Crazy Money with Paul Ollinger

Wealthy families have huge advantages when it comes to playing the college admissions game, and it’s not just more AP classes and $400/hour SAT/ACT tutors. That’s the conclusion of Paul Tough in his most recent book, The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us, which Ira Glass describes the book as, “Gorgeously reported. Vividly written. Utterly lucid.” (such an "Ira Glass" way to say it.)

Rabbi Daniel Lapin believes that money is the reward we get when we serve another one of God’s children. Therefore, doing business is doing God’s work. In his videos, courses, and books, Thou Shall Prosper and Business Secrets from the Bible, Rabbi Lapin leverages scripture to weave a passionate and refreshing defense of capitalism. In short: God wants man and woman to be together, to serve one other, and to prosper as a result.

Laura Delizonna, PhD is a Stanford University instructor, international speaker, author, and expert on the science of happiness. Her mission is to help others thrive in life and work. She delivers practical, interactive, science-based trainings and inspiring keynotes. She consults with top corporations like Google and Facebook to help optimize team performance. On today’s episode, we talk about happiness, being yourself at work, the relative importance of income, and how to find joy in the everyday.

James H. Lowry grew up in Jim Crow era Chicago. After graduating from Grinnell College and spending time in the Peace Corps, Jim became McKinsey & Company's first African-American consultant in 1968 and, years later, the first black senior partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Jim worked with mayors, the federal government and leading corporations to implement ground-breaking and historic workforce and supplier diversity programs.

Michael Arceneaux is the New York Times best-selling author of I Can’t Date Jesus and his new collection of essays, I Don’t Want to Die Poor, in which he chronicles the debilitating nature of his student debt. A graduate of Howard University who is known for his biting wit and cultural insights.

Lori Gottlieb is a psychotherapist and author of the best-selling (and excellent) book, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, which is being developed into a series for ABC by Eva Longoria. Lori pens the weekly "Dear Therapist" column for The Atlantic, and has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Time, People, Slate, Salon, and many other top periodicals.

Dr. Amy Bell is the author of London Was Ours, an examination of memoirs and diaries kept by ordinary Londoners during the Blitz. From Sept 1940-May 1941, Hitler’s Luftwaffe bombed London almost every day or night. The city experienced massive death and destruction, yet citizens went on with their lives, albeit under modified routines. Amy and I discuss how the lessons of the Blitz might be relevant to the Covid-19 shelter-in-place quarantine.

Marshall Chiles is the owner of the Laughing Skull Lounge in midtown Atlanta. The 80 seat-club sells out almost every show, but has been closed for 3 weeks. Marshall discusses the financial and emotional toll of closing the doors and how he’s taking care of his team during this crisis.

Steve Heimoff, Bernie Madoff victim on losing everything and surviving Steve Heimoff is a wine writer, author, and former West Coast editor at Wine Enthusiast. He has published three books about winemaking with the University of California Press. In 2008, Steve learned that his entire savings—almost $2mm--had vanished in the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme.

Rory Scovel is a writer, actor, and comedian who plays to sold-out crowds all over the country. Rory and I talk about how growing up in Greenville, SC in a big ol’ family affects his attitudes toward money, the entertainment industry, and his career.

AJ Jain is a retired C-level insurance executive, former strategy consultant, and professor of marketing at Southern Methodist University. He holds a Ph.D. and MBA from SUNY Buffalo and two other degrees from prestigious universities in India. In other words, he’s a very accomplished guy.

Danny Wuerffel won the Heisman Trophy and led University of Florida Gators to a national championship and four SEC titles. Today Danny is the Executive Director of Desire Street Ministries, an organization that helps reshape disadvantaged urban communities in the Southeastern U.S.

Devin Singh is an Associate Professor of Religion at Dartmouth. His first book, Divine Currency: The Theological Power of Money in the West examines the ways early Christian thinkers made use of monetary and economic concepts as they created Christian doctrine. We talk about how financial language and metaphor of the early Church affects how we talk about money and God today.

Adam Minter is a columnist at Bloomberg Opinion where he writes about China, technology, and the environment. He is the author of Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade, a critically-acclaimed, bestselling account of the hidden world of globalized recycling, and the forthcoming Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale.

John Soforic is a chiropractor who earned financial freedom. He shares his life lessons for his son in his self-published The Wealth Gardener: Life Lessons on Prosperity Between Father and Son, which sold 30,000 copies (this is a lot!) in the first year, and is now being re-issued by PenguinRandomHouse. John achieved his financial dreams by thinking long-term, and working really, really hard for decades while raising a family in rural Pennsylvania.