Welcome to the Nurses on Fire Podcast with Naseema McElroy! This is a weekly podcast for Nurses who are on the path of or are interested in Financial Independence. We believe that you have all the tools to improve your finances because you and your family deserve it. Our hope is that by listening to this podcast, your circle of influence is enhanced. As you are the average of the people you surround yourself with, you'll be elevated in regards to your finances.
In this classic episode, I chatted with Joseph Reinke, founder of FitBUX, about the money habits that can shape your financial future for years to come. Joseph shares what young professionals need to know about student loans, mortgages, financial planning, and avoiding lifestyle creep as income grows. We also talk about why financial education matters so much, how simple consistent steps can help you build wealth over time, and the way he started teaching his daughter about earning, saving, and business at a young age.
About our guest:
Joseph Reinke is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and founder of FitBUX which has helped young professionals manage over $2.7 billion in assets and debts on their journey to financial freedom. Joseph has been personally investing since he was 12 years old. In addition, he has experience in student loans, mortgages, wealth management, investment banking, valuation, stock trading, and option trading. He has been on 100s of podcast and has been invited to 100s of universities to discuss financial planning with their soon to be graduates.
https://www.fitbux.com
https://www.youtube.com/@fitbux
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Grab your spot in my free Financial CPR class and learn the simple steps I used to go from paycheck to paycheck to my first million.
Please join me here, and follow me on social media, Instagram, and Facebook.
Need help getting started on your path to financial freedom? Start Here
Join the Financially Intentional Community
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Money is not just numbers, and in today's episode, I’m talking with Tari Vickery about the emotional side of money and how money trauma, fear, and scarcity can shape the way we spend, save, and build wealth. Tari shares how her family history affected her money story and why having more money does not always bring peace or financial wellness. We talk about how old money beliefs can follow you into adulthood, why some people still feel anxious even when they have enough, and how healing your relationship with money can help you make better choices.
About our guest:
Tari K. Vickery is an author, Stanford-trained sociologist, entrepreneur, and financial wellness coach. With roots in a three-generation family of small-business owners, she helped build the operational foundations of several early stage companies in Silicon Valley before founding Life Matters Financial Group, where for more than twenty-five years, she has managed the financial lives of individuals and families. Tari lives in Princeville, on the Hawaiian island of Kaua‘i, where she continues to serve clients and write, drawing inspiration from the island’s natural beauty.
Connect to Tari here
Preorder Tari's latest book here
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Grab your spot in my free Financial CPR class and learn the simple steps I used to go from paycheck to paycheck to my first million.
Please join me here, and follow me on social media, Instagram, and Facebook.
Need help getting started on your path to financial freedom? Start Here
Join the Financially Intentional Community
Oh and please subscribe and leave a review on whatever app you're using to stream this podcast.
Get my book Smart Money
In today's episode, I’m talking with Sahirenys about how a simple money system can help you stop feeling behind and start feeling more in control. She shares how watching her family lose everything in the 2008 recession changed her life, and how that led her to create the High Five Banking Method, a simple way to use five bank accounts for bills, spending, emergencies, and goals. We also talk about why making more money is not enough if you do not have a plan, how to get ahead of your bills, how to stop leaning on credit cards, and why checking in on your money every month matters so much. This is a real and honest conversation about building a strong financial foundation, even when life feels hard or messy.
About our guest:
Sahirenys Pierce is the founder of Poised Finance & Lifestyle and creator of the High 5 Banking Method. She’s a millennial Latina mom and financial wellness educator with a background in finance and financial planning. She has held roles at Merrill Lynch, MetLife, and Ameriprise. Sahirenys is known for her practical money systems and has helped thousands of people get organized, build financial confidence, and stay intentional with their spending and financial goals. Her work has been featured in outlets like Forbes Women, CNBC, and CNET.
The Poised Lifestyle
The High 5 Banking Method book
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Grab your spot in my free Financial CPR class and learn the simple steps I used to go from paycheck to paycheck to my first million.
Please join me here, and follow me on social media, Instagram, and Facebook.
Need help getting started on your path to financial freedom? Start Here
Join the Financially Intentional Community
Oh and please subscribe and leave a review on whatever app you're using to stream this podcast.
Get my book Smart Money
In today's episode, I sit down with Shellee Howard to talk about how parents can help their kids go to college without taking on huge debt. We get into college planning, scholarships, FAFSA mistakes, and why the right school is not always the most expensive or most famous one. Shellee shares how her son went to Harvard debt free, why families need to start planning early, and how to think about college costs, return on investment, and real options before it is too late.
About our guest:
Shellee Howard is the Founder and CEO of College Ready and CR Tutoring & Test Strategies, a Certified Independent College Strategist, two time best selling author, international speaker, and trusted consultant who helps families navigate college admissions and financial planning. A mother of four, Shellee turned her own family’s success into a mission after helping each of her children pursue college with thoughtful planning and graduate debt free, including her oldest son, who graduated from Harvard debt free, completed medical school at UC San Diego, and is now finishing an Orthopedic Surgery residency at UCLA.
That personal experience led Shellee to found College Ready so other families could build a smart college plan without overwhelming debt or financial stress. She has been featured on FOX, CBS, NBC, and other major platforms, and is widely recognized for helping families improve admissions outcomes while keeping college affordable. Shellee’s work is rooted in the belief that every student needs a personalized strategy built around fit, finances, and long term purpose, not just prestige.
Grab your free workbook here
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Grab your spot in my free Financial CPR class and learn the simple steps I used to go from paycheck to paycheck to my first million.
Please join me here, and follow me on social media, Instagram, and Facebook.
Need help getting started on your path to financial freedom? Start Here
Join the Financially Intentional Community
Oh and please subscribe and leave a review on whatever app you're using to stream this podcast.
Get my book Smart Money
Want to feel calm about money and start to build wealth? In today's episode, I sit down with Bola Sokunbi, the founder of Clever Girl Finance and the author of Clever Girl Millionaire. Bola shares how she learned the money rules as a first generation immigrant, the mistakes she made, and the simple steps that helped her save, invest, and become a millionaire. We talk about building wealth with a real budget, starting small with investing, and changing your circle of influence so better money habits feel normal. She also shares how she talks to her kids about money and why women deserve financial freedom.
About our guest:
Bola Sokunbi is a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI), finance expert, speaker, and 6× bestselling author, including her latest book Clever Girl Millionaire. She is the founder and CEO of Clever Girl Finance, one of the largest personal finance education platforms for women in the U.S., and a recipient of the 2021 Financial Education Instructor of the Year (FEIY) Award from the National Council of Financial Educators.
Clever Girl Finance has earned the Distinguished Personal Finance Content designation from the National Financial Educators Council (NFEC) affirming its commitment and competency in providing high quality financial education that aligns with industry best practices and research-based education principles. Bola and Clever Girl Finance have been featured by several media outlets including Time.com, Money Magazine, CNBC, Forbes, Fast Company, Essence, Black Enterprise, Cheddar TV, ABC News, Good Morning America, BBC, Fox Business, and The Chicago Tribune as well as on several finance websites and podcasts.
Clever Girl Finance
Bola Sokunbi Books
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Grab your spot in my free Financial CPR class and learn the simple steps I used to go from paycheck to paycheck to my first million.
Please join me here, and follow me on social media, Instagram, and Facebook.
Need help getting started on your path to financial freedom? Start Here
Join the Financially Intentional Community
Oh and please subscribe and leave a review on whatever app you're using to stream this podcast.
Get my book Smart Money
In today’s episode, I’m talking with Uma Viswanathan, cofounder of True Worth, about your money story and how it shapes the way you spend, save, and build wealth, especially if you’re a first generation wealth builder. We dig into how family, culture, and stress can create money habits that don’t match the life you want, and how shame can keep you stuck even when you’re doing “all the right things.” Uma shares a simple tool she calls the power of the pause so you can notice your triggers before you buy, people please, or say yes out of guilt, and then choose a move that fits your real values.
About our guest:
Uma Viswanathan is the co-founder of TruWorth, where she helps people, especially women and first-generation wealth builders, rewrite the money stories that no longer serve them. Her work sits at the intersection of identity, culture, and finance, shaped by her own experience navigating those tensions.
Before launching TruWorth, Uma led more than $200 million in mission-driven investments through major foundations and collaboratives focused on racial equity, healing, and systems change. She brings two decades of experience in psychology, philanthropy, and narrative strategy to help people move out of shame and into clarity, so they can build a life that feels aligned and abundant.
https://www.truworthshift.com/
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Grab your spot in my free Financial CPR class and learn the simple steps I used to go from paycheck to paycheck to my first million.
Please join me here, and follow me on social media, Instagram, and Facebook.
Need help getting started on your path to financial freedom? Start Here
Join the Financially Intentional Community
Oh and please subscribe and leave a review on whatever app you're using to stream this podcast.
Get my book Smart Money
In today's episode, I talk with Bri Franklin, a money coach who helps people pick a smart path after high school. We talk about college costs and student loans, and what to ask before you sign for debt. Bri shares ways to cut student loan debt, like help money, scholarships, a lower cost school, job skills, or a trade. We also talk about loan offers that sound good but can hurt you later. If you or your kid is thinking about college and student loans, this talk will help.
About our guest:
Bri is a financial wellness expert and socioeconomic justice crusader redefining wealth building for the next generation.
Having spent over 10 years personally experiencing the challenges of severe debt constraint, her leadership is rooted in advocacy and empowerment for those currently suffering and who stand to in the future.
Known for her bold voice and countercultural approaches initially demonstrated through her time as Co-Founder, President & CEO of nationally-acclaimed nonprofit, The Prosp(a)rity Project (2020-2024), Bri is continuing her service through financial wellness education enterprise, UnDEBTfeated.
Her accolades include membership in Debra Lee’s Leading Women Defined (LWD) organization and Chime’s 2024 Changemakers cohort, earning SXSW’s 2023 Innovation Award for Social Impact and being named the Visionary Women Foundation’s 2023 Rising Visionary.
UnDEBTfeated Site
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Grab your spot in my free Financial CPR class and learn the simple steps I used to go from paycheck to paycheck to my first million.
Please join me here, and follow me on social media, Instagram, and Facebook.
Need help getting started on your path to financial freedom? Start Here
Join the Financially Intentional Community
Oh and please subscribe and leave a review on whatever app you're using to stream this podcast.
Get my book Smart Money
In today's episode, we are joined by Miles Spencer, the founder of Reflekta.ai, to talk about a new way to save your family stories with AI. Miles shares how AI can take your photos, memories, and values and turn them into a voice you can talk to, even if the person is no longer here. We also talk about how Reflekta.ai keeps things safe by using a family “keeper” who controls what gets added, and why privacy matters so this stays about real memories and not fake videos.
About our guest:
Miles Spencer is currently CEO and a founder of Reflekta.ai, a Soul Tech company that bridges generations through fully interactive digital legacies. A multi-exit entrepreneur, investor, and storyteller, he is the author of the Amazon bestseller A Line in the Sand, Founder of Kayak for a Cause and former co-host of PBS’s MoneyHunt. Miles has spent his career at the intersection of media, technology, and adventure and human-centered narrative. With Reflekta, he is pioneering a new way for families to preserve voice, memory, and values… turning stories into dynamic, spontaneous connections that endure across lifetimes.
https://reflekta.ai/
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Grab your spot in my free Financial CPR class and learn the simple steps I used to go from paycheck to paycheck to my first million.
Please join me here, and follow me on social media, Instagram, and Facebook.
Need help getting started on your path to financial freedom? Start Here
Join the Financially Intentional Community
Oh and please subscribe and leave a review on whatever app you're using to stream this podcast.
Get my book Smart Money
In today's classic episode, we are joined by Regina McCann Hess, a financial expert who helps women navigate their finances, especially during divorce. Regina shares her journey from being a critical care nurse to a financial advisor and how she found her niche in helping women manage their money. We discuss the unique financial challenges women face, like earning less than men and stepping out of the workforce for caregiving. Regina explains how divorce, although tough, can be an opportunity for a fresh start. We also dive into the importance of teaching kids about investing and the power of being part of financial conversations. Tune in to learn how to empower yourself financially, whether single, married, or going through a divorce.
Quick note: this episode first aired in 2024. A couple stats have shifted depending on data source, but the overall themes and advice are still very relevant
About our guest:
Regina McCann Hess is a CFP, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, and Author of "Super Woman Wealth: How To Become Your Own Financial Hero." With more than two decades of financial planning experience behind her, Regina has dedicated her career to empowering professional women to take an active role in their finances - nurturing their money, protecting their wealth and taking control of their financial future. Understanding women's unique relationships with money, Regina offers practical advice on becoming more comfortable with financial planning and management. As a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® professional, Regina works together with clients and attorneys to guide them through the financial complexities of the divorce process aiming to create a stable economic future and preventing long-term regret with financial decisions made during the divorce process.
A media favorite, Regina has been featured on The Schwab Network, Forbes New Money, Good Day DC, Fox 29 Philadelphia, MindBodyGreen, Yahoo! Finance and more!
Guest links:
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Grab your spot in my free Financial CPR class and learn the simple steps I used to go from paycheck to paycheck to my first million.
Please join me here, and follow me on social media, Instagram, and Facebook.
Need help getting started on your path to financial freedom? Start Here
Join the Financially Intentional Community
Oh and please subscribe and leave a review on whatever app you're using to stream this podcast.
Get my book Smart Money
In today's episode, I sit down with Dr. Darla Bishop from Finances to talk about how families can build a better relationship with money and raise kids who are money smart. We share simple ways to teach kids money skills in real life, like what to do when they want something at the store, how small jobs and a piggy bank can help, and how to talk about money without stress or shame. We also discuss why credit and money habits can affect your future and even your health, and how you can start making small changes today.
About our guest:
Dr. Darla is known the”FinanSis” founder of Finansis LLC. She founded the company in order to use her innate gifts (humor, intelligence, and tough love) to help families and communities improve their relationship with money and set their children up to be financially responsible for life. Dr. Darla is all too aware of the correlation between low credit scores and short lifespan, her mission is to change that narrative.
https://howtoaffordeverything.com/product/madelines-money-adventure/
Promo code NASEEMA gets a 10% off and free shipping on all orders!
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Grab your spot in my free Financial CPR class and learn the simple steps I used to go from paycheck to paycheck to my first million.
Please join me here, and follow me on social media, Instagram, and Facebook.
Need help getting started on your path to financial freedom? Start Here
Join the Financially Intentional Community
Oh and please subscribe and leave a review on whatever app you're using to stream this podcast.
Get my book Smart Money
In this classic episode, I talk with Michelle about what workers can do when the rules at work feel unfair, like confusing job contracts, “no compete” rules, and changes that can affect pay and overtime. We break down what these ideas mean in simple words, how to protect yourself, and what to watch for before you sign anything. We also talk about practical ways to earn more money, like picking up side work, asking for raises, and learning skills that make you more valuable.
About our guest:
Michelle Jackson is the founder of Creators Getting Paid a resource designed to help mission driven online brand builders find, strategize and grow at least one recurring income stream no matter how small.
Check Michelle's website here - https://creatorsgettingpaid.com
Creators Getting Paid Resource: https://michelleismoneyhungry.substack.com/
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Grab your spot in my free Financial CPR class and learn the simple steps I used to go from paycheck to paycheck to my first million.
Please join me here, and follow me on social media, Instagram, and Facebook.
Need help getting started on your path to financial freedom? Start Here
Join the Financially Intentional Community
Oh and please subscribe and leave a review on whatever app you're using to stream this podcast.
Get my book Smart Money