Austin Kleon has built a life around making art—and making choices. In this candid conversation, the bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist opens up about the cost of creativity, the pressure of success, and the freedom that comes from knowing what’s enough. From turning down life-changing sums of money to driving an old Honda with pride, Austin reflects on how his values have shaped both his art and his bank account. Austin and Carl explore the emotional and financial tradeoffs of creative ...
Jun 25, 2025•58 min
Cartoonist and former brand manager Tom Fishburne—best known as the creator of Marketoonist—joins Carl for a conversation that flips the script on what it means to take risks. From leaving a stable job with a Harvard MBA to becoming a full-time cartoonist, Tom shares what looked like “career suicide” from the outside became his most stable and fulfilling path. They explore the quiet financial anxiety of childhood, the lessons Tom learned from his mom’s late return to college, and a pivotal year ...
Jun 18, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Debbie Millman is a celebrated designer, writer, educator, and host of the long-running podcast Design Matters. In this conversation, Debbie opens up about a subject she rarely discusses publicly: her lifelong relationship with money. Together with Carl, she traces the roots of scarcity, shame, and control that shaped her childhood and career decisions—from hiding candy in a handbag as a little girl, to working three jobs to ensure she'd never need to depend on anyone. She reflects on how money ...
Jun 11, 2025•1 hr 4 min
"You Actually Miss Your Life While You're Trying to Protect It". That’s the provocative idea at the heart of this episode with bestselling author Oliver Burkeman (Four Thousand Weeks). Oliver reflects on how class, money, and time shape our identity and our illusions of control. From childhood popsicle enterprises to awkward dinner bills and the haunting anxiety of spending money in the present, the discussion digs deep into the emotional undercurrents of financial life. No tidy answers, just ho...
Jun 04, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Is money ever just about money? Gretchen Rubin, bestselling author and happiness expert, joins Carl to explore the subtle ways our childhood, identity, and and the surprising power of choosing what not to spend money on. From her awe at the simple amount of $100 as a child to the moment she chose not to renew her New York Bar license, Gretchen shares how she made peace with desire, comparison, and her own financial narrative along the way. —----------------------------- Follow Gretchen @gretchen...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 4 min
What happens when you’ve checked every financial box—and still feel lost? Carl sits down with comedian, former Facebook exec, and Reasonably Happy author and podcast host Paul Ollinger to explore the emotional weight of money and identity. Paul shares what it felt like to walk away from Silicon Valley at 42, why he once considered himself a "rich loser," and how chasing fulfillment led him back to the stage as a stand-up comedian. They unpack the psychology of wealth, the shame and status we att...
May 21, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Identity, belonging, and the real meaning of money and Judaism is covered in this episode with Rabbi Shira Stutman. Rabbi Shira and Carl navigate questions of tradition and community in today’s polarized world, the need to hold space for complexity—within ourselves and our institutions—and how embracing discomfort can spark growth, understanding, and ultimately, a stronger sense of purpose. —----------------------------- Follow Rabbi Stutman @shirastutman —----------------------------- Follow 50...
May 14, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Is money dangerous? Could be. Is money powerful? Definitely. Can it corrupt? Of course. Can it liberate? Absolutely. Money is a mirror. —----------------------------- Follow 50 Fires on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/50firespod/ Please direct business inquires to: [email protected] Cover Art: Josh Passler - TheFinArtist.com Music Credits: Alexandra Woodward / Rabbit Reggae / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Cody Francis / Wherever You’re Going / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com ...
May 07, 2025•9 min
Breanna Rae Blainey is a financial wellness leader, entrepreneur, and co-founder of the Anya Institute for Human Revolution. She and Car unpack themes like control and the emotional energy we attach to our finances, offering practical tools like the "Triple A" framework—awareness, alignment, and action—to help navigate our relationship with money in a more intentional, values-driven way. —----------------------------- For more on Breanna, visit https://www.breannaraeblaney.com/ —----------------...
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr 5 min
What if the boldest career move you ever made was stepping away? Neha Ruch, founder of Mother Untitled and author of The Power of Pause, joins Carl to unpack the layered experience of pausing a high-powered career to prioritize family — and rediscover a deeper sense of self. Neha shares her journey as the daughter of Indian immigrants, growing up acutely aware of financial insecurity and the privilege of choice. She opens up about the clarity she found in early motherhood, the liberation in pres...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 12 min
Poet, Zen teacher, and memoirist Henry Shukman joins Carl for a conversation that explores what it truly means to live freely. Through stories from Henry’s life—including his youthful encounters with a wandering tramp named “Speedy” and the spiritual revelations that shaped his memoir One Blade of Grass—they dive into profound ideas of freedom, enoughness, and generosity. Carl and Henry explore how early experiences with money shape our adult perspectives, how to calm financial anxiety by reconn...
Apr 16, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Singer-Songwriter Susan Werner joins Carl for a deeply personal conversation that weaves together her upbringing on a midwest farm, her financial philosophy, and how it intersects with her pursuit of creative integrity. From the sound of coins jingling in her father’s pocket as a young child to the smell of manure—“the smell of money” on an Iowa farm—Susan shares how early experiences shaped her understanding of value and work. Susan opens up about navigating the unpredictable economics of a lif...
Apr 09, 2025•59 min
What should we do to protect our finances and investments right now? First off, when markets get scary? We should avoid chasing predictions. It turns out that creating financial resilience is not about making perfect predictions about what’s coming next. It’s about building a life that can adapt to whatever arrives. This approach works, regardless of what’s happening with tariffs, markets, or potential recessions. By focusing on what you can control, you’re building financial strength that serve...
Apr 03, 2025•12 min
Carl tackles the fear and uncertainty that often accompanies volatile markets (are you feeling a little bit of that right about now?), with a reassuring reminder that market fluctuations are normal. Carl emphasizes the importance of staying focused on long-term goals rather than reacting emotionally to short-term market movements. —----------------------------- Follow 50 Fires on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/50firespod/ Please direct business inquires to: [email protected] Cover...
Apr 02, 2025•8 min
Making tough financial decisions can be overwhelming, especially when emotions and biases come into play. In this mini episode of 50 Fires, Carl shares a powerful mental tool he calls The Overnight Test. This simple yet effective exercise helps navigate the inertia of holding onto investments, properties, or even routines that no longer serve us. Through real-life stories—including a long-abandoned family cabin, an under-performing stock, and a small business owner's dilemma—Carl illustrates how...
Mar 26, 2025•9 min
Peter Singer may be, as The New Yorker calls him, the planet’s “most influential living philosopher." He has written the classic text Practical Ethics, The Expanding Circle, The Life You Can Save (which gave rise to the organization of the same name) and Pushing Time Away (an account of the life and fate of his grandfather, a victim of the Holocaust). Carl and Peter discuss the carefulness around spending instilled by his parents at an early age and reflects on the ethics of giving and altruism....
Mar 19, 2025•30 min
Katie Gatti Tassin, the creator of the Money with Katie Podcast, joins Carl to explore the personal and philosophical sides of money. Katie shares her journey from launching a personal finance blog to selling it to Morning Brew, and how that experience reshaped her views on wealth, work, and independence. Together, they dive into Katie’s early memories of money, the financial habits instilled by her parents, and the emotional weight of financial decisions—like buying a luxury car and the conflic...
Mar 12, 2025•1 hr 8 min
At 54 years old, Kevin Dahlstrom has discovered the secret to ‘enough.’ A four-time CMO, founder, rock climber, father, and husband, Kevin joins Carl to explore themes of career control and the true importance of aligning one’s life with personal values. They discuss strategies for gaining control over one’s career, the significance of unstructured time for creativity, and the concept of a low-cost ideal life. Ultimately, Kevin advocates for a mindset that prioritizes experiences over material p...
Mar 05, 2025•1 hr 11 min
Celebrated author Pam Houston describes her extraordinary journey with Carl in this inspiring episode —from a childhood shaped by financial anxiety to finding solace and purpose in the natural world. Pam shares the remarkable story of how she bought her beloved ranch in Wyoming with just 4.7% down and a signed copy of her first book, the life lessons she learned from her father’s obsession with money, and how she discovered the true meaning of “enough.” Along the way, Pam reflects on the power o...
Feb 26, 2025•1 hr
Joshua Becker is best known as a minimalist. He’s the founder of Becoming Minimalist and the bestselling author of books like The Minimalist Home and The More Of Less. In this episode, Carl and Joshua discuss the paradoxes of wealth and happiness, the impact of cultural expectations on spending, and the importance of aligning financial decisions with personal values. Joshua also presents his case against car payments, so listen to this episode before you purchase your next new vehicle. For more ...
Feb 19, 2025•51 min•Season 3Ep. 4
What happens when passion meets financial reality? In this episode of 50 Fires, Carl sits down with artist Daren Thomas Magee, the creative mind behind Real Fun, Wow. Daren opens up about the challenges of making a living as an artist, the unfiltered realities of financial ups and downs, and his unique approach to staying grounded despite financial stress. From the pressure of selling art to the mental resilience needed to navigate debt, this conversation explores what it really means to follow ...
Feb 12, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Have you ever caught yourself making a decision about money—big or small—and thought, Wait. Whose voice is that in my head? Is this really me? Or is it the voice of my parents, a professor, society, or maybe even fear? Dr. Gena Gorlin understands this deeply and has spent significant time unraveling this pattern of thinking. As a clinical psychologist specializing in the needs of ambitious builders—especially founders—she helps them break free from limiting voices and mental scripts that keep th...
Feb 05, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 3Ep. 2
What happens when you spend $200,000 a year but only make $30,000? In this lively episode, Carl dives into the numbers with Joel Stein—one of America’s wittiest cultural commentators—to explore his unique experiences with money. From renting Lamborghinis to hosting billionaires at Burning Man, Joel’s journalism career has granted him access to experiences that money simply can’t buy. Carl and Joel tackle questions like: What’s the real cost of chasing “enough”? And why are people more secretive ...
Jan 29, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Season 3Ep. 1
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Dec 24, 2024•7 min•Season 2Ep. 26
Tony Riddle is a natural lifestyle coach, father, husband, the best-selling author of Be More Human and a record-breaking barefoot endurance athlete. In this conversation, Tony and Carl explore the themes of failure, intentional living, and the importance of community, emphasizing the alignment of capital with happiness. The discussion also touches on the concept of home as a community and the role of uncertainty in life, challenging each other and all of us to grant more permission in our lives...
Dec 18, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 25
Dallas Hartwig is a co-founder of the Whole30 program and co-author of two New York Times bestselling books — It Starts With Food and The Whole30. He’s also co-host of The Living Experiment podcast, and on this episode of 50 Fires, he shares his fears about financial stability while prioritizing quality of life and time with his children. He and Carl also discuss the nature of generosity, and the impact of giving on relationships in our lives, both big and small. Dallas reflects on his experienc...
Dec 11, 2024•58 min•Season 2Ep. 24
Katie Arnold is an author, journalist, competitive ultra runner and host of running and writing retreats. Her new book, Brief Flashings in the Phenomenal World, is out now. In this episode of 50 Fires, Katie and Carl explore themes of self-discovery, the meaning of money, and the practices that help her maintain authenticity in a world filled with external expectations. Katie emphasizes the significance of writing and meditation as tools for self-reflection and personal growth, while also addres...
Dec 04, 2024•58 min•Season 2Ep. 23
Email List: Sign up at https://www.50fires.com/ for our monthly email with resources for financial advisors! Follow 50 Fires on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/50firespod/ Please direct business inquires to: [email protected] Cover Art: Josh Passler - TheFinArtist.com Music Credits: Alexandra Woodward / Rabbit Reggae / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Cody Francis / Wherever You’re Going / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...
Nov 27, 2024•11 min•Season 2Ep. 22
Krista Tippett is an icon of reflection and moral imagination. As the creator and host of the radio program On Being, Krista’s voice has been a steadying for millions of listeners over the years, guiding conversations about life’s biggest questions, and inviting us to think more deeply. Krista and Carl venture into the complex and often messy relationship that we all have with money. Not just as a cultural force, but as something deeply personal. Together they examine the stories we inherit, the...
Nov 20, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Kara Swisher joins Carl for a wide-ranging conversation about money and meaning - from her early experiences with money to observing the habits of influential billionaires up close. If you’re not already familiar with Kara, her reputation precedes her: she’s direct, honest, and unapologetic about asking tough questions, especially to the wealthiest of individuals in our society. Over the course of her career, Kara has interviewed many of the most influential figures in the tech industry: Steve J...
Nov 13, 2024•49 min•Season 2Ep. 20
