• 53 minutes 19 seconds
    Episode 480: What Full Financial Independence Actually Looks Like: Island Life, Time Freedom, and Living on Your Own Terms w/ Ericka Barnes

    Ericka Barnes first appeared on the Journey to Launch podcast in 2019 to share how she reached financial independence in her mid-30s. Since then, her life has looked nothing like a straight line; divorce, layoffs, a new marriage, and a second retirement later, she's back to share the full story.

    In this brand new episode, Ericka walks us through what she's been up to since our last conversation, from rebuilding financially after a divorce, to reaching chubby FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) in 2023. The financial foundation she had built; real estate, index funds, and a prenup, turned out to be more than a wealth strategy. It was the infrastructure that protected her when life got complicated.

    Today, Ericka and her husband are fully work-optional, house hacking in St. Croix while splitting time between Atlanta and the US Virgin Islands. This episode is a powerful reminder that financial independence isn't just about retiring early, it's about having the stability and options to navigate whatever life brings, rebuild when necessary, and ultimately design a life on your own terms.

    In this episode, Ericka shares:

    • How she rediscovered her love of creative writing and the two books she is publishing this year
    • How a prenup protected her financially and emotionally through divorce and why every couple should consider one
    • Why she went back to work after lean firing, what chubby FIRE actually feels like, and the key difference between the two
    • The case for geo arbitrage in a US territory and how she and her husband bought a home in St. Croix with a built-in tenant to offset the mortgage

    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 Ericka:

    Connect with me:

    27 May 2026, 9:00 am
  • 55 minutes 40 seconds
    Episode 479: Why Women Get Penalized for Their Ambition & What We Can Do About It w/ Stefanie O'Connell

    Doing everything right at work and still getting passed over is not a personal failure. It is a pattern, and the data proves it. In this episode, I sit down with Stefanie O'Connell, award-winning journalist and author of The Ambition Penalty: How Corporate Culture Tells Women to Step Up and Then Pushes Them Down, to dig into the data behind the very real costs women face for simply being ambitious.

    Stefanie spent years reporting on personal finance stories where people did everything right and still came up short. That pattern led her to a deeper investigation into systemic bias, and what she found is both eye-opening and infuriating. From salary negotiations to promotion pipelines to the way overwork culture is weaponized, the research reveals a compounding bias that plays out quietly, day in and day out, across the full arc of a career.

    Rather than placing the burden on individual women to work harder or ask better, Stefanie makes the case that the most powerful response to systemic inequality is collective action.

    In this episode, Stefanie shares:

    • What the ambition penalty is and how it quietly derails women's careers through modern, hidden forms of bias
    • How race, ethnicity, and motherhood intersect with gender to shape who gets penalized and how
    • Why trends like the Trad Wife and the Soft Life share the same flaws as the girl boss era
    • Why collective action, not individual optimization, is the real path to closing pay and leadership gaps + mores.

    Watch the video to this episode, here.

    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 Stefanie:

    Connect with me:

    20 May 2026, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 1 minute
    Episode 478- Overcoming Financial Trauma: Breaking the Cycle & What Healing Actually Looks Like w/ Rahkim Sabree

    There is a reason you know what to do with money and still struggle to do it. In this episode, I sit down with Rahkim Sabree, financial therapist, accredited financial counselor, and author of Overcoming Financial Trauma, to talk about what is really driving our money behaviors and why the answer goes much deeper than budgets and spreadsheets.

    After more than a decade in the banking industry, Rahkim walked away from it all to build something on his own terms. That leap eventually led him to the financial therapy space, where he now helps people understand that our relationship with money is shaped by six distinct sources of trauma, from generational and observational influences to workplace, systemic, and societal pressures. He also shares what happened when a house fire destroyed his home just weeks before his book launched, and how he used his own frameworks to navigate the loss.

    His core message is that most financial education skips the emotional and physiological roots of why we behave the way we do. Once you understand where your money behaviors come from, real change becomes possible.

    In this episode, Rahkim shares:

    • The six sources of financial trauma and how they show up differently for each person
    • Why our nervous system responds to money as a threat, and what that looks like in everyday behavior
    • The difference between a scarcity mindset and a scarcity reality, and why that distinction matters
    • How he navigated his own financial trauma after a house fire destroyed his home just weeks before his book launch

    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 Rahkim:

    Connect with me:

    13 May 2026, 9:00 am
  • 53 minutes 27 seconds
    Episode 477: How to Design a Life of Time Freedom Now & Not Wait for Retirement w/ Brian Herriot

    Most people spend their entire careers waiting for the day they can finally stop working. In this episode, I sit down with Brian Herriot, author, speaker, financial advisor, and entrepreneurship coach, to dig into the concept of time freedom and what it really means to build a life on your own terms.

    Brian spent 14 years in corporate consulting, chased the early retirement dream, and hit the $1 million savings mark right before COVID wiped out 35% of it. In that pivotal moment, his wife asked him a simple but life-changing question: "What would you do all day?" That question launched him on a completely different path, one not about accumulating enough money to stop working, but about designing flexible, intentional work that funds a life you love right now.

    Rather than sacrificing your best years to reach some far-off finish line, Brian makes the case that you can build toward a "free date" rather than a retirement date, a model that works for employees, entrepreneurs, and minimalists alike.

    In this episode, Brian shares:

    • How the Time Freedom Formula works, balancing lifestyle expenses, investment income, and flexible work to fund your ideal year
    • The three money personalities (money manager, money maker, money minimizer) and which one drives your path to freedom
    • The "Look Back, Look Ahead" lifestyle design exercise that helps you build a vision for your next 10 years
    • Why contrast, not constant leisure, is what makes time off feel truly meaningful

    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 Brian:

    Connect with me:

    6 May 2026, 9:00 am
  • 51 minutes 32 seconds
    Episode 476: Redefining Success After Building Wealth & Navigating A New Season of Life w/ Tiffany "The Budgetnista"

    What happens when you've achieved the financial success you once dreamed of, but something inside you starts asking for more or different? In this episode, I sit down with Tiffany Aliche, also known as The Budgetnista, for a real and layered conversation about evolution, grief, purpose, and what it looks like to transition into a new season of life.

    Tiffany shares her journey from being in deep debt and rebuilding her life from scratch to creating a multimillion dollar business and financial legacy. But more importantly, we talk about what comes after success, how grief reshaped her priorities, and why she's being called to explore something entirely new beyond money.

    In this episode, I discuss:

    • How Tiffany rebuilt her life from six figures of debt into a multimillion dollar business
    • The difference between survival-driven hustle and aligned, intentional work
    • What it looks like to step back from being the face of your brand without letting it go
    • Why following a calling is possible at any stage even without financial stability

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

    • 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 purchas
      • The Fire Starter Course
      • The Find Your FIRE Number Worksheet

    Other related blog posts/links mentioned in this episode:

    Connect with Tiffany:

    Connect with me:

    29 April 2026, 9:00 am
  • 48 minutes 35 seconds
    Episode 475: How Following Your Intuition Can Unlock Freedom and Unexpected Opportunities w/ Damali Alexander

    Have you ever felt a pull toward something that didn't quite make sense logically, but you couldn't ignore it? That inner nudge to try something new, take a risk, or step outside the expected path?

    In this episode, I sit down with Damali Alexander, someone I've known for years and always admired for the way she moves through life with intention, courage, and trust in herself. From starting as a teacher to building multiple businesses, investing in real estate, and even moving to Brazil, Damali shares how following her intuition has shaped her journey.

    We talk about what it really looks like to pivot, take risks without having everything figured out, and build a life that prioritizes freedom over convention.

    In this episode, we discuss:

    • How Damali transitioned from teaching to entrepreneurship and investing
    • Why trusting your intuition can open unexpected opportunities
    • The difference between being broke and having a scarcity mindset
    • How to think about risks, mistakes, and "tuition" in your journey

    Other related blog posts/links mentioned in this episode:

    Connect with me:

    22 April 2026, 9:00 am
  • 1 hour 1 minute
    Episode 474: How Two Nurses Built a Thriving Med Spa Business in Brooklyn w/ Wendy Jules & Carla Nelson

    What does it really look like to build a business from the ground up while balancing family, finances, and faith? In this episode, I sit down with sisters Wendy Jules and Carla Nelson to talk about their journey from nursing careers to founding a thriving med spa in Brooklyn.

    They share how they started with limited resources, leaned on community support, and turned a single machine in a basement into a profitable, purpose-driven business. We also talk about the financial realities of entrepreneurship, the flexibility and power of nursing as a career, and why relationships are often more valuable than money when building something meaningful.

    In this episode, Wendy and Carla discuss:

    • How nursing can be a pathway to financial freedom and flexibility
    • What it took to start and fund a med spa with limited capital
    • The role of relationships, community, and trust in building a business
    • Why customer experience and connection are key to long-term success

    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 Wendy & Carla:

    Connect with me:

    15 April 2026, 3:38 pm
  • 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
  • More Episodes? Get the App