Join me for an inspiring conversation with Laura Nix Gerson, CEO and co-founder of NixGerson Media and host of the VentureF podcast, where she champions women investing in women. Laura's journey from military kid moving across the globe every three years to becoming a pioneer in building communities for women investors is a masterclass in turning connection into catalyst.

In this rich conversation, Laura shares her formative years growing up in a military family, living everywhere from Korea to Iran to Germany, and how those constant moves taught her the art of building relationships and creating anchor points in times of change. She reveals the profound impact of her father's Sunday afternoon budget meetings—complete with handmade grids before spreadsheets existed—showing her the importance of allocating dollars across buckets including charity and savings.

Laura takes us through her fascinating career evolution: from launching her first nonprofit arts festival in college, to running prestigious art galleries (where she witnessed Elton John casually point at ten pieces of art without asking prices), to becoming one of LA's first "mommy bloggers," to ultimately founding VentureF. Along the way, she discovered a critical gap: brilliant women founders solving real problems but unable to access capital from predominantly male investors who couldn't understand why European baby formula or perinatal nutrition mattered.

Most powerfully, Laura discusses why she created VentureF as an aggregation point for women seeking to invest in other women—offering guides, glossaries, and curated communities to help accredited investors (many who don't even realize they qualify) deploy capital aligned with their values. With 66% of wealth transferring to women in the next decade, Laura is ensuring we're prepared to invest it wisely and meaningfully.

This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in building wealth through community, understanding alternative investments, or learning how to leverage relationships as your greatest asset.

Key Topics:

1. How constant change can become your superpower for building meaningful relationships
2. The power of budget allocation: why dividing your money into buckets (including charity) sets you up for success
3. Why building community and connection has been the through-line of every successful career pivot
4. The hidden barrier to female founders: solving real problems that male investors don't understand or value
5. What the great wealth transfer means for you: how to prepare for when 66% of wealth is in women's hands
6. Where to start as an investor: finding resources, education, and deal flow without feeling overwhelmed
7. How to have productive money conversations with your partner and raise financially literate kids
8. The shift from investing for returns to investing with values: using your capital to create change

Connect with Laura online:

Website: https://lauranixgerson.com/

https://www.nixgersonmedia.com/

Podcast: https://www.venturef.com/ VentureF Podcast (available on all platforms)

The Foundry:

Apply at venturef.co to join this invitation-only community for women investors

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: wealthcatalyst.com

Podcast: wealthcatalyst.com/getting-rich-together-podcast

Download Syama's Free Resources: wealthcatalyst.com/resources

Wealth Catalyst Summit: wealthcatalyst.com/summits

Speaking: syamabunten.com

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

Join me for an inspiring conversation with Jessica Karr, the heart-centered venture capitalist and founder of Coyote Ventures, who is transforming women's health and wellness through strategic investments. Jessica's journey from biochemist to early team member at Impossible Foods to launching her own impact-focused venture fund is a masterclass in following your values while building wealth.

In this episode, Jessica shares her unconventional path from working in her father's dental practice in Amarillo, Texas, to becoming a force in Silicon Valley venture capital. You'll hear how she navigated stock options as an early employee, the pivotal moments that shaped her investment philosophy, and why she chose to focus exclusively on companies advancing women's health and wellness.

Jessica opens up about the realities of raising a first fund, living capital-efficiently to play the long game, and why being "all in" on private markets aligns with her values—even when wealth managers cringe. Her story illuminates how scientific thinking, patience, and an unwavering commitment to impact can create both financial returns and meaningful change.

Key Topics:

1. Finding alignment between science, sustainability, and personal health through early experiences in healthcare
2. Navigating stock options and secondary markets as an early Impossible Foods employee
3. Transitioning from consulting to venture capital without traditional training
4. Raising your first fund and securing institutional LPs like Bank of America
5. Living capital-efficiently to enable long-term, high-reward opportunities
6. Building a thesis around women's health and wellness investing
7. Creating community and balance while pursuing ambitious career goals
8. Why being "all in" on private markets reflects living in integrity with your mission

Connect with Jessica Karr online:

Website: https://www.coyote.ventures/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicarkarr/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellojesskarr/?hl=en

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: wealthcatalyst.com

Podcast: wealthcatalyst.com/getting-rich-together-podcast

Download Syama's Free Resources: wealthcatalyst.com/resources

Wealth Catalyst Summit: wealthcatalyst.com/summits

Speaking: syamabunten.com

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

Join me for an inspiring conversation with Josie Cox, award-winning journalist, author of Women Money Power, and founding editor of The Persistent. Josie's journey from a tiny Swiss village to becoming one of the most compelling voices in economic equality is a testament to the power of purpose-driven work and unwavering conviction.

In this deeply personal episode, Josie shares her unique upbringing as a "third culture kid" — growing up in Switzerland to a Czech mother and English father, navigating multiple languages and cultures, and learning early on about inequality when she transitioned from public school to an international school system. We explore how these formative experiences shaped her understanding of socioeconomic differences and fueled her passion for financial journalism.

Josie opens up about her career path from Reuters in Frankfurt to London and eventually New York City, making crucial decisions that prioritized passion over paychecks. She candidly discusses the tension between artistic fulfillment and financial security, her experience with eating disorders during college, and how meeting her now-husband transformed her understanding of partnership and shared resources.

Most powerfully, Josie reveals the moment that inspired her book *Women Money Power* — an off-the-record interview with a prominent CEO whose dismissive views on women's economic ambition became her call to action. Her mission is clear: to illuminate why economic inequality persists and to give courage to those fighting against it.

This conversation is essential listening for anyone interested in economic justice, the intersection of gender and finance, and how one person's voice can amplify change across generations.

Key Topics:

1. Choosing passion over profit: starting a journalism career despite modest pay
2. Navigating relationships and money with partners at different income levels
3. Combining finances in marriage and recognizing the value of unpaid labor
4. Why the gender pay gap persists and what we can do about it
5. The legacy she hopes to leave for her daughter and future generations
6. Speaking truth to power through journalism and advocacy

Connect with Josie Cox online:

Website:https://www.josiecox.com

Book: Women Money Power: The Rise and Fall of Economic Equality

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josie-cox-68476a52/

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: wealthcatalyst.com

Podcast: wealthcatalyst.com/getting-rich-together-podcast

Download Syama's Free Resources: wealthcatalyst.com/resources

Wealth Catalyst Summit: wealthcatalyst.com/summits

Speaking: syamabunten.com

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

I'm fired up to introduce a business legend today. Melinda Emerson is known nationwide as the number one small business lady and the powerhouse behind Small Biz Chat. She's a bestselling author of "Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months" and has helped countless entrepreneurs launch, grow, and thrive.

Melinda shares her journey from realizing writing was her magical power at age 12 to landing her dream job in broadcast television—only to discover she hated it. At 26, she left that job in the middle of February sweeps to start her business in her basement with just a laptop, a fax machine, and a dream. That was 26 years ago.

We explore the invaluable lessons she learned from her serial entrepreneur mother and career salesman father, how she prepared financially before leaving her job, and the spiritual transformation that happened when she realized success wasn't about hitting a number. Melinda opens up about navigating divorce as a business owner, finding joy in community, and her exciting new venture: teaching women 45+ how to buy businesses instead of starting from scratch.

Key Topics:

1. Learning entrepreneurship from her mother's side hustles and father's sales mastery
2. Her father's lessons on credit, savings, and delayed gratification that shaped her financial foundation
3. Preparing to leave her six-figure job by paying off debt and saving strategically
4. The spiritual shift from measuring success by money to measuring it by impact
5. Navigating divorce and business ownership while learning to find joy again
6. Why she's passionate about teaching women to buy existing businesses and franchises
7. Launching the Next Act CEO Summit to help women 45+ become business owners fast

Connect with Melinda online:

Website: https://www.smallbizlady.com/

Book: "Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months"

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: wealthcatalyst.com

Podcast: wealthcatalyst.com/getting-rich-together-podcast

Download Syama's Free Resources: wealthcatalyst.com/resources

Wealth Catalyst Summit: wealthcatalyst.com/summits

Speaking: syamabunten.com

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

I'm thrilled to share my conversation with Madeline Tomseth, a fourth-generation member of the Les Schwab Tire family who is reimagining what it means to steward family wealth through intentional philanthropy.

Madeline's journey from growing up immersed in a relationship-driven family business to navigating the unexpected sale of that business offers profound insights into identity, values, and creating meaningful impact. You'll hear about how she's channeling her great-grandfather's legacy of radical generosity into her own donor advised fund and working alongside other next-gen philanthropists to reimagine impact investing.

Madeline opens up about the emotional journey of inheriting wealth, defining her own identity separate from family legacy, and how she and her husband navigate money and values together.

Key Topics:

1. Growing up in the Les Schwab family where service and people-centered leadership were core values
2. Following her creative passion to pastry school and learning the power of food to create community
3. Processing the unexpected sale of the family business and the grief that came with it
4. Wrestling with worthiness as a wealth inheritor versus wealth generator
5. Founding her own donor advised fund to honor legacy while finding her own voice
6. Viewing nonprofit support as true investments rather than one-time gifts
7. How next-gen philanthropists are aligning their entire portfolios with their values

Connect with Madeline online:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelinetomseth/

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: wealthcatalyst.com

Podcast: wealthcatalyst.com/getting-rich-together-podcast

Download Syama's Free Resources: wealthcatalyst.com/resources

Wealth Catalyst Summit: wealthcatalyst.com/summits

Speaking: syamabunten.com

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

I am here today with Erin Gallagher, America's number one hype woman. Erin has taken stages across the country to rally women around their power, and she is the author of the upcoming book, Hype Women: Breaking Free from Mean Girls, Patriarchy, and Systems that are Silencing All of Us.

In this powerful conversation, Erin takes us back to her Coast Guard upbringing, moving every two to four years and navigating her parents' divorce while taking on the role of family caretaker at a young age. She shares how sports became her outlet for anger and intensity, and how finding sisterhood in an unexpected place—her college sorority—shaped her understanding of collective power.

Erin opens up about her journey from wanting to be a lawyer fighting for justice to pivoting into marketing and communications, where she thought she could use big brands' power to inspire change faster. We dive deep into her 15 years in corporate America as an ambitious, unhealed, people-pleasing perfectionist who lost herself serving others, and how becoming a mother finally gave her less room for bullshit.

She courageously shares the painful reality of co-founding a company where she didn't demand her value or worth, leading to a devastating business divorce. Erin reveals the mantra that changed everything: "I will no longer abandon myself in service to others." We explore why not all women deserve hype, how to identify mean girls and patriarchy's foot soldiers, and why karma is currency and hype is capital in the new ecosystem she's building.

Key Topics:

1. Learning early that anger and service were gendered expectations—and writing a manifesto about it at age 10
2. Finding sisterhood and collective power through sports and sorority life as essential survival tools
3. Pivoting from law to mission-driven communications work after witnessing injustice firsthand at a legal nonprofit
4. Becoming a mother and finally running out of room for corporate bullshit and performative people-pleasing
5. The devastating reality of business divorce and being undervalued in a company you co-founded
6. Why "I will no longer abandon myself in service to others" became the mantra that changed everything
7. Identifying mean girls and patriarchy's foot soldiers—not all women deserve your hype or energy
8. Creating the Hype Women economy where we shift capital (time, energy, money, platform) to each other strategically

Connect with Erin online:

Book: Hype Women: Breaking Free from Mean Girls, Patriarchy, and Systems that are Silencing All of Us Get it Here: https://www.hypewomen.com/

Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/erin.gallag.her/?hl=en

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: wealthcatalyst.com

Podcast: wealthcatalyst.com/getting-rich-together-podcast

Download Syama's Free Resources: wealthcatalyst.com/resources

Wealth Catalyst Summit: wealthcatalyst.com/summits

Speaking: syamabunten.com

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

This week, host Syama Bunten welcomes Danielle Corcione, a powerhouse equity partner at CSG Law, former federal prosecutor, and champion for women's leadership. Danielle shares her remarkable journey from a small-town Long Island upbringing to becoming a respected trial attorney, angel investor, and voice for balanced ambition.

From her first job at Blockbuster to prosecuting white-collar criminals and human traffickers at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Danielle opens up about the financial trade-offs she made to pursue meaningful work, the student loan burden she navigated without guidance, and how she built a thriving law practice on principles of generosity and alignment.

Listen as Danielle discusses modeling work-life integration for the next generation, teaching law students that feeling good drives success, and raising grateful children in a different financial reality than she experienced. Her story illuminates how strategic career pivots, authenticity, and values-driven decision-making can create both professional success and personal fulfillment.

Key Topics:

1. Taking massive pay cuts for meaningful work—from big law to in-house to federal prosecution

2. Navigating $200K+ in student loans without financial education or family guidance

3. Working through pregnancy as a new federal prosecutor without maternity leave benefits

4. Building a law practice on generosity instead of competition—and why it works

5. Moving from representing $50 billion companies to angel investing in women founders

6. Raising financially secure children while teaching them gratitude and contribution

7. Teaching the next generation that feeling good comes before success, not after

Connect with Danielle Corcione online:

Website: https://www.csglaw.com/people/danielle-m-corcione/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chiesa-shahinian-&-giantomasi-pc

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: wealthcatalyst.com

Podcast: wealthcatalyst.com/getting-rich-together-podcast

Download Syama's Free Resources: wealthcatalyst.com/resources

Wealth Catalyst Summit: wealthcatalyst.com/summits

Speaking: syamabunten.com

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

Join me as I sit down with the dynamic Jami Stigliano, founder and franchisor of Diva Dance, who has built an incredible business around empowering women through dance while creating wealth-building opportunities for franchisees across the globe.

Jami takes us through her journey from growing up in small-town Texas with entrepreneurial role models to spending 20 years in the music industry in New York City, and ultimately finding her true calling in building a dance franchise that helps women own their power. You'll hear about her strategic approach to bootstrapping a business to 52 locations without outside investors, her partnership with her husband in both business and life, and her upcoming capital raise.

This conversation is packed with insights on franchising as a wealth-building vehicle, the importance of an abundance mindset, and how to scale a values-driven business while maintaining authentic community connections.

Key Topics:

1. Growing up with abundance mindset and quality over quantity lessons from dad
2. Surviving the music industry in NYC while building 401k wealth
3. The Miami breakthrough moment that changed everything
4. Bootstrapping through sacrifice: roommates, in-laws, and side hustles
5. Why franchising beats licensing for building real assets
6. Selling their Manhattan apartment to fund business growth
7. Scaling to $2.3M revenue without investors and preparing for capital raise

Connect with Jami online:

Website: divadance.com

Franchise opportunities: divadancefranchise.com

LinkedIn: Connect with Jami Stigliano

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

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: syamabunten.com

Download Syama's Guide to Getting Rich: www.syamabunten.com

Women & Wealth Catalyst Summit: women.win

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

I'm absolutely thrilled to share this conversation with the brilliant Dia Bondi - someone I deeply respect, admire, and have the absolute best time with. Dia is not only the author of "Ask Like an Auctioneer" but also one of the most courageous and bold leadership communication experts I know, helping transformational leaders find their voice and make big decisions.

In this deeply personal conversation, Dia takes us back to her roots growing up in Sonoma County in a family of small business owners, where she learned early lessons about entrepreneurship from watching her dad leave his job to start a construction company with the philosophy "don't buy a dump truck till you need a dump truck."

What strikes me most about Dia's story is how she's always followed her instincts - from that visceral reaction in a corporate interview that told her she couldn't work in a cubicle, to spending a year and a half discovering what she truly wanted to do, to eventually building a thriving leadership communications business that has generated million-dollar payouts.

Dia shares candidly about how she and her husband have approached money as business partners from day one, reading books like "The Millionaire Next Door" to create a shared operating system around spending and saving. She reveals how she made money "unimportant" for years due to family stories about the dangers of wealth, and how she gradually learned to value her work appropriately and participate in the upside she creates for clients.

This conversation is packed with tactical insights about transitioning from corporate work to entrepreneurship, pricing your services, and building wealth while keeping your cost of living intentionally low to protect what matters most - your time, energy, and freedom.

Key Topics:

1. Why visceral reactions to traditional career paths can guide you toward entrepreneurship
2. How to practice new skills creatively (like offering free coaching at flea markets)
3. How family money stories can make you afraid of wealth accumulation
4. Why keeping your cost of living low creates space for freedom and choice
5. How to negotiate equity and participate in client value creation
6. The power of automated wealth building through simple, consistent investing
7. Why "money is dangerous" beliefs can limit your entrepreneurial potential

Connect with Dia online:

Website: https://www.diabondi.com/

Book: "Ask Like an Auctioneer" - available wherever books are sold

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: https://syamabunten.com/

Download Syama's Guide to Getting Rich: www.syamabunten.com

Women & Wealth Catalyst Summit: https://women.win/

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

I'm thrilled to share this deeply moving conversation with Sun Yong Kim-Manzolini, whose story is nothing short of extraordinary. Sun Yong's journey from a disabled orphan in South Korea to a successful options trader and entrepreneur in America is a testament to the power of resilience, taking action despite fear, and never giving up on your dreams.

In this episode, Sun Yong opens up about her early childhood in Korean orphanages, learning to walk at age six, being adopted by an American family, and working her dream job as a medical assistant for 33 years. But here's where her story takes an incredible turn - at age 54, she made the bold decision to retire early with only $10 in her checking account and teach herself options trading as a "hobby."

What happened next will inspire you: Sun Yong developed her own trading system and turned that hobby into a six-figure income in her first year. She shares the practical details of her journey, from using virtual money to practice, to taking a home equity loan to fund her real trading account, to eventually turning her husband's $164,000 retirement fund into over $600,000 in just 11 months.

This conversation is packed with wisdom about taking calculated risks, the importance of financial education, and how money can be a tool for creating the life you truly want. Sun Yong's earnestness and integrity shine through every moment of our discussion.

Key Topics:

1. How childhood trauma shaped her money mindset and resourcefulness

2. Leaving her "dream job" after 33 years to pursue financial independence

3. Learning options trading at age 54 with zero tech experience

4. Using virtual money to master trading before risking real capital

5. Turning $164K retirement funds into $600K in 11 months

6. Managing multiple revenue streams in minutes per day

7. Taking action despite fear and imperfect timing

8. Building a legacy of financial empowerment for others

Connect with Sun Yong:

Book:

Invest Yourself and Throw Away Your Excuses and Turn Your Life Around

Opposites (co-written with her husband) Mention this podcast for 50% off signed copies

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sun-yong-kim-manzolini-5105a8203/

Upcoming Event: Thrive 360 - A live event focusing on the four pillars of a dream life: mental health, physical health, spiritual health, and financial health.

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: https://syamabunten.com/

Download Syama's Guide to Getting Rich: www.syamabunten.com

Women & Wealth Catalyst Summit: https://women.win/

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com