Planning the Back Half of Life

In this special year-end episode, Ben and Cameron turn the spotlight inward for a behind-the-scenes look at the Rational Reminder podcast. They're joined by the extended team that keeps the show running—from compliance to editing to marketing—to reflect on a landmark year in the podcast's evolution. We hear from Multimedia Specialist Matt Gambino, Compliance Reviewer Ross Brayton, long-time Marketing Lead Angelica Montagano, and others who share their roles, personal stories, and what the show means to them. Ben and Cameron also discuss the podcast's growth trajectory, the impact of joining OneDigital, standout market events from 2025, and what's ahead for 2026. It's a thoughtful, personal, and often funny conversation that celebrates community, nerdiness, and meaningful work.

Key Points From This Episode:

(0:01:00) Behind the scenes: Why the entire Rational Reminder team joined the mic for this special episode.

(0:01:40) Meet the production crew: From video editing to compliance and marketing.

(0:02:54) From 767 to 334,000: How the podcast grew since August 2018.

(0:04:40) YouTube's rising role: Now 33% of all podcast consumption.

(0:07:24) AMA evolution: How listener Q&As became a regular series in 2025.

(0:08:45) Bringing in PWL advisors: Sharing real-world financial planning experience on the pod.

(0:10:05) 12,500 members: Rational Reminder Community continues to thrive.

(0:11:30) OneDigital acquisition reflections—one year later, no pressure to cut costs or change values.

(0:14:23) Compliance-free growth: Maintaining service levels while scaling the firm.

(0:15:06) Market surprise of 2025: Canadian small caps up 35%+ year-to-date.

(0:16:55) Real estate rewind: National average home prices down 20% since 2022 peak.

(0:19:24) Rent declines too: Down 7% YoY in Toronto, 4.4% in Vancouver.

(0:20:39) Looking back: A wild year of unexpected returns and market resilience.

(0:21:00) A different kind of year-end episode: No highlight reel—just team storytelling.

(0:23:53) [Matt Gambino] The editor speaks: Role evolution, creative direction, and 200+ episodes later.

(0:28:42) YouTube growth: From 11,000 to 46,000 subs under Matt's watch.

(0:32:55) Matt on money: What 4 years editing the pod taught him about finance and happiness.

(0:36:54) Defining success: Matt's answer after years of listening to the show.

(38:40) [Ross Brayton] Compliance from the inside: What Ross listens for, and why disclaimers got longer.

(0:43:05) Ross on investing: From Warren Buffett books to podcast fact-checker.

(0:46:11) Planning life after financial independence: Ross poses a thoughtful challenge.

(0:47:41) [Angelica Montagano] The original marketer: How the podcast started in a hallway.

(0:50:14) Early tech struggles: Mono recordings, brick recorders, and lots of duct tape.

(0:51:53) COVID's silver lining: Why lockdowns accelerated the pod's evolution.

(0:54:20) Launching the RR Community: From 100-member goal to 12,500+ and counting.

(0:55:49) Podcast = Brand: How RR became central to PWL's identity and communication.

(0:57:26) What's next: Angelica's dreams for live events and even a coffee table book.

(0:59:10) Angelica on investing: From ex-banker cynicism to believer in behavior and psychology.

(1:00:38) Favorite moment: Hearing real stories of how listeners' lives have been changed.

(1:01:36) Defining success: Impact, confidence, and financial empowerment.

Links From Today's Episode: Meet with PWL Capital: https://calendly.com/d/3vm-t2j-h3p

Rational Reminder on iTunes — https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rational-reminder-podcast/id1426530582. Rational Reminder on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/rationalreminder/

Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/ Benjamin Felix — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/

Benjamin on X — https://x.com/benjaminwfelix

Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/

Cameron Passmore — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/

Cameron on X — https://x.com/CameronPassmore

Cameron on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronpassmore/

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).