I want to know who you are.

I mean that in the best possible way.

Here's the thing about making a podcast: you spend a lot of time creating something, you put that thing out into the world, and … you really don’t know who exactly is listening to it.

I do have some audience demographic data, but it’s not very robust. Knowing who is listening helps me land potential sponsors, and that helps OPP grow.

So I made a survey. It takes about three minutes.

Help shape the future of this show! Click here. And thank you!

-Maya

How do you compensate someone for giving life to another person's dream?

Sunshine Hanson is a three-time gestational surrogate, which means that on three different occasions, she was pregnant with and gave birth to other people’s babies, and was paid for it.

Her experience of helping families who wanted biological children but could not carry them on their own and navigating the financial aspects of that, inspired her to start her own agency, called "Surrogacy is...," which matches intended parents with prospective surrogates.

I’ve always wanted to interview a surrogate because I’m fascinated by the idea of getting paid to do something that is so personal and that you really can’t put a price on.

We talked about how much money she made by being a surrogate; how it helped her pay off debt and reach financial goals; the ethics of paying someone to be pregnant & how to guard against exploitation; and about the financial literacy that should be talked about more in life and in the world of surrogacy.

Email me (Maya) with guest ideas, questions, or hello's at otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com. Find me on social media here.

Find Sunshine:

Surrogacy.is

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What happens when you finally start to budget in your 50s, then you discover to your total surprise that you are $40,000 in debt?

I spoke to Margo Clayson about the uncomfortable conversations she had — and new relationship patterns she created — on her journey to becoming financially sound.

Clayson is founder of The Mighty Microgreen, an organization that helps educators create interactive STEM and nutrition lessons using microgreens.

She’s also an educator, longtime student, mom, grandmother, wife and Canadian now living in rural Idaho. I talked to her about the unusual way her financial reckoning came about, how she navigates money and marriage, and what budgeting looks like when you’re living off Social Security.

Email me (Maya) with guest ideas, questions, or hello's at otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com Find me on social media here.

Find Margo:

The Mighty Microgreen

LinkedIn

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