Summary: (http://valueofsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/Smart-and-Simple-Matters-Cover-200x200.jpg) I brought a bit of Nevada home with me after returning from New Media Expo (http://valueofsimple.com/New-Media-Expo-Recap-2013) in Las Vegas. My guest for this Smart and Simple Matters episode is financial decision pro Todd Tresidder of FinancialMentor.com (http://financialmentor.com/). Todd lives up the road from Vegas in Reno, NV and we met at New Media Expo. I gotta tell you, his personality is magnetic. You know how, once in a while, you meet a person and can immediate cut past the small talk into meaningful conversation? Todd’s like that. He’s deep, well-spoken, a wealth of experience (pun intended), and has lots of great stuff to share. What kind of stuff? You’ll have to listen to this episode to really get it. But one thing he said that instantly made its way into my “Sayings” spreadsheet (http://valueofsimple.com/spreadsheets-and-you) was this: If I associate my self-worth with my stuff, that’s just a dangerous road to take my brain down. Some of what Todd deals with on Financial Mentor is advanced wealth building strategies. Yet, he has something for you, regardless of philosophy or level of personal finance knowledge. Like, have you seen his eighty free financial calculators (http://financialmentor.com/calculator) for pretty much everything under the sun? That’s just the start. He and I love quotes and you’ll find the man is a living quote playground. From his website to his computer monitor, there are powerful quotes and power words emanating from Todd. Join us in this (dare I say?) profound and action-packed chat about…well, a bit of everything. What You’ll Learn We covered a ton of ground in this one and there are many highlights. In this episode you’ll learn about: * What Todd’s “next step” is in personal finance and money independence. * How to motivate people to see money as boring, rational, and unsexy. * Why being a college kid with very little wealth can be super rewarding. * What steps you can take to generate extraordinary value at attractive price points. * How getting kicked in the butt builds mindfulness. * Why giving away value can be a great business model … and how to smartly do it. * What the ultimate insult is to people who create for a living. * How the human mind is tremendously feeble at financial decisions. * The insightful quotes at the bottom of Todd’s computer monitor. * How to create plans that don’t require unpredictable assumptions. Resources and Items Mentioned in This Episode Include: * Websites: * FinancialMentor.com (http://financialmentor.com/) * Resources: * Todd’s Awesome Financial Calculators (http://financialmentor.com/calculator) * Seven Steps to Seven Figures (http://financialmentor.com/educational-products/seven-steps-to-seven-figures) * FinancialMentor.com Newsletter (http://financialmentor.com/free-stuff/investment-newsletter) * Books: * How Much Money Do I Need to Retire? (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0093CPJ9S/) * The 4% Rule and Safe Withdrawal Rates In Retirement * Etc.: * Todd’s interview with Jaime Tardy of Eventual Millionaire (http://www.eventualmillionaire.com/blog/2011/05/millionaire-interview-todd-tresidder-financial-coach-and-owner-of-financialmentor-com/) * Andy Puddicombe’s TEDTalk about Mindfulness (http://www.ted.com/talks/andy_puddicombe_all_it_takes_is_10_mindful_minutes.html) * Cashflow 101 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashflow_101) Topics * [07:04] Thoughts about financial restraint and its origins * [15:00] The sparks for moving from hedge fund manager to meaningful, targeted work * [19:44] How one-on-one coaching isn’t necessarily a business model unto itself * [25:38] Preparing and experiencing “leveling up” your personal finance skills * [29:41] The motivation of kicking butt at managing your money and financial decisions
