Tune into The Ramsey Show on any given day, and you might hear any number of co-hosts paired up with longtime figurehead Dave Ramsey. Often, you’ll hear Rachel Cruze alongside the famed talk radio host. And if you’re a new listener, it might take you a while to realize that Cruze is his real-life daughter.
Over the past decade and a half, Rachel Cruze has grown into her role at Ramsey Solutions, helping move the company’s message through a variety of expanded digital aspects, as well as her role as joining The Ramsey Show as a co-host alongside her father.
Obviously, being the daughter of Dave Ramsey comes with both blessings and challenges. A self-identified “spender”, Rachel Cruze said that from an early age she felt drawn toward the work her father did. She began traveling and speaking with her father at 15. And she knew almost immediately that it was a field she wanted to work in.
“I remember enjoying — I guess you could say — his line of work,” she said. “I enjoyed speaking. And I remember someone telling me, ‘Remember that, Rachel, because that’s kind of an odd thing to love, public speaking.’ Most people hate doing that They dread it … I always loved being around what he was doing, and there was always kind of that infatuation with helping people and really seeing life change happen.”
Rachel Cruze noted that the job combines several aspects that she enjoys: traveling, talking with and meeting new people, and sharing the message that her father careful crafted through his own trial and error. And helping share that message has changed the lives of countless people.
“It was kind of that collision between really understanding that the message is needed, and I feel like I did have a set of gifts, I guess you could say, of being able to speak publicly,” she shared. “So it kind of all collided really after college.”
Despite growing up the daughter of a talk radio host, Rachel Cruze admitted it took her awhile to find her own voice on The Ramsey Show and with the company.
“I remember thinking — it may have been five years in, maybe after having my first baby — when I realized, ‘Ok, I have thoughts, and they actually may be a little different than my dad’s.’ He always was like, ‘Drive a hoopty car to get out of debt’ and all this stuff. And I’m like, yeah, but you can get a somewhat cute $5,000 car that’s all one color. He’d buy one that’s different colors and have it have a nickname, and I’m like, ‘No, most people don’t want to do that.
“So I remember having these side thoughts and realizing I’m not a balding 60-year-old man either,” she said with a chuckle. “I was a young mom, and I enjoyed shopping, I enjoyed clothes, and all of that. So just being comfortable with who I am, what I enjoy. And the great thing is, though, the values that we teach about money don’t change. I still believe in living on less than you make, not using debt as a tool, saving up, paying for things. All of that is true. But the way we go about it can look a little different, too. So I love pushing into that message.”
“It’s become one and the same now, but at the beginning I felt way more comfortable on social media and YouTube,” she admitted of her involvement in the flagship Ramsey Show. “Radio can be very intimidating. Learning how to listen to tone, speed, and understand the caller while also helping the audience is an art. It took a while to relax and enjoy it, but now it feels second nature.”
Dave Ramsey has made no secret about what the succession plan following him entails. He’s made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t want Ramsey Solutions to crumble after his retirement or death. Naturally, it would be easy to look at someone like Rachel Cruze to shoulder the overwhelming burden of carrying on that legacy.
But, Ramsey didn’t set up the succession plan that way. The company is utilizing several different names and faces — dubbed “Ramsey Personalities”, like Cruze, George Kamel, Ken Coleman, Jade Warshaw, and Dr. John Deloney — to help carry on the legacy and mission of the company.
Cruze says that, due to the foresight of her parents, she’s grateful that advancing the company forward doesn’t fall solely on her.
“I really don’t feel a ton of pressure, and I’m so thankful for that,” she shared. “I give mom and dad a lot of credit. They were really big on the idea that when I started working here, I had a higher calling to work here. That there was something in me that was bigger than just wanting to come. Because if it’s just you wanting to do it, that can fade pretty quickly. So there had to be this big calling, and I appreciate them pushing on that.
“Also, dad’s wisdom on not allowing me to be the one to carry it all has been huge. Looking back now, the Ramsey Personality model was such a gift. It’s such a gift to have multiple people carrying this message and even other messages, so it’s not all on my shoulders. Because of all of that, I really don’t feel this pressure.”
With the calendar flipping to 2026 and the rise of New Year’s Resolutions, Rachel Cruze shared that the content of her digital efforts does change at the start of the year. With people more focused on their finances and building wealth, it’s the perfect time to get back to the basics of sharing the Ramsey message with those finding the brand for the first time.
“We tailor content to starting out, wealth building, goals, and where to begin,” she said. “The flexibility of platforms allows us to be strategic while keeping the values the same. The new year definitely adds a different flavor.
“It’s hard at times to keep it fresh, which is why I’m thankful for a team,” she added of her content, which follows the basic “Baby Steps” principles created by Dave Ramsey. “We may be saying the same things, but for many people, it’s the first time hearing it. On pre-recorded shows, I think about that mindset. The Ramsey Show is caller-driven, which makes it energizing because every situation and story is different, even if the principles stay the same.”
Rachel Cruze said she’ll never get tired of hearing the impact that The Ramsey Show, her father, and her colleagues have made on people who have legitimately seen their lives change by listening to the messages shared through Ramsey Solutions content.
And with that as the company’s proverbial North Star, she believes that in the coming years, that influence will continue to be seen.
“I think we’ll continue to grow and make an impact,” she said of what lies ahead in the future. “My brother runs much of the operation day to day, and the team’s ability to not be scared of where the world is going is huge. I think Dave will still be on the air. I see us continuing what we do, just magnified.
“We’re seeing generational change. People call in who paid off their house at 28 because they grew up listening. When we talk about changing your family tree, we actually get to see that happen. A whole other generation is coming up wiser financially, and that’s exciting.”
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
