Journey To Launch

Jamila Souffrant

  • 40 minutes 56 seconds
    Episode 473: How Service Workers Can Achieve Financial Freedom & Increase Their Financial Health with Barbara Sloan

    From homeless to bartending at Coyote Ugly, today's guest has gone through it all when it comes to working the service industry. Barbara Sloan is author of "Tipped: The Life Changing Guide to Financial Freedom For Waitresses, Bartenders, Strippers and All Other Service Industry Professionals," and a personal finance expert.

    She's spent two decades working in every imaginable position in the service industry, in addition to owning and running a woman-owned construction company in Manhattan. Now, she helps other service industry professionals map their way to financial independence.

    We talk about the unique challenges that face over 4 million service industry professionals, how these workers can use the system to their benefit and all of the mistakes Barbara made on her own way to financial literacy.

    In this episode, we discuss:

    • What a service industry professional is + their unique career and financial opportunities + challenges
    • How to budget with an inconsistent or fluctuating income + how to build in buffers during seasonal work
    • Advice on how service industry professionals can increase their income + begin to invest
    • The transition from being hired at a construction company to owning it + more

    What's New in the Paperback Edition of Your Journey to Financial Freedom:

    • A bonus chapter: When Life Happens: Staying on the Path to Financial Freedom Through Setbacks, Shifts, and Uncertainty
    • A book club and discussion guide with prompts, exercises, and action steps
    • Updated corrections from the original hardcover
    • Exclusive bonuses when you purchase the paperback, including:
      • The Fire Starter Course
      • The Find Your FIRE Number Worksheet

    Other related blog posts/links mentioned in this episode:

    Connect with Barbara:

    Connect with me:

    8 April 2026, 12:08 pm
  • 30 minutes 4 seconds
    Episode 472: How I'm Unlearning the Need to Hustle & Giving Myself Permission to Make My Own "Rules"

    Have you ever caught yourself choosing work over something that actually matters even after you've done everything "right"? That's exactly what happened to me, and it made me pause in a way I didn't expect. When my podcast guest cancelled, I decided to record a solo episode instead. Shortly after, I received a call from the school nurse that my son wasn't feeling well and needed to be picked up. But instead of immediately going to get him, my first thought was whether I could still get some work done. That moment stopped me. Because I've intentionally built a life with flexibility. I don't have to release an episode every Wednesday. I set my own schedule. I make the rules. And yet, that instinct to prioritize work was still there. In this episode, I open up about something we don't talk about enough in the financial freedom conversation: reaching your goal is one milestone, but trusting it and allowing yourself to fully live within it is something entirely different. The same hustle that helps you build your life can also begin to limit you, and achieving freedom doesn't automatically undo the conditioning that got you there. In this episode, I discuss:
    • Why the habits that helped you reach financial freedom can begin to work against you
    • The difference between knowing you have flexibility and actually feeling it
    • What I'm still learning about modeling both rest and resilience for my kids
    • The deeper, often overlooked work of learning to trust the life you've built + more

    What's New in the Paperback Edition of Your Journey to Financial Freedom:

    • A bonus chapter: When Life Happens: Staying on the Path to Financial Freedom Through Setbacks, Shifts, and Uncertainty
    • A book club and discussion guide with prompts, exercises, and action steps
    • Updated corrections from the original hardcover
    • Exclusive bonuses when you purchase the paperback, including:
      • The Fire Starter Course
      • The Find Your FIRE Number Worksheet

    Other related blog posts/links mentioned in this episode:

    Connect with me:

    1 April 2026, 1:19 pm
  • 1 hour 8 minutes
    Episode 471: Why He Quit His $100K Engineering Job to Work at McDonald's w/ Drew Lee

    In this episode, I sit down with Drew Lee, a former engineer turned personal finance content creator, who made a bold decision to walk away from a six figure career more than once to pursue a life of flexibility and purpose. Drew reached Coast FI, where your investments grow on their own to fund retirement, in his late 20s, and shares how that freedom changed the way he thinks about work.

    We talk about the realities behind quitting a stable job, navigating uncertainty, and what it really takes to pursue your passions, especially when you have a family. Drew also opens up about working hourly jobs by choice, building a content brand from scratch, and the mindset shifts that helped him stay committed even when things were not working.

    In This Episode Drew shares:

    • How he reached Coast FI with a $300K net worth by age 29

    • Why quitting a six figure job was not a one time decision

    • How low expenses gave him the flexibility to take risks

    • The moment his content finally took off and became profitable + more

    What's New in the Paperback Edition of Your Journey to Financial Freedom:

    • A bonus chapter: When Life Happens: Staying on the Path to Financial Freedom Through Setbacks, Shifts, and Uncertainty
    • A book club and discussion guide with prompts, exercises, and action steps
    • Updated corrections from the original hardcover
    • Exclusive bonuses when you purchase the paperback, including:
      • The Fire Starter Course
      • The Find Your FIRE Number Worksheet

    Other related blog posts/links mentioned in this episode:

    Connect with Drew:

    Connect with me:

    25 March 2026, 7:00 am
  • 47 minutes 20 seconds
    Episode 470- Why Doing Nothing Is the Most Expensive Decision You'll Ever Make with Amanda Holden

    In this episode, I'm joined by Amanda Holden, who has built a powerful platform making investing feel truly accessible. She's now bringing that same approach to her new book, How to Be a Rich Old Lady.

    We dive into what it really takes to build wealth, why so many people get stuck before they even get started, and how investing isn't about being perfect, it's about taking action.

    Here's what we discuss:

    • What financial independence really looks like beyond a number and how it gives you the freedom to choose how you live and work + more
    • Why choosing between a 401(k) and a Roth IRA matters less than actually getting started and investing consistently
    • How to think about investing while in debt and when to prioritize paying it off vs. building wealth
    • The mindset shift needed to start investing even if you feel late or unsure, and why doing nothing guarantees staying stuck

    What's New in the Paperback Edition of Your Journey to Financial Freedom:

    • A bonus chapter: When Life Happens: Staying on the Path to Financial Freedom Through Setbacks, Shifts, and Uncertainty
    • A book club and discussion guide with prompts, exercises, and action steps
    • Updated corrections from the original hardcover
    • Exclusive bonuses when you purchase the paperback, including:
      • The Fire Starter Course
      • The Find Your FIRE Number Worksheet

    Other related blog posts/links mentioned in this episode:

    Connect with Amanda:

    Connect with me:

    18 March 2026, 9:00 am
  • 56 minutes 55 seconds
    Episode 469- How to Parent Like a Millionaire Without Being One with Kristy Shen & Bryce Leung

    In this episode, I'm excited to welcome back Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung from the Millennial Revolution. Since the last time they were on the show, they've become parents and recently released a new book called Parent Like a Millionaire (Without Being One). In this conversation, we talk about how their perspective on money and financial independence evolved after having a child and how parents can raise financially resilient kids without feeling pressure to overspend.

    Kristy and Bryce share how avoiding lifestyle creep helped them accelerate their path to financial independence, why financial stability can make parenting less stressful, and how families can focus on their values instead of societal expectations when it comes to spending on their kids. They also break down practical ways parents can teach children about money, responsibility, and resilience from an early age.

    In This Episode You'll Learn

    • How Kristy and Bryce were able to reach financial independence in their 30s and why avoiding lifestyle creep played a major role • How becoming parents shifted their perspective on money, time, and what financial freedom really means • Practical ways parents can reduce the cost of raising kids while still focusing on what matters most • How to help kids develop resilience, responsibility, and a healthy relationship with money

    What's New in the Paperback Edition of Your Journey to Financial Freedom:

    • A bonus chapter: When Life Happens: Staying on the Path to Financial Freedom Through Setbacks, Shifts, and Uncertainty
    • A book club and discussion guide with prompts, exercises, and action steps
    • Updated corrections from the original hardcover
    • Exclusive bonuses when you purchase the paperback, including:
      • The Fire Starter Course
      • The Find Your FIRE Number Worksheet

    Other related blog posts/links mentioned in this episode:

    Connect with Kristy and Bryce:

    Connect with me:

    11 March 2026, 9:00 am
  • 49 minutes 40 seconds
    Episode 468: A Money System That Works When Life Falls Apart with Sahirenys Pierce

    Sahirenys Pierce joins the Journey to Launch Podcast to break down the money system that completely transformed her financial life: the High Five Banking Method.

    In this powerful conversation, Sahirenys opens up about how navigating the 2008 recession, walking away from corporate finance, becoming a mom, and preparing for her son's open-heart surgery forced her to rethink everything she thought she knew about money. What emerged wasn't just a budgeting tweak, it was a structured banking system built to create clarity, stability, and peace of mind during life's most overwhelming seasons.

    In this episode, we explore:

    • Why traditional budgeting often falls apart when life gets hard
    • How to build a simple but strategic banking structure
    • The role emotional security plays in financial decision-making
    • How to design a system that supports you in both calm and crisis + more.

    This conversation is about more than managing money, it's about creating structure with purpose, reducing financial stress, and building systems that truly hold up under pressure. Sahirenys now shares this framework more broadly in her book, The High Five Banking Method: A Money System You Can Count On.

    What's New in the Paperback Edition of Your Journey to Financial Freedom:

    • A bonus chapter: When Life Happens: Staying on the Path to Financial Freedom Through Setbacks, Shifts, and Uncertainty
    • A book club and discussion guide with prompts, exercises, and action steps
    • Updated corrections from the original hardcover
    • Exclusive bonuses when you purchase the paperback, including:
      • The Fire Starter Course
      • The Find Your FIRE Number Worksheet

    Other related blog posts/links mentioned in this episode:

    Connect with Sahirenys:

    Connect with me:

    4 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    Episode 467: Caregiving for Loved Ones & Entrepreneurship While Building Financial Freedom w/ Keisha Wilson

    This week on the Journey to Launch Podcast, I'm joined by healthcare compliance expert and entrepreneur Keisha Wilson for a powerful conversation about career pivots, betting on yourself, caregiving, and building financial flexibility before you realize you'll need it.

    Keisha shares how she transitioned from corporate leadership into entrepreneurship, how that decision gave her the flexibility to care for her mother through stage four cancer and a devastating home explosion, and why preparation, advocacy, and hard financial conversations matter more than we think. This episode is about resilience, faith, and creating options that protect your peace and your family.

    In This Episode, Keisha Shares:

    • How medical coding became a high-demand, lucrative career path and why skill-building creates long-term flexibility
    • What it really takes to leave a steady paycheck and build a consulting business from scratch
    • The emotional and financial realities of caregiving and why advocacy and second medical opinions matter
    • The importance of wills, healthcare proxies, power of attorney, and financial transparency before crisis hits
    • Why building freedom and flexibility now can prepare you for life's unexpected turns

    What's New in the Paperback Edition of Your Journey to Financial Freedom

    • A bonus chapter: When Life Happens: Staying on the Path to Financial Freedom Through Setbacks, Shifts, and Uncertainty
    • A book club and discussion guide with prompts, exercises, and action steps
    • Updated corrections from the original hardcover
    • Exclusive bonuses when you purchase the paperback, including:
      • The Fire Starter Course
      • The Find Your FIRE Number Worksheet

    Other related blog posts/links mentioned in this episode:

    Connect with Keisha:

    Connect with me:

    25 February 2026, 3:37 pm
  • 58 minutes 48 seconds
    Episode 466- Balancing Corporate Life While Owning Property in Jamaica & Running an Airbnb w/ Leanne Pinkard

    In this episode, I chat with Lee-Ann Pinkard, who was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, and later moved to the U.S. for college at Howard University. She built a career in construction project management and, years later, purchased a beachside property in Jamaica that she now runs as a short-term rental, a property I personally had the pleasure of staying in.

    We explore what it really takes to buy property in Jamaica, the realities of managing an Airbnb from abroad, how she balances corporate life, motherhood and her long-term plan to retire back home.

    In this episode, we discuss:

    • Lee-Ann's journey and career path – Growing up in Kingston, studying engineering at Howard University, and building a career in construction management in the U.S.
    • Buying and financing property in Jamaica – What it really takes to purchase abroad, how mortgages and banking differ from the U.S., and the importance of local connections
    • The real costs and challenges of owning an overseas Airbnb – Unexpected expenses, hurricane impacts, solar panel investments, and managing a short-term rental remotely
    • Investing with purpose and planning for retirement – The emotional connection to returning home, building long-term wealth, and redefining retirement beyond simply not working

    What's New in the Paperback Edition of Your Journey to Financial Freedom:

    • A bonus chapter: When Life Happens: Staying on the Path to Financial Freedom Through Setbacks, Shifts, and Uncertainty
    • A book club and discussion guide with prompts, exercises, and action steps
    • Updated corrections from the original hardcover
    • Exclusive bonuses when you purchase the paperback, including:
      • The Fire Starter Course
      • The Find Your FIRE Number Worksheet

    Other related blog posts/links mentioned in this episode:

    Connect with Lee-Ann & Learn More About Sea Miracle Jamaica:

    Connect with me:

    18 February 2026, 10:00 am
  • 51 minutes 40 seconds
    Episode 465: Burnout, Boundaries & Building the Capacity for More Money w/ Dr. Kerriann Peart

    Burnout is often treated like a personal failure but what if it's actually a signal that something deeper is out of alignment?

    In this episode of the Journey to Launch Podcast, I'm joined by executive coach and organizational change strategist Dr. Kerri Ann Peart for a powerful conversation about burnout, boundaries, identity, and what it really takes to grow into higher levels of financial success without sacrificing your well-being.

    We talk about how burnout actually shows up in high-achieving women, how perimenopause and work stress can overlap, and why earning more money isn't just about doing more, it's about becoming the person who can sustainably hold more.

    In This Episode, Kerriann Shares:

    • Burnout isn't a personal failure it's often a sign that your work, identity, or values are out of alignment
    • You can't out-earn burnout; if you don't do the inner work, it follows you from job to job and even into entrepreneurship
    • Financial growth requires expanding your capacity and competency, not just working harder or longer
    • Boundaries, self-respect, and who you're being day-to-day determine how much money and responsibility you can sustainably hold

    What's New in the Paperback Edition of Your Journey to Financial Freedom:

    • A bonus chapter: When Life Happens: Staying on the Path to Financial Freedom Through Setbacks, Shifts, and Uncertainty
    • A book club and discussion guide with prompts, exercises, and action steps
    • Updated corrections from the original hardcover
    • Exclusive bonuses when you purchase the paperback, including:
      • The Fire Starter Course
      • The Find Your FIRE Number Worksheet

    Other related blog posts/links mentioned in this episode:

    Connect with Dr. Kerriann:

    Connect with me:

    11 February 2026, 10:00 am
  • 26 minutes 21 seconds
    Episode 464: A Birthday Episode: A Reflection on Growth, Meaning & Trusting Myself

    In this special birthday reflection episode, I'm slowing things down and turning inward. I'm sharing where I am in this season of life, what feels solid, what feels unclear, and what I'm intentionally leaving open.

    Birthdays always make me pause. They give me space to reflect, to check in with myself, and to notice how much has changed internally and externally. In this episode, I'm asking myself honest questions and inviting you to sit with them too.

    This journey is about so much more than money. It's about who we're becoming along the way.

    🎧 What I Talk About in This Episode

    • Why not having everything figured out doesn't mean you're behind
    • How my definition of success has shifted over time
    • Why flexibility, autonomy, and spaciousness feel like true wealth to me right now
    • Reflection questions I'm asking myself as I enter a new year of life
    • How I'm learning to stop forcing clarity and trust myself more deeply

    What's New in the Paperback Edition of Your Journey to Financial Freedom:

    • A bonus chapter: When Life Happens: Staying on the Path to Financial Freedom Through Setbacks, Shifts, and Uncertainty
    • A book club and discussion guide with prompts, exercises, and action steps
    • Updated corrections from the original hardcover
    • Exclusive bonuses when you purchase the paperback, including:
      • The Fire Starter Course
      • The Find Your FIRE Number Worksheet

    Other related blog posts/links mentioned in this episode:

    Connect with me:

    4 February 2026, 2:31 pm
  • 32 minutes 47 seconds
    Episode 463: Confessions of My "Bad" Money Habits & What Actually Matters for Financial Freedom

    In this solo episode, I'm getting real about something we don't talk about enough in personal finance: imperfect money habits. I'm peeling back the curtain on my own so-called "bad" money habits and explaining why perfection is not required to build wealth, feel financially secure, or move forward on your journey.

    I also take a moment to acknowledge the heaviness many of us are feeling in the world right now and share how I personally process current events while staying grounded.

    What You'll Learn in This Episode:

    • Why you don't need perfect money habits to build wealth or feel financially secure
    • How your personality and stage of the financial journey affect how you manage money
    • Why having a strong financial foundation gives you more room for mistakes
    • How to treat money management as a skill you can strengthen when needed

    What's New in the Paperback Edition of Your Journey to Financial Freedom:

    • A bonus chapter: When Life Happens: Staying on the Path to Financial Freedom Through Setbacks, Shifts, and Uncertainty
    • A book club and discussion guide with prompts, exercises, and action steps
    • Updated corrections from the original hardcover
    • Exclusive bonuses when you purchase the paperback, including:
      • The Fire Starter Course
      • The Find Your FIRE Number Worksheet

    Other related blog posts/links mentioned in this episode:

    Connect with me:

    28 January 2026, 10:00 am
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