How is tourism impacting communities, and what can we do about it? Paige McClanahan joins me to talk about the dualities of the tourism industry and how we can have deeper travel experiences while benefiting the world.

Paige McClanahan is the author of The New Tourist: Waking up to the Power and Perils of Travel. She is an American journalist based in France and a regular contributor to The New York Times, where she reports on the impacts of tourism. She is also the host of The Better Travel Podcast, which aims to make sure that our travels have a positive impact on the world. 

We talk about the evolution of tourism as context to how it got to where it is today, the consequences of travel on local communities (good and bad) and what we can do about it, and insights into how we can become what Paige calls a “new tourist.” She also shares a behind-the-scenes look at how she wrote this book and used her professional journalism skills to her advantage.

*This is a previously released episode from the archives! Zero To Travel interviews are timeless, offering valuable insight whenever you listen.

How will you become a “new tourist?” I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message.

Resources:

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Today, Jesse is joined by Professor John Dinsmore—behavioral finance researcher, marketing scholar, and author of The Marketing of Debt: How They Get You—for a conversation about how persuasion, psychology, and modern advertising quietly shape our financial lives. Together, they explore how marketers exploit human biases like loss aversion, anchoring, and over-optimism to sell products, loans, and debt, and why AI-driven "adaptive ads" are making it harder than ever to recognize when we're being influenced. John shares real-world examples—from car dealerships to "buy now, pay later" offers and sports betting apps—revealing how even savvy consumers fall prey to tactics designed to exploit fear, emotion, and cognitive shortcuts. The discussion also dives into the growing vulnerability of retirees targeted by complex financial products, and why awareness, self-monitoring, and slowing down decisions are key defenses. Throughout, Jesse and John remind listeners that acknowledging our weaknesses is a strength—and that understanding how marketing works is one of the best ways to protect both our wallets and our wellbeing.

Key Takeaways:• Marketing works on everyone—even when we think we're immune. Most people admit that advertising influences others, but few realize how deeply it shapes their own decisions. • People tend to believe they'll have more time, money, or stability in the future, making it easy to justify debt today. • Loss aversion drives many financial mistakes. We fear losses more than we value gains, which leads us to buy unnecessary warranties, insurance, or "safety" products. • AI-powered marketing will get subtler. As systems learn to mimic human tone and emotion, it will become harder to tell when you're being influenced. • Social media blurs the line between content and advertising. Influencer partnerships and native ads make it harder to recognize when you're being sold to. • Being "weak" isn't failure—it's human. Admitting our psychological blind spots allows us to build systems and habits that protect us.

Key Timestamps:(01:49) – Understanding Personal Weaknesses (04:25) – The Impact of Marketing and Advertising (08:22) – Interview with Professor John Dinsmore (13:19) – The Marketing of Debt (25:56) – Practical Tips to Combat Marketing Influence

Key Topics Discussed:The Best Interest, Jesse Cramer, Wealth Management Rochester NY, Financial Planning for Families, Fiduciary Financial Advisor, Comprehensive Financial Planning, Retirement Planning Advice, Tax-Efficient Investing, Risk Management for Investors, Generational Wealth Transfer Planning, Financial Strategies for High Earners, Personal Finance for Entrepreneurs, Behavioral Finance Insights, Asset Allocation Strategies, Advanced Estate Planning Techniques

Mentions:Website: https://www.johndinsmore.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbdinsmore/ Mentions: https://bestinterest.blog/i-am-weak/ The Marketing of Debt: How They Get You by John B. Dinsmore

More of The Best Interest:Check out the Best Interest Blog at https://bestinterest.blog/ Contact me at [email protected] Consider working with me at https://bestinterest.blog/work/

The Best Interest Podcast is a personal podcast meant for education and entertainment. It should not be taken as financial advice, and is not prescriptive of your financial situation.

In 1950, the U.S. military sprayed bacteria over San Francisco as part of a biological weapons test. The test team thought the bacteria it used was harmless, but several people got sick and one person died. We explore the history and impacts of this clandestine operation, now known as Operation Seaspray, on U.S. military policy and one man's family.

Additional Resources:

Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts

This story was reported by Katherine Monahan. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Gabriela Glueck and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Olivia Allen-Price, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Alana Walker, Holly Kernan and everyone on Team KQED.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Preston and Seb unpack the biology of aging and the emerging science behind longevity. They take about epigenetics, sirtuins, Yamanaka factors, and how AI may accelerate regenerative medicine, offering a glimpse into the future of human health.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:05:04 - Why Aging Might Be a Disease—and What That Changes Scientifically
00:07:05 - What Epigenetics Is and How It Affects Cellular Aging
00:24:37 - How Yamanaka Factors Can Reset Cells and Potentially Reverse Aging
00:35:43 - The Role of Fasting, Cold, and Heat in Triggering Repair Pathways
00:30:22 - What NMN and Sirtuins Do in the Body and Their Role in Longevity
00:42:26 - How AI Could Simplify and Accelerate Breakthroughs in Aging Science
00:48:48 - The Philosophical Trade-Offs of Living Longer Versus Living Better

Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences.

BOOKS AND RESOURCES

NEW TO THE SHOW?

SPONSORS

Support our free podcast by supporting our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sponsors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

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Stop making million-dollar decisions alone. Hampton gives you a personal board of eight vetted founders in your city who meet monthly to tackle your hardest problems. Find your group: joinhampton.com

Most exit stories are told in headlines and highlight reels. We wanted the truth. So we surveyed dozens of exited Hampton founders and pulled insights from 100+ interviews to uncover what really happens after the deal closes – from broken earnouts and identity loss to why nearly everyone regrets something they bought.

Here’s what we talk about:

• Why deal structure matters more than the sale price, and how earnouts quietly screw founders
• How 47% of founders said they made less than expected from their deal
• Why having millions in the bank can still feel like financial insecurity
• The surprising trap of feeling “poor” after selling
• Why 92% of exited founders build again – retirement is a myth
• The identity unraveling that hits most founders post-exit
• The most common regret: a house, car, or other “reward” that quickly became a burden
• Why trying to time the market almost always backfires
• The #1 post-sale frustration almost no one talks about: losing control of company culture

Cool Links:

• Hampton joinhampton.com/
• Lower Street lowerstreet.co/
• Hampton Wealth Report joinhampton.com/2024-wealth-report

Sponsors:

• Get a team of AI agents that run compliance for you at delve.co/moneywise
• Achieve your dream body with dailybodycoach.com/moneywise
• Join 700+ founders hiring A-players in Latin America at hirewithnear.com/moneywise

Chapters:

• (1:21) Deal Structure: Where the Real Money’s Made
• (4:22) Why a Big Payout Can Still Feel Small
• (6:43) The Retirement Myth: You’ll Build Again
• (8:32) Selling Isn’t Just Business, It’s Personal
• (11:33) The Big Purchase Trap
• (13:20) Timing: Stop Waiting for Perfect
• (15:26) Nine Lessons from Founders Who’ve Been There
• (17:00) The Culture Shift Nobody Warns You About

This podcast is a ridiculous concept: high-net-worth people reveal their personal finances. Inspired by real conversations happening in the Hampton community.

Your Host: Jackie Lamport

• Not really the host, but the producer.
• Wrote this sentence.

My guest today is Luca Ferrari. Luca is the co-founder and CEO of Bending Spoons, which he describes as 25 percent private equity and 75 percent technology company. Founded in 2013, Bending Spoons fully acquires and operates digital companies like Evernote, Meetup, Vimeo, and most recently AOL. 

Our conversation explores the unique model behind Bending Spoons, and the culture required to scale it. Luca shares exactly how their acquisition playbook works – from identifying promising businesses to rebuilding every part of them across product, design, monetization, and marketing. We discuss their approach to financing long-term ownership through both debt and equity, Luca’s obsession with finding and developing exceptional talent, and his decision to build the company in Europe. 

I found Luca’s description of himself as perennially unhappy to be the clearest window into how he builds. It’s a mindset that fuels his pursuit of excellence and defines the culture at Bending Spoons.

Please enjoy my conversation with Luca Ferrari.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ramp’s mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp.com/invest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus.

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This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AlphaSense⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. AlphaSense has completely transformed the research process with cutting-edge AI technology and a vast collection of top-tier, reliable business content. Invest Like the Best listeners can get a free trial now at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Alpha-Sense.com/Invest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and experience firsthand how AlphaSense and Tegus help you make smarter decisions faster.

–-

This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ridgeline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Head to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ridgelineapps.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about the platform.

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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠).

Show Notes:

(00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best

(00:03:12) The Vision and Ambition

(00:07:56) Challenges and Early Days

(00:11:01) The Turning Point: Evertale to Bending Spoons

(00:13:12) Acquisition Strategy and Growth

(00:24:22) Case Study: Evernote Acquisition

(00:33:34) Pricing and Valuation Insights

(00:40:02) Making Competitive Offers

(00:40:37) Walkaway Rate and Offer Success

(00:41:14) Financing the Business

(00:43:21) Lessons from Acquisitions

(00:46:32) The AOL Acquisition

(00:48:21) Simplifying Business Operations

(00:56:10) Incentives and Motivation

(00:58:31) Balancing Discontent and Growth

(01:03:21) Raising Debt Capital

(01:06:37) Impact of AI on Business

(01:11:00) Company Culture and Traditions

(01:16:00) The Kindest Thing

In which the ponds of New England become the wellspring of a new worldwide web of perishable foods, and Ken learns that gum is a forest treat. Certificate #23725.

Avios is the rewards currency for British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, Qatar, and soon Finnair. This means it's worth some attention. On this week's episode, we discuss how you can earn, use, and maximize this reward currency.

Here are some of the topics you'll find in the episode...

(01:41) Player Two chimes in (Mailbag)

(03:37) Chase British Airways Visa Signature® Card (Card Talk)

Learn more about this card: https://frequentmiler.com/ba/

(09:30) Turkish award search shows random non-partner flights (Crazy Thing)

(13:30) Best Western: Stay Twice & Earn Free Night Voucher (Mattress Running the Numbers)

Read more about this: https://frequentmiler.com/best-western-stay-twice-earn-free-night-voucher/

(17:37) Turkish devalues (Award Talk)

Read more about this: https://frequentmiler.com/turkish-might-be-demolishing-its-award-chart/

(22:03) SLH ditches Hyatt for Hilton (Award Talk)

Read more about this: https://frequentmiler.com/small-luxury-hotels-slh-ditches-hyatt-for-hilton/

(26:10) Bilt announces milestone rewards (Award Talk)

Read more about this: https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-introduces-unrewarding-milestone-rewards/

(31:50) Referral points don’t count towards Bilt status, h/t Chris from All the Hacks (Award Talk)

(32:58) Mastering Avios, the rewards currency for BA, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, Qatar, and (soon) Finnair (Main Event)

Read all about Avios here: https://frequentmiler.com/complete-guide-to-avios-british-airways-iberia-and-aer-lingus/

(33:22) Earning Avios (34:30) Moving Avios between programs

Read more about this: https://frequentmiler.com/how-to-transfer-avios-between-aer-lingus-ba-and-iberia/

(40:52) BA Household Accounts

(42:40) Using Avios

Read more about using Avios with Jet Blue: https://frequentmiler.com/jetblue-mint-to-the-caribbean-for-26000-avios-where-and-how-to-find-it/

(01:03:37) How do you plan acitivites? (Question of the Week)

In this episode, Stig Brodersen speaks with Tobias Carlisle — founder and managing director of Acquirers Funds — about Warren Buffett’s timeless approach to risk. Drawing from Tobias’s new book, Soldier of Fortune, they explore how ancient wisdom, especially from The Art of War, reveals the deeper logic behind Buffett’s biggest and most misunderstood investing decisions.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

00:00:00 Intro

Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences.

BOOKS AND RESOURCES

NEW TO THE SHOW?

SPONSORS

Support our show by becoming a premium member! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm