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 the last episode of 2022, and for the 7th straight year in a row, we are going to share our highs and lows for the year; we’re going to review the goals we set last year and set some new goals for 2023. Other than being a special year-end Happy Hour, today we have an extra special, supersized Happy Hour event that I am so excited to share with you. 

We have some returning Happy Hour ladies to update you on their years; we’re saying farewell to a Happy Hour regular and sharing what’s to come for Happy Hours in 2023. It is a super special not-to-miss episode. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode453

As many of you know, I have a number of things on my plate from running the Financial Gym, to working with my own clients to working on this podcast and there are many days where I think I need to cut back on the podcasting, but then on days like today, I’m so thankful for this platform and this opportunity to share someone and a resource that I feel is truly beneficial and can help you live a better life. 

Joining me today is Jason Vitug, founder of the financial website Phroogal and author of the upcoming book Happy Money Happy Life. Jason is a personal friend from the financial blogging space whom I’ve known for over 9 years now. The last time he was on the podcast, he was promoting his book, You Only Live Once, the Roadmap to Financial Wellness and a purposeful life. He’s back today to promote his second book, and I honestly feel as though Happy Money is the exact book we all need right now. 

The last few years of pandemic, inflation and global unrest has made for some challenging times to manage our finances and maintain a healthy relationship with money. Jason’s book is the perfect guide to navigating your why around money and crafting a roadmap for success in all of your wellness pillars, not just money. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode452

This is one of the last podcasts of the year and during the month of December, I’m always talking to clients about year-end planning, especially around taxes and charitable donations. We’ve talked about charitable giving specifically with Donor Advised Funds on this podcast as Mrs. Frugalwoods is a big proponent and shared how she utilizes them to not only help with their tax planning but also how her family is able to give more meaningfully because they have the funds. 

I have always loved the idea of Donor Advised Funds, but always hated how they seemed to only be a conversation topic for wealthy families. Well, finally there is a great option for people of all financial shapes and sizes to consider Donor Advised Funds and it’s called Daffy. 

Joining me today is Adam Nash, CEO and Co-Founder of Daffy to talk more about Donor Advised Funds, why December is the perfect time to start one, and how Daffy is making it easier for all of us to give back not only in December but year-round for many years to come. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode451

As many of you know, I have a number of things on my plate, I wear a lot of hats. From running The Financial Gym, to working with my own clients, to working on this podcast. There are many days I think I need to cut back on podcasting. But on days like today, I am so thankful for this platform and opportunity to share someone and a resource that I feel is truly beneficial and can help you live a better life. 

Joining me today is Elle Martinez, Elle was previously on the podcast to discuss her podcast and website, Couple Money. And she joins me today to share why she created a new podcast and website, Simplify & Enjoy and the unique approach she’s taking to the FI movement. I always love catching up with Elle, especially because she makes her own alcohol. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode450

At the Financial Gym, we have a Diversity, Equity Inclusion and Belonging team that works on various initiatives for the Gym and in 2022, they launched the Exercising Empathy Series where they focused on presenting one speaker a month to educate the team on various subject matters that could impact our clients. I personally attended these sessions that were held during our weekly professional development time and found each one incredibly helpful and informative and I’m excited to share some of those speakers with you on this podcast. 

Joining me today is Lillie Nkenchor, President of Lillie Nkenchor PC to discuss why she became a trust and estate attorney and why you don’t have to be wealthy to think about trust and estate planning. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode449

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. 

Since we are in the second to last month of the year, today, we’re talking about holiday and year end planning. I think this year more than ever it makes sense to take the time to plan and we share more about that in the show. There is plenty to do before we enter a new year and now is the time to do it. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode448

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 they 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 3 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 Irene. Irene had been a long time podcast listener that took a risk and joined the Gym right at the beginning of the pandemic. She shares her story from student loan debt, to job changes and everything in between. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode447

As many of you know, I have a number of things on my plate from running the Financial Gym, to working with my own clients to working on this podcast and there are many days where I think I need to cut back on the podcasting, but then on days like today, I’m so thankful for this platform and this opportunity to share someone and a resource that I feel is truly beneficial and can help you live a better life. 

Joining me today is Jenn Cassetta, a health and empowerment coach and author of the book The Art of Badassery – Unleash Your Mojo with Wisdom from the Dojo. Jenn and I have been friends for years and I have always loved her message of empowerment through physical and mental strength and her book is the extension of all of that amazing wisdom. She joins me today to share more about the book and how you can apply martial arts lessons to your daily life. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode446

Last month, I used Halloween as my inspiration to share with you the theme of Financial Horror Stories. And I had one more to tell, so the theme has rolled over in November. Last month I shared some client situations and my own where it felt as though we were starring in our very own Financial Horror Movie. Today’s episode is a little different. Joining me today is Financial Gym Trainer and Happy Hour co-host Joy Liu to discuss how life insurance and how you utilize it can create it’s own financial horror story. We discuss why we think it may or may not make sense to have it, when it makes sense to cancel it and what to do when you’re faced with the painful decision of deciding whether or not to continue paying into a horrible scenario and when you walk away. This is an important episode for anyone who has or is considering whether or not life insurance should be part of their financial health journey.

For more information check out our show notes here!

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 month with Halloween as my inspiration, I’m sharing with you the theme of Financial Horror Stories. I want to be clear that we’re utilizing this titling in a very tongue in cheek manner. First of all, I don’t think any financial story is of the horror variety, but I’ve worked with clients long enough to know that after a string of unfortunate financial occurrences, it’s quite easy to feel as though you’re starring in your very own Financial Horror Movie. 

This month I’m sharing with you some of those stories where our clients have felt as though they were in some scary situations and how they worked their way out of them. Spoiler alert, they all make it out alive. 

On today’s happy hour, we share some of our financial horror stories and how we found our way out of them. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode444

With Halloween as my inspiration this month, I’m sharing with you the theme of Financial Horror Stories. I want to be clear that we’re utilizing this titling in a very tongue in cheek manner. First of all, I don’t think any financial story is of the horror variety, but I’ve worked with clients long enough to know that after a string of unfortunate financial occurrences, it’s quite easy to feel as though you’re starring in your very own Financial Horror Movie.

This month I’m sharing with you some of those stories where our clients have felt as though they were in some scary situations and how they worked their way out of them. Spoiler alert, they all make it out alive. 

Today’s episode is mine and it’s a recent event for me. My financial horror story is more of a mental health challenge than anything and given that I know many of us are struggling with our mental health, I thought it was timely to share. I need to warn everyone in advance that if you are someone who is triggered by depressive or suicidal thoughts or topics around these areas, then please do not listen to this episode. I’m sharing my story with you in the hopes of providing encouragement and resources for anyone who may be feeling like I was and hopefully take my horror story and make something good happen from it. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode443

With Halloween as my inspiration this month, I’m sharing with you the theme of Financial Horror Stories. I want to be clear that we’re utilizing this titling in a very tongue-in-cheek manner. First of all, I don’t think any financial story is of the horror variety, but I’ve worked with clients long enough to know that after a string of unfortunate financial occurrences, it’s quite easy to feel as though you’re starring in your very own Financial Horror Movie. 

This month I’m going to share with you some of those stories where our clients have felt as though they were in some scary situations and how they worked their way out of them. Spoiler alert, they all make it out alive. 

Joining me today is Whitney. She built a successful business only to want to walk away from it all and in the process, her financial choices added in a scary way until the point she couldn’t avoid them any longer.  

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode442

With Halloween as my inspiration this month, I’m sharing with you the theme of Financial Horror Stories. I want to be clear that we’re utilizing this titling in a very tongue in cheek manner. First of all, I don’t think any financial story is of the horror variety, but I’ve worked with clients long enough to know that after a string of unfortunate financial occurrences, it’s quite easy to feel as though you’re starring in your very own Financial Horror Movie. This month I’m going to share with you some of those stories where our clients have felt as though they were in some scary situations and how they worked their way out of them. 

Joining me today is Joel. He is going to share how his life changed with a break up, and the twists and turns it took from there. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode441

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 month begins a three month long effort for me and The Financial Gym team to connect again in person with our community. In partnership with Community Spirit Vodka, we’ll be touring 9 cities and bringing our community together for the first time in almost three years. It’s an exciting time for us and I wanted to spend this month on the podcast talking about community and the importance of it. 

The Happy Hour ladies join me today to talk about the important communities they are a part of and how they have changed their lives. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode440

This month begins a three-month-long effort for me and The Financial Gym team to connect again in person with our community. In partnership with Community Spirit Vodka, we’ll be touring 9 cities and bringing our community together for the first time in almost three years. It’s an exciting time for us and I wanted to spend this month on the podcast talking about community and the importance of it. I think it’s easy to think about community as being a large number of people, but communities come in all shapes and sizes and I often think about our Financial Trainers at the Gym and in our CFT program as building community with their clients to effect change. 

Joining me today are two Financial Gym clients, Robert and Katie, that I’ve been blessed to be in a community with for over 7 years now. They join me today to share their financial journey and the power that having me and the entire FinGym community has had on their financial picture. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode439

This month begins a three-month-long effort for me and The Financial Gym team to connect again in person with our community. In partnership with Community Spirit Vodka, we’ll be touring 9 cities and bringing our community together for the first time in almost three years. It’s an exciting time for us and I wanted to spend this month on the podcast talking about community and the importance of it. 

Today I’m talking to Jacey Lambros and Danielle DeAngelo, co-founders of the company Jane Do who set out to build a community of empowered women, faced extreme headwinds to their business during the pandemic, but persevered and continue to focus on their important mission. They join me to share what keeps them motivated and where the company is going to go in this next chapter. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode438

This month begins a three-month-long effort for me and The Financial Gym team to connect again in person with our community. In partnership with Community Spirit Vodka, we’ll be touring 9 cities and bringing our community together for the first time in almost three years. It’s an exciting time for us and I wanted to spend this month on the podcast talking about community and the importance of it.

Today, I’m talking to a representative of our co-sponsor of this road trip, Ashley Eldrefri is a Community Spirit Vodka Brand Ambassador who is joining me to talk more about this incredible spirits company and why they believe so strongly in the mission of supporting the communities they serve. A few notes before this show starts; I shortened the company name and referenced their parent company in an event Financial Gym participated in. All references belong to the Community Spirit Vodka brand, and I want to thank them for this epic opportunity to partner together. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode437

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! This month begins a three-month-long effort for me and The Financial Gym team to connect again in person with our community. In partnership with Community Spirit Vodka, we’ll be touring 9 cities and bringing our community together for the first time in almost three years. It’s an exciting time for us and I wanted to spend this month on the podcast talking about community and the importance of it. 

Kicking off the month with me is Aja Evans, a Financial Therapist who works with clients on a number of challenges, one of which is being a first-time generational wealth builder. Building wealth takes community. It’s about surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals and being supported through the challenging decisions you face as you sacrifice the spending of today to build for the wealth of tomorrow. Aja joins me to share her thoughts on best practices and tools for people looking to achieve this important goal.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode436

 

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! As many of you know, I work with a team to produce one new episode a week despite running a business; and around the summertime, I always feel the need to take a little break from the podcast to refuel my creative juices where the show is concerned. So, I take the month of August off from airing new shows, and during this time, I replay some of my favorite episodes from this past year. I hope you enjoy hearing again or for the first time some of my favorite episodes of this past year. I’ll be back in September with new shows and hopefully some exciting news about Financial Gym. Until then, I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and I’ll see you in September!

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! This was the last Friday of November 2022 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 this month 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/episode435

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! As many of you know, I work with a team to produce one new episode a week despite running a business; and around the summertime, I always feel the need to take a little break from the podcast to refuel my creative juices where the show is concerned. So, I take the month of August off from airing new shows, and during this time, I replay some of my favorite episodes from this past year. I hope you enjoy hearing again or for the first time some of my favorite episodes of this past year. I’ll be back in September with new shows and hopefully some exciting news about Financial Gym. Until then, I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and I’ll see you in September!

This was the first episode of a new year and I wanted to focus this episode on one of my favorite things to start a new year with, goal setting. For most of my childhood and adult life, I hated New Year’s resolutions and the idea of goal setting because I am such a type A overachiever that I was always afraid of setting myself up for failure. It wasn’t until 10 years ago, when I became a financial planner and saw the game-changing power of goal setting for others, that I adopted it in my own life and my team at The Financial Gym works on this with their clients every single day.

Joining me today to talk about some secrets to goal setting and why it may not have worked for you in the past is one of my trainers from The Gym, Victoria. Victoria is actually a long-time podcast listener, but this is her first time as a guest!

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode434

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! As many of you know, I work with a team to produce one new episode a week despite running a business; and around the summertime, I always feel the need to take a little break from the podcast to refuel my creative juices where the show is concerned. So, I take the month of August off from airing new shows, and during this time, I replay some of my favorite episodes from this past year. I hope you enjoy hearing again or for the first time some of my favorite episodes of this past year. I’ll be back in September with new shows and hopefully some exciting news about Financial Gym. Until then, I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and I’ll see you in September!

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/episode433

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! As many of you know, I work with a team to produce one new episode a week despite running a business; and around the summertime, I always feel the need to take a little break from the podcast to refuel my creative juices where the show is concerned. So, I take the month of August off from airing new shows, and during this time, I replay some of my favorite episodes from this past year. I hope you enjoy hearing again or for the first time some of my favorite episodes of this past year. I’ll be back in September with new shows and hopefully some exciting news about Financial Gym. Until then, I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and I’ll see you in September!

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 are three trainers from the gym. Sara B, Bevin, and Kadri.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode432

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. During the month of July, the US typically celebrates Independence Day and I always think about financial independence during this time. There is nothing more liberating than to have choices, especially in the world we’re living in, and financial independence is the key to this. It comes in a variety of formats based on who you’re talking to, so I’m talking to my friends about their FI plans, their thoughts around saving vs. spending, and how you can find the right mix for you no matter what stage of life you’re thinking about. 

 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode431

I get asked all the time about how someone can find a great financial planner and whether or not it makes sense to invest in a financial planner. And I always say that if you’re working with someone who’s just investing your money, I’m not sure it makes sense for you to pay for that, especially when there are plenty of great robo-adviser options for much lower fees. I do think a great financial planner not only helps an individual, couple or family determine the best road trip to accomplish all of their financial goals but also helps them prepare for the unexpected and helps avoid risks as much as possible. Risk management is a key part of great financial planning and when we’re talking about risk management, we’re usually talking about insurance. There are so many different types of insurance and it’s hard to know what types you should have and whether or not the additional expense makes sense. 

Joining me today is Yael Wissner-Levy the VP of Communication from Lemonade to talk about insurance and what types make the most sense to have. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode430

I have been working with clients now for over 10 years and something that I always find fascinating is how client behavior changes add up over time. The hardest part of a financial journey is at the beginning, especially if you’ve never done it before. But with focus and mindset shift, small changes over time literally lead to big results.

That’s why I was so excited to talk to today’s guest Ramona Cedeno, author and CEO of Fibrick because she literally wrote an entire book about it. Ramona joins me today to talk about her book Simple Choices Big, Rewards in Money and how you can make these changes in your life. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode429

These are challenging and stressful times we’re living in. With the recent decisions by the Supreme Court, I know many of you are feeling like you don’t have a voice or you’re frustrated by what’s happening around you and you’re not quite sure what to do about it. 

Well if you’re feeling like this now might be the perfect time to read the latest book from my guest today, Tanja Hester. Tanja is an author and activist and was previously on the show to promote her book Work Optional, about her journey to financial independence. Today she is here to talk about her new book Wallet Activism: How to Use Every Dollar You Spend, Earn, and Save as a Force for Change 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode428

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 hotseat today is Kat. A Financial Gym client who heard me on a podcast in college and shares how that chance listening changed the trajectory of her financial life for the better. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode427

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. 

I have been a financial planner for over 10 years now, and if there is one important message I can communicate about financial planning for your life is that the unexpected is guaranteed. No matter how much we can plan and plot out life, we are bound to be confronted with the unexpected and frequently when we are, it’s at a surprisingly large expense to our finances. We’ve all had a front row seat to the unexpected during the pandemic, but I’ve witnessed anything from a lost job, to a surprise baby, to a house fire and everything in between. Joining me today are my friends to share how they plan for the unexpected and share some best practices for you to implement on your own. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode426

At the Financial Gym, one of the most important questions we ask clients during their financially naked meeting is “What’s Important to You?” In other words, what are your non-negotiables. What are the areas of your budget that you would protect over all others? Because other than 1% of the population, 99% of us have to make choices when getting financially healthy. We can’t have everything we want, but we can certainly get everything we need. Of the thousands of clients we work with, the large majority will say that travel is their primary non-negotiable, but a very close second for people are fur babies. Especially since the pandemic, we have seen a rise in fur babies in our client’s homes and while they bring us so much joy in life, they also come with their fair share of expenses. 

So joining me today is Financial Gym client, Anne to share her story about fur baby costs. How she manages them and the pros and cons of pet insurance that she invests in to help her offset those costs.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode425

You’ve heard me mention it during podcast commercials and in the Facebook group, but in 2022, Financial Gym, for the first time ever, launched a Financial Trainer Certification program. Before January 2022, the only way for you to earn a Financial Trainer Certification was to be a full-time employee of Financial Gym. In 2021, when we were looking at how we could reach our goal of getting to 1 million Gym clients sooner than later, we realized one of the solutions was to have more trainers out there doing the important work that we do. So we launched the program in January and the interest in it is exploding. To answer many questions people have about the process, the costs and the results, I’m talking to three CFT Certification graduates about their experiences. Joining me today are Gyasi, Annette and Melissa to share why they invested in the program, what it was like and their experience throughout the entire process. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode423

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 month on the podcast, I’ve highlighted financial and self-books from various authors that I know and respect. The happy hour ladies joined me and shared some amazing books to add to your reading list as well, but before we got into that, we addressed another important celebration that happens in May and that’s Mental Health Awareness. I asked the ladies to grade their current mental health state and we discussed what we’re feeling at the moment and how we’re working to improve or maintain our current mental health state. As always, it was a very honest and special conversation, and I hope you enjoy it. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode422

Last month was Financial Literacy Month and believe it or not, we’re fast approaching summertime, so I have books and learning on the brain this month. I decided to dedicate the month of May to various personal finance or self-help books that I thought would make great books to add to your current or summer reading lists. Today I’m talking to the co-authors of Stacked – Your Super Serious Guide to Modern Money Management, Joe Saul-Sehy and Emily Guy Birken. As you can imagine, over the years, I have read numerous personal finance books and I have to say, this one has quickly climbed the ranks to become one of my favorites. Joe and Emily not only have a wealth of knowledge to share through this book, but they share it in a funny and educational way that only they could pull off. I can’t wait for you to hear more from them on this book writing experience. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode421

Last month was financial literacy month and believe it or not, we’re fast approaching summertime, so I have books and learning on the brain. I decided to dedicate the month of May to various personal finance or self-help books that I thought would make great books to add to your current or summer reading lists. Today, I’m speaking with my friend, entrepreneur, author, and investor, Hitha Palepu about her recent release, WE’RE SPEAKING The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris: How to Use Your Voice, Be Assertive, and Own Your Story. This is a fantastic book with such a unique perspective, and I know you’re going to love it. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode420

Last month was financial literacy month and believe it or not, we’re fast approaching summertime, so I have books and learning on the brain this month. I decided to dedicate the month of May to various personal finance or self-help books that I thought would make great books to add to your current or summer reading lists. 

Kicking off the month is my friend, Jillian Johnsrud, host of the Everyday Courage podcast and author of the book, “Fire the Haters: Finding the Courage to Create Online in a Critical World,” a book that helps creatives and entrepreneurs share their best work with the world. She joins me to talk about why she wrote the book and how we can apply the lessons in the book to our online interactions. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode419

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. Today is the last Friday of April and April is Financial Literacy Month or what we like to call our favorite time of year at The Financial Gym. An entire month that’s focused on the importance of financial literacy. I always say that financial literacy is just as important as regular literacy and while there are so many resources for us out there to get better at it, I still feel as though we have a financial literacy crisis in the US. Every day new clients come to the Financial Gym feeling shame that they aren’t as adept in their personal finance knowledge and my response is always the same. Why should you feel confident? Most of us didn’t learn about personal finance at home, at school or on the job, yet the second we start receiving paychecks, we’re responsible for managing our money and navigating the world of personal finance. 

This month on the podcast, I’m addressing a particular area of finance that our clients find the most challenging. Today on the Happy Hour the ladies join me to talk about Cryptocurrency and whether or not it’s something you should focus on in your investment portfolio. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of opinions here.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode418

 

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! Today is the third Friday in April and in case you didn’t know, April is Financial Literacy Month or what we like to call our favorite time of year at The Financial Gym. An entire month that’s focused on the importance of financial literacy. I always say that financial literacy is just as important as regular literacy and while there are so many resources for us out there to get better at it, I still feel as though we have a financial literacy crisis in the US. Every day new clients come to the Financial Gym feeling shame that they aren’t as adept in their personal finance knowledge as they think they should be and my response is always the same. Why should you feel confident? Most of us didn’t learn about personal finance at home, at school or on the job, yet the second we start receiving paychecks, we’re responsible for managing our money and navigating the world of personal finance.  This month on the podcast, I’m addressing a particular area of finance that our clients find the most challenging. Today we’re talking retirement planning and joining me is Gaurav Sharma, founder, and CEO of Capitalize to discuss not only the importance of investing for retirement but how we can do so efficiently and not pay extra fees along the way

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode416

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! Today is the second Friday in April and in case you didn’t know, April is Financial Literacy Month or what we like to call our favorite time of year at The Financial Gym. An entire month that’s focused on the importance of financial literacy. I always say that financial literacy is just as important as regular literacy and while there are so many resources for us out there to get better at it, I still feel as though we have a financial literacy crisis in the US. Every day new clients come to the Financial Gym feeling shame because they aren’t as adept in their personal finance knowledge as think they should be and my response is always the same. Why should you feel confident? Most of us didn’t learn about personal finance at home, at school, or on the job, yet the second we start receiving paychecks, we’re responsible for managing our money and navigating the world of personal finance. 

This month on the podcast, I’m addressing a particular area of finance that our clients find the most challenging. Today we’re talking about investing and joining me is Author and Board Member of Better Investing, Ionnie McNeill. She joins me to share how she learned investing at an early age and how we can all make the learning process fun and approachable for the entire family.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode415

 

Today is the first Friday in April and in case you didn’t know, April is Financial Literacy Month or what we like to call our favorite time of year at The Financial Gym. An entire month that’s focused on the importance of financial literacy. I always say that financial literacy is just as important as regular literacy and while there are so many resources for us out there to get better at it, I still feel as though we have a financial literacy crisis in the US. Every day new clients come to the Financial Gym feeling shame that they aren’t as adept in their personal finance knowledge as they think they should be and my response is always the same. Why should you feel confident? Most of us didn’t learn about personal finance at home, at school, or on the job, yet the second we start receiving paychecks, we’re responsible for managing our money and navigating the world of personal finance. This month on the podcast, I’m addressing a particular area of finance that our clients find the most challenging. 

Today we’re starting with taxes. If you’re like me and you haven’t filed yours yet, you won’t want to miss this episode. Joining me today is Tony, the founder of CPA Dude to talk about taxes, common questions, how you can plan throughout the year, and what to do if you haven’t filed in a while. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode414

Today is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host Happy Hour on the podcast where I gather great friends with me to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics. March represents the two-year anniversary of the global lockdown that officially began the global pandemic due to Covid-19. Can you believe it? Two years! So, the ladies join me to discuss the impact that continued pandemic has had on them, the highs and lows they’ve experienced because of it, and their thoughts on where we’re heading next.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode413

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 Alexandra. Alexandra has been a longtime podcast listener who felt like she hadn’t heard her story represented in a Financially Naked episode, so she volunteered to do one herself. And now here’s Alexandra. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode412

I feel like I’m experiencing a baby boom of sorts between family members and Financial Gym clients! I felt like it made sense to talk about kids and money again on the show, especially from a financial trainer’s perspective. You’ve heard me say where money and emotions mix, it becomes challenging to make the best financial choices. Speaking from experience, I can say there is nothing more emotional than raising a child or multiple children. Having a child means more expenses, but it also makes it challenging to make more income and navigating the best decisions when there are limited choices is stressful at best. 

Joining me today are Randi and Sara, two trainers at The Financial Gym who are also moms to talk about how they personally handle some of these situations but also help their clients work through them as well. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode411

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 they 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 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 Kristen. Kristen is a longtime client of the Financial Gym who has been working toward having a career she loves while living in an expensive city 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode410

Today is the last Friday of the month and my regular listeners know that on the last Friday of the month, I host Happy Hour on the podcast where I gather great friends with me to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics. Today we’re playing a game of “Would you rather?” where I ask the ladies about some really tough financial decisions and hear what they would do. After over nine years of helping people get financially healthy, one thing is very clear, there is no perfect answer or solution to really difficult money choices and yet, there are so many difficult money choices. A word of warning that some of these scenarios may be triggering, especially if you’ve been in them, but my hope is that if you’re currently dealing with one or may have to in the future, you know that you’re not alone, and hopefully some of our opinions can help you or someone you love make a tough money decision. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode409

Shannon has done over 400 shows now and many listeners frequently ask about update episodes with past guests. You want to know how they’re doing and what they’ve been up to since they last spoke, so for the month of February, Shannon’s doing just that. She’s checking in with a number of past guests and you are not going to believe what they’ve been up to and where life has taken them since their last episodes. 

Joining Shannon today is Will. Will is a longtime client of the Financial Gym who got in the financially naked hotseat a few years back and shared that he was planning to buy property. Well, that plan fell through and wait until you hear what he actually did with his money. 

Listen to Will’s original financially naked episode here, which aired in December 2019 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode408

Shannon has done over 400 shows now and many listeners frequently ask about update episodes with past guests. You want to know how they’re doing and what they’ve been up to since they last spoke, so for the month of February, Shannon’s doing just that. She’s checking in with a number of past guests and you are not going to believe what they’ve been up to and where life has taken them since their last episodes. 

Joining Shannon today is Dylan. Dylan is actually the listener who first requested that Shannon host more financially naked episodes and she actually did one herself not too long ago. Dylan joins today to share how her life has changed dramatically since we last spoke and what’s in store for her this year. 

Listen to Dylan’s original’s episode, which aired February 21, 2020 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode407

Shannon has done over 400 shows now and many listeners frequently ask about update episodes with past guests. You want to know how they’re doing and what they’ve been up to since they last spoke, so for the month of February, Shannon’s doing just that. She’s checking in with a number of past guests and you are not going to believe what they’ve been up to and where life has taken them since their last episodes. 

Joining Shannon today is Malyia, founder of Made By Malyia. When we last heard from her, it was at the beginning of the pandemic and she was managing supply chain challenges for her growing jewelry business. She has been on an unbelievable ride ever since and we’re so excited for you to hear what she’s up to now. 

Listen to Malyia’s first episode here, which aired in August 2020.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode406

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 first happy hour of the new year and I wanted to talk to my friends about goal setting, but why this year may be harder than ever to do it and how can we manage our goals and expectations despite the fact that 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode405

Today’s episode is almost a two-in-one episode. Shannon is talking to Financial Gym client and Career Coach, Colleen, about ways that you can think about shifting your career in 2022 if you’re feeling like you want to be a part of the Great Resignation or you’re just starting out your career. But before we get into Colleen’s professional guidance, we get to check in on where she is personally as Colleen is a former guest on the show and a guest on what I consider one of my most memorable episodes; which was about life after bankruptcy. So I hope you enjoy seeing where Colleen’s life has gone since that fateful decision as well as enjoy her sound advice regarding career transitions. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode404

Hello Martinis and Your Money listeners! I hinted at this in the year-end podcast, but for the first time ever, The Financial Gym is offering a certification program for non- Financial Gym employees to become a Certified Financial Trainer. Until Now, this program and our training have been exclusive to The Gym but offering it to more people was always on our radar. As many of you know, the CFT program is essentially based on the last eight years of mine and my teams work with over 10,000+ people in all fifty states. Because of the vast and diverse client mix we’ve worked with over the last eight years, we’ve really seen it all. And we are literally the best team, I feel like the only team, to teach others how to help anyone get financially healthy. So joining me today are Bevin and Gina, two financial gym trainers and members of the team working on the Certification Program to share more about life as a trainer, what you can expect if you want to be one, and why this is literally the greatest job in the world.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode403

This is the first episode of a new year and I wanted to focus this episode on one of my favorite things to start a new year with, goal setting. For most of my childhood and adult life, I hated New Year’s resolutions and the idea of goal setting because I am such a type-A overachiever that I was always afraid of setting myself up for failure. It wasn’t until 10 years ago, when I became a financial planner and saw the game-changing power of goal setting for others, that I adopted it in my own life and my team at The Financial Gym works on this with their clients every single day. 

Joining me today to talk about some secrets to goal setting and why it may not have worked for you in the past is one of my trainers from The Gym, Victoria. Victoria is actually a long-time podcast listener, but this is her first time as a guest! 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode402