In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Amanda Heyman. Amanda went from journalism to a career in law, driven by a mission to serve the public interest and champion social justice. Then, life took a surprising turn when she and her husband saw a golden opportunity in fantasy soccer. Moving to a venture-backed business focused on growth and profit was a major pivot. Together, they co-founded Starting 11, a fantasy sports app that combined her husband’s 30,000-hour passion for fantasy sports ...
Dec 05, 2024•33 min
This episode of Money Tales is about how education, employment and financial freedom are not as closely linked in the US today as they’ve been in the past. Stephanie Van Putten, our guest on the podcast, is a Stanford and MIT grad who followed all the "rules" for success in America— only to discover the game had changed. Stephanie challenges the long-held belief that education and hard work automatically lead to financial freedom. As a Black woman in tech, she navigated complex layers of bias an...
Nov 27, 2024•34 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Laurel Mintz. Laurel is a powerhouse entrepreneur and venture capitalist whose journey with money and leadership began in an extraordinary way. At just 26, Laurel took on the role of interim CEO in her family’s business during a time of crisis. Suddenly responsible for a team of 60, she quickly discovered the company was over-leveraged and in need of a major turnaround—a daunting challenge for anyone, let alone a young professional new to the role. La...
Nov 21, 2024•32 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Robert Heil. Robert and his wife organically built their own financial plan through open conversations about money. Early in their marriage, they realized that despite earning more, they weren’t making progress toward their goals. This motivated them to align their values, set financial priorities and craft a plan that worked for their family. Robert reflects on the power of those conversations, how they shaped their family’s lives, and the lasting im...
Nov 14, 2024•33 min
This week’s episode of Money Tales is all about angel investing. We’re joined by Marcia Dawood, and she’s on a powerful mission to make early-stage investing accessible to everyone. This investing purpose became apparent to Marcia when her mother was diagnosed with ALS, a devastating disease. Marcia knew she wanted to drive change that could find cures and solutions to the world’s biggest challenges. While she didn’t have billions to invest, Marcia discovered angel investing as a way to support ...
Nov 07, 2024•32 min
In this episode of Money Tales, we explore how trust and relationships form the true foundation of wealth. Our guest is David Homan. Early in his career, David experienced a defining moment when he was leading a philanthropic organization that suffered significant losses from Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi Scheme. Thrust into a financial and emotional crisis that was not of his own making, David had to rebuild trust with donors and other stakeholders while at the same time navigating the complexities of ...
Oct 25, 2024•41 min
What happens when you realize that working harder is not the answer? Alexandria Butler, widely known as Lexi B, is our guest this week on Money Tales. Lexi B talks about her exhausting years of juggling two jobs just to stay afloat, and how a surprising layoff became the wake-up call she needed. Lexi B decided she was done trying to do this alone and sought advice from a financial advisor. Understanding her goals helped Lexi B break free from financial stress, focus on her priorities and start b...
Oct 24, 2024•36 min
Ever feel stuck in a financial rut? This week’s guest, Ruth King, knows that struggle intimately. In this episode of Money Tales, Ruth opens up about how desperation to escape being broke only made things worse—the more she focused on not being broke, the more it consumed her. But everything changed when Ruth started writing 25 affirmations every morning. By shifting her mindset though these daily mantras toward success, and away from fear, Ruth began to see her financial reality transform. Ruth...
Oct 17, 2024•26 min
We recorded this Money Tales episode live, on-stage at Future Proof Festival. Our guest is Chelsey Goodan, author of the bestseller book UNDERESTIMATED: The Power and Wisdom of Teenage Girls (Gallery Books.) Chelsey discusses her early lessons from her parents, which have shaped her lifelong relationship with money, and how she balanced finances while pursuing a Hollywood career. By creatively taking on a side hustle as a tutor to teenage girls, she experienced so much with her students. Now, as...
Oct 10, 2024•28 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Lisa Morales-Hellebo. This episode is all about the will and drive of a young Latina to rebel against cultural norms and prove to herself and the world that, by playing by her own rules, she can accomplish whatever she puts her mind to. Lisa Morales-Hellebo is our guest this week on Money Tales. Lisa grew up as member of the only brown family in an affluent neighborhood, facing relentless racism that put a chip on her shoulder and sparked an unyieldin...
Oct 03, 2024•35 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Kian Seah. This episode is all about recycling. Recycling materials, re-cycling money, re-cycling opportunities, and re-cycling lives. Kian shares an incredible story of transforming family shame into pride and success. Kian grew up in a household where the entire family participated in recycling other people’s used items to get by. At the time, recycling was seen as a ‘dirty’ job – one his parents asked him to hide from others. Decades later, Kian an...
Sep 26, 2024•30 min
What happens when a child learns they are 'worth' $80 every two weeks? Today on Money Tales, our guest is Melissa Ripp, an entrepreneur who reflects on how her childhood experiences—like learning the amount her dad paid in child support—deeply shaped her relationship with money. We’ll explore how those early lessons influenced her entrepreneurial journey and her drive for financial independence. This conversation goes deep into the emotional side of money and the lasting impact of those early mo...
Sep 19, 2024•31 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Mark Shiller. What happens when your kids start worrying about money…and you have no idea why? Mark and his wife have four children, each at that pivotal stage in their early twenties. The couple noticed an interesting trend: their kids were stressing about money, worrying more than expected. It wasn't because of anything Mark or his wife had said or done, so where was this anxiety coming from? As Mark unpacked these unexpected fears, he stumbled upon...
Sep 12, 2024•33 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Naseem Sayani. This episode is about seeing gaps in an industry and taking bold action to close them. Naseem was at the forefront of digital strategy, launching a product studio within a global consulting firm. She built startups from the ground up and noticed a disturbing pattern: the capital wasn’t diverse, the founders weren’t diverse, and the products being created weren’t serving women. As one of only two female partners out of 45 worldwide, she ...
Sep 05, 2024•37 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is B. Pagels-Minor. B. graduated college in 2008 and quickly landed a lucrative consulting job. But when the economy crashed, B. ended up working as a barista and then as a store manager at Target. They entered the role at Target with a lot of confidence. B. quickly learned that leadership isn't about being the smartest; it's about earning your team's respect. If the team doesn’t follow you, it’s you who will go. After Target, B. faced multiple near-disa...
Aug 29, 2024•37 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Dr. Donna Marino. When it comes to money, there’s always more we can do to learn about its nuances and complexities to build the relationship we want with it. Dr. Donna shares her personal stories that bring this theme to life. On September 11th, 2001, her life changed forever when, at just 25, she lost her father in the 9/11 attack. As she and her siblings grappled with grief, they faced the overwhelming task of settling their father's estate. This i...
Aug 22, 2024•33 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Albert Shakhnazarov. Albert’s Money Tales are about the importance of having confidence in yourself and truly believing that you are worthy of living a successful life. Born in a refugee camp in Moscow, Russia and spending his early years relying on government assistance, Albert heard the same advice: get a job, work for someone else. In his communist homeland, working for yourself was unheard of. When Albert came to the US at the age of 14, he realiz...
Aug 15, 2024•31 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Catherine Gray. Catherine Gray is our guest this week on the podcast. Catherine is an advertising professional turned movie producer. Her most recent film titled, “Show Her The Money”, is raising the awareness of how underfunded women are in the start-up world. As we’ve talked about before, only 2% of venture capital dollars are invested in women owned businesses. Catherine’s goal with this new film is to educate women, and men, about venture capital,...
Aug 08, 2024•31 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Maher Kaddoura. At just 13 years old, Maher embarked on a solo journey that would forever change his perspective on life and money. Traveling alone, across international borders, taking buses and hitchhiking, Maher explored Turkey and Bulgaria. As the son of a refugee, Maher was no stranger to the survival instinct. From a young age, it was ingrained in him that he had to earn money for anything he wanted. Maher discovered that money earned through hi...
Aug 01, 2024•34 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Mike Robbins. In 2005, pressured by the rising housing market, Mike and his wife, Michelle, bought a home with no money down and no savings. That was a thing you could do back then. The negative amortization loan they secured seemed manageable at first, but Mike and Michelle soon realized they were sinking deeper and deeper into debt with no equity to show for it. They were getting by, and life was getting good for the couple. Mike's business was star...
Jul 25, 2024•37 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Emily Chang. Emily’s financial adventures began in her early 20s in the most unexpected way. One frigid night, Emily found a young girl huddled by the roadside, clearly beaten and wearing nothing but a windbreaker. She took the girl to a diner, offered her a meal, and then invited her to stay in her spare room for the night. That one night turned into a week, then months, until Emily could help her find stability. Emily’s family worried the girl might...
Jul 18, 2024•35 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Kathleen Quinn. Hers is a story about the importance of not putting off to tomorrow what you can do today. Kathleen and her husband, Michael, were updating their estate plan when Michael asked if they could set up a scholarship to help students. Kathleen, who had spent 35-years in university alumni relations and development, immediately said, "Absolutely." Michael insisted the scholarship be in Kathleen's name, honoring her decades of hard work. In 20...
Jul 11, 2024•32 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Steven Foster. Steven began his career with a singular focus on making as much money as possible. By age 26, he was doing just that. Steven was one of the most successful dance music producers in the world, running a record label and hosting live events that drew crowds of 30,000 people. The financial risks were enormous, and the rewards seemed even greater. However, by age 30, Steven had lost everything. The following years were marked by a series of...
Jul 02, 2024•31 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Steven Atneosen. Steven describes himself as a husband, a father, a citizen of Earth and a lifelong optimist who is focused on leveraging technology and data to improve the quality of life. He’s a passionate advocate for fairness and equity for all. Steven’s commitment to justice and respect stems from his experiences being bullied as a child. This shaped his belief in the importance of treating others with kindness and integrity. These values have pr...
Jun 27, 2024•33 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Marla Sofer. Marla had an epic career in financial services and fintech. Along the way she developed an entrepreneurial itch that wouldn’t go away. Realizing she only has one life to live, Marla decided to align her work with her values and leapt into entrepreneurship. A key motivator was her daughter, who, after hearing Marla's dreams, asked, "When are you going to do it?" Realizing that Marla was modeling more for her daughter than she thought, Marl...
Jun 20, 2024
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon. Darnyelle grew up facing tough challenges – both of her parents struggled with addiction. She knew she had to make her own money and started working at McDonald’s at age 13. Darnyelle was a diligent saver who was shocked when one day she opened her bank statement to see that there was no money in the account. Without apology, her dad had taken the money. Despite the difficulties, Darnyelle managed to find success, but it c...
Jun 13, 2024•34 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Derrick Miles. Like many of us, Derrick has experienced the highs and the lows during his pursuit of happiness and purpose. Starting from humble beginnings, Derrick's mom always encouraged him to dream big. He believed that becoming a CEO and making a lot of money would bring him happiness, and while he achieved that dream and made millions, Derrick felt like he was living paycheck-to-paycheck. He couldn't figure out why he wasn't happy. In a brave mo...
Jun 06, 2024
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Graham Rowan. In the 1990s when Graham's career was taking off, he started accumulating wealth and not having the time to manage it. A colleague referred him to a financial advisor. Graham trusted this advisor, who promised to navigate the complexities of the market on his behalf. As the dot-com bubble swelled, so did Graham’s investments, which were concentrated in the euphoria of the NASDAQ wave. As Graham tells us, he would go to bed at night and w...
May 30, 2024
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Grifan Cayce. Grifan began her career in the teaching profession. She was driven by a deep love for education. As Grifan immersed herself in the demanding world of high school teaching, she encountered a stark reality: the disconnect between her efforts and her financial compensation. Teaching multiple AP classes in a competitive school district, Grifin felt the weight of her labor far outweighing the rewards. The rigid teachers’ salary structure did ...
May 23, 2024•36 min
In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is AJ Schneider. At just four years old, AJ's world was forever altered when her sister was diagnosed with a brain tumor the size of a golf ball. The family found themselves facing a nightmare. In the face of adversity, AJ's family fractured. As AJ tells us, there was no unity, only separation. For her, this pivotal moment solidified every negative belief she held about the world - fear of abandonment, the need to flee, a pervasive sense of insecurity. A...
May 16, 2024•35 min
