Today's episode features Dr. Steve Yacovelli, author of  Pride Leadership and creator of TopDog Learning Group. Steve brings an incredible amount of expertise on leadership as well as diversity and inclusion. He also brings an interesting backstory where he went from working on a Disney Cruise line to being hired by Disney as a consultant on those very cruises. Steve will teach us all how to listen, build trust, empathize, and ultimately to lead. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode! Episode Summary Steve's Leadership Foundation He got his first taste of leadership in his fraternity in College Steve calls out how people just simplify leadership at times to just having people skills He has distilled his leadership principles into six areas Being authentic Having leadership courage Having empathy Building relationships with those around you Effective communication Shaping the culture around you Listen to Understand not just to Respond He talks about how you should listen to understand and not just to respond This is avoiding that feeling you get when you feel like you can't wait for someone to stop talking so you can make your point In reality, you can't be empathetic to someone if you can't get to really know and understand them Inclusion is Good for Business When hiring and building a team, it's important not to hire people just like yourself Not only does it increase your chances of missing a great hire, but it also opens you up for more risk This risk is because you'll hire people with your strengths but also your weaknesses By hiring a more inclusive group we not only support people without bias, but we also cover our blind spots Steve says it's better to strive for conscious inclusion instead of just working on your unconscious bias Later in the episode, Steve goes into more metrics of why inclusion impacts the bottom line and not just social initiatives Leadership in LGBTQ+ Steve makes it clear that he's not trying to say being straight or not means you won't be a better or worse leader Instead, he helps the LGBTQ+ community see how they can use something like their sexual orientation as a strength One example he gives is authenticity If he hid the fact that he had a husband, that wouldn't be very authentic, and he helps this community spot these opportunities There's More Diversity to Diversity than you think Sometimes we only think of diversity as race, sex, and sexual orientation but there's a lot more Steve prefers a specific model that is illustrated by layers and rings In the center is our personality Your personality is completely unique Next out are those items we traditionally think of (sex, race, sexual orientation, etc) Those are dimensions that typically don't change frequently Then you have the external dimensions which can change frequently In this section, you have pay, parenthood, income, habits, physical appearance, etc Next, you have the organizational dimensions (hourly, manager, legacy groups, etc) Finally, you'd have the country in which you're operating This is important just because there are many different cultural norms to consider Key Takeaways Listen: It's always a good idea to really listen. Maybe you don't know the person, fully understand the problem, or even know what you're supposed to be doing. Listening can fill all of those holes. We're all leaders: Steve made a point to call out that we can all practice leadership even if we don't have people reporting to us. Call to Action When in conversation this week, make a conscious choice to really listen to others. Listen with the goal to understand and not to look for holes to poke in their argument or to show how smart you are with a great question. Instead, really listen to learn from them and understand their points. Join the Community

Today's episode features James Lowery from Rethink The Rat Race James is a repeat offender back from episode 36. In that episode, he dug into his background and how he and his wife retired in their 20's after amassing real estate in just two years. This episode we dive more into his accomplishments in the health and fitness arena. From lifting, cardio, diet, and more all through the lens of someone on their FI journey. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode! Episode Summary James' Background As a refresh, James and Emily saved heavily Invested that into real estate properties in Huntsville, AL Then when they retired, they moved to Cyprus Obviously COVID-19 had other plans and they had to return to the U.S. Now they're putting a little effort into some of their rentals And looking for their next adventure James' Diet He refers to his diet as "Freegan" This is because he's 95% Vegan but will make exceptions These exceptions are for non-vegan meals that avoid food waste So if the food is already there and it's free, he'll eat it James' fitness ventures James has done bodybuilding competitions, lifting, and helped with physical therapy He takes some time to break down the positives of each of these Then we start ways to mix it up because cardio doesn't have to be just running on a treadmill James loves trail runs, HIIT training, weight lifting, and the huge amount of content out there on YouTube He recommends you recognize your body can do more than you think but also be careful of going to some extreme right off the start Keep It Simple James mentions how entire food groups do not have to be eliminated Extreme style diets are so hard to be successful with long term He recommends mostly vegetables / not too much mindset That just means understanding the calories you have coming in but making veggies the prominent part of your plate Also don't overthink the amount of weight your lifting Keep it light if your form starts to slip, don't stress about breaking records Also, don't forget the simple parts like hydration Hydration can impact your calorie burning, energy, and cognition Also don't stress about finding the perfect ratio of Fat/Carb/Protein Don't Get Intimidated  This journey doesn't have to be expensive The food costs can be reasonable James & Emily actually only spend $40/week per person and eat a ton of healthy foods and veggies Then you don't have to pay a ton for a gym membership There's plenty you can do at home, outside or for $20/mo at a Planet Fitness And if you need to earn some extra cash, James actually covers side hustles that are great for your fitness Also, don't get intimidated with bulking up to fast Lifting weights doesn't magically make you get bulky It can be a great way to get toned and burn calories   Key Takeaways Get Creative: I loved the story of James doing this floor exercise to replace a pull-up movement It doesn't have to be complicated: Too many people sit on the sidelines because they're looking for the perfect diet or workout plan when simple balanced eating and getting active is an amazing start. Call to Action Start a fitness or health challenge with someone. Maybe even put a little money on the line to keep up the motivation. 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! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners If you're a rental property investor or business owner, you'll definitely want to check out igloohome.

Today's episode features John Soforic, author of The Wealthy Gardener. John gives his passionate story of how he went from $200k in debt to over $200k in passive income. The lessons he learned led to a book he wrote for his son titled The Wealthy Gardner. The story starts with a stroll through the graveyard but certainly has a happy ending. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode. Episode Summary John's Background John takes a walk when he was 30 He just goes walking in his town Then he walks into a graveyard and sat there for a half-day John was just contemplating life He had two kids, long hours, and $200k in student debt Then he read a book called "How to Think and Grow Rich" Then he set a goal to have $240k in passive income before the age of 50 Fast forward and John retired at age 49 He would then go on to write The Wealthy Gardner as a way to communicate the lessons he learned to his son Building His Passive Income Step one was leveraging all 112 waking hours and not just 40 He was working 40 hours in his clinic and 30 hours outside Then he started educating himself on real estate John also hired teams to help him That allowed him to have 500 hours of work a week to his goals This included buying 8 duplexes at once It was an incredible deal where he got them at half price He was able to do this because he offered to buy them all The sellers were part of an estate and looking for quick cash The Wealthy Gardener Book John wrote the book in hopes that his 19 yr old son would be influenced by it He convinced him to be his editor to make some money During the process, John asked him to argue points with him Today his son is 25 and saving over 50% of his income so it seems to have worked He also fought to keep spirituality into the book to keep it true to him John originally self-published and book that has now been translated into three languages   Key Takeaways Leverage: John created so much leverage through teams and real estate which allowed him to unlock his earning potential Stay True to You: I loved how John is open about his beliefs and how he didn't let the prospect of money change them Call to Action Investigate passive income streams. Don't get stuck thinking only on huge goals -- just start small and start soon. 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! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners If you're a rental property investor or business owner, you'll definitely want to check out igloohome. Have you ever had to give out a door code or leave a key under a mat for people to enter your property? Not anymore. igloohome's smart locks work entirely on an app + Bluetooth connection so there's no need to sacrifice security. Check out their products today at igloohome.co and get 15% off with promo code FISHOW. Express VPN is one of the leading virtual private network service providers in the industry. Before I learned about Express VPN, I used to use incognito mode when I wanted to protect my information and browsing history. But I was wrong. Your internet service provider can actually still legally sell your information even if you’re using an incognito browser. But when you use Express VPN to surf the web, the software encrypts your web traffic and masks your IP address to give you real privacy. Use limited-time offer ExpressVPN.com/FiShow for 3 months off a 1-year subscription. Start protecting your privacy today! John's Information Website: WealthyGardener.com

Today's episode features Kanwal Sarai from Simply Investing. Kanwal shares with us his unique investing style. This style is a combination of value investing like Warren Buffet and a focus on dividend payouts. Kanwal takes our questions in stride and makes some really great points. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode. Episode Summary Kanwal's Background Kanwal graduated with a computer science degree at age 24 in 1996 About three years in, he realized traditional work couldn't be a forever path This was before anyone was calling it "F.I.R.E" His first side hustle attempt was purified water Long story short...the side hustle was a flop Neither of them knew anything about marketing/sales Building His Own Investment Method In 2003 Kanwal started developing his own investment strategy His son was just born and was keeping him up all night One of those sleepless nights he grabs an investing book and was hooked At the time he was paying 2.5-3% fees for advisement His main focus came down to strong dividend-paying companies He calls it "Dividend Value Investing" This is a combination of undervalued companies that also pay dividends 12 Part Checklist of Dividend Investing 1. Do you understand the product or service 2. Will people still be using the product/service in 20 years 3. Do they have a low-cost lasting advantage (think Coke's secret recipe) 4. Would you use the product that people would use during a recession 5. Do they have consistent earnings growth 6. Do they have consistent dividend growth 7. Do they have a low payout ratio (dividend vs earnings) 8. Do they have low debt % 9. Do they have a good credit rating 10. Do they actively buy back their shares 11. Is it under or overvalued P/E 25 or less The current dividend yield is higher than the 10-year average Price to Book ratio <3 12. Keep your emotions out of investing Kanwal publishes 227 companies that meet these criteria as part of his Simply Investing Report Even with all these rules, you still may find a dud That's why diversification is still so important Kanwal recommends 25-50 funds Why Dividend Investing Over Index Investing Holding the total market (index funds) means that you're going to own some poor quality stocks Getting cashback in your pocket to diversify instead of simply seeing appreciation in one company Kanwal reinvests dividends across all his dividend stocks and not right back into the company that originally paid it The average annual yield Kanwal sees from his dividend stocks are 3.5-5%   Key Takeaways Take The Emotion Out: Kanwal's 12 rules help create a systematic process without being clouded by human emotion Set Goals, Be Patient: Don't get sucked in to get rich quick schemes, find quality companies and make continual progress. Call to Action Leave a review on iTunes, share it with us, and then we'll select two lucky listeners for a prize. One listener will get a year subscription to the Simply Investing Report and the other will get full access to the Simply Investing Course. That's $500+ of value! 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! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners Looking for a low-cost cell phone service provider with great coverage? Look no further. Mint Mobile provides the same premium coverage you're used to, but at a fraction of the cost because everything is online. All their plans come with unlimited talk and text and you can choose...

Today's episode features Nikko from Nikko Industries. What a cool and unique guest who is on his way to making $250k this year off his 3-D print business. This business was no easy task as Nikko didn't become a U.S. citizen until he was 25. What started as Nikko just trying to be an awesome dad, quickly turned into a life-changing money endeavor. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode. Episode Summary Nikko's Background Nikko's parents were not good with money Nikko and his family immigrated to the United States At a young age, he made a vow that he would not be the same way He would provide and be smart with his money for him and his children Due to being an immigrant, he wasn't able to think about college or many things until he was 25 Nikko joins the military after getting married and becoming a citizen Then he realizes how much more money he could make on the outside From there he takes a traditional commercial role but keeps an eye on entrepreneurship Nikko's Entrepreneurial Journey Nikko talks about all the failures he had along the way He had so many setbacks that at one point he just quit But then things turned around for him He says, When I stopped chasing money, money started chasing me Nikko says you really have to love what you do to be successful The business venture that really turned things around for him was 3D printing Birth of Nikko Industries Nikko's drive was to find something that helped him enjoy his time with his kids His son loved things like Thor and Iron Man etc Nikko came across someone on Instagram who had printed pieces to a costume He put the 3D printer on the back-burner for a month to make sure he was serious After a month he couldn't stop thinking about it and bought one He started by building a community and youtube channel Then he started looking to actually sell products Scaling a Business Nikko admits that he doesn't know how to design these products from scratch He leverages others to make the designs and market it His biggest skill is delegation and making sure he's tapping into the right products His 1st year he made 50k in revenue 2019 his revenue grew to $130k In 2020 he's on pace to make over $250k in revenue Most of this revenue is just off of the digital files He says that he spends about 4 hours per week And now he's coaching others to build 3D printing businesses Then a person can take these files and use their own printer to make them Nikko also has a big focus on giving back During the Covid outbreak, he was printing free face shields for frontline workers   Key Takeaways Stop Chasing the Money: Nikko talks about how things started turning around when stop solely focusing on the money. Maximize Your Skills: Nikko never designs a file yet makes so much money on them, he uses his skills of delegation to the max Call to Action Just go educate yourself in 3D printing. Whether it's Nikko's side hustles, medical advances, or even housing solutions, it's such a cool topic that everyone should check out. 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! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners We are completely obsessed with tracking our net worth to understand our current financial positions (you should be too). Instead of spending dozens of hours adding up all our assets and subtracting our debts, we use a free service called Personal Capital. This free, easy-to-use portfolio management tool aggregates all of your financial data ...

Today's episode features Dustin Heiner from Master Passive Income Dustin vividly remembers a march to the boss with kids waiting at home, knowing he was about to lose his job. He knew from that day, he needed to build his own income streams away from traditional employment. 30 real estate properties later and he had the freedom he always wanted. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode. Episode Summary Dustin's Background Dustin is a serial entrepreneur Websites, pizzeria, graphic design, and even a skateboard manufacturing gig He refers to a traditional job as "Just Over Broke" During this journey, he stumbled upon real estate investing His first one was profiting $350 per month and he was hooked Dustin learned the hard way There weren't any good courses or coaches out there at the time He talks about how much he learned from his mistakes Breaking Away from Tradition Dustin also went to college just because it was what he felt like he should do This led to a ten-year career in IT at a government agency He walks us through the fearful moment when he realized he didn't want to rely on someone for employment ever again. That fearful moment was when Dustin got laid off with 4 children He did continue to work in IT but he swapped his perspective From then on, he would introduce himself as a real estate investor 9 years and 30 houses later, he was able to step away from that traditional career Dustin could have stepped away earlier but admits it is tough to walk away from stability Dustin's Real Estate Investing Dustin started out living in California Prices didn't make sense there so he looked out of state He was investing in Ohio, Texas, etc Out of all the houses he's purchased,  he's only traveled to see one in person This requires a network of people you can trust The key here is the property manager, they are the quarterback His requirement for a house is a minimum of $250 per month profit We also talk about renting vs owning 401ks & Real Estate Investing Dustin talks about cashing out or borrowing from 401k to buy real estate He actually doesn't like investing 401ks at all This comes off his assumption that he can make so much more from real estate So his argument isn't that 401ks are intrinsically bad Common Real Estate Mistakes Not accounting for paying for a property manager Not putting back money for repairs Buying a house with really small margins Buying a home in an area where everyone is leaving In general, overestimate expenses and underestimate rental income   Key Takeaways Your Paycheck is not your value: Companies pay you just what they need to so that you stay but they're as profitable as possible. Overestimate the bad, underestimate the good: Dustin recommends this mindset when looking at real estate. Call to Action Look into real estate as an investment. If your stuck on the fence, especially due to prices in your local area,  then do like Dustin did and grab a property manager to invest out of state. 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! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners Express VPN is one of the leading virtual private network service providers in the industry. Before I learned about Express VPN, I used to use incognito mode when I wanted to protect my information and browsing history. But I was wrong. Your internet service provider can actually still legally sell your information even if you're using an incognito browser.

Today's episode features Genecia who is the creator of Soul Rich Woman. Genecia's main goal is to empower women business owners to go from offline to online. She's proven this over her career with millions in revenue and is sharing that with the 200k+ members of Soul Rich Woman. You won't want to miss all her advice, especially around the love of F words. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode. Episode Summary Genecia's Background At 18 she started with a simple thought of making more in a single hour She was going to school, working, and teaching as a yoga/dance instructor So she decided to build a group of instructors were she made a commission off them Genecia attributes her success to  resourcefulness and the people she surrounded herself with After college, she entered a traditional job in a hospital helping children with learning issues She realized that she was making way less in a 9-5 than working for herself in college Then she transitioned to consulting Offline to Online In 2013 she transitioned from working offline to online She made $100k in 3 months And $1 Million within a year Then she invested in a cafe retail chain Helping other Women go Online The group started just as "Webinar Wednesdays" And in the beginning, there was no traffic But she stuck with it and started advertising on Facebook In the group, she helps instill a growth mindset The group she started is called "Soul Rich Woman" The group is over 200k strong! She talks about women who love "F words" Fabulous, freedom, financial independence, family This education and community is available as an annual or monthly service Genecia also really focuses on marketing and helping businesses get repeat business Where to focus first She says to work on your business, not in your business This means outsourcing tedious work so you can focus on growth Stay on top of trends Love the customers first and then create what is good for them Genecia walks us through a case study of a fitness instructor going online   Key Takeaways Get Sticky: Genecia talks about retaining customers by always providing value, this makes them come back for more, aka sticky Leverage the internet: The internet is a force multiplier for not only finding customers but also to augment with employees Call to Action Grab $50 and outsource something that is draining you of your time so you can be more productive in areas that really matter 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! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners Sign up to Proptech Conference for a Cause hosted by igloohome. Your ticket fee will be donated to Team Rubicon for Covid-19 relief efforts. Genecia Alluora's Information Website: Soul Rich Woman Twitter: Genecia Alluora Instagram: Genecia Alluora Recommended Book: Rich Woman by Kim Kiyosaki Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Doug from Niche Site Project. Doug brings in hundreds of thousands from his affiliate websites. These sites are those websites we all use to help us decide exactly which brand/version of a product we're looking to buy. He started off on a traditional route in engineering but with this incredibly successful venture, he just manages these sites and teaches others how to follow in his footsteps. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about Doug's awesome episode. Episode Summary Doug's Background Doug's first money experience was around mowing lawns He wanted to buy a CD player and realized there was a sustainment tail Doug would also need money to buy the actual CDs He ended up mowing lawns for another 7 years But entrepreneurship didn't really take hold Instead, he went the traditional route Doug went to college and started his career as an engineer Doug's Engineering Journey Out of college, Doug was making $52k per year He didn't have any financial or savings goals His wife though was a real saver She rubbed off on him and he came around In 2013 the real changing moment happened He stumbled on a podcast in 2013 This podcast was called The Smart Passive Income Podcast Entrepreneurship A month after listening to these shows he started his first gig Doug decided to start with Amazon affiliate pages He admits his first few sites weren't great But after 6 months he was making a few grand per month That's when he realized that he could quit his normal job What is an Amazon affiliate site We've all been searching for a product and looked for help to choose We ultimately end up on a "Top 5 hard drive" list Through this list, you click on a link and eventually buy one That link is specific to that site so the owner gets a commission You are helped out and they get paid, it's a win-win SEO is huge to get them there but don't forget to be helpful Doug also spends some time talking about how he manages his team and sources virtual assistants He also offers a full course to teach others on how to do this   Key Takeaways Affiliates are a win-win: These sites help you make an efficient purchase and put money in an entrepreneurs pocket Keep it simple: Doug laid out his management style and how simple and streamlined it is. As he said, you can always make it more complicated later. Call to Action Grab some free resources at nichesiteproject.com/fishow and at least study affiliate links or maybe try to build one yourself. 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! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners Sign up to Proptech Conference for a Cause hosted by igloohome. Your ticket fee will be donated to Team Rubicon for Covid-19 relief efforts. Doug's Information Website: NicheSiteProject.com/FIShow Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Julien and Kiersten from Rich & Regular. The name is a play on Rich & Famous where they talk about how they never want to be disconnected from regular people. They share their personal and professional journey. Julien and Kiersten also share the unique challenges that face the black community and wealth-building. Most people can think of white people who are wealthy but not famous, yet when we think of black wealth, we conjure names like Oprah, LeBron, or Obama, and Julien and Kiersten want to show that it doesn't have to be that way. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this incredibly important topic. Episode Summary Julien and Kiersten's Background Julien grew up with a scarcity mindset This was during the crack era in 1980's Brooklyn He knew that money existed but never saw it in real life This led him to believe he could never be rich Kiersten's background was very different She grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta Kiersten says she was comfortable and never worried about money Julien credits mentors at all stages of his life for his ability to make it in life He says these people would always push him further In 2005 he was graduating from Georgia State University and spending time in Europe This trip changed his world view and made him realize what's possible Difference's in Spending Come to a Head Julien and Kiersten go on a vacation to Panama Julien expected they would really cut back on spending after returning His focus was on getting the credit card back to zero Kiersten was on a totally different page She wasn't looking to slow down spending This caused some friction but obviously they got through that Kiersten realized she just always had income coming in so she felt like there was always more Wealth Disparity of the Black Community Julien highlights the median net worth of black members of the Boston community The median net worth at the time was $8 He talks about the problems society we will see as this gap grows He cautions that there will be violence and crime as people get restless Julien also quotes a study that project the median net worth of black families in the U.S. will be $0 by 2053 How Do We All Help Kiersten urges people to support black-owned business She talks about how this allows you to vote with your dollar This also trickles down to other families She says that for any product you can buy at a big store, you can probably buy from a black-owned business No FIRE Number Julien doesn't find a lot of value in focusing on a FIRE number Kiersten jokes that it has bounced around by 100s of thousands Hitting that number wouldn't radically change how they operate They're very motivated to keep that number climbing With this money, they can make more of an impact on social activism Resonating with the Black Community Talking about the FI path in a non-linear way Often times people of color don't have the benefit of predictability Then we talk about the book The Real Pepsi Challenge In this, it's highlighted that black people aren't just white people with darker skin The experiences and interests there are just different You wouldn't market to a mother of three the same way you would to a man with no children So it should be familiar that different people need messages in different ways Julien and Kirsten feel like they're meeting people where they are and speaking to people who haven't been spoken to Rich and Regular Get Published They didn't expect to be writing a book this soon This process has involved agents and a writing coach There were 13 different versions as they tried to pull this together Julien describes it as part financial love story, part financial inspiration, and  part an invitation to the black community to come to join the FI movement

Today's episode features the most resourceful guests ever, Eddy Garcia & Sam Schiebold from Living Earth Systems. Eddy and Sam bring a wealth of information on how to re-think how we feed ourselves. From living on the land to growing tonnage of produce and feeding 20 people from a tiny parking lot. They are on a mission to inspire and educate the world on how to properly grow and sustain food through plagiarizing nature. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about Eddy and Sam's awesome cause. Episode Summary Eddy & Sams's Background Eddy talks about living off the land as a kid in Hawaii on fish and coconuts An experience that many would pay hundreds of dollars for That reshaped Eddy's thoughts on wealth He realized he could acquire more or desire less At a young age, he also realized giving was really important to him He never stayed at home and skipped school for surfing Sam went a more traditional route This included a Physics degree from a top-10 university She quickly realized that her degree didn't mean much to her Sam ended up finding her way to Hawaii and got into a concept of permaculture Permaculture vs Regenerative Farming Permaculture is the idea of making a sustainable food source much like a forest Eddy & Sam practice something different than Permaculture called Regenerative Farming Eddy gives a history lessons on these methods that stem back from the 70s He says he just tries his best to just copy nature This means not bringing in plastics and artificial fertilizers It also means a lot less human interaction Patagonia recently released a regenerative farming certificate Starting Your Own Crop Eddy calls out a potato as a great starter These grow in warm or cold climates with little effort Another option is radishes Seed to radish is only a 25-day process He also recommends different types of greens Eddy also says you can grow a lot of things from organic vegetables Teaching & Empowering Eddy and Sam are producing courses and videos on growing These tackle anything from composting to urban farming Also helping others overcome a fear of not having a "green thumb" These are all around a closed-loop methodology This means not bringing in or taking out materials That means growing is way cheaper We also cover how this could work for busy professionals They also teach classes and make films on-site in Hawaii This is done on a 170-acre farm in Maui They also have tours and farm to table dinners Eddy and Sam are also actively bringing a portion of Maui back from being a  trash dump. Finally, there's also an intern program!   Key Takeaways Acquire more or desire less: Eddy talks about rethinking how we look at money and how nature plays a huge part in that. Less with more: It's amazing what Eddy is able to grow in such tiny areas, some as small as an eighth of an acre Call to Action Try to grow something. Potatoes, radishes, or an aquaponic system. If you really aren't ready, then find some sustainable sources of food for your next grocery run. 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! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners We are completely obsessed with tracking our net worth to understand our current financial positions (you should be too). Instead of spending dozens of hours adding up all our assets and subtracting our debts, we use a free service called Personal Capital. This free, easy-to-use portfolio management tool aggregates all of your financial data and helps to ...