Latest / The Standard / The Financial Coach Helping Athletes Answer 'Now What?' After the First NIL Check | Ep. 64 Leslie Callison

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The Financial Coach Helping Athletes Answer 'Now What?' After the First NIL Check | Ep. 64 Leslie Callison · The Standard

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, we're recording.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: Fantastic.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the standard podcast where we raise the bar, rebuild the culture, and call out the lies or misconceptions that nobody else will.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: This isn't motivation, this is a movement.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Thomas Rowe, joined by my host, Aaron Starles, and today we're super excited.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: We're sitting down with Leslie Callison, a financial coach who works with collegiate athletes at one of the most financially consequential moments of their lives, helping them answer the critical question that follows every first check.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Now what?
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: Leslie's journey is one of purposeful convergence.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: After 16 years teaching high school personal finance and 27 years of sports production, she found herself at the perfect nexus of her next experience, passion, and purpose.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: This unique combination positioned her to serve athletes during a transformational time in college athletics, the NIL era.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: Through Unburdened, Leslie has created an approach that goes beyond traditional financial advice.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: Her philosophy isn't about telling money how to behave, it's about helping athletes understand their own behavior with money.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: She focuses on transferring the discipline, focus, that and drive that made athletes great in their sport into financial habits that will serve them for the rest of their lives well beyond the game.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: What makes Leslie's perspective so powerful is her understanding that athletes already possess the core qualities needed for financial success.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: They know discipline, they understand goal setting, they've mastered delayed gratification and sustained effort towards long-term objectives.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: Leslie's role is helping them recognize their strengths and apply them to financial decision making.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: Her work addresses a crucial gap in athletic development.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: While athletes receive extensive training for physical and competitive excellence, they offer enter the NIL area without any financial literacy or behavioral understanding of money management.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: Leslie brings, Leslie bridges the gap between Leslie bridges the gap by treating financial education as skill development, not just informational transfer.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: As someone who has witnessed both the educational challenges students face with money and the unique presence of athletic competition, Leslie brings authentic understanding to athlete navigating, athletes navigating their first significant earning opportunities.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Her mission through Unburdened is helping athletes build financial confidence and habits that extend far beyond their playing careers, ensuring that their athletic excellence translates into lifelong financial success.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: We're diving into the truth behind what it really takes to build identity, discipline, and legacy in sports and in life.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get into it.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: Leslie, we're super excited you're joining us.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for making the time.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my goodness.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_02: Always thrilled to be in a room with both of you, even if it is a virtual one.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_02: I love it.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Leslie, you work with collegiate athletes at one of the most financially consequential moments in their lives through Unburdened.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: What does raising the standard mean to you and the work you're doing with athletes in financial education?
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_02: Well, so thinking of raising the standard, you know, it it goes back to being in battle.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_02: And the standard bearer would raise the flag of the troop, of the kingdom, whatever, whatever that banner represented.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_02: And they were the physical rallying point of the troops when there was chaos around, when there's smoke, when there's you know noise and just complete chaos in a hand-to-hand battle.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_02: They were the ones that rallied.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_02: So not only was it to help troops that might have been and soldiers that were disoriented, but it also boosted morale.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_02: And so when I think of raising the standard with what I am doing, that is exactly what I want to do.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_02: I want to cut through the noise of our culture.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_02: I want to cut through the noise of things that they have been taught, maybe even unconsciously about how to handle money and what to do with money.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_02: And I want to have a standard that they can rally around, like something that can boost their morale, that they can that can cut through all the smoke, the noise, the haze, the gore, all of it, and that they can they can find that and kind of get re-centered and refocused.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: What's the biggest lie that you feel the culture of the financial industry has sold athletes about money, financial planning, and what happens when they start earning significant income for the first time?
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_02: I, for me, without a doubt, I think the biggest lie that is sold in terms of finances in our culture is that that lie of consumerism, that if you have a void, that there is something out there you can buy that will fill that, that will satisfy, that will satiate you.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_02: And I would love for athletes to understand that while buying things is not not wrong, it's not wrong to want things or have things, but sometimes what you're chasing, what you're trying to assuage and fulfill, it's not found in the purchasing of the things, whether it's the shoes, the cars, the jewelry, whatever it might be.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_02: And so I would, I really want them to be able to drill down and understand, okay, what is at the root of what I'm feeling?
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_02: Let's figure that out before we try to satisfy it with something that the culture encourages encourages us to purchase.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: For sure.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: You've spent 13 years teaching high school personal finances and 27 years in sports production before finding yourself at the perfect nexus of your next experience.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: How did this combination prepare you for helping athletes navigate NIL?
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_02: You know, one of the biggest things that when I was teaching high school, so had I started this journey back at the beginning when I first started teaching, I think I would have been a little more rigid in my approach because when I started, it was in following certain guidelines.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_02: Like, for instance, Dave Ramsey, we were able to use his curriculum, and his is very regimented.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_02: It's like baby steps, like you follow this and that's all you do.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_02: But I think after working for 13 years with a whole host of different students, they came from different backgrounds, different financial backgrounds, different some emotional support, you know, in their backgrounds.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_02: I think it has given me an idea of seeing that, well, there's a lot of grace to be given in meeting people where they are, and that one person's journey is not the next person's journey.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_02: And so I think that that is one thing that I love that now I'm getting to start that journey with having that idea of grace being in the background of all of this.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_02: Because had I started it, you know, 16 years or so ago, it wouldn't have been the same.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I would have had to, I just don't think I would have treated the journey, the outcome the same.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_02: And so yeah, I'm very grateful for that, that I was able to meet and learn from all of these different people so that I can help clients going forward.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: For sure, no question.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: On that one, let's turn it over to segment two with Aaron Identity and Money Behavior.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron, take it away.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, perfect.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Leslie.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_01: I do love what you said about the biggest lie being the consumerism piece, like somehow something we're gonna buy is gonna make us feel better, which is it's just that that one hit me.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_01: So I get to talk to you more about who is Leslie.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: So beyond everything that Thomas shared is the introduction as an educator, sports production professional, founder of Unburdened, who is Leslie beyond all of those accolades?
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_02: Oh man, that is a broad.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_02: So and something I feel like I'm still discovering.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's funny how you you just become, you become more aware, I think, as life goes on.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_02: I joke that I was like, I if if gray hair represents wisdom, I have a lot of it now at this point in my life, but I still am, I still am kind of learning who I am.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's interesting when I was teaching, my identity was one thing.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_02: I was a teacher and then becoming a mom and then becoming an entrepreneur, like all of these things, it is like this psychological excavation of uncovering things.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, I didn't even know that was in there until I started on this different part of my journey, right?
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_02: So I think I'm still ever becoming, but I think as an educator, what I did discover is that, oh, I really do have a heart for kids.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_02: I really do have a heart for students to really learn, especially learning things that are valuable.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_02: There's actually a scripture, Ecclesiastes 10, 10, that says using a dull ax requires great strength.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_02: So sharpen the blade.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_02: That's the value of wisdom.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_02: It helps you succeed.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_02: And so kind of even tying back to raising the standard, but figuring out who I am.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_02: Like that is, I'm like, oh, I want to help these kids sharpen their axe.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_02: Like that's really what I want to give to them.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, trying to encompass that in a business, like it's just anyway, yes, it's it's leading me to a whole new discovery of different things.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_02: But really at the root, that's what I have discovered.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_02: I truly do have a passion for that and for these athletes so that they can start their journey off well and not get 10 years looking back with regret on what they didn't do with the money when they had it.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_01: That's so awesome.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: I we're on an excavation, everybody.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_01: We're all the time.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_01: We're unlayering who we're really supposed to be.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and there's we're on an ever-going journey, like there's no end destination.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: So, what I love most about what you do is your approach isn't about telling money how to behave.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_01: It's about helping athletes understand how their own understand their own behaviors with money.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_01: So, what does legacy beyond just financial success mean to you, especially as someone helping athletes build lifelong habits?
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_02: I so legacy is something that keeps going.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_02: And it can out, I feel like legacy, if you do it well, it outlasts me.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_02: So when I'm instilling these things, when I'm helping these kids, like I just mentioned, sharpen their acts because their income is a great tool.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_02: And in order for that tool to be used efficiently, it does need to be cared for, it needs to be sharpened because it's not effective if it's not.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_02: Also, a dull tool can actually be fairly dangerous sometimes.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you tend to hear that people get hurt more with a dull knife than than a sharp one.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_02: So I think leaving something that lasts and that old adage of, you know, the teaching the person to fish and they can, you know, they can sustain themselves, they can have themselves taken care of for, you know, their whole life if they learn the skill of getting the fish.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's where that's what I love is to think that as I'm educating people, that it goes with them for their whole life.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_02: It's not just about this temporary spot in their athletic career.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_02: This is really, this is stuff that goes way beyond that, that impacts them, their relationships in the future with their spouses, with their children, with their grandchildren.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_02: So it really is something that can have a powerful ripple effect.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_01: That's so true and so amazing.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, like learning these skills now, yeah, affect every relationship you have, because money unfortunately affects every relationship that you're in.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_01: And so with that, you focus on transferring the discipline, focus, and drive that made the athlete great or makes the athlete great in their sports into financial habits.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_01: So, in your experience, what separates athletes who successfully make this transfer from those who struggle with money despite their athletic success?
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I think some of it is that sometimes knowledge is not enough.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_02: And it really does come down to the behavior and the understanding like what you are doing with money.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_02: But I also think, so number one, I do want every athlete to at least recognize that they have the possibility of becoming financially successful.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_02: Now, financially successful is defined differently by everyone.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_02: It's not about a dollar amount necessarily, although it could be, but it's just whatever, whatever they define it as.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_02: So I do first want the athlete to understand that they have the possibility, regardless of where they come from, how much money they are currently earning, what has been modeled for them, that they all have that possibility because the very thing that got them to the field, to the court, wherever it is that they play, the discipline, the things that they did, right?
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_02: They showed up, and it's not often glamorous.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_02: They showed up and they did the same drills day after day.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_02: They showed up and did practices and ran the same reps, they did the conditioning day after day.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_02: These are not glamorous things, but it is what led them to success.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_02: They use the tool they were given, their talent, and they've honed it because talent only gets them so far.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_02: It's the same with income.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_02: Your income only gets you so far.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_02: You have to show up and do the same sort of boring, mundane things, right?
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_02: You're you're budgeting, you know, time after time, you're saving time after time, maybe you're investing time after time again.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_02: You're you're evaluating your spending and you're purchasing time after time.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_02: So it's doing showing up and doing those repetitive things that that get you to the success, to the performance that you want.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_02: So it really is such a lateral transfer.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_02: But I think getting the kids to buy in that no matter, again, where you start, you have the opportunity.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_02: It may take more, just like in a football game, if I'm starting at the other team's 10-yard line, I have a lot less to go to get into the end zone than I do if I'm starting at my own 10.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_02: But there's possibility to score is still there.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_02: I just will take more strategy.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_02: It will take more discipline, it will take more intentionality, you know, so it will take a little bit more work, but the possibility is there.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_02: So I do think for those that have ended up successful, there may be a different starting point for them.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_02: But I do think ultimately it it is amounting to buying in.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_02: Like, do you, number one, do you know it's a possibility and do you believe that it's a possibility?
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_01: That's so good.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: That's I love that, Leslie.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_01: What's one truth you wish every athlete, parent, or coach understood about money behaviors and financial habits that most financial educators completely miss?
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_02: Ooh, that's a good one because there are so many good financial educators out there, people that do have such great wisdom.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_02: I do think it kind of goes back to what I was just saying, that there is everybody has the possibility to achieve financial success.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_02: The road may look different for you.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_02: It may take you longer than the person sitting next to you who's maybe making more money or maybe comes from a better family support.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, there's no doubt that that helps tremendously, right?
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_02: Some people we just start with a leg up versus others that maybe don't have that familial support.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_02: So I think recognizing that possibility, but I also, and this is taught out there, so I don't want to say nobody else is saying it, but understanding at 18, 19, 20, 21 years old how valuable the time that you have is when it comes to your money.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_02: If you can start putting a little bit away, if and I'm not talking about major investing, it can be it's the beauty of having time on your side is that you can do it with a little bit, but understanding how impactful that can be on your financial journey if you're starting now, I would love for everybody, regardless if you're an athlete or not, I would love for them to understand that because that time is something you can never get back.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_02: You can earn more money possibly later, but that time it you will never get back what is what is going on right now and the length of time that you have to grow your money.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_01: That's yeah, yeah.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's so important in that, yeah, they think they have more time and it's like no start now, because that you don't get back to your point.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: That's really profound.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_01: With that, I'm going to turn it over to Thomas and he's going to take us through the next section.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: Great.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks, Aaron.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: Leslie, this next segment is advice across all stages.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_00: If you knew then what you know now, if you could sit down with yourself before you understood the connection between athletic discipline and financial success, what would you tell that version of Leslie about the importance of behavioral focused financial coaching?
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_02: Oh gosh, myself, my old young self would not want to listen to my old self.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_02: I would have too much to say.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_02: I think, you know, there are so many, oh my gosh, so many things I would love to go back.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_02: And but I think that, and I don't even know that it always has to do with the financial journey, but I think number one, I would tell my young self, like, laugh at yourself more.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_02: Don't take yourself so seriously.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_02: You know, there you will have plenty of opportunities to laugh and just do like it's just it makes things way easier, you know, if you don't take yourself very seriously.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_02: I think though, the other thing I would tell myself is figure out ways to be persistent.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_02: I was very blessed, very fortunate to grow up in a household that was very stable, that I did not want for anything that was a necessity in life and even had some extra.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_02: And things sort of came easy.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_02: So school was very easy.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I was I was did fairly well in my athlete, in the athletics, you know, that I was involved in in my community.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_02: When I first started applying for jobs, I would pretty easily get the job, which has its positives, right?
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_02: That those are good things.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_02: But the downside is that I never really learned how to work for something or like push through for something that wasn't coming easily.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_02: So I think if I could give my young self advice, it would be to figure out a way to find that muscle and work it a little bit, you know, because now, you know, Erin was asking, like, what, you know, who I am now.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_02: Well, this is one of the lessons I'm learning now.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_02: It's like, oh, I just want to crumble in a ball sometimes when it gets hard, but it's like I've got to figure out how to push through and find that persistence, the drive, the determination, the grit that is sometimes formed in those harder circumstances.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_02: And then the other thing I would definitely tell myself would be to find mentors.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_02: I've always had a value on competence and intelligence, you know?
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_02: And so I think sometimes I confused the idea of asking for help or looking for mentorship as this reflection that I wasn't somehow capable or competent, which is so backwards.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_02: And so I wish that I would have found the humility to have asked for the help and really been mentored by people along my journey.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_02: So, yeah, those are really like the three big ones that I would definitely want to tell my high school self on the cusp of graduating.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that's great advice to find a mentor, not just financially, but athletically.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, we that's one of the things we tell these young athletes when they go to college.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_00: Let's say you're you know a wide receiver, definitely find a mentor within that wide receiver room that can help guide you through the culture of the program, even down to NIL and navigating the NIL and the transport portal.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: So that's what about current college athletes who are earning their first NIL checks, but may not understand how to translate the athletic discipline into financial habits.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_00: What do they need to know about now what, about that now what moment?
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_02: The now what moment, well, for sure, we've got to include, I think the number one thing most people would say would be taxes, right?
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_02: Because that is definitely something that, I mean, shoot, I was like 30 years old even before I fully understood what like a W4, how it impacted my taxes and all that.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_02: So how I mean, I can't expect an 18-year-old to really have it all figured out, but understanding the difference between your gross pay, you know, and what's going to be end up being your net pay.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_02: So figuring out that end of it and what do you need to set aside for taxes within your state and for federal, maybe even within the municipality, because sometimes you know, cities and counties tax additionally as well.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_02: And so understanding that component, setting that aside so it's not accidentally spent.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_02: And then also pause, like pause before you start spending anything, you know, and also, so I was just talking, so agency, like the the dealing with contracts, that is definitely not my specialty.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_02: But I was speaking with somebody who it is his, and he was talking about different clients that he has helped, that they get enamored with the big number.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_02: So they think, oh, I just signed a$2 million deal.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_02: He's like, well, wait a second, because when you look at this contract, you only get$500,000 the first year.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_02: And then maybe the second year you get another million, and then maybe the the backloaded, it's backloaded with, you know, incentivized rest of the deal.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_02: So also don't go spending as if you already have the money, or because the contract's in front of you, if the ink isn't on there yet, you know, don't go out and buy your car in advance of thinking this check is coming in.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_02: That there you just could have some surprises if you haven't really looked at or understood what you signed, also.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_02: So don't get too in too big of a rush.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_02: There's plenty of time to buy things, but I just hit that pause button and let's and figure out kind of a plan for what you really want to do with that money.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_02: What are your goals?
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_02: What are your values with the money?
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_02: And is the spending you're planning, is it aligning with those things and supporting those things?
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: You kind of touched on it, but uh the NIL era has created unprecedented earning opportunities for college athletes and even high school.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_00: But it also has unprecedented financial responsibilities.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_00: You touched on that a little bit more.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get it a little deeper.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_00: How do you help athletes build financial confidence when they may have never managed?
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Significant amount that significant amount of money before.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_02: The first place, well, number one, when I sit down with an athlete, so we have a conversation just kind of about where they are currently, you know, then the numbers, their their expenses, their earnings, all of that.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_02: And then figuring out, okay, what have you tried before?
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_02: What are your thoughts with money?
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_02: What are you wanting to do with your money?
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_02: So really for me, I love starting at that goal place.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_02: I want to see because it's like planning a vacation.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_02: I can pack, I can do all those things.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_02: If I have no idea where I'm going, like how do I, you know, how do I know that my plans are going to going to get me there?
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_02: Like maybe I've booked a bus and I'm trying to get to London, England.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_02: Well, that bus isn't going to do me a whole lot of good, you know, or I've packed my swimsuit to go ski in the mountains.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's just so it's like you have to have that end destination in mind.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_02: So I think when that gets solidified, all of the other things sort of start falling into place.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_02: And when we walk through that, I also think that gives them a picture of how it's supposed to look when I'm thinking through these decisions.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_02: So it's hopefully modeling a framework that they can use even after we stop meeting, that they can say, okay, here's my goal.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_02: Here's what I want to purchase.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_02: And how do I, you know, thinking through like here's pros, here's cons, here's how, here's how it supports it.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_02: Here's the opportunity cost of maybe what I'm giving up if I do that thing.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_02: So really creating that framework, I think that is what gives them the confidence to not only sit with me and do it, but to take those skills and do it on their own, hopefully, you know, again, the rest of their lives.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_00: No doubt.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_00: And lastly, before I turn it over to Aaron, for parents and coaches of athletes, what do they need to understand about supporting athletes through financial decisions and helping them develop healthy money behaviors?
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_02: I think so.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_02: I love it.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_02: If if students have the great parental and coach support, it's wonderful.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_02: One thing I would like to encourage people is to think, number one, let's applaud the good that they are doing first before we maybe criticize the part that we don't like.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_02: So if they are saving$10 out of their paycheck, great, let's celebrate the fact they're saving anything, right?
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_02: So let's applaud the good before maybe we start trying to guide them into better decisions with the part maybe that they're not doing so well.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_02: But also remember that they are individuals, that they have their own individual goals and values.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_02: So while you might not think they're doing exactly everything perfectly with their money, they may be doing good enough things with their money and they just may have different goals and values with that.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_02: So remember as well that it's not a matter of trying to fit them into this hole, this you know, like pigeonholing them.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_02: It really is about supporting where they are with the things that they also value.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_02: So giving them a voice and some autonomy in that, even as you are guiding them.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, just remembering it's not about like beating them over the head, you know, with what we think they should be doing with the money, but really kind of meeting them with where they are and guiding them within their own desires and ideas and thoughts about money.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_00: 100%.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_00: It takes a village, doesn't it?
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, absolutely.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_00: On that one, we're gonna turn it over to Aaron with segment five, rapid fire round.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_00: Aaron, take it away.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, this one's fun, Leslie.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_01: I'm just gonna start the sentence and you're gonna finish it.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_01: So discipline equals.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_02: Ooh, consistency.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_01: Leadership equals vulnerability.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_01: Ooh, financial competence equals.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_01: Security.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_01: Legacy equals lasting.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_01: What's one thing that you would never compromise on?
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_02: I know I should probably say something like real profound, like with my family.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_02: Never is also a very big word, too.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_02: But I think one thing that I think about is with when specifically with my financial coaching, when I'm working with clients, one thing I'd like to think that I would never compromise on is how I'm treating the client that's in front of me.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_02: So, regardless of how much they are earning, also how they are earning that money or how they are spending the money, it may not align with my values or what I think is the quote unquote right thing, but I won't treat them any differently as far as helping them or guiding them.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_02: And so I do feel like that to me is one thing I I don't believe I would compromise on.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_01: And if you could put one message up on a billboard for athletes, parents, and coaches about money, what would your message be?
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, I think, boy, that's hard.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_02: How big of a billboard do I have?
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so I think that I would want the one thing I would want to know, it's like, or want them to know is that income is your greatest tool and time is your greatest ally at this point in your life.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_01: Ooh, that's good.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_01: That is so good.
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_01: With that, that was so quick.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_01: You were amazing.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_01: Loved it.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_01: I would turn it back over to Thomas.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks, Aaron.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_00: So, Leslie, in closing, what we like to do is we like to turn over the floor to our guests.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_00: Is there anything that we didn't touch on today that you feel athletes, parents, or coaches need to hear about financial coaching and money behavior?
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, I do.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_02: I think because a lot of the people that are rather loud in this space that and maybe become well known, they do so based on a platform of if you do ABC, then likely you will get to results XYZ.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_02: And what I do want people to understand is while that definitely may work, it also there are a lot of people that that does not work for.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_02: That personal finance is very personal, it's very nuanced.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_02: And just because you want to do, you know, M and O doesn't make it any less right than, you know, the version of ABC.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_02: So I just do want people to understand that where you are in your journey is where you are.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_02: Like that you can only do at that point.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_02: I remembered so Jelly Roll, the the musician, he had talked about a journey of his faith, and he got turned away, kind of turned off by one experience.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_02: And he's like, you know, I wonder what would have happened if they had met me where I was in my journey instead of where they thought I should be.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_02: And so that is what I really want people to understand is wherever you're starting is fine.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, we that I can, or you know, people that are good at the financial coaching or the advising, we can meet you at that point and then move you along.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_02: So it's not about thinking where I think you should be, it's about meeting you where where you are and understanding it's a very personal journey.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_00: My next question, Leslie, let's play make-believe.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_00: If we had some of the big NIL contracts that some of these athletes get, what would be the car of your dreams?
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_00: Money was no object.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh, the car of my dreams.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I so I have to confess, I'm not a huge car person.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_02: So I don't always know all the the latest, the fun ones, but can I just say that I would just love like a newer version of a souped up my minivan?
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_02: Like I know it's not like sexy or glamorous, but I love my minivan.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_02: It has been the best vehicle that I've ever had.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_02: So if I could just get like a newer version, maybe with the lift gate, you know, where you could swipe your foot under it and the thing raises or whatever, if I have an arm full of groceries, I I mean it's kind of vanilla, kind of boring, but I think that's what I would want.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_00: No, I I love it because I'm right there with you.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_00: You know, this is one of the questions we ask a lot of our athletes that we deal with.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_00: And you have everything from a Ferrari to Lambo to, you know, everything under the sun.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_00: And I and I'm right there with you.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, just give me a really good solid 4x4 SUV here in Denver where I can go skiing and not have to worry about it.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_02: I know.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_02: I know I can afford the insurance on the minivan too.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know if I could on the Lamborghini.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: And then the question is if you could go for a 10-day vacation anywhere in the in the anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, where would you pick?
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_02: Oh goodness, 10 days sounds delightful for one thing.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_02: I am going somewhere with a beach because I for 10 days would plant myself on that beach with my pile of books.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_02: I would love some water and some Cheez-Its, and you can just leave me under the umbrella with the sound of the waves, and I'm and I'm good to go.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_00: I love it.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: I love it.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_00: That is those are some real answers, which we absolutely love that makes you such an incredible guest.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_00: Leslie, where can people connect with you?
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_00: Whether that's your website or your social media handles or even an email.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, of course.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_02: So I do have a website.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_02: It's unburdenedcoaching.com.
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_02: And my email is just Leslie, L E S L I E at unburdenedcoaching.com.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_02: Always welcome emails.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_02: I am on TikTok as N-I-L Money Coach Leslie.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_02: I'm on Instagram under unburdened financial coaching, and I am on LinkedIn, which is just under Leslie Callison.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_02: And I tend to typically LinkedIn, the content is a little more geared towards like the athletic directors, the coaches, those types of relationships, whereas Instagram and TikTok are more directed to athletes.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um and I've tried to put some stuff on value with value on those platforms, talking about, you know, just different tips and things with behavior and some framework kind of that I've had developed as a high school teacher.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_02: So really trying to bring some value and some education and quicker snippets on those spaces.
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_00: I love it.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_00: I love it.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_00: Leslie, thank you so much for showing us what it really looks like to combine education, athletic understanding, and financial coaching to serve athletes at their most consequential moment.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_00: And team, if this conversation hits you, do two things for us.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_00: One, share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_00: An athlete earning their first NIL money, a parent helping their child navigate financial decisions, or a coach who wants to support athletes beyond competition.
• 32:35
  SPEAKER_00: And two, connect with Leslie.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna have all of our handles in the show notes, but you can again you can find her on LinkedIn as well as on Burdens.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_00: And if this and if you're an athlete, parent, or coach ready to raise the standard, check Aaron and myself out at blueprintbluechip.com.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_00: We work with athletes during the game with their families, coaches, and accelerate to the next level.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_00: And if this episode has resonated with you, leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_00: It helps us reach more athletes, parents, and leaders who need to hear this message.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_00: This is the standard podcast, and this movement only grows when we raise the standard together.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_00: Talent fades, but truth endures.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_00: Let's raise the bar, rebuild the culture, and become the standard.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_00: Leslie, Aaron, thank you so much, team.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_00: We'll see you next time.