[0:00] Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of Tell Us a Good Story.
Today, we get to talk to a two-time number one bestselling author and the host or co-host of many of the Ramsey shows, Dave’s daughter, Rachel Cruz.
So as you can imagine, the main question she always gets is, what is it like to grow up as Dave Ramsey’s daughter?
Yes. And Rachel had a lot of great stories to share, such as the craziest phone calls they have taken live on the air, the funny interaction she has had with Ramsey fans out out in public, and what do the other Ramsey kids do today?
Plus, Rachel might be the first person we’ve ever met who’s never had any debt in her life.
Zero. None. No debt of any kind, not a mortgage, student loans, nothing.
That’s not normal. Kevin, that’s crazy.
You guys, we can’t wait for you to hear this episode with an amazing woman and Ramsey personality, Rachel Cruz.

[0:54] I’m Kevin. And I’m Stephanie. And during our marriage, we have dealt with an electrocution, a brain tumor, brain surgery.
Then doctors telling us that children were not in our future, followed by miscarriage, and then Kevin’s cancer diagnosis.
However, today, we live a life completely healed and restored with three healthy children who doctors said were not possible.
And we’re here to tell stories that inspire, give hope, and brighten your day.
Welcome to… Tell Us a Good Story.

[1:22] Okay, friends, before we get to this episode, just a friendly reminder to please hit the subscribe button on YouTube and Apple podcast or give us a review. Five stars, please.
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But regardless, thank you for listening to tell us a good story.
All right, Steph, this is going to be so much fun. She’s here.
We have so many questions that we can ask her. Yes. This next guest.
Well, friends, our next guest has a lot of titles.
She is a wife, a mom of three, a two-time number one national bestselling author.
She is host of The Rachel Cruze Show, co-host of the Smart Money Happy Hour podcast with with our new friend, George Campbell, and co-host of The Ramsey Show, often with her father, Dave Ramsey.
And she is a proud graduate.

[2:26] Of the University of Tennessee. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to Tell Us a Good Story, Mrs. Rachel Cruz. Rachel! Yeah.
Thank you, guys. Thanks for having me. We’re so excited. Yes.
First off, thank you for saying yes to us. We have been looking forward to talking to you.
And I’m sure the most asked question for you is always, what’s it like to grow up in the Ramsey household, right?
So let’s get that out of the way because in my mind, you were a certified certified financial coach by the age of five, right? That’s what I’m thinking.

[2:56] What was it like, Rachel? That’s so funny. And you know, I feel like that’s a lot of people’s assumption is that we grew up in a household where money was talked about all the time.
You know, that was it. That was the point of conversation constantly.
And we had like mutual fund birthday parties, you know, when we were little and had budget camps every summer and things like that. And thankfully, that was not the case.
But mom and dad, they were, they’re very intentional with teaching us how money works, obviously.
But besides that, I would say it was very normal. And I do think people assume that, again, we were like obsessed with money as a family and like ran around with scissors, cutting up people’s credit cards and things. It wasn’t like that at all.
But they were great at, you know, teaching us to work and giving and saving and spending our money.
Like those like little tactical things they were great with and intentional with.
But I’ll tell you, it’s been more helpful as an adult having him as a dad that if I do have a question about something, I am like, like hey quick question so growing up in that household is there something that they did that as an adult you’re like no i’m not teaching my kids not doing that as a parent yes oh my gosh yeah it is funny because i’m like how you grew up there are so many things that you obviously want to repeat and then some things that you’re like i don’t know but i am trying to think because mom and dad were not overly strict on like movies or that kind of thing they were pretty like relaxed relaxed.
I will say they were pretty hardcore with like a like the curfew scenario.

[4:22] Okay. It was pretty black and white. Like if you were just a minute late, it felt like you were an hour late.
Do you know what I mean? So I’m like, yeah, I would say maybe that there could be a little grace here and there with the with the curfew. But that’s later down the line for me with kids.

[4:36] Yeah. Okay. What’s the biggest misconception then about being Dave Ramsey’s daughter?
Do people think you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth?
Is that like the biggest misconception, conception, Rachel? I would say, yeah.
I mean, I think that, yeah, being his daughter in some ways gives a level of credibility and then other ways it discredits me because people just assume, you know, I’ve been just handed everything, which is, you know, and it’s a balance because actually the year I was born, they filed for bankruptcy.
So in my, throughout my childhood, I mean, they were just scraping to get by.
I mean, they were really trying to get food on the table, if you will.
So I remember, you know, shopping at consignment sales and, you know, we didn’t go on on vacations, like that kind of stuff as a kid.
And then through high school, I feel like we started to probably see more them spending more and all of that. But they even through us growing up.

[5:23] Kind of kept everything really low means, if you will.
And then when I graduated from high school, I’ll never forget, there were a couple of things they did. They built a house, all this stuff.
And I’m like, where is all this money coming from? Like, where was this when I was like a sophomore in high school and it feels like I could have benefited?
So in one way, you know, we, you know, it was a very quote unquote normal upbringing.
It wasn’t this like extravagant upbringing.
And then on the other end, I’m like, they set us up well. They set us up paying for for college, you know, we had a mutual fund when we got married, they gave it to us.
And so, you know, we were able to use that for stuff. And so, I mean, there, there were definitely things that they did to set us up well and opportunities.
I work here at Ramsey. So I’m like, I’m not shy to the fact that, you know, I get to co-host, you know, the Ramsey show and do these other things or have great contacts in the space of media, you know, different things that I wouldn’t have if I wasn’t here at Ramsey.
So, so it is one of those things that it is a balance. Like I definitely was born to a degree of privilege because you know when you look at college you look at all of that I’m like it was I started on a financial foundation that was above ground not in a hole having to dig my way out so all of that I so so appreciate but then I you know but I don’t get like secret checks in the mail like I have to go to work right I’m like I’m here you know in the office today working and hanging out with you guys and so like I have bills to pay like I have have to like pay our cable bill.
Do you know what I mean? Like our family is still, we have to make money.

[6:46] Okay. So growing up, all right, you’re dating a guy in college.
He’s on, he’s taking you to on a date.
He whips out a credit card. Oh gosh. Is that like a red flag for you?
Are you just like, you like internally sink like in, we’re done. This is it.

[7:01] This is not going to be a good fit. Yeah. No, because my husband did.
Did he? Well, I was going to ask about that. So how did Like how does that transpire in your mind?
Are you physically like freaking out like dad wouldn’t like this. What should I do?

[7:16] No, no, cuz I know credit cards are so normal Like I know this is like it would almost be abnormal If he did it to a degree where I’m like, oh cuz everyone had a good that’s just like what you did And you know and Winston, you know, he would tell you this day Yeah, he got one to build up his credit score, you know He paid rent on it and utilities and the roommates paid him He had the system go in to get his credit score up, you know, so like I in all the quote unquote responsible ways, that’s kind of what he was doing.
And I didn’t know, I didn’t say anything for a few dates. And then as it started like progressing and I was like, oh no, this like could really go somewhere.
You know, he, he didn’t even know who Dave Ramsey was.
So as we were dating, I think people mentioned it to him and he kind of did some Googling and was like, oh wow.
So it was kind of this other just, oh, I didn’t even think you didn’t have to have it, but he’s a saver naturally.
So he was like, okay, that makes sense. If you You just pay cash for everything.
You don’t need a credit score.
And OK, like it just was a it wasn’t a big deal. Do you know what I mean?
Yeah, I remember the Capital One credit card paid for a few of our first dates.

[8:15] OK, so with him not knowing who your dad was, please tell me he didn’t whip that out in front of your dad.
Like you went on a family meal, he offers to pay for his own meal and he whips out a credit card instead of like cash.
Like, please tell me he didn’t do anything like that. No, because I think if we ever went out with mom and dad in college, they were paying.
Okay, so have you ever owned a credit card? I’ve not. Have you ever had a loan outside of a mortgage?
No, I have not. Have you ever had a mortgage loan? No.
Well, so we got our first house in 2009 during the recession, and it was a short sale.
Oh, good. Which we kind of just lucked out the timing of when we got married and all of that. And then we just built a house in 2019.
I’m pretty open with it. we paid cash for it and so we saved up and yeah and paid cash for it so it was a long six-year process and we had two rentals too that we had flipped and kept them as rentals and ended up selling those so we had other sources of income for the this house that we’re in now um but yeah it’s a lot of work to do it and i know that and the mortgage is the one type of debt we don’t yell at people for so we always say so yeah so it’s the one that obviously i understand people can’t pay cash for a house and especially in today’s markets but it was a big goal for us Yeah, and we did it and honestly it was really and I tell people this you know that I, And especially when you’re building, because I think building can get insane so quickly when you’re picking out everything.

[9:39] And so what it did, it forced us to say no. I’m like, there were things that we still would have done that we didn’t. You know, like we could have had an unfinished basement.
This is just one example. This is when we kind of regret. We’re like, dang it, we should have done it.
It wasn’t that much relative to the house to like dig out part of the unfinished basement.
But we literally didn’t have the cash. I mean, we didn’t have the money to do it. And we were like, we can’t. So we said no to that. I mean, there were probably six or seven things we said no to.
And looking back, we’re like, oh, man, you know, five years later, we’re like, dang it, we should have like stretched out the contract of the build and like saved up and done that. Like there.
But it was good, though. You know, it was good to say no and to have those boundaries and those limits. So that’s the beautiful thing that that cash does.
It really forces you into a budget because it’s what you have and you got to work with it. Do you have cash always in your pocket or are you like debit card girl?
I’m more debit card girl. I keep some cash always.
If I need something, I’ll have it. But I’m pretty much debit card.
And what’s crazy now, y’all, which you know this, but I’m like Apple Pay.
Do you know what I mean? I’m like there’s so many ways to spend.

[10:45] So I’m kind of in that rhythm now. We do the every dollar budget.
My husband and I do. And so it tracks your transactions.
And so that’s helpful when these transactions come in.
From spending on the debit card and all of that, that you can kind of drag and drop them into categories.
So I like doing that. But if you’re new to budgeting, I always recommend people use cash in some capacity just to feel the money leaving and there’s so much benefit to it.
But at this point in life, yeah, I’m usually a debit card girl.
Rachel, do you know how rare that is? Not that we’re trying to shame you by any means, because we’ve had debt.
But how rare it is, you have never had debt.
Student loans, a mortgage, a car note, and not even having a credit card. That is incredible.
I can’t imagine what the percentage is. You might be the first person I’ve ever met to do that. So congratulations. That’s true. I mean, that is so rare.
That is incredibly rare. Just brainwash your kids. And I’ll do it.

[11:44] Right. No basement for you kids. Sorry. That’s right.
That’s right. I know. All right, Steph, I’m going to test you again here.
What is your favorite book of all time?
Obviously, it’s the Bible, Kevin. Yes. Nailed it.
Very good. This time you didn’t say the book we wrote called You Met Her Where.
But it’s still a really good book. That is true. And it would make a great gift for friends or relatives on their birthday or for Christmas.
Friends, you can order your copy of our book titled You Met Her Where at kevinandsteph.com.
And we will make sure to personally sign a copy for you or whoever you want.
And as always, thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.

[12:22] Now, you started at Ramsey Solutions when you were out of college.
Is it true that your dad actually tried to talk you out of working for the company? Is that true?
Yeah, we had a big discussion when I was getting serious about it.
I had interned the summer before, and I just went to different high schools and did some assemblies.
And I just realized I was like, I love teaching the next generation, like college students, high school students, like getting them this information.
Because like we’re talking about here, it was such a gift.
I’m like, when you get this early, then you make decisions into adulthood that are probably different decisions than you would have made if you didn’t know this, right?

[12:56] That was like a big thing for me. And when I graduated college, I remember going to mom and dad. I was like, this is what I want to do.
Like if there’s a position for me to travel and speak.

[13:05] Yeah. And during that conversation, he just said to me, he was like, you realize that it’s going to be harder coming here for work versus going somewhere else because you have an uphill climb to make.
Because automatically, regardless of how great people are or not, it’s an automatic thought of like, oh, yeah, you’re the boss’s kid.
So, okay, you get a little little bit of a pass in some capacity right it’s kind of people’s assumption and so he’s like you’re gonna have to come in earlier work later like you really have to prove yourself to earn a level of respect that other people don’t walking into this position so yeah but thankfully you know people at ramsey are so they’re awesome yeah everyone at ramsey that we have dealt with are amazing for sure so what do your other two siblings do then please tell me your brother’s not like an executive you have an American Express or someplace, right?
What do they do? Do they work there too or not?
Yeah. So Daniel’s here, my brother. Yes. So he’s here at Ramsey.
And then my sister actually runs my parents’ foundation.
So they formalized all their giving about 10 years ago.
And she was working for a nonprofit at the time. And when they opened this, they asked her, yeah, if she would come in and help be the executive role and help with their giving. So she does that, which she’s awesome.
So all the nonprofits and charities and organizations that mom and dad give to, she she, She runs all that. Do you remember the first time that you co-hosted with your dad on air?

[14:28] Gosh, do I remember the first time? I think I do. You know, there was another time before that, even that was we there was Ken Coleman, myself and maybe one or one other person.
And we co-hosted without Dave for the first time. And I remember that one because we were all like, oh, my gosh, are we going to sink the ship?
Like we have power in this like microphone right here. Like, oh, my gosh. Did anybody sit in a seat?
It was at the old building. I’m trying to think. Like, yeah, I guess we would have had to because of the way the table was.
But yeah, I remember that one because I remember Ken being like, I can get us in and out of breaks. Like he used to do radio.

[15:00] Yeah. Like we were like, oh my gosh.
So that was funny. And I’m trying to think with him. I, yeah, I don’t remember that one as much. Really? Yeah.
It was always nerve wracking early on. I’ve gotten used to hosting that show, but people love Dave.
And so for a long time, as the Ramsey personalities were kind of transitioning in and rotating, It was not pretty on the old reviews, you know, when you went and read the reviews. They did not want us there.
They didn’t want change.
Yeah, they loved it, which I totally get. But also, we all know, you know, you don’t live forever.
And so eventually one day, what’s going to happen, you know, to this platform?
Is it just going to be gone when he’s gone? Or can you start transitioning to a degree at happening?
So we’ve been on more and more. But that was probably four years ago when all that was going on, which is crazy. It was right around COVID when we really kind of ramped up the co-hosting with other personalities, not just Dave.
So it’s been almost four years.
And I think finally people are somewhat okay with us.

[15:55] Okay. So you mentioned actually a lot there. First off, going back to what you were doing.
High school assemblies, school events. Do you have any good stories from dealing with high school?
Because I have gone back to my high school one time and spoke never again.
No, they’re terrible, aren’t they?
No, high schoolers are great. They’re intimidating. They don’t care to be there.
No, they don’t. I know. It was more just like you have to be so okay with yourself because you get zero affirmation when you talk to high schoolers.
That’s why I think I slowly transitioned out, honestly, and my life. I was married.
I remember, you know, we were starting a family. I was like, oh, I have things to say about grocery shopping or like how to do this or that in life, you know, more adult topics.

[16:40] So my message kind of transferred with my age and season of life, which I loved. But I remember those. Those were tough.
The high school assemblies were not ideal.
No. And even college, there were some funny college ones. When I’d go to college campuses, there was one where I realized halfway through that majority of the group didn’t speak English.
And I found out after the foreign exchange office literally gave them extra credit to come hear me.
And so they all kind of came up and they didn’t fully like understand.
You know what I mean? And we were like, I was trying to talk.
And I was like, wait, what’s going on?
Yeah, that happened once. Yeah, there were a couple of funny moments.
But I was glad they were getting the information.
That’s not bad. Like, man, these kids are really clueless. They are focusing.
Or they’re just focusing. Or they’re very intent of trying to catch every word that I’m saying.

[17:25] Because I talk fast, too. So I probably wasn’t the best guest speaker in that regard. Okay.
Since you’ve been co-host and hosting stuff and you take live phone calls, Rachel, what’s one of the crazier calls you’ve taken, right?
And I’m assuming at this point, you’re probably not surprised, but what’s one of the crazier calls that you’ve had to take either you or your dad there as a radio personality?
Yes. Oh my gosh. I mean, always the ones with like staggering student loan debt.
We just had one this week. It was a million dollars in student loans between her and her husband. Oh.

[17:57] Oh, yeah. Half a million, basically, for both of them. And I was like, oh, my gosh. So, like, those are always the ones that kind of just baffle you, where you’re like, I…
Praying you’re going to make a good income. I mean, those always stand out.
But when I was hosting with dad, this may have been two years ago now, but there was a lady on the phone and she was asking about selling her house.
And she was really rushed. You could tell she was kind of like outside.
It was a little confusing.
And so she said her son’s father was there.
It was the situation. And as you started getting context clues, realizing that he was abusive and he wouldn’t leave her house.
And he was there with With her son. And they start talking.
Like, it was bad. We ended up calling the police because it was, yeah, she wanted out of her house. She wanted to get her son somewhere safe.
But the son’s dad, yeah, was, like, literally there that day in her house and wouldn’t get out.
And so she was telling us this on the call. I mean, it was just, it’s just heartbreaking.
So, yeah, that was probably the wildest, like, in the moment.

[18:56] There’s somebody on the other end that I can’t reach who feels in danger.
And her child is in a sense in danger, right? So you’re just like, oh my gosh.
So that was probably the wildest scenario.
So instead of calling 911, they called Ramsey Solutions.
She did, yeah. Yeah, she was trying to figure out if she could, with her house, she was asking about her house and we realized your house isn’t the issue.
But you almost get so, in those situations, the psychology breakdown happens so quickly that you just, you almost can’t see out and you feel like a crazy one in the situation. And so walking her through that, I mean, she just, and she cried at one point.
I mean, it was just, it was so, it was so terrible.

[19:36] Is it hard for you to relate to some people because you’ve never been in debt?
Right. Especially when, like I saw the other day, Rachel, someone’s calling in and they’re taking out debt for pets, right?
Or like to get a puppy and stuff like that. Right. Right. How do you deal with all that?

[19:53] Yeah. You know, I mean, obviously I haven’t been in it. So to your point, I mean, I haven’t done cocaine either, but I could probably tell you it’s probably not a great plan, you know?
So I think there is like this aspect of I may not be able to empathize 100% with exactly what you’re thinking and feeling, but I can tell you there is such a better way, right? I can tell you here’s the road to take.
That’s not that. that and you know and even growing up in a family where mom and dad’s pain around money was so real and so visceral of bankruptcy and just living in that environment to a degree you pick up on it and you realize this is something i like i want to stay far far away from but the norm is yeah you just don’t take out credit cards like i like i can’t even imagine you know i just think i’m like oh my gosh people they go into debt for a car i’m like okay and again not because mom and dad had had nice cars.
They had crappy cars growing up, but it wasn’t even an option.
So when that’s your norm, it is funny to look back. I’m like, oh my gosh. Yeah.

[20:48] You know, it’s so interesting what she said. She’s like, oh my gosh, you guys, you took debt out for a car.
So many people are like, yeah, that’s the norm, but it’s not the norm for you.
So that’s so interesting that the way you just said it, you’re like, huh, why would people do that? Yes.
Yeah. Speaking of cars, a couple months ago, Steph and I were on a date, we pull up to a light in the car in front of us.
I think it was maybe a Toyota Camry set had a bumper sticker on the back.
And it said, Dave Ramsey makes me drive this car.
So we had a good laugh about that.
And we’re in Ohio, right? So we’re not we’re nowhere near Franklin, Tennessee.

[21:25] Yeah. But with you with fans of Dave Ramsey, and all the personalities.
Have you had any fun interactions with fans at a live event out in public do you have any good stories from that yes oh gosh um you know it’s funny because our work we’re not you know it’s not like t swift or like uh you know uh jennifer aniston you know we’re not actors or musicians or like this that that kind of fandom happens if people recognize as it’s which i love it’s always it’s about them which is amazing like they’ll come up and be like we’re debt free or like i went to disney world with my daughters and i got stopped maybe 20 20 times it was it was a lot really really in the park but people would say i mean out of all those probably 15 out of 20 said we’re here because we’re debt free and we saved up for this or it’s because of you guys we did this and so i love it when people come up because i love that it’s it’s them it’s them doing the work right i mean like we can talk about this all day but it’s not this like screaming like oh my gosh i just love you it’s not it’s not that it is like here’s what our family’s done right you’ve actually put into practice you know what you guys teach so so that’s always my favorite and when people always say you know oh my gosh you guys changed our lives we always say back because it’s true i’m like no we didn’t.

[22:40] You changed your life. Like, I’m not in Ohio, you know, living in your house and doing the work. Like, I’m not doing that. You’re doing that.
And that’s the power, I think, in this idea of being able to help people in this way is that they’re the hero.
Like, we’re not the celebrities in that.
Like, we see them as celebrities of like, oh, you did this.
So, yeah, we were getting on one of the rides at Disney and this lady from like way up top was getting on and she just yelled down, And I’m like, Rachel, I love you and George on the happy hour.
I’m like, happy and fine. I’m just wearing it. I’m like, thank you.

[23:13] It was great. It was great. So, yeah, it’s always fun when people come up. How empowering is that?
Like, what does that do for your spirit?
Like, oh, my gosh. Like, we’re doing the right thing. Yeah.
Like, if there’s ever a doubt, there’s just clarification that we are in the right thing right now. It is, yeah.
Because sometimes, you know, there are points that I’m like, are we the crazy ones? Like, are we the ones that are missing something?
But no one’s ever come up to me and be like, oh my gosh, I did it all.
And I hate this. And I don’t want to get back in debt and spend everything I make and have no savings.
You know, you don’t get that reaction. It’s always, we did this stuff and it does work. So it is, it’s confirmation.
And just like you guys doing this podcast, you know, you don’t, we don’t get to interact with people all the time unless we’re at a live event.
So when you do see somebody that yells down, love you and George, I’m like, oh, there’s the face of the people behind the microphone because yes, You stare into a camera or a microphone and you hope someone’s listening or you never know.
Yeah, you never know. And then when you meet them, you’re like, oh, it’s you. Yes.
Kevin and I say that all the time. We’re like, we’re hoping people are listening to our show, but you never know. That’s right. That’s right. Yes.

[24:21] If you like what you hear, please tell someone about us. As soon as this episode is over, go tell your spouse, your closest friend, a parent, a coworker, or share one of our posts on social media.
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And to get more information about us or our entire catalog of episodes, be sure to check us out at kevinandsteph.com.
Thank you for listening to Tell Us a Good Story.
So for all of our guests, I like to give a list of fun facts to let listeners know what you’ve done, what you’ve accomplished, and keep me honest if I’m wrong on any of these, okay? And Steph is not aware of any of these fun facts.
So you’re going to see her genuine, authentic reaction. Oh my goodness, I can’t wait.
You ready, Steph? Yeah. All right, fun fact number one.
Rachel has been speaking at events since she was in high school.
Her first speaking gig was with her dad at the age of 15 in front of 5,000 people.

[25:23] So, Rachel, at age 15, what was your dad like? Was he like, hey, don’t embarrass me, kid, in front of these people?
And how did you prepare for that?
How did you have the composure to get in front of 5,000 people age 15 and not have to change your pants afterwards? Like that is amazing.
Yeah. So it was at one of the big events they used to do on Saturday.
It’s called Total Money Makeover Live. So this was golly, 22 years ago.

[25:51] And during that day, they would have different breaks. And so before one of the breaks, one of the other team members mentioned, because we would work those events as kids. We were the ones running around, handing out stuff or notebooks for people. We worked these events a lot as kids.
And one of the team members said, Rachel, you could go on stage and do something.
You have such a fun personality.
You totally could. And I was like, me on stage? And they’re like, yeah.
And so the conversation started. And basically, it came out like how great would it be to go and pitch the kids’ products.
You go out on stage and talk about the kids’ products because you guys use them at home.
And we can make a funny like it’s you know the top 10 list of why it’s tough to be dave ramsey’s kid uh that’s like when letterman was on and he always yeah that’s good during during that day so so they were like we could make it really funny and great you know and so we went and wrote it and i practiced it and then at the time the company which we still do to this day we have staff meeting and devos monday morning is an hour of staff meeting all the staff gets together.

[26:51] And kind of updates what’s going on in company different different areas so everyone’s on the the same page.
And then every Wednesday morning for an hour, they have somebody local, an author or a pastor or a musician or someone come and just have some inspiration.
So they call it devotional time, Devo.
And so during that Devo, which now we have like 1,100 people here at Ramsey that work here.
So at the time, it was maybe 200 people.
It was significantly less.
And I had to get up and and give my talk in front of the company.
And that was my practice, to get in front of people and say it.
And I’ll never forget, like halfway through, I blinked. You know, that feeling where you’re like, and I don’t have notes or anything, you know?

[27:31] I blanked. And I remember dad was on the front row. And he was like, push through. You got to push through. You’re on stage right now with 5,000 people.
That’s what you got to remember. What are you going to do? You got to just keep pushing through. And I was like, I’m going to keep pushing through.
And I just picked it back up and kept going, you know. And they were all like, it was the best 200 people to do it in front of. Oh, I’m sure.
They’re just wonderful. Like family. Yeah.
Totally. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. So that was, I had to do it for them.
And I did it twice that week in front of that group.
And then went out. And he was, yeah, dad was so supportive. Yeah.
Before we went on, he’s like, it’s really not that big of a deal, Rach. Like, you can do this. Like, it’s going to be over in eight minutes. Yeah, you’re great.
Don’t stress out. You know, he was like trying to like, not a big deal. Yes.

[28:14] That’s what they tell professional bull riders. Hey, it’s not that big of a deal. It’s eight seconds. Just go. You can do it. It’s not a big deal.
Yeah, go have fun. As I said, go have fun.
All right, Steph. Next fun fact. As I mentioned earlier, Rachel went to the University of Tennessee and got her communications degree.
And Rachel, I’m only sharing this because I would love for you to share a particular story, okay? Okay.
But while in college at UT, Rachel got a tattoo.
So can you please share the story of the tattoo and the reaction of your dad, Rachel?
Because I love that. Oh my gosh. It’s so funny.
Yes, I was a freshman and I remember it was like raining one day.
I don’t know why that’s my memory. We were all in the dorm.
We’re all so we’re just bored and all my friends you know they’re probably eight of us and someone’s like we should go like go get a tattoo we’re like yeah yeah we should go, so we went and i got it was like it’s this big i mean it’s tiny and it’s a jesus fish you know the whole fish it’s like this big it is so small and i went home a few weekends later and i told told my parents yeah and my dad got he was so mad he threatened to pull my tuition it was like oh yes he was like I’m not gonna pay for college if you start getting tattoos everywhere and I was like oh my god.

[29:41] Now I think he’s way more comfortable with tattoos, so is probably society, than back in the day, 20 years ago.
So you actually told him? You weren’t on vacation and they saw it?
No, I told him. I told mom first, and she was like, oh, honey.
That’s so silly. She just was like, oh, man. And then I think she was like, you got to tell your dad. I was like, he’s going to be pissed.

[30:07] It’s like this big. It’s so small. It’s so small.
Your dad’s like where do we go wrong as parents yeah like the world is ending i know i know it’s so funny i saw a meme the other day on instagram and it said my kid just got a face tattoo just bottle feed was the bottom i was like that’s so good all the moms are always like paranoid of like oh my god should i do this or that it’s like yeah my kid just got a face tattoo who knows how they’re gonna turn out you know so true i love the fact that he literally threatened i’m not school. We’re done. We’re done.
All right, Steph, next fun fact. Rachel is co-host of The Ramsey Show, which is America’s second largest talk radio show.
The Ramsey Show is also now the number one podcast in all categories on Apple Podcasts. She’s host of The Rachel Cruze Show.
She’s co-host of the That’s Smart Money Happy Hour with George Campbell, which debuted as the number one podcast on Apple Business.
And she’s authored multiple books.
So Rachel, here’s how I envisioned this happen.

[31:11] I envisioned all these creatives at Ramsey Solutions went to your dad and pitched all these ideas. And your dad’s like, oh, Rachel can do that.
And then three months later, oh, Rachel can do that too. And then you just got all of these jobs now.
All this responsibility is like, how do you manage all of these tasks, all the responsibilities?
Because you have a lot going on. either yes yeah what’s funny is most of those i brought to the table not the co-hosting ramsay show but my show i really wanted to do and smart money happy hour was one that about three years ago i really fought for because i knew it was going to be a hit i was like people want a high level fun pop culture current events money show like that’s what we can do like we keep targeting people that want to learn about money what if we target just culture like just in general just people that like love entertainment and pop culture.
And then we sneak in the money on the back end. So it’s more like fun and all that. We have a cocktail or a mocktail every episode and like all of this.
So and then I was like, and George, I love George, George and George and me are like brother and sister. And so I was like, George would be so fun.
I want to do it with him. Like we both talk about money all the time and it just will be it’ll be great. So that one we really fought for.
And then finally they said.

[32:24] Yes, we got a budget for it and we figured out and it’s been awesome.
So that’s been a really fun hit.
And so it’s what I love. I love it, though, too. My husband’s always like on Mondays, especially Mondays are like my really long days.
I work probably 12 hours and he’s always like, are you ready for Monday?
And I tell him like, I’m always just like, it sounds cheesy.
I’m like, I’m so thankful that I don’t hate Mondays. Like, yeah, I’ve had all weekend with the kids and family. And I’m like, I’m actually kind of excited to like shower and like put makeup on and And I talk to adults and be in meetings with people I love.
And we laugh and we have fun and we create content and we shoot shows.
And it’s so fun. Yeah. That’s not most people. Most people hate their jobs, right? They hate Mondays. I know. I know. Exactly. So I’m really thankful.

[33:10] Steph, what is one of the most asked questions we get about Tell Us a Good Story?
Do I really get that excited?
Besides that one. Oh, how do we get all these incredible guests?
Correct. Correct. And some of our best conversations have been with guests who our listeners have reached out to us and said, you should talk to this person.
To name just a few, Nick Vujicic, Coach Tom Ryan, Carol Matico were all recommendations from our listeners.
So if there’s someone you would like us to interview and think they might be a great fit for Tell Us a Good Story, please let us know at kevinandsteph.com.
You don’t even have to personally know them. True. But do me a favor, before you submit their names, please make sure they are still alive.
That has actually happened and it is super hard for me to find their contact information.
But regardless, thank you for listening to tell us a good story.

[33:57] Final fun fact here. Rachel is a two-time number one national bestselling author and a few months ago released her first ever illustrated children’s book titled We love it!
I’m glad for what I have. And it’s over her right shoulder there as well. Yes, we do.
And ever since your team actually sent this to us, which they were kind enough to do, I’ve read this to Steph every night before bedtime.

[34:22] That’s what we do now. That’s our bedtime routine. But in all seriousness, this is a wonderful children’s book.
Oh, it’s so good. It is wonderful. The pictures are amazing.
And like you said, Steph, the pages are super thick.
It’s quality. It is very nice. have to work hard to rip these because like our little guy well i don’t want to say it but for some kids most kids it’ll be a challenge to tear the pages yeah yes yes i know that’s my hope my i was like i wanted like i wanted thick pages because as a mom we know yes yes i know i i ideally we priced out doing like a board book like with like the real yes you know what i mean but with like yeah manufacturing all of it we couldn’t we couldn’t pull it off which is totally fine But I was like, okay, if we’re doing regular paper, get me literally the thickest page that they have because that’s what I’m going to go for.
It’s very nice. I’m glad you appreciate that. It was so – I noticed it immediately.
Yes. I noticed it. I’m like, oh, these are such good pages. Can you please tell listeners about this book that you put together, your first ever children’s book?
Yes, I know. I’m so excited about it. But, you know, I have three kids, like I mentioned, they’re eight, six and four.

[35:31] And they just were in this like rhythm. We’re talking about like the Amazon guy coming to the front door.
You know, when is he coming, mom, today? You know, it was like this like assumption that.
Packages just always show up. And I thought, oh my gosh, I’ve created these little consumeristic kids.
I’m like, this is what I’ve done because it’s me, right? They’re not the one doing all this.
So it was just kind of a check in the mirror and in my spirit where I thought, oh my gosh, I want my kids to know that having stuff is not bad, but it’s not going to fulfill you the way you think it will.
That happiness and excitement that you get with something new, just like mommy feels and they feel when they always just want, want, want, that excitement, it’s gone.
It’s gone on within, you know, for me, sometimes half an hour, you get something in the mail. Oh, great.
And you just move on with your life. But when you’re buying it or you really want it, you feel like, oh, this thing, this excitement, what I’m feeling, this emotion, this dopamine hit, it’s going to last forever because if I can just have this, I’ll be okay.
And that is a lie that I think we’ve all believed. And you end up being a rat in a wheel, just running, running, running, buying, buying, buying, knowing that it doesn’t really satisfy you.
So it was a message I really want want to teach my kids. I mean, it goes into the contentment subject.

[36:37] And what does really fulfill you? What is the things that we can focus on that is really there?
So I wanted animals with it. I didn’t want like kids, illustrated kids.
I was like, I want like an animal. I want it whimsical and kind of magical.
And so throughout the story, yeah, the little animals just want and want and want. And the parents kind of give way and they do, you know, they buy and buy and buy.
And they realize they’re not happy anymore, that our stuff is supposed to make us feel a certain way and it’s not anymore.
And so they go on this little adventure and discover that. So it’s so sweet.
I’m really excited about it. And I actually, I’m gonna go ahead and just say it because I have three books that I wanted to write kids books wise because I have a journal called the Contentment Journal for Women.
And it walks through 30 days of gratitude, 30 days of humility and generosity and 30 days of contentment.
And my dream about two years ago was if I could pair kids’ books along with the journey their mom is going on, it would be like a perfect world.
So it’s actually coming true.
So this book is on contentment. So I started on the end of it.
And the next one is on gratitude.
And it comes out April 16th. So there’s a new one coming. Congratulations.

[37:47] Thank you. So, yeah, when you read this book, which I’m glad for what I have, there’s different scenes.
So there’s kind of like a safari scene with those animals.
There’s an ocean scene and then forests. And so each book has kind of the lead character. So the next one’s the ocean.
So that’ll be the front cover. So we’ll send you that one too.
But that comes out April 16th, which I’m really excited about.
You know what, Rachel? You hit on such an important topic with contentment.
Like I’m really so aware of that. Like just be happy with what you have.
And our kids are always like, can I get on Amazon and put stuff in the cart? I’m like, why?
Like be thankful for what you have. And then in the book, I loved it.
But one of the pictures, like they had so much, it was just in a pile or things were broken because they had so much.
And I’m like, oh, this is so good.

[38:35] So I love that you wrote this book. And I think it’s going to touch so many children.
It touched my heart. And I’m an adult. I’m like, yes, yes, exactly what we need.
It’s something good. You can read your kids or grandparents can read to their grandchildren.
Yes. Yeah. Because that was the other thing. Like you said, Steph, I was like, as a mom, I read so many books to my kids. And so the ones that I’ve loved in the past are the ones that have a message that like make me tear up as an adult where you’re like, I needed that message.
So when I wrote it, that was part of it, too. I’m like, how can I end it where even an adult reading it is like, oh, I needed that. I needed that reminder because I do.
I mean, yes, basically for me. And they’re short, too. That was another thing.
I was like, I don’t want it long.
Especially at bedtime, right? You’re like, oh, my gosh. Let’s not extend the bedtime longer than it already is. The process. So shorts.

[39:23] It gets to the point. Yes. I loved it. No, you did an excellent job. And I love you again.
I love the pages. It’s something so simple, but as a mom, you noticed it immediately.
Immediately. I’m like, oh my gosh, these pages are amazing. Yes.
I’m so glad. Thank you. I so appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you.

[39:43] Well, listeners for more information about Rachel and to get her books, you can go to her website, rachelcruz.com.
Her Instagram is rachelcruz. and Facebook is at Rachel Ramsey Cruz and we’ll put links in the show notes and on our website so you can click right on those links and go to the social media and her website for this book.
Well, Rachel, you have been amazing.
Thank you so much for doing this and coming on with Steph and I on Tell Us a Good Story. You’re fantastic.
For sure. Well, thank you guys for having me. I so appreciate it. It was so fun.

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