Making Change with your Money

Imagine sitting on the couch after the second failed fertility treatment, not knowing what's next — and your husband looks at you and says: "Let's just go to Paris for three months." And you go.

At some point you've probably asked: What would it take to actually walk away from something that's destroying me? And what happens to the life I imagined when the plan stops working — career, family, all of it?

Julia Shteynberg grew up in an immigrant household where money was talked about openly, practically, and without drama. Her parents enco...

Imagine driving past a beautiful house and the words just come out of your mouth: "I bet he's a crook." You don't even know where it came from. You clap your hand over your mouth. And in that moment, you realize a five-year-old's belief has been quietly running your life — and your business — for decades.

At some point you've probably asked: What beliefs am I carrying that I didn't even choose? And how much is an old story — one you absorbed before you had the words to question it — quietly setting the ceiling on what you allo...

Imagine waking up one morning barely able to move — shivering, sweating, unable to swallow — and realizing the first thing you're calculating isn't how to get better. It's how much money you're going to lose by not showing up to work.

At some point you've probably asked: What's the point of making money if my body is falling apart to make it? And when did the hustle stop feeling like freedom and start feeling like a trap I can't get out of?

Dominique Jeffries grew up in Louisville, Kentucky as the baby of the family — but you wo...

Imagine growing up on a remote island in rural Alaska — where if your outfit matched, people thought you were showing off. Where survival wasn't a metaphor. Where your grandfather lived on a floathouse and float planes brought food twice a year. And where the lesson you absorbed before you even had words for it was this: money is for survival, not ego.

At some point you've probably asked: What does it mean to be truly successful — not just financially, but as a person? And what do you do when the career you spent twelve years building starts to f...

Imagine calling your manager and asking to be laid off. You're the primary breadwinner for a family of six. Two kids in college. And you're volunteering to walk away — with no plan, no next step, nothing but a severance package and a gut feeling that staying would break you completely.

At some point you've probably asked: What do I do when the career I built my identity around stops feeling like me? When did success start feeling like a costume I can't take off? And what does it even mean to start over when you've been achieving si...

Imagine being twenty-five years into a marriage and then finding yourself standing at the edge of a choice you never thought you'd have to make. Not because you stopped caring. But because your body had been telling you something for years that your mind refused to hear.

At some point you've probably asked: How do I trust myself when everything inside me is at war? And what happens to your identity when the life you knew is no longer the life you're living?

Heather Sloan didn't see her divorce coming. After twenty-five years of marriage...

Imagine standing in a Taco Bell with your young son, counting the change in your pocket, and realizing you can afford two tacos for him — but nothing for yourself. You've always worked. You've always hustled. And somehow you've still ended up here.

At some point you've probably asked: How did I get here? I've worked my whole life — so why does it still feel like the ground can disappear at any moment? And what does it take to finally feel financially secure, not just financially surviving?

Heather Nelson grew up in a ho...

Imagine you've done everything right. Good grades, good job, good friend, good daughter. You followed every rule, checked every box, never gave anyone a reason to worry. And then one day you wake up in the middle of a global pandemic and realize: I feel completely empty.

At some point you've probably heard yourself asking: Is this it? I worked so hard for this life — so why doesn't it feel like enough? And what do you do when the anxiety and perfectionism you've been running on finally runs out?

Allie Brooke grew up with a fa...

Imagine going from "we're poor, we can't afford groceries" to a million-dollar payout—and back again—all before you're fifteen. Now imagine carrying that financial whiplash into adulthood, through single motherhood, through a tripled income, through a broken engagement, and two layoffs on the same day.

At some point you've probably asked: Why does money still feel so chaotic even when I'm making good money?

Lia Bliss grew up watching money arrive in floods and disappear overnight. Her father's dot-com startup paid out millions—then her parents split, child support came in bursts, and he...

Imagine growing up as one of seven children, watching your mother stretch every dollar until it couldn't stretch any further—and still somehow never making you feel poor. She would hand down clothes to the next sibling and simply say, "If it's still good, you wear it." No apology. No shame. Just wisdom.

At some point you've probably asked yourself: What is my money actually for? Am I working to build wealth—or to build a life that matters? And what happened to the talents and passions I convinced myself I didn't have time to purs...

Imagine you're a month away from giving birth to your second child. Your toddler is eighteen months old. Your husband is a military pilot about to deploy for six months, just three weeks after the baby arrives.

Somewhere in the middle of it all, you open a spreadsheet for the first time and ask yourself: What do I actually need my money to do for me?

At some point, you've probably asked: Why does money still feel heavy, even when the numbers look okay? Why do I feel anxious when I look at...

Imagine growing up watching your mother drive past a neighborhood mansion and say: "That family has money — and they're miserable." Now imagine that lesson becoming the foundation of everything you believe about wealth.

At some point you've probably asked: Is money the thing that makes life good? And if you've ever caught yourself saying "I can't afford that" — this conversation is for you.

Leslie Hocker grew up the oldest of five children with a petroleum engineer father and not much room for extras. Her parents' answer to every wish: "We chose to b...

What happens when the financial plan is solid, but the client still can't move? That's the question at the heart of this week's conversation with Ashley Quamme, a financial behavior specialist and former marriage and family therapist who now works inside advisory firms helping clients get unstuck.

Ashley didn't set out to work in financial services. She built a thriving private practice doing clinical work with couples and families, but kept running into the same wall: money kept showing up in her clients' relationships, and the therapeutic tools she'd been trained to use weren't quite reaching it...

Imagine growing up watching your mother choose between paying the electric bill or buying groceries. Imagine filing bankruptcy, losing your house, living in cars.

At some point, you've probably asked: How do I break free from the money patterns I inherited? How do I build wealth when I'm starting from nothing?

Maybe you've tried to outrun your financial past. You've worked hard, done everything "right." But financial trauma doesn't disappear because you get a paycheck. And for women especially, we're more likely to live in poverty in retirement, take career breaks that cost us earning...

Imagine you're sitting on the couch one evening, looking at your spouse, and suddenly the words just come out: "I'm exhausted. All we do is chase our responsibilities."

At some point or another, you've probably heard yourself asking: When did life become this never-ending list of tasks? When did I start scheduling heartworm medicine for the dog on my calendar but not anything that actually brings me joy? When did I forget that life is supposed to feel good sometimes?

Maybe you've tried to fix this. You've told yourself you'll relax after the next project...

Growing up in India, Chaitra Vedullapalli watched her mother and grandmother ask men for money. Not because there wasn't enough, but because that's just how it worked. She hated it. At eight years old, she became an entrepreneur selling handkerchiefs at her mother's social gatherings. The moment cash landed in her hand and she could buy what she wanted without permission? Magical. That moment sparked a lifelong commitment to agency over money.

Chaitra spent 26 years in tech at Oracle and Microsoft, working on billion-dollar strategies. She was one of the youngest executives to...

What happens when you write a novel, put it in a drawer, and your adult daughter stages an intervention? In this episode, Laura welcomes Susan Kleinman, author of All Afternoon, who shares her journey from magazine writer to fiction author, and how her daughter's tough love pushed her to finally publish her book.

Susan grew up learning that money means values in action. While there were limits on clothing—no more than $15 per skirt—her mother took her to a book warehouse where Susan could fill a cart with 50-100 books. This clear message about what mattered shap...

What happens when you follow all the rules—save diligently, work hard, climb the corporate ladder—but lose yourself in the process? In this episode, Laura welcomes Gretchen Schoser, founder of Schoser Solutions and co-host of the podcast "Shit That Goes On In Our Heads," who shares her journey from attempted suicide on Christmas Day 2022 to launching her own consulting business focused on mental health and change management.

Gretchen's father taught her to save relentlessly. She worked at McDonald's through high school and college, put money into her 401(k) for 40 years, and did everything right fina...

What does it take to fight for what matters most and build a thriving business on your own terms? In this moving episode, Laura welcomes Alexandra Gonzalez, founder and CEO of Savvy Marketers, who shares her journey from corporate marketing executive to entrepreneur, driven by a life changing pregnancy and unwavering commitment to her values.

Alexandra's story begins with her Cuban immigrant parents who arrived in America with only the clothes on their backs, instilling in her the power of hard work, resilience, and education. After building a successful corporate career managing multi-billion dollar businesses...

In this episode, Laura welcomes Amy Mullen, President of Money Quotient, for a powerful conversation about why financial literacy alone rarely leads to lasting behavior change.

Amy shares the origin story behind Money Quotient, beginning with her mother Carol Anderson. After going through a divorce that left her uncertain about her financial future, Carol transitioned from preschool teacher to financial literacy advocate. That experience ultimately sparked the creation of Money Quotient and deeply shaped Amy’s perspective on the connection between money and life design.

Growing up with parents who had completely opposite money personalities, a...

What happens when someone who grew up witnessing financial conflict decides to transform their relationship with money? Laura sits down with Carrie Friedberg, author of the book "At Peace With Money: A Holistic Roadmap to Financial Wellness," to explore how she moved from credit card debt and constant anxiety to becoming a money coach who helps others find their own financial peace.

Carrie grew up in a household where money was a source of tension and secrecy. Despite enjoying financial security on the surface, the misalignment between her parents around spending created an atmosphere of stress that...

What happens when you combine childhood memories of your mother opening your home to refugees, a crisis playing out on television screens worldwide, and the belief that ordinary people can make extraordinary change? You get Hearts and Homes for Refugees—a movement that has helped resettle and support over 1,000 refugees in the Lower Hudson Valley and inspired a national shift in how America welcomes those fleeing persecution.

In this conversation, Laura sits down with Kathie O'Callaghan, founder of Hearts & Homes for Refugees. Kathie shares her journey from breaking barriers as the eldest daughter in a large Catholic fa...

What if the most important leadership role you'll ever have isn't managing a team, but leading yourself? In this conversation, Laura Rotter sits down with Miki Feldman Simon—executive coach and author—who shares her journey to discovering her true calling: helping people live with intention, authenticity, and purpose.

Miki's path wasn't linear. From fashion design to psychology to HR to operations to marketing, she explored diverse fields while developing a consistent through-line: curiosity about people and the ability to create psychological safety that gets others to open up. After moving from Israel to Australia to the Unit...

What does it take to walk away from 15 years at a prestigious company like IBM when you're ambitious, driven, and have two young children at home? In this deeply practical conversation, Laura Rotter sits down with Lisa Cassidy—former IBM consultant and organizational change specialist—who shares her journey of taking what she calls a "power pause" to recenter herself and her family after feeling stretched too thin.

Lisa grew up in a log cabin in rural Maryland, where her parents made intentional choices about money—no mortgage, modest vacations, but heavy investment in education. Those...

What happens when a seasoned finance professional with an MBA and 26 years in construction loses nearly $2 million to a Ponzi scheme? In this candid and empowering conversation, Laura Rotter sits down with Lauri Kibby—Managing Partner at Seleen Brighthouse real estate investment fund—who turned one of her most devastating financial mistakes into a mission to educate and empower women investors.

Lauri's journey from growing up with money as a "weapon" (despite living an upper-middle-class life) to becoming a successful entrepreneur and developer reveals powerful lessons about financial resilience, self-trust, and the importance of k...

What does it take to shift from surviving to thriving when life throws you the unthinkable? In this deeply moving conversation, Laura Rotter sits down with Leisa Peterson—former financial advisor, bestselling author, and mindful money coach—who shares her extraordinary journey from childhood poverty and financial trauma to building wealth, surviving a mass shooting, and ultimately discovering that true success isn't measured by the numbers in your account.

Leisa grew up in the poorest county in New York State, hiding from bill collectors and watching her family's car get repossessed. Yet she became skilled at building weal...

What if success isn't measured by revenue milestones, but by satisfaction—the beautiful integration of impact, profit, and pleasure? In this conversation, Laura Rotter sits down with Rachel Anzalone, a sustainable growth advisor and satisfaction strategist who helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs build businesses that honor both their mission and their wellbeing.

Rachel's journey from growing up in the poorest county in New York State to managing 350 people in the restaurant industry to building a thriving entrepreneurial career is a masterclass in following your energy rather than a predetermined path. After reaching her breaking point working grueling hours in co...

Are you feeling that quiet whisper—or loud roar—telling you it's time for a change? In this powerful conversation, Laura Rotter welcomes back career transition and executive coach Laurie Hirsch Schulz to explore how women at midlife can recognize and navigate the inflection points that signal it's time for something new.

Laurie shares her journey of leaving a successful 25-year corporate marketing career when the work no longer aligned with her core values of collaboration and connectivity. After negotiating her own exit package and taking what she calls a "reboot year," she discovered coaching and built a th...

What if the key to financial wellness isn't just about budgets and spreadsheets, but about healing your relationship with money itself? In this episode, Laura Rotter sits down with Constance McConnell, a licensed clinical social worker, certified financial social worker, and financial therapist who specializes in helping people navigate the emotional side of money during major life transitions.

Constance shares her journey from being the oldest of four children who creatively funded her own college education to building a successful real estate portfolio with her husband through strategic "house hacking." But more importantly, she reveals how our...

What happens when you lose everything you thought defined success? In this inspiring episode, Laura Rotter sits down with Terry Kirk—retired attorney, startup investor, and debut novelist—to explore how life's biggest setbacks can become catalysts for profound personal growth.

Terry shares her remarkable journey from being a high-powered litigation attorney to becoming an author of historical fiction novels centered on major financial events. Through the lens of her debut novel Pitfall, set during the 1929 stock market crash, Terry reveals the universal truth she discovered through decades of working with clients facing devastating losses: every setback cont...

In this episode, I speak with Nancy Taylor, founder of Taylor Educational Advocacy, a former school psychologist, and a dedicated coach for parents and families. Nancy shares her powerful midlife reinvention story—from working within the stressful school system to creating her own business that allows her the freedom, balance, and autonomy she values most.

Nancy opens up about the importance of redefining success as a woman in midlife, shifting from external validation to pursuing autonomy, creativity, and meaningful impact. Her story offers inspiration for women navigating life transitions, whether that’s a new career, an empty nest...

Ready to tap into your inner wisdom and unleash your power to create abundance? Listen to this inspiring conversation with Monika Sawyer, intuitive life coach and healer. Monika's journey, from immigrating to the US from Poland to thriving in the high-tech world and now empowering women through coaching, is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. This episode is a must-listen for any woman in midlife seeking to navigate career transitions, divorce, or other life challenges with grace and confidence. Discover how reconnecting with your essence, cultivating self-love, and embracing your intuition can unlock your potential and...

Dreaming of ditching the soul-crushing 9-to-5 and designing a life of freedom and flexibility? Then get ready to be inspired by Molly Rose Speed, founder of the Virtual Assistant Academy and Virtual Assistant Management, Molly’s journey from corporate finance to successful entrepreneur is a testament to the power of embracing change and creating a career that truly aligns with your values. Whether you're a military spouse, a mom seeking work-life balance, or a woman in midlife navigating a career transition or divorce, this episode offers a practical roadmap to building a fulfilling and flexible career as a virtual as...

Are you feeling overwhelmed and stressed? Craving more ease, joy, and resilience in your life? Then take a deep breath and join us for a soul-soothing conversation with Monica Bodurka, resilience expert, executive coach, and author of A New Way to Be. Monica's gentle wisdom and practical micro-practices will help you navigate the storms of midlife with grace and find your center amidst the chaos. Whether you're facing a career crossroads, relationship shifts, or simply seeking a more fulfilling life, this episode offers a refreshing perspective on embracing change and cultivating inner peace. Listen in and discover how a...

Ready to ditch the self-doubt and unleash your inner career badass? Join us for a real, raw, and inspiring conversation with Torriel Harris, the career coach who is helping women rewrite their career stories and create lives they truly love.

Torriel's expert insight and personal journey, filled with both epic wins and face-plant fails, will resonate with any woman who's ever felt lost, stuck, or just plain over it in her career. This isn't your average career advice – this is a soul-stirring call to action to embrace your dopeness, command the room, and build a career that fu...

Are you a woman in midlife seeking financial clarity and empowerment? Join us for an inspiring conversation with Dr. Annie Cole, Ed.D., money coach and financial educator, as she shares her journey from burnout to building a thriving business and achieving financial freedom. Annie's story offers practical advice and valuable insights for women navigating midlife transitions and seeking to master their finances.

Annie’s passion for empowering women stems from her own personal experiences with financial challenges and career transitions. In her twenties, she struggled with burnout as a social worker on a low salary. Determined to...

Are you struggling with scarcity and feeling unfulfilled, even when you've achieved external success? Join us for an inspiring conversation with Scarlett Stanhope, "The Biz Hippie," as she shares her insights on transforming your relationship with money and creating a life of empowered abundance. Listen as Scarlett reveals her personal journey from a childhood of financial limitations to building a successful coaching business rooted in authenticity and purpose.

Scarlett opens up about the challenges of being raised by a single mom, the early messages she received about money, and the societal pressures that led her to prioritize...

Are you a woman in midlife feeling stuck on a plateau, yearning for true abundance and happiness? Join us for a powerful conversation with international bestselling author and Chief Energy Leadership Officer, Tammy Cho, as she shares her expert story and insights on breaking through limitations and achieving peak performance. Listen in as Tammy reveals her personal journey from childhood poverty and people-pleasing to finding her true purpose.

Tammy opens up about the challenges of growing up with a single dad and the impact of early money stories on her self-worth. She candidly discusses her 20-year career...

Are you a woman in midlife seeking a career that blends financial independence with personal fulfillment? In this inspiring episode, join luxury real estate broker associate Jessica Asbel as she shares her journey from humble beginnings to building a thriving business in competitive Southwest Florida. Listen in as Jessica details her transition from healthcare administration and insurance sales to luxury real estate, offering practical advice and motivation for anyone considering a career change.

Jessica opens up about her family's immigrant experience, the unwavering work ethic instilled by her parents, and the importance of faith and community in...

Are you a high-achieving woman in midlife seeking more fulfilling relationships? Join us for an inspiring conversation with author and heart coach Joelle Lydon as she shares expert insights and her story on navigating the complexities of love and connection. Listen in as Joelle discusses her unique approach to relationship coaching, blending psychology, transformational coaching, and a decade of research into her signature Seven Sacred Steps program.

Joelle opens up about her family's complex relationship with money and how those early patterns influenced her own romantic relationships. She candidly shares her journey of self-discovery, including the "Men's...