In this powerful episode of Yahweh’s Money, I sat down with my daughter, Alana Cook, for a candid Gen X vs. Gen Z conversation about faith, finances, and finding your own path.
Together, we explored how different generations approach money, the church, and what it really means to walk in financial freedom while staying spiritually grounded.
Here are a few key takeaways from our discussion:
Faith and Finances Are Deeply Personal
While older generations often tied financial decisions to church traditions like tithing, Gen Z is questioning religious institutions and redefining what it means to honor God with their money.
Financial Literacy for Gen Z Starts at Home
From budgeting to building confidence in spending, teaching our children early builds a solid foundation. Even small habits—like grocery shopping lessons—can shape a lifelong money mindset.
Wealth Gaps Call for New Strategies
With rising costs and limited job opportunities, Gen Z is navigating a very different economic reality. Together, we talked about how faith, resilience, and adaptability are key to creating generational wealth in a broken system.
If you’re parenting a young adult or are one yourself, this episode offers practical insights and biblical money principles for building financial independence and spiritual strength.
Let’s keep having the hard, holy conversations—across generations.
Episode Resource:
💸⛪🕍📿💵
Our podcast is proudly sponsored by Crusaders for Change, LLC (C4C) and hosted by our CEO and Founder, Mrs. Shay Cook. At C4C, we provide customized corporate financial wellness programs for businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Our services are tailored to create happier, healthier, and more productive work environments. We also empower individuals and couples to overcome debt, improve their credit, boost savings, and more. Ready to learn more about how C4C can impact your life? Contact us today at https://www.crusaders4change.org/!
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Music by: Lamonte Silver - Owner of essentialmusicclub.com | Previously by ROA - roa-music.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Alana Cook (00:02):
like.
I don't think financialindependence has changed.
I think everyone wants that,especially because everyone has
access to it now, because in thepast women couldn't even like
open their own credit card.
Everyone wants money, you know,because at the end of the day,
like at the end of the day, Idon't care about money, but at
the end of the day I'm stillgoing to work because I need
money.
You know what I'm saying.
(00:22):
So it's like money is important.
Shay Cook (00:31):
We all realize that money is important, whether we
like it or not, and so I thinkthat hasn't changed.
Ever felt those awkward vibeswhen religion and money come up?
You're not alone.
Welcome to Yahweh's Money, thepodcast where we tackle the
crossroads of faith and finance.
I'm Shay Cook, an accreditedfinancial counselor and the CEO
and founder of Crusaders forChange LLC.
Join us on our journey as wediscuss topics like tithing,
(00:54):
saving and conquering debtthrough religious perspectives.
Let's get started.
Hey everyone, welcome back toanother episode of Yahweh's
Money, again season four.
Thank you for joining us onthis ride, this amazing podcast
that God gave into our heartsand minds and spirits.
(01:14):
But today we are talking aboutguiding children in faith and
finances a Generation X andGeneration Z conversation.
I will be introducing ouramazing guests momentarily.
But how do differentgenerations actually think about
God and money?
I know I have this conversationa lot with people because I am
(01:35):
the Generation X-er.
If you didn't know, I'm not theZ-er on this call or this
episode.
But let's have a real,unfiltered conversation about
faith, financial freedom anddoing things differently while
still respecting the wisdompassed down to us.
So our main scripture for todaycomes from Proverbs 22, 6.
Train up a child in the way heor she should go, and he or she
(01:59):
is old.
He or she will not depart fromit.
I know a lot of us heard thatscripture, but it's all
important, whether you serve aGod or not, you're religious or
not, to train up your childBecause what they're going to
follow that way.
So our special guest for todayis none other than Alana
Dominique Cook.
I gave her a whole governmentname.
(02:20):
Lord forgive me.
Hopefully she's not mad at meabout that, but this is my
daughter, my pride and joy, myfavorite girl in the whole wide
world.
She is 24, going on 25.
She is a recent grad in thelast two years from University
of Maryland, baltimore County.
She majored in environmentalscience and policy.
I'm sure I messed it up.
(02:41):
She'll tell you more in minorthan music.
She has played the flute formost of her life.
She's amazing all the wayaround.
We my husband, who was on ourlast episode, nathaniel Nate
Cook are just so proud of thischild, of this adult woman.
So welcome, alana Cook.
Hi how you doing baby.
Alana Cook (03:00):
I'm okay.
Shay Cook (03:01):
You're okay, you, I'm okay.
You're like, okay, how'd.
Alana Cook (03:05):
I do with your introduction.
I guess it was okay.
Shay Cook (03:08):
I mean you want to explain anymore and like give
the right what degree youactually got from the University
of Maryland?
I mean you're right.
Alana Cook (03:13):
It is environmental science and policy.
Yeah.
Okay, okay, it's a loosedescription of the degree.
Shay Cook (03:20):
Yeah, and what are you trying to do with that?
I'm trying to work.
Alana Cook (03:26):
I want to do poverty alleviation for urban
communities.
Shay Cook (03:34):
Yeah, which is very noble of you and we need that.
So a lot of the environmentalfactors affect everybody, but it
seems to be even more increasedin those low-income,
underserved populations.
Yes, awesome.
Well, I'm super proud of youand thank you for joining us.
Alana Cook (03:49):
Wisdom inherits.
Hit the rapid fire.
Questions Say what's on yourspirit.
Shay Cook (04:10):
So, as you know, or those that are listening, or
maybe those new to our show,this podcast we introduced in
the last few episodes our quickfire questions.
We're in three to five minutes.
We just quickly fire somequestions at our guests and see
what comes up, and we're notgoing to get stuck on it.
But here we go, you ready.
Alana Cook (04:29):
Sure.
Shay Cook (04:30):
All right.
What's a money lesson?
Your parents taught you thatactually stuck.
Alana Cook (04:36):
Money is a tool.
Shay Cook (04:38):
That's what daddy says, yeah, he does and it's not
just like.
Alana Cook (04:42):
I guess it's not the main thing and it just you use
it to get to the things you wantit to get to Exactly.
Shay Cook (04:48):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I have to teach that a lot.
When our clients do Crusadersfor Change, a lot of people they
let it influence their life inways that is crazy, but of
course that's what they've seen.
But, yeah, it just does a lotof damage or it can do good, but
a lot of times it's damaged.
That's why they come see us bythat time.
But just teaching them thatit's a tool to help them get to
where they want to be in life.
(05:09):
But there's obviously more tolife than just money, right?
Yes, all right.
So what's something you'vechosen to do your way when it
comes to faith and finances?
Alana Cook (05:20):
That's a good question.
I don't really pray for moneyexactly when I do pray, but I'll
pray for like an opportunity.
I think that makes more sense.
Yeah, a job.
(05:40):
I feel like I was reallyworried about spending money all
the time, but now I know moneyit'll come back, so it doesn't
go away.
So it's not bad to spend moneyon things that you like.
Shay Cook (05:58):
Yeah, that's good.
Yeah, I know.
For a while there you were like, oh, I don't want to spend
money, and I know sometimes westill feel that way.
You still feel that way.
But you get to learn that youdeserve to treat yourself right.
As long as you're doing certainthings like saving, paying your
bills on time, putting moneyaway for you know, like I said,
savings, but also just payingfor your necessities, then you
should be able to treat yourselfand you should put that in your
budget.
So, all right.
(06:18):
Last question what doesgenerosity or generosity look
like to you?
Alana Cook (06:26):
It's just being selfless, isn't it?
I know I'm an only child and Iknow a lot of only children
don't know how to share andstuff, but I feel like I'm the
type of person who would give,like, the clothes off of my back
for someone who wants something, like I've always shared food
or I try my best to help otherpeople, because it's not just
about me, exactly, yeah.
Shay Cook (06:49):
Oh, look, we might have done something right with
you and your daddy and I huh, Ilove that.
All right.
Well, thank you forparticipating.
That's probably the quickestfire question we ever had
segment, but I'll add to thatbefore we wrap up that
generosity, exactly Like yousaid looks like to me, is
helping others more than helpingmyself.
Sometimes I help people morethan I should, especially when
it comes to family and friends,but just being generous and kind
(07:11):
and loving, and just you know,like you said, if you have to,
I'll give you my coat becauseyou need it, because I'll figure
out how to get another onelater.
So great job, alana.
All right, let's move into ourmain discussions.
You know parenting and faithformation.
How do your parents show whatfaith and money looked like
growing up, but also giving youthe space to figure out your own
beliefs?
I know we had you in churchhere and there, off and on.
(07:32):
We weren't like that superreligious family.
But I know, throughout yourcourse of growing up, the first
18 years from primary years, ofhaving you grow up, teaching you
that you know we serve acertain God, but also that I
serve a certain God.
But I want you to learn to findyour way.
How did that faith and moneylook like growing up?
Alana Cook (07:53):
I don't really remember faith and money being
in like the same conversationever, except when it's like
about tithing.
But tithing to me just seemedlike giving money to the church.
There was stuff we did with thechurch, like when we did like
that Toys for Tots thing orwhatever.
Yeah, but they've always beenseparate conversations.
Shay Cook (08:13):
Daddy and I have kept them pretty separate, so yeah,
so what about how Generation Zsees giving saving and wealth?
Alana Cook (08:20):
Let's get into that deeper, Like tell me more about
what you think your Generation Cversus what you thought my or
think my Generation C is aroundthat before now it was easier to
see how money could get you tolike the place you want, but
it's the distribution of money,especially in this country right
(08:40):
now, is so uneven that I thinkit has a hold on people, but not
in like.
It's gonna bring them up, butit's something that they're
chasing because they can onlyget a certain thing, because if
they have money, if that makessense.
It's like when you were youngerit was easier to picture
yourself in like growing up andbuying a house, but the furthest
(09:03):
that people in my generationfeel like they can go is just
getting like an apartment tothemselves Because the price of
everything has skyrocketed andthey're not hiring people and
the jobs we do have don't pay usenough.
And especially after like thepandemic and stuff like they
realize that they don't have topay people to do like the work
(09:23):
or they don't need as manypeople to do the work they want
done.
So it's just really it's like astandstill.
Shay Cook (09:30):
Yeah, so like they're frozen because of everything,
like a standstill, yeah, so likethey're frozen because of
everything.
All of the events came outahead, not only the pandemic,
and then, you know, change ofadministration, inflation,
everything comes collidedtogether.
And now we're here where 20, 30years ago, my parents buying a
house.
That seems achievable.
(09:50):
It's like your daddy wastalking on the last episode.
Like him growing up, it was likehe thought and I might be
messing these words up so youguys got to check out our
previous episode to learn moreabout Nate's journey, but he was
saying that he didn't think itwas achievable because he didn't
see it.
But then he saw ourgrandparents' house, your
grandparents' house, my parents'house.
It was like, oh, black peopledo live out here.
(10:11):
They can buy a house we can,you know.
So that seemed achievable and Ialways saw that.
I've been around family membersthat had owned houses since I
was a little girl, so I knewthat was achievable.
Once you did certain things andthen now you know I'm older and
I was able to buy a house, twohouses with.
You saw that, but now yourgeneration's like I don't know
(10:31):
if I'm going to hire a Floridahouse, especially not in this
region.
It's very expensive in the DMV,but all around the country
everything skyrocketed.
Alana Cook (10:40):
Yeah, I think it's also like I could be doing the
job you're doing now and not beable to afford the same thing,
because you have time to savefor the house and through, like
previous years or whatever, butI wouldn't be able to keep that
same amount of money now becausethings are more expensive, you
wouldn't be able to save it.
Shay Cook (10:58):
You mean, yeah, everything's expensive.
Alana Cook (10:59):
Yeah, so I know a lot of people like I try my best
to save money but my, I havelike a lot of coworkers who like
have a hard time because theyhave to pay for bills and stuff
that I don't have to.
Shay Cook (11:13):
No, that's real, I mean.
And then you add in there thewhole faith part of it.
It's hard to be faithful forsome people when you just like
you're constantly.
You know it's hard to be like,oh I can save, but every time I
save a little bit I got to spendit, right, or so how is God
really looking out for me?
And God just wants us to bepatient and humble with what we
have and grateful.
But sometimes, I know, when Iwas younger, in my 20s, I was
(11:35):
like Lord.
I mean, first of all I was notas faithful.
I was not as spiritual, asreligious as I am now.
Didn't know the word like I donow.
But even back then it was justlike you always seem like you're
scraping, you're always tryingto figure it out.
And that's just young, you'rejust learning.
Alana Cook (11:51):
Yeah, and I don't think people see the faith the
same way as your generation doesto the institution of the
church because they're hatefuland maybe I know God doesn't
want people to be like that andlike you know, jesus wasn't
accepting like those hatefulpeople and he was accepting like
bottom of the barrel peopleRight, but the people who push
faith are the ones who arereally messing things up.
(12:15):
For people like me there's notmuch of a trust in God because
the people who are the loudestabout him are seemingly the most
evil.
Shay Cook (12:31):
Okay, I mean I'm sure we could go down that road and
I can argue some things, but Ican always.
What I was taught is just menand women.
So it's human race going to behuman race.
They're going to be evil.
They're going to have all thedifferent emotions and do things
, but they shouldn't.
They're not a truerepresentation of God, right.
Alana Cook (12:51):
Yeah, no, I understand that too.
Yeah, it's just the people,it's the institution itself.
I think that's really damaginghow God is supposed to be seen.
Shay Cook (13:03):
Yeah, and I've seen the numbers and the statistics
and read a lot of articlesaround that where they're saying
, obviously, the numbers in thereligious institutions across
the board, whether it'sChristianity or Islam, all of
them have gone down becausepeople are, now that
everything's open through theinternet and social media and
people really seeing who thesepeople are and unfortunately
there is some corrupt, there's,like you said, there's evilness,
(13:24):
and it's always been that wayin my opinion.
It's just now that everybodysees it and it's thrown at you
at a higher rate.
The volume is so high You'relike, okay, and then if you do
even go to your own church,there's a certain thing called
church hurt, where you actuallygo and you're hurt by your
church because they've donesomething to you and it's hard
to forgive them.
But God tries to teach you,wants us to learn forgiveness
(13:46):
right, but that doesn't alwayscome with reconciliation, which
means like actually movingforward and trying to rebuild
that relationship after somebodyreally hurts you and people are
like no, you know, I'll be good.
I mean you could just serve Godon your own.
You know it's always great tohave a church and be a part of a
fellowship, but sometimesthat's not the best way, and
they have abused kids, they haveabused money, they have abused
(14:07):
power, and I mean the list goeson, and that's hard for your
generation to get past.
Wow, and I'm sure that's whyit's hard for tithing to go,
because like, where's my moneygoing?
Alana Cook (14:18):
Yeah, Especially in like those big, multimillion
dollar churches.
I think when it's a smallerchurch it's different, but when
it's like a like a big, bigchurch, mega church yeah, one of
(14:38):
those is like I know the moneyis going into the pastor's
pocket and not going to help thepeople in the community.
Shay Cook (14:41):
Well, you're not completely know that.
You assume I mean what they gotbig houses.
They got big houses, nice cars,going, great vacations, yachts
and all.
So, yes, some, yes, and but Iwould only argue in some of
those churches, not all of them,and I'm sure it's, it goes both
ways that you know those peoplehave book deals and movie deals
and stuff, so they get moneyoff of that too.
That's always their excuse.
Right, my money's not comingfrom the church, it's coming
from the books or the movies orthe conferences or speaking
(15:01):
engagements, and presidents saythe same thing and it's like,
yeah, but I can't believe thatall your money's coming from
there.
But it's true and that's whythe churches that I've been a
member of, I've actually said Iwant to see your finances.
I don't know if you knew thatand I've actually like I-5,
union, all those places I'm like, because it's both.
They're non-profit, so theyshould be filing a 990, which
means their information shouldbe public.
But even if it's not, I want tosee your finances.
(15:23):
How are you paying the pastorand his people?
How many people you got on ateam?
I remember some churches in thelast 10, 20 years.
I've literally went line byline.
It's like I want to see howyour money's being spent,
because if you're not spendingit like you say, you are on a
homeless or feeding people andpeople coming out of jail.
Whatever the situation may be,I don't want to be affiliated
with somebody who's in thepulpit lying saying they're
(15:44):
doing one thing and they'redoing something else.
So it's all about thataccountability, right, and I
think I would challenge yourgeneration to.
It's time for y'all to maybenot time now, but eventually
have to challenge them and holdthem accountable, but go ahead.
What were you going to say?
I?
Alana Cook (15:59):
was going to say, like even the Pope doesn't live
an extravagant lifestyle andhe's like the head of the
Catholic church, and so I knowpeople have like an issue with
Catholicism.
I think everyone has an issuewith every religion, but in
regards to the Pope, you don'tsee him in a mega mansion.
He's like the guy.
Shay Cook (16:19):
That's very true.
Even the last one that justpassed.
He was in a wooden coffin, Ithink it was, and I might be
wrong about that.
So if you guys want to correctme, but I know that his coffin
wasn't made out of marble anddiamonds and gold and stuff like
that so many kings may have.
Alana Cook (16:33):
But that's like one of God's chosen people, right.
Shay Cook (16:36):
That's how that works .
So, we're in America, wheremoney and power control are the
head of this nation andunfortunately, it seeps in
heavily into our religiousinstitutions, no matter what
Christianity or Muslim orwhatever.
So let's talk about socialmedia culture and faith, about
how scrolling influences haveshaped how we think about money
(16:56):
and spirituality.
So is it all hustle culture oris there spiritual lessons
hidden in there?
So I know you be scrolling,whether it's TikTok, reddit,
youtube, other social mediachannels.
What have you heard about, like, what are they saying these
days about money or religion, orthe both together?
Alana Cook (17:16):
The social media.
Obviously everyone's algorithmis different, so I don't get a
lot of hustle culture stuffbecause I don't believe in
hustle culture, but from whatI've seen of like local TikTok,
which is like not fan people,you know, it's like streamers
like Kaisenat and whateverPeople like them are like DDG.
(17:37):
There's third whole thing isyou know you in an impractical
sense, is that if you quit yourjob and you just like you focus,
you know you do this and youpost like three times a day or
whatever you're going to getwhere you want to be, you know.
And there's this thing onInstagram where people do like
it's called UGC, where it's likefaceless content and they just
(17:59):
like do brand deals all the time.
But when you really look at it,those people aren't making
money the way that they say theyare.
They'll be like I'll give you aclass and they'll make their
money from people buying intotheir class.
That teaches them how to getall these followers.
I guess that's not how thatworks.
(18:19):
And even with like Twitchstreamers like that's a big
thing right now Like you're notgoing to get anywhere unless you
have someone way bigger thanyou like like shout you out.
So it's really just like it's.
It's hopeless.
I think doing social media andmaking content for money is not
(18:40):
as like I don't know.
It's not as good as peoplethink it is.
It's profitable.
Shay Cook (18:45):
Yeah yeah, it's not as profitable.
Alana Cook (18:47):
So it's about doing it because you like to do it and
not because you want to getrich off of it.
Shay Cook (18:52):
Yeah, it needs to be a passion and it takes time.
Right, this is a part of thejourney people don't see.
They're like.
They see the people that mademillions of dollars, but you
know those people.
Usually you look behind thescenes.
They've been doing somethingsimilar or that for at least 10
years five to 10 years and maybesome of them are quick rich.
Alana Cook (19:16):
Yeah, like, if you think about tiktokers like
charlie d'amelio or something,she just posted a dance and she
got popular and she became themost followed person on tiktok.
So most of it is really luck.
It's not like she was working,she's like she was like like a
teenager when that happened.
So, or if they were like onYouTube and they blew up, you
could tell that they take theirtime because they've been
(19:38):
posting for a long time.
But on social media where thetime is lower like TikTok used
to only be like 15 seconds, liketime.
Like the attention span islower and it's easier for people
to follow when it's full by.
Like the attention span islower and it's easier for people
to follow when it's pulled byand then big brands see the
followers.
People were probably not evenpaying attention to you and
(20:00):
they'll be like you can promotemy product and I'll pay you for
that.
Shay Cook (20:03):
Okay.
Brand ambassadors, promotersand stuff Okay.
Well, let's go back to why youdon't believe in hustle culture.
Alana Cook (20:11):
Because it seems like in the sense of social
media it seems like a farce.
It's more of just like you haveto be at the right place at the
right time and the algorithmpicks you up and takes you.
It used to be something thatyou would work hard for.
Like with YouTube, there aresome older YouTubers who are
(20:33):
still going like 10, 15 yearsafter they started because they
worked.
But with the newer ones thatare like really popular, it's
not like they're working as hard, as the people used to.
Shay Cook (20:45):
So that builds up kind of like a false I don't
know if it's narrative or justfalse expectations, cause I hear
a lot of people my age but kidsyounger than you that are like,
oh my kid think they're goingto just be the next big YouTuber
or TikTok or whatever.
And it's because there's beencases I mean I'm sure the
percentage is probably stilllower than what people expect
(21:06):
that they're just going to makeall this millions of dollars
because they post one or two orthree or whatever amount of
content dancing, singing,whatever.
I mean I guess it's just thechances of getting seen on like
an American Idol or somethingright, you've got to still.
But you just takes away all theauditioning and stuff.
You just go straight to theuser or to the audience.
Alana Cook (21:25):
It's an oversaturated market as well,
because everyone thinks it's aget rich quick scheme.
And it's not like that.
The new social media platformcame out.
That was like going to bepopular and you were to get on
that as like one of the firstpeople.
Then you would definitely blowup, but as the later you get
(21:46):
into it, it's hard for someoneto actually profit off of that.
Shay Cook (21:50):
OK, I got you.
So taking it back to the moneypiece then, and you know
spirituality, I mean, what areyou seeing on social media about
just making money outside ofthe content based stuff?
Is anybody talking about?
Still people?
Let me go back to our peoplestill talking about you need to
be a lawyer or a doctor back inthe day or go to college or
(22:11):
anything like that.
Alana Cook (22:12):
from what you see, no, they're mostly saying
college is not useless.
But going to college does notguarantee you getting a job
anymore, because getting abachelor's degree is basically
the same as it was of getting ahigh school diploma years ago.
So in order for you to be moremarketable, you have to get a
(22:34):
master's.
For people to like recognizeyou.
Shay Cook (22:36):
That's crazy.
And then you get into all thatdebt, right, yeah, yeah, because
not everybody can afford orhave their parents pay for
college.
Right, so that's not always thecase.
And then I mean so that's somefaith in that Right.
So that's not always the case.
And then I mean so that's somefaith in that right.
You got to have some kind offaith in either God or somebody,
because just getting a master'sdoesn't guarantee the job
either.
Alana Cook (22:55):
No, and there's different subsets of social
media too, like there is likestudy places that only focuses
on people studying for likecollege or whatever, for like
college or whatever.
And then from the, from thehustle culture stuff that I've
seen, it is really people justsaying like I made all this
money and you can too, if youbuy this admission to my class,
(23:18):
yeah, yeah.
Shay Cook (23:19):
And I have clients, unfortunately, have done that.
You know, they spent thousands,hundreds of thousands of
dollars not hundreds ofthousands, but hundreds of
dollars or thousands of dollarsor sometimes even tens of
thousands of dollars nothundreds of thousands, but
hundreds of dollars or thousandsof dollars or sometimes even
tens of thousands of dollars ona program that they heard about
because somebody's got a millionfollowers, or maybe they got a
couple of thousands of followers.
Well, they got a lot offollowers.
(23:40):
So this must be really working.
But that's not always the case,right.
It's still that hard workbehind it all and, like you said
earlier, the passion, right.
So God gives us a passion or atalent that we have to see
through, and sometimes it'sprofitable.
Sometimes you just volunteerand just helping people with
that.
Alana Cook (23:57):
Yeah, and if you people can see authenticity too.
So if people don't see thatyou're like in it because you
like it, they're not going to,they're not going to follow you,
yeah.
So if it's not something thatyou're like really about, then
it's not something you shouldtry for, because you're not
going to get anywhere with it.
Shay Cook (24:15):
Very good point.
Very good point.
And you know, studies showyounger generations prioritize
financial independence overtraditional financial structure.
So, again going back to this,what does faith play in this
shift?
So are you focused onindependence or just, you know,
being part of the?
I mean, I was going to say thematrix and being part buying
(24:47):
your house, those kind of things.
We're kind of going back to whatwe're saying in terms of oh
well, let's prioritize makingcontent for social, or let's go
on American Idol or let's go onwhatever show.
This reality show, those kindof things are becoming
traditional because they've beenaround for years.
I mean Real World came out backin the 90s, right or early
(25:09):
2000s, you're for years.
I mean Real World came out backin the 90s right or early 2000s
?
You're asking me.
I don't know.
I know you don't know nothingabout Real World, but those that
know MTV Real World, I rememberthose days I was like man
reality shows and like what wasthe island show?
When they go out on the islandLove Island?
No, not Love Island, that's thenewer thing.
Alana Cook (25:27):
I don't remember it was something they go out and
they get Like Survivor orsomething.
Shay Cook (25:30):
Survivor, yeah, survivor, it's still on.
It's still on.
Wow, that's forever.
Well, those were like theoriginal OG reality shows, so
those becoming more traditional.
But back now is the old schooltraditional financial structures
, as I should say where you knowyou get a job out of college or
you get a job out of highschool in a trade, or you don't
(25:53):
finish high school and you justgo work wherever and you make
your money and you save if youcan, or you're just living day
by day or paycheck by paycheck.
Now people are really trying tomake the hundreds and millions
of dollars.
When I was growing up, I wasn'taround a lot of people, I'm
sure that made six figures andit's regional and there's a lot
of things that go factor intothat.
But you got to have a lot offaith to just be able to make
(26:15):
that shift into wherever wayyou're trying to be independent
financially.
Alana Cook (26:20):
But is that not the same thing?
Then, if you're younger, you'retrying to make money because
you have to be independent, likeI don't think financial
independence has changed.
I think everyone wants that,especially because everyone has
access to it now, because in thepast, women couldn't even like
open their own credit card.
Everyone wants money, you know,because at the end of the day,
(26:42):
like at the end of the day, Idon't care about money, but at
the end of the day I'm stillgoing to work because I need
money.
You know what I'm saying.
So it's like money is important.
We all realize that money isimportant, whether we like it or
not, and so I think that hasn'tchanged.
Shay Cook (26:58):
You're right, it hasn't, other than now, I think,
in my opinion, there's moreentitlement and privilege than
there was.
But it goes back to what yousaid.
Women and people of colorcouldn't do certain things now,
and so that's why theentitlement privilege wasn't
there for those communities, andnow they are, because they are
able to do that, and so nowwe're able to rear and raise
children and communities ofpeople that you know have a
(27:21):
little more of a buffer fromtheir families that they didn't
have before.
So financial independence isnot always a priority to some
people.
If you come from a millionaireparents and they're like we got
everything covered, just go, doyou boo, you know, and you're
not really thinking aboutfinancial independence because
you think you quote unquote arefinancially independent because
your parents are, but reallyyou're not.
And I remember always hearinglike TI, every time he talked
(27:44):
about his kids and like yourkids got it made.
He's like no, I got it made, mykids got to go out here and
work because this is my money.
You ever felt that way aboutyour parents?
Yes, yes.
In fact, it's not your money,it's our money, but you benefit
from that money, and I'm sureyour daddy makes that pretty
(28:04):
clear, right?
Yes, yes, he does,unfortunately, or I'll say,
fortunately, all right.
So each generation has theirown way of looking at faith and
money.
But if you strip it down, thecore principles are generosity,
purpose, stewardship.
They still hit home, right, Imean, there's still the being
generous, being kind, having apurpose, passion, you know.
(28:26):
And in stewardship, you know,being a good steward of your
money, managing your moneyappropriately, responsibility, I
mean.
Right, I think you were taughtall of those.
Yes, I was.
Yeah, speak more on that inyour final thoughts.
It made me a little bit fearful, though.
Alana Cook (28:40):
I used to be very scared of spending money,
especially in college, my firstyear.
I would call you basicallycrying because I spent money at
the grocery store.
Shay Cook (28:49):
Or you weren't used to it because I always did it.
I mean, you went with me a lotof the times the perception of.
Alana Cook (28:56):
I didn't think things were that expensive.
So when I first spent $60 atthe grocery store, I was like
that is not what I thought itwas, even though you used to
take me, like counting the money, you know, at the grocery store
that would be like a hundredand something dollars, but
that's a family of three, youknow.
(29:19):
But then half of that is whatI'm just spending on food and I
wouldn't have like snacks andstuff.
But as I've gotten older I'vebeen more I get more comfortable
with spending money.
Yeah, cause I spent like $60 onsnacks the other day, so On
just snacks.
I wouldn't not just snacks, butmostly snacks, because I was
hungry and I shopped hungry,which I do recommend.
Shay Cook (29:41):
Yeah, you know I don't agree with that.
Now say again what you weresaying about the commissary.
Though we used to go intocommon accounting, yeah you
would.
You would give me a littlenotepad and make me keep track
of how much money you werespending on each thing, and then
you would get me like a babybottle pop at the end yeah,
something like if you werewithin a dollar, five dollars of
the amount, because not onlyfrom the math perspective, but
(30:03):
also I wanted you to know howmuch you were spending or how
much I was spending on groceries.
But it always hits differentlywhen you're using your own money
.
Yeah, yeah, it always does.
That's why I know, growing up,I would always have my parents
pay for stuff and even if I hadmoney, I'd try, even though most
of the time I had to.
If I had my own money, I wouldhave to.
But it's just different whenyou use your own money.
Alana Cook (30:24):
Be like no, you can cover it, even though I have my
own money, because I just don'twant to spend my own money, and
it's also because I don't havethe same amount of money though,
and so I remember I don't knowif you remember this, but I feel
like I was a kid once and I wassaying, like $10 to a kid is
like $100, but to an adult it'snothing that's pretty profound.
(30:44):
As a child it is profound, yeah, and I think that is like
especially when my first year ofcollege I didn't have a job
when I was a freshman, and sothe money was just money I had
saved from the summer, so it wasjust watching the number going
down, knowing that it's notgoing to go back up.
But, now because I have a jobthat pays a little bit more than
my other jobs do.
Shay Cook (31:06):
When I spend money, I know like I said earlier, I
know the money's going to comeback to me.
Alana Cook (31:11):
Yeah, okay, yeah when I've had jobs that paid
less, I was like freaking outbecause I would only get paid
like a hundred dollars every twoweeks, which is not anything,
but now I get a little bit more.
So when I spend money I'm likethis is gonna hurt for like
right now, but I know in a weekor so it's going to be right
there, and I never spend moneythat I have like saved up or
(31:35):
anything either.
So that is one thing I guessthat I've been taught.
Like I, I have money split upfor what I know I'm going to
spend.
Shay Cook (31:46):
Well, good job.
I know that fear sucked in thebeginning, but you get to live
with it.
It's kind of like that it'sjust helping you build up your
muscle when you're spending andthat you know that you're not
going to just spend everything.
I think it's good to have alittle bit.
I know we don't want you tohave full on anxiety or panic
attacks about spending yourmoney, but I think a little bit
of fear goes a little bit awayto help you, reminds you to keep
(32:07):
you disciplined.
I would think it's more aboutthe discipline than even the
fear.
It helps you be self-controlled.
So, all right.
Well, this was a greatconversation, my dear Alana Cook
, my daughter.
Any final thoughts before wewrap up?
Alana Cook (32:21):
I have a lot of thoughts, but I guess you do.
But go ahead.
When you were saying with thediscipline, though, I think when
I first started making a littlebit more money, I would budget
every month, but when you getinto like the practice of it, I
don't really budget as harshlyanymore I used to.
Like I said earlier, I spendmoney based on vibes because I
(32:45):
have my money split out.
I have money If I like.
I like K-pop which could beseen in the back.
Shay Cook (32:52):
Yeah.
Alana Cook (32:54):
I know I'm going to spend money on it, so I put
money aside for it.
Shay Cook (32:57):
So you save for it?
Yeah, so that's self-control,that's discipline?
Alana Cook (33:01):
Yeah, but I know like I'll put that aside, but
for my bigger goals I will havelike I'll put a hundred dollars
towards like a goal with everypaycheck, but I'm not like for
every all the other pots.
I'm like maybe I'm just glad Ilike 25 bucks, yeah, maybe 50,
but I'm not so strict on how Ispend my money now because I've
(33:21):
like trained myself.
Shay Cook (33:23):
So, yeah, and that's what comes with being very
strict in the beginning and intraining yourself.
And then when you make thosedecisions, you got it covered
Right and you know, I taught youthat earlier, not a lot, and
that's what we're trying toteach our clients that don't
know that.
You know when they come to us,they got a lot of debt, they're
not saving.
They're able to learn exactlythose kind of techniques that
you're saying right there.
(33:44):
So then, when it comes tobuying an album or a bike or
whatever it may be on your list,you've already saved for and
planned for it, but you don'thave to be as strict with
everything else.
So great job with that.
Well, thank you for your timetoday.
Everyone as well, thank you forjoining us.
(34:04):
Them from another generationand share insights, because I
know my daughter and I and manyyoung, as I call them out there,
and I love to go to aconference or an event with the
under 18 or the young adults 18to 25 or around that age and
have real conversations, becausethey're going through and they
need us.
So we're here as old heads, as40 plus year old generation Xers
(34:26):
, or if you're a baby boomer, orwherever you're at in the
generational scale, definitelyreach out to the young people
and train them up and give themgood advice.
So thank you for joining us.
Have a wonderful day.
A big thank you for listeningto this episode.
We hope you found today's chatabout the intersection of
religion and money insightful.
We would love to hear yourfeedback.
(34:48):
Hit that subscribe button orfollow the podcast and please
feel free to leave us a reviewFor the latest Yahweh's Money
content.
Visit us at crusaders4changeorgor find us anywhere you listen
to podcasts.
Until next time, stayfinancially fit and spiritually
inspired and remember it'salways better Yahweh's way.
like.
I don't think financialindependence has changed.
I think everyone wants that,especially because everyone has
access to it now, because in thepast women couldn't even like
open their own credit card.
Everyone wants money, you know,because at the end of the day,
like at the end of the day, Idon't care about money, but at
the end of the day I'm stillgoing to work because I need
money.
You know what I'm saying.
(00:22):
So it's like money is important.
Shay Cook (00:31):
We all realize that money is important, whether we
like it or not, and so I thinkthat hasn't changed.
Ever felt those awkward vibeswhen religion and money come up?
You're not alone.
Welcome to Yahweh's Money, thepodcast where we tackle the
crossroads of faith and finance.
I'm Shay Cook, an accreditedfinancial counselor and the CEO
and founder of Crusaders forChange LLC.
Join us on our journey as wediscuss topics like tithing,
(00:54):
saving and conquering debtthrough religious perspectives.
Let's get started.
Hey everyone, welcome back toanother episode of Yahweh's
Money, again season four.
Thank you for joining us onthis ride, this amazing podcast
that God gave into our heartsand minds and spirits.
(01:14):
But today we are talking aboutguiding children in faith and
finances a Generation X andGeneration Z conversation.
I will be introducing ouramazing guests momentarily.
But how do differentgenerations actually think about
God and money?
I know I have this conversationa lot with people because I am
(01:35):
the Generation X-er.
If you didn't know, I'm not theZ-er on this call or this
episode.
But let's have a real,unfiltered conversation about
faith, financial freedom anddoing things differently while
still respecting the wisdompassed down to us.
So our main scripture for todaycomes from Proverbs 22, 6.
Train up a child in the way heor she should go, and he or she
(01:59):
is old.
He or she will not depart fromit.
I know a lot of us heard thatscripture, but it's all
important, whether you serve aGod or not, you're religious or
not, to train up your childBecause what they're going to
follow that way.
So our special guest for todayis none other than Alana
Dominique Cook.
I gave her a whole governmentname.
(02:20):
Lord forgive me.
Hopefully she's not mad at meabout that, but this is my
daughter, my pride and joy, myfavorite girl in the whole wide
world.
She is 24, going on 25.
She is a recent grad in thelast two years from University
of Maryland, baltimore County.
She majored in environmentalscience and policy.
I'm sure I messed it up.
(02:41):
She'll tell you more in minorthan music.
She has played the flute formost of her life.
She's amazing all the wayaround.
We my husband, who was on ourlast episode, nathaniel Nate
Cook are just so proud of thischild, of this adult woman.
So welcome, alana Cook.
Hi how you doing baby.
Alana Cook (03:00):
I'm okay.
Shay Cook (03:01):
You're okay, you, I'm okay.
You're like, okay, how'd.
Alana Cook (03:05):
I do with your introduction.
I guess it was okay.
Shay Cook (03:08):
I mean you want to explain anymore and like give
the right what degree youactually got from the University
of Maryland?
I mean you're right.
Alana Cook (03:13):
It is environmental science and policy.
Yeah.
Okay, okay, it's a loosedescription of the degree.
Shay Cook (03:20):
Yeah, and what are you trying to do with that?
I'm trying to work.
Alana Cook (03:26):
I want to do poverty alleviation for urban
communities.
Shay Cook (03:34):
Yeah, which is very noble of you and we need that.
So a lot of the environmentalfactors affect everybody, but it
seems to be even more increasedin those low-income,
underserved populations.
Yes, awesome.
Well, I'm super proud of youand thank you for joining us.
Alana Cook (03:49):
Wisdom inherits.
Hit the rapid fire.
Questions Say what's on yourspirit.
Shay Cook (04:10):
So, as you know, or those that are listening, or
maybe those new to our show,this podcast we introduced in
the last few episodes our quickfire questions.
We're in three to five minutes.
We just quickly fire somequestions at our guests and see
what comes up, and we're notgoing to get stuck on it.
But here we go, you ready.
Alana Cook (04:29):
Sure.
Shay Cook (04:30):
All right.
What's a money lesson?
Your parents taught you thatactually stuck.
Alana Cook (04:36):
Money is a tool.
Shay Cook (04:38):
That's what daddy says, yeah, he does and it's not
just like.
Alana Cook (04:42):
I guess it's not the main thing and it just you use
it to get to the things you wantit to get to Exactly.
Shay Cook (04:48):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I have to teach that a lot.
When our clients do Crusadersfor Change, a lot of people they
let it influence their life inways that is crazy, but of
course that's what they've seen.
But, yeah, it just does a lotof damage or it can do good, but
a lot of times it's damaged.
That's why they come see us bythat time.
But just teaching them thatit's a tool to help them get to
where they want to be in life.
(05:09):
But there's obviously more tolife than just money, right?
Yes, all right.
So what's something you'vechosen to do your way when it
comes to faith and finances?
Alana Cook (05:20):
That's a good question.
I don't really pray for moneyexactly when I do pray, but I'll
pray for like an opportunity.
I think that makes more sense.
Yeah, a job.
(05:40):
I feel like I was reallyworried about spending money all
the time, but now I know moneyit'll come back, so it doesn't
go away.
So it's not bad to spend moneyon things that you like.
Shay Cook (05:58):
Yeah, that's good.
Yeah, I know.
For a while there you were like, oh, I don't want to spend
money, and I know sometimes westill feel that way.
You still feel that way.
But you get to learn that youdeserve to treat yourself right.
As long as you're doing certainthings like saving, paying your
bills on time, putting moneyaway for you know, like I said,
savings, but also just payingfor your necessities, then you
should be able to treat yourselfand you should put that in your
budget.
So, all right.
(06:18):
Last question what doesgenerosity or generosity look
like to you?
Alana Cook (06:26):
It's just being selfless, isn't it?
I know I'm an only child and Iknow a lot of only children
don't know how to share andstuff, but I feel like I'm the
type of person who would give,like, the clothes off of my back
for someone who wants something, like I've always shared food
or I try my best to help otherpeople, because it's not just
about me, exactly, yeah.
Shay Cook (06:49):
Oh, look, we might have done something right with
you and your daddy and I huh, Ilove that.
All right.
Well, thank you forparticipating.
That's probably the quickestfire question we ever had
segment, but I'll add to thatbefore we wrap up that
generosity, exactly Like yousaid looks like to me, is
helping others more than helpingmyself.
Sometimes I help people morethan I should, especially when
it comes to family and friends,but just being generous and kind
(07:11):
and loving, and just you know,like you said, if you have to,
I'll give you my coat becauseyou need it, because I'll figure
out how to get another onelater.
So great job, alana.
All right, let's move into ourmain discussions.
You know parenting and faithformation.
How do your parents show whatfaith and money looked like
growing up, but also giving youthe space to figure out your own
beliefs?
I know we had you in churchhere and there, off and on.
(07:32):
We weren't like that superreligious family.
But I know, throughout yourcourse of growing up, the first
18 years from primary years, ofhaving you grow up, teaching you
that you know we serve acertain God, but also that I
serve a certain God.
But I want you to learn to findyour way.
How did that faith and moneylook like growing up?
Alana Cook (07:53):
I don't really remember faith and money being
in like the same conversationever, except when it's like
about tithing.
But tithing to me just seemedlike giving money to the church.
There was stuff we did with thechurch, like when we did like
that Toys for Tots thing orwhatever.
Yeah, but they've always beenseparate conversations.
Shay Cook (08:13):
Daddy and I have kept them pretty separate, so yeah,
so what about how Generation Zsees giving saving and wealth?
Alana Cook (08:20):
Let's get into that deeper, Like tell me more about
what you think your Generation Cversus what you thought my or
think my Generation C is aroundthat before now it was easier to
see how money could get you tolike the place you want, but
it's the distribution of money,especially in this country right
(08:40):
now, is so uneven that I thinkit has a hold on people, but not
in like.
It's gonna bring them up, butit's something that they're
chasing because they can onlyget a certain thing, because if
they have money, if that makessense.
It's like when you were youngerit was easier to picture
yourself in like growing up andbuying a house, but the furthest
(09:03):
that people in my generationfeel like they can go is just
getting like an apartment tothemselves Because the price of
everything has skyrocketed andthey're not hiring people and
the jobs we do have don't pay usenough.
And especially after like thepandemic and stuff like they
realize that they don't have topay people to do like the work
(09:23):
or they don't need as manypeople to do the work they want
done.
So it's just really it's like astandstill.
Shay Cook (09:30):
Yeah, so like they're frozen because of everything,
like a standstill, yeah, so likethey're frozen because of
everything.
All of the events came outahead, not only the pandemic,
and then, you know, change ofadministration, inflation,
everything comes collidedtogether.
And now we're here where 20, 30years ago, my parents buying a
house.
That seems achievable.
(09:50):
It's like your daddy wastalking on the last episode.
Like him growing up, it was likehe thought and I might be
messing these words up so youguys got to check out our
previous episode to learn moreabout Nate's journey, but he was
saying that he didn't think itwas achievable because he didn't
see it.
But then he saw ourgrandparents' house, your
grandparents' house, my parents'house.
It was like, oh, black peopledo live out here.
(10:11):
They can buy a house we can,you know.
So that seemed achievable and Ialways saw that.
I've been around family membersthat had owned houses since I
was a little girl, so I knewthat was achievable.
Once you did certain things andthen now you know I'm older and
I was able to buy a house, twohouses with.
You saw that, but now yourgeneration's like I don't know
(10:31):
if I'm going to hire a Floridahouse, especially not in this
region.
It's very expensive in the DMV,but all around the country
everything skyrocketed.
Alana Cook (10:40):
Yeah, I think it's also like I could be doing the
job you're doing now and not beable to afford the same thing,
because you have time to savefor the house and through, like
previous years or whatever, butI wouldn't be able to keep that
same amount of money now becausethings are more expensive, you
wouldn't be able to save it.
Shay Cook (10:58):
You mean, yeah, everything's expensive.
Alana Cook (10:59):
Yeah, so I know a lot of people like I try my best
to save money but my, I havelike a lot of coworkers who like
have a hard time because theyhave to pay for bills and stuff
that I don't have to.
Shay Cook (11:13):
No, that's real, I mean.
And then you add in there thewhole faith part of it.
It's hard to be faithful forsome people when you just like
you're constantly.
You know it's hard to be like,oh I can save, but every time I
save a little bit I got to spendit, right, or so how is God
really looking out for me?
And God just wants us to bepatient and humble with what we
have and grateful.
But sometimes, I know, when Iwas younger, in my 20s, I was
(11:35):
like Lord.
I mean, first of all I was notas faithful.
I was not as spiritual, asreligious as I am now.
Didn't know the word like I donow.
But even back then it was justlike you always seem like you're
scraping, you're always tryingto figure it out.
And that's just young, you'rejust learning.
Alana Cook (11:51):
Yeah, and I don't think people see the faith the
same way as your generation doesto the institution of the
church because they're hatefuland maybe I know God doesn't
want people to be like that andlike you know, jesus wasn't
accepting like those hatefulpeople and he was accepting like
bottom of the barrel peopleRight, but the people who push
faith are the ones who arereally messing things up.
(12:15):
For people like me there's notmuch of a trust in God because
the people who are the loudestabout him are seemingly the most
evil.
Shay Cook (12:31):
Okay, I mean I'm sure we could go down that road and
I can argue some things, but Ican always.
What I was taught is just menand women.
So it's human race going to behuman race.
They're going to be evil.
They're going to have all thedifferent emotions and do things
, but they shouldn't.
They're not a truerepresentation of God, right.
Alana Cook (12:51):
Yeah, no, I understand that too.
Yeah, it's just the people,it's the institution itself.
I think that's really damaginghow God is supposed to be seen.
Shay Cook (13:03):
Yeah, and I've seen the numbers and the statistics
and read a lot of articlesaround that where they're saying
, obviously, the numbers in thereligious institutions across
the board, whether it'sChristianity or Islam, all of
them have gone down becausepeople are, now that
everything's open through theinternet and social media and
people really seeing who thesepeople are and unfortunately
there is some corrupt, there's,like you said, there's evilness,
(13:24):
and it's always been that wayin my opinion.
It's just now that everybodysees it and it's thrown at you
at a higher rate.
The volume is so high You'relike, okay, and then if you do
even go to your own church,there's a certain thing called
church hurt, where you actuallygo and you're hurt by your
church because they've donesomething to you and it's hard
to forgive them.
But God tries to teach you,wants us to learn forgiveness
(13:46):
right, but that doesn't alwayscome with reconciliation, which
means like actually movingforward and trying to rebuild
that relationship after somebodyreally hurts you and people are
like no, you know, I'll be good.
I mean you could just serve Godon your own.
You know it's always great tohave a church and be a part of a
fellowship, but sometimesthat's not the best way, and
they have abused kids, they haveabused money, they have abused
(14:07):
power, and I mean the list goeson, and that's hard for your
generation to get past.
Wow, and I'm sure that's whyit's hard for tithing to go,
because like, where's my moneygoing?
Alana Cook (14:18):
Yeah, Especially in like those big, multimillion
dollar churches.
I think when it's a smallerchurch it's different, but when
it's like a like a big, bigchurch, mega church yeah, one of
(14:38):
those is like I know the moneyis going into the pastor's
pocket and not going to help thepeople in the community.
Shay Cook (14:41):
Well, you're not completely know that.
You assume I mean what they gotbig houses.
They got big houses, nice cars,going, great vacations, yachts
and all.
So, yes, some, yes, and but Iwould only argue in some of
those churches, not all of them,and I'm sure it's, it goes both
ways that you know those peoplehave book deals and movie deals
and stuff, so they get moneyoff of that too.
That's always their excuse.
Right, my money's not comingfrom the church, it's coming
from the books or the movies orthe conferences or speaking
(15:01):
engagements, and presidents saythe same thing and it's like,
yeah, but I can't believe thatall your money's coming from
there.
But it's true and that's whythe churches that I've been a
member of, I've actually said Iwant to see your finances.
I don't know if you knew thatand I've actually like I-5,
union, all those places I'm like, because it's both.
They're non-profit, so theyshould be filing a 990, which
means their information shouldbe public.
But even if it's not, I want tosee your finances.
(15:23):
How are you paying the pastorand his people?
How many people you got on ateam?
I remember some churches in thelast 10, 20 years.
I've literally went line byline.
It's like I want to see howyour money's being spent,
because if you're not spendingit like you say, you are on a
homeless or feeding people andpeople coming out of jail.
Whatever the situation may be,I don't want to be affiliated
with somebody who's in thepulpit lying saying they're
(15:44):
doing one thing and they'redoing something else.
So it's all about thataccountability, right, and I
think I would challenge yourgeneration to.
It's time for y'all to maybenot time now, but eventually
have to challenge them and holdthem accountable, but go ahead.
What were you going to say?
I?
Alana Cook (15:59):
was going to say, like even the Pope doesn't live
an extravagant lifestyle andhe's like the head of the
Catholic church, and so I knowpeople have like an issue with
Catholicism.
I think everyone has an issuewith every religion, but in
regards to the Pope, you don'tsee him in a mega mansion.
He's like the guy.
Shay Cook (16:19):
That's very true.
Even the last one that justpassed.
He was in a wooden coffin, Ithink it was, and I might be
wrong about that.
So if you guys want to correctme, but I know that his coffin
wasn't made out of marble anddiamonds and gold and stuff like
that so many kings may have.
Alana Cook (16:33):
But that's like one of God's chosen people, right.
Shay Cook (16:36):
That's how that works .
So, we're in America, wheremoney and power control are the
head of this nation andunfortunately, it seeps in
heavily into our religiousinstitutions, no matter what
Christianity or Muslim orwhatever.
So let's talk about socialmedia culture and faith, about
how scrolling influences haveshaped how we think about money
(16:56):
and spirituality.
So is it all hustle culture oris there spiritual lessons
hidden in there?
So I know you be scrolling,whether it's TikTok, reddit,
youtube, other social mediachannels.
What have you heard about, like, what are they saying these
days about money or religion, orthe both together?
Alana Cook (17:16):
The social media.
Obviously everyone's algorithmis different, so I don't get a
lot of hustle culture stuffbecause I don't believe in
hustle culture, but from whatI've seen of like local TikTok,
which is like not fan people,you know, it's like streamers
like Kaisenat and whateverPeople like them are like DDG.
(17:37):
There's third whole thing isyou know you in an impractical
sense, is that if you quit yourjob and you just like you focus,
you know you do this and youpost like three times a day or
whatever you're going to getwhere you want to be, you know.
And there's this thing onInstagram where people do like
it's called UGC, where it's likefaceless content and they just
(17:59):
like do brand deals all the time.
But when you really look at it,those people aren't making
money the way that they say theyare.
They'll be like I'll give you aclass and they'll make their
money from people buying intotheir class.
That teaches them how to getall these followers.
I guess that's not how thatworks.
(18:19):
And even with like Twitchstreamers like that's a big
thing right now Like you're notgoing to get anywhere unless you
have someone way bigger thanyou like like shout you out.
So it's really just like it's.
It's hopeless.
I think doing social media andmaking content for money is not
(18:40):
as like I don't know.
It's not as good as peoplethink it is.
It's profitable.
Shay Cook (18:45):
Yeah yeah, it's not as profitable.
Alana Cook (18:47):
So it's about doing it because you like to do it and
not because you want to getrich off of it.
Shay Cook (18:52):
Yeah, it needs to be a passion and it takes time.
Right, this is a part of thejourney people don't see.
They're like.
They see the people that mademillions of dollars, but you
know those people.
Usually you look behind thescenes.
They've been doing somethingsimilar or that for at least 10
years five to 10 years and maybesome of them are quick rich.
Alana Cook (19:16):
Yeah, like, if you think about tiktokers like
charlie d'amelio or something,she just posted a dance and she
got popular and she became themost followed person on tiktok.
So most of it is really luck.
It's not like she was working,she's like she was like like a
teenager when that happened.
So, or if they were like onYouTube and they blew up, you
could tell that they take theirtime because they've been
(19:38):
posting for a long time.
But on social media where thetime is lower like TikTok used
to only be like 15 seconds, liketime.
Like the attention span islower and it's easier for people
to follow when it's full by.
Like the attention span islower and it's easier for people
to follow when it's pulled byand then big brands see the
followers.
People were probably not evenpaying attention to you and
(20:00):
they'll be like you can promotemy product and I'll pay you for
that.
Shay Cook (20:03):
Okay.
Brand ambassadors, promotersand stuff Okay.
Well, let's go back to why youdon't believe in hustle culture.
Alana Cook (20:11):
Because it seems like in the sense of social
media it seems like a farce.
It's more of just like you haveto be at the right place at the
right time and the algorithmpicks you up and takes you.
It used to be something thatyou would work hard for.
Like with YouTube, there aresome older YouTubers who are
(20:33):
still going like 10, 15 yearsafter they started because they
worked.
But with the newer ones thatare like really popular, it's
not like they're working as hard, as the people used to.
Shay Cook (20:45):
So that builds up kind of like a false I don't
know if it's narrative or justfalse expectations, cause I hear
a lot of people my age but kidsyounger than you that are like,
oh my kid think they're goingto just be the next big YouTuber
or TikTok or whatever.
And it's because there's beencases I mean I'm sure the
percentage is probably stilllower than what people expect
(21:06):
that they're just going to makeall this millions of dollars
because they post one or two orthree or whatever amount of
content dancing, singing,whatever.
I mean I guess it's just thechances of getting seen on like
an American Idol or somethingright, you've got to still.
But you just takes away all theauditioning and stuff.
You just go straight to theuser or to the audience.
Alana Cook (21:25):
It's an oversaturated market as well,
because everyone thinks it's aget rich quick scheme.
And it's not like that.
The new social media platformcame out.
That was like going to bepopular and you were to get on
that as like one of the firstpeople.
Then you would definitely blowup, but as the later you get
(21:46):
into it, it's hard for someoneto actually profit off of that.
Shay Cook (21:50):
OK, I got you.
So taking it back to the moneypiece then, and you know
spirituality, I mean, what areyou seeing on social media about
just making money outside ofthe content based stuff?
Is anybody talking about?
Still people?
Let me go back to our peoplestill talking about you need to
be a lawyer or a doctor back inthe day or go to college or
(22:11):
anything like that.
Alana Cook (22:12):
from what you see, no, they're mostly saying
college is not useless.
But going to college does notguarantee you getting a job
anymore, because getting abachelor's degree is basically
the same as it was of getting ahigh school diploma years ago.
So in order for you to be moremarketable, you have to get a
(22:34):
master's.
For people to like recognizeyou.
Shay Cook (22:36):
That's crazy.
And then you get into all thatdebt, right, yeah, yeah, because
not everybody can afford orhave their parents pay for
college.
Right, so that's not always thecase.
And then I mean so that's somefaith in that Right.
So that's not always the case.
And then I mean so that's somefaith in that right.
You got to have some kind offaith in either God or somebody,
because just getting a master'sdoesn't guarantee the job
either.
Alana Cook (22:55):
No, and there's different subsets of social
media too, like there is likestudy places that only focuses
on people studying for likecollege or whatever, for like
college or whatever.
And then from the, from thehustle culture stuff that I've
seen, it is really people justsaying like I made all this
money and you can too, if youbuy this admission to my class,
(23:18):
yeah, yeah.
Shay Cook (23:19):
And I have clients, unfortunately, have done that.
You know, they spent thousands,hundreds of thousands of
dollars not hundreds ofthousands, but hundreds of
dollars or thousands of dollarsor sometimes even tens of
thousands of dollars nothundreds of thousands, but
hundreds of dollars or thousandsof dollars or sometimes even
tens of thousands of dollars ona program that they heard about
because somebody's got a millionfollowers, or maybe they got a
couple of thousands of followers.
Well, they got a lot offollowers.
(23:40):
So this must be really working.
But that's not always the case,right.
It's still that hard workbehind it all and, like you said
earlier, the passion, right.
So God gives us a passion or atalent that we have to see
through, and sometimes it'sprofitable.
Sometimes you just volunteerand just helping people with
that.
Alana Cook (23:57):
Yeah, and if you people can see authenticity too.
So if people don't see thatyou're like in it because you
like it, they're not going to,they're not going to follow you,
yeah.
So if it's not something thatyou're like really about, then
it's not something you shouldtry for, because you're not
going to get anywhere with it.
Shay Cook (24:15):
Very good point.
Very good point.
And you know, studies showyounger generations prioritize
financial independence overtraditional financial structure.
So, again going back to this,what does faith play in this
shift?
So are you focused onindependence or just, you know,
being part of the?
I mean, I was going to say thematrix and being part buying
(24:47):
your house, those kind of things.
We're kind of going back to whatwe're saying in terms of oh
well, let's prioritize makingcontent for social, or let's go
on American Idol or let's go onwhatever show.
This reality show, those kindof things are becoming
traditional because they've beenaround for years.
I mean Real World came out backin the 90s, right or early
(25:09):
2000s, you're for years.
I mean Real World came out backin the 90s right or early 2000s
?
You're asking me.
I don't know.
I know you don't know nothingabout Real World, but those that
know MTV Real World, I rememberthose days I was like man
reality shows and like what wasthe island show?
When they go out on the islandLove Island?
No, not Love Island, that's thenewer thing.
Alana Cook (25:27):
I don't remember it was something they go out and
they get Like Survivor orsomething.
Shay Cook (25:30):
Survivor, yeah, survivor, it's still on.
It's still on.
Wow, that's forever.
Well, those were like theoriginal OG reality shows, so
those becoming more traditional.
But back now is the old schooltraditional financial structures
, as I should say where you knowyou get a job out of college or
you get a job out of highschool in a trade, or you don't
(25:53):
finish high school and you justgo work wherever and you make
your money and you save if youcan, or you're just living day
by day or paycheck by paycheck.
Now people are really trying tomake the hundreds and millions
of dollars.
When I was growing up, I wasn'taround a lot of people, I'm
sure that made six figures andit's regional and there's a lot
of things that go factor intothat.
But you got to have a lot offaith to just be able to make
(26:15):
that shift into wherever wayyou're trying to be independent
financially.
Alana Cook (26:20):
But is that not the same thing?
Then, if you're younger, you'retrying to make money because
you have to be independent, likeI don't think financial
independence has changed.
I think everyone wants that,especially because everyone has
access to it now, because in thepast, women couldn't even like
open their own credit card.
Everyone wants money, you know,because at the end of the day,
(26:42):
like at the end of the day, Idon't care about money, but at
the end of the day I'm stillgoing to work because I need
money.
You know what I'm saying.
So it's like money is important.
We all realize that money isimportant, whether we like it or
not, and so I think that hasn'tchanged.
Shay Cook (26:58):
You're right, it hasn't, other than now, I think,
in my opinion, there's moreentitlement and privilege than
there was.
But it goes back to what yousaid.
Women and people of colorcouldn't do certain things now,
and so that's why theentitlement privilege wasn't
there for those communities, andnow they are, because they are
able to do that, and so nowwe're able to rear and raise
children and communities ofpeople that you know have a
(27:21):
little more of a buffer fromtheir families that they didn't
have before.
So financial independence isnot always a priority to some
people.
If you come from a millionaireparents and they're like we got
everything covered, just go, doyou boo, you know, and you're
not really thinking aboutfinancial independence because
you think you quote unquote arefinancially independent because
your parents are, but reallyyou're not.
And I remember always hearinglike TI, every time he talked
(27:44):
about his kids and like yourkids got it made.
He's like no, I got it made, mykids got to go out here and
work because this is my money.
You ever felt that way aboutyour parents?
Yes, yes.
In fact, it's not your money,it's our money, but you benefit
from that money, and I'm sureyour daddy makes that pretty
(28:04):
clear, right?
Yes, yes, he does,unfortunately, or I'll say,
fortunately, all right.
So each generation has theirown way of looking at faith and
money.
But if you strip it down, thecore principles are generosity,
purpose, stewardship.
They still hit home, right, Imean, there's still the being
generous, being kind, having apurpose, passion, you know.
(28:26):
And in stewardship, you know,being a good steward of your
money, managing your moneyappropriately, responsibility, I
mean.
Right, I think you were taughtall of those.
Yes, I was.
Yeah, speak more on that inyour final thoughts.
It made me a little bit fearful, though.
Alana Cook (28:40):
I used to be very scared of spending money,
especially in college, my firstyear.
I would call you basicallycrying because I spent money at
the grocery store.
Shay Cook (28:49):
Or you weren't used to it because I always did it.
I mean, you went with me a lotof the times the perception of.
Alana Cook (28:56):
I didn't think things were that expensive.
So when I first spent $60 atthe grocery store, I was like
that is not what I thought itwas, even though you used to
take me, like counting the money, you know, at the grocery store
that would be like a hundredand something dollars, but
that's a family of three, youknow.
(29:19):
But then half of that is whatI'm just spending on food and I
wouldn't have like snacks andstuff.
But as I've gotten older I'vebeen more I get more comfortable
with spending money.
Yeah, cause I spent like $60 onsnacks the other day, so On
just snacks.
I wouldn't not just snacks, butmostly snacks, because I was
hungry and I shopped hungry,which I do recommend.
Shay Cook (29:41):
Yeah, you know I don't agree with that.
Now say again what you weresaying about the commissary.
Though we used to go intocommon accounting, yeah you
would.
You would give me a littlenotepad and make me keep track
of how much money you werespending on each thing, and then
you would get me like a babybottle pop at the end yeah,
something like if you werewithin a dollar, five dollars of
the amount, because not onlyfrom the math perspective, but
(30:03):
also I wanted you to know howmuch you were spending or how
much I was spending on groceries.
But it always hits differentlywhen you're using your own money
.
Yeah, yeah, it always does.
That's why I know, growing up,I would always have my parents
pay for stuff and even if I hadmoney, I'd try, even though most
of the time I had to.
If I had my own money, I wouldhave to.
But it's just different whenyou use your own money.
Alana Cook (30:24):
Be like no, you can cover it, even though I have my
own money, because I just don'twant to spend my own money, and
it's also because I don't havethe same amount of money though,
and so I remember I don't knowif you remember this, but I feel
like I was a kid once and I wassaying, like $10 to a kid is
like $100, but to an adult it'snothing that's pretty profound.
(30:44):
As a child it is profound, yeah, and I think that is like
especially when my first year ofcollege I didn't have a job
when I was a freshman, and sothe money was just money I had
saved from the summer, so it wasjust watching the number going
down, knowing that it's notgoing to go back up.
But, now because I have a jobthat pays a little bit more than
my other jobs do.
Shay Cook (31:06):
When I spend money, I know like I said earlier, I
know the money's going to comeback to me.
Alana Cook (31:11):
Yeah, okay, yeah when I've had jobs that paid
less, I was like freaking outbecause I would only get paid
like a hundred dollars every twoweeks, which is not anything,
but now I get a little bit more.
So when I spend money I'm likethis is gonna hurt for like
right now, but I know in a weekor so it's going to be right
there, and I never spend moneythat I have like saved up or
(31:35):
anything either.
So that is one thing I guessthat I've been taught.
Like I, I have money split upfor what I know I'm going to
spend.
Shay Cook (31:46):
Well, good job.
I know that fear sucked in thebeginning, but you get to live
with it.
It's kind of like that it'sjust helping you build up your
muscle when you're spending andthat you know that you're not
going to just spend everything.
I think it's good to have alittle bit.
I know we don't want you tohave full on anxiety or panic
attacks about spending yourmoney, but I think a little bit
of fear goes a little bit awayto help you, reminds you to keep
(32:07):
you disciplined.
I would think it's more aboutthe discipline than even the
fear.
It helps you be self-controlled.
So, all right.
Well, this was a greatconversation, my dear Alana Cook
, my daughter.
Any final thoughts before wewrap up?
Alana Cook (32:21):
I have a lot of thoughts, but I guess you do.
But go ahead.
When you were saying with thediscipline, though, I think when
I first started making a littlebit more money, I would budget
every month, but when you getinto like the practice of it, I
don't really budget as harshlyanymore I used to.
Like I said earlier, I spendmoney based on vibes because I
(32:45):
have my money split out.
I have money If I like.
I like K-pop which could beseen in the back.
Shay Cook (32:52):
Yeah.
Alana Cook (32:54):
I know I'm going to spend money on it, so I put
money aside for it.
Shay Cook (32:57):
So you save for it?
Yeah, so that's self-control,that's discipline?
Alana Cook (33:01):
Yeah, but I know like I'll put that aside, but
for my bigger goals I will havelike I'll put a hundred dollars
towards like a goal with everypaycheck, but I'm not like for
every all the other pots.
I'm like maybe I'm just glad Ilike 25 bucks, yeah, maybe 50,
but I'm not so strict on how Ispend my money now because I've
(33:21):
like trained myself.
Shay Cook (33:23):
So, yeah, and that's what comes with being very
strict in the beginning and intraining yourself.
And then when you make thosedecisions, you got it covered
Right and you know, I taught youthat earlier, not a lot, and
that's what we're trying toteach our clients that don't
know that.
You know when they come to us,they got a lot of debt, they're
not saving.
They're able to learn exactlythose kind of techniques that
you're saying right there.
(33:44):
So then, when it comes tobuying an album or a bike or
whatever it may be on your list,you've already saved for and
planned for it, but you don'thave to be as strict with
everything else.
So great job with that.
Well, thank you for your timetoday.
Everyone as well, thank you forjoining us.
(34:04):
Them from another generationand share insights, because I
know my daughter and I and manyyoung, as I call them out there,
and I love to go to aconference or an event with the
under 18 or the young adults 18to 25 or around that age and
have real conversations, becausethey're going through and they
need us.
So we're here as old heads, as40 plus year old generation Xers
(34:26):
, or if you're a baby boomer, orwherever you're at in the
generational scale, definitelyreach out to the young people
and train them up and give themgood advice.
So thank you for joining us.
Have a wonderful day.
A big thank you for listeningto this episode.
We hope you found today's chatabout the intersection of
religion and money insightful.
We would love to hear yourfeedback.
(34:48):
Hit that subscribe button orfollow the podcast and please
feel free to leave us a reviewFor the latest Yahweh's Money
content.
Visit us at crusaders4changeorgor find us anywhere you listen
to podcasts.
Until next time, stayfinancially fit and spiritually
inspired and remember it'salways better Yahweh's way.
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