Living Fully Conversations

The future feels uncertain and families around the world are concerned about how this stress will affect their children. In a special webinar event for our Living Fully community, I spoke with Dr. Marshall Duke about how we can help our kids build resilience and continue to grow through hard times. I'm excited to share the webinar with you as a podcast today.

Dr. Duke is a Professor of Psychology at Emory University. He’s focused his work around the power of family stories and has been featured by Good Morning America, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and others.

You can find Dr. Duke's 20 Questions resource at https://bit.ly/twentyqs

In our conversation, Dr. Duke and I discuss:

-Why challenges are necessary for growth

-How knowledge of family history builds resilience

-The different kinds of stories families tell

-Advice for families who are dealing with challenges

-The role that grandparents can play in family storytelling

-The importance of rituals and traditions

-When to tell these stories

We have some exciting new developments in the works, so check back for new episodes soon!

To learn more about turning meaningful wealth into a meaningful life filled with passion and purpose, connect with me on social media at @jcchristianson or send me an email at [email protected]

Music: "Day Is Gonna Come" by Royal Deluxe

Mike Erwin lives life by three principles: faith, family, and service. He truly understands the impact of selfless service and community.

Mike is a graduate of The U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he was commissioned as an officer and went on to serve three combat tours with the 1st Cavalry Division and 3rd Special Forces Group. After his third deployment, Mike founded Team Red, White & Blue. Team RWB is a nonprofit organization that enriches the lives of America’s veterans. They do this by connecting them to their communities through physical and social activity. Today, Mike

leads Team RWB as Executive Director.

Mike also serves as CEO of The Character & Leadership Center and is the Co-Founder and President of the Positivity Project, where he aims to empower America’s youth in building positive relationships. He’s also the co-author of

Lead Yourself First."

To learn more about Mike and his work, visit MikeErwin.net.

On this episode, you'll hear about:

- What selfless service looks like

- The power of community

- How technology and money affect empathy

- The difference between isolation and solitude

- Our culture’s loneliness epidemic

- Advice for anyone who wants to bring more meaning into their life

Join me as I revisit just a few of the many inspiring conversations I had this year, including:

Margie Warrell, Author

Duncan Campbell, Friends of the Children

Khe Hy, Rad Reads

Kendra Vandermeulen, NCF Northwest

To learn more about turning meaningful wealth into a meaningful life filled with passion and purpose, connect with me on social media at @jcchristianson or send me an email at [email protected]

Music: "Day Is Gonna Come" by Royal Deluxe

Often, we equate giving solely with the act of donating money, but it is so much more than that. Giving can be a transformative act, moving you beyond yourself and cultivating a genuine ability to empathize with the struggles of our fellow human beings. I experienced this firsthand while serving with my wife at Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission (UGM). This organization seeks to see, hear, know and love the people experiencing homelessness in King County.

In this episode of The Wealth Confidant podcast, I am honored to be speaking with UGM’s new President, Scott Chin. We learn what brought Scott to UGM and where he hopes to see the organization go in the future. Scott reflects on inspiring stories of personal transformation, tells us about UGM's lifesaving recovery programs and shares how people can help further the organization’s work.

You can learn more about Scott Chin and Union Gospel Mission by visiting their website: www.ugm.org and following them on social media at @SeattlesUGM.

To learn more about turning meaningful wealth into a meaningful life filled with passion and purpose, connect with me on social media at @jcchristianson or send me an email at [email protected]

Music: "Day Is Gonna Come" by Royal Deluxe

Be positive. Think on the bright side. We’ve all heard advice like this at some point in our lives. We also know that changing your mindset isn’t as easy as flipping a switch.

While studies do show that thinking and speaking negatively can have a hugely adverse effect on us, “being positive” just isn’t a realistic solution for many people.

Today’s guest, Trevor Moawad, emphasizes a different strategy: neutral thinking.

Trevor is the founder of Moawad Consulting Group. He specializes in mental conditioning for high performing athletes like Russell Wilson as well as military and business organizations.

Trevor is also the author of the upcoming book, It Takes What It Takes. Readers will learn how to apply his methods to their own lives in order to overcome challenges -- and thrive.

To learn more about Trevor and his work, visit moawadconsultinggroup.com

Trevor and I dig into:

What we can learn from top athletes.

How to become a judgment-free thinker.

The impact language has on our mindset.

The importance of discipline and process in moving beyond the negative.

To learn more about turning meaningful wealth into a meaningful life filled with passion and purpose, connect with me on social media at @jcchristianson or send me an email at [email protected]

Music: "Day Is Gonna Come" by Royal Deluxe

Millennials make up the largest generation in our country. How are they navigating life’s major financial milestones as they get older? What are the unique challenges they face and how does money affect their relationships?

Erin Lowry helps millennials get their financial lives together.

Erin is a personal finance expert and the author of the Broke Millennial series, including her new book, Broke Millennial Takes on Investing.

Erin effectively translates the important principles of personal finance to help fellow millennials gain control of their money. On this episode, she shares her insight into the millennial mindset around money, the factors that shaped it, and more.

You can learn more about Erin and her work at brokemillennial.com

We discuss:

—Myths (and truths!) about millennials.

—How parents and millennials can tackle difficult financial scenarios.

—Why millennials — and people in general — don’t like talking about money.

—How to deal with money in relationships by becoming “financially naked.”

—The advice that millennials should not take.

—The asset millennials have that older generations do not.

To learn more about turning meaningful wealth into a meaningful life filled with passion and purpose, connect with me on social media at @jcchristianson or send me an email at [email protected]

Music: "Day Is Gonna Come" by Royal Deluxe

Khe Hy calls himself an accidental entrepreneur—he started his own business, RadReads, when he got tired of the “winners and losers,” scarcity mentality he experienced during his fourteen-year career on Wall Street.

Today, Khe spends his time writing and speaking on money, the different levels of financial independence, mortality, and more. Go check out Khe’s website at https://radreads.co/ for more on his work.

On this episode, we discuss:

—Identity and spirituality

—Toxic masculinity

—The reality of retirement

—Finding peace with yourself

To learn more about turning meaningful wealth into a meaningful life filled with passion and purpose, connect with me on social media at @jcchristianson or send me an email at [email protected]

Music: "Day Is Gonna Come" by Royal Deluxe

Parents have tremendous influence over their kids when it comes to money. As kids of all ages head back to school, it’s a great time for families to reevaluate the way we address money.

On this special episode, I discuss:

—The importance of talking to your kids about money

—Tips for handling allowances and budgeting

—How to instill money-skills in an age-appropriate way

To learn more about turning meaningful wealth into a meaningful life filled with passion and purpose, connect with me on social media at @jcchristianson or send me an email at [email protected]

Patrick Sweeney is turning fear on its head to help others live a more fulfilled life.

Patrick is a full-time adventurer. He’s on a mission to help others use fear as fuel.

The key to unlocking your inner adventurer might not be what you think. Patrick encourages people to embrace fear rather than avoid it in order to grow and make better decisions.

Even though Patrick’s an Olympic level rower, he wasn’t always out chasing hair-raising adventures — he worked as a successful tech entrepreneur until a rare case of leukemia had him fighting for his life.

This milestone gave Patrick a new perspective. Today, he draws on his entrepreneurial background, fighting spirit, and desire to help people in order to live his life to the fullest — and support others to do the same.

On this episode, we get into:

—The physiology behind fear

—Going from success to significance

—How to live in the present

—The path to living big

To learn more about turning meaningful wealth into a meaningful life filled with passion and purpose, connect with me on social media @jcchristianson or send me an email at [email protected]

Music: “Day Is Gonna Come” by Royal Deluxe

One of the main reasons people seek out financial professionals is because money can be so complicated.

A great financial advisor is someone you can trust. A person who can listen and translate what you want and need in your life into actionable plans, and who understands your values and how to align your money with them. It can go beyond being an advisor to what I consider being a confidant.

Financial advisors aren’t traditionally well versed in the emotional and psychological connections to money. But, we are starting to see more and more advisors make their clients’ overall happiness a number one priority.

Brian Portnoy earned his doctorate at the University of Chicago and has worked throughout the financial industry. He’s also the author of two great books: The Investor’s Paradox and The Geometry of Wealth.

Brian’s perspective really resonated with me. He’s not afraid to bring insight from many different disciplines to his work. Brian believes that elements of a joyful life and the financial decisions we make are complementary. Taking both into account, people can find true wealth -- what he calls “funded contentment.” This more holistic approach is something I strive toward in my own financial life coaching.

We discuss:

—The future of the financial advising industry

—What it means to afford a meaningful life

—How generosity affects our own sense of wellbeing

—The difference between getting rich and becoming wealthy

To learn more about turning meaningful wealth into a meaningful life filled with passion and purpose, connect with me on social media at @jcchristianson or send me an email at [email protected]

Music: "Day Is Gonna Come" by Royal Deluxe