Not only is it the last Friday of the month, but it’s the last Friday of the YEAR, so welcome to our 3^rd annual end of year Happy Hour special. The ladies and I are going to share our highs and lows of 2018 with you and then set out our plan for 2019. I hope you enjoy!

My biggest takeaway is to take the time and reflect on this past year of your life. I am sure there were highs and lows. I hope your highs outweighed your lows but if they didn’t, there is always a new year to be hopeful for. Set some big goals for 2019 and keep me posted on your progress! I always love getting notes from you about how you are doing with your personal and financial goals.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/year-end-review-with-the-happy-hour-ladies/

When we opened our first small Gym location and had a shoe string budget, Fidelity sponsored the gym opening. They loved how we help women and young people manage their finances better.

So I’m excited to welcome back to the show Kelly Lannan, Director of Young Investors at Fidelity, to talk about their recent Millennial Money Survey and what themes she sees from her travels and talks with young people about money.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/millennial-money-survey-with-kelly-lannan 

Jean Chatzky is one of the people I look up to in the personal finances space.

Jean started her career as a journalist and then grew to write personal finance books, appear on Oprah, become the finance editor of the Today Show, and now she runs the Her Money media brand, which is growing by the minute.

Jean joins me today to talk about her career progression and why she’s taking on such a big challenge at this stage in her career.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/her-money-with-jean-chatzky/ 

In this week’s “Getting Financially Naked” installment we talk with clients Caet and Samantha Cash, aka The Cash Sisters.

At the Financial Gym, we call the first meeting you have with a trainer the “financially naked session.” In this meeting, you share everything about yourself financially so the trainer knows where you’re starting and so that he or she can make the plan for how you can get where you want to go.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/getting-naked-with-the-cash-sisters/

It’s the last Friday of the month and we’re talking about manifesting our goals.

In case you haven’t heard or seen, I fulfilled a multi-year long dream of appearing on the Today Show. I continue to learn the more we put our dreams out there, the more likely they are to manifest.

So the happy hour ladies join me today to talk about the seemingly impossible dreams they’ve manifested, the reason why they’re not, and what happens when you don’t know what to put out there.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/manifesting-dreams-with-the-happy-hour-ladies-2/

Shannon shares some of the many people and situations she’s thankful for in 2018.

I always say that getting financially fit is just like getting physically fit - they both require that you do two things. To get physically fit, you need to eat less and work out more. To get financially fit, you need to spend less and make more. It sounds easy, but if it were that easy, we would have a bunch of skinny millionaires running around. We joke at The Gym, where are the skinny millionaires at?

It is hard work to get physically and financially fit, but today we’re talking about one of those areas of financial fitness, and that’s making more money, specifically for women. Women frequently feel torn between caring for their loved ones, whether it is kids or parents, and trying to make money. Today I am talking to Kathryn Sollman, Career Coach and author of the new book Ambition Redefined, Why the Corner Office Doesn’t Work for Everyone and What to Do Instead.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/ambition-redefined-with-kathryn-sollman/ 

Allie, a new Financial Gym client, volunteered to share her numbers with this group. A word of warning though, before you listen to this episode, Allie’s story has a very intense back story.

If you are somebody with PTSD, or you have triggers around violence (specifically gun violence), this is an episode you should not listen to.

I am giving you warning that this was very intense for me to hear and for Allie to live through, and unfortunately, she was one of the episodes I lost when recording, so this poor young woman had to share this story with me twice.

She is an absolute rockstar, and I appreciate her willingness to share everything, but, again, if you can’t handle these types of things, please refrain from listening.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/getting-naked-with-allie/

The stock market has hit some bumpy roads. If you watched the news, you are probably asking f you need to change your strategy.

In this Encore presentation of "Investing and Volatility", I’ve invited Kevin Matthews, Financial Advisor and Founder of BuildingBread.com to talk about volatility and how you can manage your portfolios through volatile markets.
 

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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 is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host a happy hour, where I gather great friends to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics.

• What is an article of clothing someone could wear that would make you walk out on a date with them?
• The zombie apocalypse is coming. Who are three people you want on your team?
• Most used emoji?

and more!

More can be found at http://financially-blonde.com/icebreaker-questions-with-the-happy-hour-ladies/

A few months back, I shared my financially naked session so this group could start dropping any fear or shame they had around their money.

Last month, my teammate Caitlin got financially naked with me and today Bridget Todd, Employee #1 at the Financial Gym, is in the hot seat.

I hope you enjoy!

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/getting-naked-with-bridget-todd/

People frequently say to me they want to join the Financial Gym, but they don’t think they can afford the monthly membership. My reply is always, “If you can’t afford the $85 per month, then you NEED to join the Financial Gym.”

Some of our clients need to make more money, and we tell them how much. Some of our clients have some glaring monthly expenses that need to be cut and we help them identify them. Some clients, like today's guest Colleen, need to be coached on making some extreme changes in life.

Colleen shares her story about why she reached out to my team and the dramatic transformation her life has taken in just three short months.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/declaring-bankruptcy-with-colleen

Chad Carson is a firm believer that real estate is the way to financial independence. He should know, he is living proof.

Chad shares information from his latest book, Retire Early with Real Estate.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/retire-early-with-real-estate-with-chad-carson/

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. This month I committed two shows to talking about finances and mental health.

At the Financial Gym we have a slogan “what are you working for”, and if you don’t have physical health or mental health what are you working for?

A few weeks back I spoke with my friend Ash Cash, and today the Happy Hour Ladies and I are sharing our personal stories and struggles with mental health.

We got very honest about our personal journeys, and if you are triggered by suicide conversations, prescription drug conversations, or depression conversations in general, you may want to pass on this episode.

For everyone else, I hope that this helps you or someone you love who battles with mental health.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/debt-and-mental-health-with-the-happy-hour-ladies

Once a month, I’m going to have a guest on who’s going to get financially naked with you and the first one up is my Marketing Manager, Caitlin Lyttle.

Caitlin joins me to share her career background, why she wanted to work at the Financial gym, and exactly what her financial picture looks like.

At the Financial Gym, we call the first meeting you have with a trainer the “financially naked session.” In this meeting, you share everything about yourself financially so the trainer knows where you’re starting and so that he or she can make the plan for how you can get where you want to go. Above all other meetings, this one scares clients the most because they are afraid or ashamed of their financial situation.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/getting-naked-with-caitlin-lyttle

At the my company, the Financial Gym, we like to call the financial plan you get from us the starter plan. It really is an initial roadmap plotting out how you can achieve your goals. Some clients get the road map and put everything into place and follow it to a tee. Some clients get the roadmap and think it’s impossible and never even do the work. And then some clients get the roadmap and life throws them a series of detours and the road trip changes. The plan is a guideline but it’s never really set in stone.

Some plans we work on are easy to put together because the clients’ financial lives are easily aligned with their goals, and then some plans, like today’s guests, are not easy to put together because the roadmap is filled with uncertainty. When my trainers have to deliver those types of plans, they’re actually not overly concerned, because after years of doing this, we know that anything is possible if our clients put their minds to it. We actually LOVE it when our clients accomplish what seems impossible at the beginning and this is the case with Laniece and Jo. They are two Financial Gym clients working with my trainer Joy, and they join me today to share why they wanted to fix their financial lives and how they went about accomplishing what seemed like impossible goals from Joy.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/achieving-the-impossible-with-laniece-and-jo

I know it’s literally one of the last weeks of summer, but this week my Happy Hour friends and I are talking about vacations:

• The importance of vacations
• How we like to take our vacations
• How we pay for vacations
• What we like to do on vacation

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/vacations-with-the-happy-hour-ladies/ 

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 my guest'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!!

journalist, and now published author, Paulette Perhach, shares her honest and sometimes cringe-worthy journey from writing the viral fuck-off fund post to having no fuck-off fund at all.

She shares why she wanted to write a book for writers that’s not just about how to make money writing.

It’s a great conversation with lots of learning lessons.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/accepting-your-financial-reality-with-paulette-perhach/

One of the things I love about having a podcast is that it gives me a great excuse to catch up with friends, with just a few people eavesdropping along the way. Today I’m talking to my friend and Gen X Spirit Animal, Jess Garbarino, Founder of Every Single Dollar, about her journey from home foreclosure to buying a home again without any credit. Her story is an inspiration to anyone who thought home ownership would never be in the cards.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners!! We are officially on the summer schedule here at Martinis and Your Money which means that at least one Friday a month I’ll be replaying some of my favorite shows while I take some time to catch my breath on the podcast recordings and focus on raising money for the Financial Gym.

Today I’m replaying a show that aired a little over a year ago about crafting a job you love with Kate Gremillion from Mavenly & Co and the Women Work and Worth Podcast.

For me a great podcast episode is one that I’m still thinking about a year later and this is one of those to me. There is a lot of information out there glorifying the entrepreneurial lifestyle and journey and I think too many people think about this path before they really consider being what Kate calls an intrepreneur.

If you’re wondering where your career path lies, I hope you’re considering intrepreneurship as one of your alternatives. And now here’s Kate again.

Today we’re talking about moving and the financial and emotional implications that come with that decision. As many of you heard, I recently sold my home to move and downsize into something more affordable in my budget, well my Happy Hour friends have also handled some big moves or have them in the near future and we’re sharing all about it.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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 time last year I was actively looking for investors for the Financial Gym. As part of the process a number of people asked us what the experience was like, so I decided to record a happy hour with three financial gym clients to ask them about their experience and their thoughts on the gym.

Fast forward to today, 1 year later, and we check in on the status of Jen, Kelly and Maria.

Where are their finances now? Listen to find out.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

Despite the fact that I’m divorced, I’m actually very optimistic about relationships and their long-term potential.

As I have shared on this show, money and a lack of transparency around it was certainly an issue in my marriage, and that’s why I was really excited to talk to Lisa Zeiderman, a family law attorney and partner at Miller, Zeiderman and Whitakker, about ways that people can divorce-proof their relationships.

After dozens of years seeing all of the ways that people can financially handicap their relationships through various divorce negotiations, Lisa shares some great insights on how you can let money enhance your marriage and not lead to the downfall.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

At the Financial Gym, we call the first time our clients meet with their financial trainers, and share all of their financial details, the financially naked session. It’s typically a meeting where a lot of clients start out anxious and honestly a number of people avoid joining the financial gym out of the fear and shame they have around their money situation and I want to tell you that no matter what your situation you shouldn’t feel that way. The only reason you could possibly feel like that is if you’re not willing to do anything about changing your money situation. To help anyone out there who may be feeling bad about their financial situation, today, I’m going to let you know you’re not alone.

Today, I’m sharing with you my financial situation ALL of the numbers and all of the details. I have been just about all of our clients at some point in my adult life and you’re about to find out why. Joining me to hear all the dirt is one of my all time favorite trainers at the gym, Joy.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/http-traffic-libsyn-com-martinisandyourmoney-maym220_financially_naked_session-mp3/

We are officially on the summer schedule here at Martinis and Your Money which means that at least one Friday a month I’ll be replaying some of my favorite shows while I take some time to catch my breath on the podcast recordings and focus on raising money for the Financial Gym.

Today I’m replaying our Happy Hour where we talked about excuses and justifications we make for why we’re not living our most financially responsible life.

Maybe, just maybe, I’ll hanging around for Last Call at the end of this show.

And Until next time, take care!!

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/stop-making-excuses

A few years back, I recorded an episode about disability insurance that truly opened my eyes around the topic and showed me the need to advise my clients about it as well. If you haven’t listened to it, I highly encourage you to listen to it before you hear this episode.

I remember at the end of recording the disability episode with Jen Fitzgerald from Policy Genius there was more we could talk about around the subject. Fast forward over two years and I get an email from a listener asking me to cover more about the topic, so I asked her to join me and share her story about disability insurance and how it has essentially saved her life.

Kelly is a podcast listener here to tell you more about her journey.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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 shared an Insta-story discussing the fact that I have not wanted to be the boss lately. It was difficult to share and difficult to feel, but I shared it because it’s bound to happen to every boss at some point.

I knew it happened to Chenell Tull from a Facebook post she shared, so I asked Chenell, founder of hustletostartup.com, to join me today and talk about her story and how you can prevent boss-fatigue from ruining your boss career.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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 think there is plenty of information and advice out there about how to start a business and quit your nine-to-five job, especially if you’re not happy in it, but I don’t think there is enough about how you find happiness and fulfillment while still working in your nine-to-five, which is why I’m excited to chat with Monica Rivera, host and producer of the “You Wanna What?” podcast.

Monica joins me today to share her story about finding happiness in her nine-to-five and how you can do it as well.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

As many of you know, I’m a divorced single mom and I personally don’t think there’s enough conversation and discussion around the specific financial challenges of going through a divorce and then going from running your money as a couple to running it as a single person, 

That is why I am so excited to see the new group, Cash Wise Ex-Wives, being led by my two friends Kayla Sloan and Shanah Bell.

These two ladies join me today to talk about why they started this group, share their divorce experiences and how they want to help divorced women and men become more cash wise.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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 is not only the last Friday of the month but it’s the beginning of Memorial Day weekend which is the official kick off to the summer in the US and with the beginning of the summer season, we are kicking off wedding season as well.

For the last six years, I’ve worked with clients to both plan weddings and also plan to attend and participate in weddings and as you will hear in the episode, my experience has led to some very strong opinions on weddings.

I hope you enjoy my wedding rant over cocktails.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

Listener Lisa asked for me to do a show on midlife career change, pivoting, reinvention...etc. 

She wrote, "I’m a full-time working mom of 2 boys, 11 & 13.  I was the first person in my family to go to college and worked 3 jobs to pay my own way.  I couldn’t wait to get to corporate America, and I have been a successful sales rep for 20 years and have learned a lot,  but as I approach my 50th birthday I feel like I need a change.   There seems to be a lot of focus in the media on Millenials, but how about the Gen-X ers?  I’m sure there are a lot of us who feel the same way and don’t know where to start (so we don’t) or what resources are available or are afraid to change for many reasons i.e. How do we translate our current skills to a new position? Can we maintain our salary level?  Do companies view us too old? Etc. and would appreciate some direction and maybe a kick in the pants to get started!"

So today I'm speaking with Dana Cowin, the Former Editor and Chief of Food and Wine Magazine and Podcast Host for Speaking Broadly. Yes, THE Dana Cowin who was at the helm for all that is great about Food & Wine. Dana and I became friends through the Bacardi Women’s Empowerment Series and she frequently discussed how she became a career guru so I put her knowledge to the test on my show. Dana has so much great information from her personal career change experience but also mentoring hundreds of people over her extensive career. This show is great for anyone at any stage thinking about making a career change. And now here’s my newest friend, Dana Cowin.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

Every time you meet with a client and they ask you a question, you have no idea what direction they’re leaning and all you can do is give the best advice from your personal experience, from a financially sound decision, and also from an understanding of your client.

I was recently asked by a listener to do a show about one of the most common sounding board questions financial planners get so I thought I would expand the conversation to answer other hot topic questions financial planners get. When I thought about who I would have this conversation with, the only person who came to mind, who happens to be one of my favorite and retired financial planners, Joe Saul-Sehy of the Stacking Benjamins podcast.

Joe joins me today to get thrown under the bus and answer some common financial planner questions. As usual, I loved hearing Joe’s financial advice and guidance and I hope you do as well.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

For most of 2017, those of us who were investing got to experience what’s called a bull market when the stock market continues to go up no matter what is happening around it.

From the beginning of early 2018; however, the stock market has hit some bumpy roads and if you checked your first quarter 401k statement from the year or watched any news outlet, you are probably concerned about what’s going on in the market and if you need to change your strategy.

Today I’ve invited Kevin Matthews, a Financial Advisor and Founder of BuildingBread.com to discuss what’s happening in the stock market recently, spoiler alert, it’s called volatility, and how you can manage your portfolios through volatile markets.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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 the ladies and I are talking about haters and how they can threaten to sidetrack our journeys or block them entirely. We’re going to discuss the haters in our lives, how we manage them and how we don’t let them stop us from what matters most. And I’m excited to share with you that Liz is back at the happy hour table with us today.

My biggest takeaway is literally the immortal words of Ms. Taylor Swift. Haters are going to hate hate hate. No matter where you are in life and what you’re trying to achieve, they will always be out there and it’s up to you to shake them off and continue to push forward with your hopes and dreams. It’s your life and purpose and don’t let any haters keep you from achieving it.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

Yesterday I turned 40 and officially headed into a new decade of life. I wanted to give this gift of a beautiful conversation with my friend about faithfulness and trust to myself.

If you are someone who is uncomfortable with God or faith based talk, then this is not the episode for you. But I hope you love this conversation with my good friend of 22 years, Jill, who also just turned 40 years old.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

Tara Newman, Performance and Leadership Coach and Founder of the Bold Leadership Revolution, shares her experience helping leaders achieve higher levels of performance in their work and personal lives and what it takes to get there.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

With just a few weeks left to go before tax filing time, my friend, and one of my favorite CPAs, Eric Nisall, joins me to answer, quite frankly, lots of my and my clients tax-related questions. He also talks about his awesome new course that is perfect for bloggers, freelancers, Instagrammers, influencers, entrepreneurs, or pretty much anyone who is considering becoming any one of these.

It’s a great show, and if you haven’t filed your taxes yet, you’re scared to file, or maybe you haven’t filed in a few years, grab some paper and take notes.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

March is Women’s History Month, so we focused this conversation around women who’ve inspired our lives, or at least that’s what I told everybody we were going to be focused on.

But, like most Happy Hours, this conversation took a turn that I was not expecting.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

Diane Henry built a successful business in the male-dominated world of commercial real estate, to the point where she is now able to invest in other businesses. One of her portfolio companies is the Financial Gym.

Diane joins me today to share her story and her approach to angel investing and how she picks the businesses she invests in.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

Kristin Wong has written everything from TV shows to personal finance articles and has now written a book called Get Money: Live the Life You Want, Not Just the Life You Can Afford.

She joins me today to talk about her journey and why writing about personal finance suits her best. We had a lot of fun recording this show and I hope you enjoy it.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

Liz "Mrs. Frugalwoods" just fulfilled a life long dream to write a book – Meet the Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence Through Simple Living.

She joins me today to talk about the book writing process, why this was an important step for her and more about life on the homestead.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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 is the first Friday of March and March is Women’s History Month so I’ve decided to focus all of my podcasts this month on women and their accomplishments. At the Financial Gym, two words we hear all the time are fear and shame, and something I haven’t addressed on this podcast yet, or enough, is the shame founders have around their finances when building a business. So I was thrilled when Sarah Sheehan, Founder and Chief Customer Officer at Bravely told me she wanted to come on the show and speak about this specifically. She and I discuss how our finances shifted once we started actively pursuing our dreams and businesses and how we’ve combated the shame that comes with those finances. It’s a great conversation and I thank Sarah for giving me the opportunity to discuss this on the show. 

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

We have to break our Happy Hour tradition this month because Liz Mrs. Frugalwoods is on maternity leave of sorts.

We welcome one of my amazing listeners, Dylan, who actually suggested the topic of single finances.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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 is a super special episode for me to share with you, because it’s my 200th episode. Can you believe I’ve said “Hello Martinis and your Money listeners” 200 times now? Time flies when you’re having fun, and having fun is what I do when I record these shows for you and for me. When I was thinking about how I wanted to commemorate this event, the only thing I could think about was my amazing listeners - you, who are the reason why I take the time out to record and share this show. So I thought I would host a happy hour for some of my uber listeners, where I share some juicy info about this show, and about me personally, and let them ask me whatever they want. I hope you enjoy this conversation with my friends.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

Ash Cash, personal finance expert and author, released a book inspired by Jay Z’s 4:44 album. Financial inspiration or inspiration for living a better life can come from anywhere so never close your mind to the messages the universe is trying to deliver to you.

I’m so glad that Ash was opened to the messages Jay was giving him because I know the words will change people’s lives.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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!!

Erin Bagwell created the movie DreamGirl, a documentary about the stories of female entrepreneurs. Erin joins me today to share her journey that started as a dream in school and led to the White House.

Notes for this show as well as links to my guest'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 act of making changes in your life is like a muscle we have to flex and continuously work on.

Change can be scary, but change can also lead to a better place.

My happy hour friends and I talk about how comfortable we are with making changes and what prevents us from making changes, especially when we know we need to.

I hope you take the opportunity to make 2018 your year of change and don’t be afraid to flex those important change muscles you have in 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!!

You may remember my guest today from my episode entitled Minimalism for Everyone. I’ve been blogging friends with Cait Flanders for almost four years now and I’ve loved following her blog writing.

I’m excited to share with you that she’s written a book: The Year of Less: How I stopped shopping, gave away my belongings and discovered life is worth more than anything you can buy in a store.

This January, I’ve focused my podcast around changes, and Cait’s book chronicles the changes she made to lead her to the minimalist lifestyle and she’s sharing more of that on my show 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!!

Danielle was unexpectedly let go from her job last week. She asked in the Martinis and Your Money Facebook Group if I could do a show about what to do if this happens to you. Financial Gym Lead Trainer, Bridget Todd, joins me to share best practices and how you can turn the experience of getting laid off into the best change of your life.

My biggest takeaway is to remember that even the most unexpected events in your life happen for a reason. If you lose your job, keep up your positivity and remember that this is the kick in the butt from the universe that you need to lead to you the next big adventure 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!!

New years always make me think about making new starts. So today I’m talking Amy Ogden, Senior Vice President of Brand at J Public Relations and lifestyle blogger at Sips of Sunshine about the new start she made in what felt like late in life for her.

She shares the events that led up to her big decisions and how it changed her life for the better. Let Amy’s story and the New Year remind all of us that we’re capable of making big changes in our lives at any stage of our 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!!