How to Build a Social Media Following That Supports Your Business
MILMO Show
Social media can create opportunities to make money, grow a business, and build a personal brand, but that doesn’t mean you need a massive following or should start chasing brand deals right away. In fact, sometimes focusing too much on monetizing can get in the way of building the trust and community that make those opportunities possible in the first place. In this episode, Kendall Mariah and I talk about how she built her social media following, what she thinks people get wrong about becoming a content creator, and how to know when you’re actually ready for brand deals. We also get into...
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How Financial Independence Gives You More Career Options
MILMO Show
Sometimes the goal of saving and investing isn’t just to have more money later. It’s to give yourself more choices along the way like leaving the military when you want, taking work sabbaticals, changing careers, or focusing on your health and your family. In this episode, David Robinson and I talk about financial independence, mini retirements, and how to know when you may have enough financial flexibility to make a change. We also get into one of the biggest concerns around leaving the military or stepping away from traditional employment, healthcare. David is a former Navy submariner...
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How to Make Smarter Money Decisions
MILMO Show
We have more financial information available to us than ever before, yet knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things. And with so much attention on financial independence and retiring early, better known as F.I.R.E., it's worth talking about what financial freedom really means and what it takes to get there. In this episode, Paula Pant and I talk about what sparked her own financial journey, why people struggle to make good financial decisions, what people get right and wrong about F.I.R.E., and the everyday actions that can help us build financial success. We also have a...
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What Kids Need to Know About Money Before Adulthood
MILMO Show
There’s a big difference between knowing what an interest rate is and knowing what to do when someone puts a credit card application in front of you. The same goes for budgeting, investing, choosing a career, or deciding whether you can really afford something. In this episode, Serenity Coats and I talk about what financial literacy should actually look like for young people, where schools may be falling short, and how parents, educators, and communities can help kids build real-world money skills. We also get into teaching kids about spending, investing, career choices, and extracurricular...
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I Handed Over the Mic for My Birthday
MILMO Show
It’s my birthday episode, so I handed the microphone over to my longtime friend and fellow podcaster Joe Crane, host of Veteran On the Move, and let him interview me. Joe and I have known each other for years through podcasting, entrepreneurship, and the military community, so he came prepared with questions. We talk about what I’m cheap about (and didn’t realize), what I’m willing to spend money on, how entrepreneurship has changed the way I think about money, and some of the patterns I’ve noticed after more than 400 episodes of this show. Joe is taking over the MILMO Show, and...
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How an Army Veteran Became a Chick-fil-A Operator
MILMO Show
Leaving the military doesn’t always go according to plan. You may think you know what your next career will look like, only to have an opportunity, a setback, or a major life change send you in a completely different direction. In this episode, I talk with Army veteran and Chick-fil-A Operator Jon Harmeling about his unexpected path out of the military, the five-year process that eventually led him to running a restaurant, and what he has learned about leading a civilian team. We also talk about how he is using AI to take repetitive administrative work off his plate, freeing up time to focus...
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What Happens When You Are Medically Retired From the Military
MILMO Show
Going through a medical board can be confusing, and it’s happening at a time when you may already be dealing with health issues and an unexpected change to your military career. On top of that, there are two disability ratings, different rules for medical retirement versus medical separation, and benefits that can depend on the details of your situation. In this episode, Heather Walrath and I talk about the Integrated Disability Evaluation System, how the VA and DoD ratings work, and what the difference between medical retirement and medical separation can mean for your pay, health care, and...
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Who’s Really Managing Your Money
MILMO Show
There are more tools, apps, services, advisors, and now AI options than ever before that can help you manage your money. On the surface, that sounds great. The problem is that all the convenience can make it easy to become disconnected from your own finances and start relying on someone or something else to manage your money for you. That matters because even if you’re paying for help, using a free military resource, or letting technology handle part of the work, you’re still responsible for what happens with your money. You own the outcome. If you’re not paying attention, asking...
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Are You Spending to Be the Fun Parent?
MILMO Show
There are some expenses that are really easy to question. You look at the charge and think, why did I spend money on that? But spending money on your kids is different. It's easy to justify because you're doing something for them. You want them to be happy and have what they need. You don't want them to feel left out. Sometimes, you just want to say yes and be the fun parent. But all those yeses can add up. In this episode, I want to talk about finding the balance between spending money on things that make your kids happy and protecting the financial priorities that take care of your entire...
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How to Find Military and Veteran Benefits You Qualify For
MILMO Show
Military and veteran benefits can have a major impact on your finances, but finding them is not always easy. The information is spread across federal agencies, states, counties, and different programs, which means you may qualify for something without ever realizing it exists. In this episode, Jackson Jerdee and I talk about why he created Benefitry, an app designed to help members of the military community identify benefits they may qualify for. We also discuss some of the benefits people commonly overlook, how the app keeps track of changing information, and why even longtime veterans may...
info_outlineThere’s a big difference between knowing what an interest rate is and knowing what to do when someone puts a credit card application in front of you. The same goes for budgeting, investing, choosing a career, or deciding whether you can really afford something.
In this episode, Serenity Coats and I talk about what financial literacy should actually look like for young people, where schools may be falling short, and how parents, educators, and communities can help kids build real-world money skills. We also get into teaching kids about spending, investing, career choices, and extracurricular costs.
Serenity is an Accredited Financial Counselor and National Certified Counselor with more than two decades of experience in education, counseling, military family advocacy, and training. Her work has focused heavily on helping students and military families get the support and education they need to succeed.
For more information, visit the full show notes at https://milmo.co/podcast/what-kids-need-to-know-about-money