079 - Best Life Advice We've Ever Received #1

During a recent coffee date discussion, host Travis Shelton's friend Kylie suggested we do an episode about the best life advice we've ever received. At first, it didn't seem like there was any connection between this idea and the general concept of Meaning Over Money. But after some contemplation, it actually aligns perfectly! After all, this is meaning OVER money! In today's episode, Travis shares the first five pieces of advice that changed the trajectory of his life. We will have a few more episodes on the subject, and we want to hear yours. What is the best life advice you've ever received? Send us a voice memo to be featured on a future episode!

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

078 - What You Need to Start a Business: Almost Nothing!

There's a narrative in our culture that says we need a lot of money to start a business.  And we are lucky to have it, or we need to go borrow it.  The other narrative told to people is they need to create an LLC in order to start their business.  Both of these are lies, and in many cases can create artificial hurdles that prevent someone from starting what could be an amazing business.  In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains why we probably need far less than we think to start a business.  If you're thinking about starting a business (big or small) and you're intimidated by these things, this episode is for you!  There's never going to be a perfect time and we'll never have it all figured out.....so just start now!  

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

077 - "Beautiful On the Outside, Rusting On the Inside"

Do you ever look at someone in your life, see how wealthy and put together they are, and get a bit jealous?  Well fear not, it's often not what it seems.  In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses his experience seeing what's behind the curtain for families who seemingly have it made.  Spoiler alert: it's not usually what you'd expect.  Some people put so much effort (and money) into portraying a certain image, it hinders their ability to actually have financial stability.  However, this isn't about pointing the finger at others.  We each need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves how we're going to handle our own life and our own finances.  If (and that's a big if) we can stop caring about what others think about us, do the right thing for the right reasons, and set a strong foundation, we can set ourselves up for decades to come.  And as always, it's not about the money.  Money is never about the money.....it's always about something bigger!

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

076 - Navigating Major Life Changes as a Young Adult (with Kate Netten)

In an impromptu interview, host Travis Shelton sits down with Kate Netten to discuss navigating major life changes as a young adult.  Kate is the wife of Cole Netten, co-founder of Meaning Over Money.  In just a short 7-month timespan, Cole and Kate experienced four significant life changes that rocked their understanding of "normal".  In today's episode, Kate discusses how they made some of these decisions, how they stayed healthy and focused through it, and how it's changed them as people and as a couple.  We also discuss how people who may be afraid to step into a major change can navigate the fear, uncertainties, and struggles that go hand-in-hand with any meaningful change.  It's never easy, but it IS worth it!

How you can get connected with Kate:

Kate & Kal Co:  https://www.kateandkalco.com/

Kate & Kal Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kateandkalco/?hl=en

Kate's Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kate.netten/?hl=en

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

075 - Parents, Your Kids Deserve Better (On Sending Kids to College Without Student Loan Debt)

Recently, host Travis Shelton had the opportunity to host a workshop for parents and teens on the topic of launching young adults into the world without student loan debt. Rampant student loan debt is crushing this young generation, crushing aspirations, dreams, and opportunities with it. We believe young adults deserve better than this. However, many of us had to feel the burden of college debt ourselves. It sucks and we've had to figure it out. With that in mind, here's a profound thought: our kids deserve better than what we had to go through. Just because we had to experience the bondage of student loans, it doesn't mean our children have to. In today's episode, we discuss the various nuances of this idea, why it matters, and how to take steps to give our children a future they deserve. Also, please hear this. We aren't saying every parent has a responsibility to pay for their children's college. Far from it. Rather, we argue parents have a responsibility to help their children create and execute a plan to go to college without debt.

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

074 - Life Gets More Complicated AFTER the Debt is Gone

Paying off debt is simple. If there is extra money each month, there's only one place it goes: to the debt! It's a tough journey to become debt-free, but it's also a very simple one. Something happens when we get out of debt. We think life will get easier and simpler. Truth is, it becomes more complicated. Instead of having one very clear option on what to do with extra cash, the world opens up and there are so many amazing opportunities in front of us. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains this odd phenomenon of life getting harder when it should be getting easier, and how to embrace the amazing opportunities in front of us. Being debt-free is awesome, but not always as simple as we might imagine. All that being said, it's worth it! So let's make the best of the situation to pursue work that matters and find meaning in all we do!

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

073 - 'Tis the Season to Exercise Your Giving Muscle

We love generosity! We believe all year long is a season to give, but the holidays tend to be the time where many people start to think about generosity. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses why it's so important to exercise what he refers to as the "giving muscle." After all, generosity isn't something we do, but rather who we are. That may not feel like your reality today, but by practicing and exercising our giving muscle, we can work our way up to so much more generosity than we ever imagined. After you listen to this episode, we hope you are inspired to find some pretty amazing giving opportunities in this season and beyond.

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

072 - Do the Hard Thing!

The culture tells us to pursue the easy path, the comfortable path, the path of least resistance.  We choose the comfortable path in our careers, in our relationships, in our money.....everywhere!  In today's episode, host Travis Shelton talks about how a recent speaking engagement affirmed once again how doing the hard thing ALWAYS wins!  Comfort is the enemy of progress.  It can often feel like some people are born to do hard things and some aren't.  We believe it's an acquired taste and a learned skill.  It just takes practice and repetition, and soon enough doing hard things becomes the normal thing.

Coldwater Foundation:  www.coldwaterfoundation.org

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

071 - We Just Hit Record High Debt - You Deserve Better Than Normal

As we move further and further away from 2008's Great Financial Crisis, memories fade and a younger generation has risen to adulthood. With that comes mountains of new debt.....record levels of debt! In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses some of the newly released information about household debt and shares his thoughts on the situation. Just like 2008 and every meaningful recession before it, so many people will get crushed in due time. Lucky for you, you don't have to be one of them! There's a better way, and you deserve better than normal!

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

070 - 5 Signs You Should Get a Different Job

The idea of changing jobs is scary!  Especially when it feels secure.  Especially when it pays well.  Especially when you've been there a long time.  But many of you need to leave your job yesterday.  In today's episode, host Travis Shelton shares the 5 signs you might need to get a different job.  You may relates to some of these and haven't even considered them signs.  Why?  Because they're so common in our culture it just feels normal.  This episode is going to hit pretty close to home for some, and we encourage you to at least give it can honest consideration.  Which ones can you relate to?  

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

069 - "Is it ok to NOT Find Meaning in My Work?"

One really deep question we often get asked is, "is it ok NOT to find meaning in my work if I have meaning outside my work?"  The short question, is of course, yes.  We aren't here to tell people what to do and everyone needs to find their own way in this crazy life.  However, we think people deserve better.  It's awesome to have meaning (lots of meaning!) outside of work!  But why not have both?  In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains why you don't have to choose between meaning in work or outside of work.  If we can find meaning in both, it significantly compounds our joy, our purpose, and the fulfillment we get each and every day.  

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

068 - Just Because Advice "Works", It Doesn't Mean It's Good Advice

Often, people will share financial advice and conclude with the line, "well, it worked for me." It's great if a certain way of doing things "works" for someone, but it doesn't mean it's good advice. In today's social media world, bad advice is flying at us left and right, disguised as sound wisdom. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton rants about this cultural phenomenon and provides some tips on how to assess whether or not to apply the advice you're hearing (including the advice coming out of his own mouth).

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

067 - Investing, Even When Things Get Weird

After a decade of the stock market going up, up, and up, people are starting to see the end of the run is coming. Well, the wise people are anyway. After all, there are lots of things to be nervous about in our country and our economy. With that naturally comes the question, "well then, what should we be doing to prepare?" In today's episode, host Travis Shelton unpacks this question and explains some of the risks and perceived risks we face. In short, there are two groups of people: 1) those who are invested simply and broadly who shouldn't worry one single bit, and 2) those who think they are smart by buying and selling individual investments.....who should be worried a lot! When this market crashes, many people will get crushed. Ironically, the "smart" ones who think they know what they are doing will likely be the biggest casualties.

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

066 - We ALL Need a Team: We Aren't Meant To Do This Alone

In our culture, we tend to put a lot of value on independence, self-sufficiency, and individual achievements. So much so that it can oftentimes breed a sentiment that we SHOULD do it all on our own. Life, money, career, parenting.....you name it. It can be a lonely road, but luckily it doesn't have to be! In today's episode, host Travis Shelton explains why he believes this is a false and destructive narrative. Instead, each one of us should spend some of our time, energy, and humility assembling a team of people around us. After all, we can't be experts at everything. When we take a different approach and are willing to bring people alongside us to help us on our journey, life looks (and feels) so much different. We are so very grateful for the people on our teams, and we hope maybe you'll consider building (or expanding) your team after listening to this episode.

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

065 - Shedding the Lies of the Hustle Culture

If you're a young adult, you've likely been exposed to the hustle culture that permeates Instagram and TikTok. You know, go, go, go, more money, more money, more money. This never-ending pursuit of hustling for more. Then, it goes one of two directions: a) glorifying having more stuff and a fancier lifestyle, or b) glorifying an early retirement and a life of leisure. Both are as equally toxic in our perspectives. It shouldn't be about grinding our life away in the pursuit of more stuff or a life of leisure. The net result of this online culture is its making many people feel like they are "lazy" if they don't work 12-hour days or work 6 days a week, or if they don't have multiple side businesses, or if they have less stuff than their neighbors. We believe this phenomenon is shifting our perspective of work, balance, materialism, and the role money plays in our lives.

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

064 - Don't Let Health Insurance Steal Your Dreams

Aside from fear, the perceived availability of health insurance is the #1 reason why people abandon their dreams. Yes, health insurance is important.....vitally important!!! But we oftentimes let health insurance dictate our career decisions without considering the bigger picture or the alternative options. It's a tragedy health insurance is tied to our employment in modern America, but we can't just let it rule our decisions. In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discussed how we got here, offers some alternative ways to approach health insurance, and discusses how he helps clients assess their various health insurance options. We certainly aren't going to solve our nation's medical crisis, but we can get a little bit better making decisions for our own family's medical needs.....and maybe hold onto our dreams in the process!

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

063 - Investing In Memories: Twenty One Pilots Edition

As Travis's mentor Dr. Gary Hoag always says, we need to invest in mission and memories.  Recently, Travis and his wife celebrated their 12-year wedding anniversary with a quick trip to Chicago to attend a Twenty One Pilots concert at the United Center.  Aside for ranting about how amazing Twenty One Pilots is, Travis discusses the fact this 27-hour trip cost $1,000.....yikes!  It's important for us to recognize the importance of memories, stop dwelling about money, and why there are broader implications in our finances and relationships.  Money is NEVER about money....it's always about something bigger.  

Side note:  If you get a chance to experience the Twenty One Pilots Takeover Tour, please do yourself a favor and buy your tickets now!  Unreal!!!

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

Full Transcript:

I have a confession to make. This weekend, my wife and I went on a 27-hour anniversary trip to Chicago. That's not my confession. My confession is we spent $1,000 on a 27-hour anniversary trip to Chicago. I want to unpack this because I was telling somebody about this the other day, and they looked at me as if I was absolutely insane. 

As they shared with me their feedback on my decision to spend $1,000 on a 27-hour trip to Chicago, I was starting to think, this is worth talking about. Let's hash this out because I think there's something there.

So first, let me explain. My wife has been a huge Twenty One Pilots fan for many years. I am not in any shape or form, and don't even know their music. So over the last one to two months, my wife has been playing it a lot for our little kids. They were four and now they've just turned five. Now my little kids love Twenty One Pilots and my wife, Sarah loves Twenty One Pilots.

Sarah was looking and saw that Twenty One Pilots would be at the United Center on our 12-year anniversary. She said, “Travis, can we go?” I said, “Absolutely! Let's do it. We just have to find a babysitter.” We start thinking about the logistics and thus the planning begins.

We start to look for tickets for the show. We're talking about what kind of tickets Sarah wants. She had some preferences. So we ended up spending about $400 bucks on two tickets to Twenty One Pilots…a band that I didn't even really know. 

And, by the way, can I just add a side note? I am now a huge Twenty One Pilots fan. I started listening a little before this trip, and I have a theory that live performances will either expose people for not having talent, or it will shine a light on how ridiculously talented somebody is. And I gotta tell you, I can not believe how talented Twenty One Pilots are. It's mind boggling. 

As I listened to their album, their albums can't capture how talented they are. So I am sold, I've been converted to Twenty One Pilots fan. If you're listening and are a huge fan, that was awesome. That was truly an incredible show. Okay. End of tangent. 

All right. So, we bought two tickets to Twenty One Pilots and now we needed to find a babysitter. One of our trusted babysitters, she agreed she was going to babysit which ended up costing us about 350 bucks. Now that sounds insane. Like, why would you pay a babysitter 350 bucks? Well, because we're not paying a babysitter 350 bucks, we're investing 350 bucks in our marriage.

And because it's a young babysitter that we care deeply about, we're investing in her. So I was more than happy to pay that because it mattered. It was an investment into my marriage so of course it was worth it. 

Then the concert got over late, and so we had a hotel room in Chicago. We had gas, and we had some food. We left late morning on Saturday and we got home early afternoon on Sunday. 

It literally costs $1,000 for a 27-hour anniversary trip. And I look at that and I say, “that's the biggest bargain ever.” Why? Because as my friend, Dr. Gary Hoag says, we need to “put our money into missions and memories.”

And as you know, I love generosity. I love missions, but this was for memories. My wife and I had a blast. She needed to get away. She was burned out and she loved it. She freaking loved it and I did, too. We just had a great time together. 

I wish I could say we were rested when we got back. We weren't. We were more exhausted than ever, and she actually had to turn around and leave town the day we got back. So we were definitely not rested, but the memories that we created on our 12-year anniversary, nobody can ever take that away from us.

Several years from now, if it weren't for this podcast, I wouldn't even remember how much we paid for that trip. That will fade away because ultimately money doesn't matter. Handling it well does. And I would make the argument that was an amazing investment into my marriage. 

Now a lot of people would say, “Well, Travis, if you invested a thousand dollars at blah, blah, blah percent, over this many years, you would have this much money.” I don't care. Yes. We need to invest. Yes. We need to save. But this was about creating memories with my wife.

It's important. It has to be important. If we lose sight of that, and all we do is dwell on the money, we dwell on the math, we dwell on the finance, we're going to lose out on something so truly important to us.

So I thought that story was worth sharing because we all have our own versions of that. I'm not telling everybody to go spend all their money on a Twenty One Pilots concert. That's not what I'm saying, but find what adds value to your marriage. Because mission and memories are what matters. Go enjoy, create those memories, build those relationships, because that's ultimately what matters.

If we're talking about meaning over money, relationships, our marriages, being a good parent, being a good husband, being a good wife, those things. Man, a lot of people feel guilt….deep, profound guilt when spending money on those things. Some people feel guilty buying a pair of jeans or a new phone, or even going out to dinner. There's a deep guilt that comes with some of this stuff.

I think we've got to shake it. We've got to shake it. I have a young client, we just started working together, and she texted me saying, “Hey, Travis, I feel like I'm trying to beat my budget by cutting out all the fun. I feel like if I can cut back on all the fun stuff that I budgeted and have more extra at the end of the month, I've won. I know that's not true because I listened to the podcast.”

She said that she and I have talked about this enough that she knows that it's not true, but she says she can't shake it. Now she's going to shake it and she's going to succeed. But she recognizes the power that these feelings have on us. Even when she knows it's important to spend on things that add value to her life and create memories, it's still hard. 

If that's you, I just want to say you got this. Give yourself grace along the way. It's not going to be perfect and you're not going to break it overnight. You're going to break it with one small purchase at a time.

One decision to invest in memories and in relationships. One small decision. Yes, with time you can overcome this, but don't feel like you need to conquer the world overnight. You're not going to, and if we think we're going to, and then we fail, we feel defeated and we just give up. Don't give up. This is too important.

Go invest in the things that matter. 

062 - Get Back on the Bike (Even When You're Bleeding)

In the wise words of Steve Jordan, "never end on a miss." In today's episode, host Travis Shelton reflects back on the habits of his childhood best friend and how this silly and simple mantra has the power to transform our lives. Fast forward several decades, these same principles are carried forward to a new generation. When Travis's son Finn recently fell off his bike and tore up his leg, he needed to get back on the bike to prove to himself it's not as scary as it now felt. Never end on a miss! This same valuable lesson recently rang true when one of Travis's friends, Meredith, fell off her proverbial bike. Not only did she get back on the bike, she did so in a powerful and inspiring way. Now of course our adult lives don't consist of us parading around on literal bikes, but it's inevitable we will get knocked down, beat up, and feel defeated. That's not the end of the story.....rather, the beginning. So today's episode is brought to you by the wise words of Steve Jordan, the ripped up knee of a 5-year-old, and a young lady who refused to let embarrassment stand in the way of her call.

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

Full Transcript:

Growing up my childhood best friend was named Steve Jordan. And I swear, all we did growing up was watch Bulls games, play basketball, and play video games. I feel like that was my entire childhood. We’d do these things and we'd always sleep over at his place. We'd play Goldeneye for hours and hours and hours.

And we'd go out to his driveway, turn the lights on, and we would play hoops. And we’d play more Goldeneye and we'd play basketball. We play video games. That's all we did. Now. Steve had this thing. Steve was obsessed with the idea that you can't leave the court until you make a shot, you never leave on a miss. And so that was something that I just watched him do over and over and over again, it kind of became a thing.

We kind of did it as a group. That was always the thing because Steve insisted you don't leave the court on a miss. And I didn't realize it until many, many years later, but I've really internalized this way of living. And I see it in my parenting more than anything.  I kind of saw it myself, but I see it in my parenting.

And I see it, you know, when I'm playing catch with my boys. They're five now. Whenever we're playing, I won't let them end on a missed basket or a missed catch, a missed kick, whatever sport we're playing.  We don't end on a miss. And lately I've been watching myself. And pushing the envelope even a little bit more in this regard.

And here's kind of what it looks like. For us, whenever something bad happens, I won't let it end. And so for example, I was playing catch with Pax with a football and I overthrew a little bit. I smoked him right in the face, blood dripping down his nose. He's hysterical, he's super mad at me.

And he starts screaming and runs away. And I say, no, we can't, we're not quitting on that. And so we get the blood to stop and we get back to playing. I don't make him play for a long time, but I do make him play at least long enough that we regain his confidence. I don't want him to end remembering when we play catch with a football, he gets a bloody face. I don't want that to be the memory that's sealed into his brain. So we get back and we play. 

So the other day, Finn was riding his bike. I think he was….I don't know what he was doing. He's Finn, if you know Finn, Finn's crazy. He was riding his bike and he took a nasty tumble and he cut his leg badly. 

It was pretty bad. And he, understandably, got up, he was crying. He ran inside and I walked inside and said, “Finn, let's go ride our bike.” And Sarah, my wife, said, “Well, no, he's hurt.” And I said, “Okay, bandage him up, send him back out. Because even when we're bleeding, we need to get back up on that bike.”

And I'm not trying to be that guy. I'm not trying to beat them down. Instead, what I wanted to show him was that even when we're bleeding, we need to hop back up on that bike. And so he was reluctant. Why? Because he was scared. He just took a whooping from that bike and he's got blood all over.

Now he's got bandages. And I said to him, “Let's get back on that bike.” He goes, “No, I'm scared. I'm scared.” I said, “Hey Finn, you got this, dude, you got this.” It took a little coaxing, but we got him back on the bike. And within two minutes, he was smiling and laughing again. And so I didn't want to end on a miss.

Even when we're bleeding, we need to get back up on that bike. I believe in this so much because knowing my kids and knowing me and how I'm wired and how they're wired, especially Finn, we can easily take a hard L and give up. That's ingrained in us. It's deeply ingrained in us.

And so I think back to my friend, Steve Jordan, and how he would refuse to end on a miss. Always end on a make. The reason I'm talking about this today, this was not planned, I was not planning on being here today. It's a Sunday. So I'm sitting in the middle of church, and my friend Meredith. You'll recall, I talked about Meredith and her husband, Jake, on a prior episode about just diving head first into life.

So something happened, and I hope I'm not overstepping my boundaries here, but recently Meredith was on stage. So her husband, Jake, is a worship leader. She was on stage, well she's gifted as well. It's ridiculous. She was on stage as well. And I didn't notice it because I'm not smart enough to notice things like this, but she made a mistake.

And I didn't notice it, but I guess some others noticed it and she certainly did. It crushed her, and I think she was embarrassed. She was humiliated. She was defeated. And I think a lot of people say, “Hey, Meredith, you got this…it's okay.” I reached out to her and I said, “Hey, Meredith, I don't even know what happened, but I just want to tell you, you got this, don't give up, don't quit.”

I don't know what her mindset was then. We didn't really talk about it, but I do know that there was a mistake and she was bloody, her leg was bleeding, so to speak. She could have gone one of two ways. She could have just walked away and said, “You know what? This is hard.” Or she could have said, “No, I do got this.  I’m not going to end on a miss.”

So today, this is why I'm here. I rushed from church. I said, “Sarah, I'm sorry, can you take the boys home? Can I just go record an episode quickly? Because I am inspired. I want to talk about Meredith today.”

 And so today, Meredith, not only was on that stage, but she led worship and she crushed it. She absolutely crushed it. She could've just walked the other way, but she didn't end on a mistake. Even when her leg was bleeding, she got back on that bike. And man, I'll tell you, she approached it with confidence and conviction and she was powerful up there. 

I don't know about you, but when I'm on the heels of an L, when I mess up, when I'm humiliated, when I'm embarrassed, I don't feel like I always bounce back that strong. If I come back, I can feel sheepish or hesitant, or I have imposter syndrome. I feel like I don't belong here. I don't deserve to be here. I lost my right to have a place here on this stage. What's happened to me a lot in my speaking career, but here she was owning it because she got back on that bike, even though she was probably scared.

And so I think this is worth talking about, because we have this in our life. We all have it. Now, we might not be on stage singing or on stage speaking, or we might not actually be riding bikes like my son, Finn, but it happens to us. Things happen when we're embarrassed. We screw up, we mess up, we make mistakes.

We hurt somebody. And it's so easy to turn around and walk the other way.  The easy thing to do is to quit. It is always the easier thing to do, to quit. And sometimes that's messing up at our job and sometimes that's making a mistake on our finances. Sometimes that's in our relationships. Sometimes we put ourselves out there to date somebody and it goes horribly wrong.

We just want to say, “You know what, forget this, I'm out.” But even when we're bleeding, we need to hop back on that bike. I've had so many presentations and client meetings over the years where I just whiffed. I didn't do a good job, but I got back up on the bike. Even when I'm bleeding, I'm getting back up on the bike.

Why? Because I don't end on a miss. I have a little Steve Jordan sitting on my shoulder saying, “don't end on a miss.” A lot of you are facing that right now. Maybe you've been rejected by company after company, after company, or school after school, maybe you decided, you know what? I want to get my financial stuff in order.

I want to do this right, only to fall flat on your face and make a mistake and take a giant step. Maybe some of you have tried to start something, a company, a nonprofit, a side hustle, something you feel the pull, you feel that itch, you feel that call in you to start it and you fail. And so what we do is we retreat back to what is safe and what is comfortable for so many of us.

This is what's stopping us from really following that dream, from following what we call our dream life, the life that we so badly want to live. It's on the other side of discomfort, it can be on the other side of getting back up on that bike and so many of us don't want to get back up on that bike. 

I get it most days. I don't want to get back up on that bike whenever I get on Instagram or Twitter or Facebook and I see just brutal comments about me or about what I do. It's so hard, and I've learned to get a thicker skin. 

Cole, my business partner and producer of the show, he's a kicker by nature. And by profession, he literally was a kicker for a D-1 college. He was ridiculously successful doing it. As he always tells me, he says, “Travis, you'd make a terrible kicker.” And he's right. He has to have thick skin because the only thing people notice about him is his kicking career, or his failures missing that kick. That's all that’s talked about.

So I've actually learned a lot from Cole over the years because I've had to develop a thicker skin because it's so easy to not get back up on that bike when nasty things are said to you or about you. But we have to remember what's important. Are the naysayers important? Are the people who criticize us and bring us down important?

Are they what's important? Or is it the people that we have the opportunity to impact? Take Meredith this morning: She could have not got back up on that stage, but because she did, what happened? Who was influenced by her? Who is inspired by her? Besides me? I was tremendously inspired by her. Who else was inspired by her?

I don't know. And I don't know if she'll ever know, but had she not got back up on that stage, got back up on that bike, it wouldn't have happened. So we all need to take a step back and really ask what bikes are we not getting back up on when we're bloodied and battered, when we've taken an L, what are we doing out of fear?

And so that's my encouragement, no matter what area of life we're talking about, whether it's relationships, career, ministry, finances, we're all going to mess up. We're all gonna make mistakes. We just do. I wish I could say I'm done making mistakes, but man, my mistake making career is just beginning.

And so I think we all need to really look at Meredith and use that as the model. And look at my friend, Steve Jordan, and look at that as the model. We don't end on a miss, even when we're bloodied and battered, we get back up on that bike because in those moments, that's what can change everything for us.

But we may be one decision away from changing the trajectory of our life. Now I'm not trying to say that Meredith getting on that stage today changed the trajectory of her life. I'm not saying that. I'm not saying that it matters back when I was playing ball in Steve Jordan's driveway, ending on a miss or not ending on a miss.

Did that change the trajectory of my life? No, probably not. But maybe. Or what about my little guy? When he fell off his bike and he ripped his leg up. Or Pax when I smoked him right in the face with a football. Would it change the trajectory of their life?

I don't know. Maybe not, but maybe. And so I want to take that seriously. I want to take that responsibility and the opportunity seriously to get back up on that bike, because frankly, for as much confidence as you think I have, for as much you think I’ve accomplished, or whatever you think of me in a positive way. Maybe some of you don't think highly of me at all, but if you think positively of me just know, I don't think that of myself. Most days, imposter syndrome leaks in…..every single day of my life. And it's a constant battle to fight and fight and fight and fight through that.

And so just know you're not alone. No, you're not alone. We can do this together. And when somebody messes up, encourage them, lift them up. That matters because there's enough people that are ready to attack you when you mess up and point that finger at you and say, “See, you shouldn't have done that. See, you shouldn't have left that job. See, you shouldn't have even had the audacity to think that you should have been on that stage.”

 So when somebody fails and they fall flat on their face, lift them up. Tell them, they got this. Remind them they're not alone. Remind them they're not the only ones that are going to go through this.

Get them back up there on that bike. That's all I have today. 

061 - Giving Different, Giving Better

If you're a regular listener, you know generosity is one of our favorite topics.  This is Meaning Over Money, and very few things provide as much meaning as joyful and sacrificial generosity.  In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses a unique way to handle our month-to-month giving that provides so much more freedom, intentionality, and flexibility.  This method has changed his life, as well as the way many of his clients view and handle their own generosity.  We hope this is the simplest, most impactful information you absorb all week!

Past episode referenced in today's episode:

026 - The Secret Powers of Sinking Funds (As Always, It's Not About the Money!)

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com

Full Transcript:

As you know, I love generosity. Whenever a coaching client wants to talk about generosity, it's pretty much the highlight of my day or my week. I love talking about generosity and the question comes up and people ask, “how can we do this generosity stuff better?”

Now, part of better for a lot of people is increasing their generosity because more is always better with generosity. It just is. But they say, “how do we do it better?” And there's a lot of nuances that we talk about on that topic. How do we give better? And there's pieces of it, like we need to give for the right reasons.

We need to find out who to give to. We need to make sure that we're not giving out of arrogance or we're trying to gain influence. We need to make sure we're doing the right things for the right reasons, but logistically how do we give better? And so there's a concept that I talk about often, and I'm starting to have clients come back and say, “Travis, this is the best!”

Like this has changed everything. And so I thought, well, we just take a few minutes to talk about it because I think it's worth noting. It changed my life and I suspect it would change others’, but it's really starting to gain some traction with the people that I have the privilege of serving. We talked about sinking funds in a prior episode, and I'll link that in the show notes.

We give a certain percentage of our income to our local church or to you name it, whatever the causes or that thing. But what we don't ever think about is having a sinking fund for giving because giving is something we do all the time. So it doesn't make intuitive sense to have a sinking fund for giving. So I want you to hear me out on this. I am a big fan of this idea. I've done it personally for 15 years. 

I have a separate checking account that's just for giving. So every month when my wife and I give, we don't give to our church or into these other organizations.  We give it to our giving fund. And then from there, we give to our church or to those other organizations that mean a lot to us. And that might seem like we're splitting hairs in parsing words here, but it's not.

And I'm going to explain why. So we make that decision to give at the beginning. We know how much we want to give. And we're committed to giving it. The problem is once we're committed to doing something, life can still happen. And we may not know who we want to give to. We might know some of it, but we might not know all of it.

So I love this idea that when we say we're going to give we just go ahead and give to our giving account. Now here's the beautiful part. Once we give to this account, now there's really no barriers. All there is is generosity. So when a need pops up, like when our neighbor’s furnace goes out or when somebody loses their job or their kid gets sick or you fill in the blank, when then happens, you don't have to say, “oh, well, can we give, how much can we give?”

Where can we give, where do we give from, how's this going to work out? No, no, no. You've already said because you have a giving account and you've given to it every month. And so you may have some float in that account. And so when the neighbor's furnace goes out or their car breaks down, or their kid gets sick, you just act.  You just act.  There is no decision, you feel it in your heart, we need to act. And then you act. 

This is an emotional game changer for a lot of people. And so I'm a big fan of this idea. And as I'm watching clients, it's becoming more successful than I even thought it was going to be. And for a lot of them, they'll say, “Travis, that's the biggest thing that's come out of this. That feels like it's changed our life. I never expected that for me. It just kind of feels like a little life hack that helps me process my giving and, be a little bit more, be more intentional, so that we can be more impulsive in our giving when those opportunities are.”

 And there's something else that can happen. It's easier when we're doing this and we're doing it this way. It's easier to track our giving. It's easier to have an understanding of who we're giving to. And I love the piece of it when my wife and I get to budget for our giving and we just shoot high. We pick a number and we put that into our giving account. Then we just freely give from there.

And I think it's been a very unifying piece of our relationship. I don't think either one of us historically were very generous. I don't want to call her selfish, but I'll call myself selfish. I think I was, and something happened many years ago that triggered my generosity. And so this gives me life. Having money in our generosity fund always gives me life to be able to bless others.

And so that's just something to think about as you're kind of setting up your finances. I always say, we need to set it. In a way that's simple and that makes sense to us. And that doesn't drive us crazy, simple as always. Good. And so that may be one idea. 

And so what it looks like for me, and for a lot of my clients, is we have our primary checking account in which our income flows into that. All of our income sources for both spouses flow into that, all expenses come out of that and then connected to that checking account will be a savings account for an emergency.

We want our emergency fund to be close. I don't care if it earns interest or not. I'm not going to dwell on $30 of annual interest when that money is needed, it's needed today and then connected to your primary checking account is a third account called our giving fund. And so that's how I structure it.

And that's how a lot of my clients structure it. I'm not saying it's the right way. I'm just saying it is a very simple way that works really, really well. I just thought I'd take a few minutes to talk about that because my clients are starting to say, “Hey, Travis, this is working so well for us.”

And it's opening up our generosity. And as you know it’s my favorite topic, I wish everybody would violently pursue unhinged generosity. And this is one way in which we can train ourselves to start heading down that road. So I hope this helped, I hope it added a little bit of value and maybe it's something you implement in your own journey. That's all I have for today. 

060 - You Are the Author of Your Story

Sometimes crap happens! It always does. No matter how good things are going in life, finances, or career, some form of trouble is right around the corner. We don't say that to be pessimistic. Far from it! In today's episode, host Travis Shelton discusses the topic of turmoil. Whenever something bad happens to us (whether it's our fault or not), a story will be told. The beautiful part is we get to be the author of the story. We have a powerful and critical role to play in the narrative. We don't have the ability to control what other people do, but we have 100% control of our piece of it. Even if we are a victim, we don't have to be a victim. This idea has several implications and opportunities. If this is true, it can change the way we approach our finances, careers, and life in general.

You can find the Meaning Over Money podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including:

• Apple

• Spotify

• Google

• Anchor

• And many more!

If you have questions or would like to connect with us outside of the podcast, here's where you can find us:

Online Course:  www.meaningover.money (podcast listeners can get 25% off by using the promo code "podcast25")

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCasnj17-bOl_CZ0Cb9czmyQ

Instagram:  www.instagram.com/meaning_over_money

Travis's Instagram:  www.instagram.com/travis_shelton_

Travis's website:  www.travisshelton.com

E-Mail Us:  meaningovermoneypodcast@gmail.com