Jason Edwards welcomes back Jared Barton, CRNA, to discuss the Dave Ramsey baby steps program and how it transformed his financial life and mindset about money.

• Jared discovered Dave Ramsey while working in the steel industry making $38,000 annually in the late 1990s
• Tracking every expense gave Jared an immediate $500 monthly "raise" without changing his income
• The debt snowball method (paying smallest debts first) provides psychological wins that help maintain momentum
• Financial discipline doesn't necessarily reduce quality of life or happiness
• Research shows purchases provide only temporary happiness boosts before returning to baseline
• Current housing challenges can be overcome through starting with modest properties and building equity gradually
• DIY skills significantly reduce home maintenance costs and build pride in ownership
• The final baby step focuses on wealth building to enable generous giving to others
• Financial freedom isn't about deprivation but about intentionality and respecting your future self

Take control of your financial future today by tracking your expenses, building an emergency fund, and taking the first steps toward debt freedom.

What happens when medical legacy intersects with personal passion? In this captivating conversation, host Jason Edwards sits down with general surgeon Dr. Christopher Cronin, who shares the remarkable story of his grandfather, AJ Cronin—a physician who transformed an illness-induced retreat into a groundbreaking writing career.

The discussion reveals how AJ Cronin's seminal work "The Citadel" critically examined the British health system in 1937, addressing corruption, unethical practices, and healthcare inequality decades ahead of its time. This literary perspective from a practicing physician ultimately helped shape the National Health Service established a decade later. Dr. Cronin's reflections on this family legacy provide a unique window into how literature can drive healthcare reform and professional ethics.

But this episode goes beyond family history to explore the formative experiences that shape surgical careers. Dr. Cronin shares his evolution from aspiring orthopedic surgeon to general surgeon specializing in thyroid procedures—a journey influenced not by his famous grandfather but by the transformative power of mentorship during his training. His compelling account of working in a challenging DC hospital under an inspirational chief resident illuminates how profound these relationships can be in medical training.

The conversation takes a fascinating comparative turn as Dr. Cronin details his year training in Australia, highlighting the stark differences in surgical education systems worldwide. His insights on surgical hierarchy, the art of teaching technical skills, and the critical importance of repetition in surgical training reveal the complex balance between supervision and independence that creates competent surgeons. As duty hour restrictions change how surgeons are trained, these reflections become even more valuable.

Listen as these two physicians discuss the delicate art of mentorship, the trust that develops between surgical partners, and how the best teaching surgeons know when to step in and when to let trainees work through challenges. Whether you're in healthcare or simply curious about how great surgeons are made, this episode offers memorable insights into the human side of surgical training. Ready to hear more? Contact Dr. Cronin's practice at 314-434-1211.

A lump discovered while shaving during a ski trip turned Dr. Julie Gould's world upside down. As an obstetrician who prided herself on healthy living—never microwaving plastics, exercising regularly, getting routine checkups—she never expected to face follicular lymphoma. "I'm the one who's going to live forever," she thought, making her cancer diagnosis all the more shocking.

Dr. Gould takes us through her journey from initial discovery through diagnosis, treatment decisions, and the profound ways cancer changed her outlook on life. With remarkable candor, she shares the surreal experience of creating a "funeral playlist" the night of her diagnosis, then learning to use humor—"Mom has cancer...your turn to do the dishes"—to normalize the illness with her teenage children.

The episode offers rare insight into how a physician navigates the healthcare system as a patient. Dr. Gould describes advocating for her own testing, seeking second opinions, researching treatment options, and finding the right oncologist who matched her communication style. Her experience defied expectations in surprising ways—the dreaded Rituxan treatments she feared would debilitate her "felt like water," while the seemingly counterintuitive "watch and wait" approach for a stage three cancer initially felt baffling.

Perhaps most valuable are Dr. Gould's reflections on how cancer transformed her practice. She now brings deeper empathy to patients awaiting test results, understanding their anxiety in ways textbooks could never teach. Though she initially planned to drastically reduce her workload, she discovered her identity remained deeply connected to her role as a physician—finding that meaningful work provided crucial psychological support during treatment.

Ready to gain perspective from someone who's experienced cancer from both sides of the stethoscope? Listen now and discover why having grace for others—and yourself—might be the most important lesson from facing mortality.