Academics and Their Money

Inga & Neeka

Ever feel like you’ve got a PhD in your field but only a 101-level understanding of your finances? Welcome to Academics and Their Money, the podcast where we make money talk as smart—and as entertaining—as you are. Because let’s be honest: knowledge is powerful, but a well-earned paycheck doesn’t hurt either. Whether you’re a fresh PhD navigating that first real paycheck, a tenured professor pondering what’s next, or a former academic with some ‘unique’ insights—this show dives into making your intellect work for you, tackling the financial quirks of academic life, and uncovering the untold money stories behind the ivory tower.If you’re a fan of Planet Money, Freakonomics Radio, or HerMoney with Jean Chatzky, you’ll feel right at home here. But fair warning: this isn’t another boring money podcast. We keep it real, relatable, and just a bit irreverent to make finance feel fresh. Let’s get smarter about money—and wealthier—together!

  1. Jul 30

    Don't Wait Until 45 to Learn About Money with Ana Pineda

    Send us Fan Mail Academics spend years becoming experts in their fields, but many reach midcareer realizing they were never taught the fundamentals of personal finance. In this episode of Academics and Their Money, Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman sit down with former entomologist turned academic coach Ana Pineda to discuss her journey from a decade of postdoctoral research to building a successful coaching business. Ana shares how leaving academia transformed not only her career, but also her relationship with money. Together, they explore why so many highly educated professionals struggle with financial literacy, the importance of budgeting, and how shifting from a scarcity mindset to intentional investing can create greater freedom and confidence. Ana also reflects on the realities of grant funding, transitioning out of academia, and why investing in yourself often provides the highest return. Whether you're a graduate student, postdoc, professor, or considering a career beyond academia, this conversation offers practical financial lessons alongside an honest look at redefining success. Ana’s ifocusandwrite website: https://www.ifocusandwrite.com If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/. Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

  2. Jul 16

    Academia Isn't Your Only Option: One Career Change That Doubled Matt Goren's Income

    Send us Fan Mail What if the skills you've spent years developing in academia are worth far more than you've been led to believe? In this episode of Academics and Their Money, Neeka Miremadi sits down with Matt Goren, former psychology professor and current Chief Strategy Officer at Danko Education, to talk about the financial realities of academia, career transitions, and why academics often underestimate both their value and their earning potential. Matt shares his journey from graduate school during the Great Recession to teaching at UC Berkeley and the University of Georgia before ultimately transitioning into the financial planning education industry. Along the way, he reflects on the hidden opportunity cost of spending years in graduate school, the financial wake up call that changed his entire approach to money, and how one career change ultimately doubled his income, then doubled it again. More importantly, Matt explains why leaving academia doesn't mean abandoning your passion for education. Instead, it can mean finding new ways to teach, mentor, and make an impact while building greater financial security and flexibility. We also explore why so many academics underestimate their transferable skills, how project management, critical thinking, and analytical problem solving are incredibly valuable outside the university, and why increasing your income is often one of the most effective ways to improve your financial future. Whether you're committed to academia or wondering what opportunities exist beyond it, this conversation offers an encouraging reminder that your PhD is more than a credential. It's a skill set that can open far more doors than you might realize. Say Hello to Matt:  matt@brettdanko.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjgoren/ If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/. Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

  3. Jul 2

    From Professor to Business Owner: The Financial Basics Every Academic Entrepreneur Needs to Know

    Send us Fan Mail Many academics dream about turning their expertise into something more, whether that means consulting, coaching, writing, speaking, creating courses, tutoring, or building a private practice. But moving from professor to business owner comes with a lot of financial questions: Do I actually have a business? Do I need an LLC? How do taxes work? What retirement accounts are available? In this episode of Academics and Their Money, Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman break down the financial basics academics need to know when starting a business on the side or transitioning into entrepreneurship. They discuss the difference between a hobby and a business, why you do not need an LLC to be considered self employed, and what an LLC actually does (and does not do) for you. They also explain self employment taxes, quarterly estimated payments, business deductions, and the different ways businesses can be structured, including sole proprietorships, LLCs, and S Corps. The conversation also covers overlooked opportunities for self employed academics, including SEP IRAs and solo 401(k)s, how to keep university employment and business activities separate, basic bookkeeping practices, and when it is worth bringing in outside experts like CPAs, attorneys, or financial planners. Whether you are thinking about starting a side business, monetizing your expertise, or leaving academia altogether, this episode provides a practical roadmap for building a strong financial foundation as an academic entrepreneur. If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/. Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

  4. Jun 18

    Your Sabbatical Is Not a Productivity Challenge: How Bethany Wilinski Helps Academics Recover From Burnout and Fall Back in Love With Their Work

    Send us Fan Mail What if your sabbatical wasn’t about accomplishing more, but about creating the space you actually need to recover, reflect, and reconnect with your work? In this episode of Academics and Their Money, we sit down with Bethany Wilinski, professor, researcher, and sabbatical coach, to talk about burnout, money mindset, and how academics can design sabbaticals that truly support the life they want to build. Bethany shares her journey from elementary school teacher to professor at Michigan State University, including how her own experience with burnout after earning tenure changed the way she approached her sabbatical. Instead of pursuing the ambitious research plan she originally envisioned, Bethany realized she needed to ask a different question: What does she actually need from this time away? That shift led her to create a sabbatical focused on rest, family, and renewal, including spending part of her sabbatical in Bordeaux, France with her family. After seeing how transformative that experience was, she created her sabbatical coaching business to help other academics plan intentional breaks that balance personal priorities with professional goals.  We also talk about the financial side of academic life, including how Bethany’s perspective on money evolved, why academics often struggle to prioritize financial security, and how earning more money can coexist with wanting to make a meaningful impact. Bethany shares practical advice for academics preparing for a sabbatical, including: Why trying to maximize productivity can lead to sabbatical regretHow to set boundaries with colleagues, students, and service commitmentsWhy rest can actually make you more effective in your careerHow to redefine what “productive” means during a sabbaticalHow to create intentional breaks even when a formal sabbatical is not availableWhether you are planning your own sabbatical, feeling burned out, or simply looking for ways to create more space in your academic career, this episode offers a thoughtful conversation about money, work, rest, and designing a life aligned with your values. Learn more about Bethany here: Website: https://bethanywilinski.com Podcast: Sabbatical 101: https://bethanywilinski.com/sabbatical101/ If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/. Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

  5. Jun 4

    Stop Treating Money Like a Dirty Word and Start Valuing Your Expertise with Jennifer Polk

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when a historian realizes the traditional academic path is no longer the right fit? In this episode of Academics and Their Money, Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman speak with career coach and entrepreneur Jennifer Polk about her journey from a “pre-K to PhD” academic path to building a business dedicated to helping PhDs find meaningful work beyond academia. Jennifer reflects on earning a history PhD, navigating a challenging academic job market, and ultimately hiring her own career coach, a decision that helped shape the direction of her post academic career and led to the creation of From PhD to Life. She shares how this transition pushed her to develop a grounded, practical approach to money, one centered on understanding real living costs, consistently tracking spending, and making career decisions with clarity rather than fear. The conversation explores what self employment actually looks like in practice, including income variability, lack of traditional benefits, retirement planning, and the realities of pricing one’s work. Jennifer also challenges common academic narratives around money, emphasizing that people with PhDs deserve to be paid fairly and do not need to apologize for valuing financial stability or success. More broadly, this episode offers an honest look at career transitions beyond academia and speaks to anyone questioning their path, exploring self employment, or trying to build a healthier, more grounded relationship with money. Jen's Website: https://fromphdtolife.com/ If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/. Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

  6. May 21

    “It’s Not Wrong to Want More” Building Wealth Without Leaving Your Values Behind with Gertrude Nonterah

    Send us Fan Mail “It’s not wrong to want more.” - Gertrude Nonterah In this episode of Academics and Their Money, hosts Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman sit down with Gertrude Nonterah, founder of The Bold PhD, to talk about career pivots, personal branding, wealth building, and the complicated relationship academia has with money. Gertrude shares her journey from earning a PhD in microbiology and immunology to unexpectedly losing her postdoc position when her lab shut down. What followed was a difficult job search that forced her to rethink how academics present themselves outside the university system. She explains how learning to communicate her skills, build a personal brand, and transition from an academic CV to an industry resume completely changed her career trajectory. The conversation also dives deep into money mindset in academia. Gertrude challenges the unspoken belief that pursuing money somehow makes academics “less virtuous,” arguing instead that financial stability, wealth building, and intellectual pursuits can coexist. As an immigrant who built everything from scratch, she shares why financial independence, investing, and creating opportunities for future generations matter deeply to her. Neeka, Inga, and Gertrude also discuss: The opportunity cost of pursuing a PhD and postdocDelayed earning power and investing timelines in academiaWhy many academics struggle to talk about themselves professionallyThe importance of starting to invest early, even with small amountsPersonal branding and LinkedIn strategies for PhDsEntrepreneurship, lifestyle businesses, and redefining successHow wealth can create freedom, flexibility, and legacyGertrude also shares practical financial advice she wishes she had learned sooner, including the power of compounding, fractional investing, and overcoming the belief that “I don’t have enough money to start.” This episode is an honest, empowering conversation for academics navigating career uncertainty, financial anxiety, or the tension between intellectual passion and financial goals. If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/. Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

  7. May 7

    Changing How You Think About Money: A Framework and Book Recs for Academics

    Send us Fan Mail “Most academics don't actually have a money problem. they either have a system problem, a behavioral problem, or a burnout problem.” In this episode of Academics and Their Money, Inga Timmerman and Neeka Miremadi break down a curated set of personal finance ideas designed specifically for academics who are financially stable but still feel like something is missing. Rather than focusing on earning more or optimizing investments, the conversation centers on how money behavior, psychology, and life design shape financial well being. They introduce a three part framework for thinking about money: building simple systems that reduce friction, learning how to actually use money in alignment with personal values, and preparing intentionally for retirement or major life transitions. The first section explores how automation and simplicity outperform constant financial optimization. The core takeaway is that most people benefit more from “good enough” systems than from complex, manually managed financial setups. Automating savings, investing, and bills reduces cognitive load and helps ensure consistency over perfection. The second section shifts into spending and value alignment. The conversation challenges the idea of endless saving and highlights the importance of using money to reduce stress, increase freedom, and build meaningful experiences while you are able to enjoy them. It also emphasizes that spending should reflect personal values, not social comparison or inherited habits. The final section focuses on retirement and identity. Retirement is reframed as a lifestyle transition rather than a financial milestone, with emphasis on what life looks like after work ends. The discussion also explores how subconscious beliefs about money, often formed early in life, shape long term financial behavior and can either support or limit financial wellbeing. They close by reinforcing that financial success is not just about accumulating wealth, but about having a system, understanding your behavior, and intentionally spending on what actually matters while maintaining the energy and clarity to enjoy it. Books mentioned as part of our framework: I Will Teach You to Be Rich — Ramit Sethi (with a grain of salt…not an endorsement of the author!) The Psychology of Money — Morgan Housel The Art of Spending Money — Morgan Housel Die With Zero — Bill Perkins How to Retire — Christine Benz Mind Over Money — Brad Klontz and Ted Klontz + The Money Script Quiz Inga mentioned: https://www.bradklontz.com/moneyscriptstest “Extra Credit” book: Unraveling Faculty Burnout — Rebecca Pope-Ruark + We also interviewed Rebecca! Here’s the link to her amazing episode: https://attainablewealthfp.com/academia-wont-love-you-back-rebecca-pope-ruark-on-money-burnout-and-balance/ If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/. Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

  8. Apr 23

    “You Should Be So Lucky” The Lie Academia Tells About Money (When It’s Really a Business) with Philippe Barr

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when you follow your academic dream… without thinking about the financial reality? In this episode, Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman sit down with former professor turned entrepreneur Philippe Barr to unpack the hidden financial truths of pursuing a PhD and building a career in academia. Philippe shares his journey from studying literature in Montreal to earning his PhD at NYU and landing a tenure-track role at UNC Chapel Hill, only to realize that academia wasn’t what he expected. From toxic department dynamics to a complete lack of financial education, his experience highlights a major gap in how academics are trained for real-world decision making. One of the biggest takeaways? Academia often discourages conversations about money, leaving many PhDs underprepared to negotiate salaries, evaluate opportunities, or even understand their own market value. Philippe opens up about: The financial stress of pursuing a PhD in an expensive cityWhy academics are rarely taught to think about money or career ROIHow he unknowingly lowballed his own salary offerThe myth that academia is purely “vocational” and not a businessWhy adopting an entrepreneurial mindset can change everythingAfter leaving academia, Philippe leveraged his experience to build The Admit Lab, where he now helps PhD applicants and students navigate admissions, program selection, and career strategy, both inside and outside academia. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone considering a PhD, currently in one, or advising students, especially if you want to avoid costly mistakes and make more informed, empowered decisions. At its core, this episode is about awareness, ownership, and understanding that passion and practicality are not mutually exclusive. _________________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Philippe Barr is a former professor and graduate admissions committee member who now runs The Admit Lab, a graduate admissions consulting firm focused on helping applicants gain admission to top PhD, master’s, and MBA programs. His work emphasizes how admissions committees actually evaluate candidates, with a focus on reducing risk, demonstrating fit, and building compelling application narratives. He shares practical insights and strategy on his YouTube channel, where he breaks down graduate admissions with a clear, insider perspective: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAdmitLab Learn more about his work and services here: https://admit-lab.com/ If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at  https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/. Any product or financial recommendations provided by Academics and Their Money, Inga, or Neeka are made solely in the author’s opinion and do not constitute professional financial or legal advice. All content is for educational purposes only.

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About

Ever feel like you’ve got a PhD in your field but only a 101-level understanding of your finances? Welcome to Academics and Their Money, the podcast where we make money talk as smart—and as entertaining—as you are. Because let’s be honest: knowledge is powerful, but a well-earned paycheck doesn’t hurt either. Whether you’re a fresh PhD navigating that first real paycheck, a tenured professor pondering what’s next, or a former academic with some ‘unique’ insights—this show dives into making your intellect work for you, tackling the financial quirks of academic life, and uncovering the untold money stories behind the ivory tower.If you’re a fan of Planet Money, Freakonomics Radio, or HerMoney with Jean Chatzky, you’ll feel right at home here. But fair warning: this isn’t another boring money podcast. We keep it real, relatable, and just a bit irreverent to make finance feel fresh. Let’s get smarter about money—and wealthier—together!

Information

  • Creator
    Inga & Neeka
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Academics and Their Money
  • Show Website
    Academics and Their Money

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