Today is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host the happy hour on the podcast where I gather great friends with me to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics. And if you can believe it this is the last Friday of the YEAR! The last Friday of 2021! In our final happy hour of the year, the ladies and I reflect on our highs and lows of the year, the goals we set for 2021, and set goals for 2022. This is the 6th year we are doing this episode and we have a special guest joining us. And now here are my friends to reflect on 2021.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode401

7 years ago, I attended a financial bloggers conference and it was while I was at this conference that I was dared by friends of mine to start a podcast of my own. At this point, I had only been a guest on one podcast, Stacking Benjamins, to talk about my book, Train Your Way to Financial Fitness, and other than listening to myself on that show, I had never even listened to another podcast. At the time, I had no idea what I would talk about on a show, but I knew I liked to drink and I knew I loved talking about money, and a few months later, Martinis and Your Money the podcast debuted. And today’s episode represents my 400th episode. 

What started as a dare, has turned into a 7-year and 400 episode adventure that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. To take this trip down memory lane with me, I invited my good friend, and the person who’s appeared on the podcast the most, after me, Melanie Lockert, from the Mental Health and Wealth show and previously from Dear Debt. I had such a great time sharing some of my favorite memories of these first 400 episodes and I hope you enjoy hearing them as well. And now here’s my dear friend Melanie. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode400

I have been working as a financial planner for over 10 years now and while my clients are all unique with different life goals, a common question that comes up repeatedly is how to best save for retirement, specifically, should you utilize a traditional IRA or 401k plan, otherwise known and the pre-tax options or utilize a Roth IRA or Roth 401k plan or the post-tax options. This question has become increasingly important given that the Roth options have appeared in recent legislative bills, so I thought I would bring on the show a good friend of mine and an expert in helping plan for retirement, Michael Kitces. Michael is the Chief Financial Planning Nerd of Kitces.com, which teaches and trains financial advisors, he’s Head of Planning Strategy for Buckingham Wealth Partners, which provides wealth management to retirees. And Co-Founder of XY Planning Network, a network of 1,500+ fee-only financial planners who provide advice to consumers in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Michael joins me today to help answer the question, to Roth or not to Roth. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode399

For over 10 years now, I’ve been helping people plan for the life they want to live and frequently, part of my job involves planning for the life events that we hope never happen. It’s a very difficult but essential part of the planning process and at Financial Gym, we’re always looking for the best tools and resources to help our clients with this. Joining me on the show today is Chelsea, founder of Smart Money Mamas to talk about why she left a successful six-figure career at a hedge fund to help people develop a better relationship with money and to talk about how she created the Family Emergency Binder which is a resource at the Gym we love. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode398

No matter what financial state you start in with us at The Financial Gym, at some point, we like to see all of our clients graduate to investing. To give a Gym analogy to investing, I like to think of investing as taking your money off the sofa and putting it on the treadmill to make it work harder for you. I always say that we work hard for every dollar that we make and when we invest our money, we’re asking our money to work hard for us in return. A common theme that we see with a number of our clients is a desire to invest in companies that are socially impactful, whether it’s the way they manage employees to the way they navigate the environment, there’s a number of ways that companies can be considered impact companies; however, it’s often hard to truly decipher the right companies and the best ways to invest in them. 

So joining me today is Jean Case, CEO of Case Impact Network to share with us why she thinks impact investing makes sense, how you can participate and what her company is doing to make it easier for us to get involved with impact investing.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode397

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! Today is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host the happy hour on the podcast where I gather great friends with me to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics. For the month of November on the podcast, we’ve been talking about something we call Gym Magic at Financial Gym. Gym Magic happens when a client experiences a positive financial health result after joining the Gym and focusing on their finances. Helping clients find Gym Magic is probably one of the biggest reasons why I’ve committed everything I own to building Financial Gym. I love hearing success stories, especially with all of the crazy stories going on in the world right now, I thought we could all use a month of hearing about Magic and it continues to Happy Hour. The ladies share some of their stories of finding financial success and the surprising ways in which they found it.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode396

At the Financial Gym, when a client experiences a positive financial health result after joining the Gym and focusing on their finances, we call it “Gym Magic.” Gym Magic and helping our clients find it and believe in it is so important to us that it’s a core value of the Gym. For over eight years now, I’ve witnessed the magic firsthand and every single one of my teammates has seen it as well. And I’m so excited to share with you that for the month of November, we’re going to share some of that Magic with you. This month I’m talking to clients and teammates who have truly experienced and witnessed results that are nothing short of magic and their stories and journeys are just what we need for this crazy time in life. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode395

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! At the Financial Gym, when a client experiences a positive financial health result after joining the Gym and focusing on their finances, we call it “Gym Magic.” Gym Magic and helping our clients find it and believe in it is so important to us that it’s a core value of the Gym. For over eight years now, I’ve witnessed the magic firsthand and every single one of my teammates has seen it as well. And I’m so excited to share with you that for the month of November, we’re going to share some of that Magic with you. This month I’m talking to clients and teammates who have truly experienced and witnessed results that are nothing short of magic and their stories and journeys are just what we need for this crazy time in life. Joining me today is Jill, we’ve changed her name for you because she’s going to share some very sensitive details about her family members and a warning for you that some of the subject matter may be triggering. Jill joins me today to share how not only she, but her sister and her brother found Gym Magic. It’s a family affair and you’re not going to want to miss their journeys. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode394

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! At the Financial Gym, when a client experiences a positive financial health result after joining the Gym like maybe getting a raise or an unexpected bonus, we call it “Gym Magic.” Gym Magic and helping our clients find it and believe in it is so important to us that it’s a core value of the Gym. For over eight years now, I’ve witnessed the magic firsthand and every single one of my teammates has seen it as well. And I’m so excited to share with you that for the month of November, we’re going to share some of that Magic with you. This month I’m talking to clients and teammates who have truly experienced and witnessed results that are nothing short of magic and their stories and journeys are just what we need for this crazy time in life. Kicking off the month with me today is Kathy. Kathy started as a client who literally left dozens of negative comments about the Gym after a horrible first impression on our part. Thankfully, we worked through the challenges and you’ll hear how far she’s come in almost two years.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode393

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! Today is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host the happy hour on the podcast where I gather great friends with me to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics. For most of this month on the podcast, we’ve been talking to business owners or talking about business ownership and determining if it’s the right path for you. The Happy Hour ladies join me today to discuss their journeys into entrepreneurship or in the case of Joy, her journey into entrepreneurship through the lens of her clients. We discuss lessons learned, the pros and cons and some things to think through before making the leap. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode392

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! 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 that the trainer knows where you’re starting 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. Over 2 years ago now, on this podcast; I shared my financially naked session and it led to a request for more and now this is a regular series on this podcast. Getting in the hot seat today is Megan. She’s been a long time podcast listener who felt like she hadn’t heard her particular financial situation, which is one filled with the challenges of two working parents who’ve struggled to make much in the way of income with two children and one surprise baby on the way.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode391

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! We have thousands of clients at Financial Gym with numerous life goals they want to accomplish, and our number one employer represented at the Gym is “self-employed” and a common life goal for many clients is the desire to start their own business. So, not only do we work with a number of current business owners, but we also work with a number of budding business owners. So I thought I would take the month of October to talk about business ownership, highlight some client journeys and share the best tips and practices we’ve learned over the last eight years of working with current and future business owners. Joining me today is Jaiden Wood, a long-time Financial Gym client, and co-founder of WoCo Studios. Jaiden joins me today to share his story about why he became a Financial Gym client at 18 and how the work he’s done with the Gym for almost four years now, led him to the freedom and confidence to start his own business.   

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode390

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! We have thousands of clients at Financial Gym with numerous life goals they want to accomplish and our number one employer represented at the Gym is self-employed and a common life goal for many clients is the desire to start their own business. So not only do we work with a number of current business owners, but we also work with a number of budding business owners so I thought I would take the month of October to talk about business ownership, highlight some client journeys and share the best tips and practices we’ve learned over the last eight years of working with current and future business owners. Joining me today is Diana Davis, a long time Financial Gym client and founder of Diana Davis Creative. Diana joins me today to share her story of unemployment to six-figure business career and now business coach. She shares a number of lessons she’s learned along the way and how she helps others build the businesses they dreamed of.  

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode389

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners!  Most mental health experts I chat with estimate that 97% of people suffer from financial anxiety at some point in their lives and from what I’ve seen at Financial Gym, I would agree with these estimates. Even clients who are financially healthy go through periods of financial anxiety at some point or another. And one of the most common careers where you can experience financial anxiety is as a business owner. So joining me today is Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, a Financial Therapist and author of the book The Financial Anxiety Solution, to talk about how you can manage your financial anxiety, especially if you’re building a business at the same time. And now here’s Lindsay. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode388

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! Today is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host the happy hour on the podcast where I gather great friends with me to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics. In 2020 and 2021, we’re seeing a number of Financial Gym clients become property owners or show more interest in becoming property owners due to lower interest rates, more working from home because of the pandemic or a desire to shift asset allocation because of historic market highs, so I’m dedicating the month of September to property ownership. So today, the happy hour ladies join me to give their takes on homeownership, whether or not it’s a goal for them (and why) and some important things to remember no matter which side you stand on. Before we get going, as a side note, Kassandra had a personal issue arise and she wasn’t able to record with us this month. She was missed, but I know you’re going to love to hear what Melanie and Joy had to say. And now here’s my friends

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode387

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners. In 2020 and 2021, we’re seeing a number of Financial Gym clients become property owners or show more interest in becoming property owners due to lower interest rates, more working from home because of the pandemic or a desire to shift asset allocation because of historic market highs, so I’m dedicating the month of September to property ownership. On today’s podcast, we’re talking about cost effective ways to take care of home repairs and home improvements. As a former property owner myself and advising clients into home ownership for the past 10 years, I can tell you that the one guarantee you will have as a homeowner is that once you own the property, something is bound to break and calling in the experts can get expensive. So today, the best home repair expert I know and the man I love, Vinnie Del Donna, joins me to share some of his thoughts and suggestions for when you could and should do things yourself, when to call the expert and how you can find the right expert for you. And now here’s Vinnie.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode386

In 2020 and 2021, we’re seeing a number of Financial Gym client’s become or show more interest in becoming property owners due to lower interest rates, more working from home because of the pandemic or a desire to shift asset allocation because of historic market highs. So I’m dedicating the month of September to “Property Ownership”. On today’s podcast, we’re talking about income producing properties with Paula Pant, host of the Afford Anything podcast, founder of affordanything.com, and teacher of the course Your First Rental Property. Paula joins me today to share her experience of managing several income producing properties, what you should look for and think about if you want to own income producing properties, and why her course might be the perfect investment for you if you’re considering investing in an income producing property.  

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode385

In 2020 and 2021, we’re seeing a number of Financial Gym clients become property owners or show more interest in becoming property owners due to lower interest rates, more working from home because of the pandemic and a desire to shift asset allocation because of historic market highs, so I’m dedicating the month of September to “Property Ownership”. Today, I’m speaking with three Financial Gym clients who have all become first time home buyers in the past year; and they not only became homeowners but they did it on their own as single women, a goal they didn’t know was possible when they first started planning for this goal at the Gym. They join me to share their reasons for buying a home, what the process was like and what lessons they’ve learned since becoming homeowners. I’m so inspired and motivated by their journeys and I hope you are as well. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode384

Hello Martinis and Your Money listeners. In July’s happy hour episode we discussed being burnt out and the toll that the pandemic has taken on many workers and it’s certainly taken its toll on me in a lot of different ways. So to give myself time to refuel my own tank, I’m taking the month of August off from recording and working on the podcast. I’ll be vacationing with family, vacationing with my boyfriend Vinnie, enjoying a company retreat with my FinGym team, and prepping for what I hope will be a really great Fall season for the Gym as we open all four gym locations; back for events and client co-working. It's very exciting times. So during these four Fridays in August, I’ll be replaying some of my favorite episodes from this past year. I’ll be returning back in September with all-new episodes through the end of the year. Thank you so much for always supporting the show and allowing me some much-needed rest from producing new content. I’ll see you in September.

Today is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host the happy hour on the podcast where I gather great friends with me to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics. 

March 12 marked the official one-year anniversary of the beginning of the pandemic in the U.S. Can you even believe it has been a year? What a wild year it has been. The ladies and I took the time to reflect on the year and share our highs and lows that have come from the pandemic.

March is also Women’s History month, and we also share some of the women who inspire us and who we’d love to support even more.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode383

Hello Martinis and Your Money listeners. In July’s happy hour episode we discussed being burnt out and the toll that the pandemic has taken on many workers and it’s certainly taken its toll on me in a lot of different ways. So to give myself time to refuel my own tank, I’m taking the month of August off from recording and working on the podcast. I’ll be vacationing with family, vacationing with my boyfriend Vinnie, enjoying a company retreat with my FinGym team, and prepping for what I hope will be a really great Fall season for the Gym as we open all four gym locations; back for events and client co-working. It's very exciting times. So during these four Fridays in August, I’ll be replaying some of my favorite episodes from this past year. I’ll be returning back in September with all-new episodes through the end of the year. Thank you so much for always supporting the show and allowing me some much-needed rest from producing new content. I’ll see you in September.

Welcome to 2021!! I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t be more excited to be starting a new year and a fresh start with all of you! 2020 turned out to be a year for survival and I feel like it’s time to make 2021 a year for thriving. I’m kicking off this new year addressing a topic that I know will help you thrive in 2021, and that’s imposter syndrome. 

At The Financial Gym, we’re always encouraging clients to dream bigger and manifest greater, and a common hurdle for many clients achieving those goals is overcoming imposter syndrome. Joining me today is Meggie Palmer, founder of PepTalkHer, to share her best strategies for managing and overcoming imposter syndrome. There are so many great pearls of wisdom in this conversation whether you are challenged with imposter syndrome or not.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode382

Hello Martinis and Your Money listeners. In July’s happy hour episode we discussed being burnt out and the toll that the pandemic has taken on many workers and it’s certainly taken its toll on me in a lot of different ways. So to give myself time to refuel my own tank, I’m taking the month of August off from recording and working on the podcast. I’ll be vacationing with family, vacationing with my boyfriend Vinnie, enjoying a company retreat with my FinGym team, and prepping for what I hope will be a really great Fall season for the Gym as we open all four gym locations; back for events and client co-working. It's very exciting times. So during these four Fridays in August, I’ll be replaying some of my favorite episodes from this past year. I’ll be returning back in September with all-new episodes through the end of the year. Thank you so much for always supporting the show and allowing me some much-needed rest from producing new content. I’ll see you in September.

March represents the opportunity to celebrate Women’s History Month. For those of you who don’t know, I attended an all-girls Catholic high school. From the early age of 14, I saw the value and positivity that could arise from women working in a supportive and collaborative environment. This experience literally defined a large part of my life, by instilling a desire to mentor, promote, and support women. As I always say, it’s not that I don’t love men — I married one, I birthed one, and I’m looking forward to falling in love again with another man in my future — but over my 20-year career, I’ve seen the constant need to build support networks to allow women to grow and thrive in the areas where they would love to grow and thrive. 

Joining me today is a long-time friend in the personal finance space, Stefanie O’Connell, founder of Statement Cards and host of the Money Confidential podcast, to discuss how her professional journey led her to start a company and brand that is essentially a movement to support women during their various life journeys.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode381

In July’s happy hour episode we discussed being burnt out and the toll that the pandemic has taken on many workers and it’s certainly taken its toll on me in a lot of different ways. So to give myself time to refuel my own tank, I’m taking the month of August off from recording and working on the podcast. I’ll be vacationing with family, vacationing with my boyfriend Vinnie, enjoying a company retreat with my FinGym team, and prepping for what I hope will be a really great Fall season for the Gym as we open all four gym locations; back for events and client co-working. It's very exciting times. So during these four Fridays in August, I’ll be replaying some of my favorite episodes from this past year. I’ll be returning back in September with all-new episodes through the end of the year. Thank you so much for always supporting the show and allowing me some much-needed rest from producing new content. I’ll see you in September.

Starting a business is not for the weak of heart, but if your gut is telling you to do it, and you just can’t imagine a life otherwise, than even though it might not make sense financially and might not make sense on paper, it just might be the right path for you.

My guest today, Malyia McNaughton, founder and CEO of Made by Malyia, is one of those founders. Her story of being one of the only black women in her fashion industry job to one of the only black women designing jewelry is truly inspiring. She joins me today to talk about the seemingly crazy decisions she’s made and how that has led her to an amazing chapter in her founder’s story

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode380

Today is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host the happy hour on the podcast where I gather great friends with me to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics.

As you may have heard last month, one of our regular happy hour attendees,Tonya has decided to step away from recording the show and I’m excited today to introduce you to her replacement, Joy Liu. Long-time listeners may remember Joy from my Financially Naked episode or the military money episode. Joy has been a valued trainer at Financial Gym and an active podcast listener for four years now. Her focus at the Gym is around mindfulness and the experience she has had guiding hundreds of people through major life and financial events over the last four years is truly in a league of its own. I’m excited for you to get to know Joy even more and hear what she has to bring to the show. On today’s episode, we’re going to tackle a topic that I think many of us need to tackle right now and that’s focusing on what is our why. Given the Great Resignation and many people feeling like they need change coming out of the global pandemic, is quitting your job the right move? What is the right move? I think it all comes down to the why and we’re going to discuss ours and how you can connect or reconnect with yours.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode383

As most of you know, I’m a big fan of financial literacy. And I think it is equally as important a component to a successful life, just like regular literacy. The biggest challenge for most people though is that, unlike reading lessons, most of us don’t get personal finance lessons in schools or at home. So it’s up to us to learn a language on our own and find the best classes for our needs. This is why I love highlighting so many different resources for financial literacy and I’m excited to share another one for you today. Joining me on the podcast today are Pamela Capalad and her husband, Dyalekt. She’s the founder of the financial planning company “Brunch and Budget” and together the couple has cofounded “The Race and Wealth Podcast Network” which includes the Brunch and Budget podcast as well as the organization “Pockets Change”, which creates financial literacy curriculums that are taught in schools, youth organizations or one-on-one with parents and kids. They’re joining me to share how their unique backgrounds and experiences helped them to find a unique way to teach financial literacy and empowerment to underserved communities.  

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode378

As many of you know, I’m committed to utilizing my platform to amplify all voices in the personal finance space; and I’m excited to share with you Lyanne Alfaro’s story and her journey to create the Moneda Moves podcast and newsletter, a platform for Latinos to discuss money. Lyanne joins me today to discuss the racial wealth gap in the Latino community, the roles small businesses play in building generational wealth, and why there needs to be more opportunities for the community to speak openly about money. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/latinxandmoney

I’ve been in the personal finance blogging and podcasting space now for over 8 years now and I’ve made so many great friends along the way. One of those friends is today’s guest, Catherine Alford. In my early days of blogging, Cat’s blog was one that I hoped to emulate and it’s actually because of her that I had a side hustle as a finance writer for a period of time. For years, I’ve followed Cat’s journey and desire to have a published book; and when I saw that her dream finally became a reality, I knew I needed to have her on the show to talk about her journey, why she never gave up and why you should check out her new book “Mom’s Got Money: A millennial mom’s guide to managing money like a boss.” Cat’s story is so inspiring and I hope it inspires you to never give up on your dreams as well. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/moms-got-money-with-cat-alford

Thanks to the global pandemic, for over 15 months now, I think every single person on this planet has experienced trauma, from adjusting to a new normal to new work scenarios to new social scenarios to new travel scenarios and so much more. I firmly feel this has taken its toll on all of us to varying degrees and now more than ever is a time to think about not only how we’re going to process this trauma, but how do we move forward and take the lessons we’ve learned to move us into the appropriate next chapter of my life. There are a number of places to go to begin to do this work, but I happen to be a big fan of life coaching and the benefits it can bring to your work life, your personal life and so much more. Joining me today is Madeleine Onstwedder, a Life Coach for social impact professionals to discuss why she chose this career and share some of her free and cheap tips to live a better life

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/selfcareandlifecoaching

Today is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host the happy hour on the podcast where I gather great friends with me to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics.

June is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month and as we have with the previous months, we’ll be celebrating and amplifying the voices in this space. In addition to celebrating the events of June, we’ll have an extra special and bittersweet celebration at the end of this episode for one of the Happy Hour Ladies. This is an episode you won’t want to miss.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/junehappyhour

If you’ve listened to this show for just a little while, you know that I’m passionate about financial literacy. I always say financial literacy is like regular literacy, it needs to be taught from an early age, preferably practiced and supported at home and continually learned as you grow older and your financial decisions get more complicated. 

Financial literacy is the core mission of The Financial Gym and it’s also the core mission for today’s guests, Nikki and Carissa, co-founders of the site Benjamin Talks. Nikki and Carissa join me today to talk about why they wanted to create a site devoted to helping kids and their parents become more financially literate and also share some best practices to teach kids important and sustainable money habits.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/benjamin-talks-with-nikki-and-carissa

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 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. Over two years ago now on this podcast, I shared my financially naked session, and it led to a request for more. Now this is a regular series on this podcast. 

Getting in the hotseat today is Jen, a listener who has had some life challenges we haven’t tackled during a naked session yet. Jen joins me today to share her journey through infertility and starting a family later in life while also trying to achieve a goal of financial independence.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/getting-financially-naked-with-jen

For better or worse, the pandemic has normalized Zoom and other online connections. We used it pre-pandemic, but 2020 made a number of companies question the value or need for one-on-one interactions, to the point that we should all practice or feel highly confident with our Zoom presence going forward. This is why I’m excited to chat today with Joanna Lovering, an executive presence coach, workplace psychologist, and fashion stylist, who helps women develop transformative leadership skills. Joanna joins me today to discuss some best practices when putting our best foot forward, at least in the sense of online interactions. I learned so many great tips from this conversation and I hope you do as well.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/executive-presence-with-joanna-lovering

Today is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host the happy hour on the podcast where I gather great friends with me to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics. 

This is our May Happy Hour and May happens to be Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, as well as Mental Health Awareness Month, so my friends joined me to not only amplify voices in communities that you may not be following but also share amazing resources (most of them free) for you to work on your mental health. As usual, another great episode with so much important information. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/aapi-and-mental-health-awareness-month-with-the-happy-hour-ladies

I know and hope that so many of us are taking away a number of life lessons from the experiences of 2020, and the start of 2021, and one of those lessons for me is the value of amplifying voices. I started this podcast over six years ago, as a dare to bring more female voices to the personal finance podcasting space. Over a million downloads later, I take this platform you’ve given to me, by listening over those years, very seriously. 

Many of my long-term listeners know that, like you, I’m on a journey to learn every day and get better every day in all aspects of my life, especially finances, and I’m bringing those lessons to this community. Today, I’m excited to share the unique cultural and financial journey of my teammate at The Financial Gym, Ramona. Ramona’s family is from Guyana and she joins me today on how her family’s background and journey has influenced her.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/growing-up-guyanese-with-ramona

As as start-up founder, I’m always open to speaking to potential startup founders to hear their ideas and share my thoughts on next steps for them and what types of financing routes they may want to consider. After having three such conversations recently, I realized it would be really valuable to memorialize some of these thoughts for other potential founders, and when I thought of who I wanted to have this conversation with, my first thought was my good friend Hitha Palepu. 

Hitha is not only an entrepreneur, but she’s also an angel investor who’s invested in multiple start-ups, including The Financial Gym. Hitha joins me today to share her thoughts on the process of starting and financing a business. This is a valuable conversation for anyone thinking of pursuing their own business.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/financing-your-business-with-hitha-palepu

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 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. Over two years ago on this podcast, I shared my financially naked session and it led to a request for more. Now, this is a regular series on this podcast. 

Getting in the hotseat today, for the second time, is Liana. When we last got Financially Naked with Liana, she was living in Vermont, working as a medical writer, and planning a wedding. She joins us today to share if she had a pandemic wedding and what her career and finances look like over a year later.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/financially-naked-follow-up-with-liana

Today is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host the happy hour on the podcast where I gather great friends with me to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics. This is not only the last Friday of the month, but it’s the last Friday of one of my favorite months: Financial Literacy Month. My friends joined me today to share their journeys to finding and discovering financial literacy and they share some of the best resources for how we can all continue to refine and improve our own financial literacy. Of all of our happy hours, I feel like this one is a must-listen, especially for any of your friends and family who are new to the concept of Financial Literacy.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/discovering-financial-literacy-with-the-happy-hour-ladies

Getting financially healthy at its core is essentially two steps: making more and spending less. It sounds basic, but the fact that over 70% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck tells you that it’s not so basic. Yes, there are systemic changes that need to happen for a number of Americans, but from my experience of getting people financially healthy over the last 10 years, I believe the majority of those 70% can stop living paycheck to paycheck if they lower expenses and/or make more money. 

In an effort to help our clients at the Gym find ways to make more money, we’re always talking about side hustles as a part of that equation, and a side hustle I love for just about anyone is writing and selling books.

Joining me today is my good friend, Ash Cash, who’s not only a bestselling author, but founder of Mind Right Money and host of Inside the Vault podcast, to share why he feels everyone can have bookselling as a side hustle and how you can take the steps to start ASAP. I always love reconnecting with Ash, not only for his positivity and motivational approach to life, but his practical and applicable advice on this side hustle.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/book-writing-as-a-side-hustle-with-ash-cash

Part of getting a financial plan done, especially one through The Financial Gym is identifying risk factors to your financial health. One of the solutions for mitigating financial risks is insurance, whether it is life insurance, car insurance, or renter’s insurance.

Today’s episode, with podcast friend and listener, Colin, is the perfect cautionary tale as to the importance of renter’s insurance. Renter’s insurance is something that not enough people consider, but for the value of what it covers should make sense in your monthly budget.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/the-importance-of-renters-insurance-with-colin-becker

April is Financial Literacy month and I always say that Financial Literacy is like regular literacy, it needs to be taught from an early age, preferably practiced and supported at home, and continually learned as you grow older and your financial decisions get more complicated. 

Financial literacy is the core mission of The Financial Gym and it’s also the core mission for today’s guest, Dan Sheeks owner and founder of SheeksFreaks an online community to help young people live their best lives by making smart money decisions. He shares some of his best tips for helping Gen Z’ers, and really anyone else, become more financially literate.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/teens-gen-z-and-finances-with-dan-sheeks

Today is the first Friday in April, and, in case you didn’t know, April is Financial Literacy Month, or, our favorite month of the year at The Gym. If you are listening to this podcast, you’ve made financial literacy an important part of your life. If you are looking for more resources, especially this month, we have a number of free events going on at The Financial Gym — we have one for every weekday. Check out the schedule at financialgym.com, and, again, everything is free. 

The Gym also has its own podcast call Financially Naked, where you can hear more from our clients and our trainers, and you can find that anywhere you listen to podcasts. I hope you will check out our events and share them with your friends, so they can embrace financial literacy as well.

Onto today’s show! Managing couples’ finances is a challenge, especially if you are in similar industries or have similar job types. Joining me today are my good friends David and John, otherwise known as the Debt Free Guys, and the the hosts of Queer Money Podcast, to discuss how they’ve managed their household finances as a couple, and also weathered a global pandemic that affected their joint business, and stayed financially healthy throughout it all.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/suviving-job-insecurity-with-the-debt-free-guys

Today is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host the happy hour on the podcast where I gather great friends with me to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics. 

March 12 marked the official one-year anniversary of the beginning of the pandemic in the U.S. Can you even believe it has been a year? What a wild year it has been. The ladies and I took the time to reflect on the year and share our highs and lows that have come from the pandemic.

March is also Women’s History month, and we also share some of the women who inspire us and who we’d love to support even more.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/highs-and-lows-of-the-pandemic-with-the-happy-hour-ladies

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 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. Over two years ago on this podcast, I shared my financially naked session and it led to a request for more. Now, this is a regular series on this podcast. 

Getting in the hotseat today is our first Canadian guest, Margaret. She joins me to share not only her digits, but how she got her finances into shape and how she wants to help others do it as well.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/getting-financially-naked-with-margaret

Getting financially healthy is as much a mindset game as it is a numbers game, and part of changing your mindset includes changing how you view certain words around financial health, like budgeting, investing, and, our topic today, frugality. Before I set out on my path to financial wellness, I thought of frugal people as cheap people. Being frugal was not a goal I had for myself. Fast forward 10 years, and I know that frugal people are fabulous, and frugality is more of a money hack than anything else. 

Joining me today to speak more on this topic, and how you can change your mindset to embrace frugality, is Jen Smith, founder of the blog site Modern Frugality and co-host of the podcast Frugal Friends. She joins me to share how she became a frugal convert and how embracing frugality led to debt freedom for her and her husband.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/modern-frugality-with-jen-smith

March represents the opportunity to celebrate Women’s History Month. For those of you who don’t know, I attended an all-girls Catholic high school. From the early age of 14, I saw the value and positivity that could arise from women working in a supportive and collaborative environment. This experience literally defined a large part of my life, by instilling a desire to mentor, promote, and support women. As I always say, it’s not that I don’t love men — I married one, I birthed one, and I’m looking forward to falling in love again with another man in my future — but over my 20-year career, I’ve seen the constant need to build support networks to allow women to grow and thrive in the areas where they would love to grow and thrive. 

Joining me today is a long-time friend in the personal finance space, Stefanie O’Connell, founder of Statement Cards and host of the Money Confidential podcast, to discuss how her professional journey led her to start a company and brand that is essentially a movement to support women during their various life journeys.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/the-importance-of-statement-cards-with-stephanie-oconnell

Today is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host the happy hour on the podcast where I gather great friends with me to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics. 

In honor of Black History Month, and leaning into Women’s History month that begins next month, we’re going to share some of our favorite businesses, bloggers, podcasters, and resources where you can support women and people of color. We discuss a truly epic group of individuals that I hope you enjoy learning about as much as I did. Joining us again this month is Kassandra, while Liz is on sabbatical, and I truly appreciate your support and encouragement of Kassandra, while wishing Liz the best.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/supporting-people-of-color-with-the-happy-hour-ladies

One of the many things I love about hosting this show is discovering new and fascinating ways to help you think about financial health differently, or approach your financial health differently, and today’s episode is a great example of that. Joining me today is Juliet Obodo, Master Hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner, to share her story of why she left a traditional corporate job to pursue a career in hypnotherapy and how hypnotherapy can help you overcome subconscious roadblocks you may have that would prevent you from living the life of your dreams. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/hypnosis-and-finances-with-juliet-obodo

I know and hope that so many of us are taking away a number of life lessons from the experiences of 2020, and honestly the beginning of 2021, as well. One of those lessons for me is the value of amplifying voices. I started this podcast over six years ago now as a dare to bring more female voices to the personal finance podcasting space, and over a million downloads later, I take this platform you’ve given to me by listening very seriously. 

Many of my long-term listeners know that, like you, I’m on a journey to learn every day and get better every day in all aspects of my life, especially finances, and I’m bringing those lessons to this community. Today is Lunar New Year, or, what I knew growing up as Chinese New Year, and it impacts millions of people on this planet, including three of my teammates at the Financial Gym. So joining me today is Sean, Remie, and Tina, to share their stories of lunar new year, how it impacts their families, and why they shouldn’t be working today.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/lunar-new-year-with-sean-remie-and-tina

Seven years ago, I had an idea for a business that took me on the wildest journey filled with my highest highs and my lowest lows. From the second I became an entrepreneur, though, I felt a kinship with other founders, especially female founders. This summer, when it seemed like the world was blowing up and we were trying to decide how to respond as a business to the world around us, my gut told me that supporting black female founders was the path that we should take. As a result, The Financial Gym partnered with iFundWomen to identify five black, female-founded businesses to receive a scholarship from us, as well as business coaching and any other resources The Gym could provide, to help these women create even more successful businesses. 

We started with the plan to help five women, but it became six, because of an impromptu conversation I had with today’s guest, Auzerais Bellamy, founder of Blondery. I was so blown away by this woman and her vision, that I knew we had to help. Joining me today is Auzerais to share her story about the challenges of being a black woman pastry chef in the world of fine dining. I hope you’re as motivated by her journey as I am

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/blondery-with-auzerais-bellamy

Today is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host the happy hour on the podcast where I gather great friends with me to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics. 

Today is the first happy hour of 2021, and what an eventful first month it has been so far. As many of you know or may remember, our regular happy hour cohost Liz, aka Mrs. Frugalwoods, is taking a sabbatical from the show. Starting this month, our good friend, Kassandra Dasent, will be filling the extra happy hour seat. Kassandra joins the show today to share more about her personal journey, and we all discuss our goals, plans, and thoughts on a new year. We will miss Liz, but you are really going to love hearing Kassandra’s take on personal finance.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/shifting-goals-in-2021-with-the-happy-hour-ladies

At The Financial Gym, our clients come in all different financial shapes and sizes, with a variety of careers ranging from teachers to investment bankers to government workers to doctors and nurses. But, the number one job type of clients of The Financial Gym is self-employed, and this means anything from freelancer or Instagram influencer to a small business owner. 

As a small business owner myself, I can’t tell you how important it is to manage your business finances properly, and while I understand the need for conserving cash, it sometimes makes a great deal of sense to invest in experts who can save you time and money in the end. 

Joining me today is Michelle Löpez, co-founder of Breakaway Bookkeeping, to talk about the importance of bookkeeping for small businesses and the best strategies to lay a great foundation for your business no matter what size it is.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/breakaway-bookkeeping-and-advising-with-michelle-lopez

If you’ve been listening to this show for a while, you know that I’m a big fan of salary negotiation and getting paid what you’re worth. It’s so important to me that all four Financial Gym locations literally have a wall that says “Know Your Worth”. One of the leaders in this conversation, especially for women, is Claire Wasserman, founder of the community Ladies Get Paid. 

Claire joins me today to discuss the new book she’s written around the subject – Ladies Get Paid, The Ultimate Guide to Breaking Barriers, Owning Your Worth and Taking Command of Your Career. However you gender identify, I believe Claire’s book and insights will empower you financially in your career.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/ladies-get-paid-with-claire-wasserman

I always talk about our adult lives being like a cross-country road trip and our financial goals are the destinations along the way. A common financial goal or destination we help clients prepare for is having children. If becoming a parent is on your wishlist, I have to warn you (speaking from experience) that children are a rewarding, but expensive, destination and it starts with conception. 

We have a number of young female clients who are not sure about motherhood just yet but want to have options and options cost money. So, joining me today is Dr. Raquel Hammonds, a naturopathic doctor and reproductive specialist, to talk more about planning for a family and some easy and affordable ways you can increase your likelihood for success. I learned so much from this episode and I hope it helps many of you.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/the-fertility-advantage-with-dr-raquel-hammonds

Welcome to 2021!! I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t be more excited to be starting a new year and a fresh start with all of you! 2020 turned out to be a year for survival and I feel like it’s time to make 2021 a year for thriving. I’m kicking off this new year addressing a topic that I know will help you thrive in 2021, and that’s imposter syndrome. 

At The Financial Gym, we’re always encouraging clients to dream bigger and manifest greater, and a common hurdle for many clients achieving those goals is overcoming imposter syndrome. Joining me today is Meggie Palmer, founder of PepTalkHer, to share her best strategies for managing and overcoming imposter syndrome. There are so many great pearls of wisdom in this conversation whether you are challenged with imposter syndrome or not.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/imposter-syndrome-and-peptalkher-with-meggie-palmer