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Introvert Interview Number 16 is with Nick from Your Money Blueprint. When I read about Nick, I felt I was reading about my mirror image in the southern hemisphere. We are the same age and have had many of the same struggles with life and finances. And it goes without saying we are both introverts! He has some great insights to share with us so let’s get right to it.

Welcome, Nick! Let’s start with the basics. Tell us about yourself.

Hi. I’m Nick and I’m from Wellington, New Zealand. I’m 38 years old, married, and we have a 6-month-old daughter.

After the many financial mistakes I made in my 20’s, I realised I was very normal. I wasn’t the only one, and a lot of people don’t even realise they are making bad financial decisions. I wanted to start my blog and business to help educate the masses (I’m an optimist).

It has been a good experience so far. I find a twice a week schedule challenging with a full-time job and young daughter, but I am keen to get my content out there.

So here you are on the Introvert Interview Series. Why do you identify as an introvert?

I understood introversion from an early age. Most people at my school were much more vocal than I was. I was incredibly shy and more comfortable only speaking when I needed to.

I have always tended to be someone that prefers to observe, not participate (sounds a bit sad writing that down). That’s not to say that I can’t participate. It’s just that I pick and choose my moments.

For example, I’m absolutely petrified of public speaking. However, I had my first radio interview a few weeks ago. While I was extremely nervous, I am glad I did as it enabled me to help spread the concept of financial independence in my part of the world.

As you said, you’ve been through a lot in your 20s and 30s. What would you say is your greatest achievement?

I have achieved a lot in my life, but nothing has been as important to me as starting a family. My wife and my daughter are my greatest accomplishments.

Financial independence will mean nothing without them and I am grateful every day. It’s so important to remember your “why” in life. If you don’t have a “why,” look for it now. This is your compass. Your north star.

That’s beautiful. Nietzsche said, “He who has a why can bear almost any how.” You had a setback to your health and finances in your mid-thirties. How did that inspire your desire for financial independence?

This health scare was my spark. It was a bad back injury that left me out of work for several months. I was not adequately insured (before I knew personal finance), and I was struggling to keep up with expenses. I didn’t have an emergency fund either.

It was at that moment it really hit home how dependent I was on my employer for income and how sitting at a desk all day was affecting my health. During my time off work, I had plenty of time to read, and this is when I found the online financial independence community.

Since that time, we have a paid off mortgage and increased our savings rate to 50%. On track to reach financial independence in the next 8 years.

You’ve since leveraged your personal finance knowledge into becoming a money coach. Why should people consider a money coach?

The average household savings rate in New Zealand is currently minus 1%. If that is not the reason for a money coach, then I don’t know what is.

We are not taught this stuff in our schooling system. In our adult lives, we are taught to treat ourselves with nice things because we deserve it. We are told to buy as much house as the bank will allow us to.

A money coach can help educate and support those who don’t know any better. To help turn around years of misinformation and habits.

Minus 1%! Wow! Do New Zealanders face any unique challenges or have better social supports to reach FI than other economies you know of?

New Zealand has both good and bad levers one can pull to achieve FI.

Bad: New Zealand has an extremely high cost of living where work incomes don’t tend to match expenses. I think this explains our countries low savings rate. Our houses are an average of 7 times income nationwide. Petrol is $2.50 per liter. A beer in a pub would set you back about $12. Food is ridiculously expensive. New Zealand produces milk and yet it is more expensive to buy milk in New Zealand than the milk we export to Europe.

It’s not a cheap country.

Fortunately, I found a way to hack housing by moving to an undesirable (by most people’s standards) suburb. I took advantage of other people’s prejudices and perceptions. You can read more of my story here.

Good: We have free healthcare. Not entirely free, since we all pay tax. Yet, once I reach FI and pay little tax I will still be able to receive free healthcare. That is a nice plus. I understand that is a big worry among early retirees in the United States.

We also have a fairly stable government retirement fund. It isn’t means tested. It isn’t dependent on work income. It is the same for everyone. The government books are healthier than many other countries too, with less debt. This works out well for early retirees and I am confident it will still be around when I hit retirement age in 30 years. My plans don’t rely on it though – it will just be icing on the FI cake.

I noticed charitable giving is important to you. How does it fit into your path to financial independence?

Charitable giving is extremely important to me. At this stage, I have been much more giving of my time, than money. I have come to realise how lucky I have been with the way I was raised, but there are so many that have not been afforded the same opportunities.

I volunteer about 5 hours a week at a volunteer budget service. This is a free service in the community that offers advice and help for people in the worst kinds of financial trouble.

I also donate 10% of my coaching income to charity. It is a way where both me and my clients can give back to the community and those less fortunate.

As an introverted business owner, what are some lessons we can learn from your successes and failures?

As an introvert, I tend to be attracted to spreadsheeting. In particular, Excel. I have a lot of Excel-based calculations and formulations that have proven very valuable in my coaching business. Mortgage calculators. Rent vs buy calculators. Which car should I buy? You name it, I probably have an Excel calculator for it.

I think my clients enjoy the fact that I am a bit more reserved. I think that most (not all) in the finance industry in New Zealand are quite confident and are often quick to try and sell things. In the eyes of the customer, they may come across as pushy. I might come across as less confrontational which I think is a point of difference.

I am not saying extroverts are confrontational. It is just the impression from customers of this industry that I have heard. They feel like many finance managers are sharks.

Being an introvert as a business owner is also a negative. I think I could do a better job at communicating and selling things. I would also like to do more public speaking – in workplaces and schools. By being reluctant to do so, it is probably affecting my ability to earn income and promote the business.

So aside from your money coach side business, how has been an introvert impacted your career?

I’m very goal focussed. So I generally don’t let anything get in the way of my goals if the goal is strong enough. That being said, I have found myself able to break through my introversion and give group presentations or run a management meeting as needed.

These are not the easiest things for me or the most fun, but I do what needs to be done. So in that sense, I don’t think being an introvert has really impacted my career.

As a manager of business operations of a medium-sized company, I have 6 operations staff that report to me. No manager with staff can get away with poor communication skills, so it is definitely something that I have improved on as my career grew. Speaking a lot doesn’t come naturally to me, and I generally only use as many words as necessary.

I may come across as arrogant or standoffish to those that don’t know me. For example, when everyone in the office spends an hour on a Monday morning filling each other in on their weekends, I tune out and do work. I’m not interested in that type of stuff. I don’t ever think I’ll be friends with workmates.

I prefer to lead by doing, not talking.

I would say this has impacted on my professional network. It is fairly small by anyone’s standards. I know who I need to know, but I don’t go out of my way to connect with new people.

My managers see me as the hardest worker, but also the one that could improve on their social skills. Luckily for me, I’m as high as I want to go in the company. I don’t want more responsibility. I have enough things in my life to think about and I am planning to pull the plug on full-time work in the next few years. If I were to stay longer or if I had any ideas of earning a promotion I would need to actively try and be more social and outgoing in order to gain that promotion. I have no doubt I could do it, but I don’t want to. I’m content.

What are your favorite books, blogs, or podcasts that impact your life?

I am such a personal finance geek that these are all going to be personal finance related. I do love a good thriller book though.

I have two favorite podcasts: Radical Personal Finance. Joshua goes into great detail on many topics. He was my first introduction to the whole financial independence movement so I am loyal to him.

Your Money Your Wealth. Joe and Big Al are pretty funny, with good chemistry. Their advice is not too in your face, it is more informative. I find a lot of podcasts are “you should do this.” This podcast is not so.

Books: The Richest Man in Babylon and Your Money or Your Life. The Richest Man in Babylon is a good story with timeless lessons. Your money or your life was a game changer for me. Getting me to think about my time in terms of life energy.

Blog: So many on my rotation. If I were forced to pick just one, I like Mr. Tako Escapes. His writing is fluent. He has a wealth of knowledge and he just seems down to earth.

Okay, last question! If you could send a text message to all of my readers, what would it say?

Good question! I think too many people (especially introverts) wait for the right time before doing anything. For things to be perfect. This goes for investing, buying a house, asking someone out, and so on. We over think things. Without further ado, for my fellow introverts:

“Don’t feel like you have to know everything now. You don’t need to be the best. You don’t need to be perfect. Whatever you want to do, just get started, and learn along the way. Time on the sidelines can be costly and you don’t want to watch life go by.”

Fantastic advice! Thank you, Nick!

If you want to be interviewed for the series, contact me and tell me why you’d be a great subject! Be sure to sign-up for email updates to never miss an insightful interview.

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I struggled for years to decode why going to work, socializing in loud places, and taking trips with large groups were so draining. Finally, after gaining an understanding of introversion, I started to progress professionally and socially. Coupled with my newfound knowledge of introversion, the concept of financial independence was the motivation I needed to improve my life. This blog documents my journey and the journeys of other introverts, lessons learned, and strategies for a meaningful and fulfilling life as an introvert in an extroverted world.