The Struggle is Real: Financial Independence Strategies for Young Adults

Thank you so much for joining us in this special episode. The Struggle is Real podcast hit a significant milestone. You are listening to episode 100.

Kyle and I have been considering what we want to do to celebrate this milestone. We’re awarding superlatives to some of our favorite episodes. If you think back to high school these were the senior yearbook categories for things such as biggest flirt, class clown, most likely to succeed…

We put our own spin on this and will be handing out superlatives to some former guests. Up to this point, we have had 86 guests on the podcast so this was not an easy feat but we made it happen.

This episode is meant to be super light-hearted, fun, and honestly really geared toward the listeners that have been with us along the journey. We throw around a lot of guest names and episode numbers. Don’t worry, we have links to all of the referenced episodes in the show notes.

A huge shout out to you for tuning into the podcast. I’ve had so much fun creating this content and interviewing guests, and I’m really looking forward to making it even better. And on that note, we end this episode discussing some of the changes you’ll be seeing with The Struggle is Real, hopefully, all really great things for you. So stay tuned to the end.

Enjoy the conversation with the man in the shadows, the producer of the TSIR, my little brother…Kyle Peters.

Key Takeaways:

• Best tactical advice: JP - Larry Hagner (generative questions), KP - Jonathan Miller (how to give a powerful apology)
• Unforgettable story: JP - Dee Goines (meeting the Rock), KP - Nate Dukes (reinventing his life)
• Unexpected surprise subject: JP - Megan Barnett and Lee Carson (dietary fiber), KP - Jewel Hohman (making friends in your 20s)
• Guest that blew me away: JP - Benjamin Wong, KP - Amhad Jabbir
• Guest that was most relatable at the time: JP - Joel O’Leary
• Guest to get a drink at the bar with: JP - Andrew Biernat, KP - Ali Binazir
• Someone you would trust your life with: JP - Krista Edwards, KP - Sean Mullaney
• Guest that needs a part 2: JP - Jewel Hohman
• What’s next with TSIR podcast?

Mentions:

Ahmad Jabbir - www.tsirpodcast.com/61

Ali Binizar - www.tsirpodcast.com/36

Andrew Biernat - www.tsirpodcast.com/65

Andrew Paulson - www.tsirpodcast.com/50

Brenden Kumarasay - www.tsirpodcast.com/97

Corey Nathan - www.tsirpodcast.com/55

Dee Goines - www.tsirpodcast.com/11

Jared Schuster - www.tsirpodcast.com/25

Jackie Cummings Kowski - www.tsirpodcast.com/64

Jenny Foss - www.tsirpodcast.com/83

Jewel Hohman - www.tsirpodcast.com/72

Joel O’Leary - www.tsirpodcast.com/31

Jonathan Miller -

Have you heard of the term situationship? I’ve been seeing the term across different media outlets but I hadn’t dug into it much until I found Myisha Battle, today’s guest, writing about how they might be the future of dating.

At first, situationships seemed to be a terrible idea to me but Myisha has changed my opinion on them. Now I’m thinking, a situationship is exactly what many 20-somethings might need at this time in their dating life.

If you haven’t heard of the term situationship before, it is defined as that is a relationship that is emotionally connected, but without commitment or future planning. It’s beyond a casual hookup or friends with benefits. A situationship could include going on dates, having sex, and building intimacy but exclude labels like boyfriend and girlfriend at least at this point of the relationship.

Myisha Battle is a sex and dating coach and the author of the book, This is Supposed to Be Fun: How to Find Joy in Hooking Up, Settling Down, and Everything in Between.

With her expertise, we have a really great conversation about if a situationship is right for you, the benefits of this relationship archetype, and how to exit this kind of relationship if it is no longer what you’re looking for. We always talk about tons of other great dating subjects like how to set up your dating app profile to attract the right kind of people for you. If you’re looking for some clarity and support in your dating life right now, this is the perfect episode for you.

Key Takeaways:

• How different parts of the world view sex
• How to communicate with your partner about the sex you want
• How to set up your dating app profile
• How to show up as your full self on dating profiles
• How to land someone that is nothing like you’d expect
• Could a situationship give you the dating flexibility you’re looking for?
• How to end a relationship and breakup with someone with compassion
• Framework for breaking up with someone
• How to know when to take a break from dating versus when to push through

Mentions:

Wheel of consent (Betty Martin): https://bettymartin.org/videos/

How to play the 3-minute game (Betty Martin): https://bettymartin.org/how-to-play-the-3-minute-game/

More of Myisha:

Website: https://www.myishabattle.com/

Book - This is Supposed to Be Fun: https://www.amazon.com/This-Supposed-Be-Fun-Everything/dp/1541602218

More of The Struggle is Real:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/

In episode 96, we talked about the FIRE Movement, a group of people who are focused on early retirement, sometimes decades before the traditional retirement age of 65. They’re doing this by building their passive assets to a level where it provides enough money for their living expenses.

I love the idea of no longer needing a paycheck to afford my lifestyle and maybe you do too.

This is the 2nd episode in our FIRE series where you’ll learn 5 potential paths to FIRE so you can determine which path is right for you.

Key Takeaways:

• Selecting the post-retirement lifestyle that fits for you
• A breakdown of Lean, Fat, and Traditional FIRE
• How Coast or Barista FIRE could help you downshift your work earlier

Mentions:

What is the FIRE Movement? Retire in Your 30s | E96: www.tsirpodcast.com/96

More of The Struggle is Real:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/

Over the last decade of my career, I've found there is a subset of skills that can be a multiplier for your career growth. One of those super skills is effective communication. I’ve seen those that possess this skill take off leading projects, presenting at important meetings, and getting promotions.

Being an average communicator versus an effective communicator can be really subtle. Sometimes it's the word choice, the framing of the conversation, or the preparation done beforehand. If you work towards mastering the nuance of this skill, you’re going to be the person people turn to in important situations.

Brenden Kumarasamy, a good friend of our show, is back to discuss this nuance and give you a framework you can use today to level up your communication at work. We talked about team meetings, presentations, 1 on 1 connects. I hammered him with questions and he fired back with so much good tactical advice. This guy really knows his stuff.

Brenden’s background includes coaching ambitious executives and entrepreneurs to be more effective communicators and he also has a popular YouTube channel called MasterTalk with the goal of providing free access to communication tools for everyone in the world. Brenden is really making an impact in this space and I feel so blessed that he spending time with you and me to level up our communication.

If you’re a listener of the show and haven’t left us a rating and review, we’d really appreciate it if you did. And if you’re new, welcome, sit back, relax, and let’s learn something new.

Alright, let’s get into it. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the former accounting major, Justin Bieber fanatic, and Mr. MasterTalk himself…Brenden Kumarasamy.

Key Takeaways:

• How to get the confidence to speak up at your team meetings
• How to speak in pyramids vs circles
• Best practices for cross-functional departments
• How to win the meeting before it even begins
• How to climb the corporate ladder
• How to overcome stage fright
• Setting the tone in a presentation
• How to prepare and craft a great presentation
• The secret to not being boring when you speak
• Tools to enhance your communication style
• How to level up your 1 on 1 networking
• Using 80/20 questions to get more clarity with your life

Mentions:

Brenden’s 1st appearance on TSIR: Public Speaking Best Practices, Passion is Bogus, and Pitching a CEO l E16 Brenden Kumarasamy

More of Brenden:

Website: http://rockstarcommunicator.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MasterTalks

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendenkumarasamy/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masteryourtalk/

More of The Struggle is Real:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/

Aside from corporate holidays and one-week vacations, we are going to have to wait until 65 for a total sense of freedom and choice.

But do we? What if retirement was closer than that? Maybe in your 50s, your 40s, even your 30s.

This might seem like a pipe dream but there is an entire movement all with this goal in mind. And it’s called FIRE: Financial Independence, Retire Early.

In this episode, we are going to talk about the FIRE movement, how it’s redefining retirement, and how you can get on board.

Key Takeaways:

• How to use the 4% rule to calculate your FI number
• How the FIRE Movement got started
• 3 lessons you can learn from the FIRE Movement
• How you can get started on your FIRE journey

More of The Struggle is Real:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/

It’s fun to talk about success especially when it comes to entrepreneurship. We are all hoping for this grand journey where we start from the bottom but quickly make it to the top.

That happened to my good friend, Chuck Cooper. His first business was wildly successful, until it wasn’t. All of a sudden, he found himself in shame never thinking he would have failed. It all seemed too easy.

Luckily, Chuck is resourceful and found support to build himself back up and to build a new business in the making.

In this conversation, Chuck and I talk about the ups and downs of being a business owner, the fundamental skills to be successful, let it be entrepreneurship or your traditional career path, and we throw in some baseball talk both as an analogy and my predictions about my beloved St. Louis Cardinals.

Key Takeaways:

• What makes mentors want to invest in certain people
• Effective networking practices
• How to build your business by creating relationships
• What are employers looking for in their young talent?
• A key sales strategy: picking up the phone
• Rules you can set in place for better work life balance
• Why to consider a change in living
• How the game of baseball could give you comfort as a 20-something

More of Chuck:

Website: https://whitewaterconsulting.net/

Unprecedented: Building a Multi-Generational Business on Trust, Respect and the Valuing of People: https://www.amazon.com/Unprecedented-Building-Multi-Generational-Business-Respect-ebook/dp/B09YWR5Z1G

More of The Struggle is Real:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/

You’ve been doing a great job taking part of your paycheck and investing that money every month. You check your balance and you feel like “I’m not making as much progress as I thought I would.”

Of course, the stock market performance plays a huge role in your return but that’s out of our control. If you’re properly diversifying, you’re doing what you can and the rest is fairly unpredictable.

But you know what factor affects your portfolio’s performance that you can have a direct impact on? Fees.

And luckily, with just a little bit of education and proper blueprint, you can minimize the fees you’re paying to maintain your investment portfolio. In this episode, we are going to be discussing 3 common investing fees, how to figure out if you’re paying them, and what you can do to reduce your cost.

Key Takeaways:

• How a 2% fee can dramatically affect your investment returns
• 3 common investing fees
• How to figure out if you’re paying investments fees
• How to reduce the costs of your investment fees

More of The Struggle is Real:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/

I’m turning 30 next month and I’ve been unsure how I’ve felt about that. I’ve had countless conversations with guests that shared with me how silly it was to think they needed to “make something of themselves” by 30. Yet here I am, wondering if I’ve done enough to really make my 20-year-old self proud how I’ve spent the last decade.

That 20-year-old Justin had high expectations about where he was going to be at 30. I’ve learned over the last decade that you can set your sights on something but life has a whole lot of serendipity. And I don’t know, that’s kind of the fun of it right? I mean, at 20, I would have never predicted podcasting would be such a significant aspect of my life.

So here’s to me for letting go of any expectations, being proud of everything I have accomplished, and excited for what’s to come in this new decade.

I’m done with my poetic monologue but it does set up my conversation with my friend, Paul Angone.

Paul spent most of his 20s thinking he was a failure. Working at dead-end jobs to support his real dream of becoming a best-selling author, Paul grinded and hustled any moment he had - lunch breaks, late evenings, weekends - with the hope of creating something that sparked a fire.

Sure enough, it eventually happened (although much longer than expected) and Paul has gone on to author best-selling books including 101 Secrets for Your Twenties, 101 Questions You Need to Ask in Your Twenties, and 25 Lies Twentysomethings Need to Stop Believing. His newest book, Listen to Your Day: The Life Changing Practice of Paying Attention, is out today and I recommend picking it up.

Paul has spent so much time researching and understanding the unique struggles of being in your 20s. We get into a whole lot of conversation about these struggles including finding your purpose, feeling like a failure, and when to make sacrifices vs when to move on. You’re really going to like this one.

100 reviews before our 100th episode (consider it an early birthday present). If you’re a listener of the show and haven’t left us a rating and review, we’d really appreciate it if you did. And if you’re new, welcome, sit back, relax, and let’s learn something new.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with…”20-something failure” turned 5-time author…Paul Angone. 

Key Takeaways:

• Why to consider sacrificing spending for time
• When to keep going and when to give up a dream
• How to find your “signature sauce”
• Defining yourself in multiple ways
• A lesson learned from the Mayor of Starbucks
• How to find your significance by embracing failure
• The possibility of greatness and embarrassment in the same space
• Why you can’t label something a failure or success too early
• How to listen to the small details of your day to find the answers you’re looking for

Mentions:

Searching for Sugar Man: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2125608/

More of Paul:

Website: www.AllGroanUp.com

Listen to Your Day: https://allgroanup.com/books-2/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulangone/

Signature Sauce course: https://signaturesauce.com/

More of The Struggle is Real:

Find show notes and more at

So you messed up and need to apologize to someone? It was an honest mistake, you feel terrible, and you want to say sorry. How do you do that in a heartfelt, genuine way?

A proper apology can quickly repair a relationship and lift a weight off of the givers shoulders but a bad apology…that can be disastrous and lead to even more hurt.

Between politicians, CEOs, and celebrities, we have seen our fair share of examples of those bad apologies where blame was shifted and responsibility wasn’t taken.

Luckily we have Jonathan Miller, a communication coach, to share with us a framework and give us an example of a good apology. This is a replay from an episode way back in the vault, episode 15, so I’m guessing you haven’t heard this one before and it was too good not to resurface.

Jonathan shares a ton of great insight on how to have mindful communication like how to resolve conflict or how to compassionately deny an invite to a party. This episode is a great reminder that our words have impact and if you’re mindful about them, communication can be your superpower.

If you’re a listener of the show and haven’t left us a rating and review, we’d really appreciate it if you did. And if you’re new, nothing for you to do, sit back, relax, and let’s learn something new.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with…the rock climbing, mediating, nomadic traveler…Jonathan Miller.

Key Takeaways:

• The same words can be interpreted multiple ways
• How to minimize conflict from miscommunication
• Instead of good or bad, consider what works or doesn’t work
• Denying responsibility through our language
• Impact of our words
• Why conflict isn’t inherently bad
• How to give a heartfelt apology

More of Jonathan:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/millerdjonathan/

Website: https://www.level7.is/

More of The Struggle is Real:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/

In today's conversation, I went down this incredible, unplanned rabbit hole with my friend Megan Miller.

We both have a mutual love for journaling and I spent the first half of this conversation asking a lot of questions around her specific practice. It really made me realize how much of an impact my simple journaling practice has left on me.

I’m hoping this gives you some inspiration on how you could get started journaling and what benefits you can expect by doing so.

Aside from being a journaling enthusiast, Megan is a coach centered around helping high achievers detox off the drug of achievement. We discuss the potentially negative impact of relying on our career for validation. I don’t think getting validation from my career is inherently bad but whenever I find that is the only area I’m relying on, this creates a major imbalance with my life.

And surprise, surprise I kind of feel like I’m itching towards that right now and I’m curious for solutions so ask Megan questions about this subject too.

Key Takeaways:

• How to make sure you start your day off the right way
• Create a journal practice that works for you
• How journaling can remind you of all the progress you’ve made
• Detoxing off the drug of achievement
• The Gap and The Gain: high achievers guide to success
• Finding validation in other drawers of life

Mentions:

The Gap and The Gain by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy: https://www.amazon.com/Gap-Gain-Achievers-Happiness-Confidence/dp/1401964362

More of Megan:

Website: https://www.megan-miller.com/

Megan’s microstep journal: https://www.megan-miller.com/microstep-journal

https://www.amazon.com/Voices-21st-Century-Women-Transforming-ebook

More of The Struggle is Real:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/