On today’s episode of the Financial Independence Podcast, I interview my little brother while drinking wine next to a canal in Venice!

Brian, who is three years younger than me, isn’t actively pursuing financial independence but he’s done some really impressive things with his money and has used the power that money provides to fully pursue his passions.

In fact, he’s currently in the middle of a ~6-month mini-retirement and is using the time off to travel and hopefully take his music career to the next level.

We dive into a lot of interesting financial topics but we also degenerate into some brotherly chat, which produced classic quotes like this one: “I took my solids elsewhere.”

Highlights:

• How we are different when it comes to money (including his much more extreme level of frugality)
• Why he chose to live in a place with no heat, hot water, air conditioning, sink, or toilet
• How to save money as a musician/artist
• Why focusing on buying more gear misses the point and how you can avoid that common trap
• How to utilize the power of quitting even if you aren’t financially independent
• What it’s like tasting the early retirement lifestyle
• Why learning a language abroad is a great way to travel
• The pros and cons of having a day job when you’re an artist
• How to get a dream job in the arts
• Using mini-retirements and part-time work to pursue your passion