If you’re interested in financial independence or the FIRE movement and want to learn more, you cannot miss today’s episode with the Chief Economeist and Founder of the EconoMe Conference, Diania Merriam. To get more insight into why Diania decided to create this conference, we went back to the beginning. She walked us through her childhood and money models and told us all about the credit card debt and student loans she faced in her 20s and how she got serious and paid it all off in less than a year.
On the heels of that achievement, Diania decided she wanted to chase FIRE and live with more intention. That meant she designed the life she wanted to live by negotiating remote work and a 2-month leave of absence with her employer. During her 2-month break, she walked the Camino de Santiago (a 500-mile trek across northern Spain) and returned home to a new city (Cincinnati) to live her best life.
Diania also gave us a full rundown about her upcoming EconoMe Conference – the one-day event on March 7th, 2020 at the University of Cincinnati.
But, we didn’t stop there. We ended our time together with a friendly FIRE-y debate. Pun intended!
More about EconoMe:
The EconoMe Conference has roots in the FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) which is a lifestyle movement with the goal of financial freedom.
The event showcases 9 leading experts from the FIRE movement for a series of provocative talks, including:
• Jillian Johnsrud, of the popular blog Montana Money Adventures, became financially independent by 32 despite a moderate income and 5 children.
• Julien Saunders, known online as Mr. R&R, is co-founder of the award-winning blog, Rich and Regular. Alongside his wife, Kiersten, the couple combine their passion for money with their commitment to break the cycles of economic struggle and poverty that has hampered the African
American community.
• Natalie Torres-Haddad is a two-time TEDx Speaker, international award-winning author, and the bilingual podcast host of Financially Savvy in 20 minutes. Born in El Salvador and raised in Inglewood during the LA riots, she quickly understood that the lack of higher education and
financial illiteracy limits her community of basic human rights and equality in resources.
Attendees can expect 2 sessions of engaging speakers, a screening of the new documentary Playing with FIRE, networking with financially minded individuals, and a rockin’ after party at The Woodward Theater.
>>>10% Off General Admission with the Discount Code: madmoneymonster<<<
>>>10% Off General Admission with the Discount Code: madmoneymonster<<<
SHOW NOTES:
DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:
- The birth of the EconoMe Conference with Diania Merriam
- Diania’s background and how she negotiated 2 months off from work to walk the Camino in Spain
- Lifestyle design
- A FIRE-y Debate
NOTEWORTHY LINKS:
- EconoMe Conference Website
- EconoMe on Facebook
- EconoMe on Twitter
- How Embracing Contentment Is Making Me Happy, Healthy, And Wealthy
- PODCAST: What’s Wrong With Working For The Man
- 5 Things I Hate About The FIRE Movement
- PODCAST: 5 Things We Hate About The FIRE Movement
4 Comments
I absolutely loved this episode. Diana is a freaking rock star!! I will totally agree with you about some of the Fire movement bullcrap. I’m not going to spend this amount of money comment was right on point. Great job guys. I just found this blog and podcast today.
Welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the episode and found your way to the blog/podcast!
I enjoyed your show and share some of your concerns regarding FIRE. I think the problem is that the advice and lifestyle only apply to a niche group: people with high incomes who can save at crazy rates in part by having the will and ability to adopt extreme frugality, who are also goal oriented enough (or so miserable) that they can leave their current field for something else. Because the group is so niche and generally follows each other’s work, an echo chamber has emerged; I think that is where the cultishness comes in.
I’m a millennial but I guess I inherited from my old parents an attitude that you don’t have to and probably won’t love work, and that is okay. Most people I know don’t love their jobs but stick with them because they have to; no amount of frugality will negate their need for steady income. Obviously a person shouldn’t subject themselves or their family to any career that is toxic. But making a career change and calling it “retirement” because you like the work more and claim you don’t need the income it generates, is confusing for FIRE newcomers.
Lastly, if you then take the early retirement part out of the plan (because you still work, or your spouse does, or you accept the rhetoric that you’re “retired” but have a passion project that earns more than some people make in a year) you are left with nothing interesting to brand other than your wealth, which isn’t the point of FIRE, so people have to sell their lifestyle or philosophy instead. And they have to keep it vague so more people can find it relatable. A narrative of “pursue STEM, marry well, perhaps skip kids, and spend/live like a normal person” is good advice but not too sexy.
Like you, I’m not knocking the whole movement, but you can’t search Google looking for “frugal recipes” without finding FIRE today, and it can be a bizarre rabbit hole, indeed.
Wow! I could not have said that better myself. I made my husband read your comment too. We obviously agree with you wholeheartedly. Thanks for listening!