Money is essential, but there's so much we aren't taught about it.

In fact, while I was in college, I've racked up $20,000 in credit card debt on top of my student loan.

That was all before I actually learned anything about money.

I'm Janelia Spinal, an online new podcast financially inclined from Marketplace.

I'll teach you simple money lessons so you don't make the same mistakes I did.

Listen to financially inclined wherever you get your podcasts.

When Michael Carroll started working as an assistant for the Bachelor in the early 2000s,

reality dating shows were still a relatively new concept.

Producers were mostly winging it, experimenting with different ways to make compelling TV.

Michael was intrigued by how they would create all this drama between contestants.

Just pulling emotion out of people and making people do things or

planting seeds to make people think or do things.

I was like, wow, this is fascinating.

Michael wanted to know what it felt like to pull the strings.

There's a power that comes to the realization that you can manipulate people into doing things

you want them to do. But it wasn't just about the power. He was more so drawn to the creative

process of figuring out how to make something out of nothing, how to craft a juicy,

dramatic storyline. When he got a promotion and became a producer, he finally got his chance.

One of the most challenging parts of his job was during the highly anticipated Rose ceremonies.

If you are not familiar, that is when the Bachelor chooses which of the women

vying for his affection will make it through to the next episode.

We are all going into the Rose ceremony. It's really nerve-wracking just because there's a chance

...