The Light Bulb Popped On — The Stack

A week of a-ha moments.

Almost as fun as seeing a beautiful mountain or a brilliant sunrise is the thrill I get when I experience a big awakening in my thought process. It’s amazing to witness the human mind overcome obstacles, and this week, out of the blue, I had some realizations about this site and my work flow process that were truly mind-bending. Even this bear of little brain can have some cool thoughts! Miracle! More on that later, I promise.

It’s been a brutal, albeit successful week. The Stacking Benjamins podcast is experiencing growth again now that we’ve worked our way through iTunes algorithm that helps young shows. We’ve settled into a comfortable spot around 150^th in the investing category. That’s something I’m proud of….out of the hundred of thousands of podcasts about investing, we’re in the top 200. I grin just thinking about it. Our 2^nd podcast, 2 Guys & Your Money just experienced a record number of downloads for our last episode, and while the numbers aren’t yet up there with Stacking Benjamins, this growth shows me that there is a thirst for what we’re offering. If you’re a listener, thank you!

I’ve been on a huge podcast kick lately (listening, not creating). Normally I listen to podcasts for entertainment, which is why our podcasts are light….I’m trying to make a podcast I’d consume. However, I’ve been diving deeper into the “how to” genre again.

I don’t know about you, but I can only take “how to” podcasts in small doses. Maybe it’s my age. Maybe it’s my personality. Here are the problems I have with many of the “helpful” podcasts:

–          It’s the same stuff repackaged. I’m constantly amazed by the number of people who can create new ways to say the same stuff some brilliant dude said twenty years ago. Don’t get me wrong….I think it’s a gift. Genius.

–          I don’t need new ideas….I need ideas that advance the ball on the ideas I already have. People who work with me know that I’m naturally an idea guy. I’ve found that I’m easier to follow if I shut off my brain on the 57,000 activities I “might” be able to do and instead focus on improving the five current tasks.

–          Many of the “helpful” podcasts interview the same people that every other podcast has interviewed. I can only listen to the same five guests so many times before I feel like I’m becoming immune to their message because of overexposure. That’s why I like to interview the guy who brews beer in his basement, the woman who paid off a mountain of debt, and the guy who knows how to go to theme parks for less money.

I’ll agree with all the media lately: it’s a great time to be a podcast creator, and I’m working hard to maximize this part of my business.

The Stack

This week, because I was so incredibly busy, was another week where I didn’t read as many pieces as I would have liked. I truly enjoy spending time reading blogs, and now I’m creating processes that allow me to do that more often. So, to everyone who wrote epic prose that I missed….I’m sorry, and I promise I’ll catch you more often in the next few months.

Some of my favorite reads this week:

The top of the stack this week is from DC at Young Adult Money. 3 Reasons to Think About Retirement At A Young Age is a great piece about setting your sites high so that even if you fail, you’re still creating great habits.

At Planting our Pennies this week I enjoyed being creeped out about the discussion on Data Driven Marketing – Cool & Convenient or Creepy?

Speaking of creeped out….Jana at Jana Says is creeped by spiders, snakes and other elements of the country that she’d rather not experience. Read 4 Frugal Methods for Pest Control.

At Eyes on the Dollar, I loved the piece: Even Granny Has a Credit Card. Well, it turns out that just maybe she has better financial habits than you because she doesn’t have one.

A discussion that initially seemed silly but I really enjoyed was at Personal Finance Utopia. Read Bad Financial Decisions: What’s Worse? My takeaway? Don’t forget to evaluate how you made your decisions before you give up on your process.

Jake at iHeartBudgets interviews his teenage cousin about money to find out some truths about why we save, in Money Doesn’t Exist Unless…..

And finally, I’m wondering the same think PK at DQYDJ.Net asks this week: Inflation: Where Are You?

More fun next week. I’m already looking at my calendar and can’t believe some of the changes coming down the pike. It’ll be fun sharing them with you as we now grow from “creating” into “developing” the site and the sister site, Free Financial Advisor!

Have a great weekend, and someone please bless the Detroit Lions with a win. Thank you.

Thank you also to Len Penzo for mentioning our 5 Financial Superheroes Who Never Were post on his latest edition of Black Coffee.

Today’s Workout: 5 miles easy

I’ve Run 347 Days In A Row

On My iPod Today (that kept messing up….I might be at the end of this iPod’s life…..)

Temper Trap: Fader.