iWealth Podcast

What started as one simple idea—making sure families in Waseca County could enjoy a Christmas dinner—has grown into a 16-year tradition of generosity, community involvement, and giving back.In this episode of the iWealth Podcast: Plan on Purpose, Brad Connors sits down with his wife, Trudi, to share the story behind the annual Holiday Food Basket Program, supported by the iWealth Foundation through the Waseca Area Foundation.Together with the Waseca Area Neighborhood Service Center, local students, Scouts, businesses, and generous community members, this initiative helps provide approximately 250 families with the ingredients to prepare a special Christmas meal.But the impact doesn't stop at Christmas.The program also helps support the Backpack Program, which provides 325 backpacks of food each week to children throughout Waseca County who may otherwise go without enough food over the weekend.Brad and Trudi discuss how a small idea became a community-wide effort, why giving back matters to their family, and how the generosity of others continues to make a meaningful difference.**In this episode:**- How the Holiday Food Basket Program began 16 years ago- The community effort behind providing Christmas meals to local families- Why 325 children receive weekend food assistance each week- How donations support both Christmas meals and the Backpack Program- The importance of teaching the next generation to give back- How one simple idea can grow into something much bigger**Want to make a difference this Christmas?**The iWealth Foundation provides a $3,000 matching contribution, and donations go directly to the Waseca Area Neighborhood Service Center to support the Holiday Food Basket Program and ongoing food assistance.Visit the iWealth website to learn more about the program and how you can contribute.At iWealth, we believe planning on purpose goes beyond finances. It's about making intentional decisions with your time, resources, and generosity to make a difference in the lives of others.**Sometimes the greatest return on an investment is the impact it makes on someone else's life.**Subscribe to the iWealth Podcast for more conversations about money, business ownership, family, and living intentionally.#iWealth #PlanOnPurpose #WasecaMN #GivingBack #CommunityImpact #HolidayFoodBaskets #WasecaAreaFoundation #CharitableGiving

What if you put the same intentionality into your marriage that you put into building your business or career?In this episode of the iWealth Podcast, Brad sits down with longtime friend Lamar Lark, founder of Unbreakable Promise, to talk about marriage, purpose, and why success outside the home doesn’t mean nearly as much if you’re not also “winning at home.”After more than 40 years of marriage and decades of working with couples, Lamar and his wife, Brenda, developed Unbreakable Promise to help couples intentionally work on their relationship—not because their marriage is broken, but because strong marriages still deserve attention, coaching, and continued growth.Lamar shares the seven key areas they work through with couples: mindset and emotional intelligence, communication, finances, health and wellness, faith, family, and legacy. The goal is to help each spouse answer an important question: What does it take for me to show up as the best version of myself every day?Just like we have coaches for business, athletics, and other important areas of life, why wouldn’t we intentionally invest time in coaching one of our most important relationships?Brad and Lamar also discuss the 2027 Unbreakable Promise Weekends and how couples can experience the program before committing to the full-year journey.Learn more about Unbreakable Promise at UnbreakablePromise.com.

How do young adults think about money, investing, careers, college, and financial planning today?In this special episode of the iWealth Podcast, Brad Connors sits down with his daughter, Kendra, for an honest conversation about what it's like navigating adulthood in a world filled with social media, endless information, and constant financial decisions.They discuss how today's generation approaches saving, investing, 401(k)s, home ownership, college debt, career choices, and the challenge of sorting through financial advice online. Kendra shares her perspective as a young professional, newly married, expecting her first child, and beginning her career in marketing.The conversation explores:How social media influences financial decisionsSaving for retirement vs. saving for life goalsWhy goal-based saving can be so powerfulThe value of college and whether it's changingTrade schools vs. four-year degreesCareer networking and finding opportunitiesInformation overload and learning who to trustWhy human advice still matters in an AI-driven worldWhether you're a young adult trying to build a financial foundation, a parent wanting to understand the next generation, or simply curious about how money conversations are evolving, this episode offers valuable perspective from both sides of the table.One thing remains true: information is everywhere, but wisdom still comes from relationships.#YoungAdults #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #MoneyMindset #Investing #RetirementPlanning #CollegePlanning #CareerAdvice #iWealth #genzfinance iWealthSUBSCRIBEEducation is first! At iWealth, we pride ourselves on helping people make smart decisions when it comes to money. You know how to make money, but do you know how to keep it? Invest it? Manage it so that it works for you?iWealth provides practical thinking tools and structures designed to help people make informed decisions, pursue their biggest goals, and enjoy a meaningful life.► Please take a moment to comment and let us know what you thought of this episode.► Interested in learning more about iWealth? Schedule a complimentary discovery call:https://go.oncehub.com/BradConnors► Follow iWealth:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/iWealthTV/videosFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/iWealth4meLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradconnors/Podcast: https://anchor.fm/iwealthX: https://twitter.com/iWealth4meBook: https://fishdontclap.com/#home

What happens when you turn on self-driving and let the car take you all the way to the meat market?Brad and Mega Matt take the iWealth Podcast on the road to test Tesla’s self-driving technology in the real world. After renting a Tesla specifically to experience the technology, Brad puts it to the test on a 15-mile drive—with roundabouts, interstate driving, lane changes, speed changes, traffic, and parking.Along the way, they tackle some bigger questions: Will self-driving cars eventually make our roads safer? Will Ford, GM, Toyota, and other automakers catch up? Will teenagers someday even need to learn how to drive? And could insurance companies eventually charge more—or even refuse coverage—for cars without autonomous driving technology?They also debate what will become commonplace first: fully self-driving cars or household robots.The technology is impressive. Giving up control? That might be the harder part.And yes… the trip ends exactly where it should: with beef sticks and jerky.Would you trust a car to drive you 15 miles without touching the steering wheel?Hashtags#iWealth #iWealthPodcast #SelfDriving #Tesla #AutonomousDriving #FutureTechnology #ArtificialIntelligence #Technology #FutureOfDriving #MegaMatt

What if the best return on your money isn’t always measured in dollars?Brad sits down with his wife, Trudy, to talk about the idea of “memory dividends”—experiences that continue paying you back through the memories you create with family and friends.Those memories don’t have to come from expensive vacations. They can come from a road trip, a concert, an afternoon with friends, working on a project together, or simply spending intentional time with the people you love.The challenge is finding the balance. Save everything for someday, and you may miss opportunities to enjoy life today. Spend everything today, and you may not have the resources to create experiences later.Brad and Trudy share some of their favorite memory dividends and discuss why they intentionally make room in their financial plan for experiences with the people who matter most.Your financial plan should help prepare you for the future—but it should also help you live a meaningful life along the way.What’s one of your favorite “memory dividends”?Hashtags#iWealth #iWealthPodcast #MemoryDividends #FinancialPlanning #MoneyAndLife #IntentionalLiving #FamilyMemories #PersonalFinance #MoneyWisdom #FinancialFreedom

Grace is back on the iWealth Podcast—and this time she’s talking skateboarding, acting, overcoming fear, and even investing in cows!Brad and Grace talk about how adversity can become an asset. Whether it’s dropping into a skateboard ramp for the first time or walking onto a stage in front of an audience, Grace has discovered something important: confidence often comes from doing the scary thing over and over again.Then the conversation turns to money and compound interest. Grace shares a game where she started with $10,000 and tried to grow it to $1 million. Her investment of choice? Highland cows! As the cows multiplied, she got a pretty memorable lesson in how compounding works.Fear gets smaller with practice. Small investments can grow over time. And sometimes a sixth grader can teach us a thing or two about both.What’s something you were once afraid to do that became easier with practice?Hashtags#iWealth #iWealthPodcast #CompoundInterest #FinancialEducation #MoneyForKids #OvercomingFear #GrowthMindset #Adversity #Investing #MoneyWisdom

When was the last time you truly disconnected—not just physically, but mentally?In this episode of the iWealth Podcast, Brad and Mega Matt talk about Sabbath, rest, social media, and what happens when we intentionally create space away from the constant noise of our phones.Brad shares his experiment of disconnecting from Saturday evening through Sunday evening: no social media, email, news, or Apple Watch. Matt shares why some of his best moments of rest have been incredibly simple—being outside, spending time with family, and doing absolutely nothing.The conversation raises a bigger question: Have we filled every day of the week so completely that we've forgotten how to rest?Maybe we all need a little more time to put down the phone, get outside, connect with the people around us, and give our minds permission to rest.Could you disconnect for one day every week?Hashtags#iWealth #iWealthPodcast #Sabbath #DigitalDetox #Rest #SocialMediaDetox #WorkLifeBalance #MentalRest #IntentionalLiving #PurposefulLife

Healthcare costs keep climbing, leaving many business owners asking the same question: Are there better ways to provide health benefits for employees?In this episode of the iWealth Podcast, Brad sits down with healthcare benefits specialist Steve Schafer to explore alternatives to traditional employer health insurance and how businesses can take a more strategic look at one of their largest employee expenses.Steve discusses strategies including Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs), self-funded plans, captives, pharmacy benefit managers, and other approaches that may give employers greater flexibility and transparency.They also discuss the challenge every employer faces: controlling rising healthcare expenses while continuing to offer benefits that help attract and retain great employees.Steve explains how benchmarking can help business owners compare their benefits with similar employers based on factors such as industry, company size, and location—and identify areas worth taking a closer look at.The takeaway? Don’t assume your current health insurance structure is your only option. Understand what you're paying for, explore the alternatives, and find a strategy that fits your business and your employees.Hashtags#iWealth #iWealthPodcast #BusinessOwners #HealthInsurance #EmployeeBenefits #HealthcareCosts #SmallBusiness #BusinessPlanning #EmployeeRetention #Entrepreneurship

What are you excited about? What are you looking forward to? And when did you first realize, “This is what I’m supposed to be doing”?In this episode of the iWealth Podcast, Brad and Mega Matt explore the connection between calling, purpose, passion, and the stories we remember from pivotal moments in our lives.Sometimes the clue to discovering your purpose is a specific memory—a classroom, a ski hill, a first job, or even a fish market. Go back to that moment and ask yourself: What was happening? Why did it matter? And how can you bring more of that purpose into your life today?Your calling doesn’t necessarily mean quitting your job. It might mean volunteering, starting something on the side, mentoring someone, or simply making more room for something that gives your life meaning.And maybe happiness isn’t about controlling every outcome. Maybe it’s having confidence that whatever happens, you’ll find a way forward.What’s the moment—or place—where you first discovered something you were meant to do?Hashtags#iWealth #iWealthPodcast #FindYourPurpose #PurposeDrivenLife #Calling #PersonalGrowth #LifePurpose #EntrepreneurMindset #Happiness #MoneyAndPurpose