A lot of things have changed in the world of money since I founded Get Rich Slowly in April 2006. Nowadays, for instance, there are many more opportunities to meet up with like-minded folks in Real Life. From annual retreats like to monthly meet-ups with , it’s never been easier to connect with other money bosses!
In fact, today there are almost too many events to keep track! I have a stack of invites and announcements in my inbox. Rather than write about each one individually, I thought I’d take this time to share some of my favorites all at once.
Here are some upcoming money events that might be of interest to GRS readers. (At the end of this page, I’ll include my planned public speaking gigs for 2019.)
Financial Freedom Online Course
First up, Douglas Tsoi is presenting another edition of his highly-popular starting December 1st.
Tsoi is the founder of (or PUGS), a grass-roots alternative education program for everybody. PUGS courses are designed to be both affordable and relevant to everyday life. (Classes include things like , , and, yes, !)
The PUGS is a two-month, self-paced class containing 32 lessons related to the basics of personal finance: budgeting, money blueprints, setting goals, and reducing consumption. Although the class is online-only, you’re not going this alone. Each cohort has a private discussion forum. And after the class is over, members often form long-term support groups to help each other achieve their financial goals.
Here’s a testimonial from one couple who took the PUGS Financial Freedom course:
Tsoi and I collaborated earlier this year to present a three-hour Financial Freedom workshop here in Portland. I didn’t know him before that project, but now I consider him a close ally in the quest to promote financial education. He’s both passionate and sincere, and his message is very much aligned with my own.
If you’ve been looking for some sort of group-based opportunity to improve your own financial skills, check out the . (Tsoi also offers that covers more advanced topics.)
Lola Financial Retreat for Women
Next, my friend Melanie Lockert (founder of the fantastic blog) is back for her third year hosting the , a weekend financial forum for women only. She’ll host two events in 2019. The first is in Los Angeles from February 15th to 17th.
Get Rich Slowly is sponsoring a scholarship to the L.A. Lola Retreat. We’ll be paying for one person’s ticket to the event (but not travel and lodging). If you’re interested, .
Because this is a “no boys allowed” event, I asked former attendee (who hosts the ) to share some of her experiences at the Lola Retreat. Here’s what she had to say:
Rarely do we open up about our financial situations, and while I try to share with others in person, it’s a clammy subject. The Lola Retreat was a safe space to open up, discuss, ask questions, and really dive into money.
There were two days of sessions. Throughout those talks I learned a great deal about what other ladies in the room may be struggling with, or how I might shape our financial future as a family. The panel discussion was very touching with moments of tears for the situations women have been in due to financial pressure. It was intense and took a lot out of me mentally, but in such a positive way.
Overall, the weekend was wonderfully exhausting with so much good information to pack into such a short time. The information was amazing, insightful, and each woman brought something very different to the table. I would highly recommend going to the Lola Retreat in the future!
There were women I met and have kept in touch with from as far away as California, and to the south in Florida. I look forward to continuing to follow their money journeys and supporting other women on their own financial journey after having been a part of Lola.
I cannot recommend a retreat more than Lola for women to get comfortable sharing and learning about money!
I’ve talked with several other women who have attended past Lola Retreats. Like Nesi, they all have great things to say about the event. If you’ve been looking for a chance to meet other women who want to master their money, you should consider the
Other Upcoming Events for Money Bosses
While these are the two events for which registration is now open, there are lots of others that are still in the planning stages (and/or sold out).
For instance, you’ve probably heard me mention the annual chautauquas in the past. These intensive week-long events have been held in Ecuador, Greece, and the U.K. I’ve spoken at both the and the .
In early October 2019, I will be presenting on “money and purpose” at a money-themed chautauqua in Portugal. The precise date and location of the event are still to be determined. If you’d like to participate, so you’ll be among the first to hear when the details are announced.
While the chautauquas are awesome, life-changing experiences, not everyone has the time and money required to attend. Fortunately, offers an affordable alternative.
Camp FI events are held in a variety of locations around the U.S. They’re low-key gatherings at which a few dozen folks come together to talk about money and meaning for a long weekend. Plus, we tend to drink a lot of beer. (And whisky.) I’ve spoken at four previous Camp FI events, always giving a variation of the following talk:
In mid-October 2019, I’ll be speaking at . Kim may or may not be with me (we haven’t decided yet). Our hound dog may or may not be with us. Tickets have already sold out for half of next year’s Camp FI events. I’m not sure how many are left for Joshua Tree. If you’d like to join us, you should book soon!
Last, but not least, here’s something that’s an event in another sense.
A few years ago, I came up with the idea of opening a “money store”, a place where I could provide down-to-earth financial advice for average people. I never followed through on that. My friend Shannon McLay, however, did follow through on her own vision for something similar.
In 2016, Shannon opened the in New York City. Her goal is to provide top-quality financial advice to everyone, not just folks with half a million dollars to invest. Last week, Shannon and her Financial Gym were featured on the Today show! Take a look:
Congratulations, Shannon! For anyone else who lives in New York City: If you’re looking for help in achieving financial fitness, you should drop in and visit the . (Full disclosure: I invested $50,000 of my own personal cash in this business, so I have a vested interested in seeing it succeed.)
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