Breaking the Money Silence: From Microsoft Millionaire to Mindful Philanthropy with Jen Risher

I am joined this week by the incredible Jen Risher, author of "We Need to Talk: A Memoir About Wealth" and co-founder of Half My DAF. Jen is an advocate for open conversations about money and a trailblazer in philanthropy who's helping reshape how people think about giving and investing.

Today, we dive deep into Jen's journey from her middle-class upbringing in Seattle to becoming unexpectedly wealthy through her and her husband's early careers at Microsoft and Amazon. You'll hear about Jen's earliest money memories - from picking up leaves for pennies to opening her first bank account at age five - and how these formative experiences shaped her views on saving, investing, and what it means to have wealth.

Jen opens up about the emotional complexities of sudden wealth, including the silence and shame she felt when she couldn't discuss her new financial reality with friends. She shares the challenging conversations with family members about money, her fear of being judged for her wealth, and how writing her book helped her process these experiences.

Listen as Jen discusses her journey to aligning her investments with her values, her focus on supporting women fund managers of color, and her commitment to economic and racial equity. This conversation is filled with insights about breaking the taboo around money conversations, the importance of self-trust, and how we can all use our resources - whether financial or otherwise - to create positive change in the world.

Key Topics:

1. Growing up in Seattle and early money lessons about saving and investing

2. Teaching English in Japan and beginning her investment journey

3. Career path from advertising to Microsoft and meeting her husband

4. The emotional challenges of sudden wealth and the silence around money

5. Using money as a tool: Aligning investments with values and supporting women

6. Learning to say "no" and establishing healthy boundaries with wealth

7. Parenting through wealth and helping her daughters develop their own money stories

Connect with Jen online:

Websites: https://www.jenrisher.com/ https://halfmydaf.com/

Book: We Need to Talk: A Memoir About Wealth

 

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: https://syamabunten.com/

Download Syama's Guide to Getting Rich: www.syamabunten.com

Women & Wealth Catalyst Summit: https://women.win/

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com