If you've ever power posed in a bathroom mirror or blasted a Beyoncé song before a big negotiation hoping it would make you believe in yourself, this episode is going to completely change the way you think about confidence. I'm sitting down with return guest Kara Loewentheil, founder of The School of New Feminist Thought, host of the internationally top-ranked podcast Unfuck Your Brain, and author of the instant New York Times bestseller Take Back Your Brain, and we're getting into the real, evidence-backed truth about what confidence actually is — and why everything you've been told about building it is probably doing you more harm than good. Kara breaks down her Confidence Compass framework — self-knowledge, self-compassion, self-belief, and self-actualization — and why real confidence has nothing to do with a feeling or a pose, and everything to do with building a trusting relationship with yourself so you can take risks, go after your financial goals, and create the life you actually want. Kara’s links: Website: http://unfuckyourbrain.com/HSC  Unf*ck Your Brain podcast: https://schoolofnewfeministthought.com/podcasts/  Take Back Your Brain book: https://www.takebackyourbrainbook.com/  Visit ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠ to read the transcript and find any resources mentioned in this episode! 0:00 Intro 0:59 Confidence Is a Skillset, Not a Feeling 2:08 Why Power Poses and Beyoncé Songs Don't Work 4:19 Does "Fake It Till You Make It" Actually Work? 5:19 Kara's Background: Yale, Harvard Law, and Becoming a Coach 5:34 Betting on Yourself Without Feeling Confident 7:55 Confidence vs. Certainty and Control 9:30 Confidence as a Relationship with Yourself 12:02 The Confidence Compass Framework 14:40 Money, Shame, and Which Block Shows Up Most 16:47 How Shame Disguises Itself as Responsibility 19:37 The Permission Slip Problem 27:31 How to Uncouple Shame and Build New Beliefs 38:28 Unlearning Selflessness Without Feeling Selfish 43:04 Confidence Doesn't Come from Having Things — It Creates Them 45:37 Using the Confidence Compass for Money Goals 48:52 The Seeds of Who You Want to Be Are Already in You Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer travel is something most of us look forward to all year. But without a plan, it can leave you with a maxed-out credit card and a lot of financial stress to come home to. In this episode of Financial Feminist, I'm breaking down exactly how to budget for summer travel so you can enjoy your trip without the money anxiety hanging over you the whole time. I'll walk you through how to set a realistic trip cap before you ever open a flight search tab, why travel is a known predictable expense and not just a fun splurge, and how to build a sinking fund so the money is already there when it's time to book. If you’re craving a getaway this summer, I'm giving you a step-by-step framework, plus my favorite money-saving tools and practical tips, so you can travel well and come home financially intact. *Important note: this episode was recorded in January 2026, before the increase in gas prices Visit ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠⁠ to get my free Travel Budgeting Spreadsheet!  00:00 Intro 00:16 Why Summer Travel Feels So Expensive 02:50 Step 1: Set Your Total Trip Cap 03:49 A Budget Is Not a Killjoy 05:46 Let Flight Deals Decide Where You Go 07:55 Step 2: Break the Trip Into Real Categories 12:22 Step 3: Plan Backwards 15:13 Step 4: Cut Costs Without Ruining the Trip 17:48 Book Experiences in Advance & Pick Your Splurges 19:21 Use Credit Card Points 19:58 What to Do If You Can't Afford the Trip You Want 22:05 Travel Is Part of a Rich Life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If paying off debt is starting to feel like it's swallowing your whole life–– this episode is for you. Today I’m getting honest with you about something the personal finance world doesn't say enough: debt payoff isn't just a numbers problem, it's an emotional one. The mental load of tracking balances, watching interest undo your progress, and feeling like you have to earn joy before you've hit zero is exhausting, and it's not what sustainable financial freedom looks like. In this episode, I'm giving you the pep talk you actually need, breaking down why hyper-vigilance around debt isn't discipline, what to do when debt payoff has consumed your entire personality, and four practical ways to protect your energy so you can keep going without burning out. Watch How to Payoff Credit Card Debt FAST: ⁠https://youtu.be/qLR-x0Zg4eY⁠  Visit https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod to join the free 5-Day Debt Payoff Challenge!  00:00 Intro 00:23 The Pep Talk You Need 01:16 Debt as Cognitive Labor 01:50 Why Debt Payoff Feels So Hard 02:28 Shame & Moral Failure Around Debt 03:02 The Invisible, Unpaid Work of Debt 03:52 Hyper-Vigilance Is Not Discipline 04:15 When Debt Becomes Your Whole Identity 05:22 You Don't Have to Suffer to Be Responsible 08:02 4 Ways to Protect Your Energy 08:09 #1 – Automate Everything 09:00 #2 – Stop Checking Your Accounts Daily 10:52 #3 – Give Yourself Permission to Have a Personality 11:24 #4 – Slow Progress Beats Burnout 11:33 Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If there's one episode I need every woman in your life to hear, it's this one — because what Erin and I unpack together has the power to completely transform the way you show up for yourself and the women around you. Erin Gallagher is the CEO and founder of Hype Women, an inclusive network unlocking women's access to human, social, and financial capital, and the author of the book Hype Women. In this episode, we get into the real reason women are conditioned to put everyone else first, how to tell the difference between anxiety and intuition, and why you cannot build real wealth, real friendships, or a real life until you stop abandoning yourself. We walk through the three stages of metamorphosis, and break down the spectrum from mean girl to hype woman so you can finally audit the women in your life (and the woman inside your head). This episode is the pep talk you didn't know you needed. Erin’s links: Website: www.hypewomen.com  Visit ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠ to see the show notes and read the transcript of this episode! 00:00 Intro 01:08 The Phrase That Changed Everything 02:55 Why Women Abandon Themselves 06:40 The Constant Threat Assessment 09:45 Remembering Who You Are 13:30 The Difference Between Intuition and Anxiety 17:40 Is It Still Working? 21:00 The Three Stages: Caterpillar, Cocoon, Monarch 25:10 Looking Around at 40 29:30 Renegotiating Your Life 33:15 The Mean Girl Inside of Us 37:00 You Can't Hype Others Until You Hype Yourself 41:45 Recognizing Your Conditioning 46:00 The Five Types on the Spectrum 51:00 Learning to Hype Yourself 56:00 Building Your A-Team 60:00 The Power of Women's Communities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve been doing everything "right" financially and still feel like you’re failing, this episode is for you. In this third installment of the millionaire mindset series, I'm talking about one of the most transformative (and underrated) wealth skills there is: parenting yourself. I'm breaking down why self-discipline without self-care is just self-abandonment, how your unmet basic needs are quietly costing you money and momentum, and the practical, tactical ways you can start treating yourself like someone worth taking care of––starting right now. Because you can't out-hustle a dysregulated nervous system, and the most successful people I know aren't bullying themselves into success. They're parenting themselves into it. Mentioned in this episode: millionaire mindset: taking risks - https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/millionaire-mindset-taking-risks/  millionaire mindset: time wealth - https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/millionaire-mindset-time-wealth/  Amanda Goetz episode - https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/earn-more-money-without-hustle/  Visit ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠ to get your free daily reset worksheet & any other resources mentioned on or show! 00:00 Intro 00:23 What Millionaire Mindset series is about 02:08 Taking care of yourself like a child 03:35 Seeing future you as someone to take care of 06:16 Becoming someone you can rely on 07:37 Self-discipline without self-care is self abandonment 13:09 Create a bedtime routine 16:16 Building transitions into your day 17:58 Talking to yourself 19:21 Creating safety within your own brain and body 21:21 When feeling emotionally overwhelmed 23:19 Self-talk scripts to try 25:41 Finding joy and play again 28:42 Free daily reset sheet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you want to land a job you actually love and make more money in 2026, this episode is one you’ll come back to again and again. I’m joined by Claire Wasserman––bestselling author, founder of Ladies Get Paid, and one of the smartest people I know when it comes to navigating the job market, negotiating pay, and owning your worth at work. We break down how to position yourself for higher compensation, why everything is a negotiation, and how to stop sabotaging your own success with guilt, fear, or hustle culture. From negotiating raises and reframing your value to job searching smarter, building relationships, and redefining success on your own terms, this conversation will change how you think about your career. Claire’s links: Website: https://www.coachmeclaire.com/ Ladies Get Paid: https://ladiesgetpaid.com/ Visit ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠ to see the show notes and read the transcript of this episode! 0:00 Intro 01:15 Knowing Your Worth Changes Everything 03:30 Being Underpaid and Taking Action 06:40 Why This Work Matters for Women 09:45 Negotiating with Yourself First 13:30 Getting Data to Confirm You're Underpaid 17:40 The LLC of Me Framework 21:00 Translating Your Value to Dollars 25:10 Mistakes Women Make in Negotiations 29:30 Beyond Your Job Description 33:15 Building Relationships at Work 37:00 Navigating a Tough Job Market 41:45 Fractional Work as an Alternative 46:00 Managing the Job Search While Working Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re thinking about quitting your job in 2026 and finally starting your own business, this episode is your practical roadmap. I’m joined by lawyer-turned-entrepreneur Sam Vander Wielen, who left corporate law with multi-six-figure student loans, built a multi-seven-figure digital products company, and learned firsthand what entrepreneurship can and cannot do for your happiness. We’re talking about how to financially plan your exit from a 9-to-5, what legal steps you need (LLC, contracts, trademarks), and how to stop tying your worth to income, vanity metrics, or job titles. If you want a sustainable, smart plan for quitting your job and building a profitable business in 2026, this conversation will show you how to do it without burning your life down in the process. Sam’s links: Get Sam’s book: https://www.samvanderwielen.com/book/ Listen to Sam’s podcast: https://www.samvanderwielen.com/podcast  Sign up for Sam’s newsletter: https://www.samvanderwielen.com/easy-emails  Visit ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠ to see the show notes and read the transcript of this episode! 0:00 Intro 01:15 The Happiness Myth 04:30 Why We Tie Happiness to Milestones 07:30 What a Business Can (and Can’t) Give You 11:00 Money as a Tool for Safety and Choice 15:00 Sam’s Corporate Law Wake-Up Call 20:00 The Stability Myth of Corporate Jobs 25:30 Planning a Real Exit From Your 9–5 30:30  Legal Basics for Starting a Business 36:00 Why Entrepreneurship Doesn’t Fix Your Life 41:30 Redefining Success Before You Leap Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Millionaires don’t just buy things––they buy time. And if you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly busy but somehow never getting closer to the life you actually want, this episode is for you. In our second installment of the millionaire mindset series, I’m breaking down what I call time wealth. The idea that real wealth isn’t just about how much money you make, but how much of your life you get to keep. I’m sharing exactly how millionaires think about time, the sneaky ways you’re leaking it without realizing, and the small but powerful shifts you can start making right now to buy back your evenings, your energy, and your future—even if you’re not rich yet. Visit https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod to get your free time audit worksheet! Catch up on episode 1 of millionaire mindset: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/millionaire-mindset-taking-risks/ 00:00 Intro 00:44 What the millionaire mindset series is about 01:22 Time wealth: buying back your time 02:11 Time is your greatest asset, not money 05:15 Time leaks: where you're wasting time 05:36 Decision fatigue - spending too much time deciding 10:00 Doing $10 tasks with $100 goals 12:43 Reactive living - letting others' urgency dictate your day 14:26 Unpaid emotional labor 15:50 How millionaires audit their time ruthlessly 19:58 Delegating before you're ready 25:23 Habit stacking to maximize your time 30:17 Saying no early and often 33:25 Time wealth is self-respect 35:14 This week's wealth move Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Try Mimi’s app, Activations, with a free 14-day trial and exclusive discount at http://activations.com/financialfeminist If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing all the “right” money things on paper but still feel anxious, stuck, or behind, this episode is for you. In today’s conversation, I’m joined once again by Mimi Bouchard––trailblazing entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and author––to break down how to shift your money mindset in 2026 by changing your identity, your beliefs, and the way you relate to yourself long before the numbers change. We talk about the psychology of money, why not all of your thoughts are true, how to stop bracing for financial disaster, and how small, daily mindset shifts can completely transform your financial behavior. Tune in to learn how to rewire your brain to see opportunity, rebuild trust, and start showing up like your future wealthy self so you can create lasting financial security and freedom this year. 00:00 Intro  01:40 How your brain filters opportunity 03:50 Why mindset matters more than being good at math 06:10 How beliefs drive behavior before numbers ever do 08:30 Not all of your thoughts are true 11:50 The "why not me?" mindset shift 17:30 Women and the fear of wanting more 20:50 Identifying limiting beliefs in everyday moments 28:20 Bracing for impact - the low-grade money anxiety trap 35:10 The bounce back rate vs. perfectionism 42:50 Building trust with yourself around money 47:30 Adding positive habits instead of restricting 50:30 Getting comfortable with having more money Visit https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod to see the show notes and read the transcript of this episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re making good money and still feel broke, stressed, or behind, something is off and it’s not you. Today, I’m joined by my friend Vivian Tu, former Wall Street trader, CEO and founder of Your Rich BFF, and New York Times bestselling author of Well Endowed, to talk about what it really takes to get rich and stay rich. We’re calling out why paying your bills and saving is not the finish line, how optimization culture keeps high earners trapped in a constant game of “never enough,” and how to start using your money as a tool to buy time, freedom, and real security instead of status symbols. This episode is about ditching performative wealth, building systems that quietly grow your money, and finally feeling powerful, calm, and in control of your financial life. Vivian’s links: Website: https://www.yourrichbff.com/ Grab your copy of Well Endowed: http://richbffbook.com/  Visit ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠ to stay up to date and find any resources mentioned on our show! 00:00 Intro  00:51 Money traumas from childhood & the Chinese buffet story 03:17 How money narratives dictate everyday decisions 06:16 Knowing the price of everything but the value of nothing 08:14 Money as a tool to buy your best life 10:47 What comes after financial basics (Finance 2.0) 13:01 Building infrastructure vs. working harder 15:38 Strategic spending: "Do I want this or do I want people to know I have it?" 18:33 The sleep investment story 24:48 Why HENRYs (High Earners Not Rich Yet) feel stressed 28:21 The B-plus life trap & lifestyle inflation 31:24 Wasted opportunity, potential, and time 33:20 Kids will make you poorer - childcare costs 36:10 The prenup with built-in raises for childcare 37:34 Unpaid labor & the "good mom" trap 38:53 Cooking as unpaid labor vs. celebrity chef art 40:06 Speaking kindly to yourself about money 42:31 Making peace with your own financial timeline 45:07 The all-or-nothing mindset is killing progress 49:56 15 minutes is better than no minutes 50:17 Book takeaway: Chase security, stability & freedom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices