The Struggle is Real: Adulting 101
Justin Lee Peters
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You graduated college and jumped into the “real world” where nothing you learned about art history, calculus, or world religion is on the real-life tests you’re facing now. College didn’t prepare you to manage your personal finances, make friends as an adult, or navigate workplace politics. But don’t worry. Each week Justin Peters covers the essential life skills required for navigating your 20s without losing your mind on The Struggle is Real.
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3 days ago
Passion or Paycheck? The Career Conundrum | E117
Should my career be driven by passion and purpose or serve as a means of financial stability? At one point or another, you will face this career conundrum.
I’ve thought a lot about whether I should follow a practical career path with a stable income and obvious earning power or take a chance on a path that will be filled with passion and fulfillment but the money and stability aren’t quite as obvious.
At some point in the first decade of your career, this will probably be a decision that you have to consider.
I don’t know why it is that some of the most stable and practical careers lack excitement and the thrilling and purposeful choices always come with huge question marks when it comes to money, stability, and freaking health insurance.
It would be very easy for me to be the optimist and daydreamer and say go for it. Follow your dreams. You only live once but money and stability are significant factors and your job is only one dimension of your whole life that doesn’t have to be optimized for fulfillment.
This choice is daunting, if not downright overwhelming. But I’m here to offer some thoughts on which path might be right for you at this current moment or even better, how one might find a balance of passion and practicality.
Key Takeaways:
* 6 reasons to choose money over passion
* Lacking passion for your work can come at cost
* 6 reasons to choose passion over money
* Why passion with no money can add unnecessary financial stress
* 3 approaches to have a career filled with passion and money
* How your perspective and priorities can change your approach over time
Mentions:
Passion Or Profit? Crafting A Career That Honors Both (Forbes): https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathymillerperkins/2023/07/26/passion-vs-pragmatism-decoding-the-career-conundrum/?sh=39807bf02d75
More of The Struggle is Real:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/
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Sep 18, 2023
The Ultimate Retirement Account: Health Savings Account (HSA) | E116 Sean Mullaney
We often hear about 401Ks and IRAs, two incredible retirement planning tools but what if I told you there was a third, secret retirement account that trumps both of these?
Today we are discussing the Health Savings Account, or HSA, and why the HSA is not only a financial game-changer for managing your medical expenses but also a powerful tool to build wealth for your future.
This episode is a replay of episode 40 where I interviewed Sean Mullaney Financial Planner, and the voice behind FITaxGuy.com. I needed to recast this episode because it is hard to cover Mastering Money at Work if I don’t talk about HSAs.
You’ll uncover how HSAs offer a triple tax advantage, giving you tax deductions when you contribute, tax-free growth, and tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses.
But here’s the real kicker: an HSA can become a pseudo-retirement fund by delaying your reimbursements and investing your contributions for the long haul.
If you want to learn how to do that along with if you qualify for an HSA, how to keep your expenses organized, and what to do if your company doesn’t offer an HSA, well then you’re in the right place.
Also, note this episode is originally from 2021. All of the information is still relevant and helpful but the HSA contribution limit has increased from $3,600 to $3,850 and increasing to $4,150 in 2024.
Alright, let’s get into it. I hope you enjoy my conversation with FI Tax Guy himself…Sean Mullaney.
Key Takeaways:
* What is a HSA
* How do you qualify for a HSA
* Tax benefits of an HSA
* Is a HSA my health insurance?
* Who a HDHP the right for you
* How to figure out if your insurance qualifies for a HSA
* How to get a FICA tax break when funding your HSA
* Examples of qualified medical expenses
* How to use your HSA as a pseudo-retirement account
* The HSA contribution limit (increased to $3,850 in 2023)
* How to keep your HSA expenses organized
* How to set up an HSA independently if your employer doesn’t offer one
Mentions:
IRS Publication 502: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf
More of Sean:
www.MullaneyFinancial.com
www.FITaxguy.com
More of The Struggle is Real:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/
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Sep 11, 2023
These 9 Employee Perks Are Basically Free Money | E115
So far in the Mastering Money at Work Series, we’ve discussed 4 steps to setting up your 401(k), which was episode 113, and last week, Jesse Cramer taught us how to ask for a raise.
These were two topics that I really wanted to cover because I believe they can be huge game changers for your career-earning power and lifetime take-home pay.
This week though, we are going to get a little more…creative and scrappy.
We are talking about employee perks and how these seemingly nonchalant offerings can add up to tens of thousands of dollars.
These fringe benefits that go beyond normal salaries could include awesome perks like snacks, yoga classes, summer Fridays, flexible hours, company time off for volunteering, and unlimited PTO. The list goes on and on.
But today, I’m going to throw at you 9 employee perks that I think you should be aware of they could significantly save or make you money which is of course, what this series is all about.
So if that sounds like something you want to learn about, let’s get into it.
Key Takeaways:
* 9 money-making or saving employee perks
* Finding win-win-win situations with employee referral bonuses
* Cover your education with tuition reimbursement
* Jumpstart your HSA funds with an employer match
* Hard work and get recognized through employee achievement awards
* Make some commission money by referring clients to your company
* Get your gym membership paid for with a wellness stipend
* Subsize your transportation costs with commuter benefits
* Find a great deal through your employee discount catalog
* Make a bigger impact with employer matching charitable donations
Mentions:
https://www.tsirpodcast.com/113 - 4 Steps to Setting Up Your 401(k) l E113
https://www.tsirpodcast.com/114 - How to Negotiate a Raise l E114 Jesse Cramer
More of The Struggle is Real:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/
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Sep 4, 2023
How to Ask for a Raise (and Actually Get It) | E114 Jesse Cramer
I don’t want to steal Jesse’s thunder so I won’t tell his specific example that he shares, but negotiating a raise early in your career can lead to a 6-figure increase in your lifetime earnings. And that is just one negotiation. By developing your negotiation skills and making a habit of consistently asking for a raise throughout your career, you’re bound to outearn a peer who starts at a similar salary by a long shot.
But on the flip side, asking for a raise is intimidating. The fear of rejection is real and rejection does hurt. You don’t want to say the wrong thing, that makes you appear ungrateful or puts tension in a relationship with your manager. Asking for a raise is a tricky situation.
Luckily, in today’s episode, Jesse Cramer will be discussing how to ask for a raise in a respectful yet effective way that maximizes your chances of getting what you ask for.
Jesse is the voice behind The Best Interest, a popular personal finance blog and podcast. Jesse has first-hand experience with negotiating a raise and understands the feelings that come with it. He’s going to give us a strategy for getting the conversation started well in advance of the ask, talk through how to overcome the fear of rejection, and how to respond if told no.
Jesse has been a guest on the podcast before and I appreciate how he shares applicable advice, not theoretical nonsense that doesn’t actually work in the real world. If you’ve been wanting to ask for a raise, get ready.
Let’s get into it. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the chess savant, fizzy lover, and the man with a voice like butter….Jesse Cramer.
Key Takeaways:
* Why is it even important to ask for a raise? What a small raise early on can compound over a 30-year career.
* How to start the conversation about a raise 3-6 months in advance of the ask. Building your case for a raise.
* Your performance might not match your salary positioning. You have to be an advocate for yourself on top of being a great performer.
* The importance of aligning your role and work with what your manager and company find important.
* The Commitment Consistency Principle and being clear with your manager about the plan.
* How to overcome the fear of rejection by defining what rejection really is.
* How to respond if they say no. Staying positive while making your disappointment clear.
* Option of last resort = going nuclear. How to decide when to use your final piece of leverage and if it is the right situation for you.
* Is there a right or wrong time to ask? Some considerations: the fiscal health of the company, layoffs, and interest rate hikes. Making sure you don’t come across as tone death.
* How to advocate for yourself without coming across as a brag or brown noser.
* The power of staying positive and language to use whenever you’re getting stubborn pushback.
* Creative solutions for other benefits when negotiations can’t raise salary.
Mentions:
Is Investing Still a Smart Choice During this Recession? I’m Feeling Discouraged. | E75 Jesse Cramer: www.tsirpodcast.com/75
More of Jesse:
Best Interest podcast: https://bestinterest.blog/the-best-interest-podcast/
Best Interest blog: https://bestinterest.blog/
More of The Struggle is Real:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at
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Aug 28, 2023
4 Steps to Setting Up Your 401(k) Account at Work | E113
Starting a new job always comes with a hectic first week of paperwork. More than likely, one of the documents is about investing in your company’s 401(k) program.
If you grew up in a household like mine, the importance of investing in your 401(k) account was hammered into you but let’s say you didn’t set up your 401(k) account right away.
Maybe the thought of investing for your future seemed like a pipe dream when student loans, car payments, and buying furniture that isn’t Grandma’s hand-me-down was looming in your mind. Or the process and decisions of setting up a 401(k) account felt intimidating and overwhelming to you.
The first point is trickier. Money is typically pretty tight in our 20s as we are building our earning power. I totally understand why prioritizing our current needs seems to be more important than our future needs. But hopefully, through this conversation, I can convince you that even starting with a small amount can go a long way.
The second point though, being intimidated by the setup process, is something I can help with. This is definitely a topic that should be taught in school, but now having gone through this multiple times, I can assure you that setting up a 401(k) account is an easier process than you think.
In today’s episode, I am going to walk through 4 steps to setting up your 401(k) account, discuss decisions you are going to have to make, and share some guidance along the way.
Key Takeaways:
* Why 401(k) accounts were established by Congress
* How to initiate the setup process
* The difference between a Traditional and Roth 401(k)
* How to choose which account is best for your situation
* How to calculate your employer match
* 2023 401(k) employee contribution limits
* How to decide how much to contribute to your 401(k)
* How to choose an investment option that is right for you
* How much should I be paying in investment fees
* How to automate investing using target-date index funds
Mentions:
How to Get Started Investing, the Cost of Actively Managed Funds, and a 2-Step Plan to Retire in 15 Years | E57 Jeremy Schneider - https://tsirpodcast.com/57
Hidden Cost of Investing: 3 Common Fees and How to Stop Paying Them | E94 - https://tsirpodcast.com/94
More of The Struggle is Real:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/
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Aug 21, 2023
The Do's and Don'ts of Networking | E112 Dan Brodsky
Today we are concluding our series on how to level up your professional network. We’ve learned easy ways to find in-person networking events, how to host an easy yet effective networking party, the best practices for virtual networking, and how to make connections at the next business conference you attend.
With all of this knowledge, you’ve been busy meeting new people. But we don’t want the payoff from all of this hard work to disappear by this time next year.
We need to make sure to stay on top of and continue to strengthen these relationships. We need a process and that’s what we are going to be talking about in today’s episode.
This is a replay from my friend Dan Brodsky podcast, Career Focus. Dan invited me on his show to discuss networking and honestly, we geeked out hard. Come on, what did you expect from me?
Dan and I both shared our process for organizing our key professional contacts and the system we use to remind ourselves when an important relationship has gone too long without some attention.
I also share a lot of other networking tips, many of which I’ve shared throughout this series, which is why I feel like this is a perfect capstone episode to the series. I want to make sure we reinforce what we’ve learned over the last month.
Also, go give Dan and his show some love. Career Focus is a new podcast that launched in July and we have very similar missions to equip young professionals with the skills they need to succeed in their careers. If you’re looking for more content like that, go follow Career Focus in your podcast player.
That’s enough from me. I hope you enjoy my conversation with a former St. Louisian now turned Austinite…Dan Brodsky.
Key Takeaways:
* A key element of job satisfaction
* How to develop your networking skills
* How networking can help you
* How introverts can network without fatiguing themselves
* The power of active listening
* Do’s and dont’s of networking
* A process to help you stay organized when networking
* How to break the ice when you start a conversation with a stranger
* How to politely exit a conversation
* How to leave a good impression when virtually networking
* Follow-up techniques
* What to do when you flop at a networking event
* The joy of career serendipity
More of Dan:
Listen to Career Focus: https://linktr.ee/danbrodsky
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careerfocuspod/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@careerfocuspod?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-brodsky-ms-166314107/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtqWfpKnCj0kT-ccSh0vMkQ
More of The Struggle is Real:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/
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Aug 14, 2023
Network at Your Next Conference Without Being Awkward | E111 Mark Herschberg
With the calendar turning to fall, conference season is heating up. People are making arrangements and gearing up to attend academic, industry, and professional conferences. Some “volun-told” by their employers, but others, assuming someone like yourself that would listen to a podcast like this, are attending because they’re wanting to level up their career.
I love attending conferences. I typically plan to attend at least 3 a year. In the spring, I attended a podcast conference called Podcast Movement and this coming fall I’ll be at a personal finance creator conference called FinCon along with 2 other conferences on behalf of my 9 to 5.
I attend these conferences to learn from the speakers and stay on the pulse of industry changes but the biggest benefit of them all is networking.
In such a condensed, short period of time, I meet a lot of amazing people along with seeing some friends from attending similar conferences in years past. I always come home with many collaborations and follow-up conversations that I know will help me with my business and career.
After attending a few conferences, I’ve learned a few things that have really helped me maximize how to meet other people at conferences. I’m not a seasoned vet though but my friend Mark Herschberg is.
If that name sounds familiar, that may be because you’ve heard Mark on the podcast before. In episode 35, Mark came on the show to discuss how to gain clarity with your career path and now he is back on to discuss how to network like a pro at your next conference.
In this episode, he shares tips on how to get started networking before the conference even begins, opening lines to break the ice with attendees, how to meet conference VIPs, and so much more. This conversation left me feeling both excited and prepared for my upcoming fall conferences, and if you want to feel the same way, this is the episode for you.
So let’s get into it. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the tech founder, shot glass collector, and author of The Career Toolkit…Mark Herschberg.
Key Takeaways:
* How to decide which conference is worth your time
* How to get your manager to say yes to you attending a conference
* Hidden negotiation factor: education budget
* How to start networking before the conference even starts
* Opening lines to break the ice with another attendee
* How to look more inviting
* Ideas for hosting an event at a conference
* Techniques for politely exiting a conversation
* How to meet the conference VIPs
* An efficient way to track post-conference action items
* How to pass along what you learned to your colleagues
Mentions:
MIT Professor Explains How to Gain Clarity on the Next Steps in Your Career | E35 Mark Herschberg: www.tsirpodcast.com/35
The Ultimate Guide to Attending a Conference - Part 1 of 2: https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-attending-a-conference-part-1-of-2
The Ultimate Guide to Attending a Conference - Part 2 of 2: https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-attending-a-conference-part-2-of-2
What to Say at a Conference or Networking Event:
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Aug 7, 2023
7 Overlooked Techniques for Building Rapport and Networking Online | E110
We all know at least one person that can walk into a room full of strangers and emerge with a group of new friends. They’re so good at attracting people, building trust with them, and turning others into fast friends. This is someone that is charismatic, friendly, and great at building instant rapport.
Having rapport with someone means you understand each other's feelings and communicate well. This happens over time as you build a relationship with them. The frequency and proximity allow you to establish trust and you slowly get to know them better.
But with some people, this happens quicker. Have you ever walked away from a conversation and felt instantly connected to the other person? Maybe meeting them felt natural and easy. It’s likely that’s because you were able to build rapport quickly.
I have no bulletproof method for getting this right a 100% of the time but I have noticed things in myself and others that have really helped. I want to share a couple of ideas and habits that you can put into practice especially when virtually connecting with another person for the first time.
Key Takeaways:
* How online networking is different than in-person
* Why building rapport is important
* 10-minute preparation guide
* Using video to your advantage
* How to make a good first impression with a strong start
* 3 tips for cultivating an amazing conversation
* The power of a smile
* The art of active listening
* How to share more
* Reminding yourself that you’re worthy
Mentions:
7 Ways to Discover Great In-Person Networking Events Worth Going To: www.tsirpodcast.com/108
The Secrets to Throwing a Great Networking Party: www.tsirpodcast.com/110
More of The Struggle is Real:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/
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Jul 31, 2023
The Secrets to Hosting a Successful Networking Party | E109 Nick Gray
We’ve all been to one: loud music, people huddled in clicks, and little to no guidance from the host. I’m talking about poorly run networking events. The kind of events that spike the anxiety of us introverts and solo attendees.
But nobody wants to throw a bad event. The host wants to make sure everyone is having a good time and leaves having made meaningful connections. The problem is that nobody taught us how to throw a great networking party.
That was until Nick Gray wrote The 2-Hour Cocktail Party, a step-by-step handbook that teaches you how to build big relationships by hosting small gatherings.
Nick is a firm believer that hosting these simple, lightweight gatherings will accelerate your network. And he’s given us the playbook for how to do just that.
In this conversation, we cover how to make sure people show up, 4 secrets for hosting a great event, and how to politely kick people out at the end of your party. Nick also gives me an answer for the perfect number of attendees and the best day of the week to host your networking party.
And actually, since this recording, I’ve been to two cocktail parties that used Nick’s book to host their event, and they have both been far superior to the typical networking events. But they weren’t flashy events with paid bartenders, catering, and a DJ, no they were well-run events and a great use of my time. I met a lot of incredible people and left feeling excited to continue those conversations.
If you want to expand your network and know how to throw a simple yet amazing networking event, this is the episode for you.
Key Takeaways:
* Why hosting consistent, small gatherings is the ultimate networking tool
* NICK: 4 secrets for hosting a great event
* The importance of name tags even when you know everyone at the event
* How to run icebreakers and an easy example to use at your event
* Why you shouldn’t host dinner parties
* The perfect number of attendees to have
* How to politely kick people out
* The perfect day of the week to host your networking party
* Nick’s recommendation for event-hosting platforms
* How to ensure people show up to your party
* When to send and what to include in your reminder communication
Mentions:
Nick’s event hosting platform recommendations: Partiful (https://partiful.com/) and Mixily (https://www.mixily.com/)
More of Nick:
The 2-Hour Cocktail Party: How to Build Big Relationships with Small Gatherings: https://www.amazon.com/2-Hour-Cocktail-Party-Relationships-Gatherings-ebook/dp/B0B2KW6T7J
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickgraynews
More of The Struggle is Real:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/
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Jul 24, 2023
7 Ways to Discover Great In-Person Networking Events Worth Going To l E108
I could make a case that any interaction with someone else could be considered networking. From your friend’s parent to the barista who handed you your coffee this morning, anyone could be someone that changes the trajectory of your career.
I’m all about embracing some of the serendipity of relationship building, aka networking, but this series is bringing intentionality into this effort. We are going to be talking about purposely meeting people and the ways that you can do that.
I don’t know about you, but COVID really made me appreciate in-person interactions. I do really like the convenience of virtual networking, but sometimes it feels satisfying to put on some nice clothes, get out in the community, shake some hands, and meet some people in real life.
COVID did get me out of practice in this area though and in the meantime, I moved cities and started working virtually so I lost touch with many of the in-person groups I was a part of.
I’m ready for that to change and I’ve created a list of 7 ways to find in-person networking events.
In today’s episode, I am going to share that list with you with the goal of getting you excited and inspired to get back out there and check out some events in your local community. Don’t take this episode as a checklist but more as a menu. Pick one or two pathways that you feel drawn to. Each of these will provide many options for events that will fit what you’re looking for.
Key Takeaways:
* The importance of networking
* Popular event sites to find networking opportunities
* Local community organizations that might be hosting in-person events near you
* How you can tap into your alma mater network
* How to network and support a cause at the same time
* How to use LinkedIn and Facebook to find networking events
* What are YP groups and how to affordably join them
* How to ask friends and colleagues about networking events
* It’s normal to be nervous when attending in-person events
Mentions:
Email Management Tips for Young Professionals Overwhelmed by a Cluttered Inbox | E102: www.tsipodcast.com/102
3 Tips for Managing Your Work Calendar Like a Pro | E104: www.tsirpodcast.com/104
A Guide to Creating a To-Do List That Actually Works | E106: www.tsirpodcast.com/106
More of The Struggle is Real:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/
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Jul 17, 2023
Sick of Your Clothes? Find Your Personal Style, Identity and Confidence | E107 Parke Ballantine
I’ve never felt like I’ve had style. Honestly, I’ve always felt a little intimidated and lost when it comes to fashion.
With that in mind, I didn’t put a lot of emphasis on it. I opted for safe and affordable options versus clothes that I felt comfortable and confident in. I don’t think that’s entirely the wrong perspective. Personal style isn’t something that everyone cares about but I do want to make a case for it.
For better or worse, your outward appearance does say something about you. It impacts first expressions and is an extension of your personality. Most importantly, it impacts how you feel about yourself. The right piece of clothes at the right moment can help me break out of my shyness, feel more confident, and channel the energy I want to display.
All of this is especially true when it comes to dressing for work, a place where first impressions, outward appearance, charisma, and confidence play a huge part in success and career growth.
So let’s say you…
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Jul 10, 2023
A Guide to Creating a To-Do List That Actually Works | E106
To-do lists help you remember what needs to get done, they create order, they set priorities, they relieve stress, they help you delegate, and they track your work progress.
I could go on and on about the benefits of to-do lists but I am confident you already know this.
I’m not one to prescribe a specific method for managing your to-do list but if you are looking to implement a system or overhaul your current, there are some elements that you should consider.
Today, we are going to talk through those elements, I will share how I personally handle each, and I am going to leave you excited and ready to manage your to-do list like a pro.
Key Takeaways:
* Digital versus analog options for creating a to-do list
* Using a list versus a calendar
* Should I have 1 master list or multiple to-do lists?
* How to handle recurring tasks
* 3 tips for successfully completing your to-do lists
Mentions:
Email Management Tips for Young Professionals Overwhelmed by a Cluttered Inbox: w…
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Jul 3, 2023
How to Embrace Spontaneity, Bust Out of a Rut, and Make Deposits in Your Confidence Account | E105 Les Alfred
Do you ever feel like you’re living in Groundhog Day where the events yesterday, feel like today, and you’re probably going to have those same feelings tomorrow? The weeks are moving fast yet you don’t feel like much is changing?
If this is the case you might be in a rut. If I’m being honest, I’m coming out of a period of my life where I’ve felt like I’ve been in a rut. I’ve had my head down, hard at work. I’m really satisfied with most of the elements of my life right now but I have this underlying feeling of unease. I don’t need to blow anything up but I’ve been looking for some change.
Luckily, Les Alfred came into my life at the right time. This conversation gave me some ideas for embracing more spontaneity, mixing up routines, and busting out of my rut. Implementing her practical advice has me feeling like I’m headed in the right direction now.
Les is the creator and host behind the wildly popular podcast, Balanced Black Girl where she covers various asp…
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Jun 26, 2023
3 Tips for Managing Your Work Calendar Like a Pro | E104
For all the ways we depend on them, it’s kind of amazing how little attention we tend to pay to make sure our calendars are working for us.
Your calendar can set your day-to-day priorities but without intentionality, that will fall to other people’s priorities. This has been really evident for me in 2023. It crept up on me but meetings started to take over my day. I was jumping in and out of meetings all day long only to look down at my to-do list getting bigger, not smaller.
This was all out of good nature. I thought by keeping my calendar as open as possible and making myself available to anyone even on short notice, that I was doing my part at work.
This could be the right approach especially if you’re in a service-based role where most of your work is done through customer interaction. But if your job depends on you completing work and projects, this can be a problem.
Have you heard the saying, “Show me your calendar and I’ll show you your priorities?”
Calendar man…
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Jun 19, 2023
Career Boredom: How to Make Your Work Interesting Again | E103 Carla Fowler
I remember being on fire for the first few years of my career. I was learning so much and every day brought a novel problem to solve.
Boredom wasn’t even a thought. I didn’t quite understand why people felt stale in their careers.
And then things started to slow. What was once a unique puzzle to solve, turned into an ongoing job responsibility. My job was filled with less learning and more…work.
Finding a balance between being comfortable in your role and stretching your limits is challenging. This can be especially challenging for those of us who find a lot of satisfaction and purpose from stimulated work.
I don’t want to be wishing it was Friday afternoon. I want to be excited for Monday. I want that same feeling of excitement from early in my career. But continuously cultivating that energy takes intentionality and some proper planning.
Today’s guest, Carla Fowler, will give us ideas on how to reenergize your work. She’ll share questions you can ask yourself if you…
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Jun 12, 2023
Email Management Tips for Young Professionals Overwhelmed by a Cluttered Inbox | E102
Between reading through messages, crafting the right responses, and keeping tabs on the emails that require follow-up, staying on top of your inbox can feel like a job in itself.
Email can be a pain but it is a critical component to most knowledge-based roles that many of us college graduates step into after graduation.
Until I started working in the “real world,” I didn’t know this though. And the thing that blows me away? College never taught me a system for efficiently managing my email. It was something that I had to learn on my own.
I don’t want you to be in the same boat. In this episode, we are going to learn a system you can implement right away that will have you spending less time on email and more time on the projects that really matter.
Level up your email management game by tuning into this episode.
This episode is part 1 of a 3-part series all about managing your work which includes email, calendar, and project management.
Key Takeaways:
* How much time t…
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Jun 5, 2023
5 Surprising Reasons Americans Don’t Travel…And Why You Should Reconsider All of Them | E101 Renee Bruns
When I was in grade school, my dad and I were up in Detroit for a track meet. We thought it would be fun to cross over into Canada. Although technically, it was the first time I had left the United States, it wasn’t until a week after my college graduation that I took my first real international trip.
I did a 4-city stop in Europe and I caught the travel bug. I’ve made a few more trips to Europe, traveled in South America, and expanded my adventures in the United States.
Although I’m not going as far as to say it’s a requirement for a happy life, there are so many benefits of making traveling a habit. It can be a release from the day-to-day grind that life can force us into sometimes. You meet new people, make unforgettable memories, and even improve your communication skills. But what that first trip really did for me was expand my horizons and become more mindful of other people’s cultures and values. I can confidently say that I am a more sympathetic and open-minded pers…
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May 29, 2023
Relive Your Favorite Moments from The Struggle is Real: Celebrating 100 Episodes | E100
Thank you so much for joining us in this special episode. The Struggle is Real podcast hit a significant milestone. You are listening to episode 100.
Kyle and I have been considering what we want to do to celebrate this milestone. We’re awarding superlatives to some of our favorite episodes. If you think back to high school these were the senior yearbook categories for things such as biggest flirt, class clown, most likely to succeed…
We put our own spin on this and will be handing out superlatives to some former guests. Up to this point, we have had 86 guests on the podcast so this was not an easy feat but we made it happen.
This episode is meant to be super light-hearted, fun, and honestly really geared toward the listeners that have been with us along the journey. We throw around a lot of guest names and episode numbers. Don’t worry, we have links to all of the referenced episodes in the show notes.
A huge shout out to you for tuning into the podcast. I’ve had so much fu…
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May 22, 2023
Situationships: How Embracing the Grey Area Might Be What You Need for Your Dating Life | E99 Myisha Battle
Have you heard of the term situationship? I’ve been seeing the term across different media outlets but I hadn’t dug into it much until I found Myisha Battle, today’s guest, writing about how they might be the future of dating.
At first, situationships seemed to be a terrible idea to me but Myisha has changed my opinion on them. Now I’m thinking, a situationship is exactly what many 20-somethings might need at this time in their dating life.
If you haven’t heard of the term situationship before, it is defined as that is a relationship that is emotionally connected, but without commitment or future planning. It’s beyond a casual hookup or friends with benefits. A situationship could include going on dates, having sex, and building intimacy but exclude labels like boyfriend and girlfriend at least at this point of the relationship.
Myisha Battle is a sex and dating coach and the author of the book, This is Supposed to Be Fun: How to Find Joy in Hooking Up, Settling Down, an…
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May 15, 2023
Five Paths to Early Retirement | E98
In episode 96, we talked about the FIRE Movement, a group of people who are focused on early retirement, sometimes decades before the traditional retirement age of 65. They’re doing this by building their passive assets to a level where it provides enough money for their living expenses.
I love the idea of no longer needing a paycheck to afford my lifestyle and maybe you do too.
This is the 2nd episode in our FIRE series where you’ll learn 5 potential paths to FIRE so you can determine which path is right for you.
Key Takeaways:
* Selecting the post-retirement lifestyle that fits for you
* A breakdown of Lean, Fat, and Traditional FIRE
* How Coast or Barista FIRE could help you downshift your work earlier
Mentions:
What is the FIRE Movement? Retire in Your 30s | E96: www.tsirpodcast.com/96
More of The Struggle is Real:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/
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May 8, 2023
Accelerate Your Career with Effective Communication | E97 - Brenden Kumarasamy
Over the last decade of my career, I've found there is a subset of skills that can be a multiplier for your career growth. One of those super skills is effective communication. I’ve seen those that possess this skill take off leading projects, presenting at important meetings, and getting promotions.
Being an average communicator versus an effective communicator can be really subtle. Sometimes it's the word choice, the framing of the conversation, or the preparation done beforehand. If you work towards mastering the nuance of this skill, you’re going to be the person people turn to in important situations.
Brenden Kumarasamy, a good friend of our show, is back to discuss this nuance and give you a framework you can use today to level up your communication at work. We talked about team meetings, presentations, 1 on 1 connects. I hammered him with questions and he fired back with so much good tactical advice. This guy really knows his stuff.
Brenden’s background includes coachin…
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May 1, 2023
What is the FIRE Movement? Retire in Your 30s | E96
Aside from corporate holidays and one-week vacations, we are going to have to wait until 65 for a total sense of freedom and choice.
But do we? What if retirement was closer than that? Maybe in your 50s, your 40s, even your 30s.
This might seem like a pipe dream but there is an entire movement all with this goal in mind. And it’s called FIRE: Financial Independence, Retire Early.
In this episode, we are going to talk about the FIRE movement, how it’s redefining retirement, and how you can get on board.
Key Takeaways:
* How to use the 4% rule to calculate your FI number
* How the FIRE Movement got started
* 3 lessons you can learn from the FIRE Movement
* How you can get started on your FIRE journey
More of The Struggle is Real:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/
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Apr 24, 2023
3AM Phone Call: A Story that Led to a $10,000 Sale | E95 Chuck Cooper
It’s fun to talk about success especially when it comes to entrepreneurship. We are all hoping for this grand journey where we start from the bottom but quickly make it to the top.
That happened to my good friend, Chuck Cooper. His first business was wildly successful, until it wasn’t. All of a sudden, he found himself in shame never thinking he would have failed. It all seemed too easy.
Luckily, Chuck is resourceful and found support to build himself back up and to build a new business in the making.
In this conversation, Chuck and I talk about the ups and downs of being a business owner, the fundamental skills to be successful, let it be entrepreneurship or your traditional career path, and we throw in some baseball talk both as an analogy and my predictions about my beloved St. Louis Cardinals.
Key Takeaways:
* What makes mentors want to invest in certain people
* Effective networking practices
* How to build your business by creating relationships
* What are employ…
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Apr 17, 2023
Hidden Cost of Investing: 3 Common Fees and How to Stop Paying Them | E94
You’ve been doing a great job taking part of your paycheck and investing that money every month. You check your balance and you feel like “I’m not making as much progress as I thought I would.”
Of course, the stock market performance plays a huge role in your return but that’s out of our control. If you’re properly diversifying, you’re doing what you can and the rest is fairly unpredictable.
But you know what factor affects your portfolio’s performance that you can have a direct impact on? Fees.
And luckily, with just a little bit of education and proper blueprint, you can minimize the fees you’re paying to maintain your investment portfolio. In this episode, we are going to be discussing 3 common investing fees, how to figure out if you’re paying them, and what you can do to reduce your cost.
Key Takeaways:
* How a 2% fee can dramatically affect your investment returns
* 3 common investing fees
* How to figure out if you’re paying investments fees
*…
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Apr 10, 2023
You’re Failing in Your Twenties…Or At Least You Think You Are | E93 Paul Angone
I’m turning 30 next month and I’ve been unsure how I’ve felt about that. I’ve had countless conversations with guests that shared with me how silly it was to think they needed to “make something of themselves” by 30. Yet here I am, wondering if I’ve done enough to really make my 20-year-old self proud how I’ve spent the last decade.
That 20-year-old Justin had high expectations about where he was going to be at 30. I’ve learned over the last decade that you can set your sights on something but life has a whole lot of serendipity. And I don’t know, that’s kind of the fun of it right? I mean, at 20, I would have never predicted podcasting would be such a significant aspect of my life.
So here’s to me for letting go of any expectations, being proud of everything I have accomplished, and excited for what’s to come in this new decade.
I’m done with my poetic monologue but it does set up my conversation with my friend, Paul Angone.
Paul spent most of his 20s t…
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Apr 3, 2023
How to Give a Heartfelt, Genuine Apology and Navigate Difficult Conversations | E92 Jonathan Miller
So you messed up and need to apologize to someone? It was an honest mistake, you feel terrible, and you want to say sorry. How do you do that in a heartfelt, genuine way?
A proper apology can quickly repair a relationship and lift a weight off of the givers shoulders but a bad apology…that can be disastrous and lead to even more hurt.
Between politicians, CEOs, and celebrities, we have seen our fair share of examples of those bad apologies where blame was shifted and responsibility wasn’t taken.
Luckily we have Jonathan Miller, a communication coach, to share with us a framework and give us an example of a good apology. This is a replay from an episode way back in the vault, episode 15, so I’m guessing you haven’t heard this one before and it was too good not to resurface.
Jonathan shares a ton of great insight on how to have mindful communication like how to resolve conflict or how to compassionately deny an invite to a party. This episode is a great reminder that our word…
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Mar 27, 2023
A Guide to Journaling: Prompts, Benefits, & Getting Started | E91 Megan Miller
In today's conversation, I went down this incredible, unplanned rabbit hole with my friend Megan Miller.
We both have a mutual love for journaling and I spent the first half of this conversation asking a lot of questions around her specific practice. It really made me realize how much of an impact my simple journaling practice has left on me.
I’m hoping this gives you some inspiration on how you could get started journaling and what benefits you can expect by doing so.
Aside from being a journaling enthusiast, Megan is a coach centered around helping high achievers detox off the drug of achievement. We discuss the potentially negative impact of relying on our career for validation. I don’t think getting validation from my career is inherently bad but whenever I find that is the only area I’m relying on, this creates a major imbalance with my life.
And surprise, surprise I kind of feel like I’m itching towards that right now and I’m curious for solutions so ask Megan quest…
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Mar 20, 2023
How I Avoid Burnout: Selfish Sundays | E90 Anastasia Barbuzzi
Have you felt like you’ve been burning the candle at both ends? Are you trying to do too many things and feeling burnout?
Maybe you need a Selfish Sunday.
Cara Hays initially introduced me to this concept of Selfish Sundays. It’s pretty simple - she spends Sunday doing things for herself and she doesn’t judge herself for it. She might meal prep, do laundry, or just binge watch a TV show. Whatever she needs from herself on Sundays is what she does.
I loved the idea so much that I stole it for myself, and it has really helped me with burnout. I was recently on my friend Anastasia Barbuzzi’s podcast, $HMoney Radio, talking about my Selfish Sundays. I wanted to share this with you in case you were looking for some inspiration and ideas on how you could overcome burnout.
Key Takeaway:
* How Selfish Sunday’s might help you avoid burnout
More of Anastasia Barbuzzi:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shmoneyradio/
Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/shmoneyradio
Website: https:…
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Mar 13, 2023
8 Steps to Being Healthier than 90% of People | E89 Dr. Judson Brandeis
We all dread it but that day eventually comes. It might be a cough that won’t go away, a potential sprained ankle, or you’re questioning a weird bump on your arm. We have no other option. We have to go see a doctor.
How do I book an appointment again? Where’s my insurance card? How much is this going to cost me?
Healthcare is confusing, frustrating, and overly complex. I do my best to avoid having to see a doctor but sometimes it is just unavoidable. I have to put on my big boy pants and figure it all out.
This is the unglamorous part of being an adult. But with a little help, we can do this.
And our help today is Dr. Judson Brandeis who is here to give us some insight on how the healthcare industry works.
My favorite takeaway was how to better prepare for your next doctor’s visit. Apparently the average doctor’s visit is 16 minutes 14 seconds so if you come prepared with the right notes and documentation, not only will you be able to make the most of your time but these…
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Mar 6, 2023
What LeBron James Taught Me About Success | E88
LeBron James recently broke the NBA’s all-time scoring record. It was an amazing moment to watch and an impressive feat.
But reading about this achievement, I uncovered an even more impressive LeBron record.
What was the record and what did I learn from it? Tune in to find out.
More of The Struggle is Real:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/
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Feb 27, 2023
Build a 6-Figure Net Worth in Your 20s | E87 Mills Bender
When I started my first “big boy” job, I signed up for our 401K program. HR handed me this packet of papers and essentially said good luck.
I remember sitting at my kitchen table that night trying to make sense of fund names, historical yields, and asset allocation charts.
Nothing will make you realize school did not prepare you for the real world like that kind of moment. I remember thinking, wow I’m never going to understand this. When I have money, I need to hire someone to make these decisions for me.
But I didn’t need a pricey advisor or even fancy software. I needed financial education so I could feel comfortable and confident in my choices.
I thought it was going to take decades of experience or even having to go back to college to get a degree in finance but once I got serious, it only took me about a year of learning and practicing before I felt like I could handle the money choices that life threw at me.
Today’s guest would argue that with her guidance, you’d…
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Feb 20, 2023
The Hot 100 List: How I Network Effectively | E86
You meet someone amazing and you have the best intention to stay in touch with them only to find years have gone by and you totally dropped the ball.
You want to reach out now but it feels awkward and you overthink it. You never reach out and this potential friend, business partner, or employer just drifts out of your life.
Staying connected with your network doesn’t need to be a challenge.
In this episode, I want to share a tool I use to stay top of mind with my network and walk you through the step-by-step process on how to create, manage, and execute a “hot 100 list.”
Key Takeaways:
* Why a process for remembering to reach out is important
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* How to create a hot 100 list
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* A script for what to say when you reach out
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More of The Struggle is Real:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/
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Feb 13, 2023
Spice Up Your Sex Life with a Sex Life Bucket List | E85 Susan Bratton
Has the sexual chemistry in your relationship turned dull?
Bedroom boredom is a really common issue in relationships so it is nothing to beat yourself up about. We get comfortable in our patterns. The same positions, techniques, and places although great at first, become predictable and eventually boring.
I don’t need to ask a stupid rhetorical question here. I know you don’t want to have a boring sex life. Nobody wants that. So let’s reignite some excitement in the bedroom.
But we know it’s not that simple or we’d be doing it already. How do I talk to my partner about this and once they’re on board, what do we do to “spice things up?”
What if you had a list of ideas and someone to help bridge that conversation with you and your partner? Insert fan favorite guest, Susan Bratton, who first appeared on episode 63.
Susan is back on to share something she created to help us with this exact problem: a sex life bucket list. In this conversation, Susan will walk you throu…
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Feb 6, 2023
Practical Tips to Take the Stress Out of 1st Dates | E84 Cara Hays
It might just be my circle but so many of my friends are recently single and I’m hearing the war stories of 1st dates. From coordinating plans, getting catfished, talking to a brick wall, and awkward goodbyes, I gotta say, I’m not jealous.
Being in a long-term monogamous relationship has its struggles, but taking Gaby out on a date is not (usually) an exasperating process.
I think it is totally justifiable and I see why this stress would keep you wavering in and out of the dating scene. I have thoughts and I’d love to help but being in a committed relationship for the last 5 years hasn’t left me with very little practical experience to share on this struggle.
But our former guest, Cara Hays had a lot of great ideas so we pulled a clip from her interview, episode 43, where she shared practical tips on how to make 1st dates less stressful and more enjoyable.
Key Takeaways:
* A simple strategy to make sure the date doesn’t go too long
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* How to…
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Jan 30, 2023
Write a Resume That Actually Gets Noticed by Recruiters | E83 Jenny Foss
I’m talking to my friend Jenny Foss who is a Job Search Strategist who has been in the game for quite a while helping people navigate job searches, advance their careers, and make career pivots.
We start with how to bridge the gap between the job you have and the job you want. Jenny shares the secrets of what makes a great resume and I’ll give you a spoiler, it is not Times New Roman, on 1-inch margins, on one-page. She has way more useful advice than that.
At the end of our conversation, Jenny breaks down a step-by-step process to ask someone and conduct a successful informational interview.
I’ve always hated writing cover letters, but Jenny walked me through a simple framework for writing a cover letter so they don’t sound generic and actually showcase your value as a candidate.
I hope you enjoy my conversation with the career consultant and newly published author of Do This, Not That Career….Jenny Foss.
Key Takeaways:
* How to job craft your current role
* How to…
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Jan 23, 2023
Screw Quitters Day. 3 Tips to Get Back on Track with Your 2023 Goals | E82
Where are you at with your 2023 New Year’s resolutions?
Are things going better than ever? Awesome!
But if you’re like the majority of people, your goals might be wavering or even worse, you might have completely abandoned them.
The good news is the year is still young. We have plenty of time to get back on track with our 2023 goals and in this episode, we’ll discuss 3 tips for doing just that.
Key Takeaways:
* Making your goals sustainable
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* Opt-out versus opt-in method
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* Why you should find an accountability partner
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More of The Struggle is Real:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/
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Jan 16, 2023
Make More Than .01% Interest From Banks | E81 Jeremy Keil
19 cents. That’s how much in interest that my bank paid me in 2022.
I’m not sure if that makes me want to cry, yell, or laugh but those are none of the feelings that I want to have when it comes to calculating my annual bank interest.
The good news is, I don’t keep a ton of money in my savings account. Simply a couple thousand dollars that acts as an emergency fund.
But that comical calculation would make me furious if I had tens of thousands of dollars in my savings account.
The last few years have shown us the real impact of inflation. An item that cost $100 in 2020 cost roughly $115 today using the average cumulative rate of inflation.
What does that mean? Just to break even, you want your money keeping up at the same rate. 19 cents isn’t going to do that for me.
Luckily Jeremy Keil is here to give us some strategies on how we can make more interest from our savings.
We also talk about how much money you should have in your bank account, wh…
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Jan 9, 2023
How to Actually Keep Your New Year’s Resolution | E80 David Ward
I hope you’ve taken the New Year as an opportunity to set priorities and state your goals. In today’s episode, we will discuss how to create systems in order to accomplish those goals.
My friend, David Ward from RunnersFI.com, is joining me in this conversation. From unhealthy and overweight to completing an ultra-marathon, David knows a thing or two about accomplishing the goals you set for yourself.
We will also discuss how to get started on your goal, when to use internal and external motivation, and escalating the meaning behind your goal with a concrete why.
Key Takeaways:
* How to get started on your goals
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* It’s good to goal set but you need to create systems too
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* External motivation helps with the tough times but internal motivation keeps progress
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* Escalate your goal with a why
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Mentions:
Are You Setting Goals or Are You Developing Systems?: https://runnersfi.com/are-you-setting-goals-or-are-you-developing-s…
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Jan 2, 2023
Are Your Finances on Track to Support Kids? | E79 Clifton Corbin
I remember being so furious with my dad because I felt like I was the only 16-year-old in my friend group that paid for their own car insurance.
Looking back now, I really appreciate him making me handle my financial responsibilities early on. Don’t get me wrong I still take advantage of my parents picking up the tab at dinner or paying for the hotel on a family vacation but I pay my own bills and it makes me feel so empowered being financially independent.
This was the first step toward my parents seeing me as financially mature.
Maybe you’re someone who’s been taking care of yourself since you were a teenager or you might feel guilty that your parents are still financially supporting you.
I’m here to tell you there is nothing wrong with being a young adult and getting support from your parents. Life is expensive and I don’t think it's a smart idea to rack up credit card debt to try to prove that you can pay for your own things.
Although the financial support might be n…
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Dec 19, 2022
Have You Considered a Career Break? | E78 Krista Edwards
It was fall of 2019 and I was absolutely lost with my career. 3 months prior, I had just left a longtime employer to try something else.
Here I was in this new job with a fancy title and absolutely hating it. The problem was, I wasn’t sure what to do about it.
Of course, I knew this role wasn’t a long term fit for me, but I wasn’t actually sure what was. I figured staying put was my best option until I figured things out but the unhappiness and anxiety around this role was clouding any sensible judgment for what my immediate future should be.
Then I made my best career decision, I decided to take some time off.
From January 2020 to August 2020, I created a sabbatical for myself. This break created distance from my career and that distance is what actually helped me gain clarity on my future career path.
I’m not saying I have everything figured out now but I have such a healthier relationship with my career and I used that time off to do something that brings me so much joy…
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Dec 6, 2022
Wait, Adulting Doesn't Have to Be Difficult?
Hi, I'm Justin Peters. I'm the host of The Struggles Real, a podcast focused on adulting advice for young professionals. You know, those moments where you think, I wish I would've learned this in school. Those are the topics that we love to talk about. Join me each week as I interview experts sharing their strategies for solving problems that us young adults will face throughout our twenties and thirties. Some of the experts you'll hear from include a former top 20 poker player, a corporate executive turned Tik-Toker, and a friendship and connection coach. You'll find we enjoy bouncing around between a myriad of subjects, but my favorite categories are personal finance, interpersonal relationships, career advice, and healthy living tips. If you need a recommendation on which episode to start with, check out one of our fan favorites, like episode 41, an inspiring story of the former inmate, Nate Dukes, who completely re-corrected his life. If you're looking for financial literacy, try e…
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Dec 5, 2022
Think Like a Top 20 Poker Player | E77 Chris Sparks
Today’s episode is an exciting conversation with Chris Sparks, a retired professional poker player although I think he uses the term retired fairly loosely. I’ll settle somewhere in the middle and call him a well-paid hobbyist.
Chris has played over 2 million hands of poker across thousands of tournaments including main events tournaments like World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour, and the European, Asian-Pacific, and Latin American Poker Tour.
During his hay days, he had a fast and furious climb that eventually led him to being ranked in the top 20 online cash game players in the world.
In our conversation, Chris shares stories about his growth as a poker player. He’ll also teach us the meta-skills of high stakes poker that can be extrapolated and applied to our own life.
By listening to this episode, you’ll learn how to recognize a good bet, how to take action with incomplete information, and the benefits of focusing on the process versus being results-oriented.
If you…
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Nov 21, 2022
Remarkable Health Benefits of a Fiber-Rich Diet | E76 Megan Barnett & Lee Carson
I did not know how beneficial fiber was prior to this conversation and I wouldn’t even have been able to tell you fiber was only found in plants.
I’m excited about this episode though. I had a blast researching and preparing for this conversation.
It has been a while since I’ve dug deep into a health-focused subject. Our last was with Dr. Jennifer Reid in August when we talked about sleep, and looking at the numbers, I know you are interested in health topics.
Joining me today on the podcast today are the Co-Founders of Florasophy, an organic soluble fiber supplement.
Megan Barnett and Lee Carson created this company after Megan stumbled across the incredible benefits of soluble fiber and began using it in her functional medicine clinic.
Megan and Lee both believe in a science-based approach to alleviating health issues and focusing on preventive health in order to stay out of the medical system.
Getting adequate daily fiber, particularly soluble fiber, is an easy step some…
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Nov 7, 2022
Is Investing Still a Smart Choice During this Recession? I’m Feeling Discouraged. | E75 Jesse Cramer
If you’re paying attention to your portfolio right now, you know the stock market has been on a nosedive, and if you’re anything like me, this market drop has you feeling discouraged.
I continue doing all the right things. I maxed out my IRA, I’m dollar cost averaging through my 401K, and even investing my net earnings in my brokerage account.
All of this yet I’m still seeing my networth go backwards. I’m beginning to question if investing my money is still the right thing to do.
Well luckily my friend Jesse Cramer is here to talk me off the ledge. It could be investing for your future or changing your career path to align with your passion. Jesse reminded me that the right choice doesn't always create short-term success but over the long-run, it will.
Aside from being my personal therapist, Jesse has had a ton of success in creating his personal finance blog, The Best Interest. His writing has also been featured in CNBC, MSN, the Motley Fool, Yahoo Finance, and more.
Je…
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Oct 24, 2022
Develop Crystal Clear Intentionality | E74 Brian Bogert
The amazing Brian Bogert is joining me on the podcast today.
At 7 years old, his life transformed in a blink of an eye after he was in a vehicle accident that his left arm was detached. Instead of dwelling in the suffering, he fully recovered with a reattached arm thanks to his persistent and proactive focus.
Today, Brian is a lot of things: entrepreneur, coach, speaker, business strategist, author, and philanthropist. But he would say his two most important titles are husband and father.
It took chasing traditional success for him to realize this though. At 27, Brian had it all on paper after he helped grow a risk management firm from $250,000 to over $15,000,000.
He had an abundance of money, a nice house, and a cool car but after being absent from the first 6 months of his baby’s life, he put an end to chasing traditional success. He stopped the era of “what” to begin the era of “who.” The people in his life now became his focus.
You’ll have many takeaways from this…
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Oct 10, 2022
How to Build Unbreakable Confidence In Yourself and Ignore Judgment from Others | E73 MMATalks
As much as I’d want to work on The Struggle is Real full-time, I do have a day job.
I could gripe about my 9-5 but I actually really enjoy my job at MMA. I like who I work with, who I work for, and what I work on. It also creates really cool opportunities like the one you’re going to hear today.
A colleague who leads an internal learning and development initiative called MMATalks asked if I wanted to present at their monthly webinar series. MMATalks sits at the crossroads of personal development, professional skills, and DE&I awareness.
Of course, I was in, and at first, I figured I’d cover a professional skill like networking or email management but instead, I decided to merge my two lives together and do what I do best, host a conversation.
I asked two former podcast guests to join me, Ahmad Jabbir (E61) and Nate Dukes (E41). I was grateful they said yes. Our goal for this talk was to illustrate Ahmad and Nate’s life experiences that lead to judgment from others (and them…
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Sep 26, 2022
3 Things Every Friendship Needs, How to Stop Being Awkward in Conversation, and Where to Meet New Friends | E72 Jewel Hohman
I did not anticipate one of the biggest struggles in my 20s would be making friends. It was so easy in high school and college when I was surrounded by people.
Although I have been lonely at times, I rarely spoke about it. I guess I had shame around feeling lonely but that line of thinking is changing for me.
It initially started when I was preparing for episode 49 with Michael Bauman where we discussed loneliness. That opened up my eyes to the fact that more people are lonely than I thought.
Then when preparing for this episode, Jewel Hohman, today’s guest, shared a New York Post article with me that surfaced many surprising findings including survey results from adults affirming that 45% of them find it difficult to make a new friend. It also mentioned confidence in making friends peaked at the age of 23.
Survey results aside, when talking to others, I found I am not alone. Many adults find it hard to make friends. I’m excited to finally tackle this topic on The Struggle is R…
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Sep 12, 2022
Getting the Courage to Become a Business Owner | E71 Mason Burchette
I feel like I always gravitate towards stories about taking a chance. Ahmad Jabbir’s story about how he went above and beyond during his job interview comes to mind.
I really enjoy them and these stories provide a much needed reminder. As I get older, I feel like I’m making more conservative choices. If that is true or not, objectively I’m not sure I could say. I think it is important to try things that might include risk, assuming it has positive upside and you’ve considered how you can minimize the negative.
I invited my friend Mason Burchette back on the podcast. He first appeared on The Struggles is Real on episode 30 where we discussed some of his best advice from his book, How to Make Sure You Never Get Promoted: An Antithetical Guide to Succeeding in Your Career.
Aside from wanting an excuse to catch up, I invited Mason back on the show because he’s made a life changing decision. He left his role as a Director of Marketing and Development to start his own business.…
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Aug 29, 2022
Therapist on Why Your 20s Isn’t for Deciding Your Path But Instead Exploring Possibilities | E70 Grace Dowd
Going into college, Grace was pre-med and planning on becoming a doctor. She found out through taking classes and trying internships, that this wasn’t the right path for her. Instead, her twisted journey led her to therapy.
Although this wasn’t her plan going into college, Grace shares that looking back now, she’s really appreciated the unclear route. What’s the fun in having an obvious and predictable plan? But I get it, no one likes feeling lost either.
Now as a therapist, Grace supports her clients as they navigate their own ups and downs of life.
She has transitioned from solo therapist to building her practice, Grace Therapy & Wellness, and if you are a Texas resident, I recommend checking her out.
By listening to this episode, you’ll learn how to use value cards to uncover what’s important to you, how to listen to your nervous system, and what happens when you ask better questions.
Show Notes:
[2:23] Developing communication skills as a therapist
[9:58] Grace…
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Aug 15, 2022
Feeling Overwhelmed? Mom of Triplets Discusses Why Simplifying Might Be the Answer You’ve Been Looking For | E69 Rose Lounsbury
Rose Lounsbury is a simplicity coach, speaker, and author of the book, Less: Minimalism, For Real.
Rose’s minimalist journey started with being an overwhelmed mom, and I really mean overwhelmed. She is the mom of triplets.
She’d come home from work, start her second shift of being a mom, and finally get her 3 2-year-olds to bed just in time to spend her last waking hour cleaning up the mess from the day. Rose was tired of this but didn’t know what to do until a friend mentioned minimalism.
She immediately resonated with the lifestyle and spent the next year purging 70% of her possessions. Rose found this lifestyle so impactful that she began applying simplification into other areas of her life such as money and her career.
Now, Rose helps overwhelmed people create open spaces in their homes, workspaces, and most importantly, their minds, by letting go of the excess stuff that gets in the way.
We talked extensively about how the concept of simplifying can be applied to differ…
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Aug 1, 2022
Psychiatrist on Social Jetlag, How Marijuana Affects Sleep, and Managing the Anxious Mind | E68 Jennifer Reid
There is nothing better than waking up in the morning feeling refreshed and energized. I love a good night’s sleep. On the flip side, if I didn’t get enough quality sleep, I might as well just take the L and call it a personal day.
As soon as I learned this about myself, I became attune to good sleep habits. I have no idea how I survived through college with an inconsistent sleep schedule, late night drinking, and early morning call times. I never looked at sleep as a critical aspect of my health like I did exercise and food.
If you take your sleep seriously like me, or are interested in improving in this area of health, you are going to love this conversation today.
Dr. Jennifer Reid is a board-certified psychiatrist who focuses on insomnia and anxiety. She is also an award-winning medical educator, regular contributor to Psychology Today with her blog, Think Like a Shrink, and the Host of the podcast, The Reflective Doc.
Jennifer really impressed me with her extensive knowled…
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Jul 18, 2022
What You Could Learn from Traveling the Globe | E67 Sydney Summerlin
I try not to dwell on many regrets in life but one opportunity I wish I would have taken advantage of was my university’s study abroad program. I went on my first international trip outside of North America in 2015, the week following my college graduation.
I knew I was going to have fun and I was excited to explore Europe but I didn’t realize how much it would change my perspective on life.
I’ve been prioritizing traveling ever since then and it’s one of the few universal suggestions I encourage other people to try. One person who needs no encouragement is today’s guest, Sydney Summerlin.
From a young age, you could find her traveling the globe. At first, Sydney’s mom accompanied her on most of these trips. Now, she does a lot of traveling solo or with her twin sister.
One of the most impressive characteristics of Sydney is her emotional intelligence. Her open-mindedness, empathy, and curiosity are obvious. I’m guessing all of her traveling helped refine these qualit…
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Jul 4, 2022
How to Become an Awesome-Sauce Manager, Deal with Underperforming Employees, and Build a Competent Team | E66 Makeda Andrews
I never realized how much of an impact my manager could have on my job satisfaction until I’ve had both the good and the lousy. Experiencing both has assured me one thing, I want to become an exceptional leader.
To continue learning, I consume a lot of leadership content. One of my favorite creators I come across is Makeda Andrews. I really liked her straight-forwardness, relatable advice, and of course, all of the bright colors.
I was actually surprised to find out Makeda started her professional career not having any interest in managing a team one day.
But that script didn’t last long. 6-months into the job, Makeda was approached by the President of the company and offered an opportunity to manage a team. With a little reluctance, she accepted the position.
Makeda eventually led her department to becoming a strategic division of the company. Makeda is now a leadership coach where she works specifically with first time managers to become confident, competent and effective lea…
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Jun 20, 2022
How the Podcast Got Started | E65 Andrew Biernat
I have something different for you today. This is a replay from my good friend Andrew Biernat’s show: Your Personal Growth, Personal Brand Podcast.
Andrew asked me a lot of great questions about The Struggle is Real including how the show got started, how I go about selecting topics and guests, and the one person who really influences my conversations.
Of course, it is hard for me to take my podcaster hat off. I turned the tables and asked Andrew a few questions as well. One thread in particular is a story about the dark side of personal growth.
We also conclude with a great conversation about some of our career missteps and how we’ve both used our podcasts to explore business adventures.
Show Notes:
[1:09] How The Struggle is Real (TSIR) got started
[3:49] Interesting guests on TSIR recently and how we select topics
[7:12] The dark side of personal growth
[13:27] The journey of building TSIR
[19:34] Using TSIR as my personal development plan
[30:23] The 1 person that inf…
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Jun 6, 2022
Reaching Financial Independence Without a 6-Figure Salary | E64 Jackie Cummings Koski
You all know I’m a sucker for a good early retirement story. Jackie Cummings Koski retired at 49 years old and now spends her time creating a financially literate society.
Retiring in your 40s is impressive in itself but Jackie did this with no head start. She grew up in poverty with her dad and 5 siblings. She barely graduated college with passing grades because she had to work full-time. Then Jackie went on to raise her daughter as a single mom after an early divorce.
Does that sound like a candidate for early retirement? I don’t think so but Jackie made it happen through a lot of self-education and hustle.
Speaking of education, Jackie became quite the expert in healthcare and in this episode, Jackie shares a lot of methodologies for cutting your healthcare costs.
Of course Jackie is a huge advocate for my favorite tax-advantage account: the HSA. I have never seen a health savings account as well-funded as Jackie’s. Last we spoke, her HSA had over $150,000 in it..
Show No…
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May 23, 2022
Sex is a Learned Skill, Overcome Bedroom Boredom, and Simple Techniques to Be a Better Lover | E63 Susan Bratton
With high school teachers and porn stars being our instructors, I’m not surprised sex is awkward and unrealistic.
But at least we have our friends to talk to, right? Well through my personal experience, we are comfortable boasting about the highs of our sex life but I don’t hear too much conversation about body image issues, pre-mature ejaculation, and depleting sex drive.
As you can see from the title and our intro so far, today’s conversation is going to be a bit explicit. Our guest is a straight-shooter so this is your warning to look out for young ears.
Speaking of today’s guest, joining me is Susan Bratton. For 20 years, Susan has been empowering singles and couples across the gender spectrum to have hot, intimate sex. Susan believes that shame-free, frequent sexual pleasure is every person’s birthright.
Susan wasn’t always this sex expert. Like most of us, she lacked the know-how in order to maintain intimacy and passion in her relationship. After 11 years of lack…
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May 9, 2022
Meetings: No. 1 Time-Waster at the Office | E62 Darren Chait
If you’ve spent any amount of time in the working world, you probably know how much meetings can consume the work week.
I’m crazy and I actually track this metric. On average, I’ve spent 9.4 hours a week in meetings or 23% of my week.
Meetings aren’t going anywhere. They seem to be the default modality of getting things done and I have to agree, meetings make sense for some situations.
If I’m going to continue to spend a ¼ of my career in meetings, I want to be good at running them. Surprisingly, there are a lot of effective ways to have better meetings.
Someone that knows a lot about this subject is today’s guest, Darren Chait.
In 2016, Darren co-founded the company Hugo which is on a mission to make every meeting worth it. The product started as a simple Slack plug-in and transformed into a connected meeting notes platform.
You’ll hear more about Darren’s story in this episode along with many actionable takeaways including how to use asynchronous work to limit…
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Apr 25, 2022
Take a Chance and Bet on Yourself | E61 Ahmad Jabbir
I love listening to stories that require someone to take a chance and today’s episode is packed with those.
You’ll hear from my friend, Ahmad Jabbir. He exhibits and embodies the phrase “bet on yourself.” One of my favorite stories he tells is how he pitched the CEO of Seek Discomfort, the apparel brand of the wildly popular YouTube channel, Yes Theory, to hire him for a job that wasn’t even created yet. His one-of-a-kind interview got him an instant yes.
This bravado would be impressive with anyone but Ahmad wasn’t always this bold. Up through college, he was shy, lacked confidence, and thought he was stupid.
But a few personal development projects changed everything for him. In one of his most recent projects, Ahmad set out to meet 100 strangers. He was blown away by the people he met and the stories he heard.
Key Takeaways:
[1:17] Ahmad’s go-to Toronto attractions
[5:20] The story of Rob Lawless and how that impacted Ahmad to meet 100 people
[15:27] How to make…
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Apr 11, 2022
How Can I Have Fun as an Adult Again? | E60 Tyson Bankert
My childhood was filled with a constant need for play. I remember playing a lot of backyard sports and fictional quest games that we made-up on the fly.
I always had a sense of adventure. As I got older, I found myself losing touch with that. I’m all about high achievement activities but I also wanted to allow myself to do things for the simple fact that they put a smile on my face.
I found getting back to this baseline of play and adventure way more challenging than I thought it would be. Speaking with friends, I’ve learned that having fun as an adult is difficult for many of us.
I thought this would make for an interesting topic on The Struggle is Real and I invited my friend Tyson Bankert to join me in this conversation.
Tyson knows a whole lot of fun. He spent many years working at an after-school program where he was responsible for creating opportunities for kids to have fun. Tyson decided to use his skill set for adults and started the company, Recess Calgary, where he c…
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Mar 28, 2022
Use Your Money to Make a Life Not Your Life to Make Money | E59 Laura Rotter
I know many of us 20-somethings are focused on increasing our wealth and gaining more financial security. I’m definitely in this boat and I think that is a wise approach. I’m confident that we will get to a place where it becomes less about making money and more about life satisfaction.
I think my guest today summarizes it the best: use money to make a life, don’t use life to make money.
Joining me on The Struggle is Real is Laura Rotter, Founder of True Abundance Advisors. Laura’s career is dominated by her 30 years of experience on Wall Street but she has spent the last 6 years helping individuals attain both financial security and life satisfaction through her own advising firm.
Laura gives a lot of reflective advice on career exploration, how to go about pursuing a new life direction, and shares a technique to treat your personal finances like a business owner.
After this conversation, I hope you walk away with thoughts on how you’d like to make meaning with your mone…
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Mar 21, 2022
How to Build Ultramarathon Mental Strength | E58 Mason Stevens
For some of us, running to the kitchen to grab a snack is quite the workout. So what does it feel like to run 62 miles for twelve hours straight?
In today’s episode, Justin and Mason discuss what it felt like to endure such a challenge. They break down their preparation leading up to the event, give details about race day, and what mentality you have to foster to cross the finish line.
Few of us are planning on running an ultramarathon anytime soon, but Justin and Mason offer encouraging advice that applies to any goal, large or small. After this conversation, I hope you find inspiration in achieving your next goal, as well as the discipline to continue to build on it.
Mason hopes to directly impact those who are seeking to push themselves further in education and life through his scholarship fund, Finding Future. Mason has already completed a number of endurance events. These include his 23-year-young birthday circuit, running a mile on the hour for 24 hours straight, summiting a…
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Mar 14, 2022
A 2-Step Plan to Retire in 15 Years | E57 Jeremy Schneider
Investing is complicated…but does it need to be? Starting your investing journey can be super overwhelming especially in this age of information overload: stocks, crypto, FAANG, options, bonds. This brings up the obvious question: what should I invest in?
Personally, I want to understand what I am investing in, how it creates its value, and ultimately, what my return will look like. This has led me to today’s guest, Jeremy Schneider.
Jeremy is the Founder of Personal Finance Club. He has a wildly popular Instagram by the same name where he is dishing out simple, unbiased information on how to win with money. Jeremy doesn’t have any get rich quick advice for you today but he will share a simple 2-step plan to retire in 15 years.
Along with that you’ll hear his delineation between investing vs speculating, how to easily invest through target date funds, and his experiment about living on a $5 vs $500 daily food budget.
Key Takeaways:
[2:38] Selling RentLinks and hitting fina…
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Feb 28, 2022
Build a Legendary Marriage with Your Partner Using Tactical Empathy and Generative Questions | E56 Larry Hagner
Today’s guest is Larry Hagner, Founder of The Dad Edge. The Dad Edge is focused on empowering men to build legendary marriages, create epic connections with their kids, master personal finances, optimize their health, and become a leader within their family.
Although you’ll definitely hear stories about parenthood, most of this conversation will focus on the first pillar: building a legendary marriage.
Stable, intimate relationships can present many predictable, yet devious challenges like conversation boredom, sexless bedrooms, and dwindling novelty. The good news is this storyline is an editable script.
Larry teaches us how he continues to show up as a better partner in his marriage. Surprise, surprise, a lot it involves great communication. He’ll share ideas on tactical empathy, labeling emotions, and mirroring without the word why.
At the end, we also got a chance to talk about my favorite learning lesson from Larry, generative questions, and how one question led to an ep…
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Feb 14, 2022
How to Talk Politics and Religion Without Killing Each Other | E55 Corey Nathan
I’ve dreaded some recent get-togethers knowing argumentative political conversations are going to be on the agenda and for quite some time, I’ve taken the approach that it is better to avoid these conversations by staying quiet and giving a friendly nod.
That line of thinking is changing for me now. Avoiding participation in these conversations is forgoing the opportunity to learn something new, and maybe even change my mind. Along with that, if I’m not taking the time or initiative to understand someone else’s point of view, I’m only reinforcing the current state of divisiveness between these binary camps of blue and red.
I invited Corey Nathan on the podcast to give us inspiration on how this could be done right. He shares his personal story of making amends with his dad when he decided to leave the Jewish faith.
In the second half of this episode, Corey shares some basic communication skills to help us have more enabling conversations. Some of my favorites include the f…
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Jan 31, 2022
How to Love Your Body and Recognize Your Health is More Than Your Weight | E54 Sophie Killip
Our teenage years present many challenges. One universal obstacle I saw few of us avoid was the trap of comparing ourselves to others, particularly our physical bodies. Someone was always thinner, more muscular, prettier, taller, or had better skin.
Many of those thoughts and feelings never went away but progressing through our 20s, we not only realize but start to believe there are way more important facets of ourselves than our outward appearance.
Realizing it and getting there are two different things though. It’s hard to embrace and embody all of our physical attributes, especially those areas we’ve always been insecure about and others that are becoming apparent as we age.
Even though I’m not quite sure if I’ll ever fully get to loving my entire body, there are actions that my guest believes that we can take to get closer.
I’m excited to introduce you to Sophie Killip, a mental health counselor and coach. Sophie’s philosophies include working towards body acceptanc…
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Jan 17, 2022
UpDating: What You Can Learn From the Blind Dating Show | E53 Harrison Forman
Do you know what’s worse than being set up on a blind date? Going on that date in front of a live audience. Oh, and when I say blind date, I mean literary blind-folded.
That’s the concept for the New York City based comedy show, UpDating. Imagine live comedy meets a reality dating show. This non-scripted show includes audience participation, brutally honest moments, and relatable feedback in real-time with real people.
Joining me on the podcast today is the Producer and Co-Host of UpDating, Harrison Forman. Harrison created UpDating with his partner Brandon Berman. It was a bit of a mix of Harrison and Brandon’s ideas–which you’ll hear about early on in this episode.
Harrison shares the highlights and lowlights of creating UpDating. You’ll walk away with insight on dealing with criticism, overcoming self-doubt, and how with a lot of hustle and a little belief, you can attract what you want to achieve in your life.
Key Takeaways:
[2:10] The show structure
[9:37] How Up…
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Jan 3, 2022
15-Year-Old Entrepreneur Shares How He is Fighting Back Against Conformity | E52 Benjamin Wong
Imagine you’re 9-year-old and you want the new, hottest toy. What would you do? Would you ask your parents for the money or spend your birthday money to buy it? My guess is very few of our 9-year-old selves would have created a business to raise the funds.
I also wouldn’t have convinced my parents to change me to homeschooling so I could have more time to focus on my business, but today’s guest did that.
Joining me today is 15-year-old entrepreneur, Benjamin Wong. Benjamin is the Founder of Kid CEO Media, a youth-run communications company dedicated to uplifting young entrepreneurs. His seminal projects are the Kid CEO Podcast and a virtual summit he hosted for kidpreneurs to meet and learn from peers. And doing all of this while battling pressures of being a teenager.
I hope you walk away from this conversation with the energy to fight back from the conformity that is squashing your most thrilling dreams.
We’ll also discuss how to build your own community, the importance o…
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Dec 20, 2021
Use Side Projects to Develop New Skills, Meet People and Launch a Career | E51 Alex Williamns
With New Year’s quickly approaching, I’m guessing you will be thinking about how you want to spend more of your free time in 2022. Friends, family, and your health are all great choices but I want to dangle one more idea out there: a side project.
A side project is something that you do aside from your primary job but unlike hobbies, they have a sense of effort and thoughtfulness in their approach. Examples could be starting a blog, creating an app, or forming a band. Side projects are a great way to learn new skills, meet people, and develop a purpose outside of your career. Heck, they might even lead you to your next job.
That was the case for my guest today. At the beginning of 2019, Alex Williamns started a podcast to improve his listening skills. Exposing himself to podcasts, and media in general, substantially changed the trajectory of his career. Since then, Alex has hosted 9 podcasts and has produced 14. He now runs two podcast media companies called MeCho Radio and Polyt…
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Dec 6, 2021
What Student Loan Repayment Strategy is Right for Me? | E50 Andrew Paulson
For many of us, student loans are a huge financial burden throughout our 20s and well into our 30s. Student loans can be hard to keep up with because payments can be the same amount as mortgages.
But unlike mortgages, I’m guessing you didn’t spend too much time understanding this debt before agreeing to it. I know that was the case for me. I went through all of college without understanding the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans.
In college, it was easy to forget about how we were financing our current stage of life but now we are left holding the bag. Although student loans can be complex, deciding on a repayment strategy doesn’t need to be. There are a couple of key questions to ask yourself to put you down the right path. We will explore those questions and more on today’s episode.
Joining me is Andrew Paulson. Andrew is a Student Loan Consultant and Co-Founder of StudentLoanAdvice.com. He has a passion for helping people find solutions to complex financ…
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Nov 22, 2021
The Damaging Consequences of Loneliness and What You Can Do About It | E49 Michael Bauman
In this extraordinary era of pandemic isolation, it makes sense that people are feeling more alone than ever. Although stay-at-home orders and social distancing exacerbated loneliness, this trend started way before COVID.
This rise of loneliness has caught the interest of many health professionals and is now being labeled as the new smoking. Cited as being as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, that has me wondering what’s changed and more importantly, what can we do about it?
Sharing his insight today is Michael Bauman, who is a Loneliness Entrepreneur Coach and Host of the Success Engineering podcast. Michael uses his knowledge of the neuroscience around loneliness and social connection, along with his personal experience feeling isolated as a business owner, to help entrepreneurs feel like they are not alone.
In this episode, Michael shares why social connection is biologically so important, the factors that have led to the increase in feeling isolated, and actions we can ta…
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Nov 8, 2021
How to Determine If a Job Offer is the Right Decision | E48 Justin Peters
With the demand for help, and lack of candidates, many employers have turned to outbound recruiting. Many of my friends tell me they have been contacted by recruiters, former employers, and even a random encounter. Some don’t budge. Others have jumped at a new chance.
Either decision could be right. Let’s discuss vetting a job opportunity.
Today I’ll share my process for qualifying, evaluating, and deciding on job opportunities. By listening, you’ll hear me discuss:
Uncovering job, team, and organizational fit during the interview process
Calculating your total compensation for equal comparison
2 other important factors before making your decision
2 negotiation mistakes
best practices for accepting and rejecting an offer
Key Takeaways:
[3:06] How to uncover job, team, and organizational fit during the interview process
[10:54] Should I move forward with seeing a job offer?
[13:28] Calculate your total compensation for equal comparison
[15:03] Two other factors to co…
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Oct 25, 2021
Attachment Theory: How Understanding the 4 Attachment Styles will Help Your Relationship | E47 Ed Coambs
Nothing kills the mood like discussing money issues but as much as we don’t want it to be a reality, money is a significant aspect of relationships.
If a couple isn’t on the same page financially, you can almost guarantee a bumpy road ahead. There are countless studies that demonstrate money related issues being a major source of divorce and most of these issues aren’t tactical differences, they’re rooted in emotions.
This conversation today is about creating a common bond around money with your partner and there is no better person to join me in this discussion than my friend, Ed Coambs.
Ed is a financial therapist. He helps couples create collaborative conversation. His understanding of attachment theory, relational building, and financial planning gives him a unique skill set to serve couples looking to work towards financial intimacy.
Most of our conversation will center around his book, The Healthy Love & Money Way, which dives into the four attachment styles that impa…
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Oct 11, 2021
How to Network and Build Relationships Online Like a Pro | E46 J. Kelly Hoey
Today’s guest is the spunky J. Kelly Hoey, author of Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships In A Hyper-Connected World. Along with being an author, Kelly is a sought out speaker for her networking insights.
She also has some pretty cool accolades including:
-Forbes’ 1 of 5 Women Changing the World of VC/Entrepreneurship
-Business Insider’s 1 of the 100 Most Influential Tech Women On Twitter
-Inc.’s 1 of 10 Most Well-Connected People in New York City's Startup Scene
Crazy enough, Kelly started her career as a corporate lawyer from Toronto. She credits her network for the ability to transform her career but I’ll credit Kelly for the ability to learn such an essential professional superpower so early on.
In this episode, we get into her journey on how she began to learn network-building skills. You’ll also learn why networking online isn’t much different than networking in real life, 3 areas to focus on if you want to network better, and why the Give…
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Oct 10, 2021
Why and How to Ask for 1-on-1 Time with Your Manager | E45 Kyle Peters
My little brother, Kyle, joins me on the podcast to discuss his favorite takeaway from Episode 44: one-on-one meetings.
We discussed why one-on-one meetings could serve you at work. We outline our one-on-one meeting structure. Finally, Kyle shares how he asked for more one-on-one time and made it easy for his manager to say yes.
Key Takeaways:
[3:59] Universal reasons one-on-one conversations are important
[11:49] Kyle and Justin’s one-on-one meeting structure with their managers
[17:34] How Kyle asked for more one-on-one time and made it easy for his manager to say yes
[22:25] Kyle’s early success having one-on-one meetings with his team members
Mentions:
Kyle’s original podcast episode: www.tsirpodcast.com/2
Ben Brearley on TSIR: www.tsirpodcast.com/44
More of Kyle:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylepeters2/
More of TSIR:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/
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Sep 26, 2021
How to Gain Leadership Experience Before Becoming a Manager | E44 Ben Brearley
Ben Brearley has been leading people for over 15 years. He saw the struggle managers had with the balancing act of leadership. Ben started writing articles to serve those who aspired to be an attentive and considerate manager. At the time, Ben didn’t realize this would change the trajectory of his career.
These posts turned into the Thoughtful Leader blog where Ben has been sharing leadership content for over 5 years. He started a podcast under the same name and also serves as a coach for leaders across the world that want to make work better.
This is a great episode if you are a new manager or hoping to someday be leading a team of your own. We discuss how to gain leadership experience as a junior employee, debate being liked vs being respected as a leader, and discuss how to have better 1 on 1 meetings.
Key Takeaways:
[1:37] The right and wrong reasons for wanting to become a manager
[13:30] What executives are looking for in emerging leaders
[17:41] The glass ceiling in Aust…
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Sep 13, 2021
First Date Tips, Single Girl Bucket List, and Exploring Sobriety | E43 Cara Hays
After college, Cara Hays found herself battling with two identities. Her future self that prioritized her values and her past self that continued to distract with bad habits.
One day Cara decided it was time to look forward without looking back and she made a commitment with herself to accelerate that decision.
For the next 6 months, Cara decided to say no to drinking and dating. Two areas where she knew a hard stop would give her clarity. On top of that, each month she’d focus on another area of her life that needed attention.
At the time, this commitment didn’t have a name but it became known as 6 Months of Me and this time period fundamentally changed the perception Cara had of herself.
In this episode, we get into a lot of fun details like why Cara started a single girl bucket list, first date tips that I think are genius, and Cara’s exploration on being “sober curious.”
Key Takeaways:
[2:38] Cara’s relationship with her younger self
[12:30] How Cara’s first 6…
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Aug 29, 2021
Overcome Your Gym Anxiety and Jump-Start Your Fitness Journey | E42 Kawan Karadaghi
Many of us go through quite the physical transformation in our 20’s. Our metabolism slows down and we can no longer eat junk food for every meal. When we get older, we have to be more intentional about our fitness routines.
I invited Kawan Karadaghi onto the podcast to help with this. Kawan’s story will hopefully serve as inspiration for your own journey. Kawan was in his 20s, out of shape, and smoking a pack of cigarettes a day when he got a knock on his door from a friend asking if he wanted to go for a run.
That run didn’t turn out well.
Kawan barely finished a mile, but that run served as the entry point into Kawan’s fitness journey. He left smoking behind and got fit. He was in the gym so often that he decided to make a career out of it.
He started as a personal trainer and quickly set his sights on earning the title of Master Personal Trainer. To do this, he logged over 2,250 hours of coaching in his first 18 months.
Kawan didn’t stop there though. He now owns and…
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Aug 16, 2021
Former Inmate on How to Overcome the Mistakes of Your Past | E41 Nate Dukes
Nate Dukes is an author, speaker, property investor, leader at his church, and serves on the board of a non-profit for underprivileged youth. Already an impressive resume for someone in their 30s.
But what is even more impressive is the journey Nate took to get here. After getting busted for stealing a car, Nate spent 6 months in a Tennessee jail. He was written off as a lost cause and told that he’d never change.
Nate decided to tear up that script by getting focused on what he wants and making the right choices.
After changing his life, he shifted his mission to helping others do the same. To do this, Nate wrote and published his debut book, You’ll Never Change: Create Your Comeback and Prove Them Wrong.
In this conversation you’ll hear the story of how Nate went from successful business owner to innate to author.
We’ll discuss how to find inspiration in unlikely places, how to surround yourself with the right people, and repairing the damage of your past.
Key Takeaways…
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Aug 1, 2021
What’s an Health Savings Account (HSA) and Why Should I Consider It? | E40 Sean Mullaney
In our last episode, we covered so much material about taxes including terminology, the US tax system, and retirement accounts. One topic that came up but we didn’t get to discuss extensively was Health Savings Accounts or HSA.
I was going to let this go as I always have an endless list of topics I wish I could have covered with my guests but both Sean and I agreed HSAs were too important of a topic to be left unturned. So Sean agreed to come back on and share more of his knowledge.
A high deductible health plan paired with a HSA can be a great option to consider for young adults with minimal medical issues.
This episode is packed with a ton of information including what an HSA is, how to identify if you’re a candidate for a high deductible health plan, the mechanics of how an HSA works, and how HSAs can be used as a retirement account.
Reminder that this discussion is general and educational in nature and does not constitute tax, investment, legal, or financial advice with res…
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Jul 19, 2021
Tax Basics: A Beginners Guide to Taxes | E39 Sean Mullaney
A month ago, I went to Instagram and asked what money topics you’d like to learn more about. To my utter surprise, taxes had the most votes.
I figured side hustles, investing, even budgeting would attract more attention but maybe I failed to realize the desire you had to learn and feel more confident about this perplexing topic.
I went looking for a guest that had a deep understanding in this field but could also explain terminology and foundational concepts in a simplistic, engaging way.
In my experience, this isn’t the traditional profile of a tax professional but my guest today will deliver on that promise.
Sean Mullaney is the President of Mullaney Financial & Tax where he provides financial planning services to individuals and families. His credentials include a Bachelors in Accounting from Georgetown University, a certificate in Financial Planning, a law degree, a CPA designation, and spending the last 20 years working with corporate or individual taxes which include stop…
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Jul 5, 2021
Get Cheaper Rent Using These Industry Insider Tips | E38 Justin Pogue
At one point or another, you’ll probably have to deal with apartment hunting. For some, online searching and taking tours is exciting. For myself, it’s exhausting.
You find the perfect place: the floor plan works, it has the amenities you were hoping for, and it’s in the area you want to live.
That’s when you check the most important factor: how much does it cost?
If you have my luck, it’s just outside your budget. But your move out date is quickly approaching and you haven’t found a viable alternative so you sign anyway. What if you simply negotiated a better deal with your landlord?
You can do that? Yes, and in fact, my guest today is here to teach us how.
Since 2003, Justin has developed and managed apartments, rental homes, and student housing across the United States. Seldomly, has he had to negotiate with tenants, but who could blame them? There is a misunderstanding and lack of resources around this topic. That’s when Justin decided to fill the void and wrote…
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Jun 20, 2021
Corporate Executive Turned TikToker on Taking a Career Break | E37 Tim Traill
Today's guest is Tim Traill.
Tim has spent three decades working his way up to a Corporate Executive in the financial services industry.
Last year, Tim decided he needed a career break. As you’ll hear, the beginning of his break was a challenging period. Tim was missing a sense of purpose and community he found through work.
That was until he stumbled into TikTok. It started as a joke with his kids. He created DIY videos showcasing home improvement, decor ideas, and handyman tips but what started as a joke turned into viral content, and only 5 months later, Tim has 148,000 followers and 1.6 million likes.
Of course we’ll talk about TikTok, but I hope you also pick up something about embracing change, developing curiosity and empathy too.
Key Takeaways:
[2:10] How Tim find himself on TikTok
[9:13] Why Tim decide to take a career break after 30 years
[21:26] Responding to criticism with respective and empathy
[25:55] How Tim became an Executive
[31:48] Parenting and what Ti…
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Jun 6, 2021
He Traveled the Globe to Study Happiness and This is What He Learned | E36 Ali Binazir
Imagine if you had two years to travel the globe in order to better understand happiness. Where would you go?
I’m assuming the Nordic countries who I hear always rank high on the World Happiness Report. Potentially Australia and New Zealand? They seem to be happy down there.
What about places that aren’t known for happiness but more so the opposite? I feel like it would be important to understand that perspective.
Well, that’s exactly what today’s guest did.
Joining me on the podcast is Dr. Ali Binazir who is an author, speaker, and clinical hypnotherapist. But if you asked Ali today, his primary title would be Happiness Engineer.
During this episode, we are going to dive into happiness, particularly why it isn’t something you are trying to find but instead engineer into your life.
This is a great conversation to tune into if you’ve been looking for practical ways to feel more fulfilled. Dr. Binazir shares many prescriptive methods that you could act upon today.
Key…
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May 24, 2021
How to Gain Career Clarity | E35 Mark Herschberg
Most of us have this exciting yet frustrating thing we call a career path. One day we know what our calling is and how we are going to get there only for us to break down in panic the next day.
Careers are fascinating because we have to balance what we enjoy, what we are good at, what the world needs, and how we’re going to pay the bills.
As you go through your 20s, you’ll have to make many career decisions. Go broad or narrow in? Take a chance with this new opportunity or stay the course? Make more money doing something I enjoy less?
Luckily there are amazing mentors out there helping us figure this all out and one of them is my guest today.
Mark Herschberg is the author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. If you know anything about my show, you know I love the topic of this book which gets into career planning, interviewing, managing, networking, negotiating, and more.
If you don’t have a good idea on what your career path is, listen…
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May 10, 2021
How to Politely Decline a Friend’s Wedding Invitation (Navigating Awkward Money Conversations) | E34 Erin Lowry
If you have a skill of finding free food, you’re consistently dealing with an unreliable laptop or phone, or you furnished your apartment with cheap furniture from family and Craigslist, I’m assuming you might be a broke 20-something. “I Need a Dollar” by Aloe Blacc probably hits a little different.
My guest today knows a thing or two about this stage of life. Erin Lowry is the author of the 3-part book series, Broke Millennial. Her newest book, Broke Millennial Talks Money shares advice on how to navigate awkward financial conversations at work and with your friends, family, and romantic partners.
If money has ever caused awkward tension when it comes to splitting the bill or picking an Airbnb for your upcoming girls trip, this conversation is going to be perfect for you.
Most of this episode centers on having money conversations with your friends. Erin shares her thoughts on when it’s appropriate to share how much you make, setting financial expectations when your friend…
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Apr 26, 2021
These Tips Will Keep Your Small Space Organized I E33 Lucy Milligan Wahl
One of the best experiences of my 20s has been living on my own. Sure, I have to buy my own groceries and dirty dishes aren’t going to magically disappear, but moving out of my parent’s house gave me the challenge to start figuring things out on my own.
One thing I do really miss about mom and dad’s is all of the space in their house. My tiny apartment doesn’t compete with my parent’s spacious, midwest suburban home. There is no garage or basement let alone a spare kitchen cabinet for any excess stuff. This has forced me to live smaller and stay organized.
If you’re someone who believes you’re “not an organized person”, my guest is going to change that mindset.
Joining me today is Lucy Milligan Wahl, Founder of LMW Edits.
After completing her MBA and wanting a career change, Lucy asked her friends what she was good at. The common answer? Organizing.
Lucy ran with that idea and started her own boutique professional organizing company where she provides common sens…
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Apr 12, 2021
Want to Be Paid More? Make This Change at Work to Increase Your Salary | E32 Stephanie Ritz
At one point or another, you've felt undervalued at work. Maybe you believe you should be paid more, be given more responsibility, or get a promotion.
But believing it doesn’t get us very far. How do we actually get what we want?
Today’s guest believes it starts by becoming a self-advocate. She’s going to explain how to get the confidence to do that without coming off as bragging or boasting.
Stephanie Ritz is a career consultant and mindset transformation coach. She founded Claim Your Career where she helps professional women rise faster, earn what they’re worth, and claim their seat at the table with confidence.
Stephanie gives tons of great advice throughout our conversation. My favorite was creating a living resume to record and organize your skills and accomplishments. This is just one of many goodies she shares.
Key Takeaways:
[6:16] How Stephanie found her place within the banking industry
[8:11] Motherhood: how that changed the plan but not the goal
[16:38] Buil…
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Mar 29, 2021
How Happiness and Investing Your Money Can Be Congruent Goals I E31 Joel O’Leary aka 5am Joel
How would you feel about retiring 5, 10, even 20 years earlier than you planned? This probably raises some skeptical eyebrows but hundreds of people are doing just that through a movement called FIRE: financial independence, retire early.
Inside groups pursuing FIRE, it’s common to hear of a couple who retired in their mid-40s. With time, discipline, and understanding of basic financial concepts, I believe you can do this as well.
Joel O’Leary is here with me today to talk about his experience with FIRE and how he’s found balance with this popular movement.
By listening to this episode, you’ll also hear us discuss the epiphanies Joel has had during his 3 year sabbatical, how he built and continues to grow his real estate portfolio, and why he believes happiness is a choice (along with a good story to back it up).
Key Takeaways:
[1:52] Why Joel took a sabbatical and what he has learned since quitting his job
[15:34] The impact Joel’s parents had on his financial habits…
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Mar 15, 2021
26 Year Old Director Shares Advice on How to Quickly Rise Through the Ranks I E30 - Mason Burchette
I’m assuming the job you have now isn’t the position you want forever. Most of us hope as we learn new skills and take on more responsibilities, we will get the opportunity to move up within our company.
But why do some people seem to get the opportunity for promotions while others find themselves in the same role for years and years?
My guest today believes it all starts with doing the little things right, like being dependable.
Mason Burchette started out as a Technician at Best Buy Metals making $11.50 an hour and now, 7 years later, is their Director of Marketing and Development.
Seeing his fast growth in such a short period of time, many of his friends and family started asking him for advice. Through that, he ended up writing his first book, “How to Make Sure You Never Get Promoted: An Antithetical Guide to Succeeding in Your Career.”
Along with advice on getting promoted, we will also get into managing employees that are older than you and how to find a company that…
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Mar 1, 2021
Former NFL player on How to Start Owning Your Mistakes and Make the Change You Need | E29 Marques Ogden
Today’s guest is former NFL offensive lineman, Marques Ogden.
Marques played in the NFL for nearly 6 years. He was drafted in the 2003 by the Jaguars and went on to play with the Ravens, Bills, and Titans. While his NFL career ended in 2007, this was only the start of Marques’ rollercoaster life story. After leaving the NFL, he started Kayden Premier Enterprises which grew to the largest minority owned subcontractor in the state of Maryland.
Life was good until a bad business deal sent Marques’ business spiraling into bankruptcy. Marques was left with $400 to his name. He swallowed his pride and the former NFL player and 8-figure business owner took a job as an overnight janitor making $8.25 an hour.
After a rough ending to one of his shifts, Marques decided it was time to reinvent himself again but before he could do that, he needed to look back on his life choices and own the fact that his decisions, not someone else’s actions, lead him to his current life situation.
Toda…
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Feb 15, 2021
Helpful Money Advice that Will Have You Feeling More Confident | E28 Tracey Bissett
Why don’t we feel better equipped to handle our finances when we get into the real world?
My guest today is working to solve that issue. On the show with me is Tracey Bissett, President and Chief Financial Fitness Trainer at Bissett Financial Fitness.
Tracey has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry and after moving on from her successful career in banking, she’s now focused on helping young adults and entrepreneurs achieve their financial goals.
Tracey is also the Host of the Young Money Podcast: an advice show for young millionaires in the making which she started over 3 years ago and now has over 120,000 downloads.
My goal by the end of this conversation is to have you feeling more confident about growing and using your financial skills.
Show Notes:
[1:39] What is financial fitness?
[3:25] Why is money so mysterious and what are schools doing to change this?
[10:29] Having money conversations with your roommates
[14:39] How Tracey got started in…
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Feb 1, 2021
Understanding Personality Differences Leads to More Success in Your Career | E27 Brett Cooper & Evans Kerrigan
Today’s guests are Brett Cooper and Evans Kerrigan, Co-Founders of Integris Performance Advisors which is focused on improving team performance. They also co-authored a book called Solving the People Problem: Essential Skills You Need to Lead and Succeed in Today’s Workplace.
In their book and in this episode, Brett and Evans use their understanding of emotional intelligence and the DISC personality test to provide an easy model to follow called DISC EQ. This framework will help you communicate better, create more productive conflict, and successfully lead all the different personalities in your workplace.
This is a useful episode for leaders, salespeople, and customer service focused individuals who frequently interact with various people or those who are looking to communicate with their colleagues, clients, and vendors more effectively.
Key Takeaways:
[3:07] How personality differences cause problems in the workplace
[9:54] Why process improvement wasn’t enough for Brett…
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Jan 18, 2021
Showing Up As Your Authentic Self is More Important Than Fitting In l E26 Jay Williams
Today’s guest is Jay Williams, the Founder of Maskless Men, an community based organization built for men to discuss the things we normally don’t get to talk about: break ups, emotions, family and parenting issues, sex, porn, the feeling of being inadequate, and more.
Jay started Maskless Men after he saw the need for men to have a place to open up, share how they’re feeling, and gain some reassurance.
In this conversation, Jay will talk about his 28 years of wearing what he calls masks.
After being the good child, the agreeable and pleasing boyfriend, the tough, macho man at work, the loud, confident, funny friend, Jay decided he had enough. He became exhausted acting as a different personality depending on who he was with. He built the courage to take off the mask, go on a journey of self-discovery, and start showing up as his true authentic self.
By listening to this episode, I hope you’ll begin to reflect how your upbringing may be affecting your relationships today, wh…
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Jan 4, 2021
Traveling the World, Networking Practices that Work, and Uncovering Your Purpose l E25 Jared Schuster
Today’s guest is Jared Schuster, Founder of Sparks of Consciousness which focuses on serving people who feel purposeless.
In this conversation, Jared brings us through his last decade which included graduating through the 2008 recession, learning from yogis in India, a car accident that broke both of his legs, working with Shaman in South America, and much more.
By listening to this episode, you’ll learn about following your intuition, networking practices that work, and questions to help you uncover your purpose.
This episode is perfect for those wondering where their life is going to take them.
Key Takeaways:
[1:21] The job of a Fire Keeper
[10:30] Finding his dream job through the 2008 Financial Crisis...and quitting 9 months later.
[20:39] Networking practices that work
[30:01] Chasing the endless summer in southeast Asia
[43:14] Overcoming his father's death as a child
[45:50] Finding your purpose with self-examining questions
Favorite Quotes:
[9:28] “When you sp…
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Dec 21, 2020
Define Your North Star and Make an Impact l E24 Christen Brandt
Today’s guest is Christen Brandt, Co-Founder and Chief Programs Officer at She’s the First, an organization working to create a world where girls are safe and have equal rights.
At the end of 2019, She’s the First had a presence in over 21 countries, had over 500 graduates of partner programs, and reached over 11,000 girls.
2020 has brought even more success for She’s the First, Christen, and her co-founder Tammy Tibbetts. The two of them can now call themselves authors, as their new book, Impact: A Step by Step Plan to Create the World You Want to Live In, was just released.
Christen came on the podcast to discuss some core takeaways from the book including defining your North Star, band-aids versus system solutions, and overcoming the “shoulders” out there.
This is an awesome episode for those who are looking to make an impact.
Key Takeaways:
[2:22] How Christen found her work wife
[15:11] Serving women to create more firsts
[19:03] How Christen’s experience led…
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Dec 6, 2020
Zero Waste Mentality and How You Can Easily Implement It l E23 Tippi Thole
There is no doubt that humans are causing long-term destruction to the environment because of our decisions. So what can we do to do our part in helping the planet?
Today’s guest, Tippi Thole, was asking herself the same question when she heard her son talking about zero waste. That kicked off a News Year’s resolution to reduce her trash. Her efforts paid off.
Today, her family’s weekly trash can fit into the palm of your hand. Tippi is here to convince us that we can do the same without it being a huge inconvenience on our lifestyle or breaking the bank on tons of eco-friendly products.
In this episode, Tippi will share with you why receipts aren’t recyclable, why food scraps don’t just biodegrade in landfills, strategies for reducing waste during the holidays, and so much more.
This episode is perfect for environmental lovers that have been struggling to figure out how they can make an impact.
Key Takeaways:
[3:28] How a zero waste lunch box sparked a New Year’s res…
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Nov 23, 2020
Spend Less Time on Job Boards and Get More Responses l E22 James Aiken
Today’s guest is James Aiken, Founder and President of Legacy Search, an independent recruiting agency in South Carolina.
Over the last 8 months, COVID has wreaked havoc on many industries causing massive layoffs. I’ve had friends that have worked for airlines, restaurants, hotels, oil and gas, entertainment all lose their job.
I’ve also heard from those that are gearing up to make a change. One gift of COVID has been that it has given us plenty of time to think, figure out what is important to us, and chart out our future.
That’s why I thought it was important to bring James on the podcast to help set you up for success in your next job search.
By listening to this episode, you are going to gain tons of job search prep advice including building a candidate packet to help you stand out from the crowd, how to maximize output while minimizing time on job boards, and overcoming the hurdle of having no relevant experience.
This is the perfect episode for those searching for a…
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Nov 9, 2020
Using Job Crafting to Increase Your Career Satisfaction l E21 Dr. Benjamin Ritter
Today’s guest is Dr. Benjamin Ritter, Founder of Live for Yourself Consulting.
Ben’s current chapter of life began when he got a wake up call walking into work one day. He was on his way to a Chicago medical center where he worked as an Executive in healthcare administration. As he glanced at fellow commuters that passed him on the sidewalk, he realized they all carried the same feelings on their face: unhappiness, resentfulness, defeat.
Taking in the energy of that morning commute made him have a sudden realization...he didn’t really like his job either. Sure, it seemed like the perfect job on paper: fancy title, great pay and benefits, and he could even walk to work!
But he knew deep down, he was called to serve elsewhere and he knew that other people had this same problem. That’s when LFY Consulting was created. Ben now helps business professionals who feel stuck or unfulfilled at work just like he did.
In this episode, we get into topics such as creating novelty in your…
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Oct 25, 2020
How to Look Dapper on a Budget and Ask for What You’re Worth l E20 Dany Dao
Today’s guest is Dany Dao, the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Renaissance Group. Dany is a wildly interesting skill builder whose list of competencies include photographer, videographer, tailor, barber, magician, break dancer, and linguist.
Dany was a computer science major turned college dropout with the intention of pursuing photography full-time. Quite an uneasy decision for someone with Asian immigrant parents but as you can guess, things worked out. He created Renaissance Group where he helps corporations with creative strategy and brand imaging.
In this episode, you’ll hear Dany and I discuss how to turn boredom into curiosity, overcoming the fear of other people’s opinion, and why you should be asking for what you’re worth.
This episode is perfect for those that like taking the unconventional route.
Key Takeaways:
[2:35] Why Dany loves to learn new things
[12:11] Overcoming the fear of other people’s opinion
[24:23] What does it mean to be a creative
[29:1…
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Oct 12, 2020
The Problem with SMART Goals l E19 Ryan Bennett
Today’s guest is Ryan Bennett, who developed a method called The Intentional Growth Model to help people reach their full potential.
Ryan’s profile includes being an ESPN Academic All-American, founding member of a tech start-up, high-performance coach, speaker, and author of The Intentional Day.
But these titles didn’t come easy. With the competitive fire leftover from collegiate baseball and a freshly printed degree in hand, Ryan set out to Silicon Valley to start building his business empire. But after a few years of iterations and modest growth, Ryan had to close his startup and label it a failure.
This was the start of his rebuilding journey. He eventually traded the remote for a book, late night drinking for early morning coffees, and a storyline of failure for a life of personal growth.
There are a lot of goodies in this conversation, including the 4 major elements of The Intentional Growth model, why he believes SMART goals don’t work, how to build your coalition o…
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Sep 27, 2020
Moving On From a Toxic Relationship and Reprogramming Unhealthy Behaviors l E18 Angela Marie
Today’s guest is Angela Marie, Founder of Find Your Purpose and Shine.
During a thriving 19-year career in network marketing, Angela often found herself giving advice and coaching other professionals on how to succeed in the industry. That experience, and going through a live transformation of her own, lead her to creating her coaching business and writing a book titled “Get Overself Yourself and Find Your Purpose and Shine.”
In this episode, Angela and I discuss topics such as moving on from a toxic relationship, dealing with failure, reprogramming unhealthy habits, and what she learned from her mentor, the Bikini Business Coach.
This episode is perfect for your friend who’s been struggling to move on. I hope this episode gives you the confidence to do so.
Key Takeaways:
[11:53] Managing a toxic relationship
[22:49] How you parent motivation
[33:01] Dealing with failure and heartbreak
[37:45] How to create a gratitude practice
[40:22] What Angela learned from the bik…
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Sep 14, 2020
Why You Should Learn a New Skill and How to Do It l E17 Justin Peters
Today, I go solo and speak on the importance of skill acquisition. I believe learning new things will not only lead to professional advancements but a more meaningful, personal life as well.
In this episode, I give a framework for how you can start learning something new. I will also caution you on obstacles to look out for and how to overcome them.
This episode is perfect for someone who feels they’re living a mundane life and looking to change that today.
Key Takeaways:
[3:02] Why you should pursue acquiring new skills for both professional and personal reason
[9:07] Staying in the beginner’s mindset
[14:14] Simple framework for learning something new
[19:46] Obstacles to look out for when learning a new skill and how to overcome them.
Favorite Quotes:
[2:07] I’m not sure you can live a meaningful life if you’re not actively pursuing learning new skills.
[9:46] When was the last time I tried something that I felt completely out of my comfort zone?
[20:27] You’re…
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Aug 31, 2020
Public Speaking Best Practices, Passion is Bogus, and Pitching a CEO l E16 Brenden Kumarasamy
Today’s guest is Brenden Kumarasamy, a speaking coach and Founder of MasterTalk.
Growing up poor in Montreal, Brenden started seeking a better life for himself and his mom. He competed in case competitions in college which landed him a consulting job at IBM.
After speaking over 400 times, he has now turned his attention to helping others find their public speaking talents. He founded MasterTalk with the goal of being the top YouTube channel focused on public speaking.
In this episode, you’ll hear Brenden’s thoughts on passion, advice on how to pitch a CEO, and how to grow your following. Of course, Brendan also shares a ton of insight on how to become a better public speaker.
This episode is perfect for someone who thinks they’re too young to accomplish something big.
Key Takeaways:
[13:28] Why passion is bogus and what you can do to find your calling
[19:02] How to pitch a C-level executive by showing not telling
[26:49] How Brenden gained MasterTalk’s first 1,000 su…
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Aug 17, 2020
Saying No to An Invite, Apologizing the Right Way, and Communication that Works l E15 Jonathan Miller
Today’s guest is Jonathan Miller, a speaker, facilitator, and communication coach. He is also the host of the incredible podcast, Mindful Communication, where he has conversations with thinkers and influencers about the art and science of connection.
In this episode, Jonathan and I discuss why there is not a right or wrong whenever it comes to communication.
He also gives advice on how to say no to an invite, how to give a powerful apology, and how to take on someone else’s perspective.
This episode is perfect for anyone who wants to have more clarity with their words.
Key Takeaways:
[10:30] There is no right or wrong with communication rather what works or doesn’t work
[20:01] How to say no to an invite without offending the host
[23:17] Conflict can lead to two outcomes: drama or creativity
[35:29] The difference between a regular apology vs a powerful apology
[44:45] How to take on someone else’s perspective
Favorite Quotes:
[18:04] “We are denying the fact that…
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Aug 3, 2020
How to Address Performance Issues, Gain Trust with Senior Leaders, and Become a Better Leader l E14 Steve Gillen
Today’s guest is Steve Gillen, Senior Executive at Marsh & McLennan Agency, with over 35 years of management and leadership experience.
I was fortunate to work along side Steve for over 7 years. He’s a people first leader whom is both fair and challenging.
In this episode, we will discuss how to become a better leader, addressing performance issues within your team, how to gain trust with more senior leaders, and much more.
This episode is perfect for first time managers looking to grow into exceptional leaders.
Key Takeaways:
[2:01] The difference between a manager and a leader
[10:49] How to become a better leader
[27:03] Three things to ask yourself when addressing performance issues on your team
[32:40] What to look for in a potential leader
[41:36] How to gain trust with senior leaders
[44:45] What is the biggest challenge facing leaders today?
Favorite Quotes:
[3:27] You’re not a leader if you don’t have followers.
[19:44] I am not afraid, and never be afraid…
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Jul 20, 2020
Relationship Lessons from Our First Year Dating I E13 Gaby Deimeke
Today’s episode is a little different than the usual interview style format.
Gaby Deimeke and I have officially been dating for one year, so I invited her on the show to have a discussion about the past year together.
We share insights including what we’ve learned about each other, what we plan to work on in year two, and break down what’s worked for us so far.
We are far from perfect but we are hoping that we might just say something that you can try out in your relationship.
Key Takeaways:
[8:48] Effort is the bedrock of every healthy relationship
[11:45] Sharing the spotlight and supporting each other in our relationship
[21:08] How we adapt to each other’s primary love languages
[31:25] How we do weekly date nights
[45:09] Being able to respectfully tell your partner no
[53:10] Defining core values in our relationship
Favorite Quotes:
[3:07] Okay, wow. We are a year in, forever to go.
[8:51] Always put in 10 times the effort even if you aren’t going to get th…
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Jul 6, 2020
Improve Your Sleep with These Simple Tips I E12 Lee Chambers
Today’s guest is Lee Chambers, a Workplace Wellness Consultant that wants to help people live a healthier version of themselves.
At a critical time in his life with a young child and a pregnant wife at home, he lost the ability to walk. After 11 months of rehabilitation, he regained mobility and decided to start a coaching business called Essentialise.
During our conversation, Lee shares advice on practical ways to improve your sleep including caffeine curfews and bedroom optimization.
Key Takeaways:
[2:17] Why Lee started Essentialise
[8:08] How Lee responded when he lost the ability to walk
[20:25] Lee’s thoughts on the culture around sleep deprivation
[31:16] Strategies for balancing coffee and alcohol with sleep optimization
[36:30] How to redesign your bedroom to optimize your sleep
Favorite Quotes:
[9:52] You get a lot of time to reflect when you’re stuck in a hospital bed and can’t move.
[12:06] By the time she’s walking, god dammit I’m going to be walking…
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Jun 21, 2020
”NO Stands for Next Opportunity” How to Overcome Rejection and Get What You Want I E11 Dee Goines
Today’s guest is Daniel “Dee” Goines, who has spent the last 15 years crafting an impressive career in higher education.
His story illustrates how you can create opportunities for yourself and capitalize on them. He has an infectious personality with a humble storyline. Oh, and he shook The Rock’s hand (you’ll hear more about it in the episode).
This episode is perfect for someone who has been going through a time of rejection and needs some inspiration.
Key Takeaways:
[3:06] Dee’s difficult route to college
[18:14] Dee meeting his mentor John Buck
[27:23] Advice on how to overcome rejection and cultivate more hunger
[33:39] How you go from knowing no one in high school to being a super connector in college
[44:57] How Dee met Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
[55:41] Dee’s thoughts on the current racial climate and advice on being an ally
Favorite Quotes:
[22:28] “If you think about it, all the cool people have one name.”
[31:32 “All of those 10 times I ask…
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Jun 8, 2020
When It Comes to Big Decisions, Trust Your Gut I E10 Kate Holtz
Today’s guest is Kate Holtz, a good friend who I admire for her ability to follow through with scary decisions.
As a left-brain dominate, I’ve find sanctuary hearing that most of Kate’s big decisions are based on a gut feeling.
In this episode, Kate and I discuss her decision to go to Butler University, how she found herself in San Francisco post-college, and handling the transition to long distance dating.
This episode is perfect for those who find themselves overthinking decisions way too often.
Key Takeaways:
[4:41] How Kate’s upbringing affected who she is today
[15:35] How Kate made the decision to go to Butler University
[26:12] Kate’s choice to move to San Francisco and the challenges she had to overcome when doing that
[40:07] Handling long distance dating
[0:00] Advice when you’re seeking your first job
Favorite Quotes:
[10:54] My seventh grade brother called me bossy and that was definitely the tipping pointing where you start to realize you need to gro…
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May 25, 2020
Level Up Your Communication Skills with a Toastmaster President I E9 Geoff King
Today’s guest is Geoff King, a communication expert and all around great human.
In this episode, Geoff and I discuss why we believe effective communication is the number one skillset that everyone should be investing time into mastering.
Geoff shares some of his insights he’s learned from growing his real estate business, being President of a Toastmasters club, and competing and coaching in speech and debate.
This episode is perfect for those who are looking to keep themselves relevant in a world where clear communication can make a huge difference.
Show Notes:
[2:10] What Geoff learned from Toastmasters
[15:56] The most important skill Geoff looks for when hiring
[28:27] Stories from coaching speech and debate
[32:30] How to give effective feedback
[41:24] Why failure and learning are synonymous
[44:50] Using the 10X Rule to crush your goals
Favorite Quotes:
[22:50] “We look for someone that’s consistent. Are you committed to whatever it is that you’re doing?”…
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May 10, 2020
Building Mental Toughness Through Running I E8 Calendar Club
This is a special episode for me. With a group of friends in April, I completed a running challenge called the Calendar Club.
I invited our group onto The Struggle is Real to discuss the challenge and lessons learned. We have lots of laughs throughout as everyone shares stories about their personal experiences.
This light-hearted episode is perfect for those looking to learn more about a fitness challenge that they could use to jumpstart their health journey.
Key Takeaways:
[3:27] Why each member wanted to do Calendar Club
[4:48] Discussion about our views on being a runner
[10:58] How we held themselves accountable throughout the month
[20:31] Overcoming long run days using mental fortitude
[32:08] Lessons learned by completing Calendar Club
Favorite Quotes:
[10:14] It’s encouraging for anyone who’s like, I don’t think I can do that. Actually you can do it, if you just decide to be dedicated to it. - Gaby
[15:10] I disliked most of it. - Shane
[26:25] There was this…
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Apr 25, 2020
Critical Skills for Negotiating Your Next Job Offer I E7 Alexandra Dickinson
Today’s guest is Alexandra Dickinson, Founder and CEO of Ask For It, a negotiation training and coaching business.
In this episode, Alexandra and I discuss how negotiating doesn’t need to feel combative and unpleasant. She gives tactics and advice on a myriad of topics including figuring out an appropriate salary range, practicing for a salary negotiation conversation, and handling the question “how much do you currently make?”
This episode is perfect for those who feel they deserve more, but might not have the skills, or more importantly, the confidence to ask for it.
Key Takeaways:
[2:38] Starting Ask For It and overcoming imposter syndrome
[10:36] When to negotiate and how to go about it
[11:53] How to figure out an appropriate salary range
[22:04] How to practice for a salary negotiation conversation
[30:43] Advice on handling “how much do you currently make?”
[38:23] Utilizing the “wish, want, walk” method when negotiating
[45:21] Alexandra’s favorite n…
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Apr 11, 2020
Keep Your Money and Your Values Aligned I E6 Luis Savery
Today’s guest is Luis Savery, Founder of Templo Education.
In this episode, Luis and I discuss why he started an organization focused on educating young adults about financial literacy.
We talk about why he believes your purchases reflect what you truly value, how to get someone to be your mentor, and the small yet significant difference between discipline and impulse.
This episode is perfect for anyone looking to be more intentional about how they handle their money.
Key Takeaways:
[5:07] How growing up in Upper Manhattan influenced Luis’ mindset on money
[13:18] The inspiration for Templo Education and how the organization works
[19:19] Why the school system fails to teach financial literacy and what Luis would do about it
[26:16] Luis’ advice on how to find a mentor and maximize that relationship
[33:43] Where you spend your money reflects what you value
[41:18] Discipline versus impulse
Favorite Quotes:
[18:38] Adding finances to your repertoire while you're learn…
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Mar 27, 2020
The Power of a Growth Mindset I E5 Kevin McWilliams
Joining me on the podcast today is Kevin McWilliams.
In this episode, Kevin shares his story of developing a growth mindset and the impact that shift has had on his life.
Kevin and I discuss how to align your time with your priorities to get what you want. We also dive into his love for sports, his complicated relationship with his dad, and spotting career opportunities.
This episode is perfect for anyone looking for inspiration to push past their limiting beliefs.
Key Takeaways:
[3:51] How to align your priorities with how you spend your time
[13:48] Communicating with friends you’re falling out with
[17:50] Is grad school right for you?
[19:33] How Kevin overcame his fixed mindset
[25:20] Two of the most powerful words you can say...I am.
[30:28] Why sports are the perfect parallel to life.
[33:58] The duality of people illustrated through Kevin's father
[44:23] Spotting and evaluating career opportunities
Favorite Quotes:
[12:18] I was so unintentional, I was letting…
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Mar 3, 2020
Unbelievable Transformation from Overweight to Fitness Coach I E4 Shane Jenne
Joining us on The Struggle is Real is Shane Jenne.
In this episode, Shane and I discuss his early struggles with weight and how he was bound to a life filled with chronic health issues.
Instead of fulfilling this prophecy though, Shane transformed his life losing 80 pounds the summer after his freshman year of college.
He didn’t stop there though. His transformation inspired him to help those starting their own health revolution. Shane became a certified personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach.
He recently started an online personal training program for the entertainment industry that includes actors, dancers, and performers.
This episode includes tips on fitness, nutrition, and sleep.
Key Takeaways:
[2:32] How Shane got started on his health journey
[9:10] Why finding your why is important during your fitness journey
[14:22] Shane explains how he defines a healthy lifestyle
[20:20] 9/10 people say their number one issue with their wellness is sleep and what we…
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Feb 19, 2020
High School Sweethearts Share Tips for a Successful Relationship I E3 Jeff & Abby Nickel
Today’s guests are Jeff and Abby Nickel.
These high school sweethearts share tips to have a successful relationship.
We discuss the importance of forgiveness, creating a separate and joint identity, planning a wedding together, and the challenge of buying a house and moving in together.
Throughout the 10 years of knowing them and watching their relationship grow, they have inspired me to become a better partner.
Key Takeaways:
[6:30) Humility and forgiveness are the key to a successful relationship
[9:29] Changes Jeff and Abby had to make in order to make their relationship work
[11:34] Creating a joint and separate identity
[17:14] Planning a wedding together
[21:21] Buying a house and transitioning into living together
[27:33] How each of them positively influence one another
[29:05] Advice to their younger siblings on how to have a successful relationship
More of Jeff & Abby:
Instagram: @abby_rowan_nickel
More of TSIR:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpod…
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Feb 10, 2020
When In Doubt, Choose to Be Authentic l E2 Kyle Peters
Today we are speaking with my brother, Kyle Peters, who is a recent college graduate.
At first he was destined to become a doctor yet took a left turn when he found what he was really looking for in retail leadership.
Key Takeaways:
[0:58] Kyle shares why he choose going to college and becoming a doctor
[3:10] Kyle talks about managing with the uncertainty around his degree choice
[6:53] Why being authentic is the key to differentiate yourself and find the right job out of college
[11:00] How Kyle transitioned out of medical sales
[13:45] Why Target went from a perspective part-time job to the perfect career match
[15:43] Kyle's leadership style
More of Kyle:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylepeters2/
More of TSIR:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/
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Jan 27, 2020
One Small Step is the Kickstart You Need l E1 Mason Stevens
Welcome to the first episode of the The Struggle is Real with Justin Peters.
In this episode, Mason Stevens, military brat and health nut, shares his thoughts on how someone begins their journey of a healthier life.
More of Mason:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mason_james209/
More of TSIR:
Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/
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