Chris shares the keys to winning a football national championship, why it's so important as a leader to have your financial house in order, and how to buy your houses and cars. Introduction: Hey everyone and welcome to the All-Star Leader Podcast, where together we learn about leadership from the best and brightest, and keep it fun by connecting it to our passion for sports! I’m your host Daniel Hare, and I am more than excited to bring you today’s guest. Chris Hogan is a financial coach, best-selling author, motivational speaker, a leader within Dave Ramsey’s organization Ramsey Solutions, and a former college football national champion. He released his first book in January of 2016 titled Retire Inspired: It’s Not an Age It’s a Financial Number. I looked just before this conversation and 19 months after the release the book it continues to rank #6 in its category on Amazon. This is Chris Hogan. Chris thanks so much for being with us! Interview Questions: First of all, Chris tell us a bit of your story. What was growing up like for you, and how did you find your way to playing football at Georgetown College? Grew up in big family; close-knit; competitive; lots of love/care/concern Pastor helped him find his college, which was close to home Loved the coaches and campus, and appreciated the smaller school You all won a national title during your time there, which is a remarkable accomplishment. What are two or three keys that made that team special and propelled you to that level of success? Starts with the leaders; phenomenal coaches (head coach to grad assistants) Everyone was on the same page Incredible culture of winning; looked for certain individuals with certain skills/mindsets/coachability Talent! Players who could have played at larger schools Appreciation from seniors to freshman of what they were trying to accomplish; everyone knew their value and role And now you’re writing bestsellers, headlining events alongside Dave Ramsey and others, and coaching everyone from young/struggling families to celebrities in their financial journeys…share with us how you got where you are today. Worked in banking and wealth management and became connected to a number of influential individuals Got to know Dave, which then led to the opportunity to join the team Trying to empower people that better is available, and give them a plan to achieve it Before we go any deeper into your financial teachings, I don’t want to lose my leadership purists. Can you speak to why it is so important for leaders to get their financial house in order? Also how the principles you teach apply to other areas of a leader’s life? Money permeates all areas; impacts your business, relationship with team members and how you do business You don’t want to be needy in business, where you begin to look at customers as transactions instead of relationships If you’re focused on relationships, you’re looking to serve customers. But if purely transactional, you’re just trying to push products. So if you’re healthy financially, you can stay focused on building people You’re not just running an organization or team, your job is to help build people and help them perform better in what they do. How would you describe your philosophy on money and finances? What are the key principles? Live on less than you make Have a plan for every dollar that comes in Your confidence will grow and you understand the path you’re on Be intentional; boss your money around and don’t let it control you Many people say they will wait until they make more money before they get serious; but they won’t. Your lifestyle will grow along with your income, and you’ll continue to spend more than you make. What does it mean when you say retirement is not an age but rather a financial number? As he was working as a financial coach with Dave, he kept hearing people talk about an age for retirement (65, 60, etc.) But he had met a 41-year-old who had worked and saved for 24 years and was set to retire; this was an epiphany that no, retirement isn’t an age, but instead the financial number needed to allow you to do exactly what you want to do. As Dave Ramsey outlines in his foreword to your book, the foundation for building toward retirement are the Baby Steps he has taught for years (disclaimer: going through Financial Peace University was required by my wife and I’s pre-marriage counselors!). Let’s highlight those real quick for those who aren’t familiar, and along the way please share why these steps are so important. Money fights are the number one cause of divorce; so we need this The baby steps are a clear road map for you to gain control of your money $1,000 emergency fund Pay off all debt with the debt snowball Save 3-6 months of expenses 10%-15% into retirement Save/pay for kids’ college Attack house Build wealth/give (Daniel – cannot out-Give God, and encourage others to give) As a Christian, resources aren’t mine and...
