A few months ago I was having brunch with my friend Jess. We were swapping life updates and getting caught up as we hadn’t seen each other in months.
I started sharing how Jordan and I had just decided that we wanted to do something different in life: we wanted to move from the UK to Hawaii, live a very environmentally friendly and active lifestyle, and spend more time with family and our baby boy, Henry. I had so much enthusiasm I was practically word-vomiting about how we were going to make this work. I couldn’t stop talking about our plans and how even though life looks exactly the same, we feel completely different as we work towards this change.
While we hadn’t exactly been in a rut, we were really excited to do something different. A little out of the norm for our two type-A, over-planner personalities.
As I continued to over-share, I told her how this new plan was actually making us better with our money. We could finally see the forest for the trees.
But there was one small problem: I wanted to write about it, but I couldn’t figure out how to pull the words together. I’m good with educational content. I can easily write a piece comparing loan options or breaking down investments. But something about feelings, life goals, and aspirations? My words were falling flat.
As always, she had an easy and obvious solution: record it.
I went home, told Jordan that I was going to record us talking about our new life plan, and we pressed record a few hours later while Henry was napping.
Recording our little conversation was more energizing than most other things I’ve recently done.
From that, I can’t remember who said, “would it be fun to make this a regular thing and you know, start a podcast?”
But one of us said it, the other agreed, and here we are.
Why a podcast?
A while ago I shared some advice that I had heard that said:
“You should have three hobbies: one to make you money, one to keep you healthy, and one to make you creative.”
I didn’t really have that creative hobby.
I love writing the newsletter and writing articles on this site, but at some point, those things stopped feeling creative. Probably because I write A LOT for my profession. But I truly believe that hobbies not only make us better people, but they help us be better with money. If you are so excited and fulfilled by your hobby, you’re probably going to spend less time mindless shopping or going to yet another brunch.
A creative hobby was missing from my life — and if it’s missing from yours I highly recommend finding one.
But there were a few other reasons we decided to start this as well:
We’re doing this for us (and Henry)
The best part about this podcast is that we’re really, truly doing it because we are excited to chronicle our journey of getting to Hawaii (and all the other things) as well as talk to people that we find super interesting. If no one else listens to it, that’s fine. It’ll be there for us to listen to when we’re 100 years old and Henry can listen back and think, “wow, my parents were nuts.”
But, if even one person listens in and then decides that they want to shake things up and do things a little differently with their money and their life, I will be thrilled.
We get to keep learning
I never want to be that out of date, out of touch person who doesn’t know how to use the new phone. I hope to continually learn things, and so does Jordan. Starting a podcast, which we know nothing about, is part of that quest to be life-long learners.
Plus, once you figure out how to do something new it makes you less hesitant to try more and more new things.
We get a new date night
Friday night date nights were getting pretty stale. It happens when you can’t get a sitter every single week. And since we cut the cord and no longer have TV, half of the time the nights would end with us behind our computers.
Cue: sad music.
Now, each episode where it’s just us talking is recorded during our date night. It’s a fun way to shake things up.
We get to meet really awesome people
Guys, we’re interviewing people who have done some really interesting things with their lives. Like traveling the world. Living in a tiny home. And starting their own business. Without this podcast, I’d have no reason to reach out and say, “will you please be my friend and inspire me?”
Now, I do.
Baby Henry, you can do anything you want in life
And, the last reason. Starting a podcast that someone might listen to and think is terrible is, honestly, a little terrifying. And sometimes fear like that can leave us living within our safe little box, never venturing out because we’re worried about what other people think.
I don’t want to model that behavior for Henry. If I hope that he’ll try things out, become his own person and really lean into his unique interests, I have to do the same.
This won’t be perfect, it won’t be polished. It won’t make any best of lists. But it will be fun and we’re excited to have a little more adventure in our lives.
And just a note: I will still be publishing articles and sending out the Friday newsletter. It’s just like before, but better.
