Reasonably Happy with Paul Ollinger

Kirkland Hamill’s grandfather was very rich. His mother and father raised him and his brothers in grand fashion until Grandpa's death exposed major cracks in the family fortune. When his dad left his mom, she took Kirkland and his brothers to Bermuda where they attended a prestigious school, but never knew how they were going to pay for groceries.  In his first book, Filthy Beasts, Kirkland tells the story of a youth spent in flux between affluence and the alcoholism that came with the country clubs and yachts of his early childhood, and the deprivation and calamity of the years beyond that. The book is sad but immensely engaging and full of stories that will leave you gobsmacked. For example, because life in his mother’s home was chaotic, he decided he’d attend boarding school at Andover (as one does when they can’t afford milk) and then attend college at Tulane. The whole story makes you wonder what the point of money or status or social standing is if when one can’t — or chooses not to — provide a stable, loving home for their children. It also makes you think, “maybe I should be a bit more empathetic to others" because I have no idea what someone is dealing or has dealt with in their lives.  The good news is that, through Al-Anon and self-determination, Kirkland found himself, his calling, and a stable-adulthood. He currently resides in Baltimore with his husband, Dave, and a dog named Blue. His writing has appeared in Salon,The Advocate, and will likely be appearing in a whole bunch of other places based on the quality and success of this inaugural effort.  Find out more about Kirkland and order the book on his https://kirklandhamill.com/ Take a moment to rate and review Crazy Money here. Read Paul’s latest on Medium. Find out more about Paul Ollinger on his website and/or follow him on the socials: • Twitter: http://Twitter.com/Paul_Ollinger• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul_ollinger/• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulOllinger/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulollinger/Credit...Crazy Money is produced and edited by Mike Carano.Topics addressed on Crazy Money include: Philosophy, Happiness, Contentment, Meaning, Success, Rat Race, Buddhism, Stoicism, The hedonic treadmill, Mid-Life Crisis, Business, Work, Careers, Authors, Books, Consumerism, Values.Now listen, I’m happy you’re here, but if you haven’ve found what you’re looking for in the words above, you’re probably not going to find them down here. Seriously, all the important stuff is up yonder. 

Ken Rusk has made a very good living by working with his hands. A true-life, self-described “ditch-digger,” Ken is an entrepreneur who has over 200 people working on his team. In his new book, Blue Collar Cash: Love Your Work, Secure Your Future, and Find Happiness for Life, Ken advocates an alternative career path to anyone who doesn’t believe “college + white collar job” is the route for them.  Ken doesn't believe that university life is wrong for everyone, but he argues that society over-emphasizes the necessity of getting that degree regardless of the massive tuition and debt millions take on in pursuit thereof. Happiness, he argues is in finding work that suits your skills and personality. That’s the situation in which one will find comfort, peace and freedom (not to mention financial security) in one’s career.  In this week’s episode of Crazy Money Paul and Ken discuss work ethic, the true sources of happiness, and career satisfaction. Special guest-host: Steve Sidles (Paul’s father-in-law who, unlike his dumb son-in-law, knows how to work with his hands) Learn more about Ken and his book here . If you have a second, please rate Crazy money by clicking here. Select the app you use to listen to the show, scroll down to where you can rate it, and say something nice (or nothing at all). And, if you can, share this with three friends who are smart, good-looking, and intellectually curious. Find out more about Paul Ollinger on his website and/or follow him on the socials: • Twitter: http://Twitter.com/Paul_Ollinger• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul_ollinger/• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulOllinger/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulollinger/Produced and edited by Mike Carano Topics addressed on Crazy Money include: Philosophy, Happiness, Contentment, Meaning, Success, Rat Race, Buddhism, Stoicism, The hedonic treadmill, Mid-Life Crisis, Business, Work, Careers, Authors, Books, Consumerism, Values.Now listen, I’m happy you’re here, but if you haven’ve found what you’re looking for in the words above, you’re probably not going to find them down here. Seriously, all the important stuff is up yonder. 

Barry Schwartz is the author of several books, including Why We Work and The Paradox of Choice. I spoke to Barry about his findings in these two important books.  Why is it that the harder we work and the more affluent we become, the more depressed we get? Prevailing social wisdom is that more is better, and that more choices should yield more satisfaction, but that is not the case at all. More choice not only overwhelms us, it raises our expectations and makes us doubt our decision-making. Too much choice doesn’t just not make us happier, it increases our anxiety and makes us less happy.  Could it be, even in our freedom loving country, that we have gotten too much of a good thing? That we would actually benefit from some guardrails in our lives? I’m sure there are those who would argue against it, but Barry’s research and conclusions here are quite persuasive.  Barry Schwartz taught psychology at Swarthmore College for 45 years and is now Visiting Professor of Management at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. He holds an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Univeristy of Pennsylvania, and a B.S. from New York University. His TED Talks on the topics of work, choice, and wisdom have been viewed over 20 million times.  Find out more about Crazy Money and Paul Ollinger on his website and/or follow him on the socials: • Twitter: http://Twitter.com/Paul_Ollinger• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul_ollinger/• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulOllinger/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulollinger/Produced and edited by Mike CaranoTopics addressed on Crazy Money include: Philosophy, Happiness, Contentment, Meaning, Success, Rat Race, Buddhism, Stoicism, The hedonic treadmill, Mid-Life Crisis, Authors, Books, Consumerism, and Values.

My dad died peacefully at his home last Friday. He left this world with a clear conscience while napping in his favorite recliner and surrounded by loved ones. He was 93 years old. If you’re looking for guidance on how to lead a good life, Dad was a pretty good example. In this interview from 2019, we discuss work, money, saving, and family, but all these are really just a coded way to answer the question, “what is most important in your life?” For Dad, it was faith, family, and security, which meant always putting himself second while providing everything his family needed and forgoing most discretional material acquisitions.  Dad eschewed luxury, living simply and well within his means. Eminently frugal and practical, he had few wants other than to be faithful, useful and kind. While a devout Catholic, he also demonstrated traits of the most practiced Stoics and Buddhists. He wanted little, maintained self-control and practiced moderation in both consumption and emotion. He enjoyed whatever beer was on sale, and kept it Arctic cold. Most importantly, with my dad, it was never “about him.” He had a strong sense of self, but didn’t take himself too seriously. He was genuinely interested in others, listening way more than he talked, and then only to say something nice or to make a corny joke at his own expense. And he always, without fail, conducted himself as the consummate gentleman.  As a kid growing up in his relatively austere home, I longed for more stuff. More toys. Nicer furniture, and air conditioning. (Dear Lord, Dad, it’s July in the south - please, more air conditioning!) But as an adult with plenty of A/C, I want to be more like him. While I am still plenty ambitious and motivated, I want to be more detached from the results. I want to do things for the right reasons. I want to listen to others instead of the chorus of voices in the back of my head telling me all the things I should be doing instead (Now! Today!). And I want the kind of serenity that comes from knowing who you are and what matters in life.  With all the talk about privilege these days, I hear almost no one talking about the privilege of great parenting. Well I had it and it’s one I’m going to do my best to pass onto my kids. Find out more about Crazy Money and Paul Ollinger on his website and/or follow him on the socials: • Twitter: http://Twitter.com/Paul_Ollinger• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul_ollinger/• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulOllinger/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulollinger/Produced and edited by Mike CaranoTopics addressed on Crazy Money include: Philosophy, Happiness, Contentment, Meaning, Success, Rat Race, Buddhism, Stoicism, The hedonic treadmill, Mid-Life Crisis, authors, books, consumerism, materialism, values.

Chris Hogan is a retirement planning expert and popular financial media personality. A former college football player who once worked as a bill collector, Chris has seen the pain economic mismanagement can wreak on a family. Since 2005, he has worked with personal finance legend, Dave Ramsey at Ramsey Solutions to fulfill his goal of helping as many people as possible achieve financial autonomy. Via The Chris Hogan Show and his two books (Retire Inspired and Everyday Millionaires) Chris has helped millions not just understand retirement, investing and building wealth, but to put in place plans to achieve their goals.  In our brief but rich discussion, Chris and I discuss the importance of creating a vision for a post-work life, how to control our spending, and what can be done to help close the racial wealth divide. Btw, one way Stacey and I are helping to address this important problem is by supporting Year Up, a national job training program that helps ambitious, hard-working young adults acquire the skills for careers that provide a living wage. Give now.  Find out more about Chris on http://ChrisHogan360.com. Find out more about Crazy Money and Paul Ollinger on his website and/or follow him on the socials: • Twitter: http://Twitter.com/Paul_Ollinger• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul_ollinger/• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulOllinger/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulollinger/Produced and edited by Mike Carano Topics addressed on Crazy Money include Philosophy, Happiness, Contentment, Meaning, Success, Buddhism, Stoicism, the hedonic treadmill, Mid-Life Crisis, Authors, Books, Consumerism, Values. That’s all for this week. Go do something fun. 

Making a living in the arts is brutal. One of the things artists have to learn to do is manage their money and to structure their lives so that they’re doing the kind of work they WANT to do instead of doing work they HAVE to do just to pay the bills. On this week’s episode, Kyle Kinane shares insights into his comedy career and spending habits that have kept him solvent and relatively stress-free during the quarantine. While many artists are scrambling to earn while clubs are closed, Kyle maintains his creative freedom and sense of calm, partially because he never bought a Porsche.  Kyle Kinane is a nationally-headlining comedian whose TV appearances include Comedy Central’s Drunk History, This is Not Happening, and Comedy Central Presents half-hour comedy special. He has also performed live on the TV on Conan and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, among many others. As an actor, he plays a coke-head ex-boyfriend in Judd Apatow’s Netflix series, Love and also appears on TruTV's Those Who Can’t. His new album Trampoline in a Ditch is very funny and is available here. Read Paul Ollinger’s latest essays on Medium.Find out more about Crazy Money and Paul Ollinger on his website and/or follow him on the socials: • Twitter: http://Twitter.com/Paul_Ollinger• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul_ollinger/• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulOllinger/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulollinger/Produced and edited by Mike CaranoAre you really still reading?Well, don’t just read this exciting text, go listen to another episode of Crazy Money and tell all your friends about it!

Are you an airline that dominates all the flights at a particular airport (e.g. Delta in Atlanta)? Are you a global beer conglomerate that controls half the beer brands on the planet? Or, are you a gloomy corporate type that owns half the funeral parlors in America? If so, then YOU might be an oligopolist.  No, this isn’t a new Jeff Foxworthy routine with a decidedly Econ 101 vibe—it’s a conversation with Denise Hearn (co-author of The Myth of Capitalism: Monopolies and the Death of Competition) about the limits of competition in our market economy.  How does this relate to money and happiness? Well, it’s yet another gut-check for us to examine the world in which we live and to question the narratives that drive our lives. Is America really a meritocracy? Are our markets really free? Is Paul's success a product of his hard work or the result of having truly fabulous hair? If nothing else, asking these questions will make us more aware of the forces that shape our lives, for better or worse. Also, you’ll get to hear Paul make healthcare jokes so insanely dumb that his guest doesn’t know whether to laugh with him or at him.  You will not need a PhD in economics to follow the conversation. All you need to remember is that feeling you feel when you realize a roundtrip ticket to Cincinnati (a market dominated by Delta) is $700, but a ticket to market also served by Southwest Airlines is $114.  Denise Hearn's writing has been featured in publications like the The Washington Post, Quartz, and The Globe and Mail. She has presented to over 50,000 people around the world at venues including the Oxford Union, Bloomberg, and the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents’ Club. She holds an MBA from the Oxford's Saïd Business School where she co-chaired the Social Impact Oxford Business network, and has a BA in International Studies from Baylor University. She resides in Seattle with her husband, and enjoyed hiking, singing and breaking conversational norms at parties. (Ha!) Learn more about Denise on her website. Find out more about Crazy Money and Paul Ollinger on his website and/or follow him on the socials: • Twitter: http://Twitter.com/Paul_Ollinger• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul_ollinger/• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulOllinger/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulollinger/Produced and edited by Mike CaranoIf I were you, I would have stopped reading way up above the links to my social accounts, but you're still here. Why? Don’t you have anything more interesting to do?Well, while you’re here, email me on paul@crazymoneypodcast.com to suggest future guests or to tell me the best thing that’s happened to you since March 15 and I’ll mention it on next week’s show. (Just putting that here means I’m going to get spammed by a bunch of hackers from former Soviet republics.) Okay, really. Go do something. Listen to another one of my interviews. Or write a kind review of the show taking care to mention my rare combination of intellect, wit, and humility.  Have a good day. 

A fun (and sometimes funny) conversation about frugality? Heck yes, friends, because this is Crazy Money!Emrys Westacott is the author of The Wisdom of Frugality and professor of Philosophy at Alfred University. In addition to courses on ethics, happiness and logic, Emrys teaches an Honors seminar called Tightwaddery, or The Good Life on a Dollar a Day in which students hunt for bargains at yard sales, cut each other’s hair, and cook a banquet composed of meals that cost about a dollar to prepare. One student’s recipe was called “Apple Crisp and how to pilfer your ingredients from the dining hall (which suggests she might not have gotten an “A+” in Emrys’ Ethics class). The Daily Beast named Tightwaddery one of America’s “Hottest College Courses” and CNN called it one of “22 Fascinating and Bizarre College Classes.”Emrys' work on the topic of frugality centers around a few important questions:What does it mean to live the good life?Can frugality actually make you happier?And--while we’re at it--what does frugality even mean?In today’s episode, Emrys and I discuss what Stoicism, Buddhism, the Epicureans, and Christianity can teach us about getting the most out of life by knowing what we want from our money. We touch on Puritanism, Transcendentalism, Neo-liberalism, Quarantine, the FIRE movement, and some other books you might want to check out (The Sum of Small Things: A Theory of the Aspirational Class by Elizabeth Currid-Halkett and The Happiness Curve by Jonathan Rauch). Yes, this is a rollicking intellectual soirée, and you are invited!I know you’ll enjoy Emrys' vast knowledge of the philosophical schools and refined sense of humor (by which I mean he laughed at most of my jokes). Find out more about Emrys and his work on his website and on 3 Quarks Daily.Read Paul's latest essays on Medium.Find out more about Crazy Money and Paul Ollinger on his website and/or follow him on the socials:• Twitter: http://Twitter.com/Paul_Ollinger• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul_ollinger/• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulOllinger/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulollinger/Produced and edited by Mike Carano.Are you really still reading?Don’t you have anything better to do? All the important information is above this….I’m totally serious.Did you know a lot of podcast episode descriptions are purposefully over-written just to cram in a bunch of keywords to make them discoverable inside the podcast apps? But since you're still here, I’ll let you know that upcoming episodes will address coronavirus, inequality, the wealth gap, my new Peloton, Covid-19, whether Cialis Trump (s) Viagra, the asbestos -like qualities of certain insurance products, wellness, mindfulness, black lives matter, social media, Oprah, Wall Street, refinancing, Taylor Swift ’s net worth, pandemic, quarantine, weight loss, diets, get rich, make money while you sleep.

Oliver Burkeman is the author of The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking. He also writes a column for The Guardian called This Column Will Change Your Life in which he explores psychology and wellbeing. When I first learned of the title of his book, I wasn’t yet familiar with Oliver’s work and I didn’t really know what it was about. But I knew it was for me, and I wasn’t disappointed. In The Antidote, Oliver explores the true sources of human happiness as laid out in Buddhism, Stoicism, and modern psychology. He not only debunks the notion that relentless positivity makes the practitioner happier, but argues persuasively that the accompanying expectations make the happy, go-lucky visioneers much worse off. He offers a second path toward contentment that has to do with recognizing and accepting the scarier parts of life. (I am tempted here to write something here like "Up with Realism!!! Up with Uncertainty!!! Up with embracing our mortality!!!! … but as a realist myself, I don’t like over-using exclamation points.)His insights are important, thoroughly-researched, and presented with humor that is both copious and dryer than a dryer sheet in a very dry place. Oliver is the recipient of the Foreign Press Associations’s Young Journalist of the Year award and was on the shortlist for the Orwell Prize. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Us, Esquire and Slate. He holds a degree from Christ's College, Cambridge. He spoke to me from Brooklyn, NY where he is keeping his distance. Read Oliver’s column here. Buy the book here. Follow him on Twitter here. To get 50% off QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Self-Employed for 6-months, click here. (Crazy Money earns a small referral fee)Find out more about Crazy Money and Paul Ollinger on his website and follow him on the socials:  Twitter Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

What if you get everything you’ve ever wanted and it’s still unfulfilling? What then? Men’s coach Tripp Lanier is the author of the newly released, This Book Will Make you Dangerous: The Irreverent Guide for Men who Refuse to Settle. Since 2005, Tripp has spent thousands of hours coaching people on how to get out of the rat race and align their work with their personal values. Over the years, he’s designed several businesses to support a simple lifestyle focused on freedom, aliveness, fun and love.  Do you think that’s really possible? To live and work on your own terms? Even if you thought it was possible, would you even know where to start?  Tripp started with himself — he designed his personal and professional life to get the most out of every day. He has engaged in everything from 10 day silent meditation retreats to “plant medicine” journeys to men’s groups in the Coast Rican Jungle. He was an early podcast pioneer in 2008, launching The new Man Podcast: Beyond the Macho Jerk and the New Age Wimp, which has been downloaded millions of times. Prominent guests on Tripp’s show include Tim Ferriss, Stephen Pressfield, Laird Hamilton, Ryan Holiday, Mark Manson, Phil Stutz, Robert Greene, Alan Alda, and many, many more (including Paul Ollinger).  Tripp lives in a small beach town in North Carolina where he surfs, plays music, and enjoys a simple life with his wife and daughter.  Learn more about / get in touch with Tripp / buy his book on his website.  Read Paul Ollinger’s latest essays on Medium. Find out more about Crazy Money and Paul on his website and/or follow him on the socials: • Twitter: http://Twitter.com/Paul_Ollinger• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul_ollinger/• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulOllinger/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulollinger/