“Earn Your Leisure” Is My Favorite Podcast About Budgeting, Credit, And Business: Here Are The Best Episodes
The financial tips I wish I learned in high school.
Earn Your Leisure is my favorite podcast by far. The show is hosted by Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings, two highly intelligent businessmen who bring on guests to speak about everything from student loans and credit to home buying and crypto.
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As someone who is gracefully entering the Elder Millennial phase of life, finances and business have become much more important to me. Plus, with inflation and the wealth gap threatening to destabilize everything we hold dear, it felt irresponsible of me not to at least brush up on how to make my money work for me in 2024.
Over the last couple of years, Earn Your Leisure has brought us some of the most insightful interviews with a wide range of guests. Here are my favorite episodes:
1. “How To Receive Student Loan Forgiveness; Secrets, Myths, Dos, And Don’ts with Sonia Lewis”
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Student loans are a big burden for millions of Americans. Although the Biden Administration has forgiven $168.5 billion in student loans for over 4 million borrowers, that’s a drop in the bucket. In this episode, Sonia Lewis, the self-proclaimed “Student Loan Doctor,” guides listeners through what to do with their student loans.
2. “50 Cent Exposes His TV Empire Blueprint, Diddy’s Fall, $100M Deal, And Spirits Industry Battle”
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50 Cent went from gangster rapper to media mogul, and I’m here for any words of wisdom he’s willing to drop. In this episode, Fif talks about his TV empire, the ups and downs of the liquor business world, and, of course, Diddy.
3. “Black Entrepreneur Empowerment Fund: Marketing Secrets, Mentorship, And Funding With Felecia Hatcher”
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We all know that wealth in the Black community is miles behind other communities in America. Whether that’s home ownership, business ownership, education, or credit, Black Americans are still feeling the ghost of Jim Crow. In this episode, Felecia Hatcher, who is the CEO of Pharrell William’s Black Ambition Opportunity Inc., author of Genius Jam, and marketing executive, dives into marketing, investing, funding, and other opportunities for the Black community.
4. “Stephen A. Smith On Being Fired From ESPN, TV Contracts, The Business of New Media, LeBron, And Regrets”
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Stephen A. Smith is arguably the biggest sports journalist in the world. His hot takes and electric energy aren’t for everyone, but nobody can say this man isn’t a storied professional. Hearing him talk about the business side of entertainment media in this episode was enlightening.
5. “Everything You Need To Know About Credit: Build Credit, Credit Cards, Child Credit, And Business Credit”
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Shonda Martin, a credit guru, sat down with Earn Your Leisure to discuss one of the most important topics in America: credit. If you’re building your credit, looking to buy a home, have kids, or operate a small business, I highly suggest soaking up this episode.
6. “Kamala Harris On Student Loan Forgiveness, Access to Capital, Black Business, And Affordable Housing”
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Her opponents have branded Vice President Harris as someone who doesn’t do press. Nonsense. Here, Harris sits down with Earn Your Leisure to speak about her economic plans. Although I’ll admit this interview is just Harris breaking down several of her popular talking points I’ve heard elsewhere, I thought it was really humble of her to sit down with Earn Your Leisure, a Black-owned podcast that isn’t a big media or commercial juggernaut.
7. “An Inside Look Into Music, Entertainment, And Politics With Icewear Vezzo, HaHa Davis, And Hill Harper”
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Some worlds are far more entwined than many would give credit. Here we have Icewear Vezzo, Haha Davis, and Hill Harper dropping gems about the intersection of hip-hop, politics, and business.
8. “Fat Joe On Getting Robbed By Accountant, Going To Jail For Taxes, Healthcare Crisis, And Being Betrayed”
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The kids may not know Fat Joe, but us veteran millennials remember the “Lean Back” days. The rap legend sat down to discuss his many business ventures, and his stories are always gold.
9. “Buy A House In 2025: First-Time Home Buyer Guide, Get Pre-Approved, Loans, And Real Estate Investing”
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Homeownership is the biggest indicator of wealth and the most important facet of building generational wealth. We know for most of America’s history, Black and brown people were either barred from buying property or were subject to racist laws and banking practices that made homeownership a nightmare. In this episode, Matthew Garland, a mortgage banker and investor, walks listeners through how to buy their first home.
10. “Van Jones On Jeff Bezos’s $100 Million Grant, Leaving Obama White House, And Changing Prison System”
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Van Jones, an esteemed lawyer who worked for the Obama Administration and also CNN, came through and discussed social justice and the dollars that fuel it. This one is a great peek into how real change is funded, and how actionable items are important for any movement.
11. “Rich Paul And Junior Bridgeman On $600 Million Business Blueprint, World’s Top Sports Agency, And LeBron”
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Rich Paul is LeBron James’ agent, and he’s built one of the most successful sports agencies on the planet with clients like Anthony Davis, De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Maxey, Lonzo Ball, Miles Bridges, Malcolm Brogdon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jordan Clarkson, Fred VanVleet, and many more. In this interview, he and Junior Bridgeman discuss building a successful business and working with stars and their egos.
12. “Mary J. Blige On Tax Issues, Strength Of A Woman, Divorce, Paying Alimony, Acting, Music, And Business”
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Mary Mary Mary… a goddess. The legendary diva has a wealth of knowledge, and she shares her stories about being a woman in Hollywood and how she handles her business. There are sooooo many gems in this one, you may need to watch it twice.
13. “Steve Harvey On Business Lessons, Keys to Success, Africa, And Wealth Tips”
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Steve Harvey has been a cultural staple since he had the afro. What hasn’t this man accomplished? On this episode, Mr. Harvey speaks about building wealth and Africa’s worth. Plus, he gives out several keys to financial and mental health.
14. “Shaq On Building A $400 Million Dollar Business Empire”
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A young Shaq once blew an entire million-dollar paycheck on luxury items and didn’t realize that some of the money was for taxes and other bills. He says that shaped his view on finances. We know Shaq as a multi-millionaire with several successful businesses, and here we get the candid NBA legend breaking down his steps to success.
15. “Rich Kleiman On Co-Building Kevin Durant’s Empire, Pickleball, Angel Investing, And ‘NYC Point Gods'”
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Rich Kleiman is another sports agent turned mogul, and has been Kevin Durant’s agent and business partner for ages. He and Durant started the media company Boardroom together, and in this episode, he breaks down investment and marketing on a level that made me want to go back to college.
What are some of your favorite financial podcasts? Do you enjoy Earn Your Leisure? Let me know in the comment section below!
