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 a very special Happy Hour, as we’re not only talking about our thoughts around Financial Independence but it’s also the year end happy hour, so we’ll be sharing our highs and lows of the year and we’ll set our goals for next year. I also have a very special surprise for you listeners in this show and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 

For more information, visit the show https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode511-hh-financial-independence

I have a special bonus episode for you this month. As you know, this will be my final December of new episodes for Martinis and Your Money, and I’ve spent this month highlighting my favorite financial goal for clients and that’s Financial Independence, butno matter what your financial goal is, the end of the year is the perfect time to identify goals and plan for the coming year which is why I’m excited to share this bonus episode with you.

Joining me today is Kelly Lannan, Senior Vice President of Emerging Customers at Fidelity to talk about Fidelity’s 15th Annual Resolutions Study. She joins me to share the surprising finding of the study and also best practices for setting yourself up to achieve some of those resolutions you may make this year.

This is the perfect episode to listen to and hopefully inspire you to set those New Year’s resolutions or goals in this last week of the year. I apologize in advance for my voice now and on the episode as I’m currently fighting a seasonal bug that’s going around. Despite my cold, this is a great episode with so many helpful takeaways. 

For more information, visit the show  https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode510-Fidelity

This December is my final year end month for Martinis and Your Money and around this time every year, I’m always talking to clients about goal setting for the following year. And if you’ve listened to this show before, you know that one of the most important financial goals that I am most passionate about is Financial Independence and that’s the ability to work because you WANT to work and not because you HAVE to work.

Fi is the number one goal we give to all of our clients at Financial Gym and it’s the number one goal I beg of you to set for 2024 and beyond. Joining me today is Tanja Hester, founder of the Our Next Life blog and author of the books Work Optional and Wallet Activism. I have always appreciated Tanja’s approach to Financial Independence and she joins me today to share more of that journey and what she and her husband have been up to since the declared Financial Independence six years ago. 

For more information, visit the show https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode509-tonja-hester

This December is my final year end month for Martinis and Your Money and around this time every year, I’m always talking to clients about goal setting for the following year. And if you’ve listened to this show before, you know that one of the most important financial goals that I am most passionate about is Financial Independence and that’s the ability to work because you WANT to work and not because you HAVE to work. It's the number one goal we give to all of our clients at Financial Gym and it’s the number one goal I beg of you to set for 2024 and beyond. 

Joining me today Brad Barrett, co-founder of the ChooseFI podcast and website. Brad joins me today to share not only his own journey to FI, but what factors unite people on an FI journey and his answer will likely surprise you. And now here’s Brad.

For more information, visit the show https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode508-chooseFI

This December is my final year-end month for Martinis and Your Money, and around this time every year, I’m always talking to clients about goal setting for the following year. One of the most important financial goals that I am most passionate about is Financial Independence, and that’s the ability to work because you WANT to work and not because you HAVE to work. 

It’s the number one goal we give to all of our clients at Financial Gym, and it’s the number one goal I beg of you to set for 2024 and beyond. Joining me today is Jessica, co-founder of the Fioneers and a voice for the SlowFi movement. She joins me today to share about her journey to FI and the lessons her community has taught her along the way.

For more information, visit the show https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode507-the-fioneers

One of the financial goals that I am most passionate about is Financial Independence and that’s the ability to work because you WANT to work and not because you HAVE to work. It's the number one goal we give to all of our clients at Financial Gym and it’s the number one goal I beg of you to set for 2024 and beyond. 

Joining me today is Jamila Souffrant founder of Journey to Launch and Author of the new book Your Journey to Financial Freedom to discuss how she became a voice in the FI space and why her book is the perfect guide for you to start your own FI journey.

For more information, visit the show https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode506-jamillasouffrant

Today is the last Friday of the month, and on the last Friday of the month, we host the happy hour on the podcast, where we gather great friends to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics. 

This month of the show, we’ve been discussing investing to celebrate the launch of Financial Gym’s investment management subsidiary, FG Advisory Services, LLC. This happy hour is a time to share more with friends what was shared with this team, and that’s why this business line is so important to me and why we’ve fought so hard to make it happen.

For more information, visit the show https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode505-hh-investing

This month, we’re focusing on investing. We’re very excited to announce that the team at Financial Gym will finally be able to start investing our clients’ money. For the past 10 years, we have coached clients to become first-generation wealth holders, and we want to continue on the journey with them and help them grow and build that wealth. 

Today, Garrett and Sara, both long-time trainers at Financial Gym who plan to help grow our investing division, join the show. They join to share some situations we’ve witnessed with clients that have motivated us to change the wealth management industry. 

For more information, visit the show https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode504-RIA

For the final season, I’m focused on delivering to you the best of the best. The best of what I’ve learned over the past 9 years of podcasting, the best guests, the best topics and so much more. This month I’m focusing on investing. I’m very excited for my listeners to be the first people to know that in just two months, my team at Financial Gym will finally be able to start investing our client’s money.

For the past 10 years, we have coached clients to become first generational wealth holders and we want to continue on the journey with them and help them continue to grow and build that wealth. Joining me today is my good friend Joe Saul Sehy. Joe and I were both financial advisors before the work we do now and I always love his insights and behind the scenes observations of financial advisors. Joe joins me today to share when he thinks people should engage a financial advisor, and his answer may surprise you. 

For more information, visit the show https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode503-joel-saul-sehy

This month we’re focusing on investing. In just two months, my team at Financial Gym will finally be able to start investing our client’s money. For the past ten years, we have coached clients to become first generational wealth holders and we want to continue on the journey with them and help them continue to grow and build that wealth. 

Joining me today is Amanda Holden, founder of Invested Development to talk about common myths about investing. I always love how Amanda breaks down investing topics and I hope you will too. 

For more information, visit the show https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode502-amanda-holden

Connect with Amanda Holden 

Website: Invested Development 
Instagram: @dumpster.dogg
TikTok: @dumpster.doggy 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Free Beginners Investing Workshop

• Invested Development from August 2019

On the last Friday of the month, I host the Happy Hour on the podcast, where I gather great friends to drink cheap drinks and talk about money topics. This month, I’ve been talking about student loans and celebrated a significant milestone when I hit my 500th podcast episode. 

Colin and Melanie joined this week to share their thoughts and experiences with student loan debt, and we toasted my big 500 episode accomplishment and discussed what life will be like for me after this show ends.  

For more information, visit the show https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode501-happy-hour-crew-looks-back

This month we’re focused on a subject that’s important for over 43 million Americans: student loan debt. Because of Covid-19, the federal government gave student loan borrowers a three year reprieve on payments; however, this month they are returning. Today is an extra special episode because it’s not only the 500th episode, but it’s also the first time we are having client number one on the podcast.

Jillian started working with Shannon exactly 10 years ago this month and the main reason she reached out was because of the student loan debt she was taking on to get her masters. She joins to share her student loan journey and also her journey as a Financial Gym client for the past 10 years. We’re excited to celebrate the 500th episode with one of Shannon’s favorite people on this planet! 

For more information, visit the show notes https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode500-client-number-one

This month, we’re focused on a subject that’s important for over 43 million Americans: student loan debt. Because of COVID-19, the federal government gave student loan borrowers a three-year reprieve on payments; however, this month, they are returning. 

There are several repayment options for federal student loan debt, and today, we are sharing with you some positive news and motivation for people who may qualify for the forgiveness programs available. 

Joining today are Danielle and Katie, two Financial Gym clients who have both had their federal loans forgiven. They join me to share how they did it, the process, and why you should apply even if you’re not sure it’s time for you. 

For more information, visit the show notes https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode499-pslf-achieved

For the final season of Martinis and Your Money, I’m focused on delivering you the best of the best. The best of what I’ve learned over the past nine years of podcasting, the best guests, the best topics, and so much more. 

This month, I’m focused on an important subject for over 43 million Americans: student loan debt. Because of COVID-19, the federal government gave student loan borrowers a three-year reprieve on payments; however, this month, they are returning. 

Joining me today is Robert Farrington, America’s Millennial Money Expert and founder of the website The College Investor, to discuss what you need to know if you have student loans and also what parents of college-age children or soon-to-be college-aged children (like me) need to know to avoid student loans in their future. 

For more information, visit the show notes https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode498-robert-farrington

This will be my last season of Martinis and Your Money and for this final season, I’ve set the other three people who will join me for happy hour every month.

My final season happy hour crew will be made up of Melanie, who many of you know well as she has been with me from the very first happy hour nine years ago and will continue to stay on with me until the end, my work wife for life and COO of Financial Gym, Alicia, and two time guest and avid podcast listener, Colin.

I’m excited about the energy they bring to various financial topics and I always love hearing what advice, guidance or lessons they’ve learned about personal finance and beyond. This is going to be a great final season with three amazing people for you to get to know and love. Today, we’re talking about our relationship with money and how we’ve all worked to build a healthy foundation to get financially healthy.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode497-happy-hour-crew-talks-mindset

At the Financial Gym, we call your first meeting 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 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. 

Years ago, on this podcast, I shared my financially naked session, which led to a request for more, and now this is a regular series on this podcast. Getting in the hotseat today is Sally. Sally is a long-time podcast listener who recently declared financial independence, and she joins us to discuss her journey and how she made the most of the last six years preparing for FI. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode496-naked-fire-at-forty

For my final season, I’m focused on delivering the best of the best. The best of what I’ve learned over the past 9 years of podcasting, guests, topics, and more. This month, I’m focused on the foundation and fundamentals of money and our relationship with it. 

Joining me today Lindsay Bryan-Podvin a financial therapist and author of the book The Financial Anxiety Solution. Lindsay returns to the show to share more about how people can establish a healthy money mindset around finances as well as tools that can help people who struggle with the anxiety they 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode495-money-mindset

For my final season, I’m focused on delivering the best of the best. The best of what I’ve learned over the past 9 years of podcasting, guests, topics, and more. This month, I’m focused on the foundation and fundamentals of money and our relationship with it. 

Joining me today is Kiera Doyle, Human Design Coach and founder of meetingyourmagic.com. Kiera is a long-time Financial Gym client who joined the show in 2019 to talk about Human Design, which was the first time I ever heard about the subject. 

Over the last 3 years, I’ve learned more about it and implemented it as a work tool at Financial Gym. I have found that understanding it has led to a better understanding of my life, purpose, how I should make decisions, and how it’s helped people around me. I recommend you listen if you haven’t heard Kiera’s first show and I hope you enjoy learning more today. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode494-human-design

Shannon is back at the microphone after her annual August break. She always returns to the show with fresh energy, excitement, and motivation; this year is extra special. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode493-big-announcement

Every August, I take a sabbatical from podcast recording to enjoy vacation time with family and friends and allow you to enjoy for the first or second time four previous podcast episodes that I found tremendously helpful and entertaining. 

Other than travel and family time, I’ll also be doing A LOT of prep work for some exciting changes happening to Financial Gym this Fall. You will not want to miss my September 1st podcast episode. I will have a lot to update you on as far as the podcast but also as far as the Gym. So I hope you enjoy this month of replays and stay tuned for very exciting updates in September. 

REPLAY: On the last Friday of the month, I host Happy Hour on the podcast, where I gather great friends 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 will share our highs and lows for the year; we will review the goals we set last year and set some new goals for 2023. 

Besides being a special year-end Happy Hour, 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/episode492-replay-happy-hour-supersized

Every August, I take a sabbatical from podcast recording to enjoy vacation time with family and friends and allow you to enjoy for the first or second time four previous podcast episodes that I found tremendously helpful and entertaining. 

Other than travel and family time, I’ll also be doing A LOT of prep work for some exciting changes happening to Financial Gym this Fall. You will not want to miss my September 1st podcast episode. I will have a lot to update you on as far as the podcast but also as far as the Gym. So I hope you enjoy this month of replays and stay tuned for very exciting updates in September. 

REPLAY: A recent Financial Health Network Survey from 2022 found that only 23% of women are considered financially healthy. There are many reasons for this, but one of the main reasons is that women are typically more likely to be preyed upon, especially when it comes to schemes like MLMs or multi-level marketing companies. If you’re not sure what they are, they’re essentially a pyramid scheme disguised as a business opportunity for people. 

Unfortunately, at The Financial Gym, we’ve seen the negative financial impacts of participating in an MLM on hundreds of our members. Joining me today is Roberta Blevins, host of the podcast Life After MLM, to share what the experience was like for her, how you can spot and avoid MLMs, and if you’re in one, how and why you should get out of it. This was one of the most fascinating conversations I’ve had in a while, and I hope this helps you or those you love to learn more about these horrible companies. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode491-replay-life-after-mlm

Every August, I take a sabbatical from podcast recording to enjoy vacation time with family and friends and allow you to enjoy for the first or second time four previous podcast episodes that I found tremendously helpful and entertaining. 

Other than travel and family time, I’ll also be doing A LOT of prep work for some exciting changes happening to Financial Gym this Fall. You will not want to miss my September 1st podcast episode. I will have a lot to update you on as far as the podcast but also as far as the Gym. So I hope you enjoy this month of replays and stay tuned for very exciting updates in September. 

REPLAY: At the Financial Gym, we have a Diversity, Equity Inclusion and Belonging team that works on various initiatives for the Gym and in 2022, we launched the ‘Exercising Empathy’ Series where one speaker a month visits to educate the team on various subject matters that could impact our clients. 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/episode490-replay-estate-planning

Every August, I take a sabbatical from podcast recording to enjoy vacation time with family and friends and allow you to enjoy for the first or second time four previous podcast episodes that I found tremendously helpful and entertaining. 

Other than travel and family time, I’ll also be doing A LOT of prep work for some exciting changes happening to Financial Gym this Fall. You will not want to miss my September 1st podcast episode. I will have a lot to update you on as far as the podcast but also as far as the Gym. So I hope you enjoy this month of replays and stay tuned for very exciting updates in September. 

REPLAY: Aja Evans is 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/episode489-replay-first-gen-wealth-building

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.

We have been rotating guests into our happy hour seats, but I’m happy to say that Tonya, an OG Happy Hour guest is joining us today and as I’ve done all month on this podcast, we’re talking about careers, specifically we’re talking about navigating work challenges like asking for more money, or dealing with toxic bosses or co-workers and everything in between. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode488-hh-careers

The theme this month on the podcast is careers! We're covering everything from switching to leveling up in your career, salary negotiations, and everything in between. This is a huge conversation topic with our clients at Financial Gym because so many factors are at play when making decisions around our career choices. Spoiler alert: it's not all about money. 

Joining me today is Belma McCaffrey, Founder of Work Bigger and Career and Leadership coach, discussing the important topic of attaching to a purpose rather than a job. I have seen many clients struggle with the need to earn a paycheck but not feel aligned with their employer. Belma and I discuss how you can become better engaged at work, how to have better conversations at work, and when you know you just need to leave. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode487-purpose-not-a-job

The theme this month on the podcast is careers! We're covering everything from switching to leveling up in your career, salary negotiations, and everything in between. This is a huge conversation topic with our clients at Financial Gym because so many factors are at play when making decisions around our career choices. Spoiler alert: it's not all about money. 

Today we’re talking about management. What makes a good manager? How do you know if becoming a manager is right for you? How do you handle challenging management situations? And everything in between! 

Joining today are Gina and Garrett, who are two long-time Financial Gym Trainers who were recently promoted to management here at The Financial Gym. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode486-journey-to-management

The theme this month on the podcast is careers! We're covering everything from switching to leveling up in your career, salary negotiations, and everything in between. This is a huge conversation topic with our clients at Financial Gym because so many factors are at play when making decisions around our career choices. Spoiler alert: it's not all about money. 

Joining me today are Erika and Genar, two Trainers at Financial Gym who recently made a career switch to become Financial Gym employees. They joined today to share the factors that led to their personal decisions, how they help clients assess whether or not it's time to make a career shift, and the best ways to do it. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode485

Happy Hour is the last Friday of the month on the show, where some fantastic friends join me for cheap drinks and casual money conversations. This time, we have a special guest joining us: Debbie, a loyal podcast listener, and new Certified Financial Trainer. 

Since I dedicated the month of June to travel on this podcast, you guessed it, we're talking about all things travel during this Happy Hour! We'll share some of our frugal hacks, biggest wins, and epic fails with you. Cheers to a fun chat with friends and discovering the highs and lows of exploring the world! 

Debbie has been a long-time personal finance nerd. When she discovered podcasts, she sought out personal finance shows. That's how she found Martinis and Your Money back when it first started. She recently completed the CFT program and works part-time at The Financial Gym as a Certified Trainer. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode484-HHCrew-talks-travel

We are officially in summertime, so I wanted to share frugal travel hack ideas this month. Travel is the number one goal of clients of the Financial Gym, and it has been for the past 10 years. As most of us know, travel can be an expensive goal. I love the opportunity to help my clients achieve their goals, like travel, frugally, so we still have cash for our other life goals. 

We have already talked about camping, travel hacking, and AirBNB’ing. Now we’re going to talk about when travel plans go awry. Joining me today are my longtime clients and friends, Todd and Chelsea. I’ve worked with many clients over the last 10 years, and Todd and Chelsea’s story has to be one of my top 5 client journeys of all time. They joined today to talk about the epic 8-month sabbatical we planned together, how it all fell apart, and how something even greater stemmed from it. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode483-epic-travel

We are officially in summertime, so I wanted to share frugal travel hack ideas this month. Travel is the number one goal of clients of the Financial Gym, and it has been for the past 10 years. 

As most of us know, travel can be an expensive goal. I love the opportunity to help my clients achieve their goals, like travel, frugally, so we still have cash for the other life goals we have. We have already talked about camping and travel hacking, so now we’re diving into Airbnb. 

This episode is a twofer, where I want to remind you of the frugal joys of utilizing Airbnb for your travel needs and thinking about Airbnb as a side hustle. Joining me today is Phoebe, a long-time podcast listener and Financial Gym client who turned a crappy rental situation into an Airbnb gold 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode482-hosting-airbnb

We are officially in summertime, so I wanted to share frugal travel hack ideas this month. Travel is the number one goal of clients of the Financial Gym, and it has been for the past 10 years. As most of us know, travel can be an expensive goal. I love the opportunity to help my clients achieve their goals, like travel, frugally, so that we still have cash for all of the other life goals we have.

Last week we talked about camping, and this week we're talking about travel hacking or utilizing credit card rewards to make your travel dreams more affordable.

Joining me today is podcast listener and founder of the company Travel AsF, Austin Riffe, to talk about how he got into travel hacking and how he's saving people thousands of dollars and tens of thousands of points by being more intentional with their travel spending. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode481-travel-hacking

Since we are all officially in the summertime, I wanted to share frugal travel ideas for June. Travel is the number one goal of clients of the Financial Gym, and it has been for the past ten years. However, as most of us know, travel can be an expensive goal, so I always love the opportunity to help my clients achieve their goals, like travel, frugally so that we still have cash left over for all of the other life goals we have.

Kicking off June is my teammate and long-time podcast listener, Kylie Lipinski, to share her tips and tricks for frugal camping. I’ve never really seen myself as the camping sort, but I’ve witnessed my clients experience the joys of it, especially in their bank accounts.

Kylie joins me today to share how she converted to a camping fan and how you can do it too. Full disclosure: I’m ready to join the camping club after this episode, and I hope you are too.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode480-camping

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 the beginning of this podcast, which now dates back over 8 years, we always had a set group of people who joined me for Happy Hour. Starting in 2023, we’re going to test out a rotating one or two seats for Happy Hour. This decision has come because of a few reasons, first of all, the monthly commitment required to co-host the happy hour is difficult for people to make when they have other businesses and interests as these seats are voluntary and there is no financial payment provided for the happy hour guests. Secondly, I’ve heard for years many of you wanting to join a happy hour and share your thoughts and honestly, I’d love to hear them because I have shared drinks with many of you in person and would love to also do it virtually and finally, this is a great way for us to amplify many of the voices in this community and discuss topics that you’re passionate about. 

Joining us for this month’s happy hour is podcast listener, guest and Financial Gym client, Kat. Since I dedicated the month of May to food on this podcast, you guessed it, we’re talking about all things food during this happy hour. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode479-happy-hour-crew-talks-food-spending

Food costs are typically the second highest monthly expense people have after where they live. It's a topic we're frequently talking about with our clients at Financial Gym. How we consume food impacts not only our physical and financial health but also our mental health, so I'm dedicating the month of May to food conversations on the podcast. 

Joining me today is Kate O'Driscoll, a health coach who focuses on meeting clients holistically where they are and helping them find healthier relationships with food to improve their financial, physical, and mental health. 

As a special note, Kate is a former teacher of mine. She is one of those teachers in your life who makes you believe you are someone special who has something special to offer this world. If it wasn't for her, I would have never developed my love for the theater and acting. Acting was the activity that helped the insecure, quiet nerd become the confident, strong woman she is today. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode478-healthy-choices

I love all things food and am dedicating the month of May to food conversations on the podcast. I’m a fan of Food Network, and I view chefs the way people view artists or rock stars. Cooking is an art form, and I’m constantly impressed by the people out there raising the game and the bar for food standards. 

When I think about amazing and game-changing chefs, I can’t help but think of Financial Gym scholarship winner Auzerais Bellamy. I connected with Auzerais in 2020, and she was previously on the show to share her experience of working in fine dining as a woman of color. 

She founded her company, Blondery, to change the face of baking, and she joins me today to share an update on what she’s been up to since we last connected. She has some significant updates you’ll want to hear. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode477-blondery-update

Food costs are typically the second highest monthly expense people have after where they live, and it's a topic we're frequently talking about with our clients at Financial Gym. So this month's podcast theme is dedicated to food! 

Joining me today is Elia Wolberger, personal chef, Meal Prep Expert, and founder of the Feed Your Sister website, to talk about the importance of meal prepping for your physical, mental, and financial health. We talk about how meal prepping changed our lives and how you 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode471-feed-your-sister

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

Since the beginning of this podcast, which now dates back over 8 years, we always had a set group of people who joined for these episodes. Starting in 2023, we're testing rotating seats for Happy Hour. This decision has come for a few reasons; first of all, the monthly commitment required to co-host the happy hour is difficult for people to make when they have other businesses and interests, as these seats are voluntary. 

Secondly, I've heard for years that many of you want to join a happy hour and share your thoughts. I'd love to listen to them because I have shared drinks with many of you in person and would love to do it virtually. Finally, this is an excellent way for us to amplify many of this community's voices and discuss topics you're passionate about. 

Joining us for this month's happy hour is a long-time listener, Rebecca, and the topic she wanted to cover is one that many of us are currently feeling or experiencing, and that's burnout. Rebecca shares why and how she knew she was in 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode470-happy-hour-crew-talks-burnout

In my first podcast episode of 2023 I talked about financial seasons and how I’ve witnessed a number of Financial Gym clients and honestly myself, feel as though we’re not in what feels like a winning season and addressing the motivation challenges that come to us when we feel like that. Seasons change, though, and I’m sensing more energy from my clients and I feel it in myself to make changes so I’m dedicating the month of April on this podcast to motivation and change and this episode and as well as last week’s, are addressing the topic of productivity.

I feel like the pandemic threw a number of our routine’s out the window and where we may have gained time with less commuting and more work from home options, I think a number of us have struggled with finding a good balance between life and work. 

Joining me today is Mike Vardy, coach and host of the Productivityist podcast to talk about the idea of time crafting and manage and craft our days to work better for us. And now here’s Mike. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode469-theproductivityist

In early 2023, I talked about financial seasons and how I’ve witnessed several Financial Gym clients and, honestly, myself, feel as though we’re not in what feels like a winning season and the motivation challenges when we feel like that. Seasons change, though, and I’m sensing more energy from my clients. I feel it in myself to make changes, so I’m dedicating the month of April on this podcast to motivation and change. 

Today I’m addressing the topic of productivity. I feel like the pandemic threw a number of our routines out the window, and where we may have gained time with less commuting and more work-from-home options, I think a number of us have struggled with finding a good balance between life and work. 

Joining me today is Jeff Sanders, author and host of the 5 AM Miracle Podcast, to talk about the one small change he made in his day that literally changed the trajectory of his life. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode468-the5ammiracle

In early 2023, I talked about financial seasons and how I’ve witnessed several Financial Gym clients and, honestly, myself, feel as though we’re not in what feels like a winning season and the motivation challenges when we feel like that. Seasons change though, and I’m sensing more energy from my clients. I feel it in me to make changes, so I’m dedicating the month of April to this podcast for motivation and change. 

I’m excited to kick off the month with Abagail and Emylee, the two business fairy godmothers behind the Boss Project and co-hosts of the chart-topping podcast, The Strategy Hour. They joined me to talk about how uniting their separate practices made them a better team, how they help their business owner clients reignite their offerings, and build the businesses they want to run. Whether or not you run a business, there’s much to learn and motivate you in this episode. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode467-thestrategyhour

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 the beginning of this podcast, which now dates back over 8 years, we always had a set group of people who joined me for Happy Hour. 

Starting in 2023, we’re going to test out a rotating one or two seats for Happy Hour. This decision has come because of a few reasons, first of all, the monthly commitment required to co-host the happy hour is difficult for people to make when they have other businesses and interests as these seats are voluntary and there is no financial payment provided for the happy hour guests. Secondly, I’ve heard for years many of you wanting to join a happy hour and share your thoughts and honestly, I’d love to hear them because I have shared drinks with many of you in person and would love to also do it virtually and finally, this is a great way for us to amplify many of the voices in this community and discuss topics that you’re passionate about. 

Joining us for this month’s happy hour is long time listener, Liana. Liana joins us today to talk about her pursuit of FIRE or Financial Independence, Retire Early, and the various types of FIRE movement now. I love how the FI movement has grown to welcome many different paths and we discuss which FI path we’re on during the show. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode466-what-is-fire

Nine years ago this year, I started this podcast as a bet and it was one of the greatest decisions of my life. Over the past nine years, I’ve learned more than I ever imagined I could about money, cocktails, people and so much more. My tagline for the show is “Living a better life one cocktail at a time” and this show has helped me live a better life by allowing me to have these conversations, to share them with you and to build this community of amazing people on a journey of financial health and beyond. While I don’t utilize the show as a source of income, podcasting can certainly give you the opportunity to take a side hustle or a passion into a main hustle and my guests today did just that. 

Joining me are Aine and Kevin, the co-creators and co-hosts of the Murder Sheet podcast. They joined me to talk about how they took their backgrounds as a lawyer and a journalist and applied it to their podcast and ultimately how they were able to make the podcast their full-time job. And now here’s Aine and Kevin. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode465

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been seeing and hearing more about Artificial Intelligence, where it’s being utilized, how it’s having a positive effect in many industries but also how it’s negatively impacting people. Part of being financially healthy is being vigilant about you and your data and how people can use that against you and certainly AI can have an impact on your finances. 

Joining me today is Financial Gym client Paige, who’s spent the last three years studying and researching the impacts of AI especially through an ethical lens. She joins me to share what we should look out for, what we need to know and how we can protect ourselves. I have to tell you that if you’re someone who struggles with anxiety, this conversation could be filled with numerous triggers so you may want to proceed with caution, but it’s a conversation that I believe is important to listen to. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode464

A recent Financial Health Network Survey from 2022 found that only 23% of women are considered financially healthy. There are a number of reasons for this, but one of the main reasons is that women are typically more likely to be preyed upon, especially when it comes to schemes like MLMs or multi-level marketing companies. If you’re not sure what they are, they’re essentially a pyramid scheme disguised as a business opportunity for people. At the Financial Gym, we’ve unfortunately seen the negative financial impacts participating in an MLM have had on hundreds of our members. 

Joining me today is Roberta Blevins, host of the podcast Life After MLM to share what the experience was like for her and how you can spot and avoid MLM’s and if you’re in one, how and why you should get out of it. This was one of the most fascinating conversations I’ve had in a while and I hope this helps you or those you love learn more about these horrible companies. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode463

The journey to become a Financial Gym member for everyone starts with our Warm Up Call process. If you’ve been to our website, it’s the free call you’re encouraged to sign up for. Full disclosure, I am someone who would be unlikely to sign up for any free call, so if you’re someone who’s skeptical about it, I completely understand. Which is why today’s podcast is dedicated to the Warm-Up Call and educating more about the process for others who may not understand the need for it. 

Joining me are Colleen and Kristen who are both current Financial Gym clients and actively work as warm-up callers to share why they decided to become a warm up caller, what to expect on the call and why they love being on the other end of the warm up call process. And now here’s Colleen and Kristen. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode462

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 the beginning of this podcast, which now dates back over 8 years, we always had a set group of people who joined me for Happy Hour. Starting in 2023, we’re going to test out a rotating one or two seats for Happy Hour. This decision has come because of a few reasons, first of all, the monthly commitment required to co-host the happy hour is difficult for people to make when they have other businesses and interests as these seats are voluntary and there is no financial upside for the happy hour guests. Secondly, I’ve heard for years many of you wanting to join a happy hour and share your thoughts and honestly, I’d love to hear them because I have shared drinks with many of you in person and would love to also do it virtually and finally, this is a great way for us to amplify many of the voices in this community and discuss topics that you’re passionate about. 

Joining us for this month’s happy hour is long time listener, Financial Gym client and multi-time guest, Jennifer Dane. She joined initially wanting to talk about the military and LGBTQ+ protections and benefits for its current staff as well as veterans and we did discuss this, but first we addressed the big and surprising life change that happened to Jenn only a few weeks before we were set to record. Jenn has always been brave and honest on this show and she shares more about that today. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode461

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! I don’t usually air replays, except during the summer months; however, we are in the beginning of tax season prep, and I wanted to replay the conversation that I had last year with Tony, the founder of CPA Dude. 

I’ve had multiple tax conversations on this show in the past, and Tony’s has always stood out to me. I think he not only gives great and practical advice, but we have referred a number of FinGym clients to him and we’ve gotten nothing but rave reviews about his work. So I hope you enjoy learning more about taxes and realize that maybe you need to work with someone like Tony, or you’re like me and you just need Turbo Tax and a bottle of wine. Either way, we can’t avoid our taxes, so let’s shoot to get them done as soon as possible this year. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode460

Hello Martinis and Your Money Listeners! Today’s podcast episode was inspired straight out of my own experience of transitioning my 17-year-old son, Will, from a car passenger to a licensed driver. Bill and I have been talking about this in theory for over a year now as Will has been practicing driving and taking classes, etc. but I’m not sure anything really prepares you for it until it hits you straight in the face. 

Over the years, I have witnessed clients' expectations of kid costs to decrease over time, only to realize that some of the early large expenses like nannies or daycare just wash over into camps and sports as they age and then ultimately car insurance and college costs as they continue to age. 

Joining me today is my great friend and work wife for life, Alicia Lazarto, to talk about how to prepare and manage your family’s finances with a teen and also how you can set your teen up for success once they leave the home. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode459

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 not one, but two people, Liz and Aron. Liz was a long time Financial Gym client who ultimately brought her boyfriend, fiancé and now husband into the Financial Gym experience. They join me today to not only share their digits but also share what it was like to get financially naked for the first time and how breaking down money topics made their relationship stronger.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode458

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 the beginning of this podcast, which now dates back over 8 years, we always had a set group of people who joined me for Happy Hour. 

Starting this month and for 2023, we’re going to test out a rotating seat for Happy Hour. This decision has come because of a few reasons, first of all, the monthly commitment required to co-host the happy hour is difficult for people to make when they have other businesses and interests as these seats are voluntary and there is no financial upside for the happy hour guests. Secondly, I’ve heard for years many of you wanting to join a happy hour and share your thoughts and honestly, I’d love to hear them because I have shared drinks with many of you in person and would love to also do it virtually and finally, this is a great way for us to amplify many of the voices in this community and discuss topics that you’re passionate about. 

Joining us for this month’s happy hour is long time listener and one time guest, Colin. He joins us as we discuss what financial season we feel like we’re starting the new year in and what we plan to accomplish in 2023. And now here’s my friends, Colin included. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode457

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 Joanne Sullivan, Director of Student Financial Services, at Saint Thomas Aquinas College to talk about student loans. Now, I have done numerous podcast episodes about student loans over the years, but none quite like this one. This episode is really focused on helping families and students know what they’re signing up for when they sign their student loan packages, the tough conversations families should have and how the school you’re looking to attend can help you with the process. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode456

I spent the good part of the Fall of 2022 traveling across the country and hosting meet up events with Financial Gym clients and friends and I know a number of you listeners found your way to many of those events as well. It was the first time we had hosted in-person events in almost 3 years and while it took up a lot of my time and kept me away from home for most of the Fall, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Over 9 years ago now, I had the idea for the Financial Gym as a physical location where people could create a community around the most taboo topic out there, money. And when we had gyms open, it was beautiful to watch that dream come to life. In early 2022, we needed to close our physical Financial Gym locations, but this Road Trip proved that even though the addresses changed, the unbelievable spirit of the gym was present at every stop. 

Joining me today is Financial Gym Community Engagement Manager, Chandra Savage, to talk about putting this Road Trip together, lessons learned from the road and how we’re carrying the community forward into 2023. 

For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode455

Hello, Martinis and Your Money Listeners. Today is a special episode. I had a calendar of all episodes planned and ready to go in December, but then I had a client meeting right before the holiday break, and it inspired me to record a different episode, a solo episode. I wanted to record this because there are a number of things I want to share with you, mainly because it’s the New Year. I want to talk to you listeners the way I talk to my clients. 

For more information, visit the show notes https://www.martinisandyourmoney.com/show-notes/episode454