Earn Your Leisure Podcast

Episode: Investing Beliefs We Changed Our Minds On

Date: January 18, 2026
Hosts: Rashad Bilal, Troy Millings
Podcast: Earn Your Leisure (iHeartPodcasts)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Rashad Bilal, Troy Millings, and their panel reflect on pivotal investing beliefs they’ve reconsidered during their journey—highlighting how real-world market changes and personal experiences reshaped their perspectives. The episode's purpose is to encourage listeners to remain adaptable and analytical, questioning financial axioms and traditional advice as markets evolve.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rethinking Low-Priced Stocks (03:28)

• Prevailing Belief: Avoid stocks under a certain price point (sub-$25), viewing them as too risky and unlikely to deliver sustainable returns.
• Changed Perspective:
  • The market environment—particularly in the Trump administration era and with high-interest rates—has enabled some major companies to produce "meme-like" gains, even at lower prices.
  • While skepticism remains for stocks under $10, the hosts now see sub-$25 stocks as viable for swing trades, not necessarily for long-term holds.
  • Quote:

    “The notion of sub twenty five dollar stocks being of no value, that's something that I've changed my mind on for when Trump is in office.” – Market Commentator (03:34)

• Key takeaways:
  • Flexibility is critical as market dynamics shift.
  • Segmenting low-priced stocks based on their fundamentals and trade potential is a better approach than blanket avoidance.

2. Disney & the Streaming Wars (04:34)

• Original Thesis: Disney could surpass Netflix and dominate the streaming sector.
• Revised Belief:
  • Disney’s parks and licensing have rebounded, but streaming (Disney+) hasn’t worked out as anticipated, especially with ESPN’s underperformance.
  • Over a 30-year timespan, Disney hasn’t outperformed the S&P 500 in any period (30, 20, 15, 10 years).
  • Quote:

    “The streaming has not worked out the way that we thought it would. The ESPN fiasco didn’t work out the way that we thought it would.” – Market Analyst (05:32)

  • Reflection:

    “Should Disney have gone into streaming, or should it have just stuck with licensing their IP out to streamers?” – Market Analyst (06:00)

• Outcome:
  • No longer bullish on Disney as a streaming titan.
  • Removed Disney from their portfolio roughly two years ago.
  • Reevaluating whether the company’s core strength was diluted by diverging from licensing.
  • Quote:

    “The idea of it becoming number one in the near future—I don’t see it. So I’ve changed my mind on that.” – Market Analyst (10:15)

3. “Invest in What You Know”—But Broaden the Lesson (11:14)

• Conventional Advice:
  • Beginners are often told to invest in brands they use and recognize (the “Warren Buffett” approach).
• Nuanced Revision:
  • Products you like aren’t always future-proof investments.
  • Instead, invest in companies the world needs, not just what you personally use.
  • Examples given:
    • Nike is beloved, but not essential—if it vanished, alternatives would quickly take over.
    • Core technology and healthcare firms (like those in QQQ, Apple, Nvidia, TSM, Eli Lilly) have irreplaceable global impact.
  • Quote:

    “Instead of saying invest in the companies that you use every day, I think invest in the companies that you think the world needs.” – Rashad Bilal (12:20)

  • Tech and pharma, by serving crucial world infrastructure or health, meet the "necessity test" not always true of consumer brands.
• Practical Implication:
  • Advice for new investors should be: simple, but focused on necessity and market impact, not just personal preference.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On sub-$25 stocks:

  “The notion of sub twenty five dollar stocks being of no value, that's something that I've changed my mind on for when Trump is in office.”
  —Market Commentator (03:34)

• On Disney's streaming setbacks:

  “The streaming has not worked out the way that we thought it would. The ESPN fiasco didn’t work out the way that we thought it would.”
  —Market Analyst (05:32)

  “There was no metric—30 year, 20 year, 15, 10 year—that Disney has outperformed the S&P. That’s insane, bro.”
  —Market Analyst (05:30)

• On rethinking ‘invest in what you use’:

  “I think instead of saying, I think you could still keep it simple for people, but instead of saying invest in the companies that you use every day, I think invest in the companies that you think the world needs.”
  —Rashad Bilal (12:20)

  “You could love a bad company for sure.”
  —Rashad Bilal (13:46)

  “Just like you can be in love with a bad person and not let it go. You gotta let this go.”
  —Market Commentator (13:47)

Important Timestamps

• 03:28–04:34: Sub-$25 stocks—why former avoidance has softened
• 04:34–11:04: Disney, streaming, and reassessing media sector bets
• 11:14–14:34: Rethinking the ‘invest in what you love’ principle
• 14:34–15:12: Need, not preference, as the lens for new investors

Episode Style & Tone

This conversation is candid, self-critical, and accessible. The hosts mix pop-culture references, easy analogies (like dating a bad person), and humor (“Rest in peace, Bob Iger. Not literally, but…”), making deep financial topics approachable. There’s an ongoing emphasis on learning from experience and challenging conventional investing wisdom.

Summary Takeaways

• Be ready to adapt investing principles as market conditions change.
• Don’t automatically dismiss low-priced stocks; carefully consider their trade potentials.
• Even blue-chip legacy brands aren’t guaranteed winners—history and data matter.
• Don’t anchor investments solely on personal use—focus on necessity and global impact.
• Genuine growth as an investor means being willing to revise long-held beliefs—even in public.

Ideal for listeners looking to challenge their own financial assumptions and grow their investment acumen with a blend of street-smart realism and a touch of pop-culture flair.