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“Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!”

Yep, this sage articulation of things going completely off-rail by Dr. Peter Venkman immediately came to mind when I read Joe Saul-Sehy’s email asking me if I would like to participate in a Stacking Benjamins’ roundtable.

Really, Joe? Wasn’t it bad enough that you subjected poor Linda, Paula, and Greg to one of my twisted posts during a recent roundtable? Do you really need to scare off what few remaining listeners you have by bringing me on the show?

Haha! In all honesty, it was a true honor being asked to join a Stacking Benjamins’ roundtable. And I leapt at the opportunity for two reasons.

First, it’s a great freakin’ show, and it’s regularly listed as one of the best personal finance podcasts around (see here, here, and here). So I’d be crazy not to hook up with Joe and the gang via his dad’s shortwave radio.

The second reason I accepted is a little more embarrassing. My biggest fear in life is public speaking. I’m okay one-on-one or in a small group, but as soon as I have an audience, I freeze up and turn into a hyperventilating fool.

Being a lousy public speaker, of course, isn’t the end of the world. Just because you can’t perform Shakespeare in the Park or address a joint session of Congress doesn’t mean you’re destined to lead a dreary life. But we here in the personal finance blogosphere are always pushing our readers to step outside of their comfort zones. And for good reason. Risk-taking is the secret sauce of life. It’s how we create. It’s how we grow emotionally, financially, and intellectually. So rather than give Joe some BS excuse on why I couldn’t join the roundtable, I decided to confront my fears.

So how did I do?

Abysmally, of course. But that’s okay. Joe is a fantastic host. And my two fellow roundtablers, Eric Rosenberg and Hilary Hendershott, were very entertaining and very gracious. They made me feel like I belonged—although, Hilary did go after me a little toward the end of the podcast.

Okay, groovy freedomists, that’s all I got. Check out the link to the show below. Hopefully, you won’t find my cringe-worthy moments as numerous as I think you will. Peace.

Americans are Dying in Debt (Plus the Evil HR Lady)

32 thoughts on “A New, New Low for Stacking Benjamins

  1. I have to admit, I have never listened to Stacking Benjamins but I definitely will now. Congrats on facing your fear. I also suffer from this affliction. I had to do a reading at my Step Mother’s funeral 5 years ago who was a popular local politician. The Governor, a US Congressman, and the entire State House were in attendance. It was frightening. I almost have no recollection of the event. I was numb during the reading and couldn’t feel my legs. Despite how you did, you should be proud and practice makes perfect, so have another go.

    -Brian

    1. Wow, Brian. Addressing a huge audience with a lot of heavy hitters on such a solemn occasion must have been very nerve-racking. I don’t know if I could do that. It felt like my chest was going to explode just speaking into a mic–and I was all alone with a couple of beers to steady my nerves. Thank you for your kind words, my friend. And awesome job on rising to the occasion when your family needed you the most. You’re a better man than I.

    1. Thank you, Chris. I did better than I thought. But my accent is still scary. Hopefully, you don’t find it too distracting, my friend.

    1. Thank you, Kevin. I really appreciate it. I didn’t do as well as you did when you visited the basement, but I’ll take it.

    1. LOL! One day I’ll be able to wow the crowd. Right now, though, I need a lot of liquid courage to address an audience. Thankfully, Joe allows us to quaff our favorite libations during the taping. Without my PBRs, my performance would have been even more of a disaster.

  2. I’m lying in bed with my toddler right now, so actually listening to the podcast is going to have to wait, but I wanted to pop in to say congratulations – both on getting invited and on facing your fears!

    1. Haha! Toddlers before podcasts, that’s what I always say. Thank you for your kind words, Mrs. BITA. I really appreciate it.

    1. Thanks, Kevin. Yeah, I definitely approach finances and investing from a DIY, layperson’s perspective. Hillary and Eric are the consummate professionals in that regard. I think I was a little out of my league.

    1. Hey, your turn is coming. Good luck with I-85. Hopefully that bridge won’t be out of commission for too long.

    1. Thanks, TGS. I really appreciate it. Podcasts are great for the commute to work, too. Makes you feel like you’re doing something constructive.

    1. Thanks, Ty. It’s scary. I have a face for radio and a voice for the internet (internet 1.0, that is).

  3. Hahaha, I’m sure it’s going to be awesome. 🙂 I keep meaning to listen to more podcasts; it’s tough since I’m more of a visual person. But congrats on facing your fears and doing something fun! 🙂

  4. What the hell is Joe thinking? 🙂 I regularly listen to Stacking Benjamins show. Looking forward to giving your round table a listen.

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