Money, Meet Meaning

In the final episode of the first season, Tom and Amber reflect on an “embarrassment of riches” – the wealth of lessons our guests shared about navigating their spiritual and financial lives in order to live a more meaningful life with money.  Plus: Are sacred religious values … subversive?  The top 10 lessons we learned from Season 1 What we missed: a taste of Season 2   Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads, and share your thoughts with us by emailing info@moneymeetmeaning.com.

Can a budget bring you peace?  Tom and Amber find out how with Jesse Mecham, personal finance expert and founder of the super popular YNAB (You Need A Budget) app. Jesse shares how money can help us express ourselves in the best of ways - and how his own faith has helped shape his business since Day 1. Plus:  Tom makes a couple confessions Amber shares why budgeting, to her, is a spiritual experience Jesse explains why giving is the ultimate middle finger Follow YNAB on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.  Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads, and share your thoughts with us by emailing info@moneymeetmeaning.com. Jesse’s WSJ Best-Selling Book: You Need A Budget Jesse’s Top-Rated Financial Podcast: You Need A Budget

Join Amber and Tom as they dive into the lavish world of Hindu weddings with South Asian wedding planner Jankhana Desai (“JD”) of JDEventz. Together, they explore the intricate balance between spiritual significance, extravagant celebration, and financial expense. JD shares her wealth of experience in orchestrating grand Hindu weddings, shedding light on how abundance is not merely a display of wealth but an expression of duty, gratitude, and the sacredness of life. Discover how elements like elaborate rituals, sumptuous feasts, and monetary gifts are deeply intertwined with spiritual values, enhancing the sacred union of marriage. Plus: The deeper meaning behind rituals that celebrate abundance and prosperity One of four traditional aims of life in Hinduism that relates to the pursuit of wealth Budgeting realities for an American Hindu wedding Tune in to learn how Hindu weddings beautifully merge the material and spiritual worlds, creating a celebration that honors both human and divine connections. Whether you're planning a meaningful life milestone or simply curious how celebration can be an act of spirituality, this episode offers a fascinating glimpse into the heart of Hindu wedding celebrations. Jankhana Desai is a South Asian event planner and the owner of JDEventz, which produces regal and captivating Indian weddings. A pioneer of Chicago’s “Desi-scene” in the 90s, Jankhana later moved to India to work in Bollywood and television before returning to work alongside the best Indian event planners in Chicago. Follow JDEventz on Instagram. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads, and share your thoughts with us by emailing info@moneymeetmeaning.com.

“Health is our greatest wealth!”  If you’ve ever spent a few minutes reading the label on Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, you know it’s a fascinating fusion of the physical and spiritual.  Join a fascinating discussion as Tom and Amber sit down with Lisa Bronner, granddaughter of Emanuel Bronner, to learn more about the spiritual act of caring for our bodies and spaces. The conversation ranges from Dr. Bronner’s Six Cosmic Principles, to The Moral ABCs, to the intersection of money, mindfulness, cleanliness, and stewardship.  Plus: Is cleanliness actually next to godliness? The story behind that famous label A deeper background of the multi-generational, soap-making, German Jewish Bronner family   Practical steps for decluttering our homes and our heads Lisa Bronner is the granddaughter of Emanuel Bronner, founder of Dr. Bronner's Magic soaps. She serves as Dr. Bronner's consumer educator and company spokesperson. She is the founder of Going Green with Lisa Bronner and author of Soap and Soul. Follow Lisa on Facebook and YouTube for tips on greener, simpler, more abundant living. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads, and share your thoughts with us by emailing info@moneymeetmeaning.com.

This week, Money, Meet Meaning speaks with Jerre Stead, who, together with his wife Mary Joy, has given over $400 million to healthcare, education, and faith-based organizations. Jerre, a former CEO of 10 public companies, shares about the work and joy of giving, and the ways his faith has informed his business acumen and philanthropy.    Plus, Jerre shares: 2 questions he’s asked himself every morning since high school 3 Ts that, if shared, will increase your ability to enjoy life 5 fundamentals, taken straight from the Bible, that he used to build up his businesses    Jerre Stead co-chairs the Stead Foundation with his wife Mary Joy and is the board chair of Stead Impact Ventures, which invests in innovators whose ideas will positively change the course of health and wellbeing.   Follow Jerre on LinkedIn, and learn more about Stead Impact Ventures & Foundation on their website and LinkedIn.   Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads, and share your thoughts with us by emailing info@moneymeetmeaning.com.

Can “bad” money still do good? How much is enough? Where can we turn for guidance on giving?  Amber and Tom discuss what a “kosher” life with money looks like with Rabbi Jay Moses, Vice President of the Wexner Foundation. Together they dig into the Jewish tradition’s millennia-old focus on money as a tool to care for people’s needs and uphold human dignity. And don’t miss the episode’s end when we debut our brand new game: “Kosher or No, Sir?” Rabbi Jay Moses serves as Vice President of The Wexner Foundation, having served for many years as Director of the Wexner Heritage Program, North America’s premier Jewish leadership education program. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads, and share your thoughts with us by emailing info@moneymeetmeaning.com.

Can an app deepen your relationship with God? This week, Tom and Amber talk with Alessandro DiSanto, a co-founder of Hallow, the #1 prayer app in the world. Alessandro shares how prayer and Catholic values guide Hallow’s business model and decision-making – and, as a young, successful entrepreneur, how his faith informs his financial life and view on wealth accumulation. Plus: What is prayer? How can we do it “unceasingly”?  Pay-to-Pray: why Hallow’s co-founders landed on its “freemium” business model  Tom and Amber ask ChatGPT if it’s a good idea to seek spiritual guidance from a large language model Alessandro DiSanto began his career on Wall Street at Goldman Sachs and became a private equity investor before joining friends to create Hallow, the most-used Catholic app in the world. Follow Alessandro on LinkedIn.  Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads, and share your thoughts with us by emailing info@moneymeetmeaning.com.

This full interview is not to be missed! Is wealth inequality a spiritual issue? If so, what can our religious institutions do about it – and how can we, as individuals, best love our neighbors … financially?  This week, Tom and Amber talk with Rev. Winnie Varghese about economic justice and its scriptural roots. A national leader in the Episcopal Church, Rev. Winnie helped the Diocese of New York develop a credit union while serving at Trinity Church Wall Street in NYC. She shares how the credit union is a ministry: a way to provide financial services that re-imagines church – and community.  GUEST: Currently the Rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Rev. Winnie is known for her inspired writing, teaching, and preaching. Check out Rev. Winnie’s book, Church Meets World, and follow her on LinkedIn and X. For more episodes and info, visit Money, Meet Meaning. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads, and share your thoughts with us by emailing info@moneymeetmeaning.com.

Is work just a job, or could it be a calling? Amber and Tom talk with Jared Evans, a community manager for JPMorgan Chase, about how he views his job in banking as “love work.” Find out why – and consider how the concept of calling could apply to your own work. Plus: Money as transaction versus money as relationship Jared’s experience with debt and why we should give ourselves more grace What an elevator operator, Steph Curry, and the rest of us share in common With nearly 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, Jared Evans serves as a Chicago-based Community Manager at JPMorgan Chase, building and nurturing relationships with key community leaders, nonprofit partners, and small businesses at the neighborhood level. Follow Jared on LinkedIn. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads, and share your thoughts with us by emailing info@moneymeetmeaning.com.

Is wealth inequality a spiritual issue? If so, what can our religious institutions do about it – and how can we, as individuals, best love our neighbors … financially?   This week, Tom and Amber talk with Rev. Winnie Varghese about economic justice and its scriptural roots. A national leader in the Episcopal Church, Rev. Winnie helped the Diocese of New York develop a credit union while serving at Trinity Church Wall Street in NYC. She shares how the credit union is a ministry: a way to provide financial services that re-imagines church – and community.  GUEST: Currently the Rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Rev. Winnie is known for her inspired writing, teaching, and preaching. Check out Rev. Winnie’s book, Church Meets World, and follow her on LinkedIn and X. For more episodes and info, visit Money, Meet Meaning. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads, and share your thoughts with us by emailing info@moneymeetmeaning.com.

Money, parenting, religion … oh my! Any one of these is tricky to navigate on its own. But weaving them all together? Leveraging faith traditions to inform how to teach kids how to think, talk, and act with money? Amber and Tom chat with interfaith couple Reza Aslan, a bestselling author and renowned scholar of world religions, and Jessica Jackley, an entrepreneur and investor, about what they most want to teach their kids about money – and how their respective faiths shape the values they hope to instill. GUESTS: Reza Aslan is a recipient of the prestigious James Joyce award, the author of three internationally best-selling books, including the #1 New York Times Bestseller, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, and a co-host of Metaphysical Milkshake, a podcast with Rainn Wilson. Jessica Jackley is best known as a co-founder of Kiva, the world’s first crowdfunding site for microenterprises, and is the author of CLAY WATER BRICK. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads, and share your thoughts with us by emailing info@moneymeetmeaning.com. For more episodes and info, visit Money, Meet Meaning.

Does money make us happy? And should happiness be our goal for a life well-lived? To find out, Amber and Tom talk with Dr. James Hollis, a renowned Jungian psychoanalyst who has written extensively about happiness, meaning, and fulfillment. Dr. Hollis shares why happiness is actually overrated, why a life of meaning should be our goal instead, and how paying attention to the “numinous” can lead to a meaningful life with money. Plus: Dr. Hollis explains the impact of inherited money “scripts” - which might get you thinking about your own. Amber talks bargain salmon, Tom talks chili garlic paste, and Dr. Hollis talks internal compasses. Find out how our feelings, energy, and even dreams can inform our financial decision-making. Dr. James Hollis is a prolific author and educator. Be sure to check out his numerous books and videos. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads, and share your thoughts with us by emailing info@moneymeetmeaning.com.

Saundra's back with her voicemail reviews of our latest episode on Jesse Mecham. Be like Saundra! record your review on a voice memo and send it to: info@moneymeetmeaning.com. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads.

Can a budget bring you peace?  Tom and Amber find out how with Jesse Mecham, personal finance expert and founder of the super popular YNAB (You Need A Budget) app. Jesse shares how money can help us express ourselves in the best of ways - and how his own faith has helped shape his business since Day 1. Plus:  Tom makes a couple confessions Amber shares why budgeting, to her, is a spiritual experience Jesse explains why giving is the ultimate middle finger Follow YNAB on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.  Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads, and share your thoughts with us by emailing info@moneymeetmeaning.com. Jesse’s WSJ Best-Selling Book: You Need A Budget Jesse’s Top-Rated Financial Podcast: You Need A Budget

Amber's mom Saundra, famed far and wide for her A-Level voicemail stylings, will grace this bonus series with her Money, Meet Meaning episode reviews! For more episodes and info visit Money, Meet Meaning at RNS.

In this powerful debut episode, co-hosts Tom Levinson (Jewish) and Amber Hacker (Christian), along with guest Eboo Patel (Muslim), swap practical takeaways for our financial lives – taken straight from the stories of their respective religious traditions. Along the way, they discover a surprising amount of overlap. Plus:  Eboo gets Tom and Amber to share their “religion and money” origin stories  Eboo the Godfather? How Money, Meet Meaning came to be Find out what The Notorious B.I.G. and the Talmud have in common Eboo Patel is the Founder and President of Interfaith America, the leading interfaith organization in the United States, and was named “one of America’s Best Leaders” by US News & World Report.  Check out Eboo’s podcast, Interfaith America with Eboo Patel, and follow him on LinkedIn and X.  Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads, and share your thoughts with us by emailing info@moneymeetmeaning.com.

Conversation and practical insights on the varied ways our religious traditions pave a path -- whether you're religious, spiritual, or none of the above – for navigating our complex, everyday financial lives.