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The news is loud, the headlines are heavy, and our phones make sure we never miss a thing. Steve and Jess sit down to talk about what all of that does to your head and your money, and what you can actually do about it.

Steve opens with a particularly committed Diagnose Steve performance (lying awake at 3am, watching markets fall, wondering whether to sell everything) and Jess walks him back from the ledge.

In this episode:

• Why your brain reacts to a push notification like it's a real threat
• How the news, your phone, and the algorithm feed each other
• The difference between reacting and responding, and why it matters for your investments
• A simple way to think about what is and isn't in your control
• Practical ways to take the volume down: phone out of the bedroom, news on a timer, daily anchors that ground you
• A book recommendation from Jess that's worth your time

Plus the usual: an ongoing campaign for KitKat sponsorship, a cameo from Bargain Hunt, and Kenny the happy little horse.

If you enjoyed Episode 37 with George Kinder on living in the present, this one builds on the same idea.

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In this episode, Steve sits down with George Kinder, known to most as the father of life planning.

George has spent the last thirty years teaching advisers a very simple idea: that a financial plan is only useful if it delivers the client into the life they actually want to live. His famous three questions are designed to surface exactly that, and Steve and George walk through all three on the episode.

They also talk about George's new venture, The Moules, which he recently moved to London to launch. The premise is that most businesses are running at a fraction of their potential because of three productivity gaps hiding in plain sight, and George explains what those are and how to close them.

From there the conversation moves into his new book The Three Domains of Freedom, why listening is a faster form of intelligence than thinking, and how meditation fits into all of it.

A conversation about money, meaning, and what freedom actually feels like.

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Steve sits down with Greg Davies, Head of Behavioural Finance at Oxford Risk, for one of the most practically useful conversations the show has had.

Greg has spent 25 years studying how people actually make financial decisions, and the gap between that and how economists assume they do.

They get into what financial wellbeing really means, why someone can be objectively wealthy and still live in a state of constant financial anxiety, and what advisors and clients can do about it.

Greg explains the difference between financial liquidity and emotional liquidity, and why most people who sell at the bottom of a market drop do so for emotional reasons, not financial ones.

The episode also covers the obsession with portfolio optimisation and why chasing the perfect allocation often leaves people more exposed, not less. Greg walks through Oxford Risk's 10 financial personality types, the difference between risk tolerance and risk capacity, and why leaning too heavily on one number has caused real harm in financial advice.

Towards the end, Greg shares his own Investor Constitution, the personal rules he follows to take decisions away from himself in high-pressure moments. Including one that stops him from making any investment moves during the week.

If you work with clients, manage your own money, or struggle to stick with long-term plans when things get uncomfortable, this episode is worth your time.

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You might be sabotaging your finances and have no idea why.

Steve sits down with Vicky Reynal, money psychotherapist and Sunday Times columnist, to explore the emotional forces underneath our financial habits: the childhood money lessons that follow us into adulthood, the fear of spending even when we can afford it, and what happens when two people with very different money histories share a household.

This one is for anyone who has ever felt anxious, guilty, or just stuck around money, regardless of how much they have.

In the episode, Steve and Vicky walk through several chapters of her book, Money on Your Mind: The Psychology Behind Your Financial Habits, unpacking why we behave the way we do with money and what we can actually do about it.

Your relationship with money started long before your first paycheck. This episode is a good place to start understanding it.

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In this episode, Steve is joined by Ian Archbold – chartered management accountant, global reward director at Haleon, and (as it turns out) a quietly devoted listener of the show.

Despite knowing his way around a pension spreadsheet better than most, Ian still made the decision to work with a financial advisor. In this episode, he explains why.

What we get into:

- Ian's unexpected career pivot from finance into the world of "reward" — and why he finds it genuinely fascinating.

- Why being good at earning money and being good at managing it are two very different things.

- The moment Ian spotted an investment opportunity during COVID – and why, when it came to it, he didn't act on it.

- The advice that led him to sell his Diageo shares, and why he's glad he did.

- Why Ian decided he wanted someone else handling his finances: time, focus, and the sense that things could be better.

- What he's genuinely looking forward to in retirement – and what concerns him most about leaving a job he actually enjoys.

- A broader conversation about money, happiness, and what financial wellbeing looks like across different stages of life.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review.

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We like to believe we make rational financial decisions.

In reality, our choices are shaped by shortcuts, emotions, and invisible mental biases we rarely notice.

In this episode, behavioural scientist Richard Shotton joins us to explore how the mind really works when money is involved — and why understanding these patterns may be more valuable than any investment tip.

We discuss why people misjudge their own financial abilities, why future goals struggle to compete with present comfort, and how small psychological triggers can influence big decisions. Along the way, we explore the gap between intention and action, the power of social influence, and why proof often persuades more than promises.

This conversation isn’t about blaming human behaviour. It’s about understanding it. Because once you see the patterns, you begin to notice them everywhere.

Richard's Website: https://www.richardshotton.com

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In this episode of Juggling Mind and Money, Steve and Jess explore Executive Burnout — how it develops, why high performers are particularly vulnerable, and the often-overlooked connection between pressure, identity and financial expectations.

They unpack the subtle progression from being productively “stretched” to chronically “stressed”, and what happens when that line is crossed.

This is an honest and practical conversation for leaders, founders and ambitious professionals.

In This Episode, They Discuss:

• The psychological distinction between being stretched and being stressed
• The warning signs that productivity is starting to decline
• What burnout actually looks like — physically and mentally
• Why executives often wear a “capable mask”
• The isolation that can come with being at the top
• The role of lifestyle pressure and the so-called hedonistic treadmill
• How financial commitments can quietly increase stress
• The impact of technology and constant availability
• Why boundaries and “managing up” matter more than ever
• The importance of recognising your own stress markers early
• Practical principles that help protect long-term performance

Executive burnout rarely happens overnight. It builds gradually — often disguised as ambition, responsibility or drive.

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In this episode of Juggling Mind and Money, Steve sits down with Laurentius van den Worm, Head of Investment Strategy at Timeline Portfolios, for a candid conversation about how sensible portfolios are built, why markets test people’s patience, and what to do when your instincts start shouting louder than your plan.

Rather than chasing predictions, they focus on process: why a rules-based approach exists in the first place, how “factors” like value and smaller companies fit into long-term investing, and why the hardest part of financial planning often has nothing to do with spreadsheets and everything to do with human behaviour. 

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What you’ll take away

• A plain-English explanation of value investing (using a simple property analogy you won’t forget). 

• Why some portfolios deliberately tilt towards smaller and cheaper companies, and how profitability can help avoid obvious traps. 

• The real-world issue with momentum strategies: why they can look brilliant on paper… and messy in practice. 

• A clear discussion on the “Magnificent Seven”: why they’ve dominated headlines, what concentration risk actually means, and why extreme reactions (either way) can be costly. 

• A practical, planner-friendly way to handle clients who want to sell out and “buy back in later” when markets feel nervy. 

• How currency moves can change what UK investors experience, and why currency risk is treated differently across growth assets vs defensive assets.

If you want a clearer, more grounded way to think about portfolio construction, market leadership, and investor behaviour, this episode is well worth your time. Watch or listen now, and if you find it useful, subscribe/follow so you do not miss the next one.