What if curiosity isn’t just something you have, but something you spend?

In this solo episode of The Hey Alexa Podcast, Alexa finally unpacks the phrase at the heart of the show: Curiosity is currency.

From years spent behind the bar talking to strangers, to conversations that became relationships, opportunities, new perspectives, and eventually this podcast, Alexa explores what can happen when we stop assuming we already know, and ask one more question instead.

Because curiosity has a way of disrupting certainty. It asks us to reconsider the people we think we know, stay interested in the people we love as they change, question the identities we've built for ourselves, and remain open to the possibility that there may be more to discover.

This is a conversation about people, relationships, opportunity, identity, assumptions, and why some of the most important moments in our lives begin with something as simple as wanting to know more.

And maybe curiosity isn't valuable simply because we possess it.

Maybe it becomes valuable when we're willing to spend it.

So this week, ask the question. Talk to the person you normally wouldn't. Revisit something you've been certain about. Get curious about someone you love—or about the version of yourself you've stopped questioning.

You don't have to know where the question will take you.

That's kind of the point.

🎙️ The Hey Alexa Podcast
Where curiosity is the currency of every conversation.

What if the things that teach us the most about money have very little to do with money?

In this episode of The Hey Alexa Podcast, Alexa sits down with Mike Milligan, CFP® founder of 1.oak Financial, author, educator and entrepreneur—to trace a story that begins at his grandmother's kitchen table and eventually becomes a much bigger conversation about what makes a life feel rich.

Mike grew up watching his grandmother turn necessity into entrepreneurship, selling collard sandwiches to support her family and teaching him some of his earliest lessons about money, resourcefulness and relationships. Decades later, after building a career in finance and entrepreneurship, his definition of success looks a little different.

Alexa and Mike talk about the moving finish line of “enough,” our obsession with productivity, the cost of sacrificing our health and relationships for success, why experiences may be worth investing in before retirement, and what happens when being good at making a living starts competing with being good at living.

And underneath all of it is a reminder Mike carries with him every day:

Never miss a moment.

Because the goal isn't simply to accumulate more. It's to build a life you'll actually remember.

Connect with Mike

Learn more about Mike's work, financial education and One-of-a-Kind approach to financial planning at MikeMilligan.com.

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn

Interested in working with a financial planner? Mike founded 1.oak Financial, where his team builds personalized financial plans around an individual's goals, values and life rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Mike also currently offers a six-week Personal Financial Planning Course, taught virtually through Old Dominion University, designed to give participants practical financial-planning knowledge and tools. You can find course information and Mike's other educational offerings through MikeMilligan.com

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And there’s more to explore. Visit our new home at: The Hey Alexa Podcast

In this episode of The Hey Alexa Podcast, Alexa sits down with strategist, speaker, and author Stephanie Forbes for a conversation that goes far beyond supply chains and global trade. Together, they explore the invisible systems shaping modern life — from government policy and economic infrastructure to human behaviour, relationships, resilience, and the way people navigate uncertainty.

What begins as a conversation about global systems quickly unfolds into a much deeper discussion about curiosity, adaptability, leadership, trust, and the repetitive patterns humanity continues to revisit throughout history. Stephanie shares insights from her new book, Global Wealth, Local Impact, while offering a grounded and deeply human perspective on how systems break, why resilience matters, and what happens when people stop asking better questions.

Viewers can expect a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation about:

• the hidden systems influencing our daily lives
• how uncertainty shapes innovation
• why relationships are becoming more important than ever
• what history teaches us about human nature
• how individuals and nations respond under pressure
• the connection between global resilience and personal resilience

This episode is for anyone curious about the forces quietly shaping the world around them — and how greater awareness, collaboration, and curiosity might help us navigate what comes next.

Connect with Stephanie Forbes:

Book — Global Wealth, Local Impact
https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/Global-Wealth-Local-Impact/Stephanie-Forbes/9781637635162

LinkedIn
https://ca.linkedin.com/in/calgaryforbes

The Forbes Group Website
https://theforbesgroup.ca/

Order the Book Directly
https://theforbesgroup.ca/order-now/

Find & Contact Your Representative in Canadian Parliament:

Find Your Member of Parliament
https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en

Parliament of Canada
https://www.parl.ca/