Trading Secrets

Bachelor Nation’s Andrew Spencer and Alexe Godin join Jason to break down the money, career pivots, and relationship realities that came after Bachelor in Paradise. Andrew reveals how his income has grown from roughly $75K his first year after the show to $200K the following year—and why 2026 could be another major jump—while Alexe opens up about nearly $100K CAD in student debt, leaving her career as a speech-language pathologist after realizing content could pay roughly 3X more, and using her Paradise winnings to help wipe out debt and invest for retirement. The couple also gets candid about turning down the money for love on Paradise, why Andrew secretly strategized once a cash prize entered the game, their very different relationships with money, keeping their businesses and finances separate for now, and how their childhoods shaped what financial security and family mean to each of them. Plus, Alexe talks about pursuing acting, Andrew shares how he’s building a brand beyond Bachelor Nation, and they open up about navigating the pressure to get engaged, merge lives, and figure out what comes next. Host: Jason Tartick
Audio: John Gurney
Video: Marc Colcer
Guests: Andrew Spencer & Alexe Godin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jason Tartick and the Curious Canadian are back for another 30 Minute Thursday with a little bit of everything. Jason breaks down the latest Federal Reserve rate hike and what it means for your credit card debt, savings, and investments, while David asks how to put $10,000 to work, whether a high-yield savings account or CD makes sense, and how dollar-cost averaging can help you get invested over time. The guys also debate whether David should set up an LLC for his hockey consulting side hustle, what business expenses may qualify as deductions, and why keeping receipts and working with a tax professional matters. Then it’s all pop culture. Jason recaps a whirlwind week in New York City, including the US Open, celebrity events, and his upcoming night with Brad Pitt, while the guys break down the return of Chris Harrison to reality TV, the new show The Vow, and their thoughts on the latest season of Dancing With the Stars. Plus, a Starbucks rant, the rise of AI and robots, Jason’s week in NYC, and the real reason the Jesse James Decker episode was pulled and replaced with the Val episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Description:With a new season of Dancing With the Stars just around the corner, we’re flashing back and revisiting one of our favorite conversations with DWTS legend Val Chmerkovskiy. Originally recorded in 2023, Val opens up about his unconventional path from competitive ballroom dancing to becoming one of the biggest names on television, including why he initially resisted joining Dancing With the Stars, what finally changed his mind, and how his career evolved once he made the leap. Val also gets candid about the business of being a professional dancer, the financial realities of competitive dance, negotiating his value, building multiple streams of income, and why he would sometimes choose equity in a business over getting paid upfront. Plus, he shares the mindset that helped him navigate difficult seasons, career setbacks and the uncertainty of being dealt a bad hand: “delusional optimism.” From building Dance With Me Studios to turning his DWTS platform into a larger business ecosystem, this is a conversation about knowing your value, betting on yourself, and turning a passion into a career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jason Tartick and the Curious Canadian are back for another 30-Minute Thursday covering everything from Jared Freid’s relentless approach to success to Apple’s brand-new $2,000 foldable iPhone. The guys break down the biggest business takeaways from Jared’s return to Trading Secrets, including why asking for what you want, being scrappy, and putting yourself out there can create opportunities. They also debate whether the new iPhone is actually worth the price, talk podcast negotiations, the rise of athletes in pop culture, the US Open, football season, and the latest sports headlines. Then, for the first time ever, a Trading Secrets listener joins the show. Taylor Fraser shares her journey from accounting to teaching, how she turned her side hustles into a growing business, and how she and her husband launched Bluegrass Flow, a cold-pressed juice company now sold in 60+ retail locations. Taylor also opens up about teacher compensation, retirement, AI in education, entrepreneurship, using grants to fund a growing business, and the importance of building a career around something you genuinely love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Jason is joined by stand-up comedian, podcaster, and now first-time author Jared Freid for a conversation about the business behind comedy, betting on yourself, and how money, confidence, and relationships are more connected than we think. Three years after his first appearance on Trading Secrets, Jared returns with his second Netflix special, The Family Plan, and breaks down exactly what it took to get there. After spending roughly $80,000 producing his first special, Jared reveals why he invested around $100,000 of his own money into the second, how the licensing economics work, why he partnered with Betches for marketing power, and why that partnership means splitting the licensing fee 50/50. He also shares why landing in Netflix’s Top 10 in the U.S. and Canada for nearly a week still wasn’t enough to guarantee Netflix would finance his next special. Jared also opens up about the economics of his growing comedy career, revealing that touring and the U Up? podcast are currently his two biggest financial drivers. He breaks down the ownership structures behind U Up? and JTrain, why subscriptions have become increasingly important to podcasting, and why paid social partnerships remain more of a bonus than a core piece of his business. Beyond comedy, Jared gets candid about writing his first book, Walking Red Flag, including spending two years on the project, realizing after his first page that he needed a ghostwriter, and paying that expense out of his book advance. He also shares how stepping away from alcohol, his experience with GLP-1s, and rebuilding his relationship with his girlfriend changed his confidence and outlook on life. From investing six figures into your own career to prenups, joint finances, ghosting, dating economics, protecting what you’ve built, and why Jared says he’s never regretted taking a risk—this episode breaks down what it really looks like to build a career without waiting for someone else to give you your big break. Host: Jason Tartick
Audio: John Gurney
Video: Marc Colcer
Guest: Jared Freid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices