Growing Money with Sean Trace
Welcome to the Personal Finance and Entrepreneurship Podcast with your host, Sean Trace! In this podcast, we explore a range of topics related to personal finance, business, and entrepreneurship.With Sean as your guide, we dive into the world of personal finance and learn about how to manage and grow your money effectively. From saving for retirement to investing in the stock market, we cover everything you need to know to achieve financial freedom.In addition to personal finance, we also explore topics related to business and entrepreneurship. Whether you are a seasoned business owner or just starting out, this...
Money Is a Magnifier, Not a Fix | Jack Heintzelman | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with Jack Heintzelman, partner at Altara Wealth and board member of the Financial Planning Association.
We went way past budgets and spreadsheets into what money actually means to people, why couples avoid the money talk until it blows up their relationship, and why the $2M client and the $20M client are often losing sleep over the exact same fears.
Jack broke down why the most powerful financial habits are the boring ones, why compound interest beats chasing hot investments, and how one simple net worth statement can pul...
Why You Still Feel Behind Financially | Shannah Game | Growing Money with Sean Trace
In this episode of Growing Money, I sit down with Shannah Game to talk about the side of personal finance that spreadsheets can’t explain: our emotions, identity, habits, and deeply rooted beliefs about money. We explore why someone can have plenty of money and still feel financially unsafe, why so many of us constantly think, “I should be further ahead by now,” and how childhood experiences can continue shaping our financial decisions decades later.
We also talk about money guilt, emotional spending, defining what “enough” actually means, and why earning more isn’t always the answer. Shannah expl...
How to Protect Your Family Before a Financial Crisis | Robert Dillard | Growing Money with Sean Trace
In this episode, I sit down with Robert Dillard, an insurance and special needs planning specialist who works alongside financial planners, estate attorneys, and CPAs to help families protect what matters most.
Robert opens up about growing up in a broken, low-income household, living with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dysgraphia himself, and raising a nonverbal autistic son who requires round-the-clock care.
He shares the gut-wrenching story of his mother's term life policy lapsing just three days before she passed away, and how that moment shaped his entire career.
<...
If I Could Go Back, I’d Make These Money Decisions
What if you could go back 20 years and make better money decisions?
I ran into an old college friend while I was out filming at a winery, and our conversation got me thinking about Back to the Future, Hot Tub Time Machine, and one question that hits a lot harder as you get older: what would you actually change if you could go back?
I wouldn’t want to rewrite my life. I love my wife, my daughter, and the journey that got me here. But financially? There are absolutely de...
The Truth About Generational Wealth and Legacy | George Burnette | Growing Money with Sean Trace
In this episode, I sit down with George Burnett, Director of Philanthropic Consulting and Wealth at Callan Family Office, to talk about what happens after you build wealth and why the hardest part often has nothing to do with investment returns.
We get into generational wealth, estate planning, wealth transfer, philanthropy, family communication, and the money anxiety that can exist at every level of financial success. George explains why families can spend decades accumulating wealth but wait until the last minute to plan what happens next, and why communication may matter even more than the legal documents t...
Why More Money Never Feels Like Enough | Matthew Nelson | Growing Money with Sean Trace
In this episode of Growing Money with Sean Trace, I sit down with Matthew Nelson of Perspective 6 Wealth Advisors to talk about something that gets lost in most conversations about financial success: what does “enough” actually look like? Matthew works with business owners, executives, and people with equity compensation, and we dig into why a high income doesn’t automatically create financial freedom.
We explore the psychology of money, why successful entrepreneurs keep chasing the next milestone, the danger of spreading your time and money across too many opportunities, and why focusing on one meaningful goal can actual...
Why Income and Financial Confidence Aren't the Same | Robyn E. Jameson | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with certified financial planner Robyn Jameson, who's spent 24 years helping successful families build real wealth.
Robyn breaks down why so many high earners still feel financially anxious, and the answer isn't about income at all, it's about clarity.
We talk about concentration risk hiding inside portfolios that people assume are diversified, the danger of comparing our everyday lives to everyone else's highlight reel, and why the biggest financial mistakes aren't dramatic, they're small decisions repeated for years.
What's one financial habit you wish you...
The Truth About Business Loans and Cash Flow | Snohomish Brown | Growing Money with Sean Trace
Being busy doesn’t automatically mean your business is making money.
In this episode of Growing Money with Sean Trace, I sit down with Dr. Snohomish Brown, senior business advisor with Rock Financial and a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine, to break down what business owners really need to understand about cash flow, business funding, debt, and financial health. We talk about why profitable businesses can still run out of cash, why the best time to explore business financing is often before you desperately need it, and how working capital, lines of credit, SBA loans, equipment fin...
What Clarity Before Crisis Actually Means | Ben Bolen | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with wealth management expert and author Ben Bolen who wrote Clarity Before Crisis after watching families fall apart, not because of money, but because nobody talked before a crisis hit.
We dug into why kids struggle to ask their parents the tough questions, why grief changes how we think, and why an estate can be technically "in order" while the family behind it is falling apart.
Ben shared personal stories from his own family and his time as a combat veteran, and broke down the four-step conversation ev...
Why I Keep An Emergency Cash Fund In My Wallet | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I have a bad habit with cash: if it’s in my wallet, I tend to spend it.
But not carrying cash has created its own problems — especially when something unexpected comes up and suddenly cash is the only option.
So this week, I’m trying a simple experiment: Emergency Wallet Cash.
I keep a fixed amount of cash in my wallet, but mentally treat it as money that has already been spent. It isn’t available for coffee, snacks, random purchases, or anything else. It’s there only for those annoying l...
How To Find Your Financial North Star | Otto Rivera | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with Otto Rivera, a certified financial planner who built his entire career out of loss.
He lost his mother at 18 after his father's terminal diagnosis, dropped out of college, worked forklift jobs and kitchen shifts to support his 3 younger brothers, and eventually found his way back to school and into finance at General Electric, before launching his own practice, Mindful Wealth Planning.
We talk about faith, isolation, and why community is the antidote to almost every hard season in life.
We also get int...
What My Rescue Puppy Taught Me About Money Trauma | Growing Money with Sean Trace
Nai came into our lives scared, nervous, and unsure if she was safe.
Now she is one of the most loving little dogs you could imagine.
That transformation got me thinking about money.
A lot of us carry financial fear from things that happened years ago. Maybe it was growing up without enough, losing money, getting into debt, or simply never feeling financially secure.
And even when life gets better, that fear can stick around.
In this episode of Growing Money, I talk about Nai, what it took for...
Why Debt-Free People Still Feel Guilty Spending | Justin Bennett | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sit down with Justin Bennett, owner of Strong Tower Consulting and author of Level Up Your Finances, to unpack why so many of us feel broke even when we're earning more than ever.
We dig into the real reason budgets fail, why a budget is really just a glorified shopping list, and how tracking every small purchase reveals the death by a thousand cuts that quietly drains bank accounts.
Justin also opens up about the shame so many people feel around money and why courage, not perfection, is what ac...
Why Rich People Still Feel Like Impostors | DonJay Rice FBS® | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with DonJay Rice, a financial behavior specialist who spent 28 years as a financial advisor before dedicating his career entirely to the emotional and psychological side of money.
We dig into why so many of us carry hidden money beliefs formed in childhood, why budgeting classes fail nine out of ten people, and why knowledge alone never changes behavior.
Donjay breaks down the three money personalities: distant, domineering, and dutiful and explains how our subconscious hijacks our decisions the moment we feel unsafe.
We tal...
Redefining What Wealth Means | Danielle Frazier | Growing Money with Sean Trace
In this episode of Growing Money with Sean Trace, I sit down with Certified Financial Planner Danielle Frazier to explore what financial success actually looks like beyond expensive cars, luxury purchases, and the version of wealth we constantly see on social media.
Danielle brings more than 20 years of experience in financial services, along with a background in psychology, which makes this conversation less about numbers and more about our relationship with money. We talk about financial peace, lifestyle creep, instant gratification, saving consistently, and why having more money doesn’t automatically create happiness.
We also di...
Is Your Budget Setting You Up to Fail? | Kelsa Dickey | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sit down with financial coach Kelsa Dickey to unpack why so many smart, disciplined people still struggle with money.
I learn that traditional budgeting fails 80% of people, not because they lack willpower, but because the whole system is built backward, obsessively tracking what we already spent instead of planning for what's coming.
Kelsa walks me through her three-movement framework, spend fixed, spend future, and spend freely, and shows me how mapping paychecks forward instead of reviewing them backward eliminates guilt, decision fatigue, and the constant feeling of being two s...
Why 78% of People Are One Paycheck From Crisis | Scott Miller | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with Scott Miller, a financial outcome coach who spent nearly a decade climbing out of tens of thousands of dollars in consumer debt after losing his job in 2008.
Scott breaks down the real difference between a financial coach and a financial advisor, why "awareness is curative" might be the three most important words you ever hear about your finances, and how tracking your spending, not cutting coupons or chasing a perfect FICO score, is the single habit that changes everything.
We talk about lifestyle inflation, the shame th...
Success Isn’t What You Think | Mike Kelly | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with Mike Kelly, CFP®, founder of Kelly Financial Planning and Right Path Enterprises, for a conversation that went far beyond investing, retirement, or how much money you need to be successful. We talked about why so many people spend years climbing a ladder they never consciously chose, chasing money, status, recognition, and success without stopping to define what they actually want from life.
Mike shared how working 16 to 18-hour days, neglecting his health and relationships, and eventually reaching a breaking point forced him to reconsider what success really meant. We explore life planning, finding y...
Why Smart Kids Still Get Trapped in Debt | Wally Luckeydoo | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with Dr. Wally T. Luckeydoo, a high school personal finance teacher in Smyrna, Tennessee, for a conversation that hit way closer to home than I expected.
We got into why money is still one of the most taboo topics in American households, even though it touches literally every part of our lives.
Wally shared his own story of ending up trapped in student loan debt because no one ever told him trade school was an option. We talked about why kids form money habits way earlier than we...
The Hidden Psychology That's Keeping You Broke | Vered Frank | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with Vered Frank, certified financial planner and founder of Stack Wealth, and we got into why so many people who make good money still feel completely stressed out about it.
Vered breaks down why having an actual financial plan can boost your confidence by over 80%, versus just 40% for those winging it, and it's not about how much you earn.
We talk about the shame that keeps people from even looking at their bank accounts, and why she tells her own clients to use AI tools like Claude to...
Risk On Early | Hayden Ess | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with Hayden Ess, a wealth management expert with deep experience in annuities, advisor transitions, and financial planning, to unpack why so many of us feel lost when it comes to money.
Hayden breaks down why financial advisors are becoming less like number-crunchers and more like life coaches, and why fee transparency should be the baseline, not the exception.
We dig into why young people are more comfortable day trading than actually investing for the long haul, and why that's backwards. We also talk about his work with Fid...
Trust Beats Expertise | Joshua I Wilson | Growing Money Podcast
In this episode of Growing Money, I sit down with Dr. Joshua Wilson to explore the psychology behind money, trust, marketing, and business decisions. Joshua explains why expertise, credentials, and technical knowledge are not enough to earn someone’s trust. Before people evaluate your financial plan, service, or business offer, their brains are already deciding whether they feel safe, understood, and comfortable with you.
We discuss neurobehavioral finance, emotional decision-making, financial anxiety, and why people often feel first and justify their choices later. Joshua also reveals why successful entrepreneurs and high earners can remain deeply insecure even af...
Views Start Here | Brandon Keys | Full Battery Media
I sat down with Brandon Keys, founder of Green Candle Media and YouTube growth strategist, to break down why so many great videos never get the views they deserve, and what it actually takes to build momentum on YouTube from scratch.
Brandon has helped founders, real estate developers, and niche creators go from a few hundred views to tens of thousands, and in this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on everything.
We talk about why title and thumbnail will always outperform content quality, how a single packaging change took one of his old podcast ep...
Your Health Bank Is Leaking | Stevyn Guinnip | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with Stevyn Guinnip, a health coach who works exclusively with financially minded people, and this conversation completely reframed how I think about wealth.
Stevyn treats health like a financial asset, using money language to explain biology: abdominal fat as high-interest debt, muscle as a currency you spend down after forty, stress as a tax bracket quietly eroding your reserves.
We talk about her own near-death experience with sepsis, the four-part framework she calls Mind, Mend, Meals, and Move, and why muscle loss after thirty might be the m...
Fear Runs Your Wallet | Joy Slabaugh | Growing Money with Sean Trace
Money is never just money - and this episode of Growing Money proves it.
I sat down with Joy Slabaugh, a CFP turned licensed trauma counselor, who's spent her career at the exact intersection of finance and emotional healing.
Joy walked me through why our anxiety around money almost always traces back to three deep human needs: safety, freedom, or connection.
We got into the "eating cat food alone" fear that shows up again and again in her sessions with wealthy clients, why financial advisors are rar...
Stop Gambling Wealth | Brian Wagman | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with Brian Wagman, a public equities investor and Bentley University grad, to break down what actually builds wealth versus what just feels exciting.
We get into why dollar cost averaging beats chasing meme stocks and crypto hype, how social media and 24/7 market news have made investing more emotional than ever, and why fear and greed are both equally dangerous depending on who you are.
Brian shares why most people approach investing more like gambling with better vocabulary, how to size risk relative to your own financial situation, an...
Skip The Debt Trap | Robert Farrington | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with Robert Farrington, founder of The College Investor, and we went deep on something no one is being truly honest about: the real cost of a college degree.
Robert has spent nearly 20 years breaking down the intersection of education and money, and the clarity he brings to this conversation is something every student, parent, and young professional needs to hear.
We talked about why federal student loans are actually some of the most flexible debt available, yet most borrowers don't even know what options they have.
<...Luxury Trips, Tiny Price | Brandon Okamoto | Growing Money Podcast
In this episode of Growing Money with Sean Trace, I sit down with credit card points consultant and travel concierge Brandon Okamoto to uncover how everyday spending can unlock unforgettable travel experiences. Brandon began studying credit cards and travel rewards at just 15 years old, eventually learning how to book international flights and luxury vacations for a fraction of their normal cost.
We discuss why earning points should never mean spending more money, how business owners may be leaving thousands of dollars in travel value unused, and why choosing the most popular premium credit card is not always...
Is Your Advisor Biased? | Thomas J. Manetta | Growing Money with Sean Trace
In this episode of Growing Money with Sean Trace, I sit down with Thomas Manetta, a 35-year wealth management veteran and independent firm owner based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Thomas pulls back the curtain on something most financial advisors won't admit - for decades, the industry was built on information asymmetry, incentive misalignment, and selling products that served the firm, not the client.
We get into why money feels so overwhelming for most families, how AI is reshaping financial services from the inside out, and what Thomas calls hi...
Smart People Lose Money | Daniel M. Kopp | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with Daniel Kopp, CFP and founder of Wise Stewardship Financial Planning, for one of the most honest conversations I've had on this show about what financial planning actually means.
Daniel specializes in two groups that most advisors overlook - active duty military families and young widows, and the way he approaches both completely reframes how I think about money.
We talked about why grief and financial anxiety are so deeply intertwined, how to slow down decision-making in the middle of a life crisis, and why the biggest f...
Your Enough Number | Ohan Kayikchyan | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with Ohan Kayikchyan, Ph.D., founder and Chief Harmony Officer of Alohana Financial, for a conversation about money, meaning, purpose, and why so many people can look financially successful on paper but still feel burned out, stressed, or empty inside.
Ohan brings a unique perspective as a CFP professional, Ph.D. in economics, enrolled agent, and registered life planner, but what stood out most to me was how deeply he connects money back to life itself. We talked about why money should be treated as a tool, not the finish line, a...
Money Plays Tricks | Dan Allison | Growing Money with Sean Trace
In this episode of Growing Money with Sean Trace, I sit down with Dan Allison, a 22-year veteran consultant in the wealth management space with a background in clinical and behavioral psychology, to unpack why our relationship with money is rarely about logic.
Dan opens up about selling his first company in his 20s for 8 figures, then buying Maseratis and a Range Rover chasing validation he didn't even realize he needed, and how recognizing that pattern changed everything.
We dig into the psychology of referrals, why most financial advisors are st...
Money Needs Grace | Linda Grizely | Growing Money With Sean Trace
In this episode of Growing Money with Sean Trace, I sit down with Linda Grizely, a certified financial planner and financial wellness speaker, to talk about why money feels so emotional, confusing, and sometimes intimidating for so many people.
We get into how our childhood money stories shape the way we spend, save, avoid, and judge ourselves financially. Linda breaks down why traditional financial advice can feel too rigid, especially when it ignores personality, habits, shame, and real life. I loved her idea of financial confidence because it is not about being rich or perfect. It is a...
Born Into Broke | Alina Paula Burlacu | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with financial coach, educator, and mentor Alina Paula Burlacu for one of the most honest conversations I've had about money.
We dove deep into why so many of us feel trapped by our finances, not because we lack knowledge, but because we're carrying emotional baggage we never even knew we picked up.
Alina breaks down how money stress shows up quietly, in the unopened bills, the low-level anxiety, the constant mental math running in the background, and how those old childhood money scripts like "people like us do...
Money Feels Personal | Nathan Astle | Growing Money with Sean Trace
In this episode of Growing Money with Sean Trace, I sit down with Nathan Astle, a certified financial therapist, to talk about why money is never just about numbers.
We get into financial anxiety, money trauma, shame, overspending, couples fighting about money, and the emotional patterns that quietly shape the way we save, spend, avoid, or obsess over money. Nathan shares why so many people use financial solutions for emotional problems, and how our childhood money memories can become the beliefs we carry into adulthood. This conversation made me look a...
Money Isn’t Math | Charles "Chuck" Failla | Growing Money with Sean Trace
I sat down with Chuck Failla, CFP and founder of Sovereign Financial Group, for one of the most honest conversations I've had on this show about what it really means to trust someone with your money.
Chuck has spent 30 years in financial services, from cold-calling stockbroker to fully independent RIA, and the insight he brings is the kind you can only earn through experience.
We get into why financial advisors are the only professionals in the four major advice pillars who aren't required to act as fiduciaries, and why that s...
Rich People Build Teams. Broke People Go Alone. | The Sean Trace Show
One of the biggest myths in personal finance is that successful people do everything themselves.
They don't.
Athletes have coaches. Businesses have teams. Wealthy people have advisors, mentors, accountants, attorneys, and communities that help them make better decisions.
In this episode, I explore why trying to do everything alone keeps people stuck, how to build your own financial team, and why your network may be one of the most valuable assets you'll ever have.
Because wealth isn't a solo mission.
The people around you can change everything.
...
Women, Wealth, And Power | Cary Carbonaro | Growing Money Podcast
In this episode of Growing Money with Sean Trace, I sit down with Cary Carbonaro, CFP®, MBA, a women and wealth expert who has spent 25 years helping women understand money, investing, financial planning, and long-term wealth building.
This conversation hit me hard as a father, because so much of what Cary shares is about preparing the next generation of women to own their financial future with confidence. We talk about the great wealth transfer, why women are expected to control a massive share of wealth in the coming years, and why the financial industry still has not fu...
Specialists Are Cooked | Dr. Angela C. Meyers | Growing Money with Sean Trace
In this episode of Growing Money with Sean Trace, I sit down with Dr. Angela C. Meyers to talk about one of the biggest shifts happening in work, money, and identity right now: the rise of AI and the return of the modern polymath.
For years, people have been told to niche down, specialize, and become an expert in one narrow lane. But in a world where AI is automating specialized tasks faster than ever, that advice may be starting to fail people. Dr. Angela breaks down why adaptability, curiosity, e...
More Money Some Problems | The Sean Trace Show
We've all heard the phrase: more money, more problems.
But that's not entirely true.
Money can solve a lot of problems. It can reduce stress, create opportunities, provide security, and give you options. The real challenge is that money doesn't eliminate problems—it changes them.
In this episode, I talk about happiness, lifestyle inflation, responsibility, relationships, the fear of losing what you've built, and why defining "enough" may be one of the most important financial skills you'll ever develop.
Because the goal isn't simply more money.
The goal is bu...
