- 59 minutes 56 seconds287. How to Build a Business From Nothing with Jasmine Star
Visit https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod to grab a copy of our free Side Hustle Skill Finder to figure out exactly which of your existing skills can make you money, and what to do with them first!
The real reason you haven't started your business isn't that you're not ready. It's that you're waiting to feel ready, and those are not the same thing. Today I'm sitting down with Jasmine Star, entrepreneur, business strategist, and CEO of Social Curator, who has built multiple seven and eight figure businesses starting from literally nothing. We're getting into how to find the skill you're already sitting on, why clarity only comes after you take action, how to price yourself when you're just starting out, and what it actually takes to build something real without an audience, a degree, or a perfect plan. If you've been waiting for a sign to start, this is it.
Jasmine’s links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasminestar
Website: https://jasminestar.com/
Social Curator: https://www.socialcurator.com/
00:00 Intro
02:08 What Skill Are You Already Sitting On?
03:05 Every Market Is Saturated — So What?
04:59 Humans Buy from Humans: Your Unique Value
06:28 Treat It Like a Test, Not a Failure
07:38 Identity & Separating Yourself from Results
08:09 Jasmine's Origin Story: Starting with Nothing
18:41 Why Clarity Only Comes After Action
20:44 The Belief Gap: Do You Think You Have What It Takes?
23:55 Start Small: Build Belief Through Evidence
26:03 Three Questions to Find Your Business Idea
27:27 New Levels, New Devils
30:40 Pricing: Start Low & Let the Market Push You Up
32:54 Side Hustle First or Burn the Boats?
37:48 Your First Business Is a Bridge, Not the Destination
38:42 Common Busy Work Mistaken for Progress
45:18 Entrepreneurship Creates Options, Not Just Income
52:34 The First Step to Take This Week
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9 June 2026, 9:00 am - 34 minutes 8 seconds286. Getting Rich Made Me a Bad Woman
What if the reason you're afraid of building wealth has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with a system designed to keep you that way? In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on something most people won't say out loud: the reason so many women are afraid to build wealth isn't a personal failing, it's by design. From the fears holding us back before we even start, to every way my own financial success made me a "bad woman" by the patriarchy's standards, this episode is giving you permission to stop apologizing for wanting more. Because every dollar you earn, save, and invest? It's a vote against a system that never wanted you to have it.
Visit https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod to find any resources mentioned on our show!
Listen to Erin Gallagher episode on being an uncontrollable woman: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/inner-mean-girl/
00:00 Intro: Why Women Fear Wealth
01:57 FOG: Fear, Obligation & Guilt Explained
04:50 Money Avoidance & the Ostrich Effect
05:25 The Key Reframe: You're Not Bad With Money
06:00 The "Good Woman" Checklist
06:38 Female Financial Dependence Is by Design
08:45 The Data: Wage Gap, Wealth Gap & Unpaid Labor
09:34 You Still Have to Play the Game
13:05 Tori's Personal Story: Building Wealth Fast
13:48 "Money Doesn't Change You — It Shows You Who You Are"
16:31 Wealth as an Amplifier, Not a Transformer
17:25 Staying Broke Doesn't Make You Virtuous
20:45 How Becoming Rich Made Me a Bad Woman
28:35 I Became Dangerous to Anyone Who Benefited From My Smallness
29:27 The Double Standard: Wealthy Man vs. Wealthy Woman
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2 June 2026, 9:00 am - 25 minutes 8 secondsManaging Money In My 30s
What if your thirties were about impressing yourself instead of others? In this episode, Tori gets real about the shift in priorities that comes with entering a new decade, reflecting on everything from financial independence and self-care to setting boundaries. She encourages listeners to stop apologizing for their choices and start building a life that aligns with their values. Whether you're navigating your twenties or already thinking ahead, this episode is packed with insights that will inspire you to take control of your finances and well-being with confidence and purpose.
Not sure where to start on your financial journey? Take our FREE money plan quiz and get access to my favorite money tools: https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod
My personal trainer: https://www.instagram.com/adaispresent/
00:00 Welcome & Free Money Personality Quiz
01:00 Managing Money Differently in Your 30s
02:45 Stop Apologizing for Your Purchases
06:00 Prioritize New Financial Goals
07:00 Navigating Money With a Partner
08:00 Investing in Your Health
10:00 Why Health Spending Pays Off Long-Term
13:30 Adjusting Your Investment Strategy
14:30 Financial Independence & Living Off Investments
15:00 Setting Better Work-Life Boundaries
16:45 Why You Need a Will and Life Insurance
19:00 Business Planning & What's Coming Next
20:00 Final Thoughts & How Your Money Shifts by Decade
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26 May 2026, 9:00 am - 32 minutes 19 secondsmillionaire mindset: lever theory
What if the real reason you're not hitting your money goals has nothing to do with how hard you're working? In this millionaire mindset episode, I'm introducing you to the Lever Theory, the framework that completely changed the way I run my $7.5 million dollar business and manage my own finances. Ever felt like you're pushing a boulder up a hill and getting nowhere? Well this episode is going to reframe everything. We're talking about why hustle culture is lying to you, why you have to know your numbers before anything else works, and how to find the one single move that closes the gap between where you are and where you want to be. No grinding required.
Visit https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod to sign up for the free Savings Sprint and stay up-to-date on all resources mentioned on our show!
The #1 Mindset Holding You Back podcast episode: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/142-the-1-mindset-holding-you-back-in-life/
00:00 Intro
00:47 Why working harder is almost never the answer
01:10 What Millionaire Mindset is about
03:19 Why hustle culture disproportionately traps women
04:07 The lie: more hours = more output = more worth
06:05 Grinding past a certain point is just expensive noise
08:45 You can't set goals if you don't know your numbers
10:05 The ostrich effect: putting your head in the sand
11:36 You cannot pull a lever you can't see
13:06 The Lever Theory explained
14:28 Finding the gap: a revenue example
15:43 The three questions to find your lever
18:35 Implementing the Lever Theory beyond business
20:49 Working smarter, not harder
22:09 Saving Sprint announcement
24:09 Why we resist finding the lever
26:14 The all-or-nothing mindset sabotaging your goals
27:10 Analysis paralysis and the fear of simplicity
29:21 How to find your lever (5 steps)
33:29 Your homework: find the lever this week
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19 May 2026, 9:00 am - 59 minutes 25 seconds285. Why You Stay Stuck in Jobs, Relationships, and Financial Patterns That Aren’t Working with Simone Stolzoff
Why do we stay in jobs, relationships, and financial patterns we know aren't working? Author and journalist Simone Stolzoff is back on the show to talk about his new book, How to Not Know — and the surprising answer has everything to do with our relationship with uncertainty. We're getting into the three certainty traps keeping you stuck, why more information is actually making your anxiety worse, the difference between one-way and two-way door decisions, and what it really takes to break the cycle when you can see the problem but can't seem to move. This is one of the most powerful conversations we've had on this show, and one you'll want to send to everyone you know.
Simone’s links:
How to Not Know: https://bookshop.org/a/90037/9781324089452
Learn the exact strategies to save money, pay off debt, improve your money mindset, increase your net worth, in The $100K Club. Get the details here: https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod.
00:00 Intro
01:08 Why Uncertainty Feels Worse Than Bad News
03:14 Three Certainty Traps: Comfort, Hubris & Control
04:49 Why We Struggle to Admit We Were Wrong
05:36 Identity, Doubling Down & Changing Your Mind
10:23 Why Our Tolerance for Uncertainty Is Declining
14:28 More Information, More Anxiety
16:18 Escalating Commitment
16:52 Stop Loss Strategies & Rules-Based Decision Making
20:13 Outsourcing Your Willpower & Knowing Your "Enough"
28:08 Connie & Andrew's "Year of Living Dangerously"
30:21 How to Run Your Own Low-Stakes Life Experiment
35:16 One-Way Door vs. Two-Way Door Decisions
44:39 Ghost Ships: Making Peace with the Paths Not Taken
50:39 The Miscarriage, the Uncertainty & Finding Your Anchors
54:54 How to Not Know
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12 May 2026, 9:00 am - 1 hour 5 minutes284. The Science-Backed Method to Building Better Relationships with Liz Moody
You might be the loneliest you've ever been — and have no idea why. One of my favorite guests and favorite humans, Liz Moody, is back on the show to talk about why loneliness isn't an exposure problem. It's not about being around more people. It's a discomfort problem. We're getting into why our frictionless, optimized lives are quietly killing our ability to connect, what it actually takes to build real friendships from scratch, why vulnerability is the shortcut nobody wants to take, and the one shift you can make this week that will move you toward deeper connection — no new plans required.
Liz’s links:
Website: https://www.lizmoody.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizmoody/
Podcast: https://www.lizmoody.com/the-liz-moody-podcast/
Book: A Hundred Ways to Change Your Life: http://Bookshopbookshop.org/a/90037/9780063333710
Not sure what to do with your money? Visit https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod and take our FREE Money Plan Quiz to get your personalized money plan, and find any resources mentioned on our show!
00:00 Intro
00:13 Why We've Never Been More Connected — Yet More Alone
02:34 The "Creation Era" of Friendship & Why Discomfort Is the Price of Connection
03:23 The Cozy Era vs. The Creation Era of Friendship
06:17 Loneliness Is a Discomfort Problem, Not an Exposure Problem
11:37 Misdiagnosing Loneliness — What You're Actually Missing
13:05 The Harvard Study of Adult Development & the #1 Predictor of a Long Life
14:59 Face-Down Phone Theory & What Your Phone Is Costing Your Relationships
11:27 Match Theory: Stop Impressing, Start Finding Your People
17:32 The 50-Hour Rule: How Long It Really Takes to Make a Friend
21:17 From Transaction to Connection — Getting Past Tit for Tat
21:13 Human Beings vs. Human Doings: Productivity Culture & Friendship
38:21 Shared Experiences, Novelty & Building Deeper Bonds
38:16 "Abouts" — The Secret Ingredient to Lasting Friendships
50:24 Healthy Solitude vs. Loneliness (and Why Most of Us Never Actually Rest)
58:20 The One Shift to Make This Week If You Feel Lonely
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5 May 2026, 9:00 am - 56 minutes 8 seconds283. How to Turn Your Bills into Free Travel with Shakeemah Smith (The Passport Abuser)
What if every bill you're already paying could get you closer to a free flight?
Today I'm talking to Shakeemah "Keem" Smith — founder of Bills to Boarding Passes, solo travel educator, and the woman her family literally nicknamed The Passport Abuser — to talk about how she's traveled to nearly 100 countries without paying out of pocket for a single flight in three years. And no, you don't need a high-limit credit card or a six-figure salary to do this.
Keem breaks down her Bills to Boarding Passes method, the airline partnerships most people have never heard of, why solo travel might be the most powerful thing you do for yourself this year, and the exact first steps to take this week, no matter your income, your debt situation, or your starting point. You’re gonna want to share this episode with a friend!
Ready to turn your everyday bills into free flights? Sign up for our FREE Bills to Boarding Passes workshop with Keem & Tori: https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod
Compare the cheapest flights from all major airlines at Skyscanner.com
Visit https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod to find our credit card recommendations and any other resources mentioned on our show!
00:00 Intro
01:36 Your Bills Are Your Boarding Passes
04:07 Airline Miles vs. Credit Card Points: What's the Difference?
07:05 How Airlines Make Money When You're Not Flying
09:32 Earning Miles on Your Utility Bills (NRG Partnership)
11:03 How Keem Got to Her First 20 Countries for Under $100
13:55 How to Travel for Free Without a Credit Card
16:22 What Started Solo Travel: A Friendship Betrayal in Amsterdam
19:10 Learning to Enjoy Your Own Company at 30
21:29 Traveling as a Black Woman — Safety, Research & Real Talk
28:24 Actionable Steps for the Woman Who Thinks She Can't Afford to Travel
31:44 Japan for $6 — Three Times (and Other Receipt-Worthy Receipts)
35:19 Treating Retailers Like You Treat Men: The 2-Out-of-3 Rule
38:44 Country That Surprised Me Most: Kuwait
39:31 The One Thing I Always Pack: A Carbon Monoxide Detector
41:27 Worst Travel Disaster: Saint Kitts Airport Scam
44:45 Best Flight Deal: $5 Flights as a Lifestyle
45:42 Most Underrated Solo Destination: Antigua and Barbuda
47:20 Final Message to the Woman Who Thinks Travel Isn't for Her
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28 April 2026, 9:00 am - 40 minutes 50 seconds282. The $100K Blueprint: How I'd Save My First $100K in 2026
Yes, my $100K story has been in the New York Times, Business Insider, and on ABC News — and yes, I did it in 2019. But every time it goes viral, my DMs say the same thing: "Cool for you, Tori, but that was a different economy." So let's actually talk about it. In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly what I would do differently if I were starting from zero in my early 20s today — what still works from my original system, what I'd change, and why hitting your first $100K in 2026 is harder, but absolutely not impossible. This isn't a motivation episode. This is a framework episode built for the economy we're actually living in, with real numbers, real talk about systemic barriers, and a step-by-step system you can plug into your own money starting today.
Want to build your first $100K, but not sure where to start? Visit https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod to get my free guide.
Get my HYSA recommendation, my book, Financial Feminist, and more resources from this episode at https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod
How I Saved $100K at 25: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/how-to-save-100k/
00:00 Intro
00:18 How Tori Hit $100K (Origin Story)
00:55 What Actually Went Into It
02:43 What Tori Didn't Have
03:28 Why 2016–2019 Was Different Than Now
07:18 What's Genuinely Harder Today
09:10 The Latte Factor Era Is Dead
10:03 The System Still Works
11:57 If I Was Starting Today
12:11 Step 1: Stop Trying to Be Perfect
15:22 Step 2: Don't Write Off Someone's Story
17:35 Step 3: Redefine What Your $100K Means
19:43 Step 4: Automate Your Savings
22:19 Step 5: Focus on Growing Income
23:57 Negotiate Every Job Offer
26:01 Step 6: Start Investing Now
29:11 Step 7: Values-Based Spending
31:11 The Full Plan Recap & Free Resource
32:28 Closing: You're Not Behind
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21 April 2026, 9:00 am - 45 minutes 26 seconds281. Build Wealth Without Leaving Your Culture Behind with Bricia Lopez
What if you never had to choose between building wealth and honoring where you came from? Bricia Lopez didn't –– and she built something incredible because of it. She grew up translating for her immigrant parents, learned money by watching her family create and lose and rebuild, and went on to become a restaurateur, cookbook author, and the woman behind one of LA's most iconic Oaxacan restaurants, Guelaguetza. Today she's sharing everything, the mindset, the hard lessons, the margarita vs. martini moment that changed how she thinks about her own worth. Come for the food, stay for the money talk.
Bricia’s links:
Website: https://www.ilovemicheladas.com/
Join the savings sprint to get your finances on track and take control of your money: https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod.00:00 Intro
00:20 The First Money Lesson: You Can Just Make It
02:57 Being the Family Translator & Business Partner at 12
05:25 Redefining Success at Every Decade
09:08 Cutting Personal Comfort, Not Quality, During Hard Times
16:58 Why Bricia Talks Money Openly With Her Friends
17:22 The Margarita vs. Martini — Running Your Own Race
25:52 Why Customers Hesitate to Pay for Quality Mexican Food
26:37 The Importance of Knowing Your Worth
38:47 How Wealth Is More Than a Number
29:00 Building Something Meaningful Without Abandoning Your Roots
31:09 When Women Are Financially Free, the World Changes
32:38 Rapid Fire: Best Dish to Order, Desert Island Ingredients & More
38:58 Where to Find Bricia & What's Coming Next
To stay up to date and find any other resources mentioned on our show visit: https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod
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14 April 2026, 9:00 am - 54 minutes 54 seconds280. How to Stop Making Emotional Financial Decisions with Dr. Nick
If you've ever thought, "I know what I'm supposed to be doing with my money, so why can't I just do it?"–– this episode is going to change everything.
I'm sitting down with Dr. Nick, a licensed neuropsychologist and executive cognition specialist, to unpack the brain science behind why smart, capable women still make emotional financial decisions. We're going into the dopamine deficit that makes long-term financial goals feel impossible to start, the norepinephrine surge that only kicks in when things become an emergency, and why "I'm bad with money" is a story your brain makes up — not a fact about who you are.
Dr. Nick breaks down how emotional dysregulation silently drives impulse spending, financial avoidance, and the boom-bust cycle so many of us know too well, and more importantly, how to build systems, practice self-compassion, and rewire your brain's relationship with money, one small win at a time.
Dr. Nick’s links:
Website: https://www.drnicolemurray.com/
Visit https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod to stay up to date and find any resources mentioned on our show.If you're feeling stressed about money, we've created a money plan to help you, no matter where you're getting started. Taking a quick 2-minute quiz to get your money plan at https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod
In this episode:
00:00 How Emotional Decisions Shape Your Finances
01:47 Why Knowing Isn't Enough: The Brain Science
02:56 The Role of Dopamine in Financial Decisions
05:11 How to Create Urgency Before a Crisis
07:52 "I'm Just Bad With Money" — Debunked
10:15 What Is Emotional Regulation (And Why It Matters)
14:52 The Intensity Gauge: Rating Your Emotions
15:02 Managing the "Always at an 8" vs. Numb Baseline
17:29 Making Financial Decisions at a 5, 6, or 7
19:19 Replacing Mindless Spending With Systems
29:54 Willpower Is a Myth — Here's What Actually Works
32:11 The Case for Self-Compassion Over Willpower
35:43 The Boom-Bust Cycle of Financial Motivation
39:28 How Emotional Regulation Changes With Age
42:24 Preparing for Life's Transitions
49:00 Rebuilding Trust With Yourself and Your Money
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7 April 2026, 9:00 am - 56 minutes 30 seconds279. Building REAL Confidence with Kara Loewentheil
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
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31 March 2026, 9:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App