Common Ground Podcast, Episode 48
Guest: Andrew Quebbemann
Written by D.J. Reiter
Money is one of the most universally experienced and universally avoided topics in modern life. In Episode 48 of The Common Ground Podcast, hosts John (aka Philly) and Sydney sit down with Andrew Quebbemann, a financial advisor with Zepeda Partners in California, for an honest conversation about the emotional side of personal finance and what it actually takes to build a healthier relationship with money.
Andrew’s core message is straightforward: money is a tool. But getting people to truly internalize that requires working through a lifetime of fear, shame, and inherited habits; and that’s where the real work begins.
It Starts With Your Relationship With Money
Before any spreadsheet or investment strategy enters the picture, Andrew believes you have to understand how you feel about money and where those feelings come from. The conversation gets personal quickly; Andrew shares how his mother felt self-conscious parking a used BMW behind their family candy shop, Philly reflects on growing up in the inner city, where a luxury car carried a very different stigma, and Sydney opens up about growing up in a financially successful household where money was still an emotional minefield.
The takeaway isn’t that one experience is right, and another is wrong. It’s that your background shapes how you approach your finances; often without you realizing it. As Sydney puts it, “You don’t just inherit things like your eye color. You inherit fear, scarcity, shame, and financial habits from your parents.” Acknowledging that is the first step toward changing it.
What a Fiduciary Actually Brings to the Table
Andrew is a fiduciary, meaning he’s legally obligated to act in his clients’ best interests at all times. He’s quick to point out that his value isn’t in buying stocks on your behalf; you can do that yourself. What he provides is harder to quantify: the tough questions, the outside perspective, and the steady hand when things get emotional.
He illustrates this with a story about a client whose father unexpectedly passed away. When she reached out to Andrew, her first question wasn’t about her dad; it was, “Do you know what his passwords were?” Having a plan already in place meant she could focus on grieving rather than logistics. That, Andrew says, is what being prepared actually looks like.
Financial Problems Don’t Only Happen to People Who Are Struggling
One of the episode’s more eye-opening points is that a healthy income doesn’t guarantee a healthy financial life. Andrew describes a Beverly Hills physician living at the absolute limit of his earnings and seeing no issue with it. He also recounts reviewing his own wife’s 401(k); set up correctly on the surface, but configured as if she were retiring in three years rather than thirty. That one overlooked detail, left uncorrected, would have had a massive impact over time.
The lesson: even people who think they’ve got it handled benefit from a second set of eyes.
Where to Start When You’re Overwhelmed
Philly asks the question many listeners are probably thinking — what about people who aren’t worried about optimizing their 401(k), but who can barely cover their bills? Andrew doesn’t sidestep it. He acknowledges that financial pressure is real and widespread, and that’s exactly why starting small matters.
His advice: build the habit first. Set aside whatever you can: a dollar, ten dollars, into a separate account. Don’t wait until you feel “ready” or until the number feels significant enough. The habit is the point. And for anyone wondering whether a financial advisor is even relevant to them, Andrew’s answer is simple: you won’t know until you have the conversation.
Mindset Creates the Opportunity
Sydney closes with a big-picture question: Does mindset create opportunity, or does opportunity enable mindset? Andrew’s answer: mindset comes first. Believing you’re worth investing in, even in small ways, is what sets everything else in motion.
His advice to his younger self echoes the same theme: stay curious, pursue growth; but verify before you wire $10,000 to an overseas seminar. That money, he confirms, never came back.
Key Episode Takeaways
- Your emotional history with money matters. Fear and shame are real obstacles; acknowledge them before trying to work around them.
- Know what a fiduciary is and find one. Not all financial advisors are legally required to put your interests first. The ones who make a difference.
- Be skeptical of broad financial advice online. If someone is recommending a specific investment to a wide audience, ask what their incentive is.
- Start small and start now. You don’t need to have everything figured out. Building the habit is the goal.
- Fear is expensive. Inaction has a real cost: in time, growth, and future options.
To connect with Andrew, visit noshameinadollar.com or find him on LinkedIn.
We want to hear from you!
Andrew says that “mindset creates the opportunity.” Where in your life have you been waiting for the right circumstances before taking action, financially or otherwise?
Think about the financial habits you inherited from the people who raised you. Which ones are serving you, and which ones might be worth unlearning?
What is your earliest memory involving money, and how do you think it shaped the way you handle finances today?
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