Chris Hogan is new host of the EntreLeadership Podcast

 Dave Ramsey Show  1 Response »
Apr 222013
 

Chris-Hogan-Headshot

Welcome Chris Hogan, the new host of Dave Ramsey’s EntreLeadership Podcast!

Previous EntreLeadership Podcast host Chris LoCurto has moved on after hosting more than 40 episodes. According to Dave Ramsey, they are still great friends and CLo is taking his more than 12 years of experience and is working with businesses one-on-one to help them grow in all areas.

Changing of the Chris-guards

Fear not, Dave Ramsey Fans. The exit of Chris LoCurto has opened the door for another Chris – Chris Hogan. Chris Hogan is no newbie – he started working with the Lampo Group in 2005 as a Financial Coach and Business Coach before moving on to speaking and hosting the EntreLeadership podcast.

He started out his professional career as an All-American college football player but his heart is really in helping businesses and professionals to reach their own goals. After football he moved on to the financial services industry.

He tells a story of witnessing a foreclosure taking place while the owner was still moving out – even after the man received multiple notices to contact the lender before that fateful day. This stuck with him until finding an opportunity to work for Dave Ramsey’s company.

Thus a ROCK STAR is born!

You may have had the opportunity to have heard Chris Hogan on previous EntreLeadership podcast episodes. Chris Hogan has a booming voice that can shake the room, yet you can hear it in his timbre that the man genuinely cares about people.  If you’ve heard him before then you already know what I am talking about.

Listen to Dave Ramsey’s interview with Chris Hogan for more. You can find the EntreLeadership podcast at http://www.daveramsey.com/entreleadership/podcast. He is officially introduced as the new host at the end of the EntreLeadership podcast episode “Start with Jon Acuff” (which in itself was a great interview).

Also, here is Chris Hogan on stage talking about building wealth:

Andy Traub is Debt Free

 Dave Ramsey Show, Debt Free Scream  3 Responses »
Apr 182013
 

Andy Traub, author of Early To Rise, is Debt FreeAndy Traub, author of The Early To Rise Experience: Learn To Rise Early in 30 Days (Early To Rise Series) and host of the Unofficial Linchpin and Andy Andrews podcasts, is debt free today. He and his wife paid off $15,000 in what seemed to be taking forever on a self-employment income but got a nice boost this year thanks to an idea inspired by Jon Acuff.

Andy Traub thanks Jon for inspiring him when he attended a START night. He had an idea to write an eBook about learning how to rise early in order to be more productive during the typical workday. The book was released on Amazon (Kindle Version only) in January 2013.

Through promotions by Erik Fisher’s podcast “Beyond The To-Do List” and others willing to share his message they were able to sell $17,000 worth of Early To Rise in about three months. This enabled him the chance to call the Financial Peace hotline and share his debt-free story to 5 million of Dave’s listeners.

Dave was impressed that someone took an idea inspired by Jon Acuff and turn an electronic eBook into real cash! Dave plugged the book on the air during Andy’s Debt-Free Scream call – I can only imagine how many copies were sold from that eight minute conversation!

Incidentally, Dave doesn’t remember but he met Andy Traub over a year ago. Andy was in Nashville for a client meeting and Tweeted that he was going to stop by Financial Peace Plaza. A fan of Andy’s saw the Tweet and decided it would be a great opportunity to meet him. They met outside of Dave’s studio that afternoon. In Andy’s telling of this story (either on an episode of Coach Radio or Business Tech Weekly) he spoke of how it was amazing that some guy wanted to take time out of his lunch hour to meet him and that Dave Ramsey was a little surprised that they weren’t necessarily there for him.

If you want to learn more about Andy Traub and what he is up to these days:

Congratulations Andy and Sara. You guys did the right thing with your book sales. Now, what will you do with the next $17,000?

Ways to find out if Dave Ramsey is broadcasting live today

 Dave Ramsey Show  No Responses »
Mar 132013
 

How to find out if Dave Ramsey is live todayHave you ever gotten past the first commercial break and said to yourself “this caller’s question sounds vaguely familiar”? Have you ever worried that you might be wasting time calling into the show because Dave’s not broadcasting today?

Here are ways you can be a Private Investigator and find out if Dave is taking the day off:

The Where’s Dave PR web page

This is a list of all the events Dave is hosting or attending. It does not include personal events, just get-out-of-debt and leave a legacy type stuff. It’s also a great place to find out if Dave Ramsey will be visiting a venue near you. Tell him Steve Stewart said “Hi”.

Follow Martha on Twitter

You’ve heard Dave brag on his Director of First Impressions, Martha Thompson. Not only does Martha offer you a free cup of coffee but she also shares photos on Twitter of people who are screaming “I’m debt freeee”. If Dave Ramsey is live in the studio then there will be screaming from the lobby. Follow @Marthas_place on Twitter for lots of good stuff.

Call the front desk

You have to be pretty desperate to call the front desk to find out if Dave is live. If it is that important to you then call (888) 227-3223.

What about the podcast or iHeartRadio?

Do you listen to the Dave Ramsey Show podcast or listen via the iHeartRadio app (free download) but don’t want to listen to re-runs? Here are two simple ways to find out:

Dave Ramsey’s iPhone App

Not only does this free app offer an “Ask Dave” section but it also features the Ramsey Recap in the More section. Download the app for free (no credit card required!)

 

Dave Ramsey Show Recaps

Visit http://www.daveramsey.com/radio and click on “Show Recaps”. This is a page that offers a summary of the calls and guests featured on that day’s show. When a Best Of has replaced the live show then you will see a message telling you to “WHOA!”

What about you? Do you listen to the Dave Ramsey Show everyday? Do you mind listening to reruns?

My favorite Debt Free Scream 2012

 Dave Ramsey Show, Debt Free Scream  No Responses »
Dec 302012
 

Photo courtesy of Martha Thompson

Photo courtesy of Martha Thompson

This year Dave Ramsey fans from all over have called in or visited Financial Peace Plaza to share their debt free stories. Close to $40,000,000 of debt has been eliminated from the lives of those who have been changed by it. That’s a lot of dough.

But my favorite of all

Admittedly, my favorite of all the debt free screams was a friend of mine. Lacey Salls and her husband were $208,000 in debt when they decided to pay it off. They worked for almost 4 years to kill it all off while she served in the Air Force and her husband was being an “evil capitalist”.

They owed $78,000 in cars, $55,000 in credit card debt, and $75,000 owed on a house that they sold.

Here is her signature on the Debt Free Wall:

218e9fa8cc7111e1985822000a1d011d_7

Today, Lacey is a Penn State Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences major by day, and a debt-free financial blogger by night. She is making her way through school without student loans. WAY TO GO LACEY!

You can find more about my friend Lacey at Donation-Can.com

End of an Era – Dave Ramsey radio show to switch stations in Nashville

 Dave Ramsey Show  2 Responses »
Dec 252012
 

997-supertalk-logoThe two-decade long relationship between Super-Talk FM WTN and Dave Ramsey has come to an end. The nearly 21 years of broadcasting on the flagship station for the Dave Ramsey Show, 99.7FM in Nashville, ceased on December 21, 2012 due to the inability to come to an equitable agreement.

History of WTN and Dave Ramsey Show

Almost 21 years ago, Dave was asked to be an a guest’s call-in show. A few weeks later the host had quit and Roy Matlock, one of Dave’s friends, asked to join him in the slot.

Click here for more about the early years of the Dave Ramsey Show

The station manager, David “Hollywood” Manning, didn’t have any other talent to fill the airwaves so he agreed to put them on the air.

Dave jokes about the agreement

“Since they weren’t paying us, we said if we were really bad he could cut our pay in half”

The show gained ratings, Dave kept working it hard while trying to make real estate deals, and the rest is history.

As Dave told us in his broadcast that day, they are separating on good terms, they just couldn’t come to an agreement with Cumulus’s new terms.

Dave_Ramsey jan2There’s a new flagship in town

This is not the end for live broadcasts of the radio show in Nashville. While Mike Huckabee and Phil Valentine will take the live spot previously owned by Ramsey’s show, WPRT 102.5 “The Game” will become the new flagship weekdays from 1-4pm Central beginning January 2nd, 2013.

It is an independently owned station owned by Cromwell Radio Group (operating twenty-three stations in four midwestern states) and run by Bud Walters. That does seem fitting of the only independently owned talk radio show in the Top 5.

The road not taken

 Live Like No One Else, Other stuff  No Responses »
Dec 182012
 

I remember listening to a gentleman that called into the radio show to share a story about the last conversation he had with his father. It was a talk about money, which they had never had before.

This young man had taken Financial Peace University and made great strides to regain control of his money. This had impress his father, which in turn allowed him to be more comfortable talking about his finances with his son.

Thankfully they had this discussion because a few days later his dad died unexpectedly.

Nobody knows what tomorrow has in store for us. The future is uncertain. What is certain would be what you can do today to solidify your position of financial strength and prepare for open-door opportunities where none had existed.

How much would you pay to have an unusual, yet productive, conversation with your loved ones? Would it be worth $100? $1,000? Would you spend 9 weeks in a class learning how money really works?

It was certainly worth it for this caller. Had he not taken that class his father may not have opened up. That one conversation gave him enough information about the family’s finances that he was able to help his newly-widowed mother restructure a financial life absent from her husband.

That is priceless.

A Castle of Debt – Debt Free Scream December 2012

 Debt Free Scream  No Responses »
Dec 152012
 
lego_castle_by_pik_a_chu-d3i6i6e by Pik-a-chu

Photo courtesy of Pik-a-chu

Ryan and Robyn built a castle of debt. It didn’t have a moat with alligators circling the perimeter – it was worse!

The castle that debt built

This normal couple from southern Ohio built it with furniture, credit card debt, a lot (property), and a vehicle – $51,000 worth!

Ryan and Robyn realized they had a problem when they wrote it all down. Looking at the total they felt as if someone punched them – I would say it probably felt like a flogging. They knew they had to start paying the piper so they were off to see wizard of budgets.

The visual payoff

This family built a visual representation of their debt out of Legos. Each block represented $100 worth of debt and one block was removed as the debt was paid off.

Martha of Martha’s Place posted this picture of the Castle of Debt sitting on top of their refrigerator.

It is now an empty lot and they did their debt free scream live at Financial Peace Plaza on December 10, 2012 (2nd hour).

Dave got to sign the final piece. Consider it the seal of a King!

Dave Ramsey Show Day

 Dave Ramsey Live event, Dave Ramsey Show  No Responses »
Sep 292012
 

September 28th, 2012 was a big day for celebration. It commemorates 20 years of Dave Ramsey helping people with their personal finances. But did you know it has its own day now?

The Celebration

The Financial Peace Plaza parking lot was set up with a huge tent, food trucks were brought in, and Dave signed hatch prints at the end of the day. However, Blake Thompson and Lara Johnson remained stuck in the booth and I believe Martha never got the chance to leave her place.

The Guests

It was an open invitation event and some celebrities and elected officials popped in as well

  • Scott Hamilton - Olympic Gold Medalist
  • Bill Haslam – Governor of Tennessee
  • Bob Meyer – the guy who could have pulled the plug on the show when Gaylord bought the station the radio show started on
  • Larry Gatlin and T.G. Sheppard – Country Music stars from way back
  • Rachel Cruze – It didn’t take her long to get there
  • Shay Carl – YouTube Superstar
  • Brad Paisley, Dan Cathy, Vince Gill, Amy Grant (called at a different time than Vince), John Maxwell, Craig Groeschel, Max Lucato, Neil Cavuto, Darrell Waltrip, Andy Andrews, Ron Blue, Rick Warren, Michael W. Smith, Seth Godin, Dr. Meg Meeker, Shay Carl, Senator Bob Corker, Glenn Beck, John Miller, Mark Cuban, Big & Rich also called in over the phone

Dave Ramsey Show Day – September 28, 2012

Governor Bill Haslam announced at the event and put it in print on Twitter that this day would be recognized as Dave Ramsey Show Day.

I wonder if that means that every year the mail will stop and banks will close for one day?

My favorite Debt Free scream – September 2012

 Dave Ramsey Show, Debt Free Scream  No Responses »
Sep 122012
 

Jeremy and Elizabeth from Pasadena are debt free! They celebrated their first wedding anniversary by screaming about debt freedom in Financial Peace Plaza. What is most surprising about this couple is not that they paid off $49,000 while making over $80,000, it is that they are both 22 years old and they paid off in 7 months!

It’s their Fathers’s fault

The bride’s dad made completing Financial Peace University a prerequisite for marriage. The newlyweds also shared that they are people of faith. While the birth-dad gave them FPU, having Jesus Christ in their life gave them the strength and support of someone to rely on. God has the biggest, strongest shoulders to lean upon so he’s a pretty good guy to have in your corner.

You can hear it in their screaming

This is why it’s my favorite debt scream: Inside of Elizabeth’s voice is the biggest, brightest smile you ever heard. I wasn’t there but I envisioned they were looking at each other, just about ready to jump out of their skin as they counted

1, 2, 3, WE’RE DEBT FREE

It sounded to me like she jumped into Jeremy’s arms like a soldier coming home. Did she cry too? I don’t know, but the pure joy in her countdown makes me think she was the happiest she’s ever been. I think he kinda liked it too.

The future is so bright (let’s do some math!)

They could have travelled the world. They could have blown it on a new truck. They could have squandered the money away. Instead, they paid off the car, the student loans are gone, and they are making upwards of $160,000 only one year into their life journey together. What will it look like for them in 40 years? Let’s make a few assumptions:

  • Assume they continue the baby-steps and only make $160,000 (did I just say “only make”?)
  • Paying off $49,000 while earning $80,000 in 7 months is the equivalent of saving $98,000 a year
  • They buy a house
  • Income taxes will eat away at some of their wealth
  • They have 3 children over the next 5 years

If they can save $75,000 for 5 years:

  • There will be $30,000 in a fully-funded emergency fund (can be done in 6 months)
  • They can pay cash for two $15,000 cars (if needed, can be done in another 6 months)
  • They save $300,000 towards paying cash for a house (in years 2-5)
  • The extra money that wasn’t saved will be used for growing a family ($10,000 a year?)

If they can save that for 15 years:

  • There would still be a fully-funded Baby Step 3 and still have no debt (except maybe a mortgage)
  • Emergencies become inconveniences (money seems to do that to problems)
  • 15% of their income would have been shoveled into 401ks or IRAs (I vote for ROTH IRA)
  • College funds for all 3 kids will be nearly funded.
  • They would have paid off any mortgage they might have taken out
  • Jeremy would have opened one or two businesses.
  • Elisabeth could have chosen to stay home with the kids if she wanted.
If they can continue saving for 40 years:
  • What do you think? Leave a comment below.

 

Joe Mihalic paid off Harvard debt in 7 months

 Dave Ramsey Show, Live Like No One Else  No Responses »
Jul 042012
 

On July 3rd Dave interviewed Joe Mihalic, a Harvard graduate that got serious about paying off his student loan debt from Harvard Business School in one year. Joe reached his goal 5 months early. What’s most important to note here is that he didn’t do it following one of Dave Ramsey’s plan.

How Joe paid off $91,000 in 7 months

  • He stopped borrowing more money
  • Didn’t buy new clothes (the old ones did just fine)
  • Used his savings to pay it down
  • Sold a bunch of stuff on CraigsList
  • Got a couple of roommates
  • Didn’t get distracted from his goal
  • Worked hard

Using Common Sense

Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps makes it easy to follow a common-sense debt elimination process, so I’m not discounting what he teaches. What I am pointing out here is that all of the things listed above are common sense.

Want to read more about his journey?

Here is a list of blogposts Joe wrote while destroying his debt.

Joe Mihalic interview on the Dave Ramsey Show

Day #1: The Challenge

I discovered Mr. Money Mustache

Month #7 Progress Report

Mission Accomplished!!!

No More Harvard Debt: A Short Film

 

 Older Entries