Financial Feminist

What if pressing pause on your career was actually the smartest, most strategic move you could make? In today’s episode, I’m joined by Neha Ruch, author of The Power Pause, to challenge the myths we’ve all been fed about stay-at-home motherhood, caregiving, and career pauses. We dig into why our culture undervalues care work, how identity gets tangled up in motherhood, and what it actually looks like to take a pause. Whether you’re considering stepping back from work to raise kids, support aging parents, or simply regroup, Neha shares smart ways to protect your finances, keep your skills sharp, and eventually re-enter the workforce on your terms. Neha’s links:Website: https://www.thepowerpause.com/  Visit ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠ to stay up to date and find any resources mentioned on our show! 00:00 Intro & Identity and Career Breaks 01:06 Myths & Stereotypes of Stay-at-Home Motherhood 04:13 The Financial Realities of Motherhood 08:21 Identity Shifts & The Power Pause Concept 12:27 Making Career Pauses Temporary, Not Permanent 14:53 Building Skills & Staying Connected During a Pause 21:56 Validation & Measuring Success in Caregiving 28:11 Positioning a Career Pause on Your Resume 31:50 Financial Power Dynamics in Relationships 40:09 Elder Care vs. Child Care Pauses 47:04 Reentering the Workforce: Pitfalls & Strategies 49:54 What Does a Successful Power Pause Look Like? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is the LAST day to get 50% off Stock Market School! Join now: https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod What happens when the life you’ve spent decades building shatters overnight? Today’s guest, Jen Hatmaker, joins me to talk about the moment everything collapsed—and how she rebuilt her identity, her faith, her confidence, and her finances from the ground up. In this deeply honest conversation, we explore what it means to wake up to your own power after betrayal, divorce, and a total life upheaval, and how taking control of your money can become the foundation for reclaiming every part of your story. Jen’s links: Book: https://jenhatmaker.com/awake/ Website: https://jenhatmaker.com/ Visit ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠ to stay up to date and find any resources mentioned on our show! 00:00 Intro 00:54 The Story We Tell Ourselves vs. Reality 02:04 The Moment Everything Changed 04:00 Why We Ignore Red Flags 06:36 The Cost of Disruption and Divorce 09:14 Money Reckoning After Divorce 12:07 Why Women Opt Out of Finances 15:19 The Emotional Labor of Money 17:22 The First 90 Days: Financial Overwhelm 20:06 Becoming Financially Literate 22:44 From Shame to Action 25:22 Taking Ownership and Finding Safety 28:22 The Cost of Self-Erasure 31:07 What Happens When Women Have Money 34:07 Deconstructing Faith and Identity 38:42 Finding New Definitions of Church 41:18 Advice for Anyone in Upheaval Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get 50% off Stock Market School during our Black Friday sale! Join here: https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod Saving money doesn’t have to feel like a punishment, and in today’s episode, I’m proving it. I’m diving into coaching questions from listeners about how to save without feeling deprived, how to break out of scarcity mindset, and how to balance long-term goals with actually enjoying life. From processing layoffs and using your emergency fund without guilt to understanding why fear hijacks your finances, this episode is packed with practical money advice, emotional mindset shifts, and actionable tools for creating a sustainable financial plan that still lets you have a life. If you’ve ever struggled to save without feeling deprived, or wondered how to make money choices that feel good today and set you up for tomorrow, this coaching session is for you. Mentioned in this episode: Millionaire Mindset: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/millionaire-mindset-taking-risks/ How to Get Out of Financial Survival Mode: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/financial-scarcity/ Visit ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod to stay up to date and find any resources mentioned on our show! 00:00 – Money Coaching With Tori: Ask a Multimillionaire Anything 01:00 – Listener Win: Starting a Side Hustle With Confidence 02:15 – Why Women Struggle With Taking Risks 04:00 – How to Start a Business When You’re Scared of Judgment 05:00 – Question 1: “I’m Afraid to Touch My Savings After a Layoff” 06:15 – How to Use Your Emergency Fund Without Guilt 07:00 – Navigating Layoffs, Uncertainty, and a Volatile Job Market 08:00 – Is It Time for a Career Pivot or Freelancing? 09:00 – Resetting Your Career After a Job Loss 10:00 – Why You Need a Personal Project During a Job Search 11:00 – Question 2: “How Do I Stop Living in Scarcity Mode?” 12:00 – Balancing Saving, Spending, and Generosity 13:00 – Understanding Your Financial Trauma & Scarcity Triggers 14:00 – How Fear Lies to You About Money 15:30 – The “Put Fear in the Back Seat” Strategy (Liz Gilbert Method) 17:00 – How to Budget for Generosity Without Derailing Your Goals 18:30 – Why You Can’t Pour From an Empty Cup (Money Edition) 20:00 – How Scarcity Mindset Affects Your Financial Decisions 21:00 – Why You Must Talk About Money in Therapy 22:00 – Question 3: Balancing Saving for Retirement With Wanting to Live Now 23:00 – YOLO vs. Long-Term Money Goals: Finding the Middle Ground 24:00 – Make Retirement Feel Real: Visualizing Your 65-Year-Old Self 25:30 – “Saver vs. Spender” Is a Myth — Here’s What You Actually Are 27:00 – How to Trick Your Brain Into Enjoying Saving Money 28:00 – Using the Three-Bucket Budget to Spend Guilt-Free 29:00 – Lightning Round: Emergency Funds, Life Insurance, and Over-Saving 31:00 – What Life Insurance Should Actually Look Like 32:00 – How Much Is Too Much in Savings? 33:00 – Free Resources: 7-Day Money Reset + Stock Market Workshop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the duality of Dave Ramsey’s financial advice! The discussion reveals what he gets right, like the importance of emergency funds and confronting debt, but also critiques his oversimplified approaches. Learn why a $1,000 starter fund is insufficient and how labeling all debt as bad can be misleading. The conversation touches on the harmful nature of shame-based budgeting and the outdated advice on childcare. Finally, discover a more adaptable financial game plan that combines the useful parts while avoiding the pitfalls.

Dan Weissmann, a journalist and host of An Arm and a Leg, dives deep into the chaotic realm of U.S. healthcare. He unveils how the system feels rigged, sharing strategies for navigating insurance and medical bills. Listeners learn about challenging unfair charges, negotiating bills, and finding fair prices for care. Weissmann also highlights the emotional toll of medical debt, especially on women, and offers tips on advocacy in the doctor’s office. Get ready to empower yourself in the world of healthcare.

Nicole Lapin, a bestselling author and money expert, shares her harrowing experience of losing her home in the LA fires shortly after giving birth. She discusses critical financial oversights, like skipping business insurance, and emphasizes the importance of documenting belongings for claims. The conversation highlights the emotional ties between money and safety, and offers parenting finance tips, including establishing 529 plans for children's education. Dive into essential lessons on overcoming financial shame and rebuilding after disaster.

Feeling stuck in financial survival mode? Discover how to identify the signs of scarcity and why saying 'I'm bad with money' is a harmful myth. Learn the emotional patterns that keep you from thriving and practical steps to regain control of your finances. Tackle the emotional weight of money with innovative concepts like the gas-tank metaphor and 'money dates' to analyze your spending. Plus, set actionable goals to create financial stability and break free from overwhelming debt with structured support.

Courtney Alev, a consumer financial advocate at Credit Karma, shares invaluable money lessons that often come too late. She emphasizes that financial freedom stems from knowledge and discusses how to build credit wisely in your 20s. Listeners learn easy credit score-boosting hacks and the importance of managing credit utilization. Courtney also tackles emotional aspects of money, like overcoming debt shame, and gives practical tips on budgeting with irregular income and prioritizing financial goals. This conversation is a treasure trove for anyone looking to empower their financial journey.

In this engaging discussion, Amanda Goetz, a two-time founder and single mom of three, dives into the pitfalls of hustle culture and offers a refreshing take on ambition. She redefines success by encouraging women to embrace competing identities and prioritize mental well-being. Amanda shares practical strategies for reclaiming time through outsourcing and highlights the shift from a scarcity to an abundance mindset. With her insights, listeners learn to celebrate diverse achievements and give themselves permission to pursue their desires without guilt.

It took me three years — and more than half a million dollars — to learn this lesson. In today’s episode, I’m breaking down the biggest business mistake I’ve ever made: ignoring my gut, following “expert” advice, and paying the price. We’re diving into what happens when you give away your power for credibility, why trusting yourself is the best business strategy, and how to rebuild self-trust after a big mistake. If you’ve ever been told, “That’s just how it’s done,” this episode will remind you that sometimes the best thing you can do is trust your instincts — even when it goes against the norm. You’ll learn: Why “industry standard” doesn’t always mean right for you The true cost of outsourcing your power How to rebuild self-trust in your money and business decisions In this episode: 00:00 — The mistake that cost me $500,000 03:00 — What it means to sign with an agency or network (and why it’s risky) 05:00 — Losing transparency and control in my own business 07:00 — When credibility costs more than it’s worth 08:30 — The moment I realized I’d given away 40% of my revenue 10:00 — The danger of doing things just because “that’s how it’s done” 13:30 — What running everything in-house has taught me 14:00 — The deeper lesson: self-trust, transparency, and ownership 16:00 — How to support independent creators and shows like this one 17:00 — Learning from mistakes without shame 17:30 — The challenge: where can you trust yourself more? Want more resources from this episode, like our FREE money quiz, tools, or challenges? Head to https://www.herfirst100k.com/ffpod Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/herfirst100k Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices