Why do intelligent people continue making poor financial decisions? Why do some people build wealth while others stay stuck? And why do so many retirees feel lost after reaching their financial goals?

In this powerful conversation, financial psychologist and researcher Dr. Charles Chaffin joins Julia and Gino Barbaro to explore the hidden psychological forces that shape our relationship with money, investing, retirement, goal setting, and personal success.

Dr. Chaffin is a psychologist, financial planning expert, author, researcher, and co-founder of the Money & Risk Inventory (MRI). His work has influenced financial advisors, planners, researchers, and universities across the world.
Whether you're an investor, entrepreneur, financial advisor, retiree, or simply someone looking to improve your financial future, this conversation offers actionable wisdom you can apply immediately.

About Dr. Charles Chaffin
Dr. Charles Chaffin is a psychologist, researcher, financial planning expert, author, and educator. He is the co-founder of the Money & Risk Inventory (MRI) and the Psychology of Financial Planning programs. His research has been conducted through organizations including the CFP Board, Wharton School, Columbia University, and Iowa State University.

Connect with Dr. Charles Chaffin
Website: CharlesChaffin.com
LinkedIn: Charles ChaffinPersonal finance, Relationships, Faith, Health & Wellness - it’s all overwhelming and there’s no clear map to guide you. But what if there was?

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction & Dr. Charles Chaffin's Background
00:50 How Financial Planning Led to Psychology Research
02:13 Why Human Attention Is Our Most Valuable Resource
05:28 What Is the Money & Risk Inventory (MRI)?
08:05 The Evolution of Financial Planning & Behavioral Finance
09:25 Loneliness, Social Media & the Advisor's Role
11:04 Helping Clients Overcome Financial Overwhelm
12:00 Why Small Goals Beat Big Goals
13:00 The Hidden Challenge Widows Face With Money
14:20 Goal Progress vs Goal Completion
15:44 Retirement: Why We're Not Wired to Stop Growing
16:52 Dr. Charles' Personal Money Mistakes & Present Bias
19:08 Perfectionism, Failure & Learning Through Mistakes
21:34 Teddy Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" Philosophy
22:20 Why People Are Afraid to Make Mistakes
23:13 The Power of Arts, Sports & Learning Through Failure
24:13 The Beauty of Being Wrong
25:54 Process Over Product: A Better Way to Learn
26:35 Identity, Money & Becoming Financially Responsible
28:03 Climbing Ladders You Never Wanted to Climb
29:38 Building a New Identity Through Small Wins
30:02 Self-Determination Theory Explained
30:40 The Three Human Needs: Competence, Autonomy & Connection
31:20 FOMO, Social Media & Financial Decision-Making
33:46 Retirement, Identity Loss & Finding Purpose
35:46 Parenting, Empty Nest Syndrome & Reinventing Yourself
36:12 Hitting the Accelerator in Life
37:50 Retirement Success Stories & Living Authentically
38:45 What's Next for Dr. Charles? Books, Research & Content
39:43 The Importance of Attention & Financial Coaching
41:46 Designing a Meaningful Retirement Life
42:35 Where to Find Dr. Charles Chaffin
42:53 Final Thoughts & Closing Remarks

Have you ever felt like life is a maze that you can’t seem to navigate? 🤷‍♂️ Parenting, relationships, spirituality, health - it’s all overwhelming and there’s no clear map to guide you. 🗺️ But what if there was? 🤔

Welcome to the ‘Family Coaching’ podcast, where Gino and Julia help you navigate the complexities of life with ease and grace.

🎙️ We dive deep into the subtle nuances of relationships, offer advice for the joyous challenges of parenting, explore spirituality and provide practical tips for healthcare. 💑👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

🙏💊 Our approach is rooted in empathy and understanding, because let's face it, life is hard!

💪 Tune into our podcast for a refreshing take on navigating life's most complex challenges. It's like having a secret weapon in your back pocket. 🎧🔑 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Join our free Skool community and connect with a fast-growing network of like-minded individuals: https://www.skool.com/barbaro360

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #educationforlife #familylife #parentingtips #relationshiptips #personalfinance #lifecoaching #personalgrowth #lifecoaching

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this powerful episode, Julia and Gino sit down with Cindi and Dr. Joe Ferrini — authors, speakers, and longtime advocates for special needs families — to discuss the emotional, mental, and spiritual realities of raising a child with special needs.

With more than 40 years of caregiving experience, the Ferrinis share the lessons behind their new book The Special Needs Parent and open up about the hidden stress, isolation, grief, marriage challenges, and personal transformation that many families experience on this journey. This conversation explores what happens when life doesn’t go according to plan — and how parents can still build hope, resilience, purpose, and even joy in the middle of overwhelming responsibility. Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, family member, or simply want to better understand the special needs journey, this episode offers wisdom, compassion, and encouragement.
TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Introduction
01:41 – Meet Cindi & Dr. Joe Ferrini
04:26 – Why they wrote their book
07:58 – The hidden stress special needs parents carry
11:44 – The feeling of isolation many families experience
15:02 – grieving expectations
18:37 – Holding grief and hope at the same time
22:06 – Building emotional capacity through difficult seasons
25:18 – How special needs parenting impacts marriage and family
29:04 – Why parents need a strong support system
32:47 – Dealing with judgment, comments, and social pressure
35:41 – Embracing transformation instead of punishment
38:26 – Advice for parents
41:02 – Final thoughts and encouragement

Have you ever felt like life is a maze that you can’t seem to navigate? 🤷‍♂️ Parenting, relationships, spirituality, health - it’s all overwhelming and there’s no clear map to guide you. 🗺️ But what if there was? 🤔

Welcome to the ‘Family Coaching’ podcast, where Gino and Julia help you navigate the complexities of life with ease and grace.

🎙️ We dive deep into the subtle nuances of relationships, offer advice for the joyous challenges of parenting, explore spirituality and provide practical tips for healthcare. 💑👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

🙏💊 Our approach is rooted in empathy and understanding, because let's face it, life is hard!

💪 Tune into our podcast for a refreshing take on navigating life's most complex challenges. It's like having a secret weapon in your back pocket. 🎧🔑 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Join our free Skool community and connect with a fast-growing network of like-minded individuals: https://www.skool.com/barbaro360

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #educationforlife #familylife #parentingtips #relationshiptips #personalfinance #lifecoaching #personalgrowth #lifecoaching

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if financial planning wasn’t just about growing wealth—but about designing a meaningful life? In this episode of the Julia & Gino Show, Julia and Gino sit down with Scott Frank, founder of Stone Steps Financial and educator at the Kinder Institute of Life Planning, to explore how money decisions are deeply connected to identity, purpose, legacy, and fulfillment. This conversation goes beyond numbers and investing—it’s about aligning your financial life with the life you actually want to live. Whether you're building wealth, navigating a career change, or searching for more meaning in your daily life, this episode will challenge the way you think about success and financial freedom. About Scott Frank: Scott Frank is the founder of Stone Steps Financial in Encinitas, CA, helping families align money with life. He is a CFA, CFP®, and Registered Life Planner (RLP®), a 2019 InvestmentNews 40 Under 40 honoree, co-host of Real Personal Finance, and an educator with the Kinder Institute of Life Planning.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Intro
01:45 – Meet Scott Frank & his background in life planning
04:20 – What the Kinder Institute approach really is
07:10 – Why traditional financial planning misses the bigger picture
10:05 – “If money wasn’t a concern…” question explained
13:40 – How money beliefs are formed in childhood
17:25 – Identity, achievement, and self-worth
21:10 – The question about having only 5–10 years left to live
25:50 – Time vs. money: what people regret most
29:30 – Defining legacy and intentional living
33:45 – Aligning financial decisions with personal values
37:20 – What people discover during life planning conversations
40:15 – Final thoughts on purpose, fulfillment, and freedom
43:10 – Where to find Scott Frank
44:20 – Closing thoughts

Have you ever felt like life is a maze that you can’t seem to navigate? 🤷‍♂️ Parenting, relationships, spirituality, health - it’s all overwhelming and there’s no clear map to guide you. 🗺️ But what if there was? 🤔

Welcome to the ‘Family Coaching’ podcast, where Gino and Julia help you navigate the complexities of life with ease and grace.

🎙️ We dive deep into the subtle nuances of relationships, offer advice for the joyous challenges of parenting, explore spirituality and provide practical tips for healthcare. 💑👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

🙏💊 Our approach is rooted in empathy and understanding, because let's face it, life is hard!

💪 Tune into our podcast for a refreshing take on navigating life's most complex challenges. It's like having a secret weapon in your back pocket. 🎧🔑 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Join our free Skool community and connect with a fast-growing network of like-minded individuals: https://www.skool.com/barbaro360

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #educationforlife #familylife #parentingtips #relationshiptips #personalfinance #lifecoaching #personalgrowth #lifecoaching

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.