Lean Out: The Achievement Paradox with Dawn Baker

Today on episode 57 I’m pleased to welcome Dawn Baker, a board-certified anesthesiologist, wife, mother, climber, coach, and now the author of a new book about the perils of, as she puts it, an intense need to achieve. And Dawn has walked the walk. After years of hard-driving pursuit of linear improvement in both career and climbing, she suffered crushing fatigue and malaise, and ultimately faced a major health crisis during her residency. If that wasn’t enough, she was then plagued with infertility problems. The result was expensive and demoralizing rounds of in-vitro fertilization, an approach that ultimately proved successful and led to the birth of her daughter.

The need for achievement and success is so pervasive in our culture. And this interview is not just for downtown or medical center careerists. This is as much a discussion of climbing and our hobbies, which can so often derail into something quite different from our original healthy and recreational pursuits.

Today, Dawn’s life with her husband and daughter is so different. Through evaluation of her core values, married with a strong financial position, she now works “very part time,” and has moved with her family to a homestead in the high plateaus of southern Utah. But in choosing to step away, or lean out, as Dawn says, we risk our position and standing in the social hierarchy. This is much a discussion of status as it is of lifestyle.

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Joy and Tyler Black on Career, Money Mindsets, and Parenting

Today’s guests on episode 51 are Joy and Tyler Black. Many of you may be familiar with Joy, who has rapidly built a successful online business as a coach for pregnant and postpartum rock climbers. If you follow Joy on Instagram, you know her as a fun-loving and engaging mother of three, with a reputation for solid technical and personal coaching. Tyler on the other hand, is not a climber at all. He’s a biologist with a contrasting, yet highly complementary personality. In that way, they make for fantastic interview subjects on the discussion of relationships, money, career, and parenting.

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QA7: Financial Freedom Fast-Tracks and Climbing Plateau Busters

We’re back to the digital mailbag to answer your questions!

For this week:

  • Does the 401(k) max include employer contributions?
  • Should I invest in my 401(k) or pay down my mortgage early?
  • What about Fidelity’s zero expense ratio fund, VZROX?
  • Investing tips for a Health Savings Account
  • Do you write off business expenses for Clipping Chains?
  • How and when do you pay yourself from investments?
  • Winter climbing in St. George, Utah
  • Big life expenses and expectations when pursuing financial independence: children, weddings, etc.
  • Mandatory pension contributions vs DIY investing
  • Front-loading savings without going for full financial independence (Coast FI)
  • Climbing plateau busters
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