Author Topic: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?  (Read 42110 times)

arebelspy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #50 on: September 30, 2017, 01:48:08 PM »
I love Brad, consider him a friend, and think it's great to have a couple new voices spreading the FIRE, as they say.
...
Anyway, there are some great guests and fantastic knowledge to be shared here.

That's a good way to put it. It'll resonate with some people, and it won't with others. That's okay. I'm glad they're doing it. :)
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Done by Forty

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #51 on: October 01, 2017, 09:44:17 AM »
Me, too. Honestly, I'm torn about how I feel about the show, as others have noted.

I feel like I should listen to it, so I will do so occasionally (e.g. - with ERN's episode...that's like must listen stuff for FIRE folks, as it points to his Safe Withdrawals series).

arebelspy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #52 on: October 01, 2017, 12:28:37 PM »
It does make MadFI's podcast that much more impressive. That's pretty solid nearly every time.

But much less often, of course.
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tj

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #53 on: October 14, 2017, 12:33:23 PM »
It does make MadFI's podcast that much more impressive. That's pretty solid nearly every time.

But much less often, of course.

I actually like that one even less. Sound quality is pretty mediocre, but I guess he uses an iphone to record it? :D

To be honest, I guess I just don't see the point of the podcast as a learning medium. I'd rather read a blog post. It's a much more efficient use of time.

When I do listen to a personal financial podcast, it's exclusively when the host is interviewing someone whose blog I like reading, or whose forum contributions I enjoy. In the case of ChooseFI, Jonathan tends to insert himself into the convo a lot (as mentioned above in this thread) and I don't enjoy that listening experience - because I tuned in to hear the guest - but they have obviously seen a lot of success, so a lot of people are digging the format.

I did enjoy a lot of the early solo-hosted Radical Personal Finance podcasts, but I almost feel like the longer these guys are at it, the harder it is to find a fresh idea in the niche.  Because the FI concept isn't this massively complex concept.

But maybe I just prefer listening to music in general.
« Last Edit: October 14, 2017, 12:39:00 PM by tj »

arebelspy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #54 on: October 14, 2017, 12:39:22 PM »
It does make MadFI's podcast that much more impressive. That's pretty solid nearly every time.

But much less often, of course.

I actually like that one even less. Sound quality is pretty mediocre, but I guess he uses an iphone to record it? :D

Content > sound quality, to me.

Quote
To be honest, I guess I just don't see the point of the podcast as a learning medium. I'd rather read a blog post. It's a much more efficient use of time.

Start trying 2x-3x speed, at times you aren't able to read a blog post. If you can't be reading something during that time (driving, doing household chores, etc.), it's an infinitely better use of that time versus a blog post.

I haven't had time for podcasts for awhile, so still haven't got to listen to this, but I do think Brad is a great guy, so I'm excited to hear it at some point. I've never heard of his co-host before/besides this podcast.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
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tj

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #55 on: October 14, 2017, 01:25:06 PM »
They are definitely both cool dudes in real life. You should check it out when you get some free time.

I find listening to spoken word to be distracting from whatever else i am doing. (Driving, reading  etc)

If I had a passive commute (like a train, bus, or subway), I would find that to be a prime setting for active listening such as a pdocast).

For me, with driving, working out, or doing a chore, audio is more likely to be passive listening aka background noise.
« Last Edit: October 14, 2017, 01:33:18 PM by tj »

arebelspy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #56 on: October 14, 2017, 01:32:11 PM »


I find listening to spoken word to be distracting from whatever else i am doing. (Driving, reading  etc)

Sure, but if it's something you don't need to pay a lot of attention to do, it works well (housecleaning and exercise come to mind).
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Luckyvik

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #57 on: October 14, 2017, 05:00:52 PM »

I did enjoy a lot of the early solo-hosted Radical Personal Finance podcasts, but I almost feel like the longer these guys are at it, the harder it is to find a fresh idea in the niche.  Because the FI concept isn't this massively complex concept.

I totally agree, I really enjoyed the early Radical Personal Podcasts also, particularly the first couple where he reviews ERE then he has a two parter interviewing Jacob. As time went on I felt like the topics of his podcast where no longer as interesting.


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slappy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #58 on: October 14, 2017, 05:03:54 PM »
The last few episodes have been really putting me off the show in general. It almost seems like Jonathan is interviewing himself. He asks a ridiciuly long winded 4 questions in one, the basically answers himself. The guest maybe gets a quarter of the time that Jonathan does.

arebelspy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #59 on: October 14, 2017, 07:24:35 PM »
The last few episodes have been really putting me off the show in general. It almost seems like Jonathan is interviewing himself. He asks a ridiciuly long winded 4 questions in one, the basically answers himself. The guest maybe gets a quarter of the time that Jonathan does.

Mention it to them. I'd bet they're open to constructive criticism.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

chasesfish

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #60 on: October 15, 2017, 08:32:15 AM »
There's a balance between how much personal information you share and how much of the show is an interview.   The answer is different for everyone.  I'm glad they split up the episodes into two weeks, if you don't want to hear Jonathan be long-winded, don't listen to the Friday round-ups.

I'll give an example to the other extreme:  Listen to the Fire Drill Podcast.   Its done by two ladies that are really good writers in the personal finance/career advice space, but I think they pre-recorded a ton of their episodes so they come across as interviews only.   Over time, they'll want to open up some to the audience about what's going on in their life or how the show is progressing.

I used to like Paula Pant's podcast too, but that's turning more into generic financial advice for the masses.  That's okay, its her business and I think she's really good at it, but its not for me.


arebelspy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #61 on: October 15, 2017, 09:12:40 AM »


I'll give an example to the other extreme:  Listen to the Fire Drill Podcast.   Its done by two ladies that are really good writers in the personal finance/career advice space, but I think they pre-recorded a ton of their episodes so they come across as interviews only.   Over time, they'll want to open up some to the audience about what's going on in their life or how the show is progressing.

I don't believe they are prerecorded, but even if they are, what does that have to do with them being interviews?

Or am I not understanding what you mean by prerecorded?

Quote
I used to like Paula Pant's podcast too, but that's turning more into generic financial advice for the masses.  That's okay, its her business and I think she's really good at it, but its not for me.

What would you prefer instead?

I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

chasesfish

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #62 on: October 15, 2017, 09:20:08 AM »
I'll expand on my post:

I enjoy a good balance of personal experience/stories from the host and a quality interview.   I really enjoy the Mad Fientist's podcast (including your interview Arebelspy), even if he's down to one a month.   I really enjoy Monday's episodes of Chose FI, which have quality guests.   I'm so-so on the Friday roundups, sometimes I make it through it sometimes I don't.

J and Gwen came out and said they pre-recorded a bunch of episodes before launch.  I'd like to see them move more towards a balance of their own experiences plus interviews.   I think they have a great network of different/younger FI guests.  Everyone's preference is different, I'm just expressing mine.

If it were a college course, I'm enjoying the finance 301's and up.  Paula seems to be doing a lot more Finance 101, which is great for her personality and the listeners she supports.

tj

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #63 on: October 15, 2017, 09:49:29 AM »
Quote
I'd like to see them move more towards a balance of their own experiences plus interviews. 

You probably wouldn't care / be able to identify if episodes of their own experiences were pre-recorded though. ;-)

I'm not sure if that's something to expect. J scrubbed her identity fairly well and removed a lot of her more personal blog posts.
« Last Edit: October 15, 2017, 11:49:05 AM by tj »

chasesfish

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #64 on: October 15, 2017, 11:00:06 AM »
@ TJ - Yes, that's a big challenge and agree with how well her identity was scrubbed.  The higher up in leadership you go the more scrutiny your outside activities get.  , especially the higher in leadership you go in a company.   I just started to blog (as in last week and poorly) and waited for years.  I can even be terminated for outside "employment" if I generate a dollar from it.

Had to wait until I was past FI so I would only be mildly disappointing if they find it and ask me to leave.  I'll keep the entertaining megacorp stuff out of it early on.

tj

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #65 on: October 15, 2017, 11:55:04 AM »
Quote
just started to blog (as in last week and poorly)


You should probably fix it so that your /blog folder actually has your blog posts. I only see the posts when going to your home page.

slappy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #66 on: October 16, 2017, 02:40:39 PM »
The last few episodes have been really putting me off the show in general. It almost seems like Jonathan is interviewing himself. He asks a ridiciuly long winded 4 questions in one, the basically answers himself. The guest maybe gets a quarter of the time that Jonathan does.

Mention it to them. I'd bet they're open to constructive criticism.

Well they may have redeemed themselves with today’s episode. I’m thrilled to hear about JD bringing back GRS! :)

I don’t have Facebook anymore but I’ve been considering re activating. If I do, maybe I’ll leave some feedback in the Facebook group.

tj

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #67 on: October 16, 2017, 08:52:16 PM »
The last few episodes have been really putting me off the show in general. It almost seems like Jonathan is interviewing himself. He asks a ridiciuly long winded 4 questions in one, the basically answers himself. The guest maybe gets a quarter of the time that Jonathan does.

Mention it to them. I'd bet they're open to constructive criticism.

Well they may have redeemed themselves with today’s episode. I’m thrilled to hear about JD bringing back GRS! :)

I don’t have Facebook anymore but I’ve been considering re activating. If I do, maybe I’ll leave some feedback in the Facebook group.


I think they'd be more liekly to see a personal email. There's a LOT of activity in that FB group.

arebelspy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #68 on: October 16, 2017, 10:25:52 PM »
I think they'd be more liekly to see a personal email. There's a LOT of activity in that FB group.

There's a bunch of discussion activity for a podcast?

That surprises me.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

tj

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #69 on: October 16, 2017, 11:10:27 PM »
I think they'd be more liekly to see a personal email. There's a LOT of activity in that FB group.

There's a bunch of discussion activity for a podcast?

That surprises me.

Well, as is the case here, the discussions are not necessarily all in response to a specific podcast.  I'm not sure why they encourage the FB discussion because they obviously can't monetize it directly, but I know the travel miles 101 has a huge discussion group too. Some people like FB better because there is non anonymity.


In the case of the Facebook groups, stuff just shows up in my news feed by default unless you disable that setting, which reminds me that I should probably go ahead and do that.

arebelspy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #70 on: October 16, 2017, 11:20:03 PM »
Well, as is the case here, the discussions are not necessarily all in response to a specific podcast.  I'm not sure why they encourage the FB discussion because they obviously can't monetize it directly, but I know the travel miles 101 has a huge discussion group too. Some people like FB better because there is non anonymity.


In the case of the Facebook groups, stuff just shows up in my news feed by default unless you disable that setting, which reminds me that I should probably go ahead and do that.

Having good metrics for community engagement is totally monitizable.  For example, if/when they sell ad spots on the podcast.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

tj

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #71 on: October 17, 2017, 07:37:31 AM »
Well, as is the case here, the discussions are not necessarily all in response to a specific podcast.  I'm not sure why they encourage the FB discussion because they obviously can't monetize it directly, but I know the travel miles 101 has a huge discussion group too. Some people like FB better because there is more anonymity.


In the case of the Facebook groups, stuff just shows up in my news feed by default unless you disable that setting, which reminds me that I should probably go ahead and do that.

Having good metrics for community engagement is totally monitizable.  For example, if/when they sell ad spots on the podcast.

That's true. I imagine FB offers decent analytics for that. The people posting in the FB group aren't necessarily 100% correlated to the people listening to the actual podcast though.

slappy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #72 on: October 17, 2017, 08:04:50 AM »
Well, as is the case here, the discussions are not necessarily all in response to a specific podcast.  I'm not sure why they encourage the FB discussion because they obviously can't monetize it directly, but I know the travel miles 101 has a huge discussion group too. Some people like FB better because there is more anonymity.


In the case of the Facebook groups, stuff just shows up in my news feed by default unless you disable that setting, which reminds me that I should probably go ahead and do that.

Having good metrics for community engagement is totally monitizable.  For example, if/when they sell ad spots on the podcast.

That's true. I imagine FB offers decent analytics for that. The people posting in the FB group aren't necessarily 100% correlated to the people listening to the actual podcast though.

Haha. Confession time: I joined the group long before I ever listened to the podcast. Or any podcast for that matter. I had this idea that downloading a podcast was above my level of technological expertise. I was also in another mustachian group where one of the members PMd me a link to his blog (I had requested it). He mentioned that he noticed I was also in the Choose FI group and how much he liked the podcasts. I felt like I had been caught, so I went ahead and downloaded the podcasts, which of course was the easiest thing ever.   I really enjoyed getting caught up on the episodes and now I'm trying to find another one podcast to add to my rotation.  As much as they can be annoying sometimes, I do appreciate the optimism, and I have yet to find another podcast that I find to be engaging.  Hence the love/hate relationship with ChooseFI. :)

DarkandStormy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #73 on: October 17, 2017, 08:16:25 AM »
I think they'd be more liekly to see a personal email. There's a LOT of activity in that FB group.

There's a bunch of discussion activity for a podcast?

That surprises me.

Think it's less about the podcast and more about the FI ideas being discussed.  There are various FWOTW (frugal win of the week) sharing, travel hacking discussions/suggestions, etc. etc.  Almost none of the discussion has to do with the hosts.

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #74 on: October 17, 2017, 08:19:57 AM »
I think they'd be more liekly to see a personal email. There's a LOT of activity in that FB group.

There's a bunch of discussion activity for a podcast?

That surprises me.
I'm not sure why they encourage the FB discussion because they obviously can't monetize it directly

Their stated goal has not been to monetize the podcast (hence no ads) but to grow the FI community in general.  They have said they make their money off of their Travel Hacking / credit cards page, so as people click those links for cards they're getting a bit of a kickback.  As far as I can tell, that's the only money they're making as they have zero ads anywhere.  Maybe Instant Pot is paying them to mention their device but it sounds like that started organically as well.  Only other thing I can think of is Playing with FIRE (documentary) will pay them for their time but it wouldn't be much.

arebelspy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #75 on: October 17, 2017, 08:44:27 AM »
Sure, travel hacking kickbacks are big--the larger you grow your community, the more that will grow.

Like I said, lots of ways to monetize.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

tj

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #76 on: October 17, 2017, 10:09:12 AM »
I think they'd be more liekly to see a personal email. There's a LOT of activity in that FB group.

There's a bunch of discussion activity for a podcast?

That surprises me.
I'm not sure why they encourage the FB discussion because they obviously can't monetize it directly

Their stated goal has not been to monetize the podcast (hence no ads) but to grow the FI community in general.  They have said they make their money off of their Travel Hacking / credit cards page, so as people click those links for cards they're getting a bit of a kickback.  As far as I can tell, that's the only money they're making as they have zero ads anywhere.  Maybe Instant Pot is paying them to mention their device but it sounds like that started organically as well.  Only other thing I can think of is Playing with FIRE (documentary) will pay them for their time but it wouldn't be much.

Honestly the "not monetize" sounds like sales spin to me.

Maybe they dont want to put ads on the podcast, but they certainly want to grow the number of people signing up for the credit cards. My guess is they went the fb route rather than forum because brad's travelmiles101 forum never took off while the fb group flourished. I know Jonathan wants to get out of the pharmacy if he can, so it would seem odd to me if choosefi, which I know is a huge time commitment and emotional investment, isnt part of that plan.

slappy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #77 on: October 17, 2017, 10:14:06 AM »
I think they'd be more liekly to see a personal email. There's a LOT of activity in that FB group.

There's a bunch of discussion activity for a podcast?

That surprises me.
I'm not sure why they encourage the FB discussion because they obviously can't monetize it directly

Their stated goal has not been to monetize the podcast (hence no ads) but to grow the FI community in general.  They have said they make their money off of their Travel Hacking / credit cards page, so as people click those links for cards they're getting a bit of a kickback.  As far as I can tell, that's the only money they're making as they have zero ads anywhere.  Maybe Instant Pot is paying them to mention their device but it sounds like that started organically as well.  Only other thing I can think of is Playing with FIRE (documentary) will pay them for their time but it wouldn't be much.

Honestly the "not monetize" sounds like sales spin to me.

Maybe they dont want to put ads on the podcast, but they certainly want to grow the number of people signing up for the credit cards. My guess is they went the fb route rather than forum because brad's travelmiles101 forum never took off while the fb group flourished. I know Jonathan wants to get out of the pharmacy if he can, so it would seem odd to me if choosefi, which I know is a huge time commitment and emotional investment, isnt part of that plan.

I agree. They've said multiple times that ChooseFI is a huge time commitment. I'm sure they aren't doing it purely out of the goodness of their hearts.  Either way is fine with me.

tj

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #78 on: October 17, 2017, 10:24:31 AM »
I think they'd be more liekly to see a personal email. There's a LOT of activity in that FB group.

There's a bunch of discussion activity for a podcast?

That surprises me.
I'm not sure why they encourage the FB discussion because they obviously can't monetize it directly

Their stated goal has not been to monetize the podcast (hence no ads) but to grow the FI community in general.  They have said they make their money off of their Travel Hacking / credit cards page, so as people click those links for cards they're getting a bit of a kickback.  As far as I can tell, that's the only money they're making as they have zero ads anywhere.  Maybe Instant Pot is paying them to mention their device but it sounds like that started organically as well.  Only other thing I can think of is Playing with FIRE (documentary) will pay them for their time but it wouldn't be much.

Honestly the "not monetize" sounds like sales spin to me.

Maybe they dont want to put ads on the podcast, but they certainly want to grow the number of people signing up for the credit cards. My guess is they went the fb route rather than forum because brad's travelmiles101 forum never took off while the fb group flourished. I know Jonathan wants to get out of the pharmacy if he can, so it would seem odd to me if choosefi, which I know is a huge time commitment and emotional investment, isnt part of that plan.

I agree. They've said multiple times that ChooseFI is a huge time commitment. I'm sure they aren't doing it purely out of the goodness of their hearts.  Either way is fine with me.

I would agree that whether they are doing it out of altruism or entrepreneurship is totally fine, i just dont personally  believe it to be the former. Regardless, mad props to them for having a fresh idea in a niche that I would have guessed was crowded. Its grown very quickly and that is something they deserve a huge amount of credit for.

chasesfish

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #79 on: October 17, 2017, 07:27:12 PM »
Sure, travel hacking kickbacks are big--the larger you grow your community, the more that will grow.

Like I said, lots of ways to monetize.

+1000

Growing the followers/sit visits/downloads/facebook group is the hard part.  Get the followers, monetization is eeeaaasssyyy!


K-12FI

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #80 on: October 20, 2017, 08:39:44 PM »
Today's Friday episode was good; the whole discussion regarding the total market index and value tilting, or the Merriman or Swedroe allocations was interesting. I like the idea of getting a roundtable together of those folks and letting them hash it out.

tj

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #81 on: November 19, 2017, 03:49:55 PM »
Currently listening to the Happy Philosopher interview.

Happy to say that this podcast has improved exponentially since the last time I listened. The hosts no longer talk over the guest(s) and the conversation doesn't feel as micromanaged/forced.


https://www.choosefi.com/048-happy-philosopher/


arebelspy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #82 on: November 19, 2017, 05:52:52 PM »
I met both the hosts at FinCon, and both are super awesome dudes. I'll definitely be listening to their podcast once I find time in my life for podcasts again.  :)
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

chasesfish

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #83 on: November 20, 2017, 05:43:27 AM »
I have to rescind some of my earlier criticisms too...

They interviewed Freedom Is Groovy today, that was awesome to hear about someone happily retired at 56 who exited New York just under 10 years ago without much money to their name.

DarkandStormy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #84 on: November 20, 2017, 07:12:07 AM »
I met both the hosts at FinCon, and both are super awesome dudes. I'll definitely be listening to their podcast once I find time in my life for podcasts again.  :)

Hey, you could even be a guest at some point!

DS

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #85 on: November 20, 2017, 07:38:33 AM »
I think they'd be more liekly to see a personal email. There's a LOT of activity in that FB group.

There's a bunch of discussion activity for a podcast?

That surprises me.

Lots of activity in the group! There is a ton to sift through though, because each time someone joins they toss up one of the classics "invest or mortgage?" "what investment order?" "should i bitcoin?" etc.

arebelspy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #86 on: November 20, 2017, 07:45:51 AM »
Lots of activity in the group! There is a ton to sift through though, because each time someone joins they toss up one of the classics "invest or mortgage?" "what investment order?" "should i bitcoin?" etc.

I feel like I've seen that somewhere else, too...
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

DS

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #87 on: November 20, 2017, 07:52:42 AM »
I feel like I've seen that somewhere else, too...

Haha, all the classics on every forum. :)

tj

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #88 on: November 20, 2017, 10:22:47 AM »
I have to rescind some of my earlier criticisms too...

They interviewed Freedom Is Groovy today, that was awesome to hear about someone happily retired at 56 who exited New York just under 10 years ago without much money to their name.

Thanks for the heads up! Love Mr. Groovy's blog and will check out this interview.

CloserToFree

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #89 on: November 20, 2017, 09:03:38 PM »
I have to agree too-- this podcast has gotten a TON better in the past couple months.  The Mr
 Groovy interview was phenomenal (I adore the accent, I could listen to that guy talk for days! Plus, cool story).  I am not even getting annoyed at Jonathan anymore-- I almost find his enthusiasm endearing. Anyways, good for them for apparently cleaning up the act and working to improve the podcast. 

chasesfish

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #90 on: November 21, 2017, 05:15:31 AM »
I have to agree too-- this podcast has gotten a TON better in the past couple months.  The Mr
 Groovy interview was phenomenal (I adore the accent, I could listen to that guy talk for days! Plus, cool story).  I am not even getting annoyed at Jonathan anymore-- I almost find his enthusiasm endearing. Anyways, good for them for apparently cleaning up the act and working to improve the podcast.

I think they've done a good job of taking feedback and are getting more professional.  They were responding to the facebook thread talking about the "Choose FI Drinking Game" with certain clichés they were using over and over.   I don't hear those as much anymore.

slappy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #91 on: November 21, 2017, 08:10:45 AM »
I still think they talk too much. Also, I wasn't quite as enamored with the Mr. Groovy episode. They kept saying that absolutely anybody could do what the Groovy's did and there was no luck involved, etc. I do agree with that to a certain extent, particularly as it relates to thinking outside of the box and not making excuses. But personally I feel a little turned off by the attitude that everything is so easy and anyone can do. I think it could turn off so people. I'm glad they are enthusiastic, but it's like they are trying to brainwash people. Anyway, i still listen because I think it is getting a little better and they still have good information to share. The past couple of episodes in particular they have been quite obsessed with themselves and how great the podcast is.

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #92 on: November 21, 2017, 09:01:21 AM »
I appreciated Mr. Groovy for admitting he didn't take the optimal path, made mistakes, etc.  But it sounded like the bulk of reaching FI was due to selling at the absolute top of the housing boom...without really planning to do it that way.  It sounded like a lot of circumstances came together at the right time rather than, "Well, we saved 60+% of our income for 10 years."

You take what you can get in this life of course, but this episode appeared to be more "luck" than discovering a trick or working harder at X than most people.  Then again, it's a ~1 hour podcast, so I'll have to check our Freedom is Groovy and read his stuff.

slappy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #93 on: November 21, 2017, 09:06:10 AM »
I appreciated Mr. Groovy for admitting he didn't take the optimal path, made mistakes, etc.  But it sounded like the bulk of reaching FI was due to selling at the absolute top of the housing boom...without really planning to do it that way.  It sounded like a lot of circumstances came together at the right time rather than, "Well, we saved 60+% of our income for 10 years."

You take what you can get in this life of course, but this episode appeared to be more "luck" than discovering a trick or working harder at X than most people.  Then again, it's a ~1 hour podcast, so I'll have to check our Freedom is Groovy and read his stuff.

And the fact that they kept their NYC salaries for the first year after moving to Charlotte. That seems like a huge advantage. I wouldn't hold it against them, but then Brad and Jonathan were saying that anyone can get ahead just by moving to a LCOL area with no debt. I was under the impression that in general, LCOL also equals a lower salary. I've often considered domestic geo arbitrage, but the numbers don't make sense for me yet.

DarkandStormy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #94 on: November 21, 2017, 09:39:48 AM »
I appreciated Mr. Groovy for admitting he didn't take the optimal path, made mistakes, etc.  But it sounded like the bulk of reaching FI was due to selling at the absolute top of the housing boom...without really planning to do it that way.  It sounded like a lot of circumstances came together at the right time rather than, "Well, we saved 60+% of our income for 10 years."

You take what you can get in this life of course, but this episode appeared to be more "luck" than discovering a trick or working harder at X than most people.  Then again, it's a ~1 hour podcast, so I'll have to check our Freedom is Groovy and read his stuff.

And the fact that they kept their NYC salaries for the first year after moving to Charlotte. That seems like a huge advantage. I wouldn't hold it against them, but then Brad and Jonathan were saying that anyone can get ahead just by moving to a LCOL area with no debt. I was under the impression that in general, LCOL also equals a lower salary. I've often considered domestic geo arbitrage, but the numbers don't make sense for me yet.

Another perk that most people likely won't be afforded.

They did compare some property tax numbers, discussed tolls, cost of food, etc. so there IS some benefit to domestic geo arbitrage, but Mr. Groovy had a lot of luck in reaching in FI compared to what the average person might experience today.

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #95 on: November 21, 2017, 10:25:05 AM »
I think those are fair points about Mr. Groovy's situation (and agree the hosts were a little defensive about reassuring listeners), but also think about the fact that he and his wife:
-were living paycheck to paycheck for years (decades?), keeping zero track of any spending or income and generally had no idea what they were doing moneywise until their 40s (from what I can tell)
-even once they started saving, they kept EVERYTHING IN A SAVINGS ACCOUNT for years - tens and eventually hundreds of thousands of dollars!  And then sounds like they still had a bunch uninvested after the 08/09 crash so they likely missed out on buying up cheap stock then too.

So while I agree the real estate windfall was a windfall, it's only part of their story.  Everyone's situation is going to be unique and you can always point to some oddity that won't be universally applicable ("they're high earners! they got a small inheritance! they didn't have to take out student loans!" etc.

chasesfish

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #96 on: November 21, 2017, 04:09:08 PM »
They bought an $88,000 condo in 2007.  Most people in and around Charlotte were buying $400,000 McMansions.  Its not surprising they retired early!

Atlguy49

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #97 on: November 23, 2017, 06:57:47 AM »
I'm in Investment Management, so I've just added this to my extensive rotation after reading this forum.  I want to hear what they say about investments, capital gains, taxes, etc, so I can come up with a counter argument with clients.  Within 2 minutes they debunked active management funds, so I'm already mad.  Look people, passive is going to blow up and soon.  Watch for the next correction and you'll see where active management is superior.  All this free money and low interest rates makes passive look good, but the punch bowl is being taken away as we speak.  Pick good active mutual funds (T. Rowe Price comes to mind, and no, I don't work for them).  This Vanguard craze will end badly for people.  One last point that is important.  It is hard to find managers that create enough alpha to cover their fees.  However, getting the asset allocation correct accounts for over 90% of your returns, hence hiring a qualified money manager (not a broker) who can help you get that right and take the emotion out of it.
« Last Edit: November 23, 2017, 07:12:42 AM by Atlguy49 »

arebelspy

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #98 on: November 23, 2017, 08:00:44 AM »
I'm in Investment Management, so I've just added this to my extensive rotation after reading this forum.  I want to hear what they say about investments, capital gains, taxes, etc, so I can come up with a counter argument with clients.  Within 2 minutes they debunked active management funds, so I'm already mad.  Look people, passive is going to blow up and soon.  Watch for the next correction and you'll see where active management is superior.  All this free money and low interest rates makes passive look good, but the punch bowl is being taken away as we speak.  Pick good active mutual funds (T. Rowe Price comes to mind, and no, I don't work for them).  This Vanguard craze will end badly for people.  One last point that is important.  It is hard to find managers that create enough alpha to cover their fees.  However, getting the asset allocation correct accounts for over 90% of your returns, hence hiring a qualified money manager (not a broker) who can help you get that right and take the emotion out of it.

Oh geez.

This is not on topic, even if they discussed a dislike for active management.

Start a new thread if you want people to rip you apart.

Everyone else, please do not respond to this. Keep responses on topic, about the ChooseFI podcast.

Cheers!
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

HawkeyeNFO

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Re: Who else is listening to the Choose FI podcast? Can we discuss?
« Reply #99 on: December 16, 2017, 12:12:09 PM »
I'm in Investment Management, so ......(blah, blah, blah)

No bias here.  I prefer to let the facts speak for themselves.  On to the next post.....