Podcast Episode - Gratitude

In this special Thanksgiving episode, producer Robert shares why he’s thankful for the experience of working with Suze and KT..

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Podcast Transcript:

November 23rd, 2023. Welcome to the Women and Money podcast. As well as everyone smart enough to listen. I'm Robert Suze and KT's producer and today is Thanksgiving Day. Suze and KT actually had their Thanksgiving dinner celebration yesterday because today, right now, if you're listening in the early morning, they are on a boat Wahoo fishing.

Today, November 23rd is the first time all year when the weather is perfect for Wahoo fishing. And KT and Suze are so excited to be able to go and Suze told me to tell you that she was very thankful that she is healthy enough to be on the boat right now with KT and Colo.

If they catch any Wahoo, Suze will post a picture of it on the Women and Money community app, which if you don't already know you can get for free from the Apple apps or Google Play Store

For today's podcast, Suze thought it would be an interesting idea for you to hear from me. So I'm gonna take a few minutes and tell you why I am thankful for Suze and KT and why I'm thankful for being a part of this podcast,

Suze, KT and I have been working together a little over five years. In fact, it was five years ago, this past September. In 2018, we met because I was working in a big radio company and part of a small team who was building a podcast network in there. And Suze Orman was gonna bring the Women and Money podcast, which she had just started, over to this network.

So we're in this big meeting and it's Suze and KT and Sarah, who you may remember from the early days of the Women and Money podcast, as well as people from the network, editorial, folks, marketing people, sales people, and they're all going around, the people from the network are all going around doing these presentations on why this network was the best place for Suze to bring this new podcast. And I get introduced by the head of editorial as this is Robert, we're assigning him to you go.

Now, you should have seen the look on Suze's face. You see, nobody assigns anyone to Suze. She'll choose you.

I was honestly really taken aback because I didn't expect to be introduced that way. So I said to Suze, listen, my job is to listen to what your ideas are and help you execute on those...if you want to work together.

So, right, as I'm explaining my philosophy and we're kind of getting in a groove. The head of the network breezes in, by the way, this person was not in the meeting and says, oh, Suze Orman, great to meet you big fan. Listen, I'm really sorry, but I double booked this room for a sales meeting. So can you all go find somewhere else to go?

Can you believe that the head of a major media organization comes in and says, hey, you gotta go. I have a meeting about making money that is more important than this opportunity, which also could have made us money, right? Just doesn't make any sense.

I'm surprised that Suze didn't leave right then and there. But we went into another room and picked up with the rest of the meeting. I think the marketing people were up next and they decided to tell Suze all of these great ideas they had for topics for the Women and Money podcast. All of these ideas had nothing to do with what women and money is all about. They were just so far off the mark again. I'm surprised Suze didn't get up and walk out of there right then.

But the meeting wound down. And everyone else left. Suze asked me to just stick around for a couple of minutes and says, she'll give it a try, but she only wants to deal with me. And I said, why? And she said, well, you're the only one that listened to what I want.

So let's see if you can do it.

Here's why I wanted to do this. Now, in my career, I have produced politicians and pundits and business leaders and reality show, uh folks and movie stars. And every time I say, why do you want to do a podcast?

The first thing they say is, well, it seems like an easy way for me to make money.

This was gonna be an opportunity for me to work with someone whose primary goal in using the podcast medium is to help people. Of course, I, I wanted to be part of that. I wanted to do something good.

Now, if you've been with us for the last five years, you know, that four years ago, Suze left that network when her deal was up and took the show on her own and asked me to follow her, which of course I did.

So why am I telling you this origin story of sorts? One, because I think it's important for us to have fulfilling lives and fulfilling careers, to know why we're doing what we do. We work really hard on making the women and money podcast and the motivation for each and every episode is always the same. How can Suze and KT help you... you, live a strong, confident and financially secure life.

The other reason I'm telling you this here is I want you to know how thankful I am for this opportunity. Yeah, I get paid to produce this show, but it's not just the money that makes this a rewarding experience. I honestly believe in the mission. And it's because I believe in the mission of the Women and Money podcast that working with Suze and KT doesn't feel like a job.

It um it feels more of a vocation, a calling to be honest.

And I'm thankful that our relationship has evolved to where Suze, KT and I are real friends. We talk or text all the time, even when we're not discussing the podcast.

I'm thankful for what I've learned and continued to learn from Suze and KT, the invaluable financial guidance, but also the life perspective from two people. I cherish we've all been in work situations or life situations that just they're not right. They don't fit well. But in those situations, if we try and find something positive, it could lead to other really great things,

Suze and I joke all the time about how the only good thing to come out of our time at that network was meeting each other. The universe put us through that ridiculousness so we could meet each other and grow this. I believe that if you approach your work from a positive mission perspective, the money will come.

If you start from a place of bringing peace and joy to others in your work, then what you do will be more rewarding and of all the jobs that I've had the best ones have been when I've had that mindset, the jobs I took for granted the jobs where I only cared about getting the next raise or climbing some stupid invisible corporate ladder.

All of those jobs drain me physically and emotionally.

I was miserable, made the people around me miserable. And of course, those jobs went away.

But, like working with Suze and KT, when the things I have done start with that mission of helping informing educating ha those gigs have and continue to be amazing and highly rewarding experiences.

Something to think about while we're reflecting on what we're thankful for today. And you know what, I'm also thankful for the women and money community. I'm thankful that you listen, that you tell your friends to listen and that you want to continue to learn from Suze and KT.

So Suze will be back on Sunday. And again, we wanted you to hear a different perspective on how when we come from a place of love and service, when we use our profession to make the world a more peaceful, joyful and loving place.

We really are unstoppable. Happy Thanksgiving.