Don't Retire...Graduate!
Eric Brotman
Don’t Retire… Graduate! is the podcast that invites you to rethink what retirement really means. Hosted by Certified Financial Planner Practitioner Eric Brotman, we’re here to guide you in transforming the traditional concept of retirement into an exciting and enriching graduation—a time to embark on new adventures, embrace lifelong passions, and define what success and happiness look like in this new chapter of life.
Retirement isn’t just about stepping away from a career; it’s about stepping into a life filled with purpose, joy, and fulfillment. Whether you're on the brink of retirement or just starting to think about it, this podcast will help you discover what it takes to not just survive, but thrive in your post-career years. We’ll explore how to live a fun, productive, and meaningful life by setting new goals, pursuing passions that light you up, and building a legacy that truly reflects who you are.
Each episode features in-depth conversations with a diverse range of guests—from award-winning authors and financial experts to influencers and everyday people with remarkable money stories. Together, we’ll uncover strategies for reaching financial independence, managing your wealth, and making informed decisions that support your dreams. You’ll learn practical tips on everything from saving money and paying down debt to raising financially literate children and growing your wealth at any age.
From personal finance and investing to retirement readiness, taxes, and more, we’re here to provide the knowledge and tools you need to confidently step into this exciting new phase of life. Topics include everything from budgeting, credit, and debt to health savings accounts, insurance, social security, the FIRE movement, and the latest in fintech and finance apps.
But we don’t stop at finances. Don’t Retire… Graduate! also dives deep into the emotional and psychological aspects of retirement. We’ll discuss how to maintain your mental and physical health, nurture relationships, and stay connected to your community. You’ll gain insights on how to design a lifestyle that keeps you engaged, curious, and excited about the future.
Our mission is to help you figure out what you want to be when you grow up—even if you’re already grown. We believe that work should become optional, not just because you've reached a certain age, but because you’ve achieved the freedom to choose how you spend your time and energy. Whether it’s volunteering, starting a new hobby, traveling the world, or launching a second career, this podcast is your guide to creating a retirement that’s anything but retiring.
In addition to full episodes, we offer bonus content every other week where you get to meet the team of financial advisors at BFG Financial Advisors and hear their real stories from the frontlines of financial planning.
Retirement is not the absence of work, but the absence of needing to work. So why not graduate into a life of purpose, passion, and financial freedom? Tune in to Don’t Retire… Graduate! and let’s make your retirement the best years of your life.
Retirement isn’t just about stepping away from a career; it’s about stepping into a life filled with purpose, joy, and fulfillment. Whether you're on the brink of retirement or just starting to think about it, this podcast will help you discover what it takes to not just survive, but thrive in your post-career years. We’ll explore how to live a fun, productive, and meaningful life by setting new goals, pursuing passions that light you up, and building a legacy that truly reflects who you are.
Each episode features in-depth conversations with a diverse range of guests—from award-winning authors and financial experts to influencers and everyday people with remarkable money stories. Together, we’ll uncover strategies for reaching financial independence, managing your wealth, and making informed decisions that support your dreams. You’ll learn practical tips on everything from saving money and paying down debt to raising financially literate children and growing your wealth at any age.
From personal finance and investing to retirement readiness, taxes, and more, we’re here to provide the knowledge and tools you need to confidently step into this exciting new phase of life. Topics include everything from budgeting, credit, and debt to health savings accounts, insurance, social security, the FIRE movement, and the latest in fintech and finance apps.
But we don’t stop at finances. Don’t Retire… Graduate! also dives deep into the emotional and psychological aspects of retirement. We’ll discuss how to maintain your mental and physical health, nurture relationships, and stay connected to your community. You’ll gain insights on how to design a lifestyle that keeps you engaged, curious, and excited about the future.
Our mission is to help you figure out what you want to be when you grow up—even if you’re already grown. We believe that work should become optional, not just because you've reached a certain age, but because you’ve achieved the freedom to choose how you spend your time and energy. Whether it’s volunteering, starting a new hobby, traveling the world, or launching a second career, this podcast is your guide to creating a retirement that’s anything but retiring.
In addition to full episodes, we offer bonus content every other week where you get to meet the team of financial advisors at BFG Financial Advisors and hear their real stories from the frontlines of financial planning.
Retirement is not the absence of work, but the absence of needing to work. So why not graduate into a life of purpose, passion, and financial freedom? Tune in to Don’t Retire… Graduate! and let’s make your retirement the best years of your life.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 14, 2021 • 6min
Should I Pay Off My Girlfriend's Debt?
On today's episode of Office Hours, Eric answers Efrayim's question: Should I pay off my girlfriend's debt? Does your significant other have significant debt? There's no one asnwser on whether or not to pay it off, but there are some factors to consider. Find out in this Q&A session with your host, Eric Brotman! Have a question? Tweet it to us at @BrotmanPlanning and it may be answered in a future episode of Office Hours! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 7, 2021 • 34min
Baring it All: Embracing the Intersection of Your Mental Health and Money Journeys
Welcome back to Don’t Retire... Graduate! Our guest on today’s episode is a money coach and mental health blogger who is joining us for a very special episode in honor of World Mental Health Day. Chloe Daniels of Clo Bare Money Coach goes deep into her own struggles with mental health and how it has helped her find her voice and grow her platform at the intersection of money and mental health. In this episode we’ll talk about: • How Chloe’s transparency with her mental health struggles grew into a virtual community • How therapy and writing helped her overcome her battles with eating disorders and PTSD • Why people don’t talk about their struggles with money and want to seem like they’re the Joneses you should be keeping up with • How Chloe paid off $70,000 in debt and amassed $200,000 in savings in a short period of time • How to set a budget that aligns with your values • Failing at a budget and continuing to work at it instead of quitting • Figuring out why you’re spending money where you’re spending it so you can connect with your spending • Finding the right method to keep yourself accountable and connected to your budget • Stepping away from the “shoulds” and focusing on the “why” • Looking at the anxieties and fears around money and getting to the root of it • The difference between good and bad financial advisors, and why you should always ask potential advisors if they’re fiduciaries • How a financial coach and a financial advisor can help you simultaneously Chloe, aka Clo Bare Money Coach, saved more than $200k for retirement in a little over 2 years, and now she’s teaching others how to do the same. In the last year, she’s coached over 300 people on how to money. She started as a mental health blogger in 2017, and brings her mental health expertise into her financial coaching, focusing on providing people with a human-centric approach to managing their money. Links: https://brotmanmedia.com/season-4-episode-3-happiness-abundance-and-freedom-changing-your-mindset-to-improve-your-life/ www.clobare.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 30, 2021 • 7min
Investment Strategies that Wealthy People Don't Tell You
On today's episode of Office Hours, Eric answers Lou's question: what are the investment strategies that wealthy people keep to themselves? Are wealthy investors keeping their strategies a secret? Or do others simply not have the knowledge or the access to use them? Find out in this Q&A session with your host, Eric Brotman! Have a question? Tweet it to us at @BrotmanPlanning and it may be answered in a future episode of Office Hours! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 23, 2021 • 32min
Happiness, Abundance, and Freedom: Changing Your Mindset to Improve Your Life
Welcome back to Don’t Retire... Graduate! Our guest on today’s episode is a podcast host, a health, money mindset, and business coach, and simply a fantastic person. Lisa Holtan works with entrepreneurs, individuals, and couples to create levels of divine abundance. Her money mindset equates your financial health to your physical health to help you set and reach your goals. In this episode we’ll talk about: How our mindset can derail our goals, financially and physically Taking an inventory so you know where you are, what you have, and how to get where you want to go Understanding your priorities and how the thoughts you say to yourself shape them Discovering your priorities and having open discussions about them with your partner How to facilitate a conversation about your priorities with your spouse Looking deeper into why you want the things you want The baggage around finances that adults bring into their marriage Why talking about money is taboo Our tendency to tie our self-worth to our income and why it’s a negative mindset Unlinking income from wealth and the behaviors surrounding money The truth behind money buying happiness Answering the question of am I going to be okay Episode discussed: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/high-vibe-money-tribe/id1486223029?i=1000532222856 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 16, 2021 • 5min
How Did You Spend The Summer?
In the season 4 Office Hours premiere, Eric asks you a question: How did you spend your summer? If you haven't already, enroll in the Don't Retire... Graduate!: Freshman Year online course, or our free financial literacy course, at bfguniversity.com. Plus, write reviews and share our show with your friends to help spread a legacy of financial literacy. Find the online courses at www.bfguniversity.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 9, 2021 • 32min
Starting Early: How to Start Investing in Your Children’s Future
Welcome back to Don’t Retire.. Graduate! We are now in our fourth season of the podcast and could not be more excited for the guests that will be joining us this school year. Our first guest is no exception. Ksenia Yudina is joining us today. She is a prolific entrepreneur, an MBA, a CFA, and a remarkable human who took on the world of venture capital as a woman and developed an investing platform like nothing we’ve ever seen before. In this episode we’ll talk about: How UNest and BFG Financial Advisors are both working to make financial planning accessible to families across the country--not only the rich Ksenia’s story of immigrating from Russia at 18 and taking on $180,000 in student debt while pursuing multiple degrees at UCLA Anderson How 12 years in the venture capital space inspired her to develop her own platform to help parents invest for their children’s future How UNest works and how it is different from other options, including 529 College Savings Plans The dangers of taking on massive student debt and how inflation and tuition increases make it almost impossible to avoid and difficult to pay off Why surrounding yourself with mentors and advisors can be beneficial, both in your career and personal life Why it is important to start planning for your future--or your kids’ futures--early Meet Ksenia Yudina Ksenia Yudina is a Founder and CEO of UNest, the first mobile app that makes it easier than ever before to create a manage tax-free college savings accounts. Ksenia is an entrepreneur and financial expert with over ten years of experience in the financial industry. As Founder and CEO of UNest she has spearheaded the development of the breakthrough fintech solution and raised funding from leading venture capital funds including Northwestern Mutual, Anthos Capital, The Artemis Fund, Group 11, Draper Dragon, Unlock Ventures, and Vested Ventures. Ksenia was a 2019 Finalist in Quesnays Female Founders in Fintech competition. She has also been featured in The Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, New York Times, Forbes, Business Insider, American Banker, Inc. Magazine, USA Today, and US News & World Report. Ksenia was recognized as 40 Under 40 by Investment News and received a Rising Star Award from the Los Angeles Business Journal. www.unest.co https://www.facebook.com/unest/ https://twitter.com/UNest https://www.linkedin.com/company/u-nest/ https://www.instagram.com/unest/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 17, 2021 • 4min
Setting Yourself Up for Financial Success this Summer
In this season's final episode of Office Hours, Eric gives you your last extra credit assignment of the school year: what to do during the summer to set yourself up for financial success. Find the online courses at www.bfguniversity.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 10, 2021 • 37min
Being a Money Talker: Talking to Your Kids about Money and Inspiring Entrepreneurship
Eric is joined by Cody Loughlin, host of the Money Talkers podcast, to discuss the importance of talking about money with kids and the ups and downs that come with entrepreneurship. What is covered during the episode: Going from a millionaire to bankrupt overnight and fighting your way back. The value of time and setting goals in building wealth. Talking to your kids about money and teaching them lessons early. The wins and losses experienced as an entrepreneur. Telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went. Cody’s Podcast: https://themoneytalkers.com/optin33124205 Eric's book: https://amzn.to/2O4uNPe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 3, 2021 • 6min
Justifying the Cost of Financial Advice
In today’s Office Hours, Eric answers Alexis's question: I want a financial advisor, but it's expensive. How do I justify the cost? Have a question? Tweet it to us at @BrotmanPlanning and it may be answered in a future episode of Office Hours! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 27, 2021 • 33min
The Courage of Confidence: Making Gutsy Decisions to Reach your Goals
Eric is joined by sociologist and money coach Dr. Brenda Uekert to discuss methods to achieve financial freedom that builds the confidence to live a happier life. Bullet points of what is covered during the episode • Discovering the FI/RE movement at any age • Having a Dream Fund, saving until it hurts, and using budgets as savings tools, not spending tools • How online courses, like Dream Big Money Academy and BFG University, can encourage financial literacy education • Why women are discouraged from seeking financial advice or financial careers • Getting out of your comfort zone, increasing your confidence, and growing your courage. LINKS: Dream Big Money Academy https://dreambigmoneyacademy.com/ BFG University: https://www.bfguniversity.com/ Gutsy Women Club: https://www.gutsywomen.club/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
