Financial Feminist

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

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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

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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

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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

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Today I'm answering your biggest questions about investing, retirement, and what to do with your money when the headlines start screaming recession. I get these questions constantly in my DMs, so I'm pulling the most asked — mortgage payoff vs. investing, the actual logistics of retirement withdrawals, what to do with an old 401(k) you've been ignoring, and how to finally get out of Edward Jones — and giving you real answers. My advice doesn't change based on who's in office or what the market's doing this week. It changes based on math, and I'm walking you through the math.

Additional resources:

How to Start Investing: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/how-to-invest/

What You Need to Know About Mortgages with NerdWallet’s Kate Wood: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/how-to-get-a-mortgage/

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 & Investing Mindset

04:41 Paying Off Your Mortgage vs. Investing

09:56 How to Withdraw Money in Retirement

16:51 Rolling Over Old Retirement Accounts

21:02 How to Leave Edward Jones

30:31 Wrap-Up & Credits

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I recently sat down on a couch in beautiful Laguna Beach with four women who've made over $100 million combined. And what they have to say will change the way you think about business. This episode is different from our usual format. It's a live panel conversation recorded at a seven-figure entrepreneur mastermind, where I'm joined by Adley Kinsman (founder of Viralish, Vanessa Marin (licensed sex therapist and co-founder of Vanessa and Xander), Maria Wendt (entrepreneur and educator who's sold over $21 million in low-ticket products), and Natasha Willis (co-founder of School of Bots). Together we get into the self-sabotaging beliefs that keep people from starting a business, what money actually buys beyond the sexy parts of entrepreneurship, whether ambition and rest can coexist, and the money beliefs each of us had to unlearn to get here.

Links:

Adley Kinsman (Viralish) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adley

Vanessa Marin (Vanessa and Xander) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/VanessaandXandr

Maria Wendt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maria.wendt

Natasha Willis (School of Bots) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/NatashaTWillis

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

01:30 Self-sabotaging narratives and startup myths

04:25 From therapist to entrepreneur: overcoming the "business is dirty" belief

05:35 Making money is easier than you think

08:30 What entrepreneurship gives you beyond money

12:17 Identity before proof: what successful entrepreneurs know

14:55 The volume and obsession success requires

18:55 Ambition vs. rest: finding your version of "enough"

23:15 The moral responsibility to scale your business

29:43 Boundaries: what to share publicly

34:05 Money beliefs you had to unlearn

37:22 The ostrich effect: why you avoid your money

39:30 Making money vs. building a business

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If there’s one piece of info to take away from today’s guest, it’s that there’s no "perfect" moment to buy a home. It's about timing your life, not the market. In today’s episode, I sat down with repeat guest Daryl Fairweather –– Chief Economist at Redfin and author of Hate the Game: Economic Cheat Codes for Life, Love, and Work. We got into the real, updated math on buying a home in 2026: mortgage rates, whether prices have already peaked, the climate risk nobody's pricing in correctly, and the creative paths (co-buying, ADUs, house hacking) more people are turning to because the old rules just don't work anymore. If you've felt priced out, behind, or like homeownership might not be "in the cards" for you, this episode will change how you think about the whole decision.

Daryl’s Links:

Website: https://www.redfin.com/

Hate the Game book: https://www.hatethegamebook.com/

Daryl's IG: https://www.instagram.com/fairweatherphd/?hl=en

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

01:06 Is it too late to buy a home?

03:00 What winning looks like when the system feels unwinnable

04:27 Smart next moves for stuck renters and would-be buyers

06:34 Why housing may get more affordable over the next decade

08:21 Climate change and the coming insurance crisis

11:22 When does buying actually make sense? (the 5-year rule)

14:53 How job stability and housing go hand in hand

17:05 Preparing to buy: talk to a lender early

19:58 Rethinking the 20% down payment

21:16 Creative paths to homeownership: co-buying, ADUs, house hacking

25:07 Starter home vs. waiting for the dream home

27:39 How housing costs will reshape households and family life

28:58 Will the housing market crash?

32:29 Misconceptions keeping people stuck

35:54 What to do if you're priced out right now

37:24 The mindset shift: timing your life, not the market

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There's a sentence I hear from women more than almost any other: "I'm bad with money." Today's guest spent six years proving that sentence isn't a fact — it's a belief, and beliefs can change. Nir Eyal, author of Beyond Belief, breaks down the science of why we get stuck telling ourselves the same money story, and exactly how to write a new one. In his new book, Beyond Belief, he digs into why the words that follow "I am" are so dangerous, and why getting comfortable with discomfort is the real skill behind almost every financial win. We get into identity, self-trust, why you can't see your own limiting beliefs (but can spot everyone else's), and the research that proves belief can override biology. This one will change how you talk to yourself about money.

Nir’s Links:

Free Belief Change Guide: www.nirandfar.com/beyond-belief-live 

30-Day Belief Transformation Journal: nirandfar.com/beyond-belief 

Website: http://nirandfar.com 

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nireyal/ 

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 

03:00 Facts vs. beliefs vs. faith 

05:00 Identity and the danger of "I am" statements

06:00 Belief can override biology

09:00 Self-trust and building your own track record

12:00 The evolutionary reason your brain resists change

16:00 The mindset shift behind getting comfortable with discomfort

22:00 Byron Katie's four questions for examining a belief

26:00 Building a "portfolio of perspectives"

30:00 Naming systemic barriers without using them as an excuse

33:00 Choosing the belief that serves you

35:00 Locus of control — why believing you have agency changes outcomes

42:00 Challenging your thinking without tipping into toxic positivity

44:00 Why manifesting backfires (and what works instead)

49:00 Mental contrasting 

52:00 Why chaos and struggle mean you're alive

54:00 Tori's own story of choosing to feel pain instead of avoiding it

55:00 The rat study — how belief in possible rescue changes persistence

1:00:00 Persistence over intelligence — the real predictor of success

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In this episode, I sat down with the “godfather of financial independence,” aka JL Collins,  to demystify investing in the most approachable way possible. JL has been in the game for over 50 years and wrote The Simple Path to Wealth—a book that’s helped nearly a million people understand how to grow their money with confidence. And today, he’s breaking it all down for you. We get real about what investing actually is, why you don’t need a finance degree to build wealth, and how the entire financial industry has tried to gatekeep this information. JL shares why index funds are his go-to, how to avoid common investing mistakes, and why market dips aren’t disasters—they’re opportunities. Whether you’re brand new to investing or just want a no-BS refresh on the basics, this conversation is for you.

JL’s Links:

The Simple Path to Wealth: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Simple-Path-to-Wealth-(Revised- Expanded-Edition)/JL-Collins/9798893310474

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

03:24 Personal Finance Beginnings

06:44 The Birth of a Financial Blog

14:26 Understanding Index Funds

28:31 The FIRE Movement Explained

36:02 Calculating Financial Independence

40:28 Market Volatility: Should You Change Your Strategy?

44:48 Adjusting Investment Strategies Near Retirement

53:44 Ethical Investing: Pros and Cons

01:01:21 The Role of Financial Advisors

01:06:53 Key Insights for Successful Investing

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College is expensive, but there's money on the table that most families never touch. Today's guest walked away from college completely debt-free, not because she was a straight-A student or a star athlete, but because she treated scholarships like a system instead of a luck-based lottery. Jocelyn Pearson, founder of The Scholarship System, has since helped families across the US secure almost $17 million in scholarships. We get into the myths keeping families from even trying, why the small-dollar scholarships matter more than the $100K ones, how to build reusable application materials so you're not starting from scratch every time. If you've got a student headed to college (or you're the student), this one is required listening.

Jocelyn’s links:

Free webinar: https://thescholarshipsystem.com/financialfeminist 

Scholarship Superpower Quiz: thescholarshipsystem.com/financialfeministquiz 

Not sure what to do with your money? Visit ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠ and take our FREE quiz to get your personalized money plan, and find any resources mentioned on our show!

00:00 Intro

01:18 Jocelyn's $126K Scholarship Story

03:41 Why Strategy Beats Luck

04:13 The 4 Biggest Scholarship Myths

07:18 The Real Reason Families Don't Apply

10:51 The "All or Nothing" Mindset

13:43 Building a Reusable Essay System

16:32 Other Reusable Application Assets

17:13 What Committees Are Really Looking For

21:05 How to Talk About Your Major

21:59 Who Wins When Two Finalists Are Equal

23:31 How (and How Not) to Use AI

27:35 The Overlooked Small-Dollar Scholarships

33:28 Department Scholarships & Asking for More

33:30 When Your Financial Situation Changes

35:21 Navigating the Middle-Income Gap

47:47 The Student Loan Forgiveness Reality Check

49:52 The True Cost of Co-Signing

52:54 The #1 Trait of Successful Scholarship Families

54:53 Jocelyn's Free Resources & Quiz

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