Build A Wealthy Spirit

This Valentine's Day Episode is for our single listeners and their busybody friends (you know who you are)! Oz Chen is a personal finance writer who decided to take his dating life out of the hands of Tinder, Hinge and Bumble. Instead of depending on the apps to match him with his soulmate, he took a couple creative turns. He created a "matchmaking program" which was a guide for his friends who knew people who could be a good match with Oz. To sweeten the deal, Oz added a referral bonus. The person who introduces him to his life partner will receive a nice little payday.

Oz isn't a jaded dater though. He shares how he wanted to find new ways to meet people and keep dating fun. Inviting his friends to play the game of love with him was a wonderful way to meet interesting people and deepen his relationships with his current friends.  

Find More on Oz Chen:

• Ozchen.com
• Oz Chen’s Newsletter
• Oz's Matchmaker Program
• Oz’s Date-Me Doc

Find more show notes and interact with the Build A Wealthy Spirit community at buildawealthyspirit.com!

How do you manage your social media usage? Have anyone completely given it up?

Show Notes:

• Your phone is trying to control your life on PBS with Tristan Harris 
• Center for Humane Technology 
• The Top 100 Most Valuable Brands in 2024 by Visual Capitalist 
• Deep Work by Cal Newport 
• Cashing Out by Julien and Kiersten Saunders

Community Time

• Thank you Nate Bleadorn for your thoughts on our most recent episode on The Purpose of a Gathering. 
• Thank you, Kat, for your concerns that we may be joining a cult 

Find more show notes and interact with the Build A Wealthy Spirit community at buildawealthyspirit.com!

Outside of exercise, the primary goal of my sabbatical is to build community. When I was working, I never had time to meet people and build deep relationships. 

Since we are making friends, Michelle and I have been hosting and attending a lot of gatherings. We have found Priya Parker’s tool of having a deep purpose very helpful in creating events that deepen relationships. 

Having a purpose for a gathering may seem simple and obvious. However, Priya Parker emphasizes having a deep and specific purpose. To “celebrate my birthday” is not an adequate purpose. The purpose is the goal of the gathering. What do we want everyone to get out of the gathering? 

Back to the birthday party example, the purpose could be to bring all my friends from different groups together and find commonalities among them. Maybe the purpose is simply to have my friends show their appreciation for me on my birthday. See how these two different purposes have two completely different party structures? In the former, the host may use an icebreaker or game to introduce the different guests to each other. In the later example, maybe the host has a friend write down one thing they appreciate about the birthday person and then the host may share these out loud. 

Knowing the purpose of the party can help structure the agenda, how the room is laid out, who is invited, etc. 

This week, Michelle and I use Priya Parker’s recommendations on the purpose of a gathering from her book The Art of Gathering, to help create more meaningful events.

Show Notes:

• The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
• Deep Talk Meetup Charleston

Community Time

• Thank you 
• NatalieFL for your comments on our CAMPFI episode 

BWS on Social Media

• Instagram
• Tik Tok
• Youtube

Find more show notes and interact with the Build A Wealthy Spirit community at buildawealthyspirit.com!

Going into 2023, Harris Jones had an impressive work resume. She was the third employee at RehabWallet, a successful real estate startup but she was unsatisfied with how she spent her time after work. 

She was a self proclaimed quiet and meek person, nervous to speak at the real estate events she attended for her work. However, she knew she enjoyed the events and wanted to shift from outside viewer to active participant. 

Most people set intentions or resolutions in January that fall apart before the month ends, let alone accomplish a major change in the year. Harris joined us on Build A Wealthy Spirit to walk us through how she went through her 2023 transformation. 

Realizing she enjoyed the events but had a blocker for public speaking, she set forth a plan to become a paid public speaker. Her journey would include removing her adult "baby" teeth, joining Toastmasters, going on stage for improv and in that same year, her first paid speaking experience. 

There are a few takeaways that Harris shares for anyone who is looking at this new year and thinking they want to finally make *that* big change. Whether it's to get that six pack, adopt a puppy, or go on stage for the first time. Most of us have something we deeply want to do, but don't even know how to push ourselves to reach out full potential. Harris is living proof that taking the first step can open the doors to a new you.
Let us know if you have a big goal for 2024!

Follow Harris Jones:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/thehoopinvestor
• Website: HYPRfocus.com

Show Notes:

• Not Nice: Stop People Pleasing, Staying Silent, & Feeling Guilty... And Start Speaking Up, Saying No, Asking Boldly, And Unapologetically Being Yourself by Aziz Gazipura
• The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, Jim Huling
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• Lewis Howes:
  • Conference: Summit of Greatness
  • School of Greatness Podcast
• Impact Theory by Tom Bilyeu
• Sparketype Test
• Ed Mylett

Find more show notes and interact with the Build A Wealthy Spirit community at https://buildawealthyspirit.substack.com/

One silver lining of COVID is that it gave me a new appreciation for in-person gatherings. As much as online meetings can help connect when we cannot meet in person, there is nothing that compares to IRL meetings. 

Last weekend, Michelle and I attended CAMP FI in Florida. There were 80+ FI/RE lovers present at a summer-camp style venue with speakers, break-out sessions, outdoor activities- kayaking, yoga, archery, karaoke and lots of time to have deep intimate conversations. 

Michelle and I found five unique benefits to this type of IRL meeting with like-minded people: 

1. Meeting real-life people rather than listening to internet personas
2. Deepen your interest in FI
3. Similar struggles
4. Inside jokes
5. Venn diagram of interests 

Show Notes:

• CampFI 
• Coast FI/Lean FI definitions by Tally.com
• The Complete Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Dr Peter Attia
• The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins 
• I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi 
• Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
• Quit Like a Millionaire by Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung

Community Time

• Jess from Oak and Grain Refinishing 
  • Youtube
  • Instagram 

BWS on Social Media

• Instagram
• Tik Tok
• Youtube

Find more show notes and interact with the Build A Wealthy Spirit community at buildawealthyspirit.com!

With tax advantaged accounts, when it clicks, it's easy to become obsessed with all the ways you can use these money vehicles to build wealth! 
However, it's not always easy to understand! What is Roth? How much should you *really* invest in your 401K?
 This episode is our guide to the basics of tax-advantaged accounts. This includes, what they are, how much to consider investing and why Michelle and Sammie think this is a must add to your to do list at the beginning of the year.
There's a lot to know about tax advantage accounts. Let us know your tip in our comment section at https://buildawealthyspirit.substack.com/

Find more show notes and interact with the Build A Wealthy Spirit community at https://buildawealthyspirit.substack.com/

Michelle and I like to use Charlie Gilkey’s Four Project Rule from his book Start Finishing to help create our yearly resolution. Charlie recommends limiting yourself to no more than four projects a quarter. He includes things like moving and starting a new job as a project as they require a significant portion of our time. These projects can be re-visited every quarter. Projects that become systematic habits can be removed from the projects list

Michelle and I also like to create a theme for the year as well. I like for this theme to be poetic and capture the general spirit of the new year. 

Theme for 2023: I tend to the garden of my being

Theme for 2024: I play in gardens of abundance 

Last year, I focused on taking care of my needs and I embodied this. This culminated in me quitting my job. 

This year I am focusing on enjoying the fruits of my previous labors. The focus is to play in life. I don’t have to take everything so seriously this year because I realize I already have everything I need. This year is about enjoying life. 

Show notes

• Charlie Gilkey author of Start Finishing
• Charlie Gilkey’s piece on projects: January 2024 Planning Tips: Projects, Not Resolutions
• Sparketype Episode Part 1 
• Sparketype Episode Part 2
• Sparketype Assessment 

Community Time

• Happy Birthday Michelle!
• We hit 25k downloads! Thank you, listeners!
• Did you listen to today’s episode? Do you have a better idea for Michelle’s theme? Let us know in the comments!
• CampFI - We will be speaking at CampFI this weekend!

BWS on Social Media

• Instagram
• Tik Tok
• Youtube

Riverside: Partner For This Episode
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Find more show notes and interact with the Build A Wealthy Spirit community at buildawealthyspirit.com!

We have been hearing from a lot of listeners that they are planning to join the “sabaddie” crew and are going to leave their jobs in 2024. 

Other people have expressed concerns that there may be lay-offs at their job and they want to be prepared. 

Regardless of the reason for leaving our job, there are steps we can take to prepare for our departure to make this process smoother. 

1. Pick a date
2. I initially thought about leaving my job in December 2023. Once I picked that date, I started to receive signs that I should leave my job earlier. Once I moved up the date to September 2023 I felt much more content with my timeline. There is something about choosing a date that allows your intuition to speak. 
3. Choosing a date also helps you work backward and map out all the things that need to be done (moving, putting in your notice, taking PTO, etc) before you leave. 
4. Create Runway
5. First, we need to calculate how much we spend monthly on average. This can give us a good idea of how much liquid money we need. Some people may be comfortable with 1-3 months worth of cash, others will want years and some people will want to be fully financially independent before quitting their job. 
6. Regardless of the type of person, everyone begins with estimating their monthly costs
7. Exit Checklist 
8. This is a checklist that includes everything that needs to be done before leaving work. As soon as you pick a date, a million to-do tasks will start popping into your brain at random times. From scheduling meetings with HR to canceling gym memberships, all the things that need to be completed should not be stored in the mind. Create a document or spreadsheet and note everything that needs to be done. 
9. DO NOT TELL ANYONE YOU ARE LEAVING 
10. Tell only the “need to know” people until it needs to be shared with everyone. In some work scenarios, disclosing these plans could result in early termination/resignation. 

Show notes

• Episode 104: Financial Runway 

Community Time

• Thank you Julie for your comments on the Unconventional Choices episodes. 
• Thank you Nate Bleadorn for your comments on Nick Gray’s podcast. Check out the Good People Summit that Nate mentioned. 

BWS on Social Media

• Instagram
• Tik Tok
• Youtube

Riverside: Partner For This Episode
Check out our partner for this episode, Riverside

Your Online Recording Studio — Riverside.fm - Record remote podcasts and video interviews in studio quality from anywhere. Used by +70,000 creators & Fortune 500 firms. App store rating: 5.0/5.0. Get started free.

Find more show notes and interact with the Build A Wealthy Spirit community at buildawealthyspirit.com!

Nick Gray, author of the The 2-Hour Cocktail Party, joins us today to talk about the best way to make friends as an adult, throw a party with new and old friends!

If that sounds scary, Sammie and Michelle can relate. Luckily, Nick literally wrote the book on throwing the perfect party. On this episode we discuss the challenges of making friends as an adult, why cocktail (or mocktail) parties are a great way to create and deepen friendships, and we cover some of the best things to put in place to have structure for your party and to help ease your anxieties. By the end of this episode, we were excited to throw a party and hope you feel the seeds of that as well.

Nick Gray's Information:

• Book: The 2-Hour Cocktail Party: How to Build Big Relationships with Small Gatherings
• Website: nickgray.net
• Nick Gray's Instagram: @nickgraynews
• Nick Gray's Twitter: @nickgraynews
• Email: [email protected]
• Bollywood Music Video

Find more of our show notes at buildawealthyspirit.com! There you can also leave us a comment and claim one of the five free copies of The 2-Hour Cocktail Party that we are giving away to our listeners. 

Find more show notes and interact with the Build A Wealthy Spirit community at buildawealthyspirit.com!

Find more show notes and interact with the Build A Wealthy Spirit community at buildawealthyspirit.com!

Growing up, I never thought I would leave the workforce and spend my time doing things I love. I had no comprehension of ideas like financial independence, early retirements, or sabbaticals. The paths I saw were laid out in straight lines and cheat codes did not exist. 

Reflecting on our journey, Michelle and I realize we have made some unconventional decisions that have given us financial abundance and, most importantly, time freedom.

Show notes

• Tools Of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferris 
• Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
• Tim Ferris on Tools of Titans by Richard Feloni with Business Insider 
• I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
• Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Riverside: Partner For This Episode
Check out our partner for this episode, Riverside

We are so excited to partner with Riverside.fm for this episode because they have made recording audio and video for our 150+ episodes a seamless, stress free process. If you're thinking about starting a podcast or video channel, Riverside.fm is a great resource for having conversations with interesting guests without having to worry about connection issues or choppy audio. 

Find more show notes and interact with the Build A Wealthy Spirit community at buildawealthyspirit.com!