16 : My Dad's Thoughts on Money & the FIRE Movement with Val Coelho (Part 2)

“One of the best things that you can do for your financial independence is to look at what's out there that is sustainable, that you can make a good living at, and that you can make a difference in.” - Val Coelho

Welcome to the Mindful FIRE Podcast, where we explore living mindfully on the path to financial independence and beyond. I’m your host Adam Coelho and I’m so glad you’re here. 

On today’s episode I’m again joined by my dad, Val Coelho for part 2 of our conversation. As a reminder, in part 1 of our conversation we dove into his story of coming to the United States from Portugal at age 24, meeting my mother while working on the cruise ships and how they eventually started a business that provided a financially secure life for our family. If you haven’t listened to that yet, I recommend checking it out, since it provides context for what we discuss in this episode.

In this episode, Val and I explore the lessons about money he learned growing up in a family in Portugal during a very tumultuous time for the country. We also explore the money lessons he tried to teach my brother and I. We even discussed one of my first big purchases, a $600 sound system with two 12-inch subwoofers for my tiny GMC Sonoma truck. 

We also get his thoughts on the FIRE (financial independence retire early) movement. I was eager to hear his thoughts on this, since he and my mother are still working as small business owners and are hoping to retire soon, around regular retirement age. In the discussion, he brought up a great point about privilege and the fact that most people don’t have the luxury of thinking about retirement at all, since they’re focused on surviving under very difficult circumstances. 

Val also shares:

• His top advice for those early on the path to financial independence
• His advice for those getting started with mindfulness
• One thing he’s grateful for
• His philosophy that “What

Join the Mindful FIRE Legends community at MindfulFIRE.org/join.

PS: Introducing the… 🔥 FIRE Starter Group Coaching Program

You did the “money” part. You saved, invested, and built real options. But if you’re being honest… FU money alone isn’t enough—and you might still feel stuck in “one more year syndrome,” unclear on what you actually want next.

In 10 weeks or less, we’ll help you get clear on what you want—and start living it now—using envisioning, mindfulness, and practical mini-experiments (not endless overthinking).

Interested? Let’s chat: https://mindfulfire.org/chat

🔥 WHO I’m creating this for

This is for you if you’re at or near FI (Coast FI or full FIRE) and:

• You feel stuck after “doing everything right,” but you’re not sure what you’re optimizing for anymore.
• You’re caught between freedom and overwhelm (“I could do anything… so I do nothing”).
• You want clarity and momentum—but you don’t want someone to tell you what to do.

🔥 WHAT we’ll do together (over 10 weeks)

In a small group (mastermind-style), you’ll:

• Get clear on what you actually want (beyond expectations, comparison, and “shoulds”).
• Create a big, meaningful vision for your next chapter—one that fits who you are now.
• Learn the brain science behind envisioning (why it works, and how to use it).
• Turn yo...