The Financial Reality of Pro Snowboarding and How to Escape It w/ Stevie Bell
Release Date: 03/12/2026
High Income, No Tax Advantage: The Wealth Problem Pilots and High Earners Need to Solve w/ Ryan Gibson
Money School Elite
Most high-income W-2 earners eventually run into the same problem. Their income gets better, but their structure does not. Airline pilots are one of the clearest examples. They can earn exceptional money, receive strong retirement contributions, and build what looks like a very successful financial life on paper. But as the income grows, so does the constraint: almost all of it is active, highly taxable, and tied to a system that gives them very few levers to pull. And pilots are not the only ones facing this. Doctors, executives, engineers, senior tech employees, corporate leaders, and...
info_outline
How to Beat Big Capital at the Bitcoin Mining Game w/ Beau Turner
Money School Elite
Most investors assume there are only two practical ways to approach Bitcoin: buy it directly and accept the volatility, or avoid it because it does not fit the framework that built their wealth. But Bitcoin mining introduces a different conversation. For most people, mining sounds too technical, too operationally complex, or too institutional to be a serious investment strategy. Servers, power, cooling, maintenance, custody, and infrastructure all make it feel out of reach for anyone who does not want to become a full-time operator. Beau Turner has built a model that changes that. Through...
info_outline
Outgrowing Your Accountant: The Tax Problem Business Owners Miss w/ Boris Musheyev
Money School Elite
Most business owners do not realize they have outgrown their accountant until the tax bill becomes impossible to ignore. The person who helped you when the business was small may have been perfectly fine at that stage. But as revenue, profit, assets, investments, and complexity grow, tax preparation is no longer enough. At a certain point, the business does not just need someone to file the return. It needs real tax planning. In this episode of Money School Elite, I sit down with Boris Musheyev, a tax strategist who works with seven-figure and multi-seven-figure business owners, to talk about...
info_outline
Wholesaling Isn’t Just A Beginner Real Estate Strategy w/ Chris Logan
Money School Elite
Most investors think wholesaling is just the entry-level side of real estate. At the strategic level, the better conversation is about deal flow. Because in a market where seller motivation is rising, buyers are more selective, and many casual wholesalers have left the business, the opportunity is different from what it was a few years ago. The edge is not simply finding properties. It is knowing how to identify distress, control the contract, understand buyer demand, and move before the rest of the market sees the opportunity. That is where wholesaling becomes more interesting than most...
info_outline
The Difference Between Watching Stocks and Owning Businesses
Money School Elite
In today’s market, investors with real capital are facing a difficult problem. They do not want to be reckless. Equities feel expensive, private credit has shown signs of stress, rates remain elevated, and the usual recession signals have been flashing for longer than many expected. But they also do not want to hide in safety so long that they give up years of compounding. That is where the conversation around risk has to get more precise. The question is not simply whether to be in or out of the market. It is how to structure capital so you can stay rational, preserve optionality, and...
info_outline
The Tax Credit Hidden Inside Your Business Improvements w/ Derick Van Ness
Money School Elite
For many business owners, one of the biggest missed wealth opportunities may already be sitting inside the business. Technology upgrades, software implementation, equipment, and operational improvements. These are the kinds of investments owners are already making to grow, modernize, and stay competitive. But in many cases, they may not just be expenses or deductions. They may create R&D tax credits. A deduction lowers taxable income. A credit can reduce taxes dollar for dollar. For an owner with meaningful income, that is not a small accounting detail. It is capital that can stay inside...
info_outline
The Private Real Estate Reset Wealthy Investors Need to Understand w/ Michael Pouliot
Money School Elite
Most investors think real estate performance comes down to the asset. At the high-net-worth level, the more important conversation is often about control. Because a deal is not just a building, a market, or a projected return. It is an operating system. Who manages the property? Who controls leasing, maintenance, marketing, resident communication, and costs at the asset level? Who can make decisions quickly when the market tightens, and the assumptions in the original deck no longer hold? That is where real estate investing starts to look very different. A lot of investors were comfortable...
info_outline
The Private Equity Play Hidden Inside Franchising w/ Scott Jones
Money School Elite
Most people think franchising is about income replacement. At the high-net-worth level, the real conversation is about enterprise value. Because the operators who approach franchising seriously are not just trying to buy themselves a business. They are thinking about cash flow, unit economics, operational infrastructure, EBITDA growth, private equity demand, and whether the business can eventually become attractive to a larger buyer. And once you understand that, the way you evaluate franchising starts to change. Most franchise buyers don’t miss the opportunity because they fail to...
info_outline
Wealth Lessons From the Hilton Dynasty | Why Their Money Has Lasted So Long w/ Mark Miller
Money School Elite
Most investors think wealth preservation is about performance. At the high-net-worth level, the real conversation is about structure. Because the families that keep wealth across generations are not just trying to get better returns. They are thinking about education, tax strategy, access, capital protection, charitable planning, and the systems required to make wealth last beyond one person’s lifetime. And once you understand that, the way you evaluate wealth starts to change. Most successful investors don’t lose wealth because they have never learned how to make money. They lose it...
info_outline
What Wealthy People Do After the Obvious Tax Strategies Run Out w/ Michael Malloy
Money School Elite
If you think life insurance is about protection, you’ll miss what it can do at a high net worth level. For wealthy investors, business owners, and families with meaningful assets, the question is not just where to invest. It is where long-term capital should sit, how it should be owned, how it should grow, how private it should remain, and how efficiently it can move to the next generation. That is where Private Placement Life Insurance, or PPLI, changes the conversation. Most investors dismiss life insurance because they think they already understand it. They picture ordinary...
info_outlineEvery athlete knows the music will eventually stop. Whether you walk away on your terms, are forced out by injury, or have a contract that doesn’t get renewed, your career will inevitably end.
In leagues like the NFL, NBA, or MLB, that ending can still leave you financially set. You might walk away with generational money.
In action sports, that’s rarely the case. A pro snowboarder can start earning real money in their teens. They can travel the world, land major sponsors, build a name, and live what looks like a dream career. But very few retire with enough money to last a lifetime.
The earning window is short, the contracts are volatile, and the industry replaces you faster than you expect.
What should athletes be doing during their earning years to avoid starting over financially at 30?
Stevie Bell’s snowboarding career is nothing short of meteoric. Starting from riding the bus two hours a day to Brighton as a laser-focused teenager, then landing a breakout video part just two years into riding, he went from unknown kid to signing a life-changing contract with one of the most iconic brands in snowboarding.
From managing fear on handrails that could end a career, to navigating brand politics when Forum was shut down, to walking away from the sport and rebuilding his identity after the checks stopped coming. His story is a masterclass in how quickly momentum can build and how quickly it can disappear.
Stevie shares his career arc with me. We talk about how quickly money can scale, how quickly it can disappear, why most riders walk away with nothing, and how financial literacy becomes a competitive advantage when the career clock is ticking.
Things You’ll Learn In This Episode
The moment every career ends, and why most people aren’t ready- Whether it’s injury, burnout, or a contract that isn’t renewed, the music eventually stops. How do you prepare financially and psychologically for an ending you can’t control?
Fear as a strategic advantage- Top riders don’t eliminate fear; they manage it. What does calculated risk look like when the downside is career-ending, and how does that translate to business and investing?
The evolution of the industry- With airbags, Olympic pipelines, social media, and corporate sponsors, snowboarding has gone mainstream. Does more visibility actually mean more sustainable opportunity?
Win or build: the new income model- If salary-based sponsorship is shrinking, and only a few athletes win consistently, how should modern athletes think about brand, leverage, and long-term income beyond competition?
Guest Bio
Stevie Bell is a former professional snowboarder and industry veteran with over 25 years of experience in action sports. He built a 14-year professional career after breaking onto the scene with a breakout video part just two years into snowboarding, eventually signing with Forum, one of the most iconic brands in the sport’s history. During his tenure with Forum, Stevie traveled internationally filming video projects, participating in global tours, and contributing to one of the most influential eras in snowboard media. His career spanned major brand partnerships, long-term sponsorship contracts, and firsthand exposure to the evolving economics of action sports, from athlete compensation structures to the impact of corporate acquisitions and industry consolidation. After stepping away from professional competition, Stevie transitioned into entrepreneurship and content creation. He is currently the host of the Forum Chronicles podcast, where he documents the 20-year history of Forum and interviews key figures who shaped the brand and broader snowboard culture. To learn more or find out about the podcast, follow @steviebell801.
About Your Host
From pro-snowboarder to money mogul, Chris Naugle has dedicated his life to being America’s #1 Money Mentor. With a core belief that success is built not by the resources you have, but by how resourceful you can be. Chris has built and owned 19 companies, with his businesses being featured in Forbes, ABC, House Hunters, and his very own HGTV pilot in 2018. He is the founder of The Money School™ and Money Mentor for The Money Multiplier.
His success also includes managing tens of millions of dollars in assets in the financial services and advisory industry and in real estate transactions. As an innovator and visionary in wealth-building and real estate, he empowers entrepreneurs, business owners, and real estate investors with the knowledge of how money works.
Chris is also a nationally recognized speaker, author, and podcast host. He has spoken to and taught over ten thousand Americans, delivering the financial knowledge that fuels lasting freedom.
Resources
Private Money Guide: https://go.moneyschoolrei.com/book-podcast
Wealth Wednesday Webinar: https://go.moneyschoolrei.com/wednesday-webinar-podcast
Mapping out the Millionaire Mystery: https://go.moneyschoolrei.com/newbook-podcast