
The Financial Independence Show
Cody Berman and Justin Taylor believe in the concept of “Financial Independence For All”. The Financial Independence Show focuses on REAL stories of individuals on their journey to financial independence. Each episode aims to include actionable insights and takeaways for listeners to implement into their own financial situation. The podcast covers topics like building wealth, entrepreneurship, investing, money mindset, small business, frugality, geoarbitrage, side hustles, real estate, productivity, travel, and so much more. Sit back, tune in, and join a community of like-minded people who are changing their lives through financial independence.
Latest episodes

Jan 11, 2023 • 53min
$135,000 per Month in Passive Income | Jeff Rose
Today's episode features Jeff Rose from Good Financial Cents.
Jeff began his adult life as a Veteran who transitioned into civilian life as a Certified Financial Planner.
He began working for a firm but found himself questioning the ethics of his compensation.
This ultimately nudged him toward entrepreneurship where he started creating personal finance content through his blog and later his YouTube channel.
Even though his original goal was just to impact a few hundred people, he's now reached millions and has built himself a multi 7-figure business.
If you loved Jeff's story as much as we did, please share it with a friend!
Links From the Episode
Goof Financial Sense
His Book Soldier of Finance
Jeff Rose on Twitter
Jeff's Wealth Hacker YouTube
YouTube Interview
https://youtu.be/3MRAx9AA4uw
Join the Community
We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community!
Grab the Ultimate FI Spreadsheet
Join our Facebook Group
Leave us a voicemail
Send an email to contact [at] TheFiShow [dot] com
If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review!
>> You can do that by clicking here <<
Learn More About Your Hosts
CodyDBerman.com (Cody’s Blog)
Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Jan 4, 2023 • 0sec
Retired at 39 From a Movie Theater | Tom Brickman
Today's episode features Tom Brickman aka The Frugal Gay.
Tom actually bought his first property at age 21 while working at The Gap making only $8.50/hr.
He would go on to buy 20 additional properties.
Did he get some huge pay increase? Not really.
Tom worked at a movie theater where he started off making $32k and eventually maxed out in the $70k range.
He also did this all at a reasonable pace, taking 18 years in total to acquire all of his doors.
That's what's so powerful about Tom's story. He never made a ton of money, he didn't buy 10 houses in a year, he didn't take out some crazy loan, and he never got some crazy inheritance.
Now he's retired at 39 and is earning double his day job income through real estate and side hustles.
If you loved Tom's story as much as we did, please share it with a friend!
Links From the Episode
The Frugal Gay
Tom's Instagram
Tom's Twitter
Tom's LinkedIn
YouTube Interview
https://youtu.be/xtB8mffYrY0
Join the Community
We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community!
Grab the Ultimate FI Spreadsheet
Join our Facebook Group
Leave us a voicemail
Send an email to contact [at] TheFiShow [dot] com
If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review!
>> You can do that by clicking here <<
Learn More About Your Hosts
CodyDBerman.com (Cody’s Blog)
Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Dec 28, 2022 • 53min
Can You Believe This Happened? 2022 Reflection
In this episode, Cody and Justin reflect on 2022 and all of the changes that have happened.
Cody utilized a vision board going into the year... and Justin was a bit less planned, but both guys came away with some amazing updates and insights.
Some topics included:
Justin found a lot more purpose and happiness with work
Cody more than tripled revenue in his main business, Gold City Ventures
Justin increased his salary by 23.5%
Cody launched 2 Airbnbs and is flipping his first property
Both guys did a ton of traveling
Both guys put a lot of time and energy into their relationships and friendships
Justin started focusing a lot on physical health (working out, dieting, and mostly eliminating alcohol).
Cody found a great charity program called Givewell and now donates $1k per month to various causes
There's a ton the guys go over in this episode and also a proposition at the end of the episode.
They'd love to highlight listeners who want their opinion or advice on their current situation.
Just a few small tweaks could reduce your time to retirement by several years.
We just actually published a poll in the Facebook Group if you'd like to participate.
And as always, thank you for listening. The show wouldn't exist without you.
2022 was a great year for The Financial Independence Show and we can't wait to see what 2023 has in store.
If you got value out of this episode, please share it with a friend!
Join the Community
We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community!
Grab our FREE Budget Planner
Join our Facebook Group
Leave us a voicemail
Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com
If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review!
>> You can do that by clicking here <<
Learn More About Your Hosts
CodyDBerman.com (Cody’s Blog)
Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Dec 21, 2022 • 52min
College Athlete Turned Financial Educator | Hassan Thomas
Today's episode features Hassan Thomas, founder of FYI FLI which stands for -- “For Your Information, Financial Literacy & Investing”.
FYI FLI is a brand that aims to promote financial literacy while eliminating financial illiteracy and teaches millennials how to manage and grow their money through its financial literacy app, website, and other financial literacy resources.
In this episode, Hassan covers:
Life as a student-athlete
Becoming a content creator
Why learning needs action
Inputs vs. Outputs
The right time to quit your W-2
and so much more.
It's clear that Hassan is trying to fill a massive gap in financial education for college athletes and he's already making huge ripples in the space.
If you loved Hassan's story as much as we did, please share it with a friend!
Links From the Episode
FYI FLI Podcast
Hassan's LinkedIn
Hassan's Instagram
FYI FLI Facebook Page
Hassan's YouTube
YouTube Interview
https://youtu.be/Gv37CzXns04
Join the Community
We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community!
Grab the Ultimate FI Spreadsheet
Join our Facebook Group
Leave us a voicemail
Send an email to contact [at] TheFiShow [dot] com
If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review!
>> You can do that by clicking here <<
Learn More About Your Hosts
CodyDBerman.com (Cody’s Blog)
Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Dec 14, 2022 • 53min
How He’s Building a $10M Business from Scratch | Brian Luebben
Today's episode features Brian Luebben, founder of The Action Academy Podcast.
Brian's entrepreneurial resume starts back in college where he built his first company, GreekBeats DJ/Entertainment, that allowed him to graduate debt-free.
Shortly after graduating – he made it to the top of a Fortune 500 Company in a sales role earning multiple six figures per year, only to realize quickly that “retirement at 65” and corporate life simply was not for him.
Through a combination of real estate and entrepreneurship, he was able to retire from that corporate job at age 27.
He now runs a successful podcast “The Action Academy” where he talks to seven, eight, and nine-figure entrepreneurs on how to earn freedom in life and business.
His goal is to build a $10M business with The Action Academy and to impact as many entrepreneurs as possible along the way.
If you loved Brian's story as much as we did, share it with a friend!
Links From the Episode
Action Academy (tell them we sent you)
Brian's Podcast
Brian's Instagram
From W2 to World Travel - Free Ebook
YouTube Interview
https://youtu.be/RXDXBDq7tRs
Join the Community
We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community!
Grab the Ultimate FI Spreadsheet
Join our Facebook Group
Leave us a voicemail
Send an email to contact [at] TheFiShow [dot] com
If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review!
>> You can do that by clicking here <<
Learn More About Your Hosts
CodyDBerman.com (Cody’s Blog)
Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Dec 7, 2022 • 51min
Personal Finance, Dancing, and Knowing Your Worth | Chloe Daniels
Today's episode features Chloé Daniels, founder of Clo Bare Money Coach.
Chloé is a money coach and focuses her time on helping people learn how to invest and build wealth the lazy way.
Her ultimate goal is to provide education in a fun, easy-to-understand, and accessible way and is known for her Reels and TikToks that showcase her hilarious dance moves while also providing finance tips.
Despite her current success, Chloé didn't start out with so much confidence and knowledge about money.
There was a time (back in 2017) when she struggled to see a path toward paying off her student loans.
In 2018, things started to change as she began budgeting and getting deeper into the financial space.
Things took off quickly and in 2021 she quit the workforce to pursue financial coaching full-time and is on track to retire in her 40s!
Chloé does this all in such a relatable way that comes across as fun and non-intimidating.
If you've been looking for someone to make personal finance fun for you, Chloé might be just the person for you (seriously, her dances are hilarious).
If you liked this episode as much as we did, please share and subscribe!
Links From the Episode
Chloe's TikTok
Chloe's Instagram
Chloe's Free Money Guide
Chloe's Website
The Lazy Investor's Course
YouTube Interview
https://youtu.be/zdg3G4IAfHY
Join the Community
We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community!
Grab the Ultimate FI Spreadsheet
Join our Facebook Group
Leave us a voicemail
Send an email to contact [at] TheFiShow [dot] com
If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review!
>> You can do that by clicking here <<
Learn More About Your Hosts
CodyDBerman.com (Cody’s Blog)
Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Nov 30, 2022 • 50min
Minimalism and Mini-Retirements | Melissa Neacato
Today's episode features Melissa Neacato from Traveling Wallet.
Twelve years ago, Melissa was a 21-year-old university student who got pregnant while completing her degree.
She finished the degree but also graduated with $46,000 in debt.
Then she went on to buy a new car, which added another $18,000 to her debt.
She eventually discovered minimalism and the personal finance community and pays off over $100K of debt in just 3 and 1/2 years.
In this episode we cover:
Minimalism
Mini-Retirements
Finding Your "Why"
Saving in a HCOL area
and so many more actionable topics.
If you liked this episode as much as we did, please share and subscribe!
Links From the Episode
Traveling Wallet (Melissa's Website)
Learn about clothing capsules
Melissa's Instagram
Melissa's Twitter
YouTube Interview
https://youtu.be/MvcdD869OGU
Join the Community
We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community!
Grab the Ultimate FI Spreadsheet
Join our Facebook Group
Leave us a voicemail
Send an email to contact [at] TheFiShow [dot] com
If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review!
>> You can do that by clicking here <<
Learn More About Your Hosts
CodyDBerman.com (Cody’s Blog)
Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Nov 23, 2022 • 39min
200 Episodes Later … What We’ve Learned
In this episode, we recollect the past four years and 200 episodes since starting The Financial Independence Show and what we've learned along the way.
It's been an amazing journey so far and we can't thank you enough.
Some of the main topics include:
Mindset
Increasing income
Creative ways to lower expenses
There's no "right" way
Networking
Taking imperfect action
It's truly a humbling experience looking back at how much has changed for the better since this show began and how we're so thankful to have you as a listener.
If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!
Join the Community
We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community!
Grab our FREE Budget Planner
Join our Facebook Group
Leave us a voicemail
Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com
If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review!
>> You can do that by clicking here <<
Learn More About Your Hosts
CodyDBerman.com (Cody’s Blog)
Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

6 snips
Nov 15, 2022 • 46min
Mapping Retirement with Projection Lab | Kyle Nolan
Today's episode features Kyle Nolan, creator of Projection Lab.
Kyle already had the skills to develop web-based applications when he discovered the world of financial independence.
What he didn't have and couldn't find was a financial planning tool that felt modern, flexible, and engaging.
So he just decided to build his own!
Projection Lab allows you to create beautiful and nuanced financial plans that truly represent you, your loved ones, and the paths you choose.
You get to run Monte Carlo simulations, backtest on historical data, and figure out how to live your best life and reduce anxiety around your finances.
I can't over-emphasize the word robust here.
Back door Roths, multiple drawdown strategies, SEPP distributions, loan forgiveness, cash flow priorities...the list goes on and on and on.
Kyle has built this beautiful web app all by himself and kept data protection at the forefront.
And you can utilize this tool for free!
The premium mode adds persistent data, tax estimation, advanced tax options, Sankey cash flow, visualizations, and Developer support for $8/month (20% off with code "FISHOW").
If you liked this episode as much as we did, please share and subscribe!
Links From the Episode
Projection Lab (Use code FISHOW for 20% off a Premium Account)
Kyle's Twitter
Kyle's LinkedIn
YouTube Interview
https://youtu.be/OUaFOqMGOKs
Join the Community
We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community!
Grab the Ultimate FI Spreadsheet
Join our Facebook Group
Leave us a voicemail
Send an email to contact [at] TheFiShow [dot] com
If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review!
>> You can do that by clicking here <<
Learn More About Your Hosts
CodyDBerman.com (Cody’s Blog)
Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Nov 9, 2022 • 43min
From $5K to $250K per Month with a Service Business | Irvin Aguilar
Today's episode features Irvin Aguilar who took AGR Landscaping from a small-time company making $5k per month to a money-making machine hitting $250k in recent months.
Irvin saw his dad struggling and found himself struggling with college as well.
It turned out to be the perfect opportunity to inject some small but powerful changes into his dad's business.
He saw how a language gap, poor marketing, and unfair contracts were holding his dad back.
In very little time, it went from a business that helped the family scrape by to a thriving business.
Irvin didn't stop there though. He's now flipped 6 houses in just a few months and is also getting into short-term rentals.
If you liked this episode as much as we did, please share and subscribe!
Links From the Episode
AGR Landscaping
Irvin's Instagram
YouTube Interview
https://youtu.be/nZLQxZ4rCDU
Join the Community
We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community!
Grab the Ultimate FI Spreadsheet
Join our Facebook Group
Leave us a voicemail
Send an email to contact [at] TheFiShow [dot] com
If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review!
>> You can do that by clicking here <<
Learn More About Your Hosts
CodyDBerman.com (Cody’s Blog)
Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)