The Money JAR

Hear the story of daughter Meagan Blaisdell and mother Rebecca Blaisdell. Meagan dreamed of going to college, and she decided in middle school she would get her associates degree while in high school to save money. Todd and Evan find out what motivated Meagan and how Rebecca used written contracts to encourage her daughters to save money.

This week's episode explores an approach to tackle the rising costs of a college education. Todd talks with Mitch LeClair, a technology, transitions, and higher education reporter for the St. Cloud (Minn.) Times and a USA Today contributor. Mr. LeClair discusses the growing trend of more students getting college degrees while in high school, balancing the pros and cons.

This episode breaks down the cost of achieving your goals and dreams. Todd and Evan talk with Lisa Gillis, Chief Academic Officer for Junior Achievement USA. She describes the “JA Build Your Future” app, created jointly by Junior Achievement and PWC. The app guides teens through potential careers, career income, and cost of education.

Evan and Todd explore the experiences of online entrepreneurship while learning money tips along the way. They interview Andrew Schrage, co-owner of MoneyCrashers.com, a personal finance website dedicated to educating its readers about better ways to save, spend, and invest their money.

JA BizTown, a program of Junior Achievement, provides a tremendous hands-on experience for young people to learn about work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Todd and Evan uncover how it makes a difference in kids' lives in both the short and long-term. They interview Gina Huntington, Director of JA BizTown in Portland, OR and Sam Freeman, a college freshman who participated in the program eight years ago and reflects on his experience.

Evan and Todd discuss an excellent resource for parents and kids to learn about money. They interview Mark Robinson, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at T. Rowe Price and co-creator of MoneyConfidentKids.com. Games are a big part of the site as well as examples of how to talk with your kids about money.

Hear the enthusiastic discussion how board games benefit kids and families. This passion can also turn into a business. Todd and Evan get great advice from Andrew Innes, the founder of Anomia Press, a maker of board games, and Senior Product Manager for Harvard Business Review. We also get board game recommendations for all ages from producer Alex.

As a way to prepare for the world of work, the paths to college and how to succeed in college are highly diverse. Evan and Todd draw from their own experiences and get advice from Julie Lythcott-Haims, former Freshman Dean at Stanford University and the author of the book, “How To Raise AnAdult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success".

Producer Alex goes on location to interview Kristofor Lofgren, the CEO of Sustainable Restaurant Group and the founder of Bamboo Sushi Restaurants. Kristofor talks about how he turned his love of sushi into a business. Despite starting his business during a deep recession, he gives advice on making a successful food business. Spoiler alert: a restaurant needs a soul to make it good.

This episode inspires listeners to pursue big dreams. Todd and Evan talk with Barrington Irving, who despite a humble upbringing, became the youngest person to fly solo around the world. Barrington talks about how he earned money for flying lessons and to build his own plane. Now he teaches STEM-based lessons through his flying. He is a National Geographic Explorer and the founder of FlyingClassroom.com.