Decoding Wealth: Built on the Side

De Echols
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Weekly

My Peeps — this show is for you. Decoding Wealth: Built on the Side is a podcast for anyone building something real on the side of a demanding career. Host De Echols lives it: by day he runs ops for a trucking company; on the side, real estate. The FRESH Method — five pillars for building wealth. Go deeper: Free FRESH Score + DCW App: decodingwealth.net YT: @DeCodingWealth-fh5rz IG: @de.coding.wealth FB: facebook.com/DecodingW Work with De: de@decodingwealth.net For W-2 workers — truck drivers, veterans, and blue-collar families — building wealth on the side, one honest receipt at a time.

  1. 5d ago

    Ep17: Cool, Not Close (The Relationship Pillar)

    Episode 17: Cool, Not Close (The Relationship Pillar) Decoding Wealth: Built on the Side Not every relationship needs to be restored to what it once was for you to find peace. In this episode, De shares two real-life stories — one from his Desert Storm deployment and another from a personal relationship — about letting go of old tension, choosing respect, and understanding that making peace doesn't always mean becoming close again. The Episode's Receipt During Desert Storm, De was on forward watch aboard a Navy ship when small boats began approaching fast. Another sailor — topside with a Stinger kit, someone De had a difficult history with — warned him over the radio, giving him time to take cover. After deterrent actions turned the boats away, De went up to him after watch and thanked him for looking out. That conversation is where they agreed to let it go and move forward. Years later, another relationship taught De a related lesson: two people can talk, acknowledge what happened, agree to let things go, and move forward without rebuilding the closeness they once shared. The takeaway: You can forgive without forgetting. You can show respect without rebuilding a relationship. And you can choose peace without giving someone the same access to your life. That's Relationship Wealth. And that's what we're decoding today. Disclaimer: De shares lived experience, not professional advice — no degree or certifications in finance, counseling, or ministry. If something in this episode stirs something bigger than a podcast can hold, seek a pastor, counselor, or therapist. Continue the Conversation With Coach Rhea Working through a difficult relationship, setting boundaries, or learning how to move forward? Visit Coach Rhea, the Relationship pillar coach inside the Decoding Wealth app, for guidance and reflection. https://app.decodingwealth.net/AICoach?from=quiz&pillar=relationship Enjoying the Show? Rate & Review! If this episode connected with you, take a moment to rate and review Decoding Wealth: Built on the Side. Your feedback helps other people discover the show and join the conversation about building real wealth across all five pillars. What's Your FRESH Score? Wealth is more than money. Discover where you stand across the Financial, Relationship, Emotional, Spiritual, and Health pillars. Take the FRESH Score quiz: https://decodingwealth.net/quiz Listen Anywhere Catch every episode of Decoding Wealth: Built on the Side on your favorite listening platform. https://listen.decodingwealth.net Call Me D — Your Voice Matters Got a story about forgiveness, boundaries, or choosing peace? Maybe you've learned that being cool with somebody doesn't mean you have to be close. De wants to hear from you! Leave a voice message and share your experience. Your story could help someone else see their situation differently. Leave your message: https://callme.decodingwealth.net Follow the Show on Spotify Listen, follow, and stay connected for new episodes of Decoding Wealth: Built on the Side. https://open.spotify.com/show/77vUr0GxPAk5BCczsoRoKg

    Ep17: Cool, Not Close (The Relationship Pillar)

  2. Oct 27

    Ep16: I Still Paid for My Own Dinner (The Spiritual Pillar)

    I was behind on bills with kids to feed when a driver dropped a couple hundred dollars right in front of me. The Spiritual pillar: integrity is what you do when nobody's watching. De brings the receipt — the found money, the moment that tested him, and what doing the right thing cost.If this episode stirred something, rate the show on Spotify — it helps more people find it.🎧 More episodes: https://open.spotify.com/show/77vUr0GxPAk5BCczsoRoKg📝 Free FRESH Score quiz: https://decodingwealth.net/quiz?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep16📞 Leave De a voicemail: https://callme.decodingwealth.net🤝 Meet your coach in the Decoding Wealth app: https://app.decodingwealth.net/AICoach?from=quiz&pillar=spiritualDisclaimer: De shares lived experience, not professional advice — no degree or certifications in finance, counseling, or ministry. If something in this episode stirs something bigger than a podcast can hold, seek a pastor, counselor, or therapist.

    Ep16: I Still Paid for My Own Dinner (The Spiritual Pillar)

  3. Oct 20

    Ep15: Empathy Got the Best of Me (The Emotional Pillar)

    For three months, I kept giving somebody another chance — and my team paid for it. The Emotional pillar: when empathy delays the hard conversation, who covers the cost? De brings the receipt — a terminal-manager story, the real price of waiting, and the framework that changed how he handles it.🎧 More episodes: https://open.spotify.com/show/77vUr0GxPAk5BCczsoRoKg📝 Free FRESH Score quiz: https://decodingwealth.net/quiz?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep15📞 Leave De a voicemail: https://callme.decodingwealth.netDisclaimer: De shares lived experience, not professional advice — no degree or certifications in finance, counseling, or ministry. If something in this episode stirs something bigger than a podcast can hold, seek a pastor, counselor, or therapist.Meet your coach in the Decoding Wealth app: https://app.decodingwealth.net/AICoach?from=quiz&pillar=emotionalIf this episode stirred something, rate the show on Spotify — it helps more people find it.

    Ep15: Empathy Got the Best of Me (The Emotional Pillar)

  4. Oct 13

    Ep14: The Upgrade Set the Tone (The Relationship Pillar)

    In 2024, De took his family on a cruise — and upgraded to a corner suite nobody asked for. He called it treating his family. The truth: he was treating himself and acting like a big shot. That one upgrade set the tone for overspending the whole trip, and it took his family driving home for him to see they never cared about the room. They wanted time together. In this Relationship x Financial episode: why the first spend works like a thermostat, how to tell who a purchase is really for, and three moves before your next trip. Plus this week's Season 3 follow-through. Free FRESH Score quiz: https://decodingwealth.net/quiz?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ep14Disclaimer: De shares lived experience, not professional advice — no degree or certifications in finance, counseling, or ministry. If something in this episode stirs something bigger than a podcast can hold, seek a pastor, counselor, or therapist.Meet your coach in the Decoding Wealth app: https://app.decodingwealth.net/AICoach?from=quiz&pillar=financialIf this episode stirred something, rate the show on Spotify — it helps more people find it.

    Ep14: The Upgrade Set the Tone (The Relationship Pillar)

  5. Oct 6

    Ep 13: I Didn't Count It (The Health Pillar)

    Last episode, De said his exercise wasn't consistent, with a treadmill sitting right there in the room. Turns out he was already walking on it at his desk almost every workday. He just didn't count it. Season 3 is the follow-through, and it opens with a receipt and a correction. Vegetables, fruit, less fast food, one to two hours of walking while he works. And he's starting to feel it: losing weight, more energy. For anyone building on the side of a job that takes everything: stop undercounting what doesn't look the part, and build health into the hours you already have. The rule: an audit that won't allow an honest win isn't an audit either. In this episode: The receipt: food first. More vegetables and fruit, less fast food, less eating outThe desk treadmill he didn't count, because to him exercise meant running and a good sweatWhy most of us treat health like a second job we never have time to apply forPutting the move where you already are: the desk, the truck, the kitchen, the drive inOptimizing your day isn't the same as never stopping. Step away, breathe, then come backWhy "almost every day" beats a perfect week you never startYour challenge this week: Count what you're already doing. Put one move inside a place you already are, and count it honestly for seven days. Then tell De what you counted → callme.decodingwealth.net Resources: Talk to Ace (Health) in the DCW app → decodingwealth.net. If the hard part is how you see yourself, that's Emery (Emotional)Audio Library in the app: past sessions from all five coaches, filterable by pillarFree FRESH Score quiz → decodingwealth.net/quizLeave De a voicemail → callme.decodingwealth.netListen anywhere → listen.decodingwealth.netContact: de@decodingwealth.net Disclaimer: De isn't a doctor, a dietitian or a trainer. No degree, no certification, no letters behind his name. What he's got is his life, shared honestly. Nothing in this episode is medical, nutrition or fitness advice. Talk to your doctor before you change how you move or how you eat. And if today's episode brings up something you're struggling to carry on your own, please talk to a licensed counselor or a therapist. Getting help is strength, not weakness. Keywords: FRESH Method, health pillar, desk treadmill, walking while working, eating better, weight loss, follow-through, Season 3, W-2 and a side hustle, building on the side, Decoding Wealth

  6. Sep 22

    Ep 12: Five Questions I Can't Lie To (The Season 2 Finale)

    De closes Season 2 by running his own numbers out loud — five questions, one per FRESH pillar, answered honestly on the record before he asks you a thing. A few are in a solid place. One still gets away from him. And one is only half moving — the food is improving, the exercise isn't consistent, with a treadmill sitting right there in the room. "I've always worked hard. That's not a flex. That's a confession." The rule: an audit that won't allow an honest failure isn't an audit. Plus three Peeps wrote in and every one picked a different pillar — and De settles a promise he made on air in Atlanta that he didn't hit. In this episode: Financial: budgeting everything, personal and businessRelationship: a solid corner, and taking care of each otherEmotional: where empathy gets the best of himSpiritual: integrity when nobody's watchingHealth: the food is better, the exercise isn't, and the treadmill is right thereThree listener messages, three different pillarsThe Ep 7 promise of four guests by December, and the honest reset: two, in November and DecemberYour challenge this week: Answer your own five questions, one per pillar, honestly, before anybody else asks. Then tell De what you found → callme.decodingwealth.net Resources: Talk to the coach for your weakest pillar in the DCW app → decodingwealth.net: Finn (Financial) · Rhea (Relationship) · Emery (Emotional) · Sol (Spiritual) · Ace (Health)Audio Library in the app: past sessions from all five coaches, filterable by pillarFree FRESH Score quiz → decodingwealth.net/quizLeave De a voicemail → callme.decodingwealth.netListen anywhere → listen.decodingwealth.netIf Season 2 meant something to you, a follow and a rating on Spotify or Apple Podcasts helps the next Peep find it.Contact: de@decodingwealth.net Disclaimer: De isn't professionally trained in any of this. No degree, no certification, no letters behind his name. What he's got is his life, shared honestly. Nothing in this episode is financial, medical or mental-health advice. If today's episode brings up something you're struggling to carry on your own, please talk to a licensed counselor or a therapist. Getting help is strength, not weakness. Keywords: FRESH Method, five pillars of wealth, self-audit, personal budget, integrity, empathy, exercise consistency, season finale, W-2 and a side hustle, building on the side, Decoding Wealth

  7. Sep 15

    Ep 11: Call Me De Directly (The Emotional Pillar)

    In 2016, for National Driver Appreciation Week, De threw a party for truck drivers and brought in a DJ from a big Maine radio station. The DJ broadcast live from the event and asked, on air, if people could just call him. De answered without thinking: "Yeah — call me De Directly." That sentence became radio, then TV, then a brand. It also changed something with the people closest to him. In front of others, they were proud. Alone with him, it was a joke — and he still doesn't know if it was friendly. It hurt a little. A little, every time, for years, adds up to something. Emotional × Relationship. In this episode: How one unscripted answer on live radio became a name, a campaign and a brandPublic applause, private jokes, and never being able to tell which one was realWhy comments from strangers slid off, and a joke from someone close didn't. Words weigh who said them.When you can't tell what somebody meant, you fill the gap yourself, usually with the worst readingWhat they did was information about the relationship. What you believed about yourself was a decision.The driver who called: the campaign was the door, the relationship is the houseYour challenge this week: Put your name on one thing, and decide your number before you do it. Know someone sitting on something they haven't put their name on yet? Send them this one. Resources: Talk to Emery (Emotional) or Rhea (Relationship) in the DCW app → decodingwealth.netAudio Library in the app: past sessions from all five coaches, filterable by pillarFree FRESH Score quiz → decodingwealth.net/quizListen anywhere → listen.decodingwealth.netIf this one landed, a follow and a rating on Spotify or Apple Podcasts helps the next Peep find it.Contact: de@decodingwealth.net Disclaimer: De isn't professionally trained in any of this. No degree, no certification, no letters behind his name. What he's got is his life, shared honestly. If today's episode brings up something you're struggling to carry on your own, please talk to a licensed counselor or a therapist. Getting help is strength, not weakness. Nobody in this story is identified. Keywords: National Driver Appreciation Week, trucking recruiter, Call Me De Directly, personal brand, public praise and private jokes, self-doubt, emotional wealth, relationships, blue collar leadership, building on the side, FRESH Method, Decoding Wealth

  8. Sep 8

    Ep 10: The Room You're Not In (The Relationship Pillar)

    De Echols makes tough calls every day. Most of them he's fine with. Some of them follow him home — and it took him years to figure out what those ones have in common. Running a hundred-driver terminal in South Carolina, De had to let somebody go. The business case was right — he says so plainly, and he'd make the same call today. He just didn't fully agree with it. And he stood behind it anyway, without ever telling his team there was a gap. This is a Relationship × Spiritual episode about the rooms nobody sees you in, why the ache is evidence rather than weakness, and where you're supposed to put the part you're not allowed to leak. In this episode: The three rooms every leader operates in — and why only one of them has witnesses Why "for the record, this wasn't my call" is the most tempting sentence in leadership, and what it actually costs you Agreement is not alignment — the distinction that separates integrity from obedience Up, down, or sideways: the only thing that matters about where your disagreement goes The real variable in which decisions follow you home — and why the day it stops bothering you is the day to worry Why "did I make the right decision?" is the wrong question, and the one that replaces it The FRESH Check on carried weight — and the Health bill that comes due Your challenge this week: Name your load out loud to one person who isn't affected by it. Resources: The FRESH Method assessment + the DCW app → decodingwealth.net Talk to Rhea (Relationship) or Sol (Spiritual) in the app Contact: de@decodingwealth.net Disclaimer: De is not a licensed professional. This show is lived experience shared honestly. If today's episode stirs up something bigger than you can carry alone, please seek professional counseling. Keywords: leadership pressure, hard decisions at work, letting someone go, middle management, leading a team, integrity at work, faith and leadership, blue collar leadership, trucking operations, building a business on the side, FRESH Method, Decoding Wealth

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My Peeps — this show is for you. Decoding Wealth: Built on the Side is a podcast for anyone building something real on the side of a demanding career. Host De Echols lives it: by day he runs ops for a trucking company; on the side, real estate. The FRESH Method — five pillars for building wealth. Go deeper: Free FRESH Score + DCW App: decodingwealth.net YT: @DeCodingWealth-fh5rz IG: @de.coding.wealth FB: facebook.com/DecodingW Work with De: de@decodingwealth.net For W-2 workers — truck drivers, veterans, and blue-collar families — building wealth on the side, one honest receipt at a time.

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