An Interview With Evan From My Journey to Millions

Evan from My Journey To Millions has been nice enough to let me interview him regarding his experiences with blogging and his thoughts on a few financial topics.

Evan is an Attorney who blogs about his own financial journey and things he’s learned along the way. He’s been a personal finance blogger for 18 months and has some great insight to share. Check out the interview below and after you’re done, check out his site!

How did you start blogging, and how did you choose this niche?
I have been reading personal finance blogs for years, and one day it hit
me, why can’t/shouldn’t I write one.

I started blogging in Aug of 2008. I can’t believe I have been doing
anything for 18 months nevertheless writing. I chose this niche because
the topic consumes me on a daily basis, almost to a fault. Everyday I am
working on other people’s finances and estates, so why not talk about what
I am learning? More importantly it’s a way to keep up with how I am growing.

How have you motivated yourself to continue to blog?
I don’t burn myself out. I don’t have a crazy belief that this blog will
ever take over my 9 to 5 job, so if I am burned out from the day at work,
or I have a big work day the following day…I just don’t write.

How has the PF blogosphere changed since you started?
I am not sure I have been around long enough to say what has changed since
I started. I think what shocks me the most is how many great blogs came
and went.

Where do you see your blog headed in the future?
2 Words: Movie Deal. Seriously, I don’t really have a plan. I write on
there because I enjoy it. As the name indicates my true hope is that the
blog follows My Journey.

If you had to choose the most informative financial site on the web, what
would it be?
Dinkytown.com – over 300 Financial Calculators. It makes all
the things we PF Bloggers talk about REAL.

Besides blogging, what other hobbies do you like?
Just started racquetball about a year ago. I am still under 30 with no
kids, so am I allowed to say Beer is a hobby? I enjoy an array of things
such as my buddy’s boat, bad television, my family, but nothing I would
consider a hobby.

Have you ever scuba dove with sharks? If not, would you like to?
Never scuba dove nevertheless with sharks, and I have no interest in ever
seeing a shark underwater. Funny story since I have people’s attention –
went snorkeling with The Wife (she was The Girlfriend at the time) in
Mexico. I turn and saw a barracuda, and hauled ass. By the time I stopped
swimming I had left my wife next to the fish and was about 100 yards away.

If you could travel to one place in the world, where would it be and why?
If asked 18 months ago I would have said Greece (where my family is from),
but I went there on my honeymoon. So if given a chance, I would have to
choose Australia or Japan.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Do you
still have interest in that?
As long as I could remember I wanted to be an Attorney, and I am one today,
so yes I still have an interest in it. If we are going to get deeper than
that I can see myself one day owning my own firm, maybe with a partner or
two.

Have you ever made easy money or got rich quick?
I recently won $1,000, but other than that not really that I can remember.

At what age would you like to retire and what do you think of retirement?
Unlike most PF Bloggers, I don’t see myself ever really retiring. I run a
website in my *free* time! I enjoy doing STUFF, and the thought of having
nothing to do makes me get antsy already. That being said I want to not
have to worry about having a “job” within a decade or so.

What’s your definition of financial freedom?
Building off the previous question, I see financial freedom as not having
worry about having a job. It is the ability, nay power, to tell any client
or boss…I don’t need you.

What’s the 1 best piece of advice you’ve ever heard or gave about finance?
That is easy! Spend less than you earn. Everything else works itself out.

Have you had any experiences, other than blogging, with starting up
businesses? If so, how’d they go and what’d you learn along the way?
Beyond the buying and selling on ebay…Nope. But I hope to change that.

If you had $1 million to donate to charity how would you go about
determining who to give it to?
I would want to build that $1,000,000 into something MORE, and I think that
differs me from most other PF Bloggers; maybe create a CRAT, CLAT, CRUT or
Insurance based leverage tool!
Find more info here (pdf)

Any advice for Planting Dollars and other new bloggers in the PF arena?
I have watched a lot and I mean A LOT of much better bloggers than myself
just get burned out. Take it slow and have fun!

Thanks again to Evan for taking the time to answer my questions. If you’d like to learn more about him and his site head on over to Myjourneytomillions.com.