Best Jesse Mecham Podcasts (2024)

1
What's the Purpose of Your Money | YNAB Founder Jesse Mecham 44:12

7d ago44:12

44:12

TITLE: What's the Purpose of Your Money | YNAB Founder Jesse Mecham Do you have trouble in your relationship with the money you earn? On today’s episode of Potent, Steven is joined by personal finance expert and founder of YNAB, Jesse Mecham, to discuss the philosophy and principles of YNAB (You Need a Budget), an app designed to help users align t…

1
Earning With Purpose 10:20

1h ago10:20

10:20

The first habit of YNAB is to give every dollar a job. We tend to think of it purely as a spending exercise, as in, what do these dollars need to do for me? Buy clothes, groceries, pay the rent, etc. But Jesse points out how this process of giving your dollars jobs can help you find more meaning in your earning, not just your spending. When you kno…

1
Making Sense (Part 1) | Andy Hickman 1:50:11

13h ago1:50:11

1:50:11

Making Sense (Part 1) | Andy Hickman What are your emotions really trying to tell and how can you use them to teach you? On part one of this two-part episode of Potent, Steven is joined once again by Andy Hickman, founder of hēl, as they explore self-awareness and personal growth through a live therapy workshop, highlighting the mapping of experien…

1
Tentacles and Rainbows 9:55

5d ago9:55

9:55

Money sinks its tentacles into nearly everything, and those tentacles can feel like, well, tentacles, or they can feel like rainbows. Jesse wants you to look at money and see rainbows, blessing all the facets of life that money touches. Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.you…

1
Escaping the Gravity Pull of Phones 25:08

7d ago25:08

25:08

Jesse shares one of his recent experiments, inspired by a guest on the Art of Manliness podcast. The challenge was to delete the apps on your phone, especially the ones you feel a "pull" from -- a pull to open it and check it every time you see it (most social media apps would meet this criteria for most people). As Jesse explains, phones don't jus…

1
You Need Frugality? 6:52

5d ago6:52

6:52

Frugality is a virtue. At least, that's what many people in the financial space would claim. Being frugal is commonly seen as a good thing, presumably because it enables you to save more money. The environmentally conscious might see value in frugality as a means to reducing overall consumption. YNAB, one could argue, aims to make you more frugal. …

1
Give Up, or Downshift? 9:44

9d ago9:44

9:44

Jesse shares a story about taking a group of kids hiking, and coming down with altitude sickness on the first day. He could have quit, but he figured out a way to re-route the hike where he could safely get through. It's not so different when working with personal finances. It's tempting to just quit when things get hard, or road blocks come up, bu…

1
Taking a Hard Look in the Reality Mirror 27:32

22d ago27:32

27:32

On previous epsidoes, Mark and Jesse have discussed the importance of scarcity, and how limitations drive creativity. Mark even goes so far as to argue creativity can't exist without limitations! YNAB, then, is a tool for viewing reality through the lens of money -- a reality mirror if you like. By understanding the tradeoffs you are making with yo…

1
Big Goals? Check. In the Meantime... 7:10

17d ago7:10

7:10

Big financial goals are great. It's what we live for at YNAB! But, life happens in between those big goals, and Jesse reminds you that it's ok to spend some money "in the meantime." Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook: …

1
A Fun Way to Do Fun Money 7:19

29d ago7:19

7:19

Jesse shares a fun way to handle "fun money" from long-time YNAB software engineer Kyle. Kyle suggests creating separate bank accounts for fun money with separate budgets as well. His method evolved from the desire to keep the visibility of fun money separate from his spouse, so they could 1.) take any judgment or guilt away from spending fun money…

1
Lessons from YNAB's Price Increase 42:09

25d ago42:09

42:09

Mark and Jesse discuss YNAB's recent price increase, and the psychology of customers around pricing. You can't make everyone happy, whether you justify the price increase by citing your own increased costs or by plainly stating your price increase without explanation or caveat. Jesse points out that some customers that have complained about the pri…

1
Befriend Your Inner Creative Genius | Prof. Elizabeth Wimer 54:10

28d ago54:10

54:10

What’s holding you back from reaching your fullest capability for creativity? On today’s episode of Potent, Steven is joined by Syracuse University’s Professor Elizabeth Wimer to discuss a range of topics from providing practical advice for avoiding burnout, to understanding the Pareto principle to identify impactful relationships, fostering creati…

1
The Utility (or Not) of the Month 5:28

1M ago5:28

5:28

We organize our lives by the calendar, and the calendar is organized into months. It's no surprise then, that we tend to think of finances in terms of months -- monthly payments, monthly contributions, having 3-6 months of expenses saved. The month has a lot of utility, but it is an arbitrary division of time. Jesse examines how the month can be us…

1
Maybe Just Buy the Thing (and Costco) 7:21

2M ago7:21

7:21

Jesse waxes poetic about Costco and how simple their model makes purchasing decisions. He also brings up the point that we often spend a lot of time searching for the best deal, for that one hot tip that will maximize our dollars for a certain purchase. Our time and attention is a resource as well, and perhaps we should just go buy the thing, and b…

1
Cheap Business Advice 31:28

1M ago31:28

31:28

Mark and Jesse reminisce about the early days of YNAB, and a conversation over lunch in which Mark gave Jesse (what he thought was) sage advice -- to raise prices. Genius right? Jesse recounts how they raised prices in the earliest incarnations of YNAB's product, from spreadsheets to software to software-as-a-service. He also candidly breaks down a…

1
Stealing Fire Back From Procrastination | Steven Lawson 26:18

1M ago26:18

26:18

Do you know the real cause of why you procrastinate? On today’s solo episode of Potent, Steven tackles the concept of procrastination, and how while many may view it as a lack of discipline, in reality it’s more rooted as a fear response. Through his experience with the Monk Manual and coaching entrepreneurs over the years, Steven identifies patter…

1
Let's Be Clear, I Hate Debt 10:52

2M ago10:52

10:52

Jesse delivers a good old fashioned rant about the evils of debt. While he may have softened his rhetoric over the past decade, Jesse is no less serious about his distaste for debt! Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook: …

1
Run Like You Stole Something (to HR) 8:30

2M ago8:30

8:30

Well meaning companies will bring in financial advisors to extol the virtues of investing in 401ks and matching plans, while some of their employees are still living paycheck to paycheck. With YNAB, you can take control of your money and get off the paycheck to paycheck cycle, then run to HR and take that 401k match like you stole it! Got a questio…

1
ChatGPT and Learning to Let Go of Control 38:18

2M ago38:18

38:18

After a conversation about using ChatGPT to organize the weekly recipe calendar for the Mecham household, Mark and Jesse talk about the concept of letting go of control in a business. Mark posits an idea: you can have control or you can have growth, but not both. And Mark hates it! Jesse draws a distinction between control of the business -- that i…

1
The Problem with Isolation - Community, Purpose, and Monks | Joe Rutten 51:18

2M ago51:18

51:18

Does placing too much importance on personal individualism separate us from each other more than we realize? On today’s episode of Potent, Steven is joined by Joe Rutten, Director of the Benedictine Leadership Institute at Mount Marty University, to discuss the importance and impact of communal monasticism based on the principles of St. Benedict. J…

1
Money Is Chaotic, Money Is Boring 6:34

2M ago6:34

6:34

Money can be chaotic, noisy, tinged with anxiety and fear. Or, with YNAB, it can be boring! At YNAB we strive for money to be boring, so that life can be rich, exciting, and full. Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook: @i…

1
Shock Absorbers 6:53

2M ago6:53

6:53

As the saying goes, "stuff" happens. Life throws curveballs, sometimes several in a row, and YNAB'ers prepare for this financially by following the Four Rules: Give every dollar a job Embrace your true expenses Roll with the punches Age your money Today's episode is mostly about rule #3. When you roll with the punches, you reassign money you have s…

1
The Hero's Journey of Customer Service 52:36

2M ago52:36

52:36

Mark and Jesse discuss the role of customer service in a business, and how the alignment of customer expecations with the business owner's strengths (or working genius, if you like) is crucial to customer satisfaction and avoiding burnout. Mark shares an example from his virtual CFO business, which was highly profitable but making him miserable as …

1
Understanding Yourself: MBTI, Enneagram, and Core Gift | Leslie McDaniel 58:18

3M ago58:18

58:18

Are you holding yourself back from knowing the real you? On today’s episode of Potent, Steven is joined by Leslie McDaniel to discuss her lifelong journey of self-awareness through personality typology and core gifts, as well as how her curiosity has shaped her life. Through emphasizing body awareness and presence, the two highlight some of the mos…

1
Category Tractor Beam, Sucked Me Right In 9:19

3M ago9:19

9:19

Those categories that you love to spend in, those categories that suck you right in. What if you could increase your spending in that category by 50%? Jesse challenges you that you can in fact do this, by honing in on the things you love, and the things you don't. Spend less on the things you don't love -- not because you are cutting! -- but so tha…

1
Can You Plan to Be Spontaneous? 5:57

3M ago5:57

5:57

According to Jesse, absolutely you can! In fact, YNAB enables you to be more spontaneous. Planning your spending with YNAB doesn't mean locking your dollars into rigid categories that cannot change. It means setting aside money ahead of time for the things you don't know you want yet. Many people who thrive on spontaneity unfortunately end up in fi…

1
What Is Your Working Genius? How to Avoid Frustration and Do the Work You Love 55:28

3M ago55:28

55:28

Mark and Jesse discuss Patrick Lencioni's The 6 Types of Working Genius, a book exploring various personality types and the kinds of work most suitable to each. It's more than a personality test however! Lencioni's model assesses people according to their genius, competency, and frustrations in six areas: Wonder: The natural gift of pondering the p…

1
5 Lessons on Transforming Unrest | Steven Lawson 30:31

3M ago30:31

30:31

Where is the unrest in your life truly coming from and what can be done about it? On today’s solo episode of Potent, Steven describes his personal journey with the Monk Manual and shares lessons he’s learned about honesty, dealing with unrest, embracing change, and focusing on serving others to achieve personal growth and reach one's full potential…

1
Helping Savers Spend 7:09

3M ago7:09

7:09

We tend to think of spending as a problem that needs to be solved, however YNAB encourages spending as a thing to be enjoyed, as long as that spending is in accordance with priorities and people understand the tradeoffs they are making when they spend. In the world of personal finance we also tend to think about people who are natural spenders, but…

1
Cheaper Milk and Eggs 8:32

4M ago8:32

8:32

Jesse fields a question from the YNAB team about how he stays positive in light of rapidly increasing grocery prices. Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook: @iYNAB Instagram: @youneedabudget Twitter: @ynab Tik Tok: @ynabo…

1
Why You Should Be Tracking Your Net Worth 35:36

3M ago35:36

35:36

In today's episode, Jesse discusses his net worth tracker, a basic spreadsheet in which he records the balances of his investments and other assets quarterly. For Jesse, net worth is the scorecard of personal finance -- it's a way of keeping track of what direction you are going with your money. However, scorecard is an impersonal way to describe n…

1
Returning back to your most authentic self | Kelly Wendorf 1:02:52

3M ago1:02:52

1:02:52

What’s stopping you from returning to the truest version of yourself? On today’s episode of Potent, Steven is joined by Kelly Wendorf, founder and CEO of EQUUS, as they talk about rewilding, authenticity, and integrating nature-based experiences for personal and professional development, along with the challenges of finding belonging beyond societa…

1
Ask Jesse: Heady Books and Final Settlement, Among Other Things 14:33

4M ago14:33

14:33

Jesse answers another round of questions from his inbox, including a number of suggestions for new books to read! Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email: askjesse@ynab.com Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com Follow YNAB on social media: Facebook: @iYNAB Instagram: @youneedabudget Twitter: @ynab Tik Tok: @ynaboffic…

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