02] Have a specific question or area of focus, so you will know who you need to connect with. [09:04] Karen says in her experience, people are flattered and like to help when asked. [10:01] She talks about the power of introverts and their three superpowers.  [11:31] Being able to listen is the first superpower. [12:15] The power of observation is the second. [13:09] Being curious and open is the third. [14:22] What do you hate so much about networking? [16:29] A quick email or private message is a great way to stay in loose touch with people. [19:12] Karen chats about taking the first ten minutes of your day, sending out messages. [21:44] Do you use some kind of when you are networking? [24:38] Karen says that you don’t have to have thousands of followers, it’s about the quality of contacts more than quantity. [25:43] The most common networking mistakes she sees are people fixating on your numbers and remember that not everyone you meet has to be in your network. [26:28] From your book, what would you like listeners to pay attention to? [27:27] What is your favorite military?  [28:35] Thank you for coming on the show!   Links and Resources Karen Wickre Taking the Work Out of Networking: An Introvert’s Guide to Making Connections Count.” Karen@kvox Twitter | Instagram Karen@karenwickre Facebook

Welcome to Sheepdog Financial with your host Scott Vance. In this episode, Scott is speaking with Sara Bliss. Sara is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, brand advisor, and Forbes contributor. She has written 11 books, including Take the Leap: Change Your Career, Change Your Life, which profiles over 60 people who radically changed their careers. Are you on the edge of a change in your career? Listen in as Sara talks about the stories and people she interviewed who have taken the leap of faith and changed from the job that paid the bills to the career they love. She said almost all of the people she interviewed are making more money and are doing what makes them happy. Sara tells us stories about military veterans who started new lives outside of the military. One such individual started his own company and is helping other veterans find jobs. She speaks to us about a skills translator tool on www.military.com that can actually match military skills with civilian careers to make job hunting that much easier.  Is your identity tied to your job? She found in her research that this is common. Once people leave a career, they don’t know who they are anymore. She recommends having outside interests so that you have something else to focus on besides work. If you are thinking about changing your career, this is the episode for you. Listen in as Sara talks about finding what you love and being open to the possibilities and opportunities that come your way. Take a leap and make it happen.   Highlights from Episode 16 [01:09] Sara, welcome to the show! [01:17] Sara discusses her book and why she wrote it. [02:26] She noticed that people who love what they do have financial success and are definitely happier. [04:08] People who take a leap and change careers tend to find a position that they love. [04:58] Out of everyone you interviewed who had the most significant change in their career? Can you tell us the story? [08:49] Sara talks about a military veteran, Judson Kauffman, who started his own company when he got out of the military and how he has helped other veterans find jobs. [10:18] They discuss that military veterans have so much experience that they can translate into jobs. [12:19] Sara speaks to us about a skills translator tool on www.military.com. [13:09] There are a lot of reasons for taking the leap and changing careers. Are you thinking about it? [14:35] The tech world seems to have jobs that are booming, so if your career is shifting or sinking, you might want to look into coding. [16:01] They chat about people changing jobs to match their values. [17:45] Is your identity tied to your job? Do you have other interests? [20:20] When asked, 60% of millennials said they would be changing careers in the next year.  [23:35] Sara believes everyone needs to have some coding experience. Educate yourself to make yourself relevant. [25:25] She tells us about growing up around Asia and getting into travel writing so she can travel. [27:34] What surprised you most when writing your book? What was your biggest struggle when writing the book? [29:39] Being open to possibilities you didn’t expect is one piece of advice Sara wants the listeners to take away from this conversation. [30:25] What is your favorite military movie? [31:04] They discuss Gary Sinise and how he is the perfect example of changing careers and doing something you love. [32:34] Sara does a shoutout to this podcast and how needed it is. [32:59] Sara, how can we find you?   Links and Resources Sara Bliss Take the Leap by Sara Bliss Goodreads Giveaway Sara Bliss on Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram

Scott has Benefsheh Verell on the show today. She is a military spouse, mom, author, and just recently retired from the Army herself. She practices yoga, meditation, and advocates that the Army teaches meditation and mindfulness practices in basic training. She believes this would help prepare soldiers for the stress of the military, family life, and the trauma they may face. She is a member of the board of directors for 'Warriors at Ease,' an organization founded to bring the power of yoga and meditation to military communities around the world. Benef believes that if soldiers are taught mental training along with physical exercise, they might be able to handle the stress, they endure a little bit better. Meditation teaches focus and allows the mind to be in the moment. This is a conversation about taking care of the mind as well as the body. It's about learning to live in the moment and increasing your quality of life. Benef was in the military for 20 years. She has been there and felt the stress and loneliness. She found a way of coping and has made it her mission to teach others to endure. Highlights from Episode 15 [01:13] Welcome to the show, Benef! [01:26] They discuss her book and what prompted her to write it. [02:52] Benef says she set out to write a book on mindful travel, but her course took her a different direction. [03:28] She says she can't control outside actions, but she can control her reactions. [05:24] Benef tells us a story about traffic in DC and how angry she got at someone that cut her off. [07:21] Do you know how to practice meditation and mindfulness? Benef explains it for us. [10:55] She believes that mindfulness needs to be taught in basic training to give mental discipline along with the physical. [13:02] Listen to find out if meditation and mindfulness can help with it. [15:02] Benef discusses putting in a meditation requirement during PT, maybe while stretching. [17:05] If you see someone do something, does it make it easier for you to support it? [19:04] She talks about ways to make things fun. [20:55] She speaks to us about the transition from active duty to retired and how difficult it was. [25:44] She discusses Warriors at Ease the program that she participates in which provides meditation and yoga for military personnel. [27:36] They train yoga instructors to bring yoga and meditation practices to military populations around the world. [29:26] Benef's program works with the DOD to train them in meditation. [29:54] She chats about being at West Point, worrying about her kids while she was working and thinking about work while she was at home. [32:00] Have you ever gone to a yoga retreat? What did you learn? [34:01] Learning to be in the moment increased her quality of life 100%. [34:26] Benef's final thoughts and advice. Links and Resources Benef@militaryandmindful.com Military and Mindful by Benefsheh Verell Warriors at Ease Benef@BenefVerell Twitter | Instagram  

Welcome to Sheepdog Financial episode 14. Scott is here with Laura Coleman, an Accredited Financial Counselor with 19 years of experience in the financial industry. Family Money Coaching is her private practice focused on the economic issues military couples face when going through the fertility and adoption process. She has made it her mission to help couples find the money and understand the financial and implications of adoption and fertility. Laura knows the financial strain it can put on a family because she has been there. She created an adoption financial planner that helps you understand what to do and what to save for when it comes to bringing a child home. Laura believes that being prepared can help take the stress and fear out of adoption so you can focus on what is necessary, the child. Listen in as Laura gives us tips on keeping proof of what you spend for taxes when going through fertility treatments, or adoption, and what questions to ask your CPA. She also speaks to us about protecting your child's credit, the downfalls of borrowing the money you need for fertility treatments and ideas for fundraisers. If you are thinking about fertility treatments or maybe adopting a child, you will want to listen to this episode. The information Laura has given us is a must-hear and might save you some major financial issues on the road ahead.    Highlights from Episode 14 [01:01] Welcome to the show, Laura! [01:07] Laura talks to us about their struggles with fertility, adoption, and the financial burden of both. [04:08] Her wish of being a mom and having 3 three children before her 40th birthday became a reality through adoption. [05:14] Using her financial knowledge and first-hand experience with fertility and adoption to a podcast 'Fertility, Adoption, and Money Podcast' to help couples prepare financially for adoption. [05:59] She discusses getting her Accreditation to be a Financial Counselor. [07:59] What is the process for adoption? What if you get deployed? [09:20] If you are outside of the United States, there are things you must do to bring an adopted child home. [09:36] When you are living in the United States, you need an ICPC to get permission to take an adopted child across state lines. [11:12] Laura created an adoption financial planner to make sure you have set up an accurate budget. [11:43] Did you know that there are military discounts to get travel discounts for flights and? [12:49] Laura speaks to us about the different ways you can adopt without breaking the bank. [14:18] She brakes the myth about fostering while in the military. [15:48] Does moving all the time with the military, being away from extended does that weight negatively when trying to adopt? [16:55] Laura talks about making her network of people once they moved to Tennesee. [19:03] They chat about the cost of fertility and creating multiple streams of income to fund the full IFV cycle. [21:01] She has a list of grants that can help with IFV and adoption.  [21:15] If you are an eligible service member, there is a program called the Compassionate Care that can save you up to 50%. [22:54] Keep all of the receipts for everything you spend, you will want them at tax time. [24:14] What questions do you need to ask your CPA when you are filing your taxes? [26:48] Laura recommends doing a year-end tax review, tax planning. [29:18] When adopting, how do you protect the child's credit? Identity? [31:16] When borrowing money to pay for fertility or adoption, make sure you can afford to pay it back. [33:55] She gives us some ideas for fundraisers like renting out your house with Airbnb. [35:08] What kind of long term planning do you need with adopted children? Is it the same as with other children? [37:41] She talks about the insecurities that can come from having a relationship with a child's birth family. [38:45] Laura gives us her final piece of advice.   Links and Resources Family Money Coaching Fertility and Adoption Grants Adoption and Fertility Grant Success Course Family Money Coaching Podcast Laura@familymoneycoaching Facebook | Instagram 

Todd Gangl served in the United States Air Force Reserve both in the enlisted ranks (1986 to 1990) and as a chaplain (1995 until 2000). He met his wife Tammy Wheeles at a small church in Huntsville, Alabama in 2003. Following a short courtship, they were married on Valentine’s Day 2004 combining six, full-time children into one large stepfamily! After seeking the Lord for His direction and with the full backing of their children, they created Joseph Stepfamily Ministries and began offering the “StepFamily 411” Seminars to local churches. These unique seminars featured their entire stepfamily including Todd and Tammy as well as five of their six children, speaking about real blended family issues and sharing practical ideas on how to make blending work. Recently, Todd, Tammy, and their now grown children published their second book, an 8-week stepfamily small group curriculum entitled, Real Stepswhich provides practical tips, Biblical wisdom, and unique insight from real step parents and their step kids on overcoming everyday blended family challenges. Todd also wrote a short summary of the unique stressors facing military stepfamilies which was published in Ron Deal’s “Participant’s Guide” for The Smart Stepfamily as well as several on-line and in-print articles on the “how to’s” of blending a family. In 2015, Todd and Tammy joined Cru Military (Campus Crusade for Christ – Military) as associate staff to launch Cru Military Stepfamily. This new stepfamily outreach, in cooperation with Ron Deal and FamilyLife Blended, combines the Gangl’s practical tips, Biblical wisdom, and their kids’ unique insights wrapped in Todd’s military experiences. Their new seminar “StepFamily Bootcamp” helps military stepfamilies thrive at life inside the 3D’s: lengthy Deployments, Distance parenting, and the rigid Demands of military life! Cru Military Stepfamily will now bring real help for everyday military stepfamily life to military stepfamilies, chaplains, and local churches who support military members! For more information or to find out what it would take to bring “StepFamily Bootcamp” to your church or chapel, please contact Todd Gangl at Todd.Gangl@CruMilitary.org. www.themilitaryreadystepfamily.com www.cru.org    

Are you freaking out about how you're going to pay for your kid to go to college?  This episode for is for you, we interview Nannette Kamien the author of “Crazy College Money”.  Nannette created Inspiration Financial Planning in 2015 after seeing how hard it was to find affordable, objective, financial advice tailored to her peers and colleagues. She was frustrated with the traditional wealth management industry where only those who were already wealthy could receive unbiased advice billed based on the size of their investment portfolio.   This drove her to write the book “Crazy College Money”.  With all the news about the student loan crisis, college admissions scandals, and ever-rising college costs, it's easy to get caught up in the crazy that is the college admissions process. Nannette starts with the root of all this crazy - the emotions and experiences of you, the parents. She believes paying for college is as much (if not more) an emotional decision as a financial one.  Based on her work with families of college-bound kids, she shares her process and expertise to help you make smart money decisions, instead of crazy ones.  You’ll stop wishing for the Financial Aid Fairy to arrive and stop using hope as a strategy to pay for college and learn to rely on yourself and become a smart consumer of a college education, without going crazy.  She can be reached at her website:  www.crazycollegemoney.com Episode Highlights: Developing your College Money Philosophy Assessing your College Money Reality Having the College Money Talk with your children Figuring out who you should trust Knowing how much you can afford to pay Understanding the Financial Aid Process and the Financial Aid Award Letter Choosing the right major and school for your family Evaluating alternatives to buying into the hype

On this episode of Sheepdog financial we have Eric Boland.   Eric is the founder of Ferocious Finance.  He spent 20 years as a management accountant, accounting manager and controller before going into financial advisory. He is a parent to 2 special-needs children and Eric’s father has Alzheimers. These personal connections give him insight and passion for financial planning for special-needs families.

In this episode of sheepdog financial we have Kyle Hill.  Kyle is the founder and owner of Hill-Top financial planning.  He is a fiduciary and fee only advisor who loves working with young professionals and families.  He has spent 6 years working in a wealth management firm that he left in order to focus on working with the underserved young professional demographic.  He is an expert at helping his clients build a solid financial base of budgeting, debt management and making financial decisions that the younger professional makes.  Contact Kyle at his website;  www.hilltopfp.com

In this episode of Sheepdog Financial podcast I interview the “King of side hustles” Nick Loper. He is most known for his website Side Hustle Nation and podcast Side Hustle show. As the host of the top-rated Side Hustle Show podcast, Nick explores a different business idea each week and helps listeners discover the path to income streams and advocates a mindset of side hustles as a way to take back financial control of your life.  Episode Highlights: Finding your perfect side hustle The power of masterminds and coaches The best 2019 side hustle opportunities The importance of reverse engineering your goals Staying productive during the day (whether you work at home or not)

Zack Friedman is the author of The Lemonade Life and the founder and CEO of Make Lemonade, a leading personal finance company that empowers you to live a better financial life. Zack is a sought after speaker, writer for Forbes, and has an extensive and  impressive professional resume. Zack has degrees from Harvard, Wharton, Columbia, and Johns Hopkins. Zack talks to your host Scott Vance about some ways to survive transition from military service, gives his opinion on the recent stock market swings and talks about the fact that a decision making process is essential to ensure a happy life. Episode Highlights: The skillsets developed through your military service and how to advertise them How Zack copes with failures. Zacks opinion on what is essential to financial success in todays stock market Each person has to find their own individual path. Zack’s career and schooling timeline from Morgan Stanley to Make Lemonade. How to Make Lemonade gives objective, independent advice to make simple investing decisions for the consumer. The ideal client for Make Lemonade is anyone who is looking to improve their financial life. You have to be authentic to develop better relationships. The Lemonade Life Book is about living your own best life. In order to get success, you really have to find happiness first. Everyone can get better every day and it all starts with happiness.

Sa El got started with insurance when his grandmother passed away from cancer and did not have any life insurance.  He is the Co-Founder of Simply Insurance and a licensed life & health insurance agent with over 11 years of experience.   Sa's goal is to give accurate insurance education along with an easy insurance buying process.  He began working on Simply Insurance once he realized that customers wanted an option to purchase insurance, online, without an agent.  He has been mentioned in publications such as Forbes, Insurance News Net, The Ladders, & The Simple Dollar. In his free time he enjoys listening to Opera and Classical music, reading Webtoons and Manga, watching Anime or playing videogames.   Link to video referenced in the interview.   5 best no exam life insurance companies Home insurance Quotes Long Term Disability Coverage Quotes

When’s the last time you sat your parents down and talked to them about their money? If you’re like most people, it probably hasn’t happened yet and you probably have no plan for it to happen in the near future. Talking to your parents about their savings, their will, their hopes for what happens when they get older or after they die is unpleasant but as today’s guest shares is vitally important.  Cameron Huddleston is an award-winning journalist with more than 17 years of experience in the personal finance field. Cameron’s experience taking over her mother’s finances after her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s inspired her to write a book on how to discuss finances with parents before it’s too late. It’s called Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk: How to Have Essential Conversations With Your Parents About Their Finances. Her articles have been published in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Business Insider, Chicago Tribune, Fortune, Huffington Post, Money, MSN, USA Today and more. She’s the current Life + Money columnist for GOBankingRates.

Kate Horrell is a nationally recognized leading expert in the Survivor Benefit plan.  She is a military spouse, mom and wife.  She loves speaking about military specific financial topics and educating fellow servicemembers and spouses on ways to achieve financial success.  Kate educates the public through her writing.  She has written 2,200 blog posts for  Military.com’s paychcheck chronicles blog and continues to educate through her personal blog at www.katehorrell.com.    Survivor Benefit plan link   Kate Horrell Survivor Benefit Plan Blog Posts

In our fourth episode of the sheepdog financial podcast we do a deep dive into the blended retirement system.  One of the key benefits of the military is the retirement.  The retirement system used to be a simple 20 years and out pension.  The National Defense Authorization act of 2016 changed that and created a new retirement system for military members.  The new Blended Retirement System (BRS) blends the traditional legacy retirement pension, also known as a defined benefit plan, with a defined contribution plan known as the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).  The BRS went into effect on January 1st of 2018.  The BRS significantly changes the military retirement system and for many will be their first opportunity to save and plan for their retirement regardless of how long they serve. 

In our third episode of sheepdog financial podcast we have one of the nation’s leading experts in career transition for veterans and public service professionals. Matthew J. Louis is a graduate of West Point and retired Lieutenant Colonel, having spent more than 25 years in uniform and 20 years in the corporate world. Today he leads global strategy and transformation projects at Deloitte, the largest professional services firm in the world, and continues to serve several veteran collaboratives around the country. Matt is the author of Mission Transition, a practical guide for veterans in transition and their employers. He coaches individuals on their transition efforts and advises employers on hiring programs designed to successfully assimilate these valuable talent pools. Contact him at his website www.matthewjlouis.com

In the second Sheepdog financial podcast we have Erica Anderson. Erica is the owner and broker of Team Anderson Realty located in Holly Springs. Erica is an expert in buying and selling real estate. Listen as she talks about some of the local and national trends affecting home buying. Then gives good advice on how to buy a home, how to sell a home and the value of using a provider such as an agent or home inspector. I hope you enjoy Erica’s advice and expertise.

In our first episode of Sheepdog financial podcast we have Danielle Roberts a nationally known expert on Medicare and Health insurance. Danielle is the co-owner and vice president of Boomer Benefits a Texas based insurance agency specializing in Medicare-insurance related products. Her agency ranks among the top national medicare supplement producers for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna and others. Danielle gives us an update on the health insurance landscape as it stands today. She speaks about Tricare and specifically about the Tricare for life integration with medicare. She also addresses health insurance alternatives for military members who don’t retire and gives some tips and tricks of HDHP’s (Hight Deductible, Health Plans) and HSA’s (Healthcare Savings accounts) and lastly she explains the often misunderstood coverage that Medicare provides for long term care.

Scott Vance answers a common question he gets from his clients concerning sale of the primary home. https://www.trisulifinancialadvising.com/   Subscribe Free Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sheepdog-finance/id1471020384 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/4bvdvxHcK3BDo4xRb5XQhD?si=oxxcuU8XQlejh6fH3TBXvw Android http://subscribeonandroid.com/sheepdogfinancial.libsyn.com/rss