I think of financial health as having a number of pieces to the puzzle that all come together to make us financially healthy people. The primary pieces, or the outline of the puzzle, include budgeting, expense management, saving, credit management, debt management, investing, insurance or risk management, and income management.

At the Financial Gym, we help our clients figure out all of these pieces and where they fit into the puzzle, and, while I think they’re all equally important, I think the investing piece is typically the last one people figure out. Either they haven’t gotten to a point where they’re saving enough to make investing a priority, they’re afraid to start, or they don’t know where to go to learn more about it. That’s why I’m excited to have Amanda from the Dumpster Dog Blog and Invested Development, to talk more about investing and the amazing resource she’s created to help you get started, or get more comfortable with, the investing piece of your financial health puzzle.

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.

And if you want to work with my team at the Financial Gym to help you achieve your 2019 goals, head over to or send friends to https://financialgym.com to lock in your low rates today.

Until next time, take care!!

In my seven years of helping people get financially healthy, a common emotion I’ve seen from clients is anxiety. We have clients avoid their first sessions with us, avoid quarterly reviews, or avoid their trainers totally, because of the anxiety their financial situation brings up in them. In fact, this episode was inspired by a long-term client of the Gym, who asked her trainer if I could do a show around financial anxiety. Despite the fact she is experiencing great success around her money, she can’t kick the anxiety it brings her.

Today I invited my friend, Amanda Clayman, Financial Therapist and Financial Wellness Advocate for Prudential, to discuss the topic of financial anxiety, including how common it is and how we can manage it in our lives. This is a really important topic for everyone and I hope it helps a lot of people out there.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/financial-anxiety-with-amanda-clayman

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.

As I said on the show, 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.

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.

And if you want to work with my team at the Financial Gym to help you achieve your 2019 goals, head over to or send friends to https://financialgym.com to lock in your low rates today.

Until next time, take care!!

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

Today the ladies and I are reviewing two recent personal finance related articles, one claiming that the personal finance industry sucks and another about a woman out-earning her significant other.

Lots of food for thought and, as you can imagine, we had lots of thoughts to share around these topics.

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

Two years ago, when we first started to raise money for Financial Gym and we were working on growing our client numbers, we decided to record a podcast episode with current clients so that potential new clients knew what the experience was like. So Kelly, Maria, and Jen all joined me to share their experience as Financial Gym clients.

Last year, Jen reminded me that we were coming up on the one-year anniversary of recording that episode, so we checked back in with this FinGym threesome. Well, my friends, another year has passed and these three women are still Financial Gym clients and join me today to share what’s happened with them over this past year.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/client-happy-hour-with-kelly-maria-and-jen/

Getting Financially Naked with Tai and Jordan

Today’s naked session is a super special one for me. Not only is the person in the hot seat one of my trainers, but she also brought her husband along for the ride. This is actually our first couples’ naked session with both partners present and fully financially naked. My trainer Tai is a financial work in progress, like many of us, and I give her mad props and respect for sharing her numbers, even though she is relatively early on in her own financial wellness journey. She did this because she wants to help others and I know this will.

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

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.

And if you want to work with my team at the Financial Gym to help you achieve your 2019 goals, you only have a few more days to lock in our 2018 rates as our rates for new clients are going up in 2019. Head over to or send friends to https://financialgym.com to lock in your low rates today.

Until next time, take care!!

Investing Revisited with the Happy Hour Ladies

I knew that we spoke about investing in the past during a happy hour, but a few tidbits from a conversation with Mrs. Frugalwoods made me think that we should revisit this topic having a gut feeling that the conversation would be fresh.

Well, as you’ll hear in this show, we were all shocked to find out that it’s been over four years since we talked about investing on the happy hour and you better believe the conversation was fresh. I hope you enjoy hearing our investing experiences.

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

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.

And if you want to work with my team at the Financial Gym to help you achieve your 2019 goals, you only have a few more days to lock in our 2018 rates as our rates for new clients are going up in 2019. Head over to or send friends to https://financialgym.com to lock in your low rates today.

Until next time, take care!!

Cameron is a financial journalist and author of the book Mom and Dad we need to talk – how to have essential conversations with your parents about their finances.

This is a topic that not only hit me personally as you’ll hear but also I deal with a lot in helping my client’s plan for their future.

If you’re parents are still alive and in your life, this is a podcast you won’t want to miss.

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.

And if you want to work with my team at the Financial Gym to help you achieve your 2019 goals, you only have a few more days to lock in our 2018 rates as our rates for new clients are going up in 2019. Head over to or send friends to https://financialgym.com to lock in your low rates today.

Until next time, take care!!

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/mom-and-dad-we-need-to-talk-with-cameron-huddleston/

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.

For more information, click here 

Ben Jones, Entrepreneur and Financial Educator who is equally passionate about financial literacy as I am, joins me to talk about resources he’s created to help people of all ages, especially children, become financially literate.

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.

And if you want to work with my team at the Financial Gym to help you achieve your 2019 goals, you only have a few more days to lock in our 2018 rates as our rates for new clients are going up in 2019. Head over to or send friends to https://financialgym.com to lock in your low rates today.

Until next time, take care!!

For more information, visit the show notes at http://financially-blonde.com/educounting-with-ben-jones/