← The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast
The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast
1KHO 402: More Than Enough - How Contentment, Gratitude, and Generosity Build a Rich Life for Your Family | Rachel Cruze
00:57:33
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- [00:01]
Ginny Urch
Imagine what's possible when learning doesn't get in the way of life. At Capella University, our game changing flexpath learning format lets you set your own deadline so you can learn at a time and pace that works for you. It's an education you can tailor to your schedule. That means you don't have to put your life on hold to pursue your professional goals. Instead, enjoy learning your way and earn your degree without missing a beat. A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn more at capella. Edu welcome to the 1000 Hours Outside podcast. My name is Ginny Urch. I'm the founder of 1000 Hours Outside and I'm so thrilled. Back for the third time, Rachel Cruz, welcome.
- [00:40]
Rachel Cruz
Thank you, Jenny. Thanks for keep having me back on. I so appreciate it.
- [00:44]
Ginny Urch
I have to tell you the coolest thing. So well, we got to come down and visit and that was beyond special and exciting. And we got to see everything. Like we got a tour. We got to see when people come and ring the bell when they are debt free that they have a special, a placard thing at their parking spot. You know, they're coming in, they're going to come in and ring the bell. We got to see how a lot of these podcasts are taped live and people can just come in and watch. We got to go to the store, we got to see the cafeteria and all the different employees. I mean, what a cool thing you have going on there, Rachel.
- [01:19]
Rachel Cruz
Well, thank you. I know it's so fun to. For you to be in person. You were on my show too, which I loved. Yeah. And just having you here.
- [01:26]
Ginny Urch
Yes, it was so fun. And there was like color corrector and I mean, it was so official and wonderful. And yesterday I get this package in the mail and it is like this guitar. I don't know if you can see it, all these little treats on it. And I was like, oh, we know a lot of people, you know, in Tennessee. We're like, who is this from? And it was from Dave Ramsey. People.
- [01:49]
Rachel Cruz
So glad. What a fun.
- [01:50]
Ginny Urch
I know.
- [01:50]
Rachel Cruz
What a fun gift for always for Christmas and creative, creative stuff there.
- [01:55]
Ginny Urch
I was thrilled. So that kind of takes us into these books that you have, which I think are brilliant, Rachel. It's like, you know, we, we want to make sure that our kids are set up well financially, that they have some information and that they make good decisions. Because when we have a foundation there, then we can do more with our life. We can give more. Which giving is so exciting. But sometimes it's like, well, when do we start? When do we start to talk to our kids? And you take these foundational concepts that really are sort of the foundation for all of the money decisions that we're going to make. Contentment, gratitude and giving. And you have distilled those really big topics down into books for young children. Was that the intention is to sort of start these money talks in that way, in this sort of broad way early.
- [02:43]
Rachel Cruz
It was because money is so emotional, right? There's so much with personal finance that we, the people handling our own money are the problem and the solution, right? But it has to deal with us. And a lot of people's money issues come from. From them, right? And same with me, right? My money issues come from me and my. And how healthy I am, how unhealthy I am emotionally, spiritually, like, it revolves so much. And I do, I do know life hands people a hard hand at times, right? So understanding the tactical side of money is so crucial. And we talk about that a lot at Ramsey, from budgeting and investing to home ownership. Like, knowing all of that is so key. And our kids need to know those things, right? Because they're going to be making tactical decisions with money. But one of the overarching principles of personal finance is that your personal finance is about your behavior. And if you can control you, you could control a lot of your money. And a lot of our motivation in an unhealthy way with money stems from these topics when they're not talked about, thought about and instilled in us. So when you're not content and you're discontent, you're going to be spending a lot of money to keep up with everyone else and comparison will creep right in. When you don't have a heart of gratitude, then you're going to be constantly thinking of what you don't have. And there's gonna be a level of a kind of a selfishness, this ungrateful, unhappy life that you're living. And that can come out many different ways with our money and then also with generosity. When you're not giving and serving and you're living life with a closed fist, not only do you not get to experience the joy of money, but again, you're back focused on yourself. So again, these big elements of personal finance, the emotional side, I think is so key for our kids. And so, yeah, I didn't wanna write a book necessarily. Maybe I will one day, but I'm like, I don't wanna write about saving and working and all those things which are very Important. And I'm all about teaching our kids those things. I was like, I want to start out with these concepts of the heart. And so that was really the motivation behind it.
- [04:38]
Ginny Urch
We have Love Them in our family. We started out with. I think they came out in the order of I'm glad for what I have, which came out last Thanksgiving, which was a great time of year for that book to come out. And then I'm glad for where I am. So this is about being content. And then the newest one is I'm glad when I can share. And this is about giving. And I say now all the time, Rachel, be glad for what you have. For what you have. Just like it becomes a little track in your life. Because I think there is a lot of opportunity, especially today, for kids to be discontent and to be ungrateful, because there's always more. There's always more TV they could watch. There's always more toys they could buy. I mean, the toy catalogs, I was thinking just the other day, growing up, I never looked at a catalog for toys. I looked at. My grandma had catalogs for seeds. That was the only catalog I ever saw. Then she would send in like a paper check. There were no color pictures. And she was just buying seeds. That was it.
- [05:38]
Rachel Cruz
Yeah.
- [05:38]
Ginny Urch
And my kids have gotten a dozen, probably.
- [05:41]
Rachel Cruz
Oh, yeah, yeah, you're exactly right. And what's wild is literally this morning, this morning I was with my fourth grader and we went on Amazon because she drew a present for her cousin. We drew names with the cousins for Christmas. And looking at it, and I thought, I had that thought. I said, oh, my gosh, you can go on Amazon. And there is. You could search hatchables, whatever the little. Whatever the little toy is, and you're going to get 60 results. And that's from one. That's from one store, Amazon, let alone Target, let alone. I mean, like, all these places were, for me as a kid, I think it was just Toys R Us. I think that was the only place you could buy toys. That was it. Like, I guess still Walmart and stuff, but, like, you don't know. When you wanted toys, it was Toys R Us, and that was it. Now there are so many options, and within the options, there are so many options. Right. And so it's just. It is an endless array of consumerism that we live in. And so for our kids, being so aware of that, in a sense of guiding and protecting, you know, them and their hearts with it all, because it is. It's so difficult. It's so Hard.
- [06:47]
Ginny Urch
That's why I love your approach. I love that the approaches with picture books, because picture books allow you to have those conversations throughout the year. And then you sit and you read these books, and they're very cute. I mean, the illustrations are adorable. They're all animals. You know, you've got your three kids, and each, you know, you say, like, each one is holding one of the books when they launch, and. And they're just beautifully written. So you sit and you talk about them with your kids and you can read them over and over again because kids want to read books over and over again, and then you can just ladder back to it. Oh, remember the book. You remember when they share. Remember, you know, when. When they were content for where. Where they're at in life. And I think what we don't know is we don't know how things are going to continue to change. But what we do know is that these overarching principles of contentment and gratitude and giving that you highlight in these kids books, those will always be the foundation. I talked to this man named Neil Pasricha who's written some cool books about happiness, and he was watching some show with his wife, and I don't remember what it was, but he was like, it made me think, I need to redo my bathroom. And it wasn't. That's not even the point of the show. Right. The. The point of the show is not that, but you start to see all this stuff. So we don't really even know what our kids are going to be exposed to or how retail and commerce is going to change. You know, now there's temu. Like, what? I don't even know what that is, but it's something. And my kids are. My kids are asking me, can you get the Temu app? I'm like, I don't know. I want to know.
- [08:12]
Rachel Cruz
I know what this is. Right? Totally.
- [08:14]
Ginny Urch
Yes. Yes. I was like, can we just go back to reading the books about being glad for what we have? But anyway, my point is, is I really think that it's. It's imperative and I love that you're providing something for parents with young kids to start these conversations.
- [08:28]
Rachel Cruz
Yeah. And I think too, you know, to highlight, and we talk about this a lot in our house is I'm like, I don't want to vilify something that doesn't need to be vilified. Right. So. So this balance with them of, like, stuff is not bad, you guys. Stuff is not evil. It's back to us again. It's Our motivation and what we believe about the stuff. So we always say, it's okay to have nice stuff. Just don't let your nice stuff have you. And it has you when you go into debt for it and you owe money on it, because technically, then that stuff owns you. You don't own it. And then it has you when you believe your contentment and your joy is wrapped up if you just buy that thing. And my kids have fallen into that. They had birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese. And so there was one birthday party they went to, and they couldn't. We didn't have time. We. I mean, I was like, we have to leave, you guys. We had to leave a little early, and we didn't have time to stop by the little booth to get all the, you know, that's all just a bunch of crap, all that stuff, right? And I was like, we don't have time to get the tickets. And I had a meltdown. One of my kids had a complete meltdown. And we get into the car, and, I mean, it was still just, oh, they couldn't believe that we couldn't. They couldn't get their prize or whatever. And I said, I know you're disappointed. And I reminded her. I was like, do you remember the toy that you got two weeks ago from this situation? She was like, it was from the dentist, honestly, because our dentist gives them, like, little treats. And she was like, yeah. I was like, do you remember how excited you were about that little sticker thing or whatever? It was like, yeah. I was like, well, where is it now? She's like, I don't know. It's like, exactly. And I told her, I said, if the root of your happiness is. Is getting new stuff and getting that next thing, that next thing, that next thing, that next thing. And that's what is funding your happiness. You're going to be a rat in a wheel, like a gerbil in a wheel for the rest of your life. You're going to run, run, run, run, run, run, run. And you're not going to get anywhere. So while the stick fun, the Chuck E. Cheese gadgets that you. You could get, sure, they're fun, whatever. But if it is taking you to a point that you really believe, I'm gonna have the worst day ever if I can't get that thing, you're gonna live a really long, miserable life. Like, it's gonna be really hard to find this level of joy. And that's not where our joy can come from. It's not. And so we have to shift that perspective. And I, as an adult, Jenny, like, I struggle with that. Right. I mean, I'll see.
- [10:31]
Ginny Urch
Yeah.
- [10:32]
Rachel Cruz
The new bathroom or the coats or whatever the thing is. And you're like, oh, oh. Know we have moments like that as adults. But to train them to critically think that, again, it's not the stuff that's bad, but how are we approaching that stuff? And that's the posture that we really have to think about. And that's the conversation I want with my kids. It's always the motivation right of the heart that I think is so big.
- [10:53]
Ginny Urch
And that's the conversation that these books strike. And you can read picture books to any age, kid. I think that's an important thing to know. So we've got kids ages 16 down to 8, but you can all sit down as a family and read picture books. Sarah McKenzie talks about it from Read Aloud Revival that picture books use words that you may not use in everyday conversation. And so picture books are good for kids of all ages. And it's a good reminder for the parent. Right. It's a good reminder for the parent to know. I'm glad when I can share. I'm glad for where I am. I'm glad for what I have. Those are the names of the books. People can find those@rachel cruz.com or@ramseysolutions.com as well. And they just match. So, you know, like, I like matching books. I like it when they go on my shelf and they can match. And you've got those ones you can grab. The newest one is about sharing. So this one's about generosity, the newest one that came out. I'm glad when I can share. Generosity is the most wild thing, Rachel. And I know you talk about it so much and everyone at Ramsey talks about it so much. It's wild because it doesn't make any sense.
- [11:50]
Rachel Cruz
It's a great way of saying it because you're letting go, right? You're giving, you're. You're having less. So how in the world is it that you feel like you have more after? Yeah, yeah.
- [11:59]
Ginny Urch
So this is biblical. This is one reason why I believe the Bible is true. Because there are some wacky things in there that don't make any logical sense and yet they work.
- [12:09]
Rachel Cruz
Yes.
- [12:10]
Ginny Urch
There's all sorts of verses about generosity. Generous person will prosper, and when you cast your bread upon the water, it will return to you in several days. Which is not true. I mean.
- [12:20]
Rachel Cruz
Yeah, yeah.
- [12:21]
Ginny Urch
You know, so talk to us about the book. I'm glad when I can Share?
- [12:24]
Rachel Cruz
Yes.
- [12:24]
Ginny Urch
And why should we be generous people?
- [12:27]
Rachel Cruz
Well, when I was writing the book, giving was obviously the topic I was focused on. But as I was kind of going through the manuscript and thinking about my little ones too, sharing is kind of that first step into generosity for our kids. That first moment of opening your hand and letting someone else, you know, have what you have, sharing in the moment. And so it turned into a sharing book. I meant for it to be just a strict giving book, but I was like, no, little kids, like, this is that first step into generosity. And my kids experience this and we talk about it a lot, you know, when they're little and it's like, no, this is mine, that's mine, that's mine. And they. Even if they have a friend over, right? And they're like, nope, these are my trains. That happened to my four year old the other day. And I was like, charles, we're gonna share with a little friend that's here, right? But when I talk to them about it, you know, usually after, if we have a conversation about it, it's like, you know, your life is way more full when people are a part of it. And when you share your stuff, you get to experience life with other people. And there's something in that that is so joyous. It's how we were created, right? It's this, this level of community from a adult standpoint. But also when you're a kid and you get to experience something with others and this could be your brothers and sisters, this could be friends, life is more joyful in that way. And so that first step of understanding, of bringing people in to your life and your stuff is a great posture to have early on when it comes to giving. But the giving parts that message, it is, it's always number one. It's funny, you know, in the personal finance space, a lot of people, you know, really focus on the, the nuts and bolts of money, which is important. And again, I'm all for that. And a lot of them always kind of like, their heads always kind of go to the side if I'm on their podcast or talking to them. And I talk about, well, you give first. And they're always like, huh? Because giving is just not a topic that people talk about very often. They don't put it as a part of their landscape when it comes to their money. And we're pretty so hardcore about it at Ramsey that even our every dollar budgeting app, the very first line item in that sample budget is giving. And so I really do believe, starting there is so crucial because there's this lie with giving that if I had more, I would give more. And what happens is it's not about the math and the money. It's back to what we talked about at the beginning of this. It's about you as a person. And if it's not a priority now, then it's not going to be magnified if it's a part of who you are. Because that's what money does. It magnifies who you are. So the more money you get or you're handling and the more wealth you continue to. That part of you is what I want magnified. Because we know that that's the part that brings joy. That is in life what will bring lasting joy. And scientific evidence has proven this. I mean there's been studies done in brain scans. And so that's the beautiful thing when science and God match up together and you're like, see, that is how we are created. We were like literally created to give and to serve. And so if you are listening to this and you're in a hard place financially. Cause it's been, it's been a tough few years for people. I mean it really has. And from a financial perspective. So I would always encourage people just give a little, give something, give a little. Maybe just don't go out to eat once and use that money you would have spent to going out to eat to give like whatever it looks like for you, give something. Because when you make that a part of the, a rhythm of your life, that's what continues. And so much of money and being successful with money is habits. It's just, it becomes a part of who you are. And that giving element, it has to be there because it's what's going to give you a quality life. When you give and you serve, that's.
- [15:43]
Ginny Urch
Gonna increase your faith too. I mean that, that's the whole thing about it because it's so backwards and it doesn't make any logical sense. And so I love, I love that, I think that by preaching that message that you are helping people increase their faith.
- [15:55]
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- [20:17]
Ginny Urch
And you can give of your time, you can give of yourself. Yes, there's the verse that says refresh others and you will be refreshed. So what does that look like? I mean, that can look like a whole lot of different things. Luke 6:38 says give. This is out of the amplified classic give and gifts will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will they pour into the pouch formed by the bosom of your robe and used as a bag. I like that it has bosom with the measure you deal out the measure you use. When you confer benefits on others, it will be measured back to you. I mean, where else could that come from? That just doesn't come from the cosmos.
- [20:53]
Rachel Cruz
Right.
- [20:53]
Ginny Urch
You know, there's all sorts of verses about it that everyone is a friend of a man who gives gifts, and a gift given in secret can pacify anger.
- [21:00]
Rachel Cruz
Like, yes.
- [21:01]
Ginny Urch
There's all sorts of stuff. You just read Proverbs and then you're like, well, there is a lot of truth here because experience lines up with that. So you can bring this book into your home. I'm glad when I can share as a foundational beginnings of these conversations of, well, how good did that feel when. When you refresh somebody else? I just love it. Rachel, thank you.
- [21:22]
Rachel Cruz
Thank you, Jenny. I so appreciate. I appreciate your support. You are so generous always with your platform and, and what you do and how you help people, too. I mean, there's so much there. So that. And I think that's a good point that you made because it is true. And, and the creativity around giving that. Yes. Is money important? That's my focus, you know, when it comes to my job and my career. But even, you know, I even tell my kids, I'm like, even ask in conversation, be generous with your conversation. Ask people questions, be interested in them, right? Where it's not all about you. Like, where are these places that we can somewhat, you know, die to ourselves? And it's interesting, too. I feel like there's this trend of, like, self care and self help and all of it. And I'm. I'm on that train. I love therapy. I think becoming a healthier person all around. I am so pro. But it's to do it for some reason, right? You're not doing it just for you. You're doing it so that the outflow of who you are. And I think, you know, as moms, sometimes it is this feeling of like, you just give and give and give. And there's that, that message out there, which is so true, right. That that is a part of motherhood. So I don't want people depleted, right? Where they're just like, that's all they're doing and they're not taking care of themselves, themselves. So there's. I don't know, it's like this counter message that I'm experiencing that I'm like, yes, you're doing that work. You're taking care of yourself so that you can be an overflow. And that's very scriptural as well, right? This. There was a rabbi, Rabbi Daniel, Daniel Lapin, and he wrote a book, Thou Shalt Prosper. And he talks about how Jewish people throughout all of history prosper, where they're at. And it's a very fascinating study because he goes through a lot of these Old Testament scriptures and ways that they view money and the way they work and all of it. It's a. It's a pretty heady book, but it's an interesting one. But he talks about the havdala, which is this cup, and Jewish families use this cup, and it's the symbol where they pour wine into it and then there's a saucer underneath it. And out of the overflow of that is what is given. And so their point is, if you're not filled up to yourself, whatever that means, right. There's gonna be no overflow. And so whether it's the self care world that we hear all the time, right? Yes, we do that to overflow and be able to be generous. You make money and handle money well so that there's overflow of money to give. Right? It's all these places of our lives when we handle our lives better, our time, our kids, our parenting, what you talk about, right? We do all of this so that there's overflow to be generous people in all of these places. So again, it doesn't have to just apply to money. But I think it's a great challenge always for me in that of kind of that. So what, you know, we're doing these things to help us, ourselves and our household so that we can be a blessing to others.
- [23:50]
Ginny Urch
Okay, let's stick with the Jewish philosophy. I did get that book. I got it based off of your recommendation, but I have, I have it. Thou shalt prosper.
- [23:57]
Rachel Cruz
It's pretty heady. So get ready. It's a little bit like, yeah, but he's so smart.
- [24:01]
Ginny Urch
Okay, well, okay. So I heard about this other Jewish philosopher and I wrote about it in a book of mine where he categorized the levels of giving. So it was like, it wasn't just like, all giving is the same. It was like, okay, the lowest form of giving is if you give and you announce it to everyone. Right? Okay. So that was like number eight.
- [24:20]
Rachel Cruz
Right.
- [24:20]
Ginny Urch
And then it was like, well, if you give anonymously, you know, So I would have thought that the highest level of giving was giving anonymously. But he said, the highest level of giving is providing others with the ability to earn wealth.
- [24:32]
Rachel Cruz
Oh, wow.
- [24:33]
Ginny Urch
I was like, oh, that's pretty deep. Because it changes things about entrepreneurship. And I was just thinking, I've really been thinking a lot, Rachel, about the world is changing in terms of jobs. And I know Ken Coleman over at Ramsey talks a lot about jobs. And this is one of the things that, you know, you're talking about in terms of wealth. Jade's talking about, you know, maybe you have an extra job to try and pay things off. And. And we're talking about the world of work and things are going more toward entrepreneurship. And I've talked to a lot of people just this year, Rachel, that's like, you know, my grandfather started this farm and, you know, he didn't make much money off of it. But now, you know, I've written 15 books. Or my grandfather started this campground and it was really brave of him. And I got to grow up running there and catching frogs and it inspired me to own my own business. Or I just talked to Sadie Robertson and she was like, my grandpa, he built a Christmas tree farm and it failed and it never took off. But that's where I built my home with my new husband as newlyweds, you know, Or I talked to this SD Smith and he's like a first generation entrepreneur in his home. He's an author. He writes these phenomenal books called the Green Ember Series. And he's like, my kids are a lot more comfortable being entrepreneurs since I made that change in our family. So I think this is a big change in our world. I think I'm seeing it a lot. And it used to be that, like, the parent had a job or the parents have jobs, and then you have your job, you go to school, and then there's no intersection, and then off you go to college. But you're part of a generational business. And I think that that's really cool. So I would love to talk a little bit about when was that spark for you? Like, at what point where you're like, maybe I could join in, like, this is my dad's thing. But then it's like, well, no, actually there's an opportunity. I have some interest there and I'm going to be part of this, like, generational legacy.
- [26:26]
Rachel Cruz
Yes, that's so, that's so interesting and it's so encouraging to hear other people's because I think that is true. There's something about when scripture talks about, you know, a good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, that can be money. But that also could be a totally new mindset. That could be opportunity. Like, right. Like there's something there generationally that I think is so important to think about. And so it could be faith for faith. Yes, absolutely.
- [26:48]
Ginny Urch
Like, we talk about that. Like, both of our parents are Christians. You know, my mom got saved as at the end of high School. So that was, that didn't come from her parents. And same for my husband's parents. So they changed that for us. They now they left the generation of faith, now that's gone several generations. But I think because things are switching so much to entrepreneurship, like the job market has changed. I think family business is increasing to a degree.
- [27:14]
Rachel Cruz
Yeah.
- [27:15]
Ginny Urch
And I think that's a really cool thing.
- [27:16]
Rachel Cruz
Totally. Yes. And I think too it can get a bad rap because I think some people hear the drama side of it or like the HBO series, that's about it or whatever. Right. But there's, there's families out there that are doing it really well. And for us, mom and dad were always big on any of us because I. So I have an older sister and younger brother and if we were to enter into any level of this they were really big on, you have to be called to this because number one, you're going to have to work harder than everyone else because already you're kind of underneath, you know, the totem pole because people are assuming all these things about you automatically. And so you have to work harder to prove yourself that you have credibility and that you're able to do this. And so for me, I remember when I was 15 back in the world when events, you know, it was kind of a different world, you know, back in 2003, and how the, how we did things in the event, event space. But I mean, dad would do arena events around the country and he would do these like seven hour long money events for seven hours. It was just crazy. And when I was 15, I remember a guy that worked here at the time just said, Rachel, you, you have such like a bubbly personality. You could go on stage and talk about the kids products. Because at the time we had some kids products. And he's like, it would be so cool for people to hear from Dave Ramsey's daughter. And you could do it, like you totally can. And I remember looking out on that stage, Jenny, and I was like, I can't go up there. Are you kidding me? No. And you know, slowly but surely I decided, okay, I'm gonna try. So long story short, I started doing that with him and realizing that I enjoyed it. And I remember other adults saying, that's a really interesting gifting you have. Cause most people hate public speaking. So the fact that you enjoy it, you know, people just would remind me, remember that? Remember that? And I was like, okay, well then I went off to college and you know, just kind of did the college thing. Wasn't really thinking much about it, but about around probably my sophomore, junior of college, I started talking to my friends, and money kept getting brought up. People were getting credit card offers. You know, you're starting kind of think about college, graduation, that kind of thing. And money started to be more of the conversation. And I remember thinking, I don't know a lot, but I do know a couple of these things. And, I mean, they're not asking my opinion, but I have an opinion. And I suddenly realized, oh, my gosh, people my own age are starting to deal with this, and they're making decisions that growing up in the Ramsey household was counter to what I feel like they should be doing. Like, what are they doing? You know? And I started to feel this, like, urgency within me. And, yeah, by the time I was a senior, I was like, okay, I think I want to do this. And at the time, there was no Ramsey personalities. There was no model within Ramsey solutions of all of this. And so I just went to mom and dad my senior year, and I said, I think I want to travel and speak to high school students and college students. Because the gift that I was given was the knowledge ahead of time before making these mistakes. Right. So I kind of saw myself as the preventative medicine medicine where dad was, like, the emergency surgeon, helping, you know, people that had made the mistakes and trying to, you know, help heal them in that sense, where I was like, if they could get this before, they can avoid so many mistakes. And so that's why I started doing. I mean, I. I went to Golly, Iowa and Kentucky, and, I mean, I was all over the place at random community colleges or high schools that would take me doing assemblies and all of it. And then that was 15 years ago. So as I got in and as I got married, you know, we're having kids, I feel like my message started to change, you know, less away kind of from high school and college to what I was dealing with at the grocery store and figuring out. Yes, exactly. Yeah, the books, the kid books. And so my message really, over the last, you know, 15 years, you just look. I look back at my story with work specifically, and just see how God opens doors. And I don't even think at the time I realized every door that was being open, I just kept walking. I just kept doing the next next thing. So whether that was getting a flip camera in a tripod and starting a vlog in 2010, you know, thinking, I'll just upload some videos to this thing called YouTube that was just kind of starting at the time is what it felt like so it was just kind of testing these waters. And so that's what it was. And then it, you know, turns into podcasting became a thing and different elements and speaking and having my own events and doing different stuff. So it's kind of developed in that way. But it was a conscious conversation with mom and dad of, if you really want to get into this, it's going to be hard. It's going to probably be easier if you just go work for someone else. Because it's a. It's like this element for a Ramsey of. Yeah, you're gonna grind it out and I'm not going to give you the spotlight. You're not going to get these national media hits because you're my daughter. Like, you got to drive to Birmingham and be on the morning show and understand how media works. Right. You got you. You have to be the, you know, you got to do the grunt work and build, which was so great and what I look back and so thankful for.
- [31:50]
Ginny Urch
It's interesting, I think as a parent now, like with kids that are in those ages, you know, 15, like, you just don't know where it's going to lead all of this work you put in. You have no idea. Like, your dad could have never known that in 15 years you're going to be sitting in this really cool studio space with an earbud that's not totally working and you know, with your kids books totally on the shelves behind you. Yeah. And so I just find that very encouraging because, well, he. There was a period of bankruptcy. I don't totally know the story, but this has not been like some straight shot to the top. It's been really hard for your dad.
- [32:26]
Rachel Cruz
Yes. Yeah, that's how it all happened. The year I was born, they filed bankruptcy. And so I was born in April, they filed in September. So they had a two and a half year old, my sister and then me. It's a newborn, right. A few months old. And yep, filed for bankruptcy. So out of that is how he really started understanding and reading scripture around money and just talking to like old rich people. He was like, I don't want the flashy banker, you know, who's, you know, telling me all this stuff, like, who's the guy that built wealth? And he's happy he has a solid family. Like, who are the people that have done it well and successful. And that's where the whole common sense, live without debt, live below your means, budget, save and invest. It's not flashy and exciting, but it's literally what he was teaching 35 years ago, which is crazy. It's the same principles today that work. So that's how. That's how. How it all became what we are is the bankruptcy. And honestly, Jenny, like, you look back on that, and I'm learning this as an adult, like, the suffering and the struggle of life, things that happen, whether it's with our kids and marriage, with our money, career, right? You could put probably any topic in there. Like, when that is hard, like, that is not only where I feel like you are intimately involved with Jesus more and more in those moments, but what comes out of that, that fruit. And that fruit may look totally different, right? And that's what I learned too, is that the result out of the hardship may not be what we want, right? The sickness may not be healed. We may not see that, or that marriage may not be redeemed. Like, things happen in life that are heartbreaking and sad, but it's not wasted. And what God uses in that is so beautiful. And so for us at Ramsey, like, that is one thing I tell mom and dad is I'm like, y'all went through hell and back through that. I can't imagine how scared you were. And it was just terrible. But that is where people, we understand people. And even more so dad than me, when people call in and they are scared and they're 26 years old and they're behind on three credit cards and two car payments and they have two kids. Like, he can go back there, Jenny, in a heartbeat and be like, I get it. So the empathy of our suffering is such a gift for people and for Ramsey, I think that that is part of what's made this magical. And what God has used is took the worst of the worst, right? And. And has redeemed it. And he may not do that. You know, it may look different, right? That's the part of the story that's so interesting about life, is our redemption may look different. It may not look exactly what we want it to be, but it's never wasted. It's never wasted.
- [34:38]
Ginny Urch
We just never can know what will come. We never know and we never know in a generational way. And I think that's just been something that's been bouncing around in my head because we are first generation entrepreneurs in our home. And so, like, this is really not going super well. It's going okay, right?
- [34:57]
Rachel Cruz
But it's hard.
- [34:58]
Ginny Urch
But I'm like, we've made so many wrong decisions. Or I wish the one I say all the time is, I have three books that are all called 1000 Hours Outside 3. What happened? I don't know. I don't know. It's like the worst entrepreneurial decision. People be like, tell me about your books. I'll be like, well, one is called 1000 hours outside and another one is ridiculous. Like, oh, I should have done this, I should have done that. And you have all this sort of regret. And then you look though at these other people's stories and you're like, there is a generational impact here that you may not know for 15 years, 20 years, 25 years. You don't know what's coming. And I think it's very inspiring. We're just really being inspired at this point by families who are showcasing that of showcasing what could be, and that sometimes it takes a long time for the fruit to show up. But I do think it's one of the coolest things I don't like the dentist.
- [35:56]
Unknown
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- [37:29]
Ginny Urch
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- [37:45]
Rachel Cruz
You've got all day at Jack.
- [37:47]
Ginny Urch
Every bite's a big deal.
- [37:51]
Unknown
When it comes to raising kids, there's so much to consider. Things like, what do we feed them? When do we feed them? How do they sleep? What does it look like to raise kind kids? How does their nervous system work? How do I keep myself calm? What are my triggers? There's so much that comes into play and we are distilling all of that information for you at Voices of your Village. Village podcast, where we bring experts in the field of early childhood and education and psychology and across the board so that you don't have to comb the Internet for information. You get to show up and hang out and have shame free judgment, free conversations and insights into what it looks like to raise kind, empathetic, emotionally intelligent humans. I'm Alyssa Blask Campbell. I have a master's degree in early childhood education. I'm a mom of two and I am walking this journey right alongside you doing this work. Come hang out with me at Voices of your Village and we can dive into real conversations with actionable tips.
- [38:51]
Ginny Urch
And what an interesting thing. Yeah, you're constantly toeing the line of, well, she's just his daughter. That's hard.
- [38:58]
Rachel Cruz
Oh, yeah, for sure. And I even had to come to a moment in my mid-20s where I remember looking in the mirror and thinking, I'm not a balding 60 year old man. Like that. That is not who I am. I am fun and young and like to shop and like, I am so different than him in so many ways. And so where can I find my voice and my messaging and my relatability? Because my story's not his story. I didn't File Bankruptcy at 26 years old. Right. So. So where are the places in my story that I can meet people at as well? So. So that was a challenge for me to find my own voice in that. And. And I'm thankful I do. You know, we laugh all the time. If we host the show together, the Ramsey show, there's usually a couple of comments, you know, on YouTube or whatever. They're always like, Uncle Dave always, you know, laying down the hammer. And there's Rachel to be like the realist, like, or like the, like the person that's Like, I feel like I'm like the friend. Like, I'm like, I get you. You know, I had a little bit of that, that. That sympathy, empathy part, which I think is big.
- [39:55]
Ginny Urch
But you guys do a great job with the Ramsey personalities of grabbing a bunch of different people from different walks of life. And I think that's important because I read some of these books. I talked to this man, Dr. Peter Gray. He wrote a phenomenal book. It's called Free to Learn, and it's about just giving kids freedom and how they learned right when they have a lot of freedom. Well, he's older at this point, and he raised his son in the 80s. And I've asked him, like, well, what would you do today? And you can have some ideals about that. Like, I think I would do this. Yeah, but you don't really know. And so for you, you're raising kids in a generation when they can have access to screens 100% of the time. You're raising kids when they can get on Amazon and find 15 different types of hatchimals. And that Target is going to have an exclusive hatchimal that's different than Walmart's exclusive Hatchimal. And so I. I actually do think that that's a really important point, that times change and you have to have a voice from someone who is actually living through these changing times and. And what that looks like for our family. So, I mean, really, for your dad, it's turned out to be a very cool thing, because while it's that top level of charity, but it has expanded. There's something like a thousand employees there.
- [41:07]
Rachel Cruz
Yes. Yeah. Right. Over a thousand. It's wild. Yeah. And there was somebody, and I. And I don't want to quote who it is because I could be wrong. And I wish I could give them credit. I cannot remember who it was, but it was a CEO that dad had talked to, and he said, yeah, I've had X number of employees that have become millionaires. And he said, and it's one of his greatest prides in life because he's helped them build wealth and he's helped them, you know, X, Y and Z, whatever it looks like. And I remember dad saying that recently. He's like, man, what a goal that would be, that people could leave Ramsey and say, you know, not only from a character standpoint and an environment and a culture standpoint, I'm encouraged and different in a better way, but even financially because of whether it's the principles we teach or, you know, you know, how they're being paid. The generosity that we can do within Ramsey with our people has become a goal. So when you said that, it made me think of that CEO, and I can't. I wish I could give him credit. I don't remember who it was that said it, but I thought, what a cool thing. What a cool legacy in that way. Right. It's something kind of different, but that's powerful.
- [42:09]
Ginny Urch
Wow. Yeah. I mean, we're really stinking at it, basically. I'm like, I would love to have all. You know, when we came there and we saw, like, the. We walked through the cafeteria and they said there was over a thousand employees. I'm like, that is such a cool thing. And it takes, though a level of. It does take a level of sacrifice, I think, because you're on the hook.
- [42:28]
Rachel Cruz
Yes.
- [42:29]
Ginny Urch
Your name is on the building, the big R. Both buildings. Right. You drive by it on the highway, like, your name is there. You're the one that at some level, is upholding the whole thing. And, you know, we. We've, you know, contracted a little bit, and you're kind of like, well, goodness, if, you know, if my thing doesn't continue, then it takes away work from this person, and it.
- [42:50]
Rachel Cruz
Right.
- [42:50]
Ginny Urch
Adds to the pressure quite a bit. Anyway, I just hope someday we get there. And I think it's a wonderful thing that you're doing, and I think it's just a great example to show that you can make generational family business work. I know sometimes it doesn't work, but that you can do that and pass that down. Do you have a memory? I'm sure you're go, go, go at this point. You're go, go, go, but you have a special memory that stands out. Doing something with your dad in business.
- [43:18]
Rachel Cruz
Oh, gosh, we've gotten to do a lot together. You know, it's funny, the first thing that came to my head early, it's probably my earliest memory. And I remember being at our old. We had moved twice since then. So this was my old, old house. It's where I probably was in kindergarten, that house. And I remember sitting on this carpet. It was like a pink, kind of shaggy, just probably straight 80s carpet. And we had yellow big envelopes in one stack, books on another, and then labels on another. And we had this little assembly line, and one of us took the envelope and had to open it. The other one had to put a book in, and then the other one put the. Put the sticker on it, and we did that. So, I mean, those kind of things were constant in Our house because there weren't a thousand people. There was not a shipping department. There was, I mean we were it, we were the shipping department. And so having mom and dad bring us along on those things. And I think they probably did it out of necessity because hey man, I have time to put all the books in the envelopes and ship it. It was free labor for them in that sense. But being part of that from that level, sitting on carpet and stuffing envelopes and putting labels on envelopes to now, like it's all a gift. Right. And so whether it's flying on a plane with him and I'm 15 and I get to spend weekends with my dad, just me and my dad and a few team members and we went into these events. Like I look back on that time, like that was so special. What junior year and you know what? Junior high school gets to do that with their dad. Like people don't get to do that. Or even now. Sharing moments. We had a call on Tuesday, we hosted the show together on Tuesday. And he just forwarded me an email this morning from one of the callers. Her son had been sick and it had been, it was just a terrible medical situation and helping her and she forward this beautiful message to me and him about it. And I was like, and what a, what a great thing to experience with him. Right. So it's, it's all of these moments together that am I really fine? But when you asked it, literally the first, that first memory was sitting on that floor. I was probably in kindergarten being the shipping department.
- [45:14]
Ginny Urch
That's the thing. I don't know. I think some people would be like, you know, but they had faith that it was going to grow.
- [45:19]
Rachel Cruz
Yeah.
- [45:20]
Ginny Urch
And that it was going to be something. And that this is what was providing for your family. And this is what families always did.
- [45:24]
Rachel Cruz
It is forever.
- [45:25]
Ginny Urch
Everybody contributed, everybody contributed to the health and the well being and the financial situation of the family. Whether it's like you're working out on the farm or yeah, whatever, this is all a thing. And now we're so compartmentalized. It's like, I know, well, I've got soccer and you do the work and you. But I, I love that you came together as a family and you made it happen. Do you have a person in mind that you know of that is really good at contentment?
- [45:50]
Rachel Cruz
Yeah, there's a couple of people. And what's interesting, they're all kind of older. They're all in their 50s and 60s. The ones that came to my, on my, you know, in My brain, yeah. And people that are content, there's something so peaceful about them, you know, and it's not that they're not successful and that they don't have goals so that they work hard or, you know, that they're not intentional in places, but it's this sense of like this beautiful balance of knowing that God takes care of you, but you're good and that you are not in need of all of these things that are being thrown at you, that you really are great with what you have. And if you're given more, you're great. If you're given less and stuff is taking away, you're okay. It's like this stability, peaceful attitude that they have that's really, it's really interesting. And I was even talking to my sister about elements of this because we're kind of getting, you know, we're in our late 30s, early 40s, and I just feel like different seasons of life present different things. And you know, you're kind of at this place with a career. I was talking to her about this, you know, she, she was like, yeah, their family specifically, it's like, yeah, we have this dollar amount that we need to live on comfortably. And that's fun. But like right now time is more precious than money. So chasing the next big thing and keep trying to grow right now in the season, like we're okay not growing in that way because it's giving us more flexibility and time with the kids, where that may change in two to three years, I mean, who knows? But you know, I think it's too this idea, people that can have this beautiful balance of sure, working hard and having goals and striving for things, but yet it's not. That doesn't define who they are. And if anything, they can be flexible and change and it doesn't destroy their identity.
- [47:25]
Ginny Urch
I love that because the seasons do come and go. We've talked about that a lot. Like do we just have. If we have enough, that's enough. Because in order to have more than enough, what we have to give away is time with our kids.
- [47:37]
Rachel Cruz
Right.
- [47:37]
Ginny Urch
So it's a thing. I mean, yeah, yeah, seasons will change. That's right.
- [47:41]
Rachel Cruz
There'll be some of that. That's true in some ways. Yep.
- [47:44]
Ginny Urch
I love that. Now your. Do your siblings work for the company too?
- [47:48]
Rachel Cruz
So my sister runs our family foundation. Mom and dad formalize all their giving probably about eight years ago or so. So she was working for a non profit at the time. And then when they opened that, they kind of talked to her about running that. Because she just. The nonprofit world, so. Well, so she's. Yeah. So she does that, which is amazing. And then my brother. Yes. He came on board, so he works here as well.
- [48:09]
Ginny Urch
Okay. So everyone is there.
- [48:10]
Rachel Cruz
Do I. I know. Well, Denise isn't like, here at the office always. Sometimes she is, but she's like, more. Yeah. On mom and dad's side of stuff. But. But. Yeah. But Daniel's here, my brother. I don't see him a ton, but give him a high five in the hall.
- [48:23]
Ginny Urch
What would your dad say if. If someone were to ask her dad, what would he say the secret is? Or the maybe it's not a secret. What. What's the advice to making family business work?
- [48:33]
Rachel Cruz
It's having specific roles in specific environments. That's probably been our best tactical advice. I would give someone. The picture we have is of hats. So if we're all as a family at Thanksgiving or Christmas, like, we all have blue hats on, which just means we're family. I'm a daughter, dad's dad. Daniel's the brother or son. Like, we are all the same family. And then when we come to work, we all have our orange hats on, which we're in work mode. So we got CEO, we got, you know, we are all in our roles at that point. And I think distinguishing who you are, when you are is really important relationally because it can get so muddled and it can either bombard the conversations regardless of where you are. You can bring family stuff, which I think all of this is like, there's a level of it that you can't take away. Right. We can't compartmentalize completely who we are, but as much as we can distinguish roles in the environment, it's helpful. So if we're all at Christmas dinner and someone wants to talk about work, I mean, it sounds so legalistic, but it's true. We literally ask the table, like, hey, can we chat about Ramsey right now for a second? Ramsey Solutions? And sometimes, you know, the in laws will be like, no, boo. I don't know. We're having fun, you know, or they'll be like, sure, yeah, take, you know, 10 minutes or whatever. So, like, I mean, it's a. It's a very conscious effort on how we relate to each other when we can. And. And that's been. It's been really clean and helpful in that way. So, like, at work, I call him Dave. He's not dad. He's Dave.
- [50:00]
Ginny Urch
Wow.
- [50:01]
Rachel Cruz
So, yeah.
- [50:01]
Ginny Urch
Where do you think he learned how to do that?
- [50:03]
Rachel Cruz
He Spoke to I know Truett, Kathy Chick fil a David Green with Hobby Lobby or even Priscilla Schreier. I don't know if you know her. She's. Yeah, she's wonderful. And she's Tony Evans daughter and he was massive in his own right.
- [50:18]
Ginny Urch
Oh, I didn't know that.
- [50:20]
Rachel Cruz
Oh yeah, yeah. But she took her married name Shriver instead of Evans and dad even called her and was like, hey, Rachel's getting married. You know, Rachel Ramsey is a nice marketing easy ploy. Right. If she's going to be out, you know.
- [50:31]
Ginny Urch
Very alliterative.
- [50:33]
Rachel Cruz
Yeah, that's right, that's right, that's right. It's more of a recognizable name. But yet I want her to have her dignity and her as for sure her husband to have the dignity of like their family, you know. How did you decide to be Shrier not Evans? Because you're out speaking, you know. So it was very like even these like small parts of it, he went and sought counsel. I mean he really did a great job. And granted he was able to you know, talk to some people that have done it on a much larger scale than even us. Which is helpful to learn from people that are ahead of you. But people, yeah, have done that well. And I remember David Green with Hobby Lobby. That was one thing he said in their roles in family business. He said something like, don't expect a horse to climb a tree. They're not a squirrel, they're a horse. So like if your daughter's creative, she needs to be part of the art department at Hobby Lobby. She doesn't need to be the accountants. Like put yourself in a role where you can thrive who you are naturally and your God given gifts as well. So it's some of those kind of tidbits that I think help but it's not perfect too. So hear me say we are drama filled people and we, we get into it and we have conflicts and different opinions. So like it is all the things but I think ultimately we do, we do love and respect each other and that relationship we've said, even us kids are like this place isn't going to take our relationship. So like we are family above everything else. But some days, you know, know it's harder than others for sure. I mean we're all different people. But it's, it's so far, knock on wood, it's been good.
- [51:54]
Ginny Urch
What an inspiring thing that there are all of these different roles that you could fill. I've got this friend, Mary Heffernan, she's got a farm called Five Mary's Farms. Five Mary's Farm. It's one of those. Her name is Mary and then all of the girls names are Mary. There's four of them, so they're all Mary, but they're like Mary Frances and Mary Tessa. They go by the. The middle name, but it's called Five Mary's Farms. And she has said that her. One of her goals and the girls are, you know, teens, is to have a bunch of different branches of the business so that the opportunity is there. She's like, I don't care if they go off and do something else, if they have a different vision for their life, but if all I have is one pot, which is. They sell amazing meat. If all I have is that, then there's not as many opportunities to join in. So, like she's written children's books and they have like a homeware line and I'm sure they do entrepreneur classes and they do ranch school. So there's a lot of other things now going on than there used to be. And I just thought it's just interesting, different ways to look at life, especially if you didn't grow up like that, you know, you grew up with. I go to school, my parents go to work, and then I go to college and figure out my own life. It's interesting to start to look around and see how other people do it differently and the thought that they put into it that. That, you know, it might work out, it might not, but, you know, at least you're trying to maybe open doors for your kids that wouldn't be there otherwise.
- [53:18]
Rachel Cruz
So beautiful.
- [53:19]
Ginny Urch
Thank you for talking to us about it.
- [53:20]
Rachel Cruz
So great. Yes, absolutely.
- [53:23]
Ginny Urch
I was curious. Well, Rachel, this is awesome. You have way more than this. I want you to tell people the other books. I've read some of your other books, but you also have like the Contentment Journal. You do have a money book for kids that you wrote with your dad. Like kids, teens. So what are some of the other things?
- [53:37]
Rachel Cruz
Yeah, so Smart Money. Smart Kids is the book I co wrote with my dad. So you can read that. It's more on parenting and money. And then I have love your life, not theirs, about contentment and know yourself, know your money. Understanding who you are and why you handle money the way you do. So there's some other books out there as well, if you love to read, as Jenny and I both do. Yes, we are pro books.
- [53:58]
Ginny Urch
The Contentment Journal has got a lot of amazing reviews. Tell us about that.
- [54:02]
Rachel Cruz
Yeah, so that's a book that I wrote Or a journal I wrote, because the consistency of. Of gratitude. It's kind of the topics we were just talking about with these kids books. You know, gratitude and generosity and contentment. And so it's 90 days of just these small prompts that it's everything from your family, your work, your life. So it's just this moment to stop and have that level of gratitude, because that really is one of the leading indicators of people that are content is that you're just grateful. You're grateful for where you are and what you have. So it's kind of 30 days of contentment, 30 days of gratitude, 30 days of generosity. So it pairs very nicely with the kids books, too. So the mom could be doing the contentment journal and then. Yeah. Have the kids books, too.
- [54:42]
Ginny Urch
Yeah. You've done a wonderful job of taking those topics of contentment, generosity and gratitude and weaving them all the way down.
- [54:50]
Rachel Cruz
Yes.
- [54:50]
Ginny Urch
You know, all the way through your family. There's different resources that you could use. Do you have one last story of when someone else's generosity impacted you?
- [55:00]
Rachel Cruz
You know, watching someone and being able to experience giving through someone else has been huge. And it wasn't necessarily even a generous act to me. But this whole idea that more is caught than taught is so real. And when you watch something play out and you get to experience it, even if it's not your money or it's not you being given, but you're just part of that environment is massive. And there's been so many times that that's been my story, whether it was through mom and dad, through work situations, through things Winston and I have decided. But there's an impact there of generosity, of being in the middle of it and watching it happen. And I think sometimes it's even more powerful when it's not even you that's being the recipient. Right. Or even you as the carer, but you're just kind of watching all of this play out. It's an incredible thing. One thing Ramsey did a few years ago. This is probably low on the list because I'm saying it out loud, so I'm destroying the list. This is the low level of it.
- [55:54]
Ginny Urch
Number eight. Yeah.
- [55:55]
Rachel Cruz
Yeah, that's right. This is number eight. But we went. This was a few years ago. I had forgotten about this, but we. Ramsey went and bought old debt from debt collectors. So if you have a debt that you can't pay, it goes to a debt collector, and usually you can settle for pennies on the dollar. And it was something. I don't know what it was a million dollars. I mean, it was something outrageous. A million dollars of actual debts. And they didn't. We didn't pay that. We were able to pay it much less, but. And then every team member got one person. They got to call to say that debt's been forgiven. That medical debt or that credit card bill that you had. And so there was even something in that that I'm like, when you're able to provide an environment where other people get to be part of the generosity, that's the fun, Right? So it's. It's this idea of, like, what's that environment you can create that is so other people get to experience the joy.
- [56:46]
Ginny Urch
Oh, I love that. Because you could do that in your family. I read this book by Megan Marshman called Relaxed, and she was talking about how this family did that, where they would give the kids each. And I guess the kids could earn it, too, but they would give the kids, like, $50, let's say, around the holidays. Every kid gets $50 on December 1st. And who. You got to be on the lookout.
- [57:08]
Rachel Cruz
Yes.
- [57:08]
Ginny Urch
For who you think you could give that to. And I was like, oh, that was a really cool story. And listen to this story. She said that she spoke at this church, and, you know, they got the green room, and there's usually gifts, like, you know, you guys sent this really cool guitar thing. But she said that the gift they gave her was a hundred dollars to give to someone else. So she said she kept it in her backpack because she was like, well, who am I supposed to give this to? And she was like, at this youth retreat, she was like, these kids are kind of jerky. Like, none of these kids. And she said it was weeks later that she was at, like, a cvs, you know, like a whatever, a drugstore. And there was a lady in front of her that was just like, price checking everything, coupons for everything. And she was like, this is the person. And she said it came out to a hundred dollars even.
- [57:53]
Rachel Cruz
Stop it. Oh, my gosh. Oh, isn't that great?
- [57:58]
Ginny Urch
What a story. So, yeah, to be able to be a part or to be able to give other people opportunities to give. I love it. The books are. I'm glad for what I have. I'm glad when I can share, and I'm glad for where I am. Would be amazing to add to your home for 20, 25. Really? Books that we are coming back to time and time again. I'm using these phrase phrases all the time with our kids. Rachel, so much. I. How am I even doing this. Rachel, thank you so much for being here.
- [58:27]
Rachel Cruz
Oh, thank you for having me, Jenny, as always, I so appreciate it and love you. Love all that you're doing. Thank you.
- [58:34]
Ginny Urch
Love you, too. This was great.