A Conversation with Sean Pyles, Host & Producer of NerdWallet's “Smart Money” Podcast
By: Arielle Nissenblatt
Sean Pyles is a producer and host of the NerdWallet podcast Smart Money. He delivers thoughtful, friendly, actionable advice by debunking common money myths and offering up new ways to prioritize your penny.
Listeners can call in and share their money woes while receiving personable and clarifying strategies to up their money game. Additionally, you can find him on platforms like TikTok and Instagram for more streamlined advice!
Prior to his work as a NerdWallet podcast host and producer, Sean guided his community through topics surrounding consumer debt. In addition, he has been featured in a variety of publications, such as The NY Times and USA Today.
Sean on the Smart Money Podcast
Arielle Nissenblatt: What does your day-to-day look like as a NerdWallet producer/co-host for their podcast, the Smart Money Podcast?
Sean Pyles: I usually have a steady stream of varying tasks, ranging from recording podcast segments to meeting with my team to discuss the vision and strategy for the podcast, to coordinating logistics for upcoming recordings. We typically record between three and four segments each week, so at any given moment I might be scripting an episode, providing edits on another or doing research for upcoming recordings. I also do a good deal of high-level planning around the show — meeting and collaborating with my partners across NerdWallet.
AN: Do you consider yourself a Nerd? And do you ever find yourself learning new things about the space as you grow with this platform?
SP: I do! Podcasting and personal finance are two fields where the fundamentals may stay the same from one year to the next, but the social, cultural, and economic contexts in which they operate are ever evolving. To do my job well and best help consumers, I view it as my responsibility to continue to learn more about both industries, whether I’m getting deeper into the nuances of 529 college savings plans or understanding the latest best practices for growing our audience.
AN: What would we be surprised to know about your role as a podcast producer?
SP: How frequently my dog or cat is sleeping on me while I’m working. Seriously though, I’m not sure how surprising this might be given the scrappy nature of the podcast industry, but people probably aren’t aware of just how much we do behind the scenes to keep the show’s production machinery moving — and expanding. I’m so proud of how our podcasting process has evolved over the years — from back when Smart Money was just an idea to now where we’ve had millions of downloads. In the earlier days, I was handling everything from recording segments, cutting audio, writing show notes and so much more. Fast forward to today — we have a larger team which has allowed us to scale our operation, though I’m still involved in each aspect of the show in some way.
AN: How do you and the team work to come up with different topics for the podcast?
SP: Most of our episode topics come from the money questions we get from our listeners. We’re really lucky to have an audience that is super smart and curious about ways to further improve their finances, so they make my job easy.
We also publish special series, which we call our “Nerdy Deep Dives” where we explore topics like how climate change will impact our finances to the price of parenthood. Many of the ideas for these series come from Nerds from across the Content team and I’m very grateful to have so many smart, passionate colleagues who want to help consumers navigate these thornier subjects.
AN: You’ve recently started to grow your social media presence on both Instagram and TikTok. What do you think is the added value of sharing your messages and advice through short-form videos like this?
SP: Podcasting can sometimes feel a little one-sided. We’re working hard to create this content, but how are our listeners receiving it? And what follow up questions do they have? Sharing videos on social channels gives me an opportunity to build a more dynamic relationship with Smart Money’s audience — and reach people who want to learn more about personal finance but who might not be aware of our show. These social channels are also places for me to show that I’m grappling with many of the same financial questions as our audience too. And from a brand perspective, it just reinforces that no matter where our audience turns for personal finance information, we Nerds are there!
AN: What do you enjoy most about interacting with the NerdWallet community online through your Instagram and TikTok?
SP: I’m really interested in hearing people’s stories, and I so appreciate how willing people are to share their financial challenges and wins over social media. People’s financial stories, the challenges they’re facing, and the creative solutions they come to are a big part of what makes personal finance so compelling, and social media is one of the best venues to share these experiences.
AN: Have you had a favorite podcast episode to date?
SP: I’d choose a subset of our episodes rather than a single episode. But across all of the types of episodes that we publish, my favorites are the ones where we have a listener come on to talk with us about their money questions. During these conversations, it becomes apparent that while people may have a single question for us, there are so many interconnected parts of their lives that explain the motives and values underlying their questions.
Digging into the subtext of our listeners’ questions — and providing them with the information to make a smart decision that’s best for their circumstances — is one of the most interesting and rewarding parts of my job. For example, in a recent episode I talk with a listener about whether she should fire her financial advisor. Under her current advisor’s management, her investments have underperformed the market, but she was wary of firing the advisor because they are a family friend. So that led us to talk about how she can clarify her priorities with a financial advisor — does she want to grow her money, or maintain a social relationship? Sometimes just talking with someone who has an outside perspective on your situation can help put things into clear terms and make a seemingly fraught decision much simpler.
AN: And finally, what is your biggest goal and takeaway you hope people get from NerdWallet’s Smart Money Podcast?
There is no one “right” way to manage your finances and you should feel empowered to do the research you need to make the smartest decision for your circumstances.
You can find and follow Smart Money Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
