Episode 16

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Published on:

13th May 2024

194: Shane Davis on Cultivating a Culture of Finance - Lessons in Intentional Living and Financial Literacy

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Last Updated: September 2, 2024

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194: Shane Davis on Cultivating a Culture of Finance - Lessons in Intentional Living and Financial Literacy

Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mof6jXbGixE

What role does financial literacy play in your personal growth and family dynamics? Shane Davis, the Founder and CEO of Culture of Finance, believes that understanding economics and finance is crucial in life as it reflects one's culture and values.

Shane shares the importance of teaching kids about finance in a way that prepares them for the digital world and the new financial systems. He shares his unique teaching style and his experiences working with the homeschool community, including his son's journey in financial literacy. From early lessons in economics to creating engaging financial education tools, listeners can learn about the power of intentional living and the transformative impact of financial education!

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Transcript

Jen Amos 0:00

All right. Hey, everyone. Welcome back to another episode here at holding on the courts. I am really excited to be speaking today with Shane Davis, who is the lead instructor for culture of finance. Shane, welcome to the show. Thanks for having me. Yeah. So for people that are getting to know you for the first time, like me, first question I always like to ask is give us a quick snapshot of your life? What does it look like? I already have an idea. I kind of hinted at it offline. But I want you to tell us, I want you to tell our audience what your life looks like right now.

Shane Davis 0:29

Cool. Cool. So I'm a husband, father of four, three boys, one girl, homeschool parents are two kids. That's well, that's it. Yeah. And founder and CEO of a company.

Jen Amos 0:42

No big deal, no big deal. Well, first and foremost, I'm so fascinated by you being a stay at home, or not stay at home, but like a homeschooling parent, of two kids, and being a present father, and part of where I come from is, you know, my dad was in the military. And he was gone all the time, because of deployments and all that, and I respect the service. And you know, hence, this is why I do this show, because I always want to honor the sacrifice that goes to serving our country. And so to hear your story or to hear the initial start of your story here, tell us a little bit about what it's like to what homeschooling means for you. Because coming from public education myself, I definitely can see a difference between people who went to public education like myself versus homeschool kids. So tell me, what is it? What is it for you to like, have this opportunity to homeschool your kids? You know,

Shane Davis 1:31

the first thing that comes to mind, if I think about it, if I do, like sum it up a one word, intention, we are very intentional about everything that they learn their experiences, their network, who they who they are around, just intention, you know, it's kind of been a theme that's played out over the past years for us. To me, we're still new. Now we got into homeschooling, you know, right around COVID. So you know what? Yeah, so far. But yeah, that's been our journey. So far. Just lots of bumps, lots of bruises, you know, but yeah, we're seeing the results. And it's really, yeah,

Jen Amos 2:11

I think you're you're definitely not the first person who's told me that they started to homeschool during COVID. And I think from what I've heard, when, you know, not to knock on public education, because I did go through it. So I can I can say these things. But I remember some parents had mentioned to me that they started to, I guess, witness how their kids were taught in school via zoom. And they realized that their kids needed a different kind of attention, and therefore, they switched to homeschooling. So do you feel like you had a similar experience with that? Yeah,

Shane Davis 2:41

my son was born. He was bored. I mean, bored out of his mind, ya know, there's talking about things. And he sacrificed he covered this, you know, it's, it was just an opportunity to see what was probably happening in the school. Right, you know, there's a homeschooling, you can't really have it. You know, like, if you're not paying attention. Well, you got mom and dad to put you on the right track, right. So it's just paying attention, being able to see what's happening and adjusting, you know, making those those small adjustments to whether it's, Hey, let's let's go outside for a little bit. You know, let's go for a walk to the park. Last yesterday, the kids it was raining, the kids were out jumping in puddles. You know, that was that was the thing, they wanted to jump in punk. So I love it. You know, we look at that as a part of the homeschooling experience. There's a lesson to be learned and everything. So that's that's the approach we take. Yeah,

Jen Amos 3:39

I love that. And I do love the word that you used earlier intention. And I think that if my parents were so fortunate to have had the time and resources to homeschool, I feel like they would have I think I would have been a lot better being homeschooled, honestly, because my lifestyle today is very much built around, like what works best for me. But it took me a long time to give myself permission to say this is how I learn. Like, for example, I'm more of an auditory learner. So if you give me a textbook, I just can't like, like, this is my podcast, you know, because I learned through conversation, and through you know, even with audiobooks, and all that. But in school, you know, you get you get these thick textbooks. And I probably highlight the same line a number of times in different colors, and I still won't get it. But if you have a conversation with me about something I can learn and so I just think it's a beautiful thing to you know, come across parents such as yourself that are so fortunate and have the means to homeschool because I think it does make a difference. Not saying that, you know the kids are better than public school, public education kids. It's just different. You know, I noticed that there's like you said there's more intentionality. It seems that the kids grow up to be more intentional. Like I think about my friends at church, for example, like a lot of them had been homeschooled, the more intentional they're attentive, they give you undivided attention to give you eye contact. And I just I'm just so fascinated by that, you know, so anyway, I just wanted to press On that, just because it's amazing for one for you to be in a position to homeschool your kids and let alone, you know being a very present father, I personally believe that's going to make such an impact on them. Thank you. Yeah, my pleasure. Well, you hinted a little bit about your son. And I wanted to ask about, I wonder if this is the son that got into finance, like you. And so tell me the story of how you got into finance. And when you're when your son noticed your interest in finance, and got into it as well. Oh, boy.

Shane Davis 5:29

Wow, when I started. You know, it's been a lifelong journey, I'd say, a lifelong journey been tested to find, you know, some of the things you learn as you grow a lot of great examples, so many great examples. My grandfather, and my uncle, my uncle bought me my first investment book, man Buffett's books. Wow, you know, I just absorbed it. I think it was in my early teens, you know, there were times in life where I had these moments where I was, I was learning, you know, learning about financing, and just about, you know, economics in general. First, big one for me was economics course, I took a course on economics, you know, mentioned our undergrad, you know, me too, I am a undergrad student. And I failed. I failed. I didn't know what was going on. You know, I'm opening the book, kind of like you like opening the book reading thinking. Okay, so this is what, and then I'm hearing and what I'm hearing and what I'm reading that totally different things. Yeah, yeah, I'm lost. I'm confused to the class, I drove two hours one way to get to class, some tired, it's an evening class. Uh, you know, and this is a couple of years after being in service. And so, you know, there were so many issues going on medical, mental health, you know, just didn't understand what was, and I failed that course. That course, ultimately, was the course that put me on academic probation. And it was a big hit. For me, it was a huge hit. And so eventually, I, you know, dust myself off and went back to school, this town Community College, and I took an economics course, and the teacher that I had brought everything to life, I could understand the information. It just, it was real to me. And I had so many questions, and she gave me space to actually speak, you know, in other courses, the I grew up in public schools, well, you know, the mindset of Sit down, sit in your seat, raise your hand when you need to that kind of that kind of space. My head was always going up. It was always going up in this class, and she would answer my questions. And it got to the point where it was like, you know, oh, you're straining again with it with another question. But I left that class, loving economics, absolutely loving it took another one of her classes didn't even need to check another one. Because if they want to, you know, this is great, like, I love and that was the change. For me. That was the change, I couldn't get enough of it, wanted to learn more understanding how economics plays into life. And ultimately, I realized, okay, you know, the moments is your culture, it's your culture, where you spend your money really speaks a lot about who you are, and you know, what's important to you in your life, then, that was, that was a big change for me. And so my son, you know, you said, you got to see all of this, you know, growing up young watching me study and talking, we'd have all these great conversations about finance, not so sure how, you know how much he enjoyed it at the time, right? You know, six year old listening to that talk about investment strategies, you know, budgeting, but we made a game, I made a game out of it, I created some finance cards and go through and he just watched him get it, he would just absorb it would have these great conversations that you ended up being an hour long, and he's just sucking it all in, you know, I was able to bring it to life by my teacher did for for me. And so he said, Well, Dad, can I get involved in this? Like, can I can I do? I'm not sure of course, you can do it, let's do it. No, you know, opened up a brokerage account for him. You know,

Jen Amos 9:24

how old was he when you open up a brokerage account?

Shane Davis 9:26

They keep was nice.

Jen Amos 9:28

Awesome. That's amazing. It

Shane Davis 9:30

was not. And so we, you know, we would sound like oh, well, you're an investor. Now you gotta listen to the investor calls. You got to know what you're getting into. So at nine, you know, here we are sitting at the dinner table, listening to Tesla earnings calls, you know, and I radio nerding out about all this music is interesting. Yeah. You know, as you know, at the dinner table about music and, you know, listening to Elon Musk and all those crazy antics, you know, it just it became, it became a part Word of our home, you know, became something we did. And my friends and family. So, you know, they thought this was the craziest thing. This is amazing, you know, and they will come to me and say, Hey, can you talk to our kids? Can you talk to our kids? And that that was really the start? That was the step for us. Yeah, I

Jen Amos:

guess I'm just taken by your story. And you talk about how you failed like economics in school. And it reminds me of when I went to school I majored in I first majored in psychology. And I remember I took my first psychology 101 class. And it was like, at the time, it was like a hybrid class, it was a first hybrid class, they were testing, I was like, neat half in person and half online. And in the end, it was a first class I ever got an F in my, at the end of my freshman year, I was also an academic probation. But then on, I've always had a fascination of psychology, and primarily just understanding people. So I feel like that has shown up in like different ways. But I really love how, you know, you gave yourself a second chance, you know, go to community college, like learn economics from a different teacher, and it just comes to show that who you learn from really makes all the difference, you know, and it's great to hear that that teacher really brought economics alive, you know, for you, and I really love hearing, I love your take on culture of finance, because you're right, I think you can tell a lot of like, who people are based on where they spend their money. And also with your company name cultural finance, I know that culture is an acronym. Would you like to like to break that down for us? Oh, my

Shane Davis:

gosh, no, put me on the spot. Okay.

Jen Amos:

I have it in front of me if you want me to read it to you.

Shane Davis:

Okay, I have a little bit. I do have my wife's so Oh, culture since last year. And so understanding long term thinking for universal responsibility, economic matters. And in each section, there's we break down. What does that mean? Right? Okay, so the acronym, I won't say it again. But each each element talks goes through an overview, right? What when, when I think of the word comprehensive and finance, you know, try Mitchell literacy is comprehensive. It covers budgeting, saving, investing, debt management, and there's so many other elements. And so, you know, cultural finance, we believe in a holistic approach. And we take into consideration all of these different factors

Jen Amos:

gap, I really liked that. Because, again, when I think of finance, it's funny because like, my husband, and I work in Finance in a in a different niche. And I just think that for the average person, including me, despite working in finance, or working in the marketing side of finance, I often think that finance is dry. It's like you just think numbers. And so tell me about how you bring it to life, like how you how you made it fun for you and your son. And then of course, that causes a ripple effect to everyone else that knows you and wanted to just save their kids. So tell me about that.

Shane Davis:

Oh, wow. Okay, yes, finance is really dry. I will admit, I will hole I'm not special. Finance can be really, really dry. But for me, it's seeing how the joy of the connections that come out of fun, right? So money is everywhere. Money is everywhere. It's involved in so many things. You can't do anything in this world without money. Oh, yeah. Well, money is a form of a relationship. When you you know, spend time somewhere, you get a bottle of water or something like that, because you didn't bring it, you really stop and think about where am I going to get it from? Some people do? Some people do? Some people don't? Right? You say there's a storm, you know, and maybe that connoisseur charges you a little bit more than how much do you have? How much money do you have? How long does it take you to make that, you know, understanding that? Okay, well, where I go, what I do, and how much time I spend, if I really stop and think about that, I can create some cool new avenues that give me more time back. Yeah. And time back. It's free. Time back is free. You know, for kids time back could be a that means I get to spend more time playing games, that that's what that means. Right? That means more time on fortnight more time on Roblox, Roblox, or, you know, whatever the game is, right? more time, more time during that. But as you get older, more time means more time with my friends, more time, family, more time traveling, more time doing whatever it is you're interested in, that I take my students on that journey. You know, I want them to understand that time is fine. As the only thing in life it's, you know, it's truly truly fine. Yeah. And so, going along and kind of discovering how I want to work how this affects you, you know, in today's society, finances a really delicate topic. When the latest US Federal Reserve's surveys, talks about how four out of 10 Americans don't have the funds to share and to handle an unexpected $400 expense. That's really, really major. And so helping the students understand that, you know, it's the financial decision making, that frees up time, that gives you more, all sorts of stuff, right? All kinds of stuff. That's fun. That's yeah,

Jen Amos:

I like how you talk about the importance of getting your time back, you know, and how money can do that for you. Last year, my husband and I are I finally decided to ask him like, Hey, can we have a house cleaner? Because I have to clean up after my pets and him. I mean, I don't have to, but you know, I take it upon myself. And, and I got to a place where I was like, Okay, I don't need to, like, tell myself this narrative that I am fully responsible for being the house cleaner. And the thing is, like, you know, we're doing all right in life. And so I finally asked him, like, Hey, can we get a house cleaner, so that I can get my time back so that my time isn't focused on cleaning things. And I have to tell you, it's made a world of difference to know that like, Yeah, I'll do the dishes, I'll do the laundry, you know, I'll do the basic things on, you know, the daily things, but for like the heavy cleaning, like the tub and the kitchen, and you know, all that it's just so nice to know that someone's going to come like once a month to do that. And it opens up my time to think of other things, and more importantly, to not be stressed about taking that on as my responsibility so that that's what comes to mind for me in regards to like buying my time back. And so I'm curious to know, I know that with cultural finance, you offer a number of 12 week virtual classes. I'm curious which ones so far have, let's say, been the most popular as of late? And what do you teach in those classes?

Shane Davis:

I'm glad you brought that up. Because now it's your this semester for us, we've taken a whole new approach, wanted to really look at everything and say, How can I make this better. And for a lot of our families, it's, it's taught, right, it's time how much time we dedicate to it. And so we completely tore it down and said, Hey, we're gonna go month to month, we're gonna go monthly, and we're going to offer a comprehensive coverage, everything. So if you want to keep your kids in one class for the entire year, we'll cover everything, all topics from, you know, your financial literacy basics, right? Understanding things, like what is money, the, you know, breaking all of these these specific areas down, down to investing, right, it gives the ability for our students to to really absorb all that information. Another change we had was a now partnered with a teacher, who was also a finance guy. And he wrote a great book called The young economics guy, and MBA and economics guys have made, he's absolutely amazing. But he, we talked, and it was like, why haven't we known each other longer? You know, like, why are we the best friends? You know, he brings these topics to life and hit I mean, we're talking, you know, extremely in depth conversations around things like utilization, you servi you know, we just break down some topics that are really fun debt management. And I'm super excited to be able to offer that this year. I

Jen Amos:

like the monthly thing, it kind of reminds me of like, like a monthly gym membership, where it's like, it's like you have access to all these things. And then you can cancel anytime. But for people who, you know, stay longer, they get all the services access to things. And I think that's a wonderful shift. And it sounds great to hear that you've partnered up with someone. I'm curious if that was, I guess, a mental shift from running your business on your own to like welcoming someone to do it side by side with you? How is the mental shift from running your business by yourself to you know, sharing a part of that with someone else? Yeah,

Shane Davis:

our relationship has been great. So to be able to offer, you know, his materials and his book, almost exclusively through this program is it's such a cool effect. And it's such a cool thing. It's allowed me to really focus and say, you know, is there a way for me to offer this information to a younger age? You know, I've looked at fifth grade as being the great, like, the perfect timeframe, you know, right around that, that age where kids are starting to understand it, you know, maybe they're asking for money for Christmas, instead of, you know, this shiny little toy. You know, they're definitely getting it on the gaming side. They're there. There's transacting all the time, and so getting them at that age before they do develop those financial habits was That's my that was my approach. But now with this almost kids like book where we can have these conversations about things like goods services, you know, understanding what that is. And in a fun and playful way, I think that's gonna really open some doors to show these courses to kids as early as third grade. Yeah,

Jen Amos:

I think that is so wonderful. I think about my first exposure to financial education. And it was when I turned 18, and I got all the credit cards in the mail, I'm sure a number of you can relate hearing this, and all the offers all the low interest rates, or whatever was in it. And that really, I'm going to say sarcastically, that really set me up for success. And I really had to learn later in life, how bad credit cards were, at least at least the way that it was impressed upon me, and how, you know, how it was used, and, and all that stuff. And so I think it's wonderful to teach kids at a young age, I am curious to know, because you are going to be presenting something to them differently than let's say what society teaches about finance. And I'm curious, what is that, that unique lesson that that starting lesson that you want to impress upon, you know, kids as young as, you know, fifth grade, or third grade?

Shane Davis:

Wow, the approach that I take is definitely different than the mainstream approach that you will that that most people receive, I do my best to think about how to approach the fifth grade kid in a way that's going to allow this information to last for 20 years, or 30 years. Teaching checkbox is not that's not going to do it. That's not going to do it. And that's a lot of people still teach that. It's not a parents that I speak to they're, you know, they're they're ready for their kids to learn how to balance the checkbook, but they don't live in that world. They don't live in that world. They live in a digital world. They live in the digital world, and preparing them for what's to come with the new financial systems is paramount. Yeah, so that's, that's what I enjoy.

Jen Amos:

Yeah, I mean, that's very true. Because I, like I do have a $20 bill that, like in the back of my phone here have like a wallet phone cover thing. But I don't pull it out, because I have Apple Pay. You know, for me, it just kind of like those, like I have it here just in case I need to pull out cash. But other than that everything is digital, everything I can just like, I can just even like tap my credit card when I go to a coffee shop. And so I feel like there's there could easily be a disconnect with what money really is and how far it can go. And even if you see like, I think its interest rate, I think I feel like I'm getting, I think I'm getting wrong. But yeah, even if interest go up, like rather than like, it's like, you could just see that just as a number. It's hard to like connect with that if it's just a number on the screen. And so I think that's a very interesting thing to tackle, you know, because that is the Gen Z reality now, you know, the Gen Z even, you know, even Millennials like we we saw that transition from, you know, from checkbooks to cash to credit cards to now, you know, my case like Apple Pay or Venmo, like PayPal, like people don't, we aren't touching our money anymore. So I think it's a great thing to explore on your end and tackle it in that way. I'm curious, who have you found so far to be reaching out to you? I mean, I know it started with friends and family and all that, but has it has it expanded to like a like a certain demographic.

Shane Davis:

The homeschool community has been amazing. Absolutely amazing. I have such a great relationship with them. And teaching students who learn differently. They seem to appreciate the information constantly challenging me. Every day, they are always challenging, challenging the style in which I teach. They'll challenge my information. Welcome. I love it. In my class. I don't teach like a lot of other people. If if the conversations are going to change or be derailed. Hey, let's, let's follow it. Let's follow it. As long as information is about finance, we're going to have a conversation about it. Yeah, you know, we had a great conversation. You mentioned credit cards. We had a great conversation about credit. We had a wonderful conversation again, these are these are nice, you know, nine year olds 10 years later, your 12 year olds, and you know, it was very simple. My parents that credit card, you know, you should never get a credit card. And so, you know, my son just casually mentioned Well, you know, why are they you know, horrible What, what's so bad about a credit card? Can we can we talk about that? Yeah, we just we went on a nice A little rabbit hole down, there was just discussing what a credit card is? Why people use stuff. Are there any benefits to it? Are they just bad? Like, What? What? What's going on here? You know, are there any protections? Right? Like, you know, hey, if I go to McDonald's, and they don't want to give me a refund, because, you know, I don't know, for some reason, right, like something bad happened, they dropped my food and yeah, you know, I

Jen Amos:

don't like my fries. Fries are cold, my fries are cold.

Shane Davis:

Like, I want a refund, they're like, sorry, Bob, you use cash by you know, whatever. With a credit card, it's not true. The bank's money, you can dispute that transaction. So, yeah, there's, there's, you know, just having these type of conversations is well worth it, you can do that, you know, it's been a lot of fun. A lot of fun. And, you know, looking forward to this year where, you know, not only do I get to change, you know, talk to the kids about finance, but also work with adults.

Jen Amos:

How's that, like?

Shane Davis:

That is that is fun. It is my workshops, our workshops are so exciting, because there are a lot of, you know, finding new ways to introduce these topics and conversations to adults, and really stressing the idea of how finances your culture, yeah, and the habits that you have will pass down to your kids. And so how, you know, if there are areas or topics or things, and feel at no fault of anybody, right, we were kind of the, what we learned was what our parents taught us, and what their parents may have talked down. And so a lot of times those conversations never really happened. You know, finance tends to be a very delicate topic for a lot of people. And a lot of pain associated with it. And so finding an opportunity to an area and space that I consider safe, where we're able to say all the things and you know, doggone it, I don't like bankers. Well, let's talk about that. Why don't you like bankers? Right? You know, yeah, that's what's wrong with this. Let's, let's let's go through talk and discuss these things. almost want to know? Yeah,

Jen Amos:

it sounds like you do a little bit of therapy. You're like the financial therapist, like, you don't like credit cards? Let's unpack that. Where does that feeling come from? Or, you know, so I think that's great. Like, I was actually just just started re listening to Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, I think it's a it's a classic for anyone that is like, just looking to kind of open up your eyes and see how the lower to middle class look at money versus like the upper class, it's very, I very much recommend it to anyone. But he made a point there that you reminded me of. And he said, like, early on, in book that unless, like, you seek out financial education, like your parents teach you. And like you said, they may not, like verbally teach you, but they'll show you in their actions they'll show you and how they, you know, what they pay for, and all that stuff. So and so I think it's just a beautiful thing that there are, you know, people like you who are providing that additional or that outside education, because otherwise it is really hard to get access to, like, I only feel like I know now because, you know, my husband and I, we work in finance, and I just kind of learn off of them and what in their everyday talks about about money, but you know, for most of my life, my parents, you know, and I love them, you know, my parents just they showed through their actions, what what they valued, is what I'm saying. So I want to shift gears here a little bit now that we know about the culture of finance. Part of our connection today is because you went through the service, the SEO program with the Rosie network. So tell me about the business side of cultural finance. I feel like I feel like in a way, you might probably know more than most just because you are in finance, you know, so, so tell me about that and, and creating creating this into a business.

Shane Davis:

It's been so free.

Jen Amos:

Hmm. I love that.

Shane Davis:

It's been so free. I so I do come from finance. I come from the finance industry as well worked in a large one of the big four. That's how I got my background and I focused in digital assets. So most people know that as cryptocurrency you know, that was that's my education. Your professional right? Yeah, it was, uh, I love it. Absolutely love that space. But the one thing I missed earlier, one thing, you can't get more of his time. Yeah, you can't get more time and being intentional about my time, culture or finance. It was. It was it was the door that opened so much for me and the Rosie network really helped me out outline how I could really take this business over. Yes, it's been a lot of fun. It's been such a great process, you're going through or, you know, eight weeks weeks. Don't quote me on that. But go each week and hear from you, industry professionals about things law and you know, discussing things with business consultants, and just working with other professionals who can say, hey, you know, change that that didn't look right, you know, so much fun.

Jen Amos:

Yeah, I'm curious if you had the name culture of finance coming into it? Or did you discover that along the way of that service SEO program,

Shane Davis:

I had that, as that name, it was real shaky. For me. It wasn't polished, you know, what was time, it came to mean, more to me, it really came to mean so much more, I've started to see connections to things that to finance and culture, and just, I've always had this mindset that a 360 degree thing encompasses everything. Yeah, you know, even down to my logo, you know, the circle is intentional, you know, like, it's everything is, is finances, everything is your culture. And so, you know, my culture doesn't have to be your culture. But in finance, we all share in finance, we all share. And so let's talk about it, you know, if you don't have one, right, if you maybe your parents or grandparents didn't teach you, let's develop, develop a culture and see where that takes. Because your culture should benefit you your life.

Jen Amos:

Yeah, absolutely. It gets me to think about my friends are one in particular, I won't say their name. But this person, you know, works the typical, like nine to five, and, and I and very often they'll like, just give reasons as to why they can't do certain things and can't. And like, for example, we have, we have an event coming up in in March, and I'm willing to just like pay for it. Because to me, it's worth the investment to pay for something for convenience, wherein my friend is interested in my friend prefers to, let's say volunteer to get like free access to this. And I just think like, I remember like volunteering my time for free to get access to this ticket. And the time it took to like volunteer and the mundane task. I did like, for example, just imagine, like scanning tickets for like, six hours straight, you know? And I'm just like, I would, yeah, exactly. That's like, I would rather just pay for the ticket than to like, volunteer for free. And so where I'm going with the story is that particular friend of mine, even though they're willing to volunteer for free, they have like, Shane, they have like a whole shoe rack of like Jordans. Okay. Like, like the things they pay for. They buy tickets to concerts, and it's like they spend lavishly on, you know, materialistic things and other forms of entertainment. But when it comes to this particular event, they're like, No, I would rather like volunteer, and I'm just kind of I just don't understand, like, the set of priorities and then they it ties into like, oh, well, because like, Oh, this is like the nine to five. Like, sometimes I make comments like, oh, I can't do certain things, because nine to five life, and I just feel like the priorities aren't there. And I don't understand the priorities is what I'm saying. And it gets me to think of like, because of my knowledge of finance today, like I've learned the difference between, like paying for something versus investing in something like nowadays, the this year, I tell myself, like, this is worth the investment because like, rather than look at the cost, I look at the investment. And I think it's just like learning how to talk about money differently. And like, why is it that you would rather you know, spend hours doing this, like volunteering for free doing this mundane task, but But you don't think twice about buying some really good high end Jordans, you know, let alone have a whole shoe rack of it, you know, you know what I'm saying with that? It's like, I'm not judging. It's more about like, an observation. And, and I think it's also like a, I don't know, if it's like a lack of financial education, you know, but I do feel like it's, it's kind of like has something to do with maybe not being intentional about priorities, like you don't say, yes,

Shane Davis:

absolutely. So, you know, I'll, I'll speak about myself. Okay. One of the things that I notice is, there's a mindset shift. You know, my son does a good job. He does a good no, sorry, but he can do things to earn money. He definitely can do things to earn money. And so that's how we approached it. And so you know, he has a bank account. He also has a credit card. He also has a credit card in his name. Wow. And so when he goes out with his friends, I give him his credit card. Fun. This credit card does not have a limit, but whatever you rack up, you have to pay and I will send you an invoice. So yes, and you hanging out before him. He when He goes out, it's okay, how much is this? How much is that? Okay, because I have to pay for this I have. He's not that, you know, it's a mindset shift. So he, you know, he's very intentional about where he spends his money and what he spends his money on, you know, if the guy is going to go out and, you know, eat at some restaurant or something like that, but you know, they're coming home in a couple of minutes. He's like, you know, Mom's got food at the house, we could just really just eat the food at the house. I think she's pizza over there, like, you guys want to do that? You know, yeah, that's the change for him, you know, instead of your his bank account, and the credit card also has an investing account. Instead of buying, you mentioned Jordans and things like that. And instead of buying that he's gonna buy a couple shares of Nike. Wow, he's gonna buy a couple shares of Nike, or, you know, he's, for sure his birthday, meta has a VR headset, for a lot of people Facebook's met. So he says, hey, well, I think I'll get a couple of shares of meta for. I'll work to save up for this. But you know, the price is actually pretty good right now, I think I can afford a couple shares. All right.

Jen Amos:

An amazing sign. Just

Shane Davis:

so did you. But that came with the that came with a shift. Yeah, understanding that tide of time is limited. How can we use our time to make us or use our money to make us more money, which, in total over time, saves us, it provides more time for us, it's an opening event. So that's, that's the approach that we were, you know, for, for my daughter who is six, you know, we found an easy way of saying get money, don't spend it, you know, that that was very, like, that's our mantra, you know, get money, they'll spend it. Now she is a little princess. So she's gonna spend it, but she mindset is good money don't so, you know, we find different ways to teach and educate and make these things real, you know, being an investor kind of changes you. You understand, oh, how much money did I make last note, like, you know, in returns, of course, the market goes up and down. And that's, that's kind of a part of it. But when you step back, you know, we knew kind of worried, you know, when in doubt, you know, just kind of zoom out a little bit and see where you started. And we ended up that's changing this shit. Yeah,

Jen Amos:

I'm just like, incredibly impressed that your son is playing with the stock market at nine years old, that's just wild. Like, I think he's, I think you have your retirement plan already laid out for you, because your kids sound like they're gonna be theirs, it sounds like they're gonna be set up for success in when it comes to their financial life later on. And, you know, I just think that's wonderful. And obviously, it made an impression amongst like, friends and family so much that it's really snowballed into what you have today with cultural finance. So I just think it's awesome, Shane, and I could tell you have a lot of fun. I feel like you've got the fun and finance. That's what you do. But yeah, I feel like I asked all the questions I was actually really curious about, I wanted to know if there's anything else you want to share so far that I haven't asked you yet. This was

Shane Davis:

a great conversation. Oh, good. I wish I could say that there was more, you know,

I look at culture of finance, as a stepping stone to something great. Culture of finance will always be there. But when I look at the holistic approach of the business, I want a lot more than just the education. I want to be able to provide legal, like actual investment advice that yeah, when you when you play in that space, this is a regulated space and not at a financial advisor. So at no point in time right now, anything I say constitute investment advice. I'll give that little

Jen Amos:

good disclaimer there.

Shane Davis:

Yeah, but I'd like to change that, like the consult that you know that that is something that, you know, there was an interest for. I'd say stay tuned.

Jen Amos:

Yeah, I love that. I feel like I have one more question as just because you're a marine vet. And I'm curious if your experience in the military, like your understanding of finance, then is different than it is now.

Shane Davis:

In the Marine Corps, I will say I was I was I was pretty disciplined when it came to finance nice. The numbers were a lot smaller. So it was a lot more. There wasn't as much play. There definitely wasn't as much play. Yeah, you know, I was the was one of the few who had a car back when, you know, a lot of people didn't. And so I learned a lot. I learned a lot when a lot of our credit cards learned a lot about just income and expenses. You know, knowing that even if you do have this income that comes in constantly, you know, whatever you're spending it on, once it's gone, you know what's that once that money's gone, that's it. You know, you got to wait. So it was a it was a good foundation to build upon a lot, I guess a lot, a lot of bumps and bruises. But yeah, I learned a lot in regards to discipline, financial discipline. Yeah,

Jen Amos:

I think that's great to hear. Because often, it's the conversation of living paycheck to paycheck, or like, as soon as you get promoted, you just spend that bonus on, you know, something lavish and turns out to be a liability, more so than an asset. So it's just great to hear that you were very mindful of like how you spent your money, and you were disciplined. And, you know, paycheck is a paycheck, it doesn't, it's handed to you every, you know, like two weeks, and but it's not going to grow, it's going to be the same unless you get promoted, right. And so, you know, just very great. It sounds like you, you've had like a good grasp on money, like you've been very mindful of your spending way. But you know, way back to your service. And it's just great to know that like, I think the word of our conversation today is intention, you seem to have lived with a lot of intentionality, and it's reflected, or it's passed down to your kids. And now it's, you know, through the other people you're serving through cultural finance. And so I'm just inspired by that. So thank you, Shane.

Shane Davis:

Thank you. Thank you.

Jen Amos:

Yeah. Well, I guess that's it. Like, let me see my notes real quick. I don't think I have anything else as I feel like this is a very good, full conversation. So yeah, so let's just wrap it up. Any closing thoughts before we go?

Shane Davis:

Thank you for the opportunity. And, you know, I can't wait to come back and tell you more.

Jen Amos:

Yeah, so be great. So yeah, I would love to eventually bring back guests on the show to see how they're doing with their business. Shane Davis, thank you. Thank you so much for being on our show here today. I really appreciate your time, your story. I think what you do is very inspiring. What you do for your family is very inspiring. And thanks again for joining us.

Shane Davis:

Thanks, Jim.

Show artwork for Holding Down the Fort by US VetWealth

About the Podcast

Holding Down the Fort by US VetWealth
Stop following orders, think different, and manifest your dreams with the award-winning podcast, Holding Down the Fort by US VetWealth! For Season 9, we highlight motivational stories of personal development, financial awareness, and independence in our military community. The show is hosted by Jen Amos, a Gold Star daughter, Veteran Spouse, and Entrepreneur.

The show continues its partnership with The Rosie Network. Read more at https://issuu.com/therosienetwork/docs/me_mag_2023/16

We continue to showcase US VetWealth's partnership with Blue Water Advisors, which will feature conversations with Scott R. Tucker and Mike Wallace about career progression for military retirees seeking employment in post-military. Watch the most recent "Take A Knee" Live Show at https://www.youtube.com/@USVWTV/streams

Our main sponsor, US VetWealth, is proud to offer Life Insurance and Annuity Strategies for The High-Income Military Retiree. Let's help you capitalize on your above-average health and substantial income-earning potential for post-military life. For a free consultation, https://usvetwealth.com/

In the Fall of 2023, Jen Amos was sought after by InDependent to co-host the 8th annual InDependent Wellness Summit™. In August 2022, Jen Amos' work on the podcast was recognized by Disney Institute and she was hand-selected as the only non-Disney employee to moderate the first Military Spouse Employment panel for the Veterans Institute Summit. March 2022, former co-host Jenny Lynne has voted the 2022 Naval Station Norfolk Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year. November 2020, Jen Amos was awarded “Media Professional of the Year” at The Rosie Network Entrepreneur Awards! The show continued to collect award nominations in the following years. In September 2021, the show made the Final Slate in the 16th Annual People's Choice Podcast Awards for the Government & Organizations category. In November 2021, the show was an Award Finalist for the 5th Annual National Veteran & Military Spouse Entrepreneur Awards. December 2021, the show was a Golden Crane Podcast Awards Nominee. September 2022, the show was a Finalist for the 13th Annual Plutus Awards presented by Capital Group for “Best Military Personal Finance Content.”

Holding Down the Fort has also been featured in multiple media outlets including Military Entrepreneur (M.E.) Magazine, MOAA’s Never Stop Learning Podcast, The Leadership Void Podcast, Lessons Learned for Vets Podcast, Sisters in Service Podcast, Get 2 Vet, Blue Star Families of Dayton & Southwestern Ohio, Legacy Magazine, U.S. Veterans Magazine, The American MilSpouse, VeteranCrowd Network, It's a Military Life, VirtForce, Military Veteran Dad Podcast, and much more.

"Jen has a beautiful way of capturing the essence of her guests. She listens with an open mind and heart to help expand the words spoken- bringing life, connection, and deeper understanding. The military life is never “easy” we merely learn how to adapt the best we know how to. It’s through continuing to build the community up that we will see a decrease in the mental hardships we sometimes face. Thank you for your work to bridge the gaps, build awareness, and give a voice to so many of us. With a variety of guests, there is truly an episode meant for you to hear. I look forward to continuing to support you Jen!" - Candice E. Van Dertholen, Ep. 190
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About your host

Profile picture for Jen Amos

Jen Amos

As the co-owner of US VetWealth (i.e. Scott R. Tucker’s “better half”), I assist in creating educational content for military retirees seeking alternative options to the Survivor Benefit Plan and privatized financial strategies for your military retirement.

From growing up in a military family to becoming a Gold Star family member at 10 years old, I have first-hand experience with how a sudden transition to civilian life can impact a family emotionally and financially. 20+ years removed from military life, I started the podcast show Holding Down the Fort by US VetWealth in the summer of 2019 to get a pulse on the community today. I’ve come to find that our families still face similar issues that I faced in my childhood. It’s become a sense of responsibility to do my part in validating the stories and struggles of career military families. By the fall of 2020, I had been awarded Media Professional of the Year by The Rosie Networks' National Veteran and Military Spouse Entrepreneur Awards. Since then, the show has received five more award nominations and has been recognized by multiple media outlets, including the Disney Institute’s Veterans Insititute.

While the show is off-season, I focus most of my time building out US VetWealth’s Military Retirement Blueprint — the only resource for military retirees to learn about SBP alternatives and privatized financial strategies. Contrary to popular belief, retiring military officers and senior NCOs are, what we consider, high-income earners. Our FREE resource provides guides, courses, live training, consulting, and an ever-growing list of content for you to learn about your untapped potential and opportunities for post-military life. Access our free resource now by visiting https://militaryretirementblueprint.com/

You can read more about Jen Amos' work in the Summer 2023 Military Entrepreneur Magazine by The Rosie Network (Pg. 16).