Independence by Design™ #457: Explaining Bitcoin to an Economist | Ryan Tansom with Alan Beaulieu & Kim Clark
If you’re a business owner trying to make sense of Bitcoin, this conversation is your entry point.
Over two episodes combined into one, I sat down with Kim Clark and her father Alan Beaulieu—a partner at the world-renowned forecasting firm ITR Economics, known for its 94.7% accuracy over the last 80 years. Alan has spent his career helping owners understand what’s coming in the economy. In this conversation, he turned the tables and asked me to explain Bitcoin.
Across our discussion, we unpack what Bitcoin really is, how it compares to money as we’ve known it, and why it matters for owners thinking about value, valuations, and the future. Alan came in skeptical but open, and the questions he asked are the same ones every thoughtful owner has on their mind: Is Bitcoin safe? Is it different from other cryptocurrencies? Could it actually protect my wealth in the decades ahead?
I don’t claim to have all the answers. I’m still a student on this journey. But I’ve spent thousands of hours studying economics, money, and the history of financial systems—and I’ve come to believe Bitcoin is one of the most important developments of our time. It’s sound money for a world that desperately needs it.
In this episode we cover:
- What Bitcoin actually is—and how it differs from cryptocurrency in general
- Why money itself is just an open ledger of time and value
- How Bitcoin solves the trust problem through scarcity and decentralization
- Why fixed supply, proof-of-work, and network effects make it unique
- The difference between Bitcoin and “shitcoins”
- How demographics, debt, and fiat debasement are shaping the future of money
- Why Bitcoin could redefine valuations and serve as a store of value for owners
- How to think about Bitcoin as both a hedge and a design choice for your business and life
This isn’t financial advice, and it’s not a get-rich-quick pitch. It’s a real conversation—between an economist who’s spent decades forecasting the future, and me, an owner who’s spent a decade wrestling with how money, time, and business truly work.
Kim Clark is a sales and marketing strategist who helped scale ITR Economics from a founder-led advisory firm to a professionally managed company that exited at eight figures. As head of sales and marketing, she built the firm’s first CRM, content strategy, and inbound engine—moving the company from personality-based selling to a system built on data, automation, and strategic execution. Today, she works with business owners to build marketing engines that align with their strategy, team, and long-term cash flow goals—so they can grow without chaos and delegate without losing visibility. Her frameworks are directly aligned with the "Maximize Growth" track inside the Build a Valuable Business module of the iBD™ Magic Model.
Alan Beaulieu is a globally recognized economist and partner at ITR Economics, a firm with 94.7% forecasting accuracy over 80 years. For more than three decades, Alan has guided executives worldwide through all economic cycles, providing clear, actionable insights on markets, strategy, and investment. A respected speaker, author, and advisor, his data-driven approach helps companies anticipate change, protect value, and maximize profitability.
Chapters:
- (00:00) Bitcoin versus cryptocurrency and why most are ‘shit coins’
- (09:35) Great depression forecast and Bitcoin's role in protection
- (20:15) Government intervention risks and regulatory attack scenarios
- (35:33) Getting started with exchanges and practical Bitcoin purchasing
- (42:47) Bitcoin as technological evolution versus economic revolution debate
- (53:02) Real world use cases and government surveillance concerns
- (01:04:28) Wallet security and twelve word seed phrase explanation
- (01:18:39) Medium of exchange timeline and practical implementation challenges
- (01:26:06) Final thoughts on wealth protection and future outlook
- Rate, comment, and share with the owner/operators you know!
Resources:
Kim Clark LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-clark-79634845/
Alan Beaulieu LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/alan-beaulieu-8343283
Ryan Tansom Website https://ryantansom.com/