(Money Metals News Service) In a special, first-time Money Metals Podcast episode recorded at the company’s home office in Idaho, host Mike Maharrey sat down with the founders and principals of Money Metals Exchange — Stefan Gleason, Mike Gleason, and Clint Siegner — for an informal, wide-ranging conversation about the company’s origins, mission, and culture.
The discussion ranged from childhood ambitions and ideological motivations to early operational hurdles, customer education, and what differentiates Money Metals from other dealers.
(Interview Starts Around the 5:43 Mark)
Origins: family, ideology, and timing
Money Metals began as a family project. Stefan and Mike are brothers; Clint is the brother-in-law. The idea was first floated in 2010, shortly after the fallout from the 2008 financial crisis — a moment when public interest in gold and silver surged.
The three founders had overlapping motivations: a distrust of large government spending and currency debasement, an appreciation for the hedge qualities of physical precious metals, and a desire to help ordinary investors protect savings.
- Clint Siegner described his entry into the business as ideological: he was already an investor in metals and saw a business opportunity that matched his beliefs about money and limited government.
- Mike Gleason credited a family interest in politics and a shared belief that precious metals belong in a diversified portfolio.
- Stefan Gleason traced his path through public policy and marketing into precious metals; he described studying interest rates, the Federal Reserve system, and Austrian-school economics as the intellectual path that pushed him toward the business.
Stefan shared a personal anecdote: a childhood crayon drawing of a mint and “money machine” — a symbolic early fascination with what money is and how it’s made.
Family dynamics and company culture
The family nature of the enterprise surfaced repeatedly. All three acknowledged that working with family creates its own dynamics, but framed those dynamics as a net positive.
They credited complementary skill sets and a shared mission for the company’s cohesion: each founder contributes different strengths that, together, helped scale the business.
Mike Maharrey observed the company culture firsthand during his visit, noting enthusiastic, engaged staff and a visible sense of mission that starts at the top.
The founders agreed: building a business that reflects their values — and that hires people who are passionate about the mission — has been central to Money Metals’ identity.
Early growth and operational hurdles
Money Metals launched at an advantageous moment in the market, and the founders estimate rapid early success.
They described going from a single product to a small team quickly — growing to roughly 8–15 employees within a year or two — and then continuing to scale from there.
Early advantages included an existing subscriber list from a related publishing business, which helped with marketing and initial demand.
Yet the growth came with challenges:
- Operational infrastructure and staffing: rapidly expanding headcount and systems required heavy lifting to scale effectively.
- Banking and payments: securing banking relationships and managing credit card processing were difficult in the early years because many banks view precious-metals dealers as higher risk.
- Fraud and security: dealing with fraud attempts and protecting customers and the business was an ongoing concern; the founders highlighted the learning curve in building robust anti-fraud processes.
- Regulatory friction: they referenced heightened scrutiny stemming from regulatory regimes (e.g., Patriot Act-era compliance expectations) that make banking relationships tougher for metal dealers.
The company’s mission: education, honesty, and bullion focus
A central theme of the interview was Money Metals’ mission to educate investors and provide an honest, transparent way to enter the world of physical precious metals. The founders stressed that their work goes far beyond simply selling gold and silver.
At its heart, the company sees itself as a resource for people who have often been discouraged from considering metals by mainstream financial advisors, Wall Street talking points, or misleading marketing tactics.
To counter this, Money Metals invests heavily in education — producing podcasts, articles, and other resources designed to explain not just how to own bullion, but why owning it is essential.
Another major point of emphasis was the company’s rejection of high-pressure sales tactics that remain common across parts of the industry. Stefan Gleason noted that too many national dealers try to steer buyers into so-called “rare” or “collectible” coins that carry massive markups but little actual numismatic value. These items often sell at inflated premiums and can only be resold for melt value, leaving customers disappointed and financially harmed.
Money Metals has worked hard to position itself as the antidote to such practices, making bullion its primary focus and encouraging buyers to understand melt value, spreads, and real resale potential before making purchases.
This focus on transparency ties into a broader philosophy of fairness and long-term trust. Rather than asking customers to buy a story, Money Metals emphasizes that the true worth of a gold or silver item lies in the precious metal itself.
By keeping spreads small, focusing on standard bullion, and clearly communicating value, the company aims to ensure that customers make informed decisions that genuinely serve their financial goals.
In this way, education, honesty, and bullion-focused products form the three pillars of the firm’s mission — a mission that not only meets a market demand but also reflects the ideological convictions of its founders.
What sets Money Metals apart
When Maharrey asked each founder why customers should choose Money Metals, several differentiators emerged:
- Shared ideology with customers — the firm’s public policy advocacy and commentary around sound money resonated with its audience.
- Education-first approach — plentiful, ongoing educational content designed to reorient customers about the role of hard money in portfolios.
- One-stop capabilities — the ability to buy physical bullion, arrange storage, set up savings plans, and access lending products under a single roof.
- Customer experience — emphasis on answering calls with live people and recruiting staff who are both knowledgeable and aligned with the company’s values.
- Bullion purity of purpose — resisting high-pressure upsells into pseudo-collectibles and keeping spreads reasonable so customers buy metal, not stories.
Clint summarized the point succinctly: part of their job is to re-educate an American public that has largely been told precious metals are irrelevant, and to make the pathway into metal ownership straightforward and fair.
Lighter moments and a personal touch
The interview closed on a light note: the three founders joked about sibling rivalries, athletic build (Mike: 6’5″, Clint: 6’4″, Stefan: 6’3″), and office festivities — including a sumo-wrestling company party where Clint took home the honor.
Maharrey offered genuine praise for the company, noting the visible professionalism and commitment of staff during his visit and expressing pride in being part of the team.
Stefan returned the compliment by noting Maharrey’s prodigious output — podcasts and articles — and the shared ideological alignment that makes the work feel meaningful to everyone involved.
Bottom line
The episode paints Money Metals as a values-driven, education-focused precious-metals dealer that grew from a family vision into a sizeable online business.
Launched in 2010 in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, the company leveraged an existing publishing audience, embraced a clear bullion-first philosophy, and invested in infrastructure and education to serve a market disenchanted with fiat currency and susceptible to predatory selling.
Operational challenges — especially around banking, fraud prevention, and scaling staff and systems — were candidly discussed, but the founders emphasized that complementary skills, shared purpose, and customer service have sustained the company’s growth and mission.
For listeners and prospective buyers, the takeaway is straightforward: Money Metals positions itself as a trustworthy, one-stop provider for those seeking access to physical gold and silver — backed by a public, ideological commitment to sound money and customer education.
