Get Smart with Money Podcast

In this episode of Get Smart With Money, Dayna Hernandez sits down with Danial Jiwani, author and speaker focused on wealth-building, critical decision-making, and resilience.

Danial's story offers a very different perspective on financial security.

While working in the Middle East, he faced an extraordinary personal crisis that resulted in his assets being frozen and his detention before eventually returning safely to the United States.

He came home jobless and broke and had to rebuild his financial security from the ground up.

That experience became a powerful lesson in resilience, decision-making, relationships, and wealth-building.

• Danial's experience in the Middle East
• What losing access to his assets taught him about security
• Rebuilding after an extreme financial setback
• Why financial setbacks can feel permanent
• Why some people recover faster than others
• Making decisions when you're dealing with fear and uncertainty
• The importance of relationships during difficult times
• How to treat setbacks as temporary disruptions
• How Danial's experience shaped The 52 Laws of Wealth
• Core principles for building wealth
• Practical steps people can take to start building wealth for themselves and their families

Danial began writing about investing while still in high school and has since written five books. His books have sold more than 80,000 copies worldwide.

His latest book is:

The 52 Laws of Wealth: Proven Principles for Becoming Rich & Successful

Get The 52 Laws of Wealth on Amazon

Get Smart With Money Podcast
Hosted by Dayna Hernandez

Listen to the complete conversation on Spotify and watch the two-part interview on YouTube.

Subscribe, follow, and share this episode with someone who could benefit from Danial's story.

#GetSmartWithMoney #DanialJiwani #52LawsOfWealth #WealthBuilding #FinancialSecurity #MoneyMindset #Resilience #FinancialEducation #Podcast

In this conversation, Danial and Dayna discuss:

What if success has less to do with knowing the numbers and more to do with the mindset behind the decisions?

In this episode of Get Smart With Money, Dayna Hernandez sits down with Chris Hallberg, also known as “The Business Sergeant.”

Chris is a military veteran, business leader, and leadership coach who brings a unique perspective on discipline, accountability, leadership, and decision-making.

Together, Dayna and Chris explore how the lessons we learn through discipline and leadership can influence the way we approach money, business, challenges, and life.

• Chris's journey and how he became “The Business Sergeant”
• Lessons from his military background
• The connection between discipline and money
• Why mindset matters when making financial and business decisions
• Habits successful people consistently practice
• The importance of accountability
• Common mistakes people make when things don't go according to plan
• Building and selling a company during the Great Recession
• Making decisions during difficult times
• What to do when you feel stuck financially or professionally
• Building a successful life beyond simply building a successful bank account

This conversation is a reminder that our financial lives don't exist separately from our habits, decisions, mindset, and leadership.

Listen to the full conversation on Spotify.

Welcome to the Get Smart With Money Podcast!

In this episode, Dayna sits down with Phil Calandra, a financial expert with more than 30 years of experience helping business owners, entrepreneurs, and families make smarter financial decisions.

After building and selling a successful financial advisory business, Phil has dedicated his career to helping people simplify money and focus on what truly matters.

Together, they explore why some people can earn a good income and still feel financially stressed, the mistakes that can get in the way of building wealth, and how developing better financial habits can change the way we approach money.

 Why earning a good income doesn't always create financial security
 Common mistakes people make when trying to build wealth
 Where to start when financial planning feels overwhelming
 Financial challenges faced by business owners and families
 The importance of having a long-term financial plan
 Why talking about money can be difficult
 Habits that can help build lasting wealth
 How Phil's definition of financial success has evolved
 The one piece of financial advice Phil wants everyone to remember

This conversation is a reminder that building wealth isn't simply about earning more money. It's also about understanding your finances, making intentional decisions, and creating a plan for the future.

Phil Calandra is a financial expert with more than 30 years of experience helping business owners, entrepreneurs, and families make smarter financial decisions. After building and selling a successful financial advisory business, he has dedicated his career to helping people simplify money and focus on what truly matters.

If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who could benefit from the conversation.

In this episode, we discuss:About Phil Calandra

Are You Running Your Business, or Is Your Business Running You? | Forrest Derr

What happens when your business becomes so dependent on you that you can't step away?

In this episode of the Get Smart With Money Podcast, Dayna sits down with Forrest Derr, a Fractional COO, integrator, and operations coach with more than 28 years of experience helping small and mid-sized businesses build structure, improve operations, and scale sustainably.

Forrest's career began in hands-on roles in retail and warehousing before moving into executive leadership in tech, where he worked across operations, finance, sales, and marketing. Today, through Derr Consulting, he helps business owners create systems, establish accountability, delegate effectively, and prepare their businesses for future growth or a potential exit.

Together, Dayna and Forrest explore one of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face: how to stop being trapped in the day-to-day operations of your own business.

 What a Fractional COO actually does

 The operational mistakes that cost businesses time and money

 Building accountability without micromanaging

 Creating systems and playbooks instead of constantly firefighting

 How to delegate effectively

 Preparing your business for growth

 Preparing for a future business sale

 Recognizing when your business is running you

 How founders can finally get out of the weeds

If you're a business owner who feels overwhelmed by the day-to-day, this conversation offers practical ideas for creating more structure, clarity, and freedom.

Learn more about Forrest & Derr Consulting:
 https://derrconsulting.com

 Visit the Get Smart With Money Podcast:
https://getsmartwithmoneypodcast.com

 Want to learn more about financial literacy?
Book a Zoom call with Dayna:
https://calendly.com/daynahernandez-wfg/101

In this episode, we discuss:

What does it really take to rebuild your life after hitting rock bottom?

In this episode of the Get Smart With Money Podcast, Dayna sits down with Jay Sapovits, President of Ink'd Stores, serial entrepreneur, and someone whose remarkable journey proves that our greatest challenges can become our greatest strengths.

After leaving home at just 18 years old, Jay pursued opportunity in Las Vegas, only to face a devastating gambling addiction that changed the course of his life. Through recovery, discipline, and determination, he rebuilt his future and eventually helped grow Marquis Jet into a billion-dollar company acquired by Warren Buffett's NetJets.

This conversation goes far beyond business. Jay shares powerful lessons about financial discipline, risk, recovery, entrepreneurship, and redefining what success truly means.

 Jay's entrepreneurial journey

 Overcoming gambling addiction and rebuilding his life

 How recovery changed his relationship with money

 Helping build Marquis Jet into a billion-dollar company

 Financial habits that create long-term success

 Redefining wealth, purpose, and fulfillment

 Advice for entrepreneurs and anyone starting over

Whether you're growing a business, working toward financial freedom, or navigating your own challenges, Jay's story is a reminder that your past doesn't determine your future.

Learn more about Jay: ⁠https://inkdstores.com⁠

 Visit the Get Smart With Money Podcast:⁠https://getsmartwithmoneypodcast.com⁠

 Book a Zoom call with Dayna:⁠https://calendly.com/daynahernandez-wfg/101⁠

In this episode, we discuss:

Have you ever wondered if you're really on track financially?

In this episode of the Get Smart With Money Podcast, Dayna sits down with Scott, creator of Financial Fitness Passport™, to discuss a simpler, more practical approach to financial planning.

Scott explains why so many people struggle with financial decisions and introduces tools designed to help people understand where they stand, prepare for retirement, and make confident financial choices, all while protecting their privacy.

 Why financial planning feels overwhelming
 How Penny™, an AI financial companion, provides personalized guidance
 What Financial Fitness Passport™ is and how it works
 Understanding your Retirement Number™
 How the Passport Score measures financial health
 Why privacy is built into the platform
 Common retirement planning mistakes
 Practical advice for taking control of your financial future

Whether you're just beginning your financial journey or preparing for retirement, this episode offers valuable insights to help you move forward with confidence.

 (Add Scott's website here)

 Visit the Get Smart With Money Podcast
https://getsmartwithmoneypodcast.com

 Book a Zoom call with Dayna:
https://calendly.com/daynahernandez-wfg/101

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who's ready to take control of their financial future.

In this episode, you'll learn about:Learn more about Financial Fitness Passport™

What does it really take to start over and build a life with purpose?

In this episode of the Get Smart With Money Podcast, I'm joined by Victor, Co-Founder and President of Avendo LLC, to talk about his incredible journey from leaving former Yugoslavia to building a successful business in the United States, leading it through a successful exit after more than 20 years, and starting a new chapter in fintech.

Throughout our conversation, Victor shares the lessons he learned through entrepreneurship, family, leadership, and personal growth. We discuss why success is about more than financial achievement, how communication shapes both business and relationships, and why having the courage to begin again can lead to your greatest opportunities.

In this episode, we discuss:

✨ Starting over in a new country

🚀 Building and growing a business from the ground up

💼 Lessons learned after selling a successful company

🎯 Why Victor launched Avendo and embraced a new chapter

💬 The importance of honest communication and strong relationships

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 How family influenced his definition of success

🌱 Building a business—and a life—with purpose

Victor's story is a powerful reminder that resilience, intentional leadership, and a willingness to keep learning can turn life's biggest challenges into your greatest opportunities.

Learn more about Victor & Avendo

🌐 https://avendo.tech⁠

🎙️ Visit the Get Smart With Money Podcast

https://getsmartwithmoneypodcast.com⁠

📅 Want to learn more about financial literacy?

Book a Zoom call with Dayna:

https://calendly.com/daynahernandez-wfg/101⁠

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who could benefit from Victor's inspiring story.

What if paying down debt and building long-term wealth didn’t have to be two completely separate goals?

In this episode of the Get Smart With Money Podcast, I sit down with Ron Harris, CEO of Financial Literacy Group, MBA, author, speaker, and Tax-Free Retirement Income Professional, to explore a different perspective on debt, cash flow, financial protection, and long-term wealth building.

Ron introduces us to the concept of Hybrid Financial Arbitrage, an approach he describes as connecting debt optimization with a specially structured life insurance strategy designed to support broader long-term financial goals.

Throughout our conversation, we break down complex ideas in a way everyday families can better understand and explore questions such as:

💳 Is paying off debt as quickly as possible always the only approach worth considering?

💰 What does Ron mean when he talks about using the “same dollars” toward multiple financial objectives?

📈 Can debt management and long-term wealth building be approached together?

🛡️ How can certain life insurance strategies fit into a broader financial plan?

🏠 Who might benefit from learning about alternative approaches to debt and cash flow?

🧠 Why is financial literacy still missing for so many working families?

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 How can the financial decisions we make today influence future generations?

Ron also shares his perspective on some of the most common mistakes people make when dealing with debt, the importance of understanding your financial options, and why education should come before major financial decisions.

Whether you’re a working professional, homeowner, parent, or approaching retirement, this conversation offers a different perspective on how debt, cash flow, protection, and long-term financial goals may connect.

🎧 Listen to the full episode and decide what questions you should be asking about your own financial future.

🌐 Financial Literacy Group:
financialliteracy.group

🎙️ Follow the Get Smart With Money Podcast for more real conversations about financial education, money, mindset, entrepreneurship, personal growth, and building a stronger future.

This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, legal, or insurance advice. Financial and insurance strategies depend on individual circumstances and may involve costs, risks, eligibility requirements, and tax considerations. Consider consulting appropriately qualified professionals before making financial decisions.

Connect with Ron Harris

What does true wealth really mean?

In this episode of the Get Smart With Money Podcast, Dayna Hernandez sits down with Mark Wade, a financial advisor with nearly five decades of experience helping individuals and families build wealth, protect their assets, and create meaningful legacies.

But Mark's story goes far beyond financial planning.

Growing up in Newark, working multiple jobs through college, surviving stage 4 cancer, and overcoming a triple bypass gave him a unique perspective on money, success, and what truly matters in life.

Together, Dayna and Mark discuss:

• The biggest financial mistakes people make
• Why wealth is about more than money
• Building a legacy for future generations
• How life-changing challenges reshape priorities
• The connection between values and financial decisions
• What successful families do differently when it comes to money
• Why it's never too late to take control of your financial future

This conversation is filled with practical wisdom, personal stories, and powerful reminders that money is simply a tool to help create the life and impact you want.

Interested in seeing your retirement readiness? Take this two-minute, free quiz: https://form.typeform.com/to/wKC3BoCu To get Retirement Ready, check out Mark Wade's website here: https://retirementsuite.com/Schedule a complimentary and confidential call with Mark Wade here: https://calendly.com/retirement-suite/20-minute-quick-consult 

 Listen now on the Get Smart With Money Podcast.

Michael Uadiale is not your typical CPA.With over 25 years of tax and financial expertise, Michael has helped clients collectively save more than $15 million in taxes while building smarter pathways toward long-term financial freedom.As the founder of SMEED CPA, a 7-figure firm and member of the Tax-Free Wealth Network, Michael specializes in helping entrepreneurs think differently about taxes, wealth creation, and business strategy.Beyond his CPA practice, Michael has built six successful businesses in industries including real estate, technology, and telehealth, giving him firsthand experience in what it actually takes to grow and protect wealth.In this episode we discuss:• Strategic tax reduction for entrepreneurs• How taxes impact long-term wealth building• Passive income and real estate strategies• Business entity structure mistakes• Asset protection and financial freedom• How entrepreneurs should think differently about moneyIf you want to stop simply earning money and start keeping more of it, this episode is for you.🎙 Get Smart With Money Podcast