Open Account With Suchin Pak

In 2018, when Darren Marshall took over as CEO of Smith Teamaker, his goal was to take the company from high-end boutique to major retail force. However, that kind of change doesn’t happen without some tough and painful decisions that left everyone wondering ‘is this worth it?’ But, as Darren and his head teamaker, Ravi Kroesen discovered, it was worth it--because if it weren’t for that “pain,” they wouldn’t be prepared to pivot and be one of the few companies now experiencing unprecedented success in the middle of a pandemic...

Thirty years ago, Scott Showalter wanted to be a classical pianist. But when he realized that despite his skill, life as a working artist wasn’t financially viable, he left music to get an MBA--a decision that decades later led him back to music, as CEO of the Oregon Symphony. And now he's in the position of dealing with the same questions he faced as an artist. The only difference: this time his answer doesn't just affect him, but 100s of people, including musicians, whose future depends on his decisions... 

How do you know when it's time to 'throw in the towel'? It's a question most of us face at some point in our lives, especially when it comes to relationships and jobs. And, it can be even more complicated when dealing with money, as "giving up" has huge implications for our financial stability and physical survival. But what if giving up isn't the only option? Or rather, what if it makes sense on paper—like it did for chef Reem Assil, who opened a restaurant during a pandemic—but it isn't something you're willing to do? 

If you could either retire at 35 or 65, which would you choose? What if retiring at 35 meant working long hours at a burger joint for two decades, and retiring at 65 meant working twice as a long, at a job you love, as an attorney? Suddenly the decision isn’t so easy. However, for Matt Bath and Sue Ra, this isn’t a hypothetical situation – and they wouldn’t trade their choices for anything.

If there’s one thing Jagpaul Badhesha learned as a farmer, it’s that you don't take money for granted. While Jag wouldn’t trade his family's 1,000-acre operation – or the personal satisfaction of a hard day’s work – for the world, it comes with incredible amount of responsibility and massive financial pressure.

Velma Davis bought her first house when she was 26 years-old. Although it would’ve been hard to know it then, Davis – a first-generation college graduate in the throes of the Civil Rights Movement – was on her way to amassing life-changing wealth. Now she has a new challenge: helping her daughter Kenya figure out how to steward her financial legacy. 

Bryan Clay trains hard, and works hard. It's what earned him a gold medal at the Olympics, and the title of "Greatest Athlete in the World." But his training only prepared him to win – it didn't teach him to deal with failure. That’s something he had to learn on his own. With no coach. No spotlight. And no money. 

For most people, money is impossible to escape. But Megan Jasper is not ‘most people.’ She’s the CEO of SubPop Records - the iconic music label behind Nirvana and The Shins - and one of those rare people who put her dreams before dollars. And in the process, saved one of music’s most iconic record labels.    

Three siblings discuss why people sometimes hide money troubles from loved ones. The story revolves around their family business and mother—who hid their father’s gambling addiction from them for 30+ years, only to “confess” when the family was on the verge of bankruptcy. Their tale begs the question: Can you ever go too far to protect the ones you care about?

Nancy Pfund is the mind behind the money of Tesla and Pandora. She’s a venture capitalist with a vision for change, just like Kim Colaprete and Chavi Hohm—the bombastic personalities behind Team Diva, one of Seattle’s most progressive real estate groups. Nancy and Team Diva have never met, but they’re both changing how we think about money and define profit. And they’re part of a movement that is ready for revolution.

Bradley Paul’s words are money. He's written for some of Hollywood’s best television studios, and his credits include AMC’s hit drama "Better Call Saul" and the upcoming "Lodge 49." But is he getting paid what he’s worth? This is the question we pose to a poet and writer who went from a cash-strapped childhood in Baltimore to a career in Hollywood, but almost gave up along the way.

Dr. Donna Beegle is the founder of a consulting firm that works to break the cycle of poverty in America. Here, Dr. Beegle talks about her uncommon life as migrant-worker, welfare-recipient and homeless mother. She discusses how our economic future may not rest in the hands of experts with money, but in the untapped genius of those without.

Neal Gabler's cover story about the hidden financial struggles of the middle class sparked a firestorm of attention. Here, we talk with him about the personal story behind his revolutionary confessional, and how it feels to live the truth.

When you venture out on your own in business, everyone has financial advice for you. But feelings -- self-doubt, optimism, fear and hope -- drive the success of your business and your ability to run it just as much as financial literacy. In this episode, we interview a chef, an author, two designers and artists married with a newborn, and the founder of a radically different cleaning company about the emotions that shape their businesses and experiences -- and the return on those investments.

Before it looms too large in their lives, kids spend a few years making sense out of money – its made-up symbolism, mysterious behavior, and larger than life power. They see it operating in their parents' work, at the store, at school and in images of fame and fortune. At its heart, kids understand that money connotes worth, power and freedom – but that it can also empty our lives of meaning and connection. In this episode, we handed the mic over to kids from 5 to 9 years old to discuss the role of money in their lives, and in their imaginations.

Cultural integration isn't synonymous with financial integration... In this three-act story, we hear from our host SuChin Pak, first generation Indian-American Santhosh Daniel, and until-recently undocumented Venezuelan immigrant Daniel Alejandro Leon-Davis, about how to survive—and thrive—in our vibrant, complicated and sometimes inscrutable American economy.

With multi-disciplinary careers and all cylinders firing, SuChin Pak talks with Lena Waithe (Dear White People) and Ravi Patel (Master of None) about first paychecks, the art of negotiating, personal branding and what matters way more than money.

Married young with two kids, Margaret and Leif Jacobsen navigated different class backgrounds, a mixed-race relationship, and their accidentally uber-traditional gender roles in the pursuit of a life together. When they decided to divorce, a true friendship emerged from the ashes — they speak with SuChin Pak about how they navigate finances and feelings within a complicated new independence.

Reese May is an Iraq veteran and financial literacy advocate for survivors of natural disaster. He talks to SuChin Pak about how to make a living from a life of service. For more inspirational stories, visit madetogrow.com.

Young couple and business owners Sam Huff and Meghan Wright talk about navigating different backgrounds in pursuit if their dreams, blowing through their budget, and the incredible power of wine and Excel spreadsheets. For more inspirational stories, visit madetogrow.com.