How to Build (and Enjoy) Your “Dream” Life in Early Retirement

Mindy:
At the moment we’re speaking to one of the crucial boring males on the planet, Chris Rusin. Chris Dove for treasure with Navy Seals within the Florida Keys. He helped uncover one of many largest Toro OSA specimens ever discovered. Looked for the ghost of Tom Petty with Carl. Wrote a screenplay, simply launched an album and survived a plague, and he’s not even 50 but. Hello there. I’m Mindy Jensen.

Carl:
And I’m Carl Jensen.

Mindy:
And that is the Mindy

Carl:
And Carl

Mindy:
On Life After Fi present, the place we discuss what occurs after you attain monetary independence.

Carl:
Why can we name this present Life After Fireplace?

Mindy:
As a result of we’re speaking about and speaking to people who find themselves residing their finest life after reaching phi. Let’s begin out with probably the most fascinating half, his PHI journey. Chris, inform us if you found the idea of economic independence.

Chris:
Yeah, initially, thanks for having me on. It’s actually enjoyable to be right here. Yeah. So to reply your query, when did I first discover out about phi? It was after I used to be already phi, and so I had type of been fascinated by these ideas. I believed I had give you one thing model new, after which I began googling round and I truly discovered Carl’s weblog first 1500 days. After which I discovered, hey, he lives not more than lower than 100 miles from my home, and so does this man, Mr. Cash mustache. And from there, Carl and I ended up, I reached out, I emailed amazingly, he responded, and we met up for a beer at a brewery, and the remaining is historical past. And so I didn’t discover out about PHI till I had already thought I invented it after which realized, no, I hadn’t. However that’s nice as a result of there’s a bunch of different individuals I may hang around with.

Mindy:
If you happen to have been already financially impartial, what have been you on the lookout for that prompted you to find Carl’s weblog?

Chris:
On the time, I used to be working at a startup and we have been attempting to shut a spherical of funding. In got here a extremely rich potential investor and he’s value a couple of half a billion {dollars} with a B. He type of threw his keys on the desk they usually had a Ferrari and a Porsche key chain, and he made a giant present out of it. After which we have been type of telling him about our firm, however he began speaking about cash and he was saying, when you might have more cash, individuals need one thing from you, and a few individuals really feel such as you give them an excessive amount of cash and others not sufficient. After which he simply seemed round our crappy workplace and he mentioned, bear in mind this time, that is the happiest you’ll ever be, and dealing at a startup is tough. And so I used to be pondering, this man doesn’t appear very glad, and if I’m going to attempt to develop into over time, that’s not the type of life I would like. And so I began type of fascinated by how a lot cash do that you must by no means need to work once more? What if I ended working for different individuals for cash and began working for myself for happiness? And that was type of the crux of the invention course of. And that’s after I began googling round. I don’t even bear in mind what that first search was, however it was most likely one thing like that. What do you do if you don’t have to work anymore? Or how a lot do I have to not need to work?

Mindy:
So Chris, I wish to speak a bit of bit extra about how you bought to this place of economic independence. You mentioned you have been a tech employee. What was your job and what was your financial savings price? Did you monitor any of that?

Chris:
We have been eager to get forward and type of didn’t have cash popping out of school. We have been all the way down to the purpose the place we couldn’t pay hire. And so my drive was to alleviate that. I began work as a mechanical engineer and I wished to get forward. And so what I’d do is I’d push for raises. What can I do to get the following rung? What can I do to get a 20% elevate by the tip of this yr? And if you pose that query to a boss, nobody needs to inform you that’s not doable as a result of you then’re not motivated, you don’t really feel a route to success. And they also offer you a route to success, and that path is commonly actually aggressive. I’d pursue that each elevate, each evaluation. And so over the primary eight years of working, I feel I averaged round 20% raises yearly, which when that compounds up, actually will increase your earnings. On the similar time my spouse was working, we saving over 50% of what we introduced in, and so we have been residing off rather less than one wage and saving the complete different one due to that have, as a result of we didn’t need to discover ourselves out of labor and unable to get a job once more. In order that was our early course of.

Mindy:
My pricey listeners, we’re so excited to announce that we have now a brand new BiggerPockets cash e-newsletter. If you want to subscribe, you may go to biggerpockets.com/cash e-newsletter whereas we take this fast break.

Carl:
Welcome again to the present.

Mindy:
We haven’t actually talked about any of the superb accomplishments you’ve had but, however let’s discuss surviving a plague.

Chris:
Yeah, so I simply, final week truly had my, or was it? Yeah, simply final week, had my three yr put up chemo and I’m nonetheless most cancers free, however that’s what

Mindy:
I, yay, hooray, Carl say, yay.

Chris:
Yay.

Mindy:
That was the worst. Yay ever. I will probably be very excited for

Chris:
You. I do know you’re excited on the within, Carl.

Carl:
I’m deeply glad for Chris. Sure, for a lot of causes. Good job, Chris.

Chris:
So yeah, to speak about that a bit of bit, I had been doing quite a lot of the adventures that you simply alluded to in that tremendous sort intro after which was at a spot the place my spouse had continued to work for causes outdoors of cash. She favored her job. There was a whole lot of thrilling issues occurring and what she was engaged on and wished to maintain going, however she was beginning to speak to me and saying, Hey, I feel I’m at a degree the place I’m prepared to go away conventional work. And so I used to be all enthusiastic about how that may change issues and the issues we may do collectively. After which simply earlier than Christmas, I assume a bit of over three years in the past now, I discovered I had metastatic testicular most cancers that had unfold into my stomach. And in these early phases, you don’t actually have odds but as a result of they don’t know what they’re coping with. And that was a reasonably scary time. Then I finally needed to undergo surgical procedure and chemo and people odds shifted over time and turned in my favor. And now right here I’m, three years most cancers free. That have was actually instructional and likewise a giant kick to the face, proper within the time the place I used to be excited for the best time in our lives.

Mindy:
How lengthy did it take to from prognosis to that first physician’s appointment the place they mentioned, you don’t have most cancers anymore,

Chris:
They don’t actually say you don’t have most cancers. There’s an essential factor there, and I feel there’s a lesson right here. So I assume I’ll go down that path is I’ll reply your query. And that’s I bought the prognosis I used to be in for surgical procedure throughout the week as a result of with Christmas arising and covid challenges, they wanted to workers this hospital and get that factor out as fast as they may. And so I used to be in for surgical procedure fast. I then began chemo, I feel it was in January, after which it was a bit of over three months later when all my cycles of remedy have been finished. It was a really quick however extraordinarily aggressive remedy. I imply aggressive to the purpose of, I don’t bear in mind a number of weeks of it. It’s a blackout. A complete, I used to be in a funk. After which after you’re finished, they scan and discover nothing in your blood work and you then begin your clock.
And so from there, I’m three years previous that time, the rationale I mentioned they don’t actually say you’re most cancers free is as a result of I saved asking that when do I do know I’m out of the woods is, do we all know if the most cancers’s nonetheless there? Do we all know if it’s gone but? And the care workers at all times saved specializing in, benefit from the quantity of well being you’ve bought now, do the stuff you need to do, concentrate on at the moment, concentrate on well being as a result of, and over time I shifted my pondering to the best way they talked about it, which is you by no means know you’re protected. And so right here I’m now three years at one level, it was two years at one level it was every week, and also you simply bought to make the choice to say, I’m wholesome to say I’m going to go. I’m going to make plans, long-term plans, I’m going to do the issues as a result of if I don’t, it’s like I’m paying curiosity on a debt I won’t owe.

Carl:
So I feel there’s a brilliant essential lesson in your story, Chris, as a result of no matter monetary independence comes up within the media, hits all these great issues that you are able to do with it. Individuals residing in camper vans which can be 20 years outdated that make all this cash or no matter, have this stunning life, dwell in international nations, do these great issues. However on the core, probably the most supported factor is for stuff like this. Once you bought this prognosis, you have been already financially impartial. So if the worst case state of affairs you’d’ve handed, at the very least you’d’ve finished that understanding that your loved ones was taken care of. Right.

Chris:
Yeah, and it’s a terrific level. We do discuss all of the, or it’s the nice issues that folks do, these large adventures get a whole lot of press. However yeah, understanding that if a scan got here up and insurance coverage denied it, I may nonetheless pay that scan and I’d not be in monetary misery. That was an enormous consolation with understanding that if remedy went sideways and I wasn’t round, that my spouse and children can be taken care of. An enormous quantity of reduction. And actually along with that, I did do a whole lot of adventures such as you alluded to previous to this prognosis.
However the subtlety of getting the time and area to only loosen up and do among the issues and never have remorse is basically helpful, extra helpful than a 5 star fancy dinner or flight to Fiji. It’s extra the subtleties. It’s extra the best way I felt going into it. So I feel a whole lot of the flashy stuff is the sugar that helps medication go down. I’m going to drive a Lamborghini, I’m going to remain within the penthouse suite or one thing. However if you truly get there, these issues don’t do a lot for you. And it’s a few of this different stuff I used to be speaking about that that’s a giant power of it for me, at the very least

Carl:
One thought I’ve had. I’m so grateful for 5 as a result of to again up a second, you simply jogged my memory of this thought I had perhaps a yr or two in the past if I did die or knew I used to be going to die, I’d not be glad about it if I knew I used to be going to die quickly. However the tremendous trustworthy reality is I’d be proud of the best way I lived. I don’t suppose I’d have any regrets. I don’t suppose we’ve held again, we’ve had nice adventures. We’ve finished probably the most with what we may. And it seems like you can most likely say the identical factor, Chris, is that true?

Chris:
I feel for probably the most half, yeah. There have been a whole lot of issues I did previous to the prognosis that have been nice, that have been issues I at all times wished to do since I used to be a child, however I didn’t do all of it. There’s different issues. So there’s a challenge I’m engaged on now might be extra essential than any of that, however I by no means did it. I by no means did it till after most cancers. And there are causes for that that don’t have anything to do with

Carl:
Cash.

Chris:
I assume I simply gave myself a lead in. I

Carl:
Is that the music?

Chris:
Music? It’s a music challenge and music has at all times been a giant a part of my life. It’s at all times been one thing I turned to after I had bother speaking about it, I may write about it and play songs about it, however I assume I took it without any consideration, my means to sing and write and play after which going by way of chemo, I needed to take some fairly aggressive glio mycin remedies that type of wreck your lungs quickly. And I misplaced my means to sing. I bear in mind in that point simply kicking myself, why didn’t I, I’d been engaged on a set of songs for years, however oh, that one concord half wasn’t fairly proper or this piece nonetheless wants work.
I feel the rationale I didn’t do it was much less about cash or time bandwidth and extra about simply identification about, it’s good to have the consolation of potential quite than the fear of getting to ship on that potential. However going by way of that course of, after I was mendacity in that mattress, I mentioned, if I get higher, if I get by way of this, I’m going to get my voice again and I’m going to try this album and I’m going to face this. And in order that’s been my life for the final a number of months and it’s one thing I’m actually into proper now.

Carl:
Wow. So do you suppose, it seems like this album has been a lifelong factor, however perhaps all this different stuff was a kick within the butt to do it. I favored what you mentioned, the consolation of the potential of doing in order that permits you to sit on there and ponder the entire thing with out doing a lot of something versus truly placing the boots on the bottom and doing it. How did you lastly get off your butt and do that?

Chris:
Yeah, so I imply the specter of the specter of not having the ability to sing once more and the specter of not making it by way of the chemo was sufficient to shake me to the core and say, you’re doing this. And so popping out of that, after I began to get well being again, it took fairly some time to get the voice again and I knew I used to be doing it. I had made a promise to myself whereas going by way of that remedy. So then it was only a matter of placing within the work, which was like something much more than I envisioned. I attempted to discover a producer who was actually good and I satisfied him to do it. It truly is. You’ve bought an effective way to enlist assist if you inform individuals your most cancers story, I discovered you get a whole lot of sympathy. Hopefully there’s expertise there too. However yeah, he agreed to do the challenge, however he was booked out eight months, so I needed to then wait one other eight months. I needed to discover a singing companion to do all of the harmonies after which spherical up musicians after which undergo the non-public self-doubt of I’m horrible and this music isn’t any good in the future. After which the following day I’m a rock star and I’m probably the most superb musician that’s ever lived. And so there’s all of that, a whole lot of self-discovery and a whole lot of enjoyable and problem on the similar time.

Mindy:
What style is your music?

Chris:
So this challenge is people Americana. I consider bands just like the Civil Wars or Watchhouse. It’s type of folksy, indie people singer-songwriter kind stuff.

Mindy:
We’ve to take one closing advert break, however we’ll be again with extra after this.

Carl:
Thanks for sticking with us. What’s the identify of the album and the place can individuals discover it?

Chris:
Thanks, Carl. I’ve simply began releasing music in March, the primary single got here out. So it’s Chris Russin, C-H-R-I-S, final identify R-U-S-I-N. And I’m in every single place on all of the streamers. First music, go away It Within the Snow got here out in March. Second one’s going to come back out on the 18th of April known as Senders. And I’m releasing music each month of 2025, which is tremendous enjoyable for me and likewise one other large studying expertise on how to try this.

Carl:
Superior. What’s subsequent for you? You’ve finished all these loopy issues, had a doable close to dying expertise, created an album. Do you might have something on the horizon otherwise you simply going to

Chris:
The e book

Mindy:
Carl? The e book. Oh, the

Chris:
Guide? Sure, the e book, e book e book that Mindy is co-writing with me. I’m simply kidding. Early in my life and profession, I feel a giant factor that helped me get to Fi was I began my profession within the large tech downturn of the early two 1000’s after I got here to Denver and 13,000 tech employees had been laid off and I used to be attempting to get a job with no expertise and I felt, I felt like I didn’t have any safety. And so for me, that drive at all times attempting to get forward and do the following factor was wholesome and it helped me get defy. However now, quick ahead, completely different stage in life, and we talked about this earlier within the speak, issues that served you effectively then won’t nonetheless serve you is I’ve finished quite a bit. And I feel I’m on the level the place I don’t consider checklists or bought to do the following massive factor.
It’s extra about what’s fulfilling, what’s thrilling me, what’s permitting me to do, construct relationships in my life and connection. And so there’s no actual guidelines or subsequent factor. It’s extra like an evolving type of what’s wholesome proper now, what feels good for the following six months. And so yeah, for me it’s this music factor that’s that’s going to be a giant effort for at the very least the following six months. After which past that, hey, I’ll be glad to nonetheless have well being and time. I imply, perhaps that’s the most cancers perspective, proper? And see what comes.

Mindy:
Chris, this has been a whole lot of enjoyable, however you might have been mentioning all this music and I need to hear some, are you able to play one thing for us please?

Chris:
Certain, yeah. This will probably be a enjoyable experiment to see the way it comes by way of over the audio system right here on the podcast. Lemme seize a guitar.

Mindy:
And now for the world premiere of Chris’s music,

Chris:
I feel what I’m going to play for you is we’ve talked quite a bit in regards to the journey phi after which most cancers and its classes. And so I’ll play one which type of Carl, you requested if I wrote any about that course of. Right here’s one about that

Speaker 4:
Within the moonlight streaming throughout the water. I hear although it noticed from the prepare tracks go in every single place. I by no means be my coronary heart again dwelling. She’s proper right here. There’s prepare out. It simply retains rolling. And I used to dream of discovering time. Now I dream discovering time. Love.

Mindy:
Wow, that was actually good, Chris, I didn’t know you had such voice. Oh, thanks. And also you’re guitarist too. Wow. I’ve no musical expertise in any way. I can’t sing, I can’t play any devices. I solely sing within the automobile when it’s on my own.

Chris:
I hope it got here by way of over the podcast. I don’t know if you happen to may hear it.

Mindy:
Yeah, it got here by way of nice. I actually recognize you enjoying for us. That was such music. Thanks. And world debut,

Chris:
World premiere proper right here.

Mindy:
Sure, world premiere. So the following time you might have a world premiere album, we’ll convey you again.

Chris:
Thanks a lot,

Mindy:
Chris. This was a lot enjoyable. Is there anyplace individuals can discover you on-line? I imply, there must be since you simply launched an album, so individuals have to go and obtain that. However the place can individuals discover you on-line

Chris:
For all issues music? Chris russin.com is my homepage and you will discover me anyplace you stream your music by simply looking Chris final identify, R-U-S-I-N for something. Phi. I do weblog. I don’t weblog as a lot as I used to, however I’ve bought a weblog life outdoors the maze.com and you may contact me by way of that when you have questions or follow-ups on something fireplace associated. And yeah, it’s been a blast speaking with you each.

Carl:
Thanks a lot.

Mindy:
Thanks, Chris. And we are going to speak to you quickly. That wraps up this episode of The Life After Fireplace Present with Carl Jensen. I’m Mindy Jensen saying See you across the dig pig.