Our 3rd Annual Happy Hour Year End Review. Melanie, Tonya and Mrs. Frugalwoods join me to recap goals we set in 2017 and how well we did at accomplishing them. We share our highs and lows, and our big goals for 2018. As always, I had a blast with my friends and now here they are for the last time in 2017.

My biggest takeaway is to remember that just because you may not have achieved your big goal for 2017 does not mean that you failed. Our goals are like destinations on the road trip, it’s nice to get to the destination, but we can’t negate everything that happens during our journey to get there. Sometimes our journey is equally as important as the destination. I didn’t achieve my big goal in 2017, but I learned so much from the journey to get there and actually not achieving it makes me really excited for when I do finally get to that destination.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com.

Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

Until next time, take care!!

The current financial planning model stinks - especially for millennials!

Douglas Boneparth, President of Bonefide Wealth and Co-Author of the book, Millennial Money Fix joins me today to talk about what exactly the millennial money problem is and how it can be fixed. As an added bonus we also get into some reasons why the current financial planning model stinks, especially for Millennials, and how you can find a good financial planner to work with.

My biggest takeaway is millennial money problems are actually not a problem for just millennials. Financial literacy is a problem that plagues all generations but with all of the tools and resources available now, it hopefully will not remain a problem for future generations.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

Until next time, take care!!

There really is such a thing as a millionaire mindset or a way of thinking that leads to wealth building.

Host of the Stacking Benjamins Podcast, Joe Saul-Sehy, joins me to talk about the millionaire mindset and how he’s helping people cultivate it better.

My biggest takeaway is to remember that at the end of the day, financial success is truly all about a mindset and most of us aren’t born with it so don’t be afraid to invest in tools and resources that can help you become more successful and flex your millionaire attitude more.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

Until next time, take care!!

This Happy Hour episode features my Financial Gym Trainers.

Get to know them better with the chance that you get paired with one of them. They share more about themselves, why they became financial trainers and some highs and lows of what I think is the best job on the planet. We had a blast recording this as we do everyday working together so I hope you enjoy getting to know my team a little more.

My biggest takeaway is to not be afraid to make career changes in your life - especially when the change feels like an answer to a question you put out in the universe.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

Until next time, take care!!

I’m blonde, not dumb, but the facts around gender roles and personal finance unfortunately speak for themselves: Women earn 30% less than men, they don’t invest as much, and they are targeted for more consumer and credit products than men. And they live longer.

Hilary Hendershott is a financial planner and host of Profit Boss Radio. She is hosting a women’s wealth-building event called Profit Boss Live in San Jose on January 19, 2018. She joins me today to talk about what made her become a financial planner focused on helping women and why she thinks Profit Boss Live is worth your time and investment.

Hilary is offering an Early Bird discount until December 18th, 2017. There are only 65 seats, so get your ticket at ProfitBossLive.com

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

Until next time, take care!!

Today’s episode is airing on the day after Thanksgiving in the US, so with giving on our brains, this episode we’re talking about ways that we give, how it impacts us financially and when it makes sense to give money vs. time.

My biggest takeaway is to make sure that you balance financial giving with your current financial situation. I understand a generous heart, but not at the risk of your own financial security. As Mrs. Frugalwoods said, it might not be your time to give financially, but you’re time will come and it will create more joy than headaches for you.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

Until next time, take care!!

iPhone fever? Talatt and Tai McNeely from His and Her Money join me about the euphoria following the new model of iPhone - and what that means for our money. We discuss this problem of prioritizing stuff over financial health -- and how we can fix it.

My biggest takeaway is to think about what you prioritize and what comes first in your life. Is it stuff? Or is it something more than stuff? How much is stuff keeping you from achieving something more? I hope that as we head into the holiday spending season that you think about this episode and make financial health a priority instead of spending.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

Until next time, take care!!

The path to financial fitness is a series of small changes that ultimately leads to big results. For others, their path starts with a big, scary, life changing choice that ultimately leads to big results.

Today, I’m talking to Financial Gym client, Chante, who along with her husband Mike was faced with one of those scary, life changing choices. She’s going to share the financial missteps that led to this choice and how she’s working through it with not only Mike’s support but her two young boys.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

Until next time, take care!!

Ms. Our Next Life and her husband have been blogging about their path to financial independence. The day we recorded her interview was actually the day she “outed” herself on her blog and officially stopped blogging anonymously. We talk about that and her post FI plans which she plans to enact at the end of this year.

My biggest takeaway is that Financial Independence - like any goal - is a possibility for anyone and if you decide to make it a goal for yourself, just remember that your vision of Financial Independence will look different than other people’s. But I highly encourage you to start laying out the plan now for how you get there.

Notes for this show can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. If you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

The four of us all live with and love our furry children. Today we talk about how we manage our pets financially and how you can prepare for the financial ups and downs of pet parenthood.

My biggest takeaway is to remind you that nothing can replace the love you have or will have for a pet. But you can be prepared for that love financially and if you’re going to love a pet, please make sure that you’re financially prepared for how much that love could cost.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com.

Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

Until next time, take care!!

Open enrollment is the time where you can sign up for or change your healthcare benefits to begin in January of 2018. Making the right elections or understanding your options is an important financial decision for you to make so I invited Charleton Lamb from Just Works to answer some questions around this and share my thoughts on healthcare options and picking the right one for you, your family and your budget.

My biggest takeaway is to make sure you first have healthcare and secondly have the right coverage. The monthly expense seems like something your budget can’t afford, but I’ve seen may clients with tens of thousands of dollars of medical debts they’re trying to work through because they didn’t have healthcare to begin with. Please take the time to research your options and find the right fit for you and your budget.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

Until next time, take care!!

Emma Johnson, founder of the site Wealthy Single Mommy, host of the podcast Like a Mother and now author of the book “The Kickass Single Mom – Be Financially Independent, Discover Your Sexiest You, and Raise Fabulous, Happy Children” talks about building a life that you can be proud of no matter where you’re starting from.   

My biggest takeaway is to not just make career and money decisions based on your children or significant other. Make the right choice for you and hopefully you will always choose to want more for yourself.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

Until next time, take care!!

These last four years has been a wild and rewarding ride - I’m going to share it all with you: The good, the bad, the ugly and the truly miraculous.

I hope your biggest takeaway is to listen to your gut and your instincts about where life is supposed to lead you personally and professionally. It’s not going to hit you over the head, it’s going to come to you subtlety and quietly so listen for those signs otherwise, you may just miss out on the ride of your life.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

Until next time, take care!!

Health wellness often comes at the price of financial wellness. Then when financial wellness suffers, mental health deteriorates and all the good work you’re putting into your physical fitness can be destroyed by stress.

Shawn Stevenson is the host of the Model Health Show and author of Sleep Smarter. He shares many great resources and strategies to maintain overall wellness while not forsaking financial wellness.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

Until next time, take care!!

Inspired by the recent weather events in Texas, Florida and the Caribbean, we are talking about disaster preparedness: How we prepare for - or don’t prepare for it, best practices, and how you can be more self-sufficient to handle whatever Mother Nature throws your way.

I think my biggest takeaway is that the best way to prepare for the unexpected is to prioritize saving into your emergency fund and making sure money stays there. It doesn’t matter if it’s a natural disaster, a job loss, a death in the family or a healthcare scare, shit is likely to happen and when shit hits the fan, cash helps you clean it up much faster and with a lot less stress.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

Until next time, take care!!

Concetta Rand, Chief Revenue Officer of the amazing and relatively new site iFundWomen.com, is a female entrepreneur.

I understand the importance of raising money for your dream to become a reality and also the struggles of doing it.

iFundWomen is making it easier for other women’s dreams to come true, so you know that’s something I want everyone to know about.

I think my biggest takeaway is to not let money get in the way of your dreams. If you have an idea or vision, put it out there because there are plenty of people who want to help you make that a reality, you just have to give them the way to do it and iFundWomen could be that way.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know.  Until next time, take care!!

Sarah Bettencourt is founder of the Blonde Spot and host of Monday Morning Mimosas, a podcast about the career she built while raising her son and the joys and pains of single parenthood. Sarah’s strength, perseverance and work ethic should be an inspiration for us all whether we’re raising kids or not.

My biggest takeaway is that as a parent, single or not, it’s easy to prioritize our kid’s lives over our own and I encourage you to create a life through work or other activities that you’re proud of first and know that it will not only be best for you but also your kids.

Notes for this show can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com.

Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know.  Until next time, take care!!

Jen Hemphill, Money Confidence Coach and host of the Her Money Matters podcast, shares the 4 Important Money Lessons she learned while getting unstuck from her bad money behaviors.

My biggest takeaway is to remember that experts aren’t always right and your personal money journey is unique to you. Focus on finding the answer that’s best for you and not what someone else says is best for you.

Notes for this show can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com

What if your friends gave you ideas to get you out of your comfort zone? That's exactly what happened on a trip for Cara Thomas, founder of SerenFlipity.

Before a trip overseas, she collected 90 idea cards written by friends and acquaintances. Each card challenged her to get out of her comfort zone and do something out of the ordinary. What she discovered was something extraordinary: Ways to connect with strangers, explore unfamiliar territories, and discover strengths she didn't know she had.

Today she shares her adventures and talks about how she created flip cards you can buy online.

For more information, go to http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast

Recorded live from the Lola Women’s Money Retreat.

I have to warn you that if you’re listening to this episode and you’re a Martinis and Your Money fan, you may have serious FOMO and I think the best thing I can say is that you may have missed this Lola retreat, but there will be more and I can guarantee you that I will be there for them.

Me and the ladies talk about our experience of attending this event and I loved all of the listener/attendee anecdotes we got along the way. To say that the Lola experience changed my life would be an understatement and I hope you enjoy hearing more about it.

Financial Gym teammate and salary negotiation expert Allegra joins us again to talk about negotiating. At the gym we are constantly working with clients to optimize their financial picture. One half of the work is around their expenses and making sure they’re spending appropriately for their goals, but the second half is on making more money. The easiest way you can make more money is negotiating for it – whether through a new job or in your existing job. Allegra and I are going to talk about some best practices and share some really powerful stories to help motivate and inspire you to negotiate for more. Cheers!

If you need help with negotiating and finding ways to make more money, reach out to my team at the Financial Gym. You can schedule a free call, and possibly even chat with Allegra, to find out more. No matter where you are, my financial trainers can help you get where you want to go. Head over to or send friends to financialgym.com/friends to sign up today!

Wine Riot founder Tyler Balliet joins us to talk about wine.

I used to be physically and financially fat. One of my financially fat spending areas was in wine and alcohol. If it wasn’t top shelf or high end, I didn’t want anything to do with it.

Now I can happily say that I spend significantly less in this area, but I’m still having the same amount of fun and Tyler is going to share with you how you can save in this area as well.


Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know.

Until next time, take care!!

Cait Flanders found solace through a 12-month spending ban – but in the process she embraced some of the concepts found in minimalism like “buy one, give one” and the $20-20min rule.

How much was she able to cut out of her life and out of her budget? Listen to find out.

For more information, go to http://financially-blonde.com/minimalism-for-anyone

This is our 31st Happy Hour episode. I thought it would be a great time to help new listeners get to know my happy hour friends a little better before moving on to other episodes. Melanie, Tonya and Liz (aka Mrs. Frugalwoods) have become some of my closest friends over these last few years and I think this episode will be fun for new and old listeners alike. Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know.  Until next time, take care!!

Jen, Kelly and Maria share their stories from Financial Gym clients.

Visit the https://financialgym.com for a free intro or what we call a “Warm-up Session”

Mariela Dabbah, founder and CEO of the Red Shoe Movement, talks about changes in the way businesses support upward mobility for women and how women can climb the corporate ladder more effectively. Her cause and mission are near and dear to my heart and I hope you’re as inspired to make change as I am after listening to her.

If you want to find the show notes as well as links to Mariela’s site, you can find them on my blog http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast If you have any topics you would like for me to cover on this podcast, I encourage you to email me to Shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me https://twitter.com/blonde_finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let me know what you want to hear.

We all are susceptible to the influences of the jealousy game whether we like them or not. What’s important is to not avoid jealousy entirely but to manage it.

Despite the fact that many people may think the four of us have nothing to worry about, we all struggle with comparing ourselves to other people and in this episode we share the ups and downs of these emotions.

For more information and resources mentioned in this episode, visit http://financially-blonde.com/the-comparison-game-happy-hour-style

Today’s Happy Hour episode is our mid-year catch-up to let you know where we and the Happy Hour girls are with our goals.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. 

Come with us to Lola Retreat August 18-20, 2017. Use the coupon code MAYM to get a discount on Melanie’s big goal for this year, the Lola Retreat, at http://LolaRetreat.com

What if our banking systems collapse or there is a successful attack on electronic data? Or money is really only numbers on a computer screen that we trust banks to maintain. What if that’s all wiped out? It’s an unlikely scenario, but I like to plan for all possibilities.

• We discuss what assets would be valuable if a zombie apocalypse ala Walking Dead were to transpire
• We discuss why we believe the stock market wouldn’t completely collapse and what you should invest in if you are afraid that it might
• We talk about the value of centralized banks and the banking system in general
• Matt and Eddie warn against trading during stressful times and give great advice for how to avoid emotional trading

Find more information about this episode at http://financially-blonde.com/investing-for-the-zombie-apocalypse

Kate Gremillion, founder of Mavenly and Co, provides young women with resources to design a career and lifestyle with purpose about going from being an Employee to being an Intrapreneur. Kate is going to share her best practices and tips for how you can craft the right job for you without having to create it on your own.

I think my biggest takeaway is to remember that if you’re unhappy with your job, take the steps to job craft your way into a better position for yourself. The number one way to make more money is within the place you work and the best way to spend less money is to be happy in the place you work. Job crafting is a great solution to get you to where you want to be without taking all of the risks to do it on your own.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to sshannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @Blonde_Finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know.

Harlan Landes, blogger, podcaster and founder of both the Plutus Awards and the Plutus Foundation, answers a listener’s question about how you can run a charitable foundation. Harlan has great information for a number of ways you can give back before and after you achieve your personal financial goals and now here’s Harlan.

I think my biggest takeaway is to remember that there are many ways you can give back to the universe and creating a foundation is one. I personally feel like my life transformed in the best way possible when I focused more on giving than what I was getting. The journey led me to the Financial Gym and after creating my son, creating the gym is one of my life’s greatest accomplishments. I hope that you find yours too through giving back.

If you want to find the show notes as well as links to Harlan, you can find them on my blog http://financially-blonde.com

If you have any topics you would like for me to cover on this podcast, I encourage you to email me to Shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @blonde_finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group

Elle Martinez, host of the Couple Money Podcast has authored a new book – Jump Start Your Marriage and Your Money. It’s about the various challenges we’ve seen couples face and how they can improve them to improve both their romantic and financial lives.

Whether you are in a relationship or not, there is plenty to learn from this episode. Cheers!

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, Financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me blonde_finance or join the private Facebook group and let us know. Until next time, take care!!

This month’s Happy Hour topic comes from Tonya on the Happy Hour crew. She wanted to talk about the excuses we make as to why we aren’t making financial changes in our lives.

As a word of warning, for those listeners who want to get right into the substance of an episode, you’ll have to fast forward to about minute 10 to get to our topic. We rambled quite a bit in the beginning of the episode and if you enjoy our rambles, then you’ll enjoy the beginning of this happy hour.

I think my biggest takeaway is to realize that we can all makes excuses and justifications for why we’re not making change, but it’s not until you stop telling yourself those stories that you’ll truly be open to achieving the financial success that you’re meant to achieve.

Notes for this show as well as links to everyone’s sites can be found on my blog, http://financially-blonde.com. Also, if you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me to shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me https://twitter.com/blonde_finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Community on Facebook and let us know.

Until next time, take care!!

Natalie Jean Baptiste is an attorney who found herself in the uncomfortable position of having to declare bankruptcy due to over $200,000 of consumer and student loan debt. Natalie shares her reasons for declaring bankruptcy, why it makes sense for some people and how the whole experience prepared her for this next chapter in her life where she’s helping others conquer their student loan debt burdens.

My biggest takeaway is to never let others tell you something is impossible. As Audrey Hepburn said, “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I’m possible.” I truly believe with enough faith and courage, anything is possible.

If you want to find the show notes as well as links to Natalie, you can find them on my blog http://financially-blonde.com

If you have any topics you would like for me to cover on this podcast, I encourage you to email me to Shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @blonde_finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/martinisandyourmoney

Ash Exantus, otherwise known as Ash Cash, is a financial motivator, personal finance expert and bestselling author. When I saw Ash’s new book, Mind Right - Life Right, I knew I had to talk to him because a healthy mind will breed health finances. I hope that you find this conversation helpful and that it helps shift your mindset so that you can achieve all of your financial hopes and dreams.

My biggest takeaway is to remember that your financial success is only a part of money you make and financial choices you take a large part of your success is a mindset focused on positivity and achieving the goals you desire.

If you want to find the show notes as well as links to Ash’s site and his book, you can find them at http://financially-blonde.com

Casey DeStefano is a mentor and coach and host of the podcast Women with Balls in the Air about preparing yourself for making big changes in your life and having the guts to do it. I hope this conversation inspires you to do just that. And now here’s Casey.

My biggest takeaway is not be afraid of making leaps and taking chances, you can truly always go backward or overcome a potential financial setback it might led to, but you will never know what could have been unless you make that leap. My huge leap led me to the financial gym and literally empowering hundreds of people with their money. It’s the second greatest decision I ever made after deciding to become a mom.

If you want to find the show notes as well as links to Casey’s site, you can find them on my blog http://financially-blonde.com

Have a topic you want covered? Email me Shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @blonde_finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let me know what you want to hear.

A special happy hour as we welcome Erin Lowry, personal finance expert and author of the new book Broke Millennial – Stop Scraping by and Get your Financial Life Together. Erin will always hold a special place in my heart and for this show as she was actually the first guest ever of Martinis and Your Money. She joins me and the ladies to talk about the book and we all discuss lessons we’ve learned in our 20s and now here’s my friends. I hope you enjoyed this happy hour.

I think my biggest takeaway is that it’s clearly important to focus on money as early as you can and if you’re in your 20s listening to this, don’t let time pass you by, but equally important, if you haven’t started, there’s always time and hopefully the lessons we’ve learned along our way will help you along your way no matter where or when you’re starting your journey to financial health and well-being.

If you have any topics you would like for us to talk about during happy hour, please feel free to email me shannon@finblonde.com or tweet @blonde_finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook group and let us know. And until next time, CHEER!

I’m a huge fan of supporting women in all areas of their lives, but specifically, I love to help women get empowered with money which is why I’m excited to share with you this special episode about the Lola Retreat.

One of the co-founders of Lola is a great friend of Martinis and Your Money, Melanie Lockert from Dear Debt, and she’s on today with her Lola co-founder Emma Pattee to talk about this event, what you can expect and how you can join us.

My biggest takeaway is that I know this retreat is going to be so meaningful that I’ve invested my own time and money in being a part of it and I hope to see as many of you there as possible. If you’re a martini and your money listener and attend Lola, plan to have a martini on me and with me while you’re there.

GET $50 off http://LolaRetreat.com tickets when you USE THE SPECIAL CODE mentioned in this episode (hint: at the 36min mark) before August 2017.

One of the hardest components financial fitness is making more money. I say all the time that physical fitness and financial fitness are similar in that you only need two things for success. To get physically fit, you need to work more and eat less. To get financially fit, you need to make more and spend less. It sounds easy, but if it was so easy, we’d have a bunch of skinny millionaires running around.

For many people, especially women, it’s tough to ask for more and earn more in our current jobs, but that’s actually your easiest path to making more money.

Allegra Brantly has coached dozens of women to ask for and get more money, and today she is sharing some of her secrets with us.

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If you want to find the show notes as well as links to the financial gym’s site where we help people earn more and make more every day, you can find them on my blog at http://financially-blonde.com

If you have any topics you would like for me to cover on this podcast, I encourage you to email me to Shannon@finblonde.com or tweet to me @blonde_finance or join the private Martinis and Your Money Facebook Group and let me know what you want to hear.

I am always looking for ideas and topics to help my listeners live a better life one cocktail at a time and I would love to hear what’s important to you.

And until next time, Cheers!

Bianca, founder of the blogsite Miss Mazuma, shares her journey from owning 3 homes to barely being able to rent an apartment on her own. Her rollercoaster experience in real estate is chock full of lessons to be learned and thankfully it has a happy ending. And now here’s Bianca.

My biggest takeaway is to remember that anything we do financially can be undone. With time and dedication, anyone can rise from the financial mistakes of their past just like Bianca.

If you’d like to learn more about Bianca or my company, the Financial Gym, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast

A number of listeners are currently - or formerly served - in the military, so today I’m talking to Ryan Ginaw, Founder of the Military Wallet, Ryan addresses some of my listener questions but also give us a great insight into managing your finances while also managing a military career. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Ryan’s story and I thank Dominique and Jen for inspiring me to record this episode.


My biggest takeaway is to always remember the men and women who make great sacrifices to give us security so that we are free to pursue our financial goals without fear of losing everything we love so dearly. Thank you Ryan and everyone else serving our country. I salute and toast you for your courage and bravery.

If you want to find the show notes as well as links to Ryan’s site, you can find them on my blog, Financially Blonde, at http://financially-blonde.com

Frugal friends are all around. Not only will they bring you joy but they will also support your life goals.

However, some people are not meant to stay in your life for the long haul. If you are focused on living a financially healthier lifestyle and you lose financially unhealthy friends - don’t fret it. Stand your ground and offer alternatives. If they are truly your friend, they will come along side and support you.

Help the cause: Refer a friend to the Financial Gym by sending them to http://FinancialGym.com/friends

March is Women’s History Month, and I am featuring women who inspire and motivate me on the podcast. On this episode, I am talking to Cheryl Smircich. I’ve watched as Cheryl went from creating cakes for fun to starting her company, Cherrypie’s Custom Cakes, as a side hustle to leaving her full-time job to make custom cakes for a living – including making the cake for the grand opening of the first Financial Gym in New York City!

Most of us want change in our lives, but we’re not willing to put in the time and energy to do it. Cheryl’s story is a great reminder of just how much work you need to put in to accomplish something big. I am incredibly inspired by Cheryl, and I hope you are as well! Cheers!

For more information about Cheryl or the Martinis and Your Money Facebook Group, visit http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast

March is Women History Month. Today I'm talking to female entrepreneur and founder of DailyWorth, Amanda Steinberg.

We talk about how finance is often emotional for women, how to deal with your "Money Type", and her “roots and wings” philosophy about women and investing.

Links to find out your money type and Amanda's new book, visit http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast

I asked my listeners to post something they learned about money since listening to this show.

Today I share Happy Hour with Cadell, Jen and Tammi; listeners who posted their lessons in the Martinis and Your Money Facebook Group.

If you’d like to be part of the conversation in my Facebook Group, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/martinisandyourmoney

Shanah Bell found herself divorced, in debt, and was feeding her family on food stamps. She's been able to come out of that phase of her life, but living with Celiac Disease makes every day a challenge when you are single mom trying to feed your children.

Listen to her story of starting out with nothing after a divorce to becoming debt free, feeding a family of seven, and teaching others how to have adaptive nourishment when you have Celiac Disease.

Find information for Shanah’s website, Adaptive Nourishment, in the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast

The last Friday of the month I host a Happy Hour where I gather great friends to drink cheap drinks with me and talk about money topics.

Today we’re talking about the most precious commodity we all have: Time. The ladies joined me for some drinks to share their thoughts on time and how they manage it best.

I think my biggest takeaway is to think about time as you think about your money. It’s precious and we need to manage it accordingly because it’s not infinite.

Come visit the Financial Gym. We are online at http://financialgym.net but also located at 226 5th Avenue in New York City

Eva Baker is a 20-year old who started a business as a project when she was a teen. Her blog, TeensGotCents.com, has grown into a powerful resource for teens who want to learn about personal finances and also about running a small business. In June 2017, Eva will host the second TeenPreneur Conference, a place for young people to learn about starting, building or running their own small business.
 
After talking with Eva over Mocktails, my biggest take-away was to not let age determine our goals in life. Young or old, we are all on unique journeys. When inspiration hits us, we need to pursue it with passion - no matter what stage of our lives we are in.

You can find more about Eva and her conference on my website, http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast

Brian Brandow thought making the minimum payments on their credit cards was doing good with money. Then he woke up when they couldn't go on summer vacation because all the cards were maxed out.

After 4 years, they paid it off - all of it!

The celebrated by taking that vacation - but with cash!

Brian blogs on the website DebtDiscipline.com and now works with their local Board of Education committees on financial literacy for students.

Find all the sites and resources mentioned in this episode at http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast

My son, Will, is smart and precocious and picks up on just about everything going on in this house, including my podcast.

Despite the fact that he knows that I do this, I was actually a little surprised that he showed great interest in recording one with me. We drink chocolate milk and just get goofy.

However, Will does give some great advice for parents on how to raise financially responsible kids and he also gave great advice for kids on how to manage their money well.

This episode first appeared on December 19, 2014 at http://financially-blonde.com/money-lessons-from-a-kid

This is Mrs. Frugalwoods first appearance on the show. Her husband, Mr. Frugalwoods share their desire to achieve financial freedom by the age of 33.

I had a lot of great takeaways from this chat, but my favorite quote from Mrs. Frugalwoods to describe the two of them was, “We are frugal weirdos and proud!”

This episode originally appeared on November 14, 2014 at http://financially-blonde.com/frugal-and-fabulous-ep-07

This is Melanie Lockhert’s first appearance on Martinis and Your Money.

Melanie has been able to meet her debt repayment goals because she is a big fan of side hustling. She discussed what side hustling is for those who may not be aware and share some really funny stories about some of the wackier things she has done like working an overnight rave.

This episode originally appeared on October 24, 2014 at http://financially-blonde.com/debt-repayment-and-side-hustling-ep-03

In this replay, we meet Tonya from Budget and the Beach. Tonya is a freelancing video editor who recently lost a very large client, and she talks about how she is working through this challenging time while staying positive.

This episode originally appeared at http://financially-blonde.com/no-work-no-problems

23-year old Claire, a listener who is now a team member at the Financial Gym, wanted to know more about investing for millennials.

This episode first aired on January 15, 2015 at http://financially-blonde.com/investing-for-millennials

My friends and I discuss our spending and saving challenges and what we are doing to flex our fiscal muscles.

Mrs. Frugalwoods still struggles with impulse spending. She’s hosting an ongoing Uber Frugal Month Challenge with over 9,900 participants to give her, and you, the tools needed to combat impulse spending.

Melanie will be challenging herself with a no-spend day.

Shannon suggests a “clear the pantry” challenge where you have to use whatever is in your fridge and freezer to create meals.

Tonya says she is not good at challenges in general and relies on self-discipline to achieve her goals. She took a quiz by Gretchen Ruben to help her understand her personality and why she responds to expectations the way she does.

Find new ways to challenge yourself to do and achieve more financially! Focus on mindset more than anything else if you want to make a serious change.

You can find links to the Uber Frugal Month Challenge, the compound savings calculator, and Gretchen Ruben’s quiz in the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast

Holly and Greg paid off their debts by budgeting their money.

They discuss how a zero-sum budget helped them achieve their dreams, helped them quit their 9-5 jobs to pursue entrepreneurship, and how budgeting can work for you too!

For more about budgeting or Holly and Greg’s book, visit http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast

New York Times bestselling author, Dr Daniel Crosby, joins me to discuss the problems we have as human beings to leave our investments well enough alone!

Investor behavior is the #1 reason portfolios don't grow - and that's because we let our emotions drive our decisions rather than tried-and-true financial planning principles.

Dr. Daniel Crosby has been studying investor behavior for years and offers sound solutions to help us follow the laws of wealth based on the 10 Commandments of Investor Behavior written in his book, The Laws of Wealth: Psychology and the secret to investing success.

For a link to get his book on Amazon, visit http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast

If you are like me, you would pay anything to not have to do taxes yourself.

Eric Nisall, an accountant and founder of AccountLancer, explains how you don’t always have to pay for a service when you can do it yourself.

If you do pay for a service, he gives tips on how to make sure you are getting your money’s worth – especially where your income taxes are concerned.

A complete checklist of things discussed today can be found in the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/mmpodcast