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308 Diania Merriam - Financial Podcasting is on FIRE

Episode Summary

Diania Merriam is the Founder of The EconoMe Conference and host of the Optimal Finance Daily Podcast, a show that offers tips and discussions on budgeting, early retirement, investing, and other money matters. Today, Harry and Diania engage in a rich discussion on the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) Movement, what goes into curating and hosting your own conference, and the connection between standup comedy, voice acting, and podcasting.

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Key Takeaways

06:26 – Diania Merriam joins the show to share her experience at Podcast Movement, her views on higher education, and

12:53 – Brand extension and licensing and The EconoMe Conference

15:42 – Diania’s podcast origin story

20:21 – From NYC to Cincinnati6

22:49 – Mr. Money Mustache

26:19 – How Diania has grown by attending conferences and what she has learned from hosting them

40:53 – The FIRE Movement and voice acting

49:18 – Diania’s passion for standup comedy

55:31 – Something Diania has changed her mind about recently and the most misunderstood thing about her

57:22 – Harry thanks Diania for joining the show and lets listeners know where they can go to connect with her and learn more about EconoMe

Tweetable Quotes

“It was amazing. It was my second time going to Podcast Movement. This time I really got into the business side of podcasting, the industry stuff.” (07:34) (Diania)

“At the time, I wasn’t really looking at myself as a content creator. I was looking at myself as highlighting other content creators and giving them a literal stage to share their message.” (18:57) (Diania)

“I really wanted to create something that would create that feeling for people, but specifically for money. Money is an incredible tool that you can use to build the life of your dreams.” (23:47) (Diania)

“When you first discover the FIRE Movement, it’s super exciting. You start reducing all your expenses, increasing your income, and coming up with your investment strategy. But about five to seven years in, you kinda get bored. And it takes anywhere from five to twenty years to reach financial independence.” (41:23) (Diania)

“There’s actually a skillset that comes from reading out loud. We all had to do it when we were kids in school, right? I just remember being super nervous to mess up or say a word wrong. But now, after hundreds of episodes of just reading, it just comes a lot more naturally to me. I also find that I have more stamina now than I did in the beginning.” (48:26) (Diania)