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<p>“The adventure you’re ready for is the one you get!” Jeff Probst told the world in September 2009 when he accepted <a href="https://www.emmys.com/bios/jeff-probst" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">his second Emmy</a> as “Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program.” Crisscrossing the globe <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1357589/jeff-probst-reveals-his-future-on-survivor#:~:text=After%20a%20whopping%2043%20seasons,of%20the%20CBS%20competition%20series." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">for over two decades</a> as the face of <em>Survivor</em>, a show that cracked open the whole notion of reality television, Probst’s adventures seem endless. He's camped out for months in the Amazon jungle and Australian Outback, not to mention an island paradise or two.</p>



<p>But for 61-year-old Probst, adventure encompasses more than <em>Survivor</em>-style challenges. Life’s journey as a whole, including the tough choices, lessons learned and prep work, readies him for the next opportunity. He’s grateful for those opportunities, as well as the people who <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/rohn-4-tips-for-setting-powerful-goals/">encouraged him to dream big</a> and <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-a-to-dont-list-can-help-you-achieve-your-goals/">pursue his goals</a>.</p>



<p>But he knows not all kids are so lucky. “There’s this magnificent world out there, and as much of it is yours as you’re willing to take,” says Probst, who tried to convey that message to disadvantaged young people through his work with The Serpentine Project.</p>



<h2>Jeff Probst's early influences</h2>



<p>Probst’s own adventurous spirit took root early on. The eldest of three boys, while growing up in Wichita, Kansas, he was influenced as a teen by the books of Joseph Campbell, the late comparative mythology and religion author whose philosophy was best described in his phrase, “Follow your bliss.” Campbell believed everyone experiences a “hero’s journey” involving personal growth and change. It's a theory he first put forth in his best-known work, <a href="https://amzn.to/3DSW7qB" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>The Hero With a Thousand Faces</em></a>, published in 1949.</p>



<p>Jeff Probst paid homage to Campbell during his Emmy acceptance speech, paraphrasing the author’s message (“The achievement of the hero is one that he is ready for, and it’s really a manifestation of his character. It’s amusing the way in which the landscape and conditions of the environment match the readiness of the hero. The adventure that he is ready for is the one that he gets.”) from <a href="https://amzn.to/3HM92vj" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>The Power of Myth</em></a>, which continues to shape his own outlook.</p>



<p>Still, the young Probst didn’t dream too far beyond his Midwestern boundaries. “We lived in Kansas and that was the end of it,” he says. That is, until his dad’s new job uprooted the 15-year-old and landed him near a busy metropolis sporting a Space Needle. The move to Bellevue, Washington, “opened my eyes up to a new way of <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/positive-perception-why-you-should-filter-the-way-you-see-the-world/">looking at the world</a>,” he says.</p>



<h2 id="h-an-early-storyteller">An early storyteller</h2>



<p>Probst developed <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/everyone-has-a-story-heres-how-to-make-yours-resonate/">an interest in storytelling</a> and explored different methods of expression—at one point as an unruly columnist for his high-school newspaper and an underground paper he and his friends founded, at another as a member of a rock band he joined after dropping out of college. His parents were not thrilled with the latter move, he says: “To their credit, they never did anything but support us kids, even when their first son did something that would make most parents say, ‘Absolutely not!’”&nbsp;</p>



<p>Probst’s father, who worked for Boeing, helped channel his son’s interests, brokering an interview with the aircraft manufacturing company’s motion picture department. Probst landed the job, and he says for the most part, he shut up, listened and learned. He honed his storytelling skills and learned how to work in front of the camera, which earned him more money and greater opportunities.</p>



<h3>Jeff Probst on the power of believing in yourself</h3>



<p>Signing with a Seattle agent, he got his first commercial and started hustling for more work. When a local show rejected him for an on-air job because producers wanted better-known L.A. talent, Probst checked out his competitors’ audition tapes.</p>



<p>Two stood out—a guy named Kinnear and another named Lauer. “At the time, Greg Kinnear was not a movie star and Matt Lauer wasn’t the biggest star on morning television. They were just guys getting their starts,” Probst says.</p>



<p>He thought the quality of his work rivaled theirs, “so I put myself out there and I sent a tape to their agent and, you know what she said? ‘I think you’re right.’”</p>



<p>Three weeks later, he was living in Manhattan, working as an on-air personality for the FX network.</p>



<p>“You have to have the faith to believe in yourself, and it goes back to all those things that haunt us—asking the girl out, <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-ask-for-more-money-and-get-it/">asking your boss for a raise</a>, going for the next job. If you don’t <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/8-daily-tips-for-building-self-confidence/">believe in yourself</a>, damn sure no one else is going to,” Probst says.</p>



<h2>Jeff Probst's adventurous spirit takes hold</h2>



<p>“I was ready for that adventure,” he says. “I believe Joseph Campbell knew what he was talking about. If you’re ready, then get on the bus and leave. If you’re not, then enjoy where you are and find a new adventure. Maybe your adventure is a different one today. But whatever it is that you’re ready for—whether it is to kiss the girl or go for the brass ring in your professional life—you’re not going to get there until, on some level, you’re ready for it.”</p>



<p>After four years at FX, Jeff Probst hosted <em>Rock &amp; Roll Jeopardy</em> before leaping to <em>Access Hollywood</em>. While there, he loged more than 300,000 miles traveling the world as a correspondent and gaining the chops for what would become the role of a lifetime.</p>



<h3>The role of a lifetime</h3>



<p>When <em>Survivor</em> first showed up on his career radar, Probst was intrigued. The concept, he believed, appealed to an astute student of the human condition who enjoyed the choreography of personal interactions. The premise was unique for television, and Probst campaigned hard to be <em>Survivor</em>’s host. The rest was up to executive producer Mark Burnett, whose vision for the show, Probst says, catapulted the CBS series into television history and took his career to new heights.</p>



<p>Yet, on that remote Malaysian island of Pulau Tiga in the South China Sea some 20 years ago, Probst never dreamed <em>Survivor </em>would become such a big hit, let alone a phenomenon changing the face of television.</p>



<p>“I was lucky enough that the guy who hired me [Mark Burnett] turned out to be a remarkable storyteller, and he knew how to execute. Because <em>Survivor</em> in the hands of a lot of other television producers could have been a disaster,” Probst says.</p>



<p>From the beginning, Burnett gave Probst a voice, as well as the most valuable lesson he’s ever learned about managing people: “Empower them to be their best by giving them the room to fail. Go for it. Try it. If it works, do it again tomorrow, and if it doesn’t, try something else.”</p>



<h2>Measuring success</h2>



<p>Jeff Probst is proud of his <em>Survivor</em> work because it represents his best effort, which, ultimately, is the only measure of success that really counts. Trite? Not for Probst. He believes giving your best means doing your homework, putting in the time, concentrating and getting your priorities straight.</p>



<p>“One thing I’ve learned is you are the measurer of your success, and that’s something that can easily get lost in job titles or how much money you make or awards you’re given for your performance at work,” Probst says. “But the truth is that only you truly determine if you’re successful or not.”</p>



<h3>For Jeff Probst, personal growth is the best success</h3>



<p>Although Probst relishes his accomplishments and the tangible aspects of his celebrity, he’s proud above all of the personal progress he’s made. “I’ve worked the hardest on how to become a better person on this planet,” he says. “There are certainly people who do a lot better things than I do and more often, but I’m a better person than I was yesterday, and that’s the measure of success that I hold myself to.”</p>



<p>Countless starry nights in makeshift homes on location in jungles and on beaches have given Probst opportunities to contemplate the world and his place in it. “<em>Survivor</em> has been the greatest gift ever,” he says. Finding himself living in Kenya or on the island of Samoa for months at a time, Probst is witness to a broader sense of life, where food, culture, religion and even the way women and men are treated socially is different.</p>



<p>Laughter, however, seems to be a common denominator. Probst recalls pickup volleyball or soccer games with residents on Samoa. “They are all laughing, even when they are in competition. There’s never taunting or making fun of somebody for hitting a bad shot. It’s fun. There’s laughter. They’re playing,” he says.</p>



<p>Despite economic hardships unfathomable to many Americans, the residents of Samoa celebrate life and play. And that has made an impression on Probst. “I’m here for an uncertain amount of time and I want to get the most out of it. Part of that is things that I want to achieve in work, but the more I travel and the more experiences I have with <em>Survivor</em> around the world, the more I realize that I also want to live, I want to laugh and I want to love.”</p>



<h3>Giving back to the community</h3>



<p>That philosophy includes <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-use-your-influence-to-help-others/">leveraging his celebrity</a> for the greater good. Among his other charity work, Probst founded and helped raise money and awareness for The Serpentine Project, whose mentors helped young adults develop action plans to reach their goals.</p>



<p>Probst also has helped raise money and awareness for the American Red Cross, which provided assistance to tsunami-ravaged Samoa shortly after the 20th season of <em>Survivor</em> wrapped shooting there. Celebrating <em>Survivor</em>’s 20th season, which aired February 2010, was perhaps even more poignant considering Mother Nature’s devastation. </p>



<h2>Jeff Probst's hero's journey complete</h2>



<p>While the concept for the 20th season took some backroom wrangling, Probst says, “We came up with an idea that we felt really encompassed what <em>Survivor</em> has been about for the last 20 seasons… It’s pretty clear that if you’re a <em>Survivor</em> fan, then you’re going to enjoy this.” The new season featured 20 of <em>Survivor’s</em> former contestants competing on two teams—the heroes and the villains.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Returning after four months in Samoa, Los Angeles hits like a freight train moving 100 mph—texting, jobs, traffic. Among <em>Survivor</em>’s enduring lessons, Jeff Probst says, is that he is not the center of the universe and his all-important schedule is just his stuff to deal with. “Man, there’s balance,” Probst says—a lesson Americans could learn from the islanders of Samoa.</p>



<p>But the United States still rates No. 1 as the greatest country in the world for Probst. “You’re born here in a country that’s built on opportunity,” he says. “I’m reminded of that all the time. This knapsack of advantage that I was born with… I pretty much got the lottery. Throw on top of it two parents who love their children and are dedicated to them. You know, if you can’t make something of your life, on some level, given that, then it’s on you.”</p>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><em>This article was published in February 2010 and has been updated. Photo by Robert Voets/CBS</em></p>

Following his bliss took Jeff Probst on his own hero's journey, full of adventure, growth, and more. Learn more about the host of "Survivor".

Following his bliss took Jeff Probst on his own hero's journey, full of adventure, growth, and more. Learn more about the host of "Survivor". | SUCCESS

Jeff Probst: A Survivor's Perspective on Life's Adventure

Jeff Probst: A Survivor&#8217;s Perspective on Life&#8217;s Adventure

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Jeff Probst Shares His Perspective on Life’s Adventure | SUCCESS

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<p>Americans are facing a financial paradox: <a href="https://www.epiqglobal.com/en-us/resource-center/news/january-year-over-year-bankruptcy-new-filings-incr" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">increasing bankruptcy filings</a> and <a href="https://www.attomdata.com/news/most-recent/attom-february-2023-u-s-foreclosure-market-report/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">foreclosure rates</a> vs. an economy based on consumer spending. Money—how we spend and save—<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/data-americans-dont-talk-about-money-with-friends-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">is a touchy subject</a>, even among those we love most. Our reluctance to talk about money may even be contributing in some ways to the <a href="https://www.financialeducatorscouncil.org/financial-illiteracy-costs-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">financial challenges we face today</a>—including <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/money-masters-financial-literacy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">America’s financial literacy problem</a>—resulting in greater pain and stress for families.</p>



<p>Amidst the economy’s dramatic ups and downs, it’s hard to imagine a silver lining. But igniting America’s <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/tori-dunlap-founder-of-her-first-100k/">interest in financial literacy</a> and finally learning how to effectively <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/on-marriage-and-money-with-rich-regular-hosts-julien-and-kiersten-saunders/">talk to one another</a> about money may be the shiny upside to the downturns.</p>



<h2 id="h-talking-about-money-with-your-partner">Talking about money with your partner</h2>



<p>It’s important to note, however, that fighting about your spouse’s new golf club or fifth pair of strappy black sandals doesn’t count as <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/preparing-yourself-to-have-difficult-money-conversations-with-your-partner/">having a conversation about money</a>. <a href="https://davidbach.com/meet-david-bach/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">David Bach</a> is a financial strategist and bestselling author of <a href="https://amzn.to/40Tz1ZO" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Smart Couples Finish Rich</em></a>. He says immediate crises like paying the bills often distract couples from <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/combining-finances/">working together on an overall financial game plan</a>, and that’s a big mistake.</p>



<p>“You really need to <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-make-finances-part-of-your-self-care-routine/">plan a money day</a> once a month and a financial anniversary each year to look at where you stand financially—goals for the year, what you are working toward as a team. Be on the same page,” Bach says.</p>



<p>The challenge is when people are <a href="https://kanebridgenews.com/when-it-comes-to-marriage-and-money-opposites-attract/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">attracted to their financial opposites</a>. One person wants to spend like there’s no tomorrow, while the other wants to squirrel away every spare dime for a rainy day. One partner wants to talk about money, plan and set goals, while the other defers, relinquishing control and input, leaving their significant other to shoulder the responsibility and make all decisions. That’s a losing proposition for both their financial and emotional health.</p>



<p>Talking about money can actually help strengthen a relationship, says author and radio host <a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/shows/the-ramsey-show" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dave Ramsey</a>. Discussing money forces couples to discuss just about every other topic. If done productively, that can translate to meaningful communication, cooperation and unity.</p>



<p>“When you have two sets of goals in anything, you’re not unified,” Ramsey says. “But when you’re forced to sit down and reconcile your goals, prioritize around the good of the other person and come into agreement on the spending of your money, then you’re agreeing on your dreams. You’re agreeing on your future.”</p>



<h3 id="h-come-up-with-solutions-that-work-for-both-of-you">Come up with solutions that work for both of you.</h3>



<p>Still having trouble convincing a lackadaisical partner to sit down for a heart-to-heart about money? Then proceed solo and spread your financial records out on the kitchen table in clear sight.</p>



<p>“<a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-organize-finances/">Pulling together all your financial records</a> and setting up a new filing system tends to spark the interest of even [the most] reluctant spouses and partners,” Bach says. “Believe me—sometimes all it takes to change your life massively for the better is a small action and a small success.”</p>



<p>Instantaneously flipping your financial world upside down isn’t a great idea, but achieving small personal finance successes may inspire further change. <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-create-a-budget/">Assess your current financial situation</a> together so both partners are on equal footing. Look at where the money’s going, how much you owe and your assets. If necessary, update insurance and retirement beneficiaries and reexamine your mortgage.</p>



<h3 id="h-set-goals-together">Set goals together.</h3>



<p>After you’ve gathered the data, act as a team by uniting in your purpose. Bach recommends exploring your top five values for who you want to be as a person and/or couple, then creating five <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/how-to-set-goals/">specific and measurable goals</a> based on those values. Consider and write down what you can do to move forward on those goals within the next 48 hours and whose help you should seek. Finally, set a start and finish deadline for meeting each goal.</p>



<p>Couples who focus their energy on <a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/what-is-a-financial-plan" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a financial plan</a> can positively impact the financial health of their families, as well as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7068402/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the health of their relationships</a>. “The key is to truly believe that wherever you are starting from—no matter how bad or bleak it looks—things can and will get better,” Bach says. “If right now you are badly in debt or living paycheck to paycheck, I am here to tell you… it can and will get better… if the two of you take action together.”</p>



<h2 id="h-how-to-talk-to-children-about-money">How to talk to children about money</h2>



<p>Better yet, bring the right kind of money talk out into the open at the dinner table and give your kids <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/7-apps-to-teach-kids-about-money/">a financial head start</a>, too.</p>



<h3 id="h-use-age-appropriate-examples-with-younger-kids">Use age-appropriate examples with younger kids</h3>



<p>“When it comes to financial issues, as in everything else you discuss with your kids, your role is to satisfy their curiosity in an honest and age-appropriate way…. Your ultimate aim is to turn out independent adults who know how to manage money and have a healthy regard for what it can and can’t buy,” author Janet Bodnar says in her book <a href="https://amzn.to/3KtfKcl" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Dollars &amp; Sense for Kids</em></a>.</p>



<p>To that end, everyday life provides an ideal classroom. While abstract money concepts are above most preschoolers, parents can foster a connection between work and money by utilizing positive reinforcement, such as encouragement or token rewards.</p>



<p>By second grade, kids count change and eagerly meet grocery store scavenger challenges that help them discover low-price, high-value items. Young teens can understand stock market basics, play simulated stock games online or chart the ups and downs of mock stock purchases with adult help.</p>



<h3 id="h-be-more-open-with-teens-to-improve-their-financial-literacy">Be more open with teens to improve their financial literacy</h3>



<p>“You don’t want to disclose the details of your family’s financial affairs to younger children, but teens are old enough to learn the nitty-gritty of household finances,” Bodnar says. Watching you write out monthly checks or paying bills online together can open teenage eyes to the realities of money: Parents aren’t ATMs.</p>



<p>If that doesn’t work, take a cue from one father who literally cashed his paycheck and had his teens parcel out the cash needed to pay the monthly household bills. “By the time his kids saw how little was left, they were talking about getting part-time jobs,” Bodnar says.</p>



<p>Ramsey says money conversations become a lot easier when children understand how their own personal economy works. “If Junior learns to work for, save, give and spend his own money, he’ll get it when you let him know that a spring break vacation is not in the family budget this year,” he says.</p>



<h2 id="h-lessons-learned-from-talking-about-money">Lessons learned from talking about money</h2>



<p>Going a step further, Sharon Lechter, former member of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy and co-author of <a href="https://amzn.to/3MgCeyu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Three Feet from Gold</em></a>, recommends empowering children by <a href="https://successcom.wpenginepowered.com/start-talking-to-your-kids-about-investing-heres-where-to-start/">igniting their entrepreneurial spirit</a>. If they beg for a new toy, don’t reject them out of hand. Instead, Lechter says, “Ask them, ‘How can we afford it?’”</p>



<p>Lechter encourages parents to ask kids of all ages money questions, and has previously provided some suggestions to help you get started. <a href="http://horizonspeakers.com/wp-content/uploads/downloads/personal-finance-30-money-questions-for-kids.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Each day in May 2011</a>, she posted questions ranging from “Do you know what your parents do to make money?” to “Does it feel good to buy something on sale?” These questions, as well as her casual parental guidance, are still available online.</p>



<p><a href="https://sharonlechter.com/product-category/financial-education-products/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lechter also offers tools</a> for youthpreneurs, or kids who run their own businesses. Kids are enterprising. Lechter reminds parents that creative, open minds often produce ideas that can expand a family’s income stream. That’s not only an empowering lesson for kids, but also for weary parents being forced to reinvent themselves.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/money/family-financial-strain" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Family financial stress</a> isn’t exclusive to Mom and Dad; kids feel it, too, despite your best efforts to protect them. Younger kids mostly need honest reassurance that you have a plan to solve the problem and everything will be OK, while teens can handle a bigger dose of reality and learn from global economic turmoil. Positive conversation that adds perspective about our country’s <a href="https://www.history.com/news/us-economic-recessions-timeline" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">long history of economic recovery</a> and your family’s ability to bounce back may ease their fears.</p>



<h3 id="h-financial-empowerment-comes-from-talking-about-money">Financial empowerment comes from talking about money</h3>



<p>Simply understanding that they can make a living for themselves and actually create their own prosperity may go a long way toward easing those fears. Those lessons represent “the gift of a lifetime,” Lechter says, “because they learn that they don’t have to depend upon their parents or an employer or their government. They can create assets and make money on their own.”</p>



<p>That empowerment not only impacts a child’s future, but also their present. Faced with family spending cuts, Johnny, for example, may see how his lawn-mowing efforts can directly impact the family’s bottom line. In turn, he may elect to pay for his own iTunes downloads or, better yet, hold onto the money he earns and invest it to help pay for college. Guided by honest money talk from you, Johnny’s choices can be informed decisions based not on teenage angst or whim, but on a solid and responsible financial footing.&nbsp;</p>



<p>If the math simply doesn’t work, parents must be prepared to disappoint their kids. Out-of-state or private school might be the dream, but the balance sheet doesn’t lie. It might say state university or community college is what’s feasible.</p>



<p>But while keeping the right kind of money talk on the table at home may improve a family’s financial odds, you never truly know where financial empowerment could lead in the long run. Johnny’s entrepreneurial efforts could surprise you, and you might just surprise yourself.</p>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><em>This article was published in February 2012 and has been updated. Photo by fizkes/Shutterstock</em></p>

Talking about money with your partner or children can be difficult. Here's how to start—and how you'll all benefit from the conversation.

Talking about money with your partner or children can be difficult. Here's how to start—and how you'll all benefit from the conversation. | SUCCESS

Family Money Talk

How to Talk About Money with Your Partner & Children | SUCCESS

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Beth Silcox

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Jeff Probst: A Survivor’s Perspective on Life’s Adventure

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