Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel Break Free from Financial Anxiety with Mellody Hobson
Sep 1, 2025
In an insightful conversation, Mellody Hobson, Co-CEO of Ariel Investments and influential finance leader, tackles the profound impact of early money lessons on our financial choices. She shares her journey from childhood financial insecurity to championing financial literacy for all ages. Listeners learn practical tips to combat financial anxiety and how financial education for children can shape future generations. Mellody emphasizes that self-worth should never equate to net worth and encourages proactive money conversations to foster empowerment.
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Childhood Money Anxiety Shaped Her Career
- Mellody Hobson describes growing up as the youngest of six with a single mother who struggled financially and often faced eviction.
- That childhood anxiety made her desperate to understand money and guided her into a career in finance.
Learn The Language Of Money
- Mellody recommends reading broadly to learn the language of business, starting with the business section of your local paper and books like Roger Lowenstein's Buffett biography.
- Learning fundamentals methodically turns unfamiliar terms into understanding you can act on.
Schools Leave Investing Out
- Mellody points out that schools largely omit practical investing education, leaving many adults unprepared for financial decisions.
- Lack of instruction forces people to 'wing it,' which has broad societal consequences.
