Reasonably Happy with Paul Ollinger

When John O’Leary was 9 years old, he played with fire and got burned. Like really, really burned, over 99% of his body. Doctors gave him less than 1% chance to live and told his parents he would not survive. Yet thanks to the amazing support of his family, the community, and medical care providers, survive he did. His journey back took years, required dozens of surgeries, and cost him all of his fingers. Today, John is a world-renowned inspirational speaker who has addressed audiences around the globe. John is also the author of the best-seller On Fire!: 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life and In Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder Unleash Inspiration, Meaning, and Joy. He hosts the Live Inspired podcast. John and I have a lot in common. We were both one of six kids in a big, Catholic family and raised by amazing parents who were married for over 50 years and whose humility and grace inspire us to this day. We’re both husbands and dads and both want our audiences to be radically aware of the value of their lives and the opportunity to make every day count. In this conversation, we discuss the importance of:

Living in the moment

Gratitude

Family

Courage

Friends who will fight for you

Finding your Talents

Learn more about John on his website.

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Topics addressed on Crazy Money include: Philosophy, Happiness, Contentment, Meaning, dreams, purpose, Success, Society, mental health, Buddhism, Stoicism, the hedonic treadmill, morality, Mid-Life Crisis, Business, Work, Careers, Authors, Books, Consumerism, Values, capitalism, economics, investing, saving, spending, personal finance, charity, philanthropy, altruism, wealth, wealth management.
If you haven’t found what you’re looking for in the words above, you’re probably not going to find them down here. Seriously, all the important stuff is up yonder.

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In this special “where has Paul been?” episode, Paul reads three of his latest pieces from his Substack, Money and the Meaning of Life, so that you can drive or workout without reading. Latest posts include:


Adventures in Affluence: Dry Cleaning - why Paul got freaked out when he starting thinking about how much he spends on dry cleaning every year.


Gary v. Jerry: Why Gary Gulman Resents Rich People -Gary Gulman is an amazing comedian, but he harbors some very negative attitudes toward people who have more than he does.


The Dreaded H-Word: Should Labors of Love be Tax-Deductible? - Why Paul got so upset when the IRS got judgy about this podcast.

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Today’s guest is Coleman Hughes, a writer, podcaster, opinion columnist and self-described "Black man who does’t think everything is about race.” Coleman has a new book out this week called 'The End of Race Politics: Arguments for a Colorblind America,’ in which he confronts the "failed corporate diversity and inclusion efforts and poisonous race-based policies that hurt the very people they intend to help."

Coleman has been featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The National Review, Quillette, The City Journal and The Spectator. He's appeared on many TV shows and podcasts including Real Time with Bill Maher, Making Sense with Sam Harris and the Jordan B. Peterson podcast. 

In this conversation from summer of 2022, Coleman and I talk about:

The Racial Wealth Gap and its origins, 

Why government action including reparations is not a solution

Whether 100% equality among all races is possible or even desirable, 

How progressive policies that supposedly help African-Americans are actually holding them back and…

What issues we should focus on if we actually want to empower Black Economic Autonomy.


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Follow Coleman on Twitter and hear his music here. 

Topics include DEI, race, racial wealth gap, reparations, Ibram Kendi, Robin DiAngelo, economics, inequality.

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Paul Schervish studies very wealthy people: what worries them, what delights them, and what motivates them to give to charity. The Director of Boston College’s Center on Wealth and Philanthropy, Paul is the co-author of 'The Joys and Dilemmas of Wealth,' a 2010 report that is one of the most insightful studies of the ultra-affluent ever. We discuss how the fears and joys that come with being rich are often two sides of the same coin. And how Paul, a former Jesuit priest strongly influenced by Karl Marx, has come to appreciate more fully the humanity of the affluent. Learn more about Paul Schervish here. This episode was posted originally in April, 2022.

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This is a special holiday encore of the 2nd episode of Crazy Money with Dr. Drew, which ran Jan 30, 2019. Dr. Drew offers candid insight into the ups and downs of a career in broadcasting and medicine. From Loveline to Celebrity Rehab, Dr. Drew has been a staple on radio and cable television for over 30 years, but that doesn’t mean he’s rich — he’s got triplets to get through graduate school, after all. But he is definitely conversant on almost any topic you throw at him, including opera, coffee and Ulysses S. Grant. Oh, and doctor stuff. He knows about that too. Find out more about Dr. Drew on his website. 
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Financial gurus like Dave Ramsey or Suze Orman tell their audience that the key to achieving wealth—or just financial stability—is to cut back on the little things like that daily Starbucks latte. Jared Dillian thinks they’re wrong. Focusing on the little things, Jared argues, is pointless and unsustainable. But focusing on the big things, like your house, your car, and how much you pay for college, makes all the difference. A renowned investment strategist and author, Jared is widely recognized for his keen insights into market psychology and his ability to explain complex financial concepts in an accessible manner. He is also the author of the acclaimed book 'Street Freak: Money and Madness at Lehman Brothers' and the editor of the popular financial newsletter 'The Daily Dirtnap', where he shares his valuable perspective on the markets. Pre-order his new book, ’No Worries: How to Live a Stress-Free Financial Life’ here. On this week’s episode, we discuss:


Striking the balance between being a cheap f*ck and a high roller.

Why renting is often a much better idea than buying a home.

How much student debt is okay.

The five asset classes you should own in “The Awesome Portfolio"


Jared also graciously shares insights into his bipolar disorder and the side effects of the meds he takes. In so doing, he continues to help de-stigmatize mental illness. And for that, I thank him.

See Paul live in comedy mode:

Austin, Jan 11 - Buy Tickets Here


San Francisco, Feb 22 -  Buy Tickets Here


Nashville, Feb 28 - Buy Tickets Here 


🔥Learn and laugh by reading Paul’s Substack here. 🔥
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DISCLAIMER: This episode contains a discussion of investment strategies and theories but in no way should be considered personal financial advice. Investing in any of the asset classes mentioned can result in material losses.

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Judd Apatow is one of the most important figures in comedy and film today. But he just doesn’t care that much about money. This non-attachment to material goods leaves him more time to focus on what matters: writing, directing, developing talent, and getting his family together for dinner. Judd has accomplished so much in his career that, in retrospect, his success appears to have been pre-ordained. But despite his massive success in the past 20 years, he never forgets his early struggles. In this week’s encore episode from Feb ’22, I speak with the writer / director / producer behind iconic comedy films such as Anchorman, Trainwreick, This is 40, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin about:

Why Adam Sandler paid $50 more in rent than Judd when they were roommates

Why he didn’t worry too much about finances as a young comedian

How failure prepared him to handle success

Being creative during a pandemic

Buddhism and stuff


Catch Paul Ollinger live (or tell your friends to go):

Austin, Jan 11 - Buy Tickets HERE


San Francisco, Feb 22 - Buy Tickets HERE


Nashville, Feb 28 - Buy Tickets HERE


🔥Learn and laugh by reading Paul’s Substack here. 🔥

Get full access to Reasonably Happy at words.paulollinger.com/subscribe

Gary Sernovitz is one of the funniest financial writers working today. His hilarious new novel The Counting House tells the story of a university’s Chief Investment Officer who is suffering a mid-life crisis. If you possess either an interest in finance or a robust / dark sense of humor, The Counting House will make you laugh and, at times, cry in empathy with the protagonist. Gary has spent the last 25 years observing how money works from inside Goldman Sachs and the private equity business, bringing a keen writer’s eye to the money business through two previous novels, a non-fiction account of the oil and gas industrial, and a bunch of essays in The New York Times, The New Yorker and The Wall Street Journal. A Milwaukee native and longtime resident of New York, Gary now lives in New Orleans with his wife and daughter. See more about Gary and The Counting House here.

In this conversation, Gary and I discuss:

Investing with the constraints of a modern university stakeholders

Whether your performance is your identity

The state and cost of college 

Writing as a side hustle while working full-time in finance


See Paul live in comedy mode:

Austin, Jan 11 - Buy Tickets Here


San Francisco, Feb 22 -  Buy Tickets Here


Nashville, Feb 28 - Buy Tickets Here 


🔥Learn and laugh by reading Paul’s Substack here. 🔥
🚀 Follow Paul on Instagram here. 🚀

Get full access to Reasonably Happy at words.paulollinger.com/subscribe

Do you ever feel stuck in life? As if you are in the wrong place or you’re in the right place but doing the wrong thing? What do you do when you find yourself at a crossroad? Today, I speak to innovation expert Merrick Furst about how seeing ourselves and the world more clearly can tell us how to move forward when the way isn’t clear. Merrick is a Distinguished Professor at Georgia Tech. His list of academic and commercial accomplishments are longer than your arm (see below) but today we’re putting his immense analytical skills to work to determine the questions we should ask ourselves when we’re not sure about which way to go. Merrick is the co-author of a new book, The Heart of Innovation, which guides start-ups and the humans that lead them how they can go about being themselves. 
In today’s conversation we discuss:

What should you do when you feel stuck?

How blind spots keep us stuck and how to find out what your blind spots are

The importance of both radical candor and unconditional positive regard

…and, most importantly, how Merrick helped to inspire the Crazy Money podcast!



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Merrick’s BIO:
Merrick L. Furst, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, runs commercialization and new venture creation and directs undergraduate programs and faculty development in the College of Computing at Georgia Tech. Prior to GT he was a professor at UC Berkeley, president of the International Computer Science Institute at Berkeley and CEO of Essential Surfing Gear, Inc., which grew to 53 employees before being sold in 2000. Earlier he was professor and associate dean in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon. Dr. Furst is known for seminal research in algorithms, complexity theory and AI. Merrick co-invented probabilistic circuit analysis and planning graphs, which are considered among the most influential breakthroughs in the field of AI planning. He is the founder of Flashpoint, one of the key developmental communities in Atlanta’s tech start-up scene.

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In this special “over the river and through the woods” episode, Paul reads four of his latest pieces from his Substack, Money and the Meaning of Life, so that you can drive or workout without reading. Latest posts include:

Every Day Is Thanksgiving
This One Question Will Help You Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
Why the Jews? The holy roots of anti-semitism might surprise you
This is Us: Inconclusive Thoughts on Why We Kill Each Other

During this Thanksgiving week, Paul commands you to be grateful and to savor your good fortune and your loved ones. That is all.

🔥Paul publishes these essays (about) every other Tuesday. You should subscribe here. 🔥
🚀 Follow Paul on Instagram here. 🚀

Get full access to Reasonably Happy at words.paulollinger.com/subscribe