At 25, I had $100,000 in the bank. At 27, I was a millionaire. And today I’m handing you my actual formula. Plenty of articles boil my story down to “save money, invest, start a business.” That’s technically true and practically useless. In this episode, I’m breaking down what I did between 25 and 27 that made the biggest difference, which parts you can copy, and which parts came from privilege I didn’t earn. I graduated debt-free and grew up with parents who taught me about money, and that shaped the conditions I made my decisions in. Personal finance is personal, so treat this as a formula you adapt to your own life instead of a script to copy line for line.

Mentioned in this episode:

The $100K Blueprint: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/the-1how-id-save-my-first-100k-in-2026/ 

Negotiate Like a Woman with Kathryn Valentine: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/negotiate-like-a-woman/

How to Negotiate with Confidence: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/negotiate-with-confidence/ 

Learn the exact strategies I used to save money, pay off debt, and get my first $100K. Visit: ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠.

00:00 Intro

01:10 How Her First $100K started

03:02 The privilege in my story

05:08 #1: Solid financial habits

08:31 Start acting like a millionaire now

09:28 #2: Growing my earning power

10:21 Why cutting your budget only goes so far

13:50 Going full-time in 2020

14:37 If entrepreneurship isn’t for you

16:44 #3: Building a financial system

19:48 Why I unapologetically want money

23:18 My favorite part of being a millionaire

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Traditional budgeting doesn’t work. In episode two of Financial Foundations, brought to you by State Farm, I'm showing you how to budget without hating your life. We'll reframe budgeting as a permission slip instead of a punishment. Budgeting doesn't mean you can’t ever have a latte, or buy organic, or even say no to a vacation. Creating a budget is as personal as your favorite band, which means that these one-size-fits-all solutions might be more the problem than you. Today we'll walk through my three-bucket budget, and find your three value categories: the parts of your life where spending brings you the most joy. Then we'll pull out the money diary from episode one and see whether your spending matches what you actually care about.

Catch-up on the Financial Foundations series:

Financial Foundations Episode 1: Your Money Blueprint: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/money-blueprint/

Save your seat in this 2-part workshop series that turns your “I wish I could quit my job” into a specific, actionable plan to get you out of your job in 90 days or less. Get access here: ⁠⁠⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠. 

00:00 Intro

01:03 How to budget without hating your life

01:56 Refresher: the financial priority list

02:54 Why budgets fail like diets

03:23 Your budget is a gas gauge

04:50 Permission slip, not punishment

05:38 Why I hated every budget app

06:20 The three-bucket budget

07:51 Automate, automate, automate

08:44 Your three value categories

10:37 My coffee-as-a-walk confession

11:37 "Should" spending: museums, dinners, and bachelorette parties

12:51 Exercise: sort your money diary

14:09 Ask this at every checkout

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Save your seat in this 2-part workshop series that turns your “I wish I could quit my job” into a specific, actionable plan to get you out of your job in 90 days or less. Get access here: ⁠⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠⁠.

Today I'm sitting down with Natalie Ellis, mom, CEO, and founder of Boss Babe, and author of the New York Times bestseller The Freedom-Based Business Method. Natalie built a multimillion-dollar company and then realized she'd been running it on an aggressive growth playbook for a business she never planned to sell. We get into why burnout isn't a badge of honor, why the median follower count in Natalie's survey of six-figure-plus business owners will shock you, and the three boring things that actually make a business work. If you run a business, want to start one, or just keep buying courses hoping the next one fixes it, this is your episode.

Natalie’s Links:

Websites: https://www.bossbabe.com/ ; https://www.natalie-ellis.com/ Book: https://bookshop.org/a/90037/9781401997373 

Mentioned during the show:

How to Reinvent Yourself (Without Losing Yourself) with Sophia Amoruso: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/reinventing-yourself-sophia-amoruso/

The Rise and Fall of the Girlboss: https://www.diabolicalliespod.com/p/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-girlboss

00:00 Intro 

04:30 Is burnout the price of hustle? Energy-giving vs. energy-draining work

08:00 Why "more organization" isn't the fix: the three questions your business runs on

10:30 Big decisions vs. small ones, in business and personal finance

12:00 Natalie's Trojan horse course strategy

15:00 Tori's viral video and the 100,000 email subscribers

18:00 Building on land you own: why email beats followers

20:00 Shiny objects: new products, new platforms

26:00 One platform, one offer, and why you can't over-market a product

29:00 What to cut first: start with your data

31:00 Offer, funnel, traffic (build, borrow, or buy an audience)

34:00 Getting off the treadmill: executive retreats and "what do you want?"

37:00 Leaving easy money on the table

40:00 Seasons of sprint and giving yourself grace

44:00 Building for freedom when you're just getting started

47:00 The responsibility nobody posts about

52:00 The Boss Babe name, ten-plus years later

54:00 Hustle culture, soft life, and tradwife content

62:00 What successful women entrepreneurs know

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You told us Financial Foundations was your favorite series, so we brought it back. Presented by State Farm, these are short, actionable episodes, each one covering a single personal finance pillar and giving you one thing to go do. We're following along with my book, Financial Feminist, so if you have a copy, pull it out. In episode one, I'm walking you through your first money memory, the exact order to tackle your financial goals, and how to actually stay consistent with a monthly money date. If you've ever asked "Okay, but what do I do first with my money?", start here.

To find all of the resources mentioned in this episode including my free money quiz and my partner recommendation for your emergency fund), visit: ⁠⁠⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠. 

00:00 Intro

01:03 Welcome to Financial Foundations

02:17 Your financial narrative and your first money memory

03:54 How your money memory shows up today

06:05 The financial order of operations

06:56 Why your emergency fund comes first

08:26 Priority two: high-interest debt

09:18 Priority three: investing for retirement and paying down low-interest debt

10:04 Priority four: saving for the big stuff

11:04 Staying consistent and the ostrich effect

12:37 Financial self-care and the money date

13:33 How to run your money date, step by step

15:15 Your homework: the money diary

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is so valuable, we decided to run it back. It's all about unlocking what I truly believe is the easiest money you will ever make — and yes, it’s as simple and lazy-girl-friendly as it sounds. I’m breaking down the one passive income strategy that requires zero extra hours, zero new skills, and absolutely zero stress: a high-yield savings account. If you’ve ever wished you could make money while taking a nap, running errands, or sipping a drink on the beach, this episode shows you exactly how to make your existing money work harder for you, without sacrificing your already-packed schedule.

Looking for a HYSA? We've done the research for you. See our partner recommendation (terms apply): https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod

00:00 Intro

01:14 The Problem with Checking Accounts

02:44 Why High-Yield Savings Accounts Matter

04:21 How to Set Up and Use a HYSA

08:44 The Power of Earning Interest

09:23 Using HYSA for Emergency Funds & Goals

10:22 Overcoming Myths & Fears

12:24 Making Money Passively

14:03 Is My Money Safe?

15:10 Final Thoughts & How to Get Started

Visit ⁠⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠⁠ to stay up to date and find any resources mentioned on our show!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're carrying credit card balances and haven't looked into whether a lower-rate option is available, see if our debt-tool can help you: ⁠⁠⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠⁠.

What if the easiest business to start this year is one you could begin with a single DM? Justin Moore, sponsorship coach, founder of Creator Wizard, and author of Sponsor Magnet, has earned over $5 million in brand partnerships with his wife April, and spent seven years running an ad agency where he heard what brands say about creators behind closed doors.

We cover why building an audience may be the most AI-proof business you can start, why a tiny niche audience can out-earn a huge one, how to answer “what’s your rate?” without losing money, and the contract words that should make you run. If an extra couple thousand dollars a month would change your life, this episode shows you one way to get it.

Justin’s Links:

Website: https://www.sponsormagnet.com/

Also mentioned in this episode:

This Mistake Cost Me $500,000: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/my-500k-mistake/

Jasmine Star: How to Build a Business from Nothing: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/how-to-build-a-business-from-nothing/

00:00 Intro

01:18 Why building an audience is the most AI-proof business

03:03 You don’t have to be an “influencer” to do this

08:29 Side hustling the 5-to-9

11:05 What you actually need to start (one person)

14:37 Why Justin started calling out the gatekeepers

17:03 What running an ad agency taught him about how brands pay

19:37 Who undercharges most

24:55 How to answer “what’s your rate?”

29:10 Justin’s 8-step partnership system

38:53 Contract red flags: perpetuity, exclusivity, out clauses

43:46 Why Justin says don’t hire a manager

48:47 My half-million-dollar agency mistake

53:32 The $1 million math on a 20% cut

54:24 Rapid fire: free product, worst pitches, follower myths

58:37 One thing every creator should do today

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do we keep repeating patterns that don’t serve us? Today I'm sitting down with Sabrina Zohar, relationship coach, host of The Sabrina Zohar Show, and author of the new book Why Am I Like This, to figure out why. We’re talking about the unconscious programming behind how we handle love, conflict, rejection, and even our own success. If you've ever over-given, stayed too long, or known exactly what you were doing while doing it anyway, you're in the right place. Sabrina walks through two questions that can interrupt an old belief before it makes a present-day decision, what self-abandonment looks like on a random Tuesday, and how all of it shapes what you think you're allowed to ask for and earn. You will feel seen. You will also feel a little called out. Share it with every woman in your life.

Sabrina’s Links:

Website: https://sabrinazohar.com/

Book: https://sabrinazohar.com/book

Learn the exact strategies to save money, pay off debt, improve your money mindset, and increase your net worth. Get your personalized plan: ⁠⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠.

00:00 Intro

01:35 The pattern women swear isn't a pattern

02:40 Window of tolerance and why discomfort feels unbearable

08:10 The texting spiral, and the two questions that interrupt it

13:20 173 texts: what Sabrina understands about her younger self now

17:00 Gut vs. anxiety (does the pinch match the ouch?)

19:05 Being attached to the story of a relationship

22:55 Finding the belief underneath the behavior

27:45 When your "logical" brain makes the worst decisions

31:20 Getting out of your head and into your body

32:30 Hiring out of fear, and learning to trust yourself

41:35 What self-abandonment looks like on an ordinary day

44:30 Saying no, boundaries, and grieving who you lose

49:10 You're allowed to outgrow people

51:00 How worthiness shapes what you ask for and earn

56:15 Moving through shame instead of ruminating

66:05 Healing doesn't mean never getting triggered

70:05 What to do the moment you notice yourself shrinking

73:40 The self-trust marble jar

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2026 job market has been brutal. If you’ve been looking for a job, you know how tough it is. If you already have a job, I’m sure you’ve been told that you should just be grateful. Keep your head down, don’t make waves, ask for a raise when things "settle." My guest today thinks that instinct is completely backwards, and after this conversation, so do I. Kathryn Valentine –– executive coach, one of the country's leading experts on women's negotiation, and repeat guest –– coaches women inside communities like J.P. Morgan, Bain, and KPMG. And her work starts with an uncomfortable finding: women now negotiate as often as men, but succeed about half as often. Today we're talking about what to do when your company says there's no budget, why the timing of your ask matters so much, what AI gets wrong about your salary, and how to survive the messy middle of a negotiation without folding. If you've been telling yourself you'll just wait a year to ask, listen to this first.

Kathryn’s Links:

76 Things You Can Negotiate at Work: http://76things.com/

Learn more about Kathryn Valentine: http://worthmorestrategies.com/  

Negotiate Like a Woman with Kathryn Valentine: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/negotiate-like-a-woman/

Learn the exact strategies to save money, pay off debt, improve your money mindset, and increase your net worth. Get your personalized plan: ⁠⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠.

00:00 Intro

02:13 Why negotiation matters: career, stress, and $1M

05:24 Women ask now, but with the wrong tools

06:30 Negotiating during layoffs

08:28 The relational ask (and the WSJ advice that backfires)

11:36 Common negotiation mistakes women are told to make

13:12 What to ask for when raises are frozen

15:33 The 76 things you can negotiate

19:42 The gender gap goes way past base salary

26:42 In the room: what to say when it goes off-script

31:08 The three biggest mistakes that sink negotiations

34:15 How to find your market rate

37:32 "Ask a white guy"

40:34 Should you use AI to prep?

44:29 The average negotiation lasts 25 days

45:57 Live calculator: what one raise is worth

50:25 Who to talk to (and who to avoid) during a negotiation

56:54 Changing jobs when the economy is bad

59:25 When to leave corporate and build your own thing

66:27 Why mid-sized companies are best for flexibility

71:07 What to do this week

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carleigh Bodrug is back! She's the CEO and founder of PlantYou, a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a self-taught plant-based home cook, and the author of the brand-new cookbook Quickies. Her first episode was one of our most-loved ever, so I brought her back to tackle one of the biggest line items on your budget right now: food. We get into why convenience wins at 6 PM, how to actually cut your grocery bill, how to stop throwing money in the trash (literally), and why a food system works the same way a money system does. It's practical, it's shame-free, and there is a salad kit eaten out of a mixing bowl.

Carleigh’s Links:

PlantYou Quickies book

Carleigh's Instagram

How to Lower Your Grocery Bill and Stop Food Waste

Additional Resources Mentioned:

millionaire mindset: parenting yourself episode

Ready to take the confusion out of investing? Learn the exact methods to start investing, avoid the mistakes that cost people millions, and how to balance investing while paying off debt inside Stock Market School. Learn more here: ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod.

00:00 Intro

00:42 What Happens to Healthy Habits When You're Maxed Out

04:16 The Psychology of Pre-Cut Food

07:26 Shop Your Pantry First

11:15 The Deeper Psychology of Convenience

12:51 Cooking as an Investment in Yourself

18:23 Building a System That Beats Willpower

24:52 How "Quickies" Was Born

28:08 What Makes a Recipe Actually Quick

32:00 Perfection Is the Enemy of Good

35:33 Using Every Scrap: Reducing Food Waste

39:31 Cooking Is a Learned Skill

43:54 Rapid Fire Speed Round

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ready to take control of your money and finally start investing? Visit ⁠⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠ to register for our FREE workshop, Stock Market Secrets: Debunking Common Myths for Successful Investing to learn how to avoid common mistakes and how to build wealth without fear or confusion. 

Today's episode is a little different from our normal format. It's my conversation with Jasmine Star on The Jasmine Star Show, and we're sharing it here because it goes deep into something I don't usually get asked about on my own show: the actual business mechanics behind Her First $100K. We talk about the $49 coaching sessions that started it all, the money story I inherited from my parents (and had to unlearn), the exact logic I used the night before I quit my job, and why "done is better than perfect" has become my whole content philosophy. If you're building something of your own, or thinking about it, this one's for you.

Jasmine’s links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasminestar 

Website :https://jasminestar.com/ 

00:00   Intro & the story behind the name "Her First $100K"

02:25   Documenting the money journey publicly — and why that built accountability

04:27   Rebranding to Her First $100K, and her dad's reaction

06:30   The $49 coaching sessions that started it all

08:01   From coaching, to a $97 workshop, to a course

10:30  Tori's money story: safety, risk, and her parents' fear

14:19  Why women are conditioned to avoid risk

15:35  The night before she quit her job

18:54  "Give your dollars a job": the psychology of scaling income

24:21  Her First $100K's revenue model today

28:33  What's stayed the same (consistency) vs. what she let go of

31:58  Building an email list early, and current team structure

33:53  What Tori loves doing vs. what she's delegated

42:04  The "chin video" strategy: why imperfect content wins

44:54  "Done is better than perfect": hiring, imperfection, 2026 content trends

50:05  Owning success without performing false humility

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Almost everything you've ever been told about working out was tested on men. Today's guest is here to hand you the actual playbook for your body. The one that accounts for your hormones, your cycle, and your life stage instead of pretending you're just a smaller man. In today’s episode we’re talking to Dr. Stacy Sims––exercise physiologist, nutrition scientist, and one of the leading voices on training women's bodies––about why lifting heavy protects your brain (not just your muscles), why "toning" isn't even a real thing, how to actually train through menopause instead of white-knuckling it, and why your smartwatch might be lying to you about how tired you really are. If you've ever felt like the fitness industry wasn't built with you in mind, you're absolutely right, and Dr. Sims is going to tell you exactly what to do instead.

Dr. Stacy’s Links:

Website: https://www.drstacysims.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drstacysims

Ready to take control of your money and finally start investing? Visit https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod to register for our FREE workshop, Stock Market Secrets: Debunking Common Myths for Successful Investing to learn how to avoid common mistakes and how to balance investing with paying off debt so you can build wealth without fear or confusion.

00:00 Intro

00:50 The Fitness Industry's Blind Spot

02:14 When the Research Is Only About Men

04:16 Why Women Need Heavier Weights

05:42 Lifting Heavy Protects Your Brain

07:26 Strength Over Thinness

10:36 100 Healthy Years, Not Just 100

16:27 Why Women Fear Lifting Heavy

17:04 Pushing to Failure Is the Point

21:35 Where to Start: At Home, 10 Minutes

24:58 Why You Shouldn't Train Fasted

30:03 What to Eat Before You Lift

31:52 Training for Menopause, Not Against It

35:41 The Hormone Therapy Pendulum Swing

38:16 Why Girls Really Quit Sports

40:36 Your Smartwatch Is Lying to You

45:35 Relearning Your Body's Signals

46:57 Fitting Fitness Into a Busy Life

52:22 What Successful Women Know About Health

54:36 The 80/20 Rule for Life

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices