By Ben McEachenFriday 24 Mar 2023Money: Faith & FinancePodcastsReading Time: 4 minutes
“If Glen James is your guru, you are going to be into trouble pretty fast.”
Financial adviser turned broadcaster, author and media commentator, the creator of my millennial money podcast and platform Glen James is a straight shooter – even about Glen being “your guru” in finance.
Speaking with Ben McEachen and Pete Burrows for Money: Faith and Finance, having just released Sort Your Career Out with co-author Shelley Johnson, Glen opened up about social media dangers, “telling it like it is” and his failures.
Glen also discussed the financial advice offered by looking at the “character of Jesus”.
Be careful out there
Glen has forged a massive following online.
Modern ways of sharing money matters have fertilised his influence and reach.
While he upheld the “net positive” of social media flooding us with financial advice, Glen suggested caution.
“Just because you have a big following doesn’t mean you know what you are doing,” he said.
“If Glen James is your guru, you are going to be into trouble pretty fast.
“But I can facilitate a conversation and encourage people.”
Glen said a good “rule of thumb” for weighing up what you find online is to take two next steps which are simple and necessary.
The first is to make sure you understand “the thing” that is being suggested to you (for example, cryptocurrencies).
The second is not to sink all your money in that one thing.
Telling it like it is
Glen’s known for such straight-shooting advice and he has found it cuts through with millennials.
Although, as a millennial, he acknowledged that he’s just being himself.
“I’m a pragmatist by nature; I’m a realist,” Glen said.
“At the end of the day, I just call it how it is.”
Glen gave a quick example of such “call it how it is” advice that can cut through to his core demographic.
“I’m sorry to offend but if you want a wedding, a new car, an international holiday, a dog and six months off to ‘eat, pray, love’ on a beach, I’m sorry but pick one only.
“And do it in order.
“We can’t always have it all unless you’ve got unlimited money.”
Sort your career out
Such tough love also applies to the way in which you earn or make money, according to Glen.
With the release of his new book, Sort Your Career Out, Glen and co-author Shelley Johnson want to provide practical and shrewd guidance about what to do for “Future You”.
Glen told Money: Faith and Finance that crucial to career development is putting effort into your starting point: you – in the here and now.
With a foundational focus upon where you want to get to and how.
“Go back to base camp and [ask]: ‘How can I invest in me and my career?'” Glen said.
“The more I can invest for ‘Future Me’ is the more I’m transferring my human capital into future investments.
“[Doing] that, you can really optimise your career and have a rewarding life.”
Biggest mistake
In keeping with someone who warned against seeing him as a “guru”, Glen is happy to concede financial failures.
“Failures? Have you got all day, or do you just want one?” Glen said.
As a recent example, Glen shared a personal purchase that went bad.
Despite leading my millennial money, Glen’s not immune from costly lessons.
Like the rest of us, Glen bought something online that took ages to arrive.
Thanks, supply chain issues.
After seven months, part of what he ordered arrived – kind of as the company he was dealing with slipped into liquidation.
“What would I do differently next time?” Glen said,
“I’m not buying any furniture that they want me to pay 100 per cent up front.
“Now, we’re in an era where we have to be a little bit more cautious.”
“Just look at the character of Jesus”
Several times during his conversation with Money: Faith and Finance, Glen mentioned “values”.
How your own beliefs, passions and convictions inform your money stuff.
Ben asked Glen how important such personal “values” should be.
Glen explained that he has written about “a famous Nazarene” and that his character traits can be applied to our own financial realm.
“In terms of faith-based principles, particularly in my teaching and my own life, you can look at general biblical themes,” Glen said.
“For example, just look at the character of Jesus.
“Would that character be generous?
“Would that character put himself second?”
“A famous Nazarene once said, ‘If you manage the small well, then you will be able to manage the big well.'”
Listen to the full interview with Glen James in the player above or subscribe now to Money: Faith and Finance.