A new podcast is challenging the personal finance advice that dominates bookshelves, social media feeds, and office break rooms. Have You Tried Being Rich?, hosted by financial experts Dria Benjamin and Kristin Geosits, launched September 1 with a premise that rejects the one-size-fits-all money tips that have become cultural mantras. Instead of offering another set of rigid rules, the show takes familiar advice—skip the latte, buy assets, become your own boss—and asks a simple question: does the math actually work?
The importance of this approach lies in its refusal to shame individuals for systemic financial struggles. As Geosits noted, “Financial advice gets repeated like it applies equally to everyone, and it just doesn't. Income matters. Debt matters. Housing costs matter. Your obligations, opportunities and stage of life matter.” By centering these variables, the podcast shifts the conversation from personal blame to structural reality. Benjamin added, “If skipping coffee were the secret, every office break room would be full of millionaires. We're not here to yell at people about lattes. We want to know why some of this advice sounds so good, who it actually works for and what gets left out of the pitch.”
The first three episodes tackle ideas deeply embedded in American money culture: the Latte Factor, the “think like the rich” philosophy of Rich Dad Poor Dad, and multi-level marketing schemes. In each case, the hosts start with the strongest version of the advice, examine where it can be useful, and then identify where it falls apart. For example, Episode 1, “Stop Blaming the Latte: The $5 Lie Keeping You Broke,” acknowledges that small savings and intentional spending matter, but argues that income, housing, and debt play far larger roles. Episode 2, “Rich Dad, Poor Advice,” explores the messy reality of leverage, rental properties, and so-called passive income, noting that buying assets requires money, risk tolerance, and margin for error that many people lack. Episode 3, “The Pyramid You Can't Climb: MLMs Won't Make You Rich,” breaks down why the MLM pitch is so convincing and what participant income disclosures reveal beneath the luxury cars and curated success stories.
What sets the show apart is its structured skepticism. At the end of every episode, the featured advice faces the show's BS Meter, with three possible verdicts: “This Gets You Rich,” “This Won't Hurt,” or “You'll Die Trying.” This format forces both hosts and listeners to confront the difference between advice that changes financial outcomes and advice that merely sounds responsible. The podcast also examines the incentives of the financial advice industry itself—books to sell, courses to launch, algorithms to feed—which rewards certainty over nuance. As Benjamin put it, “A money tip can be good advice without being the reason somebody gets rich. That's where things get weird. We take one decent habit, give it a cape, and suddenly it is supposed to solve capitalism.”
For listeners tired of guru worship and hustle-culture nonsense, the show offers a pressure-tested alternative. New episodes are released every two weeks and are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. By refusing to pretend that everyone would be wealthy if they just wanted it badly enough, Have You Tried Being Rich? fills a gap in personal finance media: it treats listeners as adults capable of handling complexity, not as targets for another simplistic trick.
