A Decade Later, Catching Up With Will
2024 will mark the end of Martinis and your Money in October after 10 years of podcasting. The good news is that the year is just beginning, and I still have 9 months of amazing new content to share with you. Over the next 9 months, I'll be delivering the best of the best to you. The best of what I've learned over the past 9 years of podcasting, the best guests, the best topics, and so much more. Each month will have a new theme, and the theme for February is children.
If becoming a parent is a life goal, you have to prepare for the financial challenges of having children, and while there are plenty of financial challenges that come with children, there is also tremendous joy. I would spend all of that money again in a heartbeat to have the 18-year journey I've had with Will thus far. Which is why I'm excited to bring Will back to the show. As you may have heard at the beginning of this episode, Will was originally on the show almost 10 years ago now, and he joins me once again to drink strawberry milk martinis, talk about money, and why he's following in his mom's footsteps professionally.
What are we drinking?
Will - Strawberry Milk 'Martini'
Shannon - Strawberry Milk 'Martini'
Podcast Notes
Catching up with Will
Will's last appearance on the show was when he was eight years old, and they're drinking the same drink they did in that episode. A lot has changed! Will is getting ready to graduate high school, run Division 1 track at college, and celebrate a one-year anniversary with his girlfriend.
Will plans to study business management with a concentration in finance. He found this path independently, without Shannon's direct influence, but he was inspired by watching her growing up. After AP Chemistry, he learned that the STEM fields were not for him.
Over the last ten years, Will has been aware of The Financial Gym's journey as Shannon has shared the experience with him. He's always been interested but has asked even more thoughtful questions over the last few years. Business and finance suits Will.
Attending School During the Covid Lockdowns
Will was just starting high school amid the Covid lockdowns. Even though it was challenging, he is thankful the most intense part was at the beginning of high school rather than the end.
During the lockdowns, they switched between days on and days off for virtual learning and weren't required to be on camera. Will would sleep through classes and struggle to focus or learn anything new.
Everyone wore masks once they were back in school, and not much socializing happened. He didn't connect with his teachers in those years, and it was a challenging time for a lot of students. Will really found himself in his junior and senior years. Seeing his teachers and connecting with them made him excited to learn from them.
The whole experience was a learning opportunity in how to handle the challenges that arise. Some of his friends grew from the challenges and are thriving now; others are still working through it.
Cringey TikTok Experts and Advice
Will grew up with social media and sees the bad financial advice and scams firsthand. Some people oversimplify things to an extreme or are completely out of touch with reality.
Anyone can start a podcast now, and a few family dynasties have platforms that perpetuate outdated and tired financial 'advice.'
You'll hear people say things like '10x your return on investment,' which can sound good to someone who doesn't understand that it is virtually impossible. Most of these scams or 'opportunities' prey on vulnerable populations, which is infuriating.
There are people in Will's age group who want to be influencers as a career and who take social media very seriously. Will doesn't love social media but grew up with it and is a casual user.
Will is excited to go to college because it is very community-oriented. He's built to be around people and looks forward to seeing his friends more often while running track and taking classes that interest him.
Takeaway: My biggest takeaway is to start talking to your kids about money from an early age. We started when Will was around 5 and as he aged, our conversations aged as well. He truly does give me great counsel now around financial decisions and I know it’s because we’ve been talking about money with him for years now.
Random Three Questions
If you were given $20k to travel anywhere, where would you go?
What is your favorite thing to binge?
If this was your last meal on earth, what would it be?
Resources Mentioned in the Episode
Money Lessons From a Kid - 12/19/2014
If you have any topics you would like me to cover on this podcast, or if you’d like to get in the financially naked hot seat, I encourage you to email me at Shannon@fingyms.com, or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook Page, and let me know what you want to hear.
In addition to hosting this show, I’m the founder and CEO of The Financial Gym. We are celebrating 10 years of this journey, and now, more than ever, I see the importance of the work we do every day. Rising inflation, the return of student loan debt, high interest rates on mortgages, and volatile stock markets make it a time when you need a best financial friend to help you make the best choices.
At Financial Gym, you get paired with a Certified Financial Trainer, who we call your BFF. Our team has coached clients through every financial season, whether they were living paycheck to paycheck or headed into Financial Independence and retirement. As a reminder, we work with individuals, couples or business owners.
And the exciting news of 2024 is that Financial Gym now has a sister company, FG Advisory Services that’s available for people who are looking for more traditional financial advisory services like asset management delivered by a team that looks and behaves nothing like a traditional financial advisory services company.
We literally have a solution for you no matter where you’re starting from. So what are you waiting for? Head over to financialgym.com to get started today. Our warm-up calls are free of cost and judgment.