As someone pursuing early financial independence, it is almost guaranteed that over time, a lot of your wealth will come from investment growth but as we all know, it takes money to make money.

The first $100,000 of your net worth is a lot of hard work: you need to make income, live below your means, and aggressively save. And through all of this, your career will be the backbone of this process.

Improving the skills that will make you more valuable is an important journey throughout your 20s. If you put effort in the right places, you will quickly become a high performer and be paid accordingly.

So with that in mind, what should you be focusing on? There are technical skills that will be in high demand in the future (think AI, cybersecurity, logistics) but these are industry-specific. There are also a set of skills that no matter what career path you pursue, will always pay dividends.

Today, I’ll be talking about the latter with Dave Lamont. Dave knows a thing or two about this subject as he’s built an incredible career for himself and not slowing down anytime soon. Dave is the CEO of Renfrew Business Group and president of Renfrew Chrysler, Lloydminster Nissan, and Royalty RV. In this episode, Dave shares 6 essential skills that led him to his success with the hope that you’ll find career success as well no matter how you define that.

So let’s get into it. I hope you enjoy my conversation with former hockey player, car enthusiast, and Author of Crank It!...Dave Lamont.

Key Takeaways:

• Learning work ethic through role models
• How hard work creates luck
• Simply strategies for effectively managing your time
• How to build rapport with colleagues twice your age
• The importance of learning
• Embodying true confidence
• Why looking out for others will pay off

More of Dave:

Crank It! A Playbook for Succeeding in Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Crank-Playbook-Succeeding-Business-Life-ebook/dp/B0CBL2J76J

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 pouring into your personal finance education and you’re starting to feel more empowered to manage your investments. You might have even played around with online calculators and realized how much that 1% advisor fee is really costing you. But years ago, when you were less confident and didn’t know better, you hired someone to help you with this. They grew into someone you call a friend and although you know the math and feel capable of handling your investments on your own now, you’re having difficulty cutting ties.

It’s not easy to break up with someone especially if they have treated you well, answered your phone calls, and have been sending you an annual Christmas card.

But I help you with the hard things and it’s time. With this in mind, how can we make this a smooth process, set ourselves up for success, and respectfully and professionally break up with our financial advisor? Well, that’s today’s conversation.

To help me unpack this topic, I invited on Tess Waresmith. Tess is a financial coach that helps people feel confident with investing. But this wasn’t always the case. After socking away a ton of money working on cruise ships after she graduated, Tess hired a financial advisor to help her turn her savings into real wealth. But after some bad advice and other financial mishaps, Tess lost $80,000 and had to reset. Through a lot of self-education, she learned how to invest on her own through simple, yet effective methods.

In this episode, Tess shares the math behind the real cost of a financial advisor. She shares an easy step-by-step process for breaking up with your advisor and how to handle objections if they push back. We also talk about when it might be appropriate to hire help and who might be the right person for that situation.

Let’s get into it. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the aerial aerobatic and high diving financial coach…Tess Waresmith.

Key Takeaways:

• How much a 1% advisor fee costs you over 40 years
• How to compare your advisor’s performance against the average
• A step-by-step process for breaking up with your advisor
• Responding to objections from your advisor
• Financial situations that might require professional help and who to hire
• Simple definitions of common financial jargon

Mentions:

Free Guide: 26 need-to-know investing terms: https://www.moneyconfidentcoach.com/optin1656350743725

More of Tess:

IG: WealthWithTess (https://www.instagram.com/wealthwithtess/)

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/

Dating is expensive. There is no way to sugarcoat it. Between dinner, drinks, parking, entertainment, and more…the costs quickly add up. I was reading an article and they surveyed 2,000 Americans to find out the average person has spent $3,025 over the last year on dating. That’s a little more than $250 a month and it didn’t include indirect costs like new clothes, make-up, and haircuts.

Even as someone in a long-term relationship where Gaby and I have similar financial goals, and the advantage of using coupons and hitting happy hours without social ridicule, we still spend a fair amount on dates.

It is because creating shared memories is important to us…but so is financial independence. So whenever it comes to dating, how can we maximize fun without breaking the bank? Well, that’s what I have in store for you today.

My friend Samantha Vigneau and I created a list of 5 affordable and fun date ideas. My challenge to her was each of these ideas had to be less than $50 for two people and she hit the mark with many ideas being little to no money at all.

This was a fun episode to make. I know many of us are dating right now let it be you’re looking for someone or in a relationship and going out and making memories together is important. So how do we find the balance between that and our financial goals? This episode will answer that.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with the Host of Single Status…Samantha Vigneau

Key Takeaways:

• Elements of bad first date ideas
• 5 affordable yet fun date ideas
• How do you discuss money with a new romantic interest?
• Signs to look for to understand someone’s money values
• What to do if you feel like you’re falling behind in life

More of Samantha:

Website: https://www.singlestatuspodcast.com/

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

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/