

Other People's Pockets
Maya Lau
Have you ever wondered how your friend bought that vacation home or why that colleague of yours makes everyone meticulously split the tab down to the last Diet Coke? Other People’s Pockets is a show about other people’s money. We ask people from all walks of life to get radically transparent about their personal finances in order to learn more about who we are and what makes us tick. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 15, 2025 • 32min
Daishi Miguel-Tanaka, Immigrants' Rights Advocate
On this season of Other People's Pockets, we're experimenting with a new angle for some of the episodes: How is the Trump administration affecting people's personal finances?Today I'm featuring Daishi Miguel-Tanaka, an immigrants' rights advocate based in Washington, D.C. Daishi was born in Japan to a Japanese father and a Filipina mother. When he was 6, he and his family moved to the U.S. with a plan to obtain U.S. citizenship through Daishi's grandfather, a U.S. citizen. But when his grandfather died, that path to citizenship vanished, and Daishi and his family remained in the U.S. as undocumented immigrants.Since he was a teenager, Daishi has been protected from deportation because he is a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). He spoke about how DACA has afforded him a financial life in the U.S., and what the Trump administration means for how he's thinking about his future and his money.Follow Maya Lau:Instagram: @itsmayamoneyTikTok: @itsmayamoneyEmail: otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 14, 2025 • 2min
An update from me! Your host!
Whether you’re a longtime listener of Other People’s Pockets, or you’re brand new to this feed, thank you for being here! I have some news, which is that I am now publishing this show on my own! I finally have full control of this podcast feed, this show that I conceived and love so much, and I’m so excited for what this means about moving forward with creative freedom.I’m going to focus part of this next season on something a little more news-related. I’m looking at how the Trump administration is affecting people’s personal finances. Whether it's changes to immigration policy, federal job cuts, tariffs … How are these big policy changes impacting the kitchen table conversations that we’re having about our money?If you have a story you think would be great for this show, email me at otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com, or find me on Instagram or TikTok at @itsmayamoneyI am going to be putting out episodes on a different schedule than before ... think about once a month, until I get up and running. A new episode of OPP drops tomorrow, July 15, 2025. Thanks everyone!Your host, Maya Lau Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 16, 2025 • 39min
Listen to my new show! Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story, Episode 1
I'm so proud to present the pilot episode of a new show I'm hosting, Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story. In 1920, a broke immigrant in Boston became one of America’s richest, most infamous men—practically overnight. In just nine months, he swindled the modern equivalent of a quarter billion dollars, upended the world of finance, and etched his name into history as the mastermind behind one of the most notorious scams ever: the Ponzi scheme.Hosted by me and featuring award-winning comedian and actor Sebastian Maniscalco, Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story is a docudrama that captures the rise and fall—both outrageous and tragic—of the con artist who fooled the world and paid the price. Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story is an Apple Original podcast, produced by AT WILL MEDIA. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 4, 2025 • 4min
Introducing my new show, Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story
Hi! I'm dropping in this quick note to say that Other People's Pockets will be back with new episodes soon! Also! I have a special new project to share with you. I'm hosting a new podcast that tells the story of Charles Ponzi, a broke immigrant who became one of America's richest, most infamous men, practically overnight—and etched his name into history as the mastermind behind the Ponzi scheme. Hosted by me and featuring award-winning comedian and actor Sebastian Maniscalco, Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story is an Apple Original podcast, produced by AT WILL MEDIA. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts.And come see me live at the Tribeca Film Festival talking onstage about Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story. I'll be joined by Sebastian Maniscalco along with Will Malnati, CEO of AT WILL MEDIA, and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, of the Sopranos, our moderator.Friday June 13, 20255pOKX Theater at BMCC TPAC199 Chambers St.New York, NYTickets: https://www.tribecafilm.com/films/easy-money-the-charles-ponzi-story-with-sebastian-maniscalco-jamie-lynn-sigler-2025Use discount code: TFPONZI30Come say hi!IG @itsmayamoney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 15, 2023 • 34min
Listen As I Get Financially Planned
Isabel Barrow and Jean Chatzky discuss the significance of financial planning and the role of professional advice. They explore the services of Edelman Financial Engines, finding a holistic financial planner, and setting personal financial goals. They also touch on mortgages, retirement planning, maximizing returns with target date funds, and financial advice for your 20s.

Oct 11, 2023 • 53min
Things are different now with our money
It's hard to believe it, but this is the 35th episode of Other People's Pockets, which means it's the end of our first season! For this special episode, we reached out to some of our past guests for a "Look Back" -- an update on their financial situations & viewpoints. Cord Jefferson stopped earning money for a while and didn't know when more would come. Carmen González is learning how to apply for credit cards now that she's a U.S. citizen. Laura Lyster-Mensch decided she had been too cagey about her money on this show and now wants to reveal all. And more!Follow Maya Lau at:Twitter: @mayalauInstagram: @itsmayamoneyTikTok: @itsmayamoneySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 4, 2023 • 35min
How I do money after severing ties with my family (Jessica)
Building credit. Being on your parent's cell phone plan. Learning to drive. There are many financial benefits to having a relationship with your family of origin. Today's guest, Jessica, has experienced what it’s like to not have those advantages. Jessica severed ties with her biological parents due to emotional abuse she experienced from them throughout her life. Jessica has built a strong network of friends — her chosen family — who contribute money when she needs a security deposit and give her rides to appointments. She explains how personal finance looks different when you have an alternative definition of family, and how she has a new outlook on asking for help and taking on debt.Follow Maya Lau at:Twitter: @mayalauInstagram: @itsmayamoneyTikTok: @itsmayamoney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 27, 2023 • 41min
Raychel Sanner, Storm Chaser
How does a love of extreme weather translate into making money? Raychel Sanner is a storm chaser and co-founder of Tornado Titans, a media brand by self-described “weather nuts” who capture images of supercells, monsoons, blizzards and more. As a Choctaw trans woman born and raised in Oklahoma, Raychel is transforming the image of storm chasing away from being dominated by straight, white cis-men. Raychel chats about the income she gets from her day job, whether she could do storm-chasing full-time, and what money conversations look like with her wife.Follow Raychel Sanner at:Instagram: @raychelsanner@tornadotitansX: @raychelsnrFacebook: @raychelsannerraychelsanner.comFollow Maya Lau at:Twitter: @mayalauInstagram: @itsmayamoneyTikTok: @itsmayamoney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 20, 2023 • 37min
Ismatu Gwendolyn, Community Health Worker
Ismatu Gwendolyn is a mental health professional and life coach who is trying to rethink how we care for those in need. Ismatu has navigated sex work in order to afford life and graduate school, and they discovered that as a stripper, talking to men in a club was not so different than counseling a client as a therapist. Ismatu let us have a peek inside their personal finances to find out how this all comes together.Follow Ismatu:TikTok: @ismatu.gwendolyn Instagram: @ismatu.gwendolynFollow Maya Lau at:X: @mayalauInstagram: @itsmayamoneyTikTok: @itsmayamoney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 13, 2023 • 41min
Pocket Dial: Jared Ball Explains the Myth of Black Buying Power + more
It's time for another Pocket Dial! That's where we pause to reflect on the money themes coming up on Other People's Pockets. Jared Ball is a professor of Communications and Africana Studies at Morgan State University in Baltimore and the author of "The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power." He helps unpack the lies around "passion work" and why it feels like you have to be out for yourself when it comes to finances.Follow Jared at:Instagram: @imixwhatilikeX: @imixwhatilikeFollow Maya Lau at:X: @mayalauInstagram: @itsmayamoneyTikTok: @itsmayamoney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.