The Sage Steele Show
Episode 82: Dave Ramsey – What Success REALLY Takes
Date: November 12, 2025
Host: Sage Steele
Guest: Dave Ramsey (Founder, Ramsey Solutions)
Episode Overview
In this compelling episode, Sage Steele sits down with personal finance legend Dave Ramsey at the Ramsey Solutions campus in Nashville, Tennessee. The conversation dives deep into Ramsey’s personal and professional journey—his early struggles, bankruptcy, the role of faith in his life and business, leadership evolution, mental health, marriage, cancel culture, and the unique culture at his company. Throughout, Ramsey offers raw honesty about failures and lessons learned, with the recurring theme that true success comes from perseverance, authenticity, and unwavering faith.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Setting the Scene: Ramsey Solutions Culture
- Sage is struck by the welcoming, positive environment at Ramsey Solutions.
- Dave explains that hiring for character is crucial; “We get rid of the other ones. If you don’t fit in… you’re not welcome to stay.” (05:00)
- Culture of “arguments, not meanness”—passion without toxicity.
Notable Quote:
“Bosses push and leaders pull, and so I had to learn over time how to create the values and say, these are our guardrails. And if you’re outside of that, me included, then you’re not representing who Ramsey is.” – Dave Ramsey [08:06]
2. Leadership: Evolving Past ‘Boss’ to ‘Leader’
- Initially, Dave thought people would work hard just because they were hired; he was “more of a boss.”
- Real leadership emerged from setting clear, specific values.
- Emphasizes trust as the foundation: “Everything moves at the speed of trust.” [11:19]
Notable Quote:
“We eventually decided what our values are. And these are our values. And when we cease to be one of those things, we don’t get to be a ‘we’.” – Dave Ramsey [10:08]
3. Lessons from Hitting Rock Bottom
- Sage prompts Dave to discuss the aftermath of losing everything at age 27.
- Raw expressions of fear, shame, and damage to his self-esteem.
- Dave’s wife Sharon described the fear as “sheer terror,” likening it to spinning on ice uncontrollably. [16:41]
- Recovery required both going back to work and deep, sometimes painful, marital reconciliation.
Notable Quotes:
“I was not only broke, I was broken then. It was just…the self-esteem just went gone and sat around, whined a lot after that.” – Dave Ramsey [18:46]
“For me it was just a battle…there was, but I was behind and I didn’t think I was…going to catch up, but I was not going to lose…I fought and I did and fought and fought and fought.” – Dave Ramsey [16:41]
4. Faith as Foundation
- Faith has guided every major decision since bankruptcy.
- “Met God on the way up, got to know him on the way down.” (07:29)
- Dave is unapologetic about aligning his business practices and public messaging with his Christian beliefs.
Notable Quotes:
“This company has been God’s from day one. And how are you going to conduct a company that’s owned by God? There’s a certain way...” – Dave Ramsey [07:29]
“I am not scared of you. I am scared of not serving Him. That one scares me.” – Dave Ramsey [39:11]
5. Marriage Tested by Crisis
- Ramsey recounts the emotional and relational toll: “The worst chemistry…my self-esteem is gone and she’s terrified…and out of that terror the claws come out…” [24:00]
- After initial survival, deep issues resurfaced, leading to a year and a half of counseling.
- Therapy taught them “to fight fair instead of just fight mean” and to put language to their pain. [27:03]
Notable Moment:
“We just went to work…money usually comes from work. And so we started getting some money again…that became known as a budget later.” – Dave Ramsey [23:06]
6. Growing Through Honest Vulnerability
- Ramsey credits his openness as the real key to his brand’s success.
- “People will listen if you’re authentic…this whole place was started by a guy who went bankrupt.” [14:45]
Notable Quote:
“If you try to please the masses, you’re going to find out the M is silent.” – Dave Ramsey [39:37]
7. Mental Health, Gender, and Financial Stress
- Financial failures hit men and women differently.
- “Number one cause of male suicide is financial…almost no females commit suicide over money…it’s almost always relational.” [22:18]
- Both acknowledge toxic societal narratives around masculinity and worth.
8. Cancel Culture, Courage, and Authenticity
- Both discuss their experiences with public criticism.
- Ramsey: “You don’t die from it. It’s like, oh, you don’t like me. Oh, that’s the worst thing that happened today.”
- Sage: Letting go of the need to be liked was transformative: “Once I let go of that, my goodness…what a different world.”
9. Social Media, Parenting, and Setting Examples
- Both lament the loss of “code” and community in the Internet era.
- Ramsey is wary of screens for kids, advocating for limiting tech use.
- “If you’re allowing a 12-year-old girl to text, you’re rewiring their brain on what’s important and who gets a vote.” [51:20]
10. Staying Grounded Amid Success and Wealth
- Sage asks why he keeps working; Dave responds that joy comes from serving others.
- “Hope is our product. That’s the product we sell…your job is to lift, inspire, educate—all to give hope.” [75:47, 76:23]
Notable Quote:
“What kind of weirdo would have a kid walk up to me at the front desk of the airport yesterday…who would not like that?…Who wants to retire from that? Nobody. It’s awesome.” – Dave Ramsey [79:09]
11. Impact, Legacy, and Personal Brand
- Ramsey reminds employees: With great visibility comes great responsibility; personal conduct off-hours matters as much as at work.
- “Once you tell people you work here…and then you go lease your car…the dealership’s gonna tell everybody that Dave Ramsey’s programmer leased a car…” [76:42]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Company Culture / Leadership: [05:00 - 11:33]
- Personal Collapse & Bankruptcy: [16:20 - 24:00]
- Marriage and Recovery: [24:00 - 29:26]
- Faith Journey: [30:23 - 39:11]
- Cancel Culture & Speaking Out: [39:11 - 46:00]
- Social Media & Parenting: [51:20 - 56:44]
- Wealth, Service & Legacy: [75:11 - 80:19]
Memorable Moments & Quotes
- “Bosses push, leaders pull.” – Dave Ramsey [08:36]
- “You signed up for the trip, bubba. You stepped into the bear trap and then you’re shocked that they snapped it on you.” – Dave’s friend [20:09]
- “What I lost when I went broke was I lost what the Bible calls fear of man. The need to please, the need to be liked by the wrong people.” – Dave Ramsey [48:55]
- “Hope is our product…Hope does not come from someone else doing it for you.” – Dave Ramsey [75:47]
- “If you try to please the masses, you’re going to find out the M is silent.” – Dave Ramsey [39:37]
- “Your job is to lift, inspire, educate—all to give hope.” – Dave Ramsey [76:23]
Tone & Style
The conversation is intimate, direct, and often humorous. Sage Steele brings warmth and gentle challenge, allowing Ramsey to share both wounds and wisdom. Ramsey’s transparency about failure, faith, and resilience offers listeners both practical lessons and soulful encouragement.
Summary
This episode is a masterclass in embracing failure, authenticity, faith, and leadership. Dave Ramsey’s transparent reflections—on overcoming bankruptcy, building a values-driven company, and leading through conviction—extend far beyond financial advice. Both Ramsey and Steele stress that real success is about serving others, maintaining integrity, and living with purpose, no matter the stage or the critics. The interview is packed with practical advice, priceless observations, and memorable quotes for anyone navigating adversity, leadership, or public scrutiny.