From Feral Party Content to Financial Freedom: Inside Bran Flakezz's Investment Portfolio

Summary

Episode Summary: "From Feral Party Content to Financial Freedom: Inside Bran Flakezz's Investment Portfolio"

Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF hosts Vivian Tu engage in an in-depth conversation with Brandon Edelman, popularly known as Brand Flakezz. This episode delves into Brandon's journey from a traditional W2 employee in the fashion industry to a successful full-time content creator and influencer. The discussion covers his financial strategies, personal growth, and the balance between maintaining authentic relationships and managing newfound wealth.

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1. Introduction to Brandon Edelman

Vivian Tu introduces Brandon Edelman, highlighting his transition from a corporate role at Anthropologie to a prominent influencer featured on Barstool's Project Verified. Brandon humorously questions his age, affirming his youthful yet seasoned status in the digital space.

Notable Quote:

• Vivian Tu [00:00]: "Can you share how much money you made last year?"
• Brandon Edelman [00:05]: "Can I show you how I'm invested?"

2. Transition from Traditional Employment to Content Creation

Brandon recounts his experience working in the fashion industry, earning $41,000 annually while working 60-hour weeks. Seeking a side hustle, he began posting on social media, which gradually gained traction. This success led to a role at GoPuff as a TikTok strategist, earning $73,000, complemented by significant earnings from brand deals.

Notable Quote:

• Brandon Edelman [04:59]: "I grossed $768,000 in 2024."

3. Financial Journey and Income Sources

Brandon outlines his primary income streams:

• Brand Partnerships: Collaborations with brands like Nike, negotiating rates for content creation.
• Creator Funds: Participation in TikTok and Instagram's creator programs, contributing to his monthly earnings.
• Affiliate Links: Earnings from commissions on sales through affiliate marketing, though he emphasizes it's not a primary focus.

He transparently discusses his gross income and the subsequent deductions for management fees and taxes, ultimately pocketing around $330,000. Brandon emphasizes his frugal approach and commitment to giving back, including donations to causes like the LA fires and Penn State Thon.

Notable Quote:

• Brandon Edelman [20:11]: "So I grossed $768,000 in 2024."

4. Investment Strategies and Managing Wealth

Brandon shares his investment approach, initially relying on his aunt's connection to Merrill Lynch. Despite limited understanding of complex financial terminology, he maintains a steady investment strategy focused on treasuries and CDs. Vivian Tu suggests exploring robo-advisors as a cost-effective alternative to traditional wealth managers, highlighting Brandon's 10% return compared to the S&P 500 ETF's performance without hefty fees.

Notable Quote:

• Vivian Tu [43:22]: "Which over the course of your lifetime, could be high. Six figures, maybe seven."

5. Personal Financial Goals

Brandon reveals his aspiration to purchase a beach house at the Jersey Shore by summer 2026. This goal stems from cherished childhood memories and a desire to provide a comfortable retreat for his retired parents and friends. He discusses strategies for making this investment, including renting out the property during off-peak seasons to generate additional income.

Notable Quote:

• Brandon Edelman [33:45]: "I want to buy a beach house at the Jersey shore."

6. Relationships and Community

Choosing to remain in Philadelphia, Brandon values authenticity and his close-knit friend group. He avoids relocating to influencer hubs like LA or New York to prevent losing his genuine connections and maintain his status as a "big fish in a little pond." This decision has led to lucrative Philadelphia-based brand deals, reinforcing the benefits of his locality.

Notable Quote:

• Brandon Edelman [08:24]: "I don't want to be in the influencer bubble to the point where it's like my only friends are influencers."

7. Reality TV Experience

Brandon discusses his participation in Barstool's Project Verified, where he emerged as the runner-up. The experience was both exhilarating and challenging, offering exposure and networking opportunities. Despite not receiving a monetary prize, the stint enhanced his personal brand and provided valuable content creation insights.

Notable Quote:

• Brandon Edelman [13:23]: "It was a really cool opportunity for me."

8. Challenges and Mental Health

Brandon opens up about facing mental health struggles despite his financial success. He emphasizes that money alone cannot resolve internal conflicts, highlighting the importance of seeking therapy and doing inner work. This candid admission underscores the podcast's theme of exploring how money impacts personal well-being.

Notable Quote:

• Brandon Edelman [29:14]: "No amount of money was gonna fix what I was going through."

9. Advice and Insights

Vivian Tu and Brandon exchange financial advice, addressing topics like student loan management and the benefits of robo-advisors versus traditional financial advisors. Brandon advocates for strategic investing and maintaining financial discipline, leveraging his high credit score and diversified income to navigate complex financial landscapes.

Notable Quote:

• Vivian Tu [48:10]: "At 4%, you would make more money investing those dollars in the stock market than you would [by paying off loans early]."

10. Conclusion and Future Outlook

Brandon shares his plans to diversify his content across platforms like YouTube and expand into hosting and public speaking. He remains committed to maintaining his authentic brand while exploring new opportunities in the entertainment industry.

Notable Quote:

• Brandon Edelman [55:07]: "Find me at brandflakes with two Zs on Instagram, brand two flakes with two Zs on TikTok."

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Key Takeaways:

• Strategic Transition: Brandon's move from a corporate job to influencer success required careful financial planning and leveraging his growing social media presence.

• Diversified Income: Multiple revenue streams, including brand partnerships and creator funds, contributed significantly to his financial growth.

• Investment Discipline: Utilizing professional financial advice and adopting a conservative investment approach ensured sustainable wealth management.

• Authentic Relationships: Maintaining genuine connections in Philadelphia provided both personal fulfillment and business advantages.

• Mental Health Awareness: Financial success does not equate to personal happiness, highlighting the need for mental well-being alongside financial prosperity.

• Future Planning: Brandon aims to continue diversifying his content and investments, setting long-term goals like purchasing a beach house to secure his financial future and support his family.

This episode offers listeners a comprehensive look into Brandon Edelman's financial strategies, personal experiences, and the balance between wealth and well-being. His journey serves as an insightful guide for aspiring content creators navigating the complexities of online influence and financial independence.

Transcript

[Vivian Tu]

I'm gonna be bold.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay.

[Vivian Tu]

Can you share how much money you made last year?

[Brandon Edelman]

Can I show you how I'm invested?

[Vivian Tu]

And can you, like, tell me, show me, show me.

[Brandon Edelman]

All right, you can look into. Tell me what I'm doing right. Tell me what I'm doing wrong.

[Vivian Tu]

The one thing I am concerned about. We're so done with new Year, new you.

[Brandon Edelman]

This year, it's more you on Bumble.

[Vivian Tu]

More of you shamelessly sending playlists, especially that one filled with show tunes.

[Brandon Edelman]

More of you finding Geminis because you know, know you always like them.

[Vivian Tu]

More of you dating with intention because you know what you want.

[Brandon Edelman]

And you know what?

[Vivian Tu]

We love that for you.

[Brandon Edelman]

Someone else will too be more you this year and find them on Bumble.

[Vivian Tu]

What's up, rich friends? Welcome to another episode of Net Worth and Chill with me, your host, Vivian Tu, AKA Urich, bff and your favorite Wall street girlie. And while so many influencers get started when they were young and are still in school, some of us oldies actually had a real job before we became influencers, became creators. You know, you gotta clock in, clock out, 401k, the whole nine yards. And the transition from traditional W2 employment to working for yourself and building a business is crazy. So today's guest, much like myself, is a former traditional employee, also an old. We are talking about his journey from starting content creation to landing on Barstool's Project Verified, building a personal brand that's unapologetically him. And why he's chosen to keep it real in Philadelphia when everyone else is running to LA or New York. And well timed since the Eagles just won the Super Bowl. Everyone, please welcome Brandon Edelman, AKA Brand Flakes.

[Brandon Edelman]

Oh, my gosh. Thank you so much for that intro. Wait, is 28 years old old? Am I old?

[Vivian Tu]

I think for digital, yes. That makes us incredibly, like, geriatric, actually.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah, you're. No, you're absolutely right. I'm 30.

[Vivian Tu]

30, 30, 30. It's like a slur, actually.

[Brandon Edelman]

Whatever. We're hot.

[Vivian Tu]

We're hot. We're hot. You know, doing well, doing things. Yeah. So before we get into this fun filled interview, I always like to warm up. What's the dumbest purchase you think you've ever made?

[Brandon Edelman]

I bought a Christian Dior bag. My first New York Fashion Week, and I've literally worn it twice. And, like, I spent a month, like three months run on it. I actually just said to my friend last night, I need to sell that back to, like, the Realreal or something. I thought it was going to be like this really like, fun moment, which, like, it was where it's like my first New York Fashion Week, but it just quite frankly doesn't fit. I'm a big boy and the saddlebag does not saddle. No.

[Vivian Tu]

I was going to ask what kind of bag it was.

[Brandon Edelman]

It's a really. It's the iconic logo saddlebag. It just like, low key. The colors don't really match with everything. I'm more of a neutral. And like I said, I like, kind of just like manically purchased it and I was like, that really was like kind of a silly purchase.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay, so here's the hot tip though. If you want to buy Designer the next time you do it, you should wait until you're already naturally traveling abroad. Especially in Europe, you can get a VAT refund, AKA the tax back on your purchase. And typically with the exchange rate, it's a little discounted to begin with. So you save a ton of money if you want to buy something nice for yourself.

[Brandon Edelman]

Very true. Now I need to just book a trip to Europe.

[Vivian Tu]

That's not what we said. That's not at all what we just discussed. If you already have a trip plan.

[Brandon Edelman]

No. Yes, exactly.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay, amazing. But let's talk a little bit about your former life.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yes.

[Vivian Tu]

You previously worked a traditional W2 job. A lot of the people who listen to this podcast probably have more traditional careers. And now you're a content creator full time. Can you talk to me about that transition? Was there a moment you realized, oh, shit, my hobby's about to become a whole career, 100%.

[Brandon Edelman]

So I worked in the fashion industry. I worked for Anthropologies Corporate. I did petite and plus sizes and buying and merchandising. So what that means is I picked out what clothes went into the store for, petite sizes and plus. And it was incredible. Super hands on. I went to school for fashion. Very full circle moment. I made $41,000 a year and I was working 60 hours a week. So that was when I was like, kind of like, I feel like I need a side hustle. So I started posting on social media as a side hustle and I was like, maybe one day this will take off. And then I ended up actually leaving anthropology and going to Gopuff. Got a salary bump. $64,000. Woo. I helped them launch their own private label. So on Gopuff, you buy Bounty paper towels and Gopuff doesn't make that much. So Gopuff was like, let's make our own brand paper towels called, basically. And then we can make a great margin on it. So I helped them launch that. At the time, I was posting on social media as a hobby. When I started at GoPuff, I was starting to get like $500 brand deals here and there. I was like, this is amazing. I'm making 64k at GoPuff and I'm making $500 here and there with like little side brand deals. I got called into a meeting with the CEO of GoPuff and I was like, great, I'm getting fired. He was like, no, we want you to move to our social team. We'll bump you up to 73k and you can be our TikTok strategist.

[Vivian Tu]

Hell yeah.

[Brandon Edelman]

So it incredible. But at that time I was now at 200,000 followers and I was getting like on average like $3,000 for branded posts, which was about like the same, if not more than my bi weekly paycheck at GoPuff. And doing social media for a brand is very different than doing it for yourself. So it was just very like fighting tooth and nail with legal and like trying to get your ideas across these even older people than us. Viv, who just didn't understand TikTok. And I decided I very timed it out perfectly. I got my yearly bonus in April. I just had three brand deals hit and I was like, I'm going to quit and try to do content creation for the summer of 2022. And if in September I'm either not loving it or not financially stable, I'll go back to corporate. And that summer I made double my yearly salary at GoPuff in Content Girl Summer. Because when you get the 40 hours back in the week, you get 40 hours back in the week to make content and ideate and really focus on networking and building your brand. And it was everything to me. I was very strategic. I had $15,000 in my savings account and I got my yearly bonus. I was like, I could go the whole summer without getting a brand deal and I could survive. I have rent paid and everything. So I'm a very methodical person. I called my mom and I was like, you're going to tell me I'm crazy? She goes, actually, I think you're crazy if you don't. She was like, I don't know how this social media stuff works, but she was like, if you're on fire right now, like, why not take the moment as it is? Because if you get irrelevant in six months, you never want to look back and be like, damn, I could have had an opportunity to Work for myself for at least a little bit. I was like, okay, mom, call my boss quit.

[Vivian Tu]

I love that because I think so many people, like, have one viral video and they're like, it's time to quit my job. But you really were like, I need to have the safety net. Worst case, like, you are clearly doing well at work. So, like, if it didn't work out, they'd hire you back or at least.

[Brandon Edelman]

Some other company would never burn your bridges. Like, I left and I was like, I'm leaving to pursue my own business. Gopuff was a very entrepreneurial business. It's a startup. They were like, we respect you. Like, we want to support you. And I still have friends at GoPuff. I. I just went back to anthropology's office last week because I did a brand deal with Urban Outfitters. So full circle moment. And it was just so amazing to, like, see all my old co workers. And it's like I would go back there in a heartbeat if they paid me the salary I made now. But, like, it's just. That's just what it is.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

I think that's so, so smart. Did you feel like at any point during the ups and downs of that summer.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

Were you ever, like, it would be nice to have a stable paycheck every two weeks?

[Brandon Edelman]

No, because I was very privileged in the sense that I started it with 15,000 in the bank account.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Brandon Edelman]

And I got brand deals left and right. I was really in a great market. So I knew things were coming in. And I still had. Because you get paid like 2 weeks after you work. I still had 2 more gopuff checks that carried me through May as well. So it was. I really timed it so, like, I was very strategic. And then that summer I signed with management, and I was making. When I signed with management, I was like, oh, my rates are actually double what I thought they should be. And I was like, I'm rich. Like, I was like, this is crazy. Yeah, yeah, it was crazy.

[Vivian Tu]

And you were doing all of that from Philly?

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

I gotta ask.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

Like, you're a hometown hero. I get that. But, like, why not move to New York or la? Did you ever feel a little fomo?

[Brandon Edelman]

No. So here's the thing. Like, number one, I think part of my brand pillar is just authenticity and being myself. And like, my. I'm so blessed that I grew up in the suburbs of Philly. I went to high school in the suburbs of Philly, and I went to college in Philly. And after college, we all moved to the city.

[Vivian Tu]

Where did you go to school?

[Brandon Edelman]

I went to Philadelphia University, which is now Thomas Jefferson University. East Falls for fashion merchandising. So when we moved to the city after college, my high school friends moved to the city, my college friends moved to the city. The friend group combined. And I have a friend group of like 50 people, which is insane. And I'm such an extrovert. So the content that really catapulted my career was me going out with my friends, having fun. And I just love Philly. I'm a huge Eagles fan. I'm a huge Philadelphia sports fan. I'm a huge advocate for Philly. I think the Philly food scene is incredible. I would honestly go on record and say, philly food's better than New York food.

[Vivian Tu]

Don't do this right now. Please don't do this right now.

[Brandon Edelman]

But big fish, Little pond is how I've always been. And it's like, I could come to New York, I could make so much money, I could be invited to all the events and have all the opportunities in the world. But I don't want to be in the influencer bubble to the point where it's like my only friends are influencers. All I do is influencer activities. It becomes one, that's inauthentic to me because that's not how I am. I like being friends with anybody. Two, that's just like not good for the brand for me that I've built. Like, I've built my brand off of my three podcast co hosts or my three best friends I've been friends with for 15 years. Like, that's just how I am. And it's a very big misconception. The two largest brand deals I've ever had were Philadelphia based campaigns. Because when brands launch a campaign and they come to Philly, I'm the number one influencer, so they want to work with me versus if I lived in New York. I'm not even like top 500 influencers here. Like, I wouldn't. I would go from being a big fish in a little pond to oversaturated. Also, my rent in Philadelphia is $2,000 per month and I have a ginormous one bedroom apartment. I would pay double that to have a quarter of the size apartment in New York. And I'm not. I'm a city girl. But New York is too much for me. I don't love. I love to visit. And it's close enough that I can come here, do the work opportunities, go to the events that I want to go to and get the out.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah. You know, I actually watched a TikTok recently that was, like, this girl who lives full time right outside of Union Station.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

And then just takes the train every day and works in the city, but she gets to have an apartment that's like, 16 times as nice as mine.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

And I was like, oh, and her rent's, like, nothing compared to, like, what I'm spending. It's kind of a genius idea.

[Brandon Edelman]

It is. I think the one downside is because there's not a ton of creators in Philly, like, it is hard to, like, kind of have a soundboard sometimes. Like, it's amazing to come and to connect with you and talk about what brands are you working with, what's your management situation like? That is something that I don't get all the time in Philly because my friends all work traditional nine to fives, but at the end of the day, the pros outweigh the cons for me all the time.

[Vivian Tu]

We have to talk about it. Because you just got back. I asked when you walked in, I was like, hey, are you, like, still hungover from Sunday? How was the Super Bowl?

[Brandon Edelman]

Super bowl was the best weekend of my life. I will go. I will say that on record. Super bowl in New Orleans was the best weekend of my life.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay. Which, I gotta be honest, though, you were clocked in and locked in, because I know what it's like to be at an event and churning out content. You had a video coming out literally, like, every three and a half minutes. I was like, this man is on fire.

[Brandon Edelman]

So I think, like, there's times in my career where I see something is, like, kind of taking off, and I know that's when you ten toes down and you capitalize on it. This happened to me, like, a few years ago. I went on a Miami trip with my friends, and the content was all getting a million views. I'm like, I learned then you to be in the moment, quick with it, post the updates, because people are coming from one video, and then they're going to your profile. So then everything goes viral. So when I noticed that the super bowl content was off to, like, a really strong start, I was like, I have to post, like, and I'm gonna keep posting. And it was amazing. I gained 10,000 followers in one weekend on TikTok, which, like, at this day and age with TikTok and everything, it's like, it's hard to grow. So when I see that growth, I'm like, yeah, I have to lock in Yeah, I have to get to work.

[Vivian Tu]

Which, by the way, I will say, for all of the interviews you did in Philadelphia, I am so deeply hurt that the number of people who chose to kill Jason.

[Brandon Edelman]

Kelsey, I am really upset.

[Vivian Tu]

Mary, Kill.

[Brandon Edelman]

I'm upset about it as well. But then again, it's like, it seemed unkind. I. If someone asked me that question, I would literally, like, give them the double bird. Like, I. Like, I can't kill Jason, I can't kill Jaylen, and I can't kill Saquon. Right?

[Vivian Tu]

No.

[Brandon Edelman]

So, like, I plead the fifth.

[Vivian Tu]

I plead the fifth. Okay, easy, easy, easy. All right, so I want to pivot a little bit. So you were runner up on Barstool's first reality show. Can you, like, explain to me what that even was and, like, what that environment?

[Brandon Edelman]

So it was their first reality show that didn't feature Barstool employees.

[Vivian Tu]

Right.

[Brandon Edelman]

So Barstool does a bunch of reality shows, but they're all with contestants that work for Barstool. So this was their first reality show where it was influencers living in a house. And it was kind of like a survivor, a Big Brother. We competed in challenges every day and voted people off. I was a huge Bana chicken fry fan. Like, she was one of the first creators I followed who made, like, really fun feral party content. And she was also super sweet to me. When I was first starting out, we were DM and she would answer my DMs, and she had, like a million followers. I had like 100,000. She's like, oh, I'll send you merch. Like, so I really, really liked her, and I wanted to be a part of that show really badly. So when she kind of posted, hey, I'm hosting reality show, I DM'd her. I was like, hey, people are tagging me in this. Should I apply? She's like, absolutely. We applied. She was super profess throughout the whole process. Even though we knew we kind of knew each other, we were mutuals. I had to go through the interviewing process like anybody else. When I got the call that I was on it, I was so excited because my bio is in my head. I'm a reality TV star. And actually, when I first started making content, it was because I really wanted to be cast for a show. And I was like, I feel like I need to have a social media presence, so let me try making content. And then it just ended up that I fell in love with making content. But this was a really cool opportunity for me. It was a great show for me to Do. Because it was only five days, so I didn't have to. At that point, I had 500,000 followers. I didn't have to miss much of, like, work. Cause I couldn't post for five days, which was kind of like, for me, that was a huge deal. Cause I post, like, eight times a day.

[Vivian Tu]

That would give me horrible anxiety.

[Brandon Edelman]

It was a little bit of an anxious experience, but, yeah, it was really cool. Lived in a house for five days. I'm a huge fan of Survivor, the traitors, the challenge, Big Brother. So I, like, really went in. I'm super competitive. I'm sad that I didn't win. But, like, I was almost voted off the first day, and I made it all the way to the end and lost by, like, 100 votes. So it was really cool. It was a really cool experience, and I'm so grateful for it.

[Vivian Tu]

That's a really diplomatic way to say fuck you to the 100 people who didn't vote for you. Yes, that part. Are you still close with people from that experience?

[Brandon Edelman]

Not really.

[Vivian Tu]

Did you guys hear the octave of voice change in that?

[Brandon Edelman]

Listen, it was two years ago, and it was a really great experience. I'm still, like, DM friendly with a lot of them. I think what was and difficult for me is it's two separate experiences. There's the experience of filming the show, and then there's the experience of watching it and seeing how you're edited. And that's reality TV in a nutshell. And I'm a very sensitive person, and I knew what I signed up for. But, like, watching it and then seeing how the ending played out and then seeing how some of the cast members and how some of the hosts kind of treated me after the show, I felt like we had all made a really bonding experience. And then after, when I was like, wait, are we not all friends? It just was what it was. I still talk to Bri and Josh. I think they're great creators. I look up to them in the industry. I had my little issues with Bri before, but her and I are totally cool now. And I still love a lot of the people that were on that show. And we still DM here and there, but, like, none of them live in Philly. A lot of them don't even live in New York. So it's just like, yeah, it is what it is.

[Vivian Tu]

Did you get a payday from it?

[Brandon Edelman]

No.

[Vivian Tu]

Did you even get paid at all to do it?

[Brandon Edelman]

Mm.

[Vivian Tu]

Mm.

[Brandon Edelman]

If you won, you won $25,000. But otherwise it was completely. I mean, they paid for our travel. Thank go. So it was cool for me because, like, I was in LA for five days. I mean, I was in the house, but the last night, because I made it all the way, I got to go out in LA and see a bunch of friends the last night and fly home on their tab. But no, it was not paid. A lot of reality shows aren't.

[Vivian Tu]

What made you decide to do it, though? Cause in that five days, like, being a content creator, you could have made money.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah. You know, I had preparation involved. I was like, okay. I knew a month ahead that I was doing it. I did all my brand deals, was transparent with them. I was like, I remember the dates. I'm like, March 5th to March 10th. I'm blacked out, can't do anything. Like, no meetings, no calendars, whatever. And my manager held it down for me while I was out. It really wasn't a big deal. Like, five days went quicker, and I was just like, you know what? This is something I want to do personally. Like, I've always wanted to be on tv and I'm really competitive, and I want to see if I can potentially win the 25K. And it was an experience. And I was like, this is great, and I'm so glad I did it.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay. I love that.

[Brandon Edelman]

Thanks.

[Vivian Tu]

I don't know if I would have said yes to that.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah, it was not. If it had been offered to me, it would have been one thing, but I seeked it out. The opportunity I really wanted, wanted to, like, be on reality tv.

[Vivian Tu]

If you had a dream reality TV show to be on that's like, on tv, what would it be?

[Brandon Edelman]

I would love to be on the Traders. Like, I would love to be on the Traders.

[Vivian Tu]

It's like the Challenge, except, like, you don't have to have physical acumen, which I'm lacking.

[Brandon Edelman]

And you could wear really cute outfits and plaid and be in Scotland, and it's my dream come true. Like, I would love to. Hi. Hi. Casting cast a TikToker.

[Vivian Tu]

So let's talk a little bit about content creation, making money. Can we break down? Like, how do you make money? Yeah, like, what are the different sources?

[Brandon Edelman]

So the main source of income is brand partnership. So basically a brand, like, let's say, I don't know, Nike reaches out and says, hey, we have a new sneaker coming out. We want you to promote it. What are your rates for a TikTok? An Instagram story, an Instagram reel. I send over rates, we negotiate rates, we get everything set up. I Work with a team that takes commission. They do all the backend stuff. So they do the negotiating, the rates, they do the email back end forth. Because these email chains can get extensively long, as I'm sure you know, they do all the redlining of the contracts. It's really like a convenience fee almost. So that I literally only have to do the content creation part. And I have those 40 hours in a week that we talked about to make content. When I first quit GoPuff, I did it. I worked it for myself for a month and I was like, oh, my gosh. I stuck at my computer all day because I'm doing so many brand partnerships, which is amazing. But, like, I don't know how to read these contracts. I don't know how to send these invoices. I need to hire a lawyer. I need to hire all these people. And it was taking so much time that that's the benefit of having a team behind you that kind of supports it. So, yeah, that is the main source of income, brand partnerships. Secondary sources of income are obviously any kind of creator fund. So, like, I'm in the TikTok Creator Fund. That makes me like, honestly, my month's rent every month, which is great. I'm in the Instagram reels one as well. It's not as good. And I just started my YouTube channel. I've heard they have a great one, so hopefully building that up too. And then third is like any kind of affiliate link. So if I like link a jacket and someone buys it, I might make like 10% on the sale. That's not really my brand. I'm not really a product pusher. It's not really like my content style. So I don't make like a ton off like my Amazon storefront or anything. But, like, I have had moments. Like, I had this cute digital camera that went viral and I made like $2,000 off of all the commission, so. But mainly brand partnerships, creator funds, affiliate links. Those are my main source of income.

[Vivian Tu]

I'm gonna be bold. Okay, can you share how much money you made last year?

[Brandon Edelman]

What is the difference between. Between net and gross again?

[Vivian Tu]

Okay, so gross is how much you make at the top, and the net is how much you end up with.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay, So I grossed $768,000 in 2024.

[Vivian Tu]

Hell yeah.

[Brandon Edelman]

But then we have the net. So 768,000 is the top number. 20% of that goes to management. So we're down to like, what, 550. And then from 550, 200,000 of that goes to taxes. Just the way it goes. Now we're down to 330, which is an insane amount of money. Let me not sound like that's like, not crazy. I'm 28 years old and I went from making 4000 dol 40k and I grew up literally dirt poor. So this is insane. Then after the 330k, you have your expenses. So camera equipment, lawyer fees, accountant fees. I have a team now, so it's like lawyer, accountant, therapist, therapist. Who else is on my team? That's pretty much it. And then like your managers, like those are the three people that I really like pay the most out of pocket.

[Vivian Tu]

You're forgetting travel. Travel is awesome because oftentimes for brands, they will or won't cover travel, depending on who they are. So you gotta pay for that out of pocket.

[Brandon Edelman]

Absolutely. Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

You gotta pay for.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah, it's insane. But at the end of the day, I still pocketed like probably around $300,000, which at 28 years old, if I still worked at Anthropologie, I would have to be what's called a divisional merchandise manager or a gmm, which is like, you have your C level suite. The people who are in those positions are like typically in their 40s.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Brandon Edelman]

So the fact that at 28 years old, I was able to kind of make that income was insane. And like, for me, I love that I'm in a position now where I can give back. Like last month with the LA fires, the fact that I could donate $6,000 to the LA fires was incredible. I'm really passionate about Philadelphia and Pennsylvania in general. I was able to raise $2,000 for Penn State thon last month. It was amazing. And what's really fulfilling to me is that my parents are retired and the fact that I can help them out now and like, buy them the new oven that they won't buy themselves and like, kind of help take care of them. Like, that is something like I'm not really a flashy purchaser and I kind of stay. I try to really stay grounded because I do make a lot of money and it's incredible. But I also want to support the people around me who helped lift me up and gave me the honestly, the opportunities to even be able to create content. Like, my parents were so kind and so supportive and like, it's really full circle now that I can kind of help them and like help Philly and help Pennsylvania and raise awareness and raise money. So, you know. Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

Can we talk a little bit about your childhood? You mentioned growing up dirt poor. And now being able to like, so.

[Brandon Edelman]

Dirt poor is a little drama. But, like, I grew up. Sorry, let me finish the question.

[Vivian Tu]

No, just the question was, like, you mentioned buying them in the oven that they won't buy for themselves. Like, talk to me about growing up. Like, what was your relationship with money? Like?

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah. So my dad grew up in Kensington, Philadelphia, which is one of the most low income areas in the city. He was a poor kid. He's a child with four siblings, so he's one of five.

[Vivian Tu]

One of five.

[Brandon Edelman]

And his parents did not really work a lot, so they grew up very, very poor. And I think I kind of got that grind Philly mindset from him. My mom was different. She actually grew up in Florida, and I would say she was like, very comfortable middle class. She moved to the suburbs of Philly because her father got a job opportunity there. And her and my dad met at Penn State University and they kind of did their own thing. They moved in together. At that point. My dad was actually substitute teaching, but he had worked at a when he was a teenager. And he then ended up buying his own deli in Kensington. He owned his own Kensington. He owned his own hoagie store in Kensington Hoagies. He owned it for 30 years. He bought it in 1993. He actually just retired in 2023, which was incredible. He worked so hard. My mom actually, after she had me, she went back to work, and she actually was also kind of a similar situation where she loved children and she worked at a children's consignment shop and then she ended up purchasing it, and she did that for almost 20 years. And she also retired in 2023. So they were business owners, I would say my early childhood, my dad's business was like, very successful. And it was great. And we, you know, we were okay, but, you know, there's three kids in the household and we had this situation where we lived in Philly and we were gonna go to a Philadelphia high school. And my mom's mom still lived in the childhood home that my mom grew up in. And she was like, our grandfather passed away, my mom's dad. And my grandma was like, listen, I don't need this big house. Do you and David want it? So my mom and my dad moved us from the city to the suburbs. Your data is like gold to hackers. They're selling your passwords, bank details and private messages. McAfee helps stop them. Secure VPN keeps your online activity private. AI powered text scam detector spots phishing attempts instantly and with award winning antivirus, you get top tier hacker protection.

[Vivian Tu]

Plus you'll get up to $2 million.

[Brandon Edelman]

In identity theft coverage, all for just $39.99 for your first year. Visit McAfee.com, cancel anytime terms apply. But it was interesting because we moved to this very wealthy community called Upper Dublin. And it was kind of. This is like a very dramatic comparison, but I kind of felt like Dan and Jenny Humphrey, where it was like, I went to a school with a bunch of rich kids, but I wasn't like, people saw me as, you're Jewish and you're going to a Jewish high school. But I couldn't afford Jewish sleepaway camp. Like, every time I see a Jewish person, especially north, they're like, what camp did you go to? I go, girl. I couldn't afford day camp. I certainly couldn't afford overnight camp. My parents made enough money to put food on the table, but they didn't have savings. Like, they couldn't. We lived paycheck to paycheck, and when an air conditioner would go out, we would have really hard times financially. So I grew up kind of knowing, like, money is not guaranteed and kind of like that sense of, I knew when I grew up I wanted to be more financially secure because it's not that my parents were bad spenders or anything. It was just they're entrepreneurs and they both loved their jobs so much. But with entrepreneurs, you have good years with business and you have bad years of business. So when the 2008 stock market crash happened, my dad's business did really bad. And when the pandemic happened and half of his employees quit because they didn't want to work in Kensington during the pandemic. So when that kind of stuff would happen, we would get hit so hard. And with retail dying, my mom's business was really slow. The last, like, four years that she was opening, she was barely breaking even. So times were really tough. And I felt like, a lot of pressure when I was in college to really get a good 9 to 5 job after college and, and be successful in that aspect. So I'm really grateful now that I'm in this position where it's like, I don't need to stress out if my air conditioner breaks. Like, I have the money for it and I have extra where I can help my parents if their air conditioner breaks too. And it's like, I don't want to get emotional, but, like, it's just. It's crazy because I'm the youngest of three And I didn't, like, see this for myself. And I'm just so privileged and blessed and grateful every day that I get to get up and, like, do a job that I love and make an income that is so incredible. But I never want to lose sight of who I am. And I think that's another reason why I stay in Philly. And I don't want to buy the luxury apartment in New York City or la. I just. I just want to be happy. And for me, like, one thing I've learned is money doesn't buy happiness. Last year, I had one of the scariest times with my mental health, and it was the wealthiest I'd ever been. It was the most, on paper, successful I'd ever been. And internally, I was the most unhappy I'd ever been. And it really did kind of show me, like, wow, like, you can have that number in the bank account, and you can have the nice apartment, and you can have anything, but if you look in the mirror and you're not happy with who you are and where you want to be, it doesn't matter. Sure, it can buy you a great therapist. So blessed for that. It can buy you amazing prescription medication. That helped. And I was so privileged that during that time, I could take a break from work because I had a nice safety net. But at the end of the day, no amount of money was gonna fix what I was going through. I had to do the inner work on that. So I just feel very grateful to be where I am right now. And it's really easy to get glamorized by, oh, my God. Brand flakes. Made $768,000. And it's amazing and it's incredible, and I don't want to downplay it. And I worked really hard for that. And it also comes with privilege and the fact that I'm a white creator. That's favored on the algorithm. Like, there's so much that goes into it beyond just hard work. There's luck in everything. But I'm so grateful for everything. And I want people to remember at home, like, your salary does not define you. And at the end of the day, like, as corny as it is, it's about your character.

[Vivian Tu]

Character, yeah. That's not corny. And if no one's told you recently, I'm proud of you.

[Brandon Edelman]

Thank you.

[Vivian Tu]

I want to talk a little bit about spending money on doing this inner work. You mentioned being able to pay for this therapist, being able to pay for medication. This is a big concern for not just creators, but a Lot of the folks listening who are 1099 freelancers.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

If you don't have that traditional employer sponsored health care plan or maybe you're trying to buy it via the Affordable Care act or just like essentially the net. Net is, yeah, healthcare is insanely expensive in this country. How did you go about that process of like being like, hey, I need to buy health care for myself and pay for this stuff?

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah. So that was like the only, like not the only one of my mom's first reservations. She was like, listen, love this for you, but you're gonna lose all your benefits and like you don't want to lose a 401k. You don't want to lose that. So I was very stressed and honestly like I was more stressed out the process because I know nothing about healthcare. So honestly I had independence Blue cross at my 9 to 5. I just called their corporate number and I was like, what the fuck do I do? Like I, I, I still want to use you guys, but like whatever, I got a rate. I'll be totally. I pay $340 a month for healthcare. It includes dental, it includes vision, and includes healthcare like general.

[Vivian Tu]

That's bold by the way. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone being like, you just call HQ and see what they'll do for me.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah, I was just, there's just a hotline number. I was like, hey, like I need health insurance. My health insurance expires at the end of the month under my 9 to 5 job because I just quit. I need to set this up. Like I, for me, healthcare is preventative. So it's like I'm so blessed that up until last year I never had an ER visit, I never had medication problems, but I was like, if I get in a car accident, I never want to not have health insurance. And I'm not going to raw. I'm, I'm feral, but not that feral. Like I'm not going to raw dog life like that. My parents also did not give me that option. They're like, brand, you have to get health insurance. So I was like, listen, $340 a blows and it's not even that good of a plan, but like if I'm making 15k a month off my content creation salary, which at the time I was, I was like, I can spare $340 to get health insurance, but it sucks. And I wish there was like more things in place for like, you know, business owners and LLC owners and also just like a better system. But at the end of the day. Like, even when I was working at Gopuff, like, I lost like probably like 50 bucks, maybe even 75 per paycheck for that. So you're thinking, okay, I lost $150, so I'm paying $200 extra than I was before and I'm making six times the amount I was making at Gopuff. So it made sense.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah. That's really smart and strategic and I love how you're able to like lay this out.

[Brandon Edelman]

Thank you.

[Vivian Tu]

Because there are so many things that we don't talk about.

[Brandon Edelman]

No.

[Vivian Tu]

I need to ask.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

Have you ever had a small run in with the tax man when we first started becoming a freelancer, Suddenly, nope. Nobody's managing those tax dollars for you. You gotta have the self restraint to set that money aside for Uncle Sam yourself.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yes. No. So because my dad is a business owner, the second I started to do this, it was really great because he was like, okay, I'm setting you up with my accountant. Because my dad had owned his own business for 30 years. He's like, Brandon, don't fuck around with this. Like, you need, you need to.

[Vivian Tu]

Oh, the government name came out.

[Brandon Edelman]

He was like, don't fuck around. Like, you need to literally save all your money. And I'm gonna hook you up with my accountant. It was. I'm a very in person person. I met with the accountant in person. I was like, hey, I'm projected to make $160,000 this year. That was like the first year I was doing content creation full time. And he was like, great, we'll do quarterly investments, we'll do this. He's like, I wanna file you as an S corp. All that fancy language. And I meet with him like pretty frequently. Honestly, like right now, it's obviously we're preparing for taxes. And I think the most meticulous thing is the expense report that I have to keep. So I created an LLC when I did this. And then I opened a card in the LLC name so that way I can easily of every purchase I made for the business. And the thing about being a content creator in my space is it's like I can kind of expense almost everything. Like, I took an Uber here to do a podcast. This is content, this is work. I can expense that Uber. I can expense the lunch that I ate on the way here. Like, that is what's really great for me. I can expense my camera equipment. So there's really like, not a lot that like, I actually can't write off the things I don't write off are like my groceries. And even sometimes with that, I'm like, I use my groceries to make food content, so. So I actually haven't had any run ins. I'm very thorough. Like I said, I came from a place where luckily my parents were entrepreneurs. So, like, they knew exactly what to do and I was really blessed for that.

[Vivian Tu]

You're making all this money.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

What's the next financial goal? Is there something that you're saving up for?

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah. So going back to my parents. I want to buy a beach house at the Jersey shore. My parents are retired.

[Vivian Tu]

That is so Philadelphia.

[Brandon Edelman]

Amazing. Yes. So Philadelphia. So I grew up going to my best friend's beach houses and it was amazing. I'm so grateful for them. But like, there's nothing like having your own place to stay, you know, because, like, you're staying with these people's families. You kind of have to be on their time schedule, their rules. And I love the shore so much and my parents love the shore. And now that they're retired, like, my goal is to get like a really cute, like maybe three bedroom condo, have them stay in it. A lot of the times on weekends, have them leave, have my friends come. That's like a goal of mine. Like I. I'm aiming for. I honestly could do it now, but I want to be more strategic and save up more. I'm very frugal and like a little bit conservative when it comes to spending. So my goal is summer 2026 to buy. And I really hope I can accomplish that.

[Vivian Tu]

Can I come over?

[Brandon Edelman]

Absolutely.

[Vivian Tu]

Can we paint the garage in Italian fly?

[Brandon Edelman]

Absolutely. Will you drink with me?

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah, of course.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay.

[Vivian Tu]

Please.

[Brandon Edelman]

Done.

[Vivian Tu]

I do the one tequila shot, one water. One tequila shot, one water. Cause I'm not a big drinker, but I do love a little tequila.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay, perfect.

[Vivian Tu]

Amazing. Let's talk outlook.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

So we had the TikTok 12 hour ban, whatever that was. There's obviously still stuff looming as the landscape of social media change changes. Like, how are you future proofing your business?

[Brandon Edelman]

100. So the first thing I did really with that when it was getting really, really serious, I guess the con. It's frustrating because this conversation has been happening for two years. So in 2023, when I think the first, like, remnants of it happened, I started posting to Instagram reels, which. So I'm so I was the type of person who was like, no, like, tick Tock's my fun finsta close friends. But like Instagram, I still want to be manicured with the gorgeous, like, Pictures I was like, like I'm just losing money at this point. When I started just reposting content I've already made from Tik Tok to Instagram reels. I doubled my salary because every brand was like we want a TikTok and a real same video just posted to both platforms, syndications, what it's called. And I went from making, let's say 5k for a TikTok to now 10k for the same video just posted to TikTok and Reels.

[Vivian Tu]

All you have to do is press three extra buttons.

[Brandon Edelman]

Exactly. So that was what I was doing in 2023. This year here I just launched my YouTube channel. I have no idea how it's going to perform because I'm very short form content. But I want to test it out and see how it goes. I've also made a podcast two years ago. So I, I've kind of tried to diversify the last few years in like where I wanted to do with content. I think with TikTok right now, what I tell people is don't stop posting just because you think it's going to be banned. If anything, post 10 times harder because at the end of the day it's the best algorithm, it's the best platform to post to get new eyes on your, on you and for growth. So if we only have it for 30 days, I will use those 30 days every fucking day and I will grind and try to make it as big as I can and hope that those people will then follow me other places. But for now investing a little bit in YouTube, investing in different content series and I also kind of want to break into like my goal is to get into more entertainment and hosting. I've done the reality TV show contestant. I would love to host a show now and I really like public speaking so I'm doing a lot of panels this year which is, is like really exciting. I love having conversations like this. Like this makes my nipples hard. Like that's the type of stuff that I like to do and I think it's hard because I have this image online where I'm like kind of a party guy and I'm a little bit feral but I think people who like actually get to know me know I'm actually really smart and I, I've built this brand from scratch.

[Vivian Tu]

That's very clear to me.

[Brandon Edelman]

Thank you very much and thank you. And I've built this brand from scratch and I know what I'm doing and, and I'm very level headed. I think like there's this big. I'm just kind of going off on a tangent here, but I promise I'll circle back. I think there's this really big misconception that people who party are partying to cope with something. And I think for a lot of times, that is true. Unfortunately, addiction is super real, and you need to be careful, and there's always a line that can be crossed. I'm a celebrative kind of party. When I'm, like, down in the dumps and I'm sad, I don't wanna go out, I don't wanna drink. I wanna get ramen noodles, and I wanna sit in front of my couch and honestly watch a movie that has a lot of male nudity and just eat. Like, that's what I wanna do when I'm sad. Or, like, honestly, my toxic trait would be texting a boy who doesn't give a fuck about me and then getting sad. When I am happy. When I am happy, I want to go out to dinner with you, and I want to get an appetizer, and I wanna get a martini, and I wanna talk shit on our exes. And then I wanna go to the club with you, and I wanna put on my sunglasses and I wanna dance and I wanna shake my ass like no one's watching. Because at the end of the day, we all go out the same way. We all have the same finish the same journey. I want to make sure my journey's fun. And that's what I like to do. So do I party? Absolutely. But for me, I don't party to cope with anything. I party to have fun. I'm an extrovert by nature. So it's like, when I'm in a good mood, I don't want to sit in my apartment. I want to go out. I want to kiss boys, I want to dance, and I just want to smile and have a good time.

[Vivian Tu]

This sounds like the perfect night.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yes. Let's do it.

[Vivian Tu]

And we. We're talking about partying.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yes.

[Vivian Tu]

I got to imagine.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

You say you got this crew of 50 friends. They've been your friends since, like, day one. This is like the crew that came up with you.

[Brandon Edelman]

Right?

[Vivian Tu]

They loved you when you were making 41 GS a year. Now you're making quite a lot more. Do you feel like the financial relationship between them and you has changed a little bit? Do they expect you to pick up the tab?

[Brandon Edelman]

No, they definitely don't expect anything, which is great. I think it's really cool that I can offer things now. In a way where it's like we used to stress at a crowded bar about who was gonna buy our vodka soda, and now it's like, hey, like, I can actually get us a private section at the bar, and I'll pick up the T, and I'll pick up the tab. And they're so grateful. And I don't hold that over people's heads because that's just, like, weird. I'm just like, hey, like, I want to have fun. And I'm in this position now where I can, you know, spend a little more, and I can. It's fun. I'm not going to do it alone. That's not fun. I'm an extrovert. So it's like, let's do it together. I've never really had a situation where someone's tried to take advantage of me because I've been. Like I said, and like, we've just talked about, like, my. My friends have been my friends. If I told them tomorrow, like, when I was going through my mental health crisis, I told them I was like, guys, I'm thinking about quitting this. Like, I'm thinking about taking a year off and then maybe going back to a 9 to 5. And they're like, listen, we'll support you no matter what. We think you're insane if you do that because you're so talented. And we don't think that this is really you talking. You're in a very turbulent mindset right now, and we think you're going to come back to it. But if that's what you want, that's what you want. Like, if you want to quit the podcast, quit the podcast. You're. You're our friend first. Brand Brandon and Brand Flakes are two separate things. At the end of the day, they're collided. They're the same person, but they're also different. And we're friends with Brandon just as much as we are friends of Brand Flakes. And we need to put Brandon first. And it's just been the best experience with that.

[Vivian Tu]

The real ones.

[Brandon Edelman]

The real ones.

[Vivian Tu]

You mentioned earlier you were investing in YouTube. You're investing in Instagram.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

I want to talk about your actual investing.

[Brandon Edelman]

Wait, can I show you how I'm invested? And can you, like, tell me, show me, show me. Can you give me. I have to log in and, like, remember my password.

[Vivian Tu]

I love. I always love to ask, like, if there's any financial questions I can help you answer.

[Brandon Edelman]

We can do that.

[Vivian Tu]

So just, like, show me your investment.

[Brandon Edelman]

Backstory so we Kind of talked. So my parents were really great with the accountant stuff, but I mentioned they never really had a savings because they were supporting three kids at a time. So when I started to make a lot of money, I talked to my aunt, who. My aunt. She was rich aunt. I had a rich aunt. I feel like everyone has a rich aunt. I had a rich aunt who was a C level executive at a really nice firm. And I. I said, aunt Theresa, I don't know what the hell's going on. Like, this number looks really pretty in my TD bank savings account. But I was like, I feel like I'm not doing this right. And she was like, baby girl, let me hook you up with my Merrill lynch connect. And I was like, great, let's do it. So she hooked me up with that. And I'm not going to lie, I don't understand 99% of the conversations that I have with my financial advisor. And it's not because of him. It's quite frankly, because, like, he says something and he's like, let me explain this to you. And I'm like, you can say it in whatever language you want. I don't get it. Just like, tell me if I'm losing money. And I've never had him say, yes, you're losing money, which has been great. I'm like, cool, then let's just keep it going. But let me pull up my statement. And he's trying to get me more. He's trying to get me less conservative. He's like, go more into investments. Like, you. You have it. Like, do it. Like. And he purchases me, like, treasuries, CDs, like, all that stuff.

[Vivian Tu]

Pretty conservative.

[Brandon Edelman]

And he wants to push me to. But I'm still. Because I come from that place of like, what if I get canceled? And then what if the money.

[Vivian Tu]

So it's like, as a creator, the worst thing that could happen. What if I get canceled? So, all right, let's.

[Brandon Edelman]

You can look into. Tell me what I'm doing right. Tell me what I'm doing wrong. Am I invested in the right things? Does this look good for you?

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay, hold on, hold on.

[Brandon Edelman]

This is amazing. I'm, like, so excited about this.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay. In terms of performance, it does look like you're doing well.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay.

[Vivian Tu]

I like what I'm seeing.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay.

[Vivian Tu]

The one thing I would say I am concerned about. It's not bad. It's not bad.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay.

[Vivian Tu]

It's just that you have a financial advisor.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay.

[Vivian Tu]

And they typically. And I don't know about this specific one Yeah. I have to double check.

[Brandon Edelman]

No, this is good tea.

[Vivian Tu]

But with financial advisors and wealth managers, especially like private wealth managers like this, they'll take anywhere between 1 to 1.25% of your earnings.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay.

[Vivian Tu]

Which over the course of your lifetime, could be high. Six figures, maybe seven.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

That's a lot of money.

[Brandon Edelman]

A lot of money to give someone else.

[Vivian Tu]

I think knowing what you do for a living, knowing. Knowing that some of your income sources are complex in that, like, you do live shows.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

And like, you are doing those in different states and different locations. And, like, there's a lot going on. I don't hate the idea that you have this.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay.

[Vivian Tu]

It's just that, like, I would also like to see what of this you could be managing on your own.

[Brandon Edelman]

Interesting. Okay.

[Vivian Tu]

Because the returns are good. They're not bad.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

But your total return. Return. I wonder if this is of all time or if this is over the past year.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

But your return's good. It's roughly 10%.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

Which is wonderful.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

But that's also what AN S&P 500 ETF would have returned you in the same amount of time, and you wouldn't have had to pay that fee.

[Brandon Edelman]

What did she just say? Was it smpt?

[Vivian Tu]

Basically.

[Brandon Edelman]

Was it std? Oh, no.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay, we'll discuss this. But essentially what I'm trying to say is, like, there are other ways for you to be investing, getting similar returns without paying such a husky fee.

[Brandon Edelman]

But do I have to do it on my own or is there a different.

[Vivian Tu]

I would say there's like a middle ground. Right. So, like, for example, with, like, your personal wealth advantage.

[Brandon Edelman]

Thank you very much, by the way.

[Vivian Tu]

Of course. That's like a. That's like a true stylist. This stylist is going to do pulls. They are going to come to your house.

[Brandon Edelman]

Love this analogy.

[Vivian Tu]

They're putting out all the shoes. They are taking the time to do all of this.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yep.

[Vivian Tu]

Great. Then there's, you know, you entirely investing on your own. That's like you have to go to the mall, you have to go to every store. You have to find what's cute. You have to buy it yourself. You have to pick it up, you have to grab it, you have to carry it.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah. Okay.

[Vivian Tu]

There's kind of a middle ground.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

And this middle ground is like a robo advisor. So they do essentially what a human advisor would do. However, you essentially just take a quick quiz about your money goals, how much you're making when you'd like to retire. If you have Big expenses coming, what your family looks like, who you're taking care of. And you take this quiz pretty much every year.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

And then they put together a portfolio that makes sense for you.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay.

[Vivian Tu]

The fee is anywhere between 1/4 to 1/5 of what a human advisor would be.

[Brandon Edelman]

Got it. So like a 25 instead of 0.25.

[Vivian Tu]

Correct.

[Brandon Edelman]

Got it.

[Vivian Tu]

But this is like the equivalent of like a personal shopper, like at a store. So, like, you can call up Saks or Bloomingdale's and be like, hey, I'm gonna Drop by at 2pm I'm looking for an outfit for my friend's wedding.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

Can you pull a couple looks for me? Okay, listen, it's not the styling experience where they come to your house and they lay out all this stuff and they're like, whatever. But, like, you still have to go somewhere. You still have to do a little bit of work.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

But for the most part, the shopper is pulling the things for you.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

This is like a language I feel like you really understand.

[Brandon Edelman]

No, I am. Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

But it's the middle ground where if you did a little bit more, you could spend a lot less. So I would just look into it. At the end of the day, personal finance is very personal. I don't want to yuck anybody's yawn. If this is working for you, you are happy with it. There's nothing wrong with this option.

[Brandon Edelman]

Thank you.

[Vivian Tu]

I just think that, like, I am such a cheap bastard.

[Brandon Edelman]

And that's how you stay rich.

[Vivian Tu]

And that's how we stay rich, baby. Like, I just hate paying fees to people who.

[Brandon Edelman]

I get it.

[Vivian Tu]

I may not necessarily require that level of service. Like, Aunt Teresa might have, like a bunch of stuff going on that you don't know about that that advisor is being able to help her with. Help her with that earns them that fee.

[Brandon Edelman]

She's retired, you know. Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

So she's. She got it like that.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

You are earning a lot of money. But is your financial situation, like, ultra complex? Like, you don't have kids?

[Brandon Edelman]

No.

[Vivian Tu]

You're not married?

[Brandon Edelman]

I don't have. I don't own property.

[Vivian Tu]

You don't own property. Like, you know, I'm assuming you don't have any more student loans. You've paid them off.

[Brandon Edelman]

I actually haven't. Because I'm just like, hoping one day that they're going to forgive them. So I'm like, why would I pay them off?

[Vivian Tu]

I would just make sure if you have a.

[Brandon Edelman]

That's a. Do you think so? I'll Be transparent. I owe $26,000 in student loans right now. The way I'm doing it is I pay $287 a month.

[Vivian Tu]

Yep.

[Brandon Edelman]

And in the. I guess it's like almost like a gamble where I'm like, maybe one day when it's down to $20,000, $10,000 of it will be forgiven. Part of me is like, Brandon, just take a brand deal and pay off the whole thing. And don't worry about it. My credit score is amazing. It's like 840. Yeah. And the only thing that, like, shows up is that I owe student loan. Yeah. Do you think I should pay them all off or do you think keep what you're doing or maybe bump it up higher each month or. I would love to get your feedback on that.

[Vivian Tu]

It depends.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay.

[Vivian Tu]

Is it a federal or private student loan?

[Brandon Edelman]

Federal.

[Vivian Tu]

Federal. What's the interest rate on it?

[Brandon Edelman]

Oh, my God. Can I. Do we have time? Can I pull that up for you, too?

[Vivian Tu]

Look, look, look. This is financial therapy, baby.

[Brandon Edelman]

This is financial. No, this is amazing.

[Vivian Tu]

This is so great. Because we've also wanted to start doing this a little bit more where I help folks out, out. This is great.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay.

[Vivian Tu]

All right, let's take a look.

[Brandon Edelman]

So I'm down to 24,000.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay, you're down to 24,000 right now. It looks like the interest rate.

[Brandon Edelman]

I think I've set it up so I pay that. Like, there's no interest. Like, I pay the minimum so that, like. Do you know what I'm saying?

[Vivian Tu]

You have to pay interest.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah, yeah. But, like, I don't.

[Vivian Tu]

But roughly, right now, your interest rate is 4%. I would say slow roll this. Make the minimum payment. You don't need to pay this off faster.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay.

[Vivian Tu]

Pending. Pending. The money that you would have used to pay this off, you are actually investing.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yes. Which I agree.

[Vivian Tu]

You can't, like, let that sit in a savings account. Cause you realistically are not going to earn enough in interest doing that. But at 4%, you would make more money investing those dollars in the stock market than you would. You would save by paying this off early.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay. Love.

[Vivian Tu]

You actually are doing the right thing.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay. Amazing.

[Vivian Tu]

You can keep slow rolling.

[Brandon Edelman]

My minimum payment is like 287 to, like, comfortably for me, I could probably pay less.

[Vivian Tu]

But still, you just want to continuously keep paying it and making sure that you are not underpaying and also that, like, you are just keeping up with the loan.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

Because that is why your credit score is so high.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

So it's very important that you keep doing that.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay. Thank you, Viv. Oh my God, this is amazing. This is financial therapy.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay, last question. Ish. That you can flip to me.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay.

[Vivian Tu]

Is I know you want to buy down the shore.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

What are your considerations there and how can I help?

[Brandon Edelman]

I guess like what do I need to know about being a first time homeowner? Because I hear that that's like kind of insane. You get like a bunch of benefits and kind of just like where I have. I'm a very convenience person. So it's like I love renting because I love when something happens that someone can just fix it. The idea of like buying a beach house and like looking into window treatments. Who can I hire?

[Vivian Tu]

Which you need on the shore?

[Brandon Edelman]

Yes. Who can I hire to like handle that? Because like I want to go to my shore house and I want to set the fuck down. I want to crack open my Corona and I want to have a nice hot man in a bathing suit to look at. That's it. I don't want to have to worry about the window treatments, the, you know, the yard work, the. I mean. And you have to. So I guess it's like, how can I do it in a way where I get benefits of being a first time homeowner. Homeowner. And it's a good investment. I'm not investing in something that is silly. And how can I make it a more a stress. Not it's not going to be stress free, but a less stressful experience. What's some things that I could do ahead of time, whether it's hiring a realtor, hiring all of this to make it like a more seamless experience.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah. So I would say when you are thinking about buying, you're really smart to even ask me what the cons are. Because some people are like, there's only pros. That's not true. There are lots of pros to renting. Yeah. One, it sounds like you already like the area. It. Your family likes the area. So that's a big plus.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

I highly dis, you know, discourage people from like buying in areas that they like.

[Brandon Edelman]

We're gonna love it.

[Vivian Tu]

Like, have you actually lived there for a little bit? You don't know?

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

Two. Two. I would say there are great benefits in that you will likely, if you are, you know, not taking the standard deduction, you can write off your mortgage interest. Yeah. There are benefits in that. Oftentimes for folks like yourself, if you make one of the rooms in the house a studio, you paint all the walls green for Your grandson.

[Brandon Edelman]

I never freaking thought about that.

[Vivian Tu]

You can get a home office write off.

[Brandon Edelman]

Oh my God, she's incredible. Oh my God.

[Vivian Tu]

There are bennies.

[Brandon Edelman]

Do you do therapy? Like, do you offer like therapy sessions? I feel like I need to talk to you once a week.

[Vivian Tu]

We can just hang out. You can buy me a drink.

[Brandon Edelman]

Done. Okay, sorry, continue.

[Vivian Tu]

But the cons, we do have to talk about this.

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay, yes, let's talk about the cons.

[Vivian Tu]

Your toilet breaks at 2am that is your problem. You have to call the toilet emergency guy and they're going to charge extra because it's 2am in the morning.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

Also to your point, window treatments getting kind of like the renovation done. If you want to buy a turnkey place, you are going to pay up. And so I don't really love turnkey places.

[Brandon Edelman]

What's turnkey?

[Vivian Tu]

You turn the key and you're good. You sit down with your man in the bathing suit. Turnkey.

[Brandon Edelman]

Love this.

[Vivian Tu]

If you bought a place that had really good bones.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yes, 100%.

[Vivian Tu]

And fairness, like wasn't like so disastrous inside that you couldn't live with it.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

But if you actually then were to, you know, renovate it, renovate it yourself. And I don't even want to say.

[Brandon Edelman]

Which would kind of be fun.

[Vivian Tu]

I don't even want to say renovate.

[Brandon Edelman]

Give it a facelift.

[Vivian Tu]

But like give those like added touches or extra details yourself. It'd be cheaper. Yeah, it would take longer.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

But if you were to ever flip the property, realistically with the Jersey Shore, it's always going to be a hotbed for the tri state area for summertime vacations.

[Brandon Edelman]

And that's what I like. Like it'll appreciate what, what a lot of people do and it's very smart is families buy a house, but then they might stay in it three weekends of the summer, but they rent it out the other weeks and they pay off their mortgage honestly double sometimes, like they make a profit off of it. So it's for me, like I would definitely use it, but also on the weeks I wasn't used it, I would want to rent it out potentially.

[Vivian Tu]

And here is a big tip for someone like you, okay. Who does have wrapped rabid brand flakes fans. Buy your home in a trust. Buy your home through an llc. Make sure that you have some protection level there.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yes.

[Vivian Tu]

It's just important for your safety.

[Brandon Edelman]

I will definitely contact you if I get to this level. Which I will.

[Vivian Tu]

You will, you will. But listen, like if buying is on your roadmap, like just make sure that you are setting that money aside for that down payment and. And you'll be there. Summer 2026, baby. But also for a place down the shore. If you buy when it's kind of like ickier, like during the winter, 100%, you'll likely get a better deal than it's like if you buy in the spring. People know the summer's coming, they want.

[Brandon Edelman]

To go, they're itching.

[Vivian Tu]

So buy during kind of like a time when you're like, oh, well, the lighting is not that great here. And it's like, well, it's the winter, it's raining today. There's always kind of like little things that people just plays with the psyche of, like if you get it at an off peak season or off peak time, like for the most part, it's just a little bit less. The seller can't be as aggressive with you.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah. Oh, my God.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Brandon Edelman]

This has been so therapeutic.

[Vivian Tu]

Well, thank you so much for joining me.

[Brandon Edelman]

Thank you for having me.

[Vivian Tu]

Gotta wrap up.

[Brandon Edelman]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

Where can people find you? What can we expect next?

[Brandon Edelman]

Okay, so like I said, my goals this year really, like, try to invest in YouTube, diversify. I want to do more interviews, more podcasts, potentially more hosting. But until all of my dreams come true, just find me at brandflakes with two Zs on Instagram, brand two flakes with two Zs on TikTok.

[Vivian Tu]

Amazing.

[Brandon Edelman]

And I do have a podcast between us girlies. Please support us on Spotify, Apple, YouTube. Yeah. Thank you so much, Viv.

[Vivian Tu]

Thanks for coming.

[Brandon Edelman]

Bye.

[Vivian Tu]

Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of Net Worth and Chill, part of the Vox Media podcast network. If you liked the episode, make sure to leave a rating and review and subscribe so you never miss an episode episode. Got a burning financial question that you want covered in a future episode? Write to us via podcastourrichbff.com follow net worth and Chill pod on Instagram to stay up to date on all podcast related news. And you can follow me at YourRichBFF for even more financial know how. See you next week. Bye.

[Brandon Edelman]

All right, Sean, you can do this promo. Talking about all the great Vox Media podcasts that are going to be on stage live, live at south by Southwest this March. You just need a big idea to get people's attention, to help them, you know, keep them from hitting the skip button. I don't know. I'm gonna throw it out to the group. Chat. Kara, do you have any ideas?

[Vivian Tu]

In these challenging times, we're a group of mighty hosts who have banded together.

[Brandon Edelman]

To fight disinformation by speaking truth to power. Like the Avengers, but with more spandex.

[Vivian Tu]

What do you think?

[Brandon Edelman]

Scott?

[Vivian Tu]

I'm more of an X Man fan myself. Call me Professor.

[Brandon Edelman]

Can I read minds? I can't really read minds, but I can empathize with anyone having a midlife crisis, which is essentially any tech leader. So minds are important, Scott, but we're more than that. I think that you can't really separate minds from feelings, and we need to talk about our emotions and explore the layers of our relationships with our partners, co workers, our families, neighbors, and our adjacent communities. I just want to add a touch.

[Vivian Tu]

More from sports and culture to tech.

[Brandon Edelman]

And politics, Vox Media has an all star lineup of podcasts that's great in.

[Vivian Tu]

Your feeds, but even better live.

[Brandon Edelman]

That's it. All Stars.

[Vivian Tu]

Get your game on.

[Brandon Edelman]

Go play. Come see a bunch of Vox Media All Stars and also me at south by Southwest on the Vox Media Podcast stage presented by Smartsheet and Intuit, March 8th through 10th in Austin, Texas. Go to VoxMedia.com SXSW you'll never know if you don't go. You'll never shine if you don't glow.