306. Tori Dunlap with Aleenah Ansari: An Inclusive Guide to All Things Money

Do you recall your earliest memories about managing money? Did you squirrel away pennies in a bank or watch your parents balance the checkbook? Author Tori Dunlap had those memories as a child and was always good with money, but she learned her experience was unusual — especially among her female friends.

After investigating financial literacy and wealth gaps, Dunlap discovered that girls are significantly less likely to receive a holistic financial education and receive radically different messages about money than boys. Women, she contends, are often taught to restrain their spending, while men are taught to invest and are rewarded for pursuing wealth. And when something like, say, a global pandemic happens, women tend to be the first to leave the workforce or experience job cuts, and are the last to re-enter it.

With such disparate outcomes, it’s no wonder money is a source of anxiety and a barrier to equality for so many. In her new book, Financial Feminist: Overcome the Patriarchy’s Bullsh*t to Master Your Money and Build a Life You Love, Dunlap aims to help women exercise agency over their finances and lives. Through journaling prompts, deep-dives into the financial landscape, and interviews with financial experts on everything money — from predatory credit card companies to the racial wealth gap and voting with your dollars — Financial Feminist strives to help women be free to live the lives they want.

Dunlap joins us at Town Hall to share her approach to paying off debt, spending mindfully, saving money without deprivation, and investing for the future.

Tori Dunlap is a globally-recognized money and career expert whose work has been featured on Good Morning America, the TODAY Show, the New York Times, People, TIME, Forbes, CNBC, and more. After spending years building Her First $100K on the side of her 9-5 job in marketing, she has turned it into a multi-seven-figure business that changes women’s lives, helping them gain control over their careers and finances. Financial Feminist is her first book.

Aleenah Ansari is equal parts storyteller, creative problem solver, and journalist at heart who’s rooted in the stories of people behind products, companies, and initiatives. She’s written about travel, entrepreneurship, mental health, and wellness, and has representation in media for Insider, The Seattle Times, Byrdie, and more. You can usually find her searching for murals, making an oat vanilla latte, and planning her next trip to New York. You can learn more at aleenahansari.com.