Funny Money Talk

Many of us have endured the financial challenges of COVID this year, ugg. As we gear up for holiday shopping, budgeting may be on the brain. Joe Saul-Sehy is just what we need to help us lighten up and add some funny to money talk.  

I only had to chat with Joe for a few moments to know that he was my kind of guy. He invited me to his “mom’s basement”— the virtual set for his podcast show, Stacking Benjamins. I was delighted to be a guest on his show (listen to a clip from my chat with Joe in his mom’s basement here or tune into the complete episode “No Mud, No Lotus”).

Joe is a unique Wildpreneur! He recalls, “I'd been a not-overly-happy financial advisor for 16 years. My planning company was doing fine, but I didn't feel inspired. Then one day a mentor of mine quit to go climb the highest mountains in the world. I realized that life is too short to avoid doing what you love. I went back to school to get a teaching degree and ended up creating a funny podcast about money! I'd been told for a long time that I should have a podcast because I'm always talking about them. I didn't have anything to say, though, that Dave Ramsay and Suze Orman weren't already saying--and I didn't want to yell at people about their bad money habits. Then one day, mowing my lawn, I was listening to Car Talk, an NPR show where I never learn anything about a car. I realized that nobody was doing "Car Talk" for money....not trying to teach finance but having fun, surround-sound conversations. Stacking Benjamins was born on that idea.”

Tune into Joe’s wild inspiration here:

What do you wish you’d known prior to getting started as a Wildpreneur? 

I wish I'd known that people care about two things: hustle and authenticity. People buy from people, and even if you don't think you're in "sales," you always have to sell your brand and that starts with being yourself.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering turning their passion into a business?

Unless money is no object, make sure your brand exists at the intersection of passion and profitability. Sometimes I see great ideas without a market. You have to solve a problem for people or your business isn't going to make it...and you have to be able to solve it with great systems as you grow. Businesses fail not because they stink...they usually fail because they can't systematically serve a large audience.

...and if I can have two suggestions, I'd also recommend taking your runway to profitability (the time you think it'll take to get there) and double it. It's going to take longer than you think to get your dream off the ground.

Do you have a favorite motivational quote? 

Before "Just Do It" Nike used the phrase "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway." I love that. Just Do It is nice, but I'm a guy who feels lots of fear whenever I do anything, so that's my mantra.

Describe your perfect day as a Wildpreneur. 

My perfect day would begin with planning episodes that are funny. The process of making ourselves laugh while we're designing a show is exhilarating. I love having a job where I know that if I'm laughing, our audience is going to join in. The day ends with talking to interesting people. I feel lucky that I get to have conversations with fascinating individuals who love what they do. I feel very lucky, and if this were all I did all day, it'd be perfect.

Anything else you’d like to share about your journey? 

People feel energy. I just was exhausted this morning hiking down a trail and passed a guy who enthusiastically bellowed, "Hey, friend! How are you?" I perked up immediately and did the same thing with my team. They perked up immediately. Be the catalyst.

What are you working on right now?  

I'm putting together a great show for tomorrow and creating a big event online called The Stack. It'll be a free YouTube event coming later in the fall. It'll feature a motivational story to get you moving, a financial "celebrity" interview, and then something tactical, like a budget expert with tips or someone who knows how to negotiate. We're in the early stages, but it looks like it's gonna be a circus!

Where can we follow you? Please share your website, Instagram, Facebook, etc. 

Find us at HTTP://stackingbenjamins.com or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can hang out with us on Instagram at @stackingbenjaminspodcast or join our Facebook group of dad-joke loving money nerds at HTTP://facebook.com/groups/joesmomsbasement