Getting Rich Together

Join me as I sit down with the incredible Alyssa Arnold, a powerhouse in women's investment and empowerment. In this enlightening conversation, Alyssa takes us through her journey from growing up in Houston, Texas, to becoming a pivotal figure in the realm of venture capital.

Alyssa shares her early inspirations to become an engineer through her father, and how her education laid the groundwork for her strategic mindset in business and investments. Alyssa opens up about her transition from a promising corporate career to entrepreneurial success and the eventual co-founding of her consulting firm with her husband.

She discusses the formation of Pearl Influential Capital and her mission to democratize investment opportunities for women by creating Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs). Alyssa's insightful reflections on risk, reward, and learning from early investment mistakes are invaluable for anyone looking to venture into the world of finance.

As we explore Alyssa's current endeavors with Cherub, we delve into the importance of network building, the role of education in fostering confident women investors, and her vision for making wealth-building accessible to future generations. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned investor, or someone curious about the intersection of gender and finance, this episode is packed with wisdom and inspiration.

Key Topics:

1. Following in her dad's footsteps to become a civil engineer
2. Feeling like she had something to prove in university
3. Alyssa's initiation into entrepreneurship after having her son
4. Finding excitement in saving and watching her bank account grow in her 20s
5. Navigating the ups and downs of working in the energy sector
6. Alyssa's first exposure to the world of investing through her coworkers
7. The importance of diversifying deal flow
8. Balancing safety and risk in investments
9. Writing her first investment checks and what she learned from those first experiences
10. Getting strategic about diversifying deal flow
11. Figure out what you absolutely don't want to invest in, and build a thesis from there
12. Learning the hard way from doing things the wrong way for a long time
13. Going from solo investor to building a business around helping women invest
14. What Alyssa learned from starting Pearl Influential
15. Getting acquired and what led to that decision
16. Joining forces with Cherub

Connect with Alyssa online:

Website: https://www.investwithcherub.com/

https://pearl.rocks/

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

https://www.linkedin.com/company/pearl-influential-capital/

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

In this episode, I'm thrilled to sit down with the inspiring Elaine Asher, a powerhouse in educating and empowering women to gain financial independence through investing, especially in alternative assets.

Elaine shared how she grew up being super studious with a heavy emphasis on getting a liberal arts education after high school. We dive deep into Elaine's early memories of money and how the Black Monday stock market crashed in 1987 served as an early lesson in the broad impact the stock market has on society.

Elaine takes us through her diverse career, from non-profit fundraising to private wealth management, eventually leading her to the dynamic world of cryptocurrency. Her mission is clear: to break down barriers and enable more women to participate in all types of investing — especially crypto.

Elaine also discusses her latest venture, Eve Wealth, which aims to simplify and demystify investing in digital assets for women. Tune in to learn about the impactful changes Elaine is making and how you can take steps toward your own financial empowerment.

Key Topics:

1. Early lessons in the volatility of money through the 1987 stock market crash
2. Attending 3 high schools in four years as a type A teenager
3. Choosing a college major for enjoyment vs. out of necessity
4. Cold-calling Wall Street for her first job in 1998
5. Elaine's first exposure to the power of investing
6. Learning not what to do with money after her grandfather died
7. An initiation into investing through an inheritance and how it helped drive her career moves
8. Quitting her job to travel Europe
9. Lessons from the wealthy at her fundraising job
10. A desire to get into finance to inspire more women interested in investing
11. Elaine's journey to working with JP Morgan
12. The breakthrough moment that got her into cryptocurrency investing
13. The untapped opportunities for women with crypto
14. Having a high risk tolerance for investing
15. Going on a mission to educate more women in the power of crypto
16. Starting Eve Wealth and fundraising her startup

Connect with Elaine online:

Website: https://www.evewealth.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-asher-0a49a24/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/evewealthhq/

Instagram: @evewealthhq

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 am thrilled to have the incredible Sam McLemore on the show this week. Sam is a true champion of empowering women to achieve financial independence and leads a prolific career in investing.

In this episode, we dive deep into Sam's fascinating life, starting from her childhood in Vermont, where she grew up with parents who had contrasting views on money. These early exposures to money, working from a young age, and navigating financial anxieties shaped her relentless drive to never be dependent on anyone financially.

Sam shares how her father's introduction to the stock market during her teenage years sparked her interest in investments, which fueled her pursuit of a finance career, eventually working with legendary investor Bill Miller.

Sam's journey is marked by calculated career and investment moves, including buying her first house just a year out of college and trying to live an aspirational life as a Vermont innkeeper` – a challenging yet illuminating experience.

As the founder and managing member of Patient Capital, Sam discusses her vision for creating a highly trusted, investor-friendly firm, and shares her passion for supporting other women in finance. We talk about balancing career and family life, the importance of instilling financial values in her children, and her drive to integrate principles of stoicism and mindfulness into her business practices.

Key Topics:

1. Opposites attract in money values
2. Sam's early anxiety around money and how her dad influenced her to start investing
3. Starting university with a chemistry major and ending with a business degree
4. How meeting Bill Miller gave Sam an early launch into the investment and finance field
5. Building equity by buying her first house one year out of university
6. Finding satisfaction and fulfillment from saving money
7. Aspiring to become a Vermont innkeeper in 2011
8. How her money mindset shifted after selling the inn
9. Setting a goal to get more women into investing
10. Instilling good money values in your kids without an inherent struggle mindset
11. How Sam is starting to see her values take shape in her business
12. Bringing the ideals of Stoicism and Buddhism into finance and investing

Connect with Samantha online:

Website: https://patientcapitalmanagement.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/patient-capital-management-llc/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-mclemore/

X: https://x.com/patientcm

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 have the brilliant and incredible Heather Udo on today's episode of Getting Rich Together. Heather is not just an outstanding entrepreneur who's been leading her business, Shoppable, for nearly 15 years; she also holds a U.S. patent and dedicates her time to coaching first-time founders.

In this conversation, we journey through Heather's life, starting from her formative years growing up in La Crosse, Wisconsin, as 1 of 8 children in her family, to her early entrepreneurial endeavors, and finally to her successful career in tech. Heather shares fascinating stories from her childhood, the influence of her parents on her financial mindset, and her early adventures with eBay arbitrage at only 12 years old.

We also dive into her early experiences during university and starting out in the workforce, her strategic decisions in the early days of her career, and the financial moves that laid the foundation for starting her own business. Especially notable is how Heather always found a way around the frustrations of hitting artificial ceilings throughout her career and opened other paths to success despite the hurdles.

Heather's insights on managing personal and business finances, navigating entrepreneurial challenges, and balancing family life make this episode a goldmine of wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Key Topics:

1. The money stories Heather grew up with in her family
2. What it was like growing up in a family of 8 kids
3. Heather's initiation into entrepreneurship with eBay arbitrage at 12 years old
4. The first moments of freedom in her teenage years with her first jobs
5. Navigating early career ceilings and arbitrary experience requirements
6. Taking a risk to work with the founder of Military.com to help him launch another business
7. Gaining the financial confidence to branch out on her own
8. Heather's early investing and saving strategies
9. Preparing financially to make Shoppable® happen
10. Learning the right and wrong ways to pay yourself as an entrepreneur
11. Navigating money conversations at home and with kids
12. Learning you need to be financially successful on your own in order to make a broader impact on others

Join Frec to start getting more out of your investments today: https://frec.com/?utm_source=GRT&utm_medium=GRT&utm_id=GRT

Connect with Heather online:

Website: https://www.heatherudo.com/

Shoppable: https://about.shoppable.com/

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

Instagram: @heather__udo

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 welcome the prolific, beautiful, and brilliant Divya Gugnani on today's episode. Divya is known as a fearless founder, deeply committed investor, and incubator of brilliant ideas. In this episode, we explore her inspiring journey from a shy child growing up in Long Island to becoming a serial entrepreneur and founder five times over.

We kick things off by diving into Divya's early years, where she shares intimate stories of her introverted childhood and the foundational experiences that shaped her entrepreneurial DNA. She candidly talks about how her career in finance helped her build the confidence to kickstart her first successful business, leading to multiple startup launches and significant exits.

We also explore the dynamics of navigating a predominantly male finance industry and the hard lessons Divya learned about self-advocacy and financial management in a highly competitive industry. She also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at her personal life — balancing motherhood, money in marriage, and being a mentor to many in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Tune in to this episode for high-value insights from one of the most dynamic women in business. You'll learn about the power of persistence, the importance of community, and strategies for financial success.

Key Topics:

1. How being a shy child helped shape Divya's inner entrepreneur
2. What inspired Divya to pursue finance and a career on Wall Street
3. Learning what not to do around money from her parents
4. Treat money well, and it will treat you well
5. Navigating a dramatic pay gap between men and women in finance
6. Getting the inspiration to start her first business
7. Riding the high of selling her first business and the lessons she learned as a first-time entrepreneur
8. Lacking positive reinforcement from family and how that affected Divya
9. How Divya invests the money she made from selling her business to support other entrepreneurs
10. The biggest mistake Divya made in her money journey
11. Navigating financial convos and money lessons with kids
12. Leaving a legacy of support, kindness, and generosity for other entrepreneurs

Join Frec to start getting more out of your investments today: https://frec.com/?utm_source=GRT&utm_medium=GRT&utm_id=GRT

Connect with Divya online:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/divya-gugnani-6ba98/

Instagram: @dgugnani

Wander Beauty: https://www.wanderbeauty.com/

Concept to Co: http://concepttoco.com/

5 SENS: https://5sens.co/

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

Welcome to the 50th episode of the Getting Rich Together podcast! I can't believe we've made it here, and I'm so grateful to share this milestone with you. In this special episode, I reflect on the journey of this podcast, which started with the aim to help women understand their unique paths in wealth building.

I discuss the incredible stories and vulnerable moments shared by our guests and the transformative impact these narratives have had on our audience. With notable achievements like surpassing 1000 five-star reviews on Spotify and winning an award for the most innovative podcast by and for women, we celebrate our global reach in the business and investing categories.

I also introduce the upcoming Women and Wealth Catalyst Summit, which many of you have heard me promoting at the beginning of the show lately. I designed this as a safe space for women to share their wealth-building journeys and close the confidence gap. I want us to build a community where we're all truly getting rich — together!

And lastly, I share some personal updates on my financial ventures, including investments in land, Broadway, and emerging market funds, and touch on emerging trends like AI. Join me in celebrating our past accomplishments, and looking forward to a brighter future in women's financial empowerment.

Cheers to many more episodes to come!

Key Topics:

1. We made it to Episode 50!
2. Wealth building isn't linear, but women aren't behind the game
3. The milestones the podcast has reached so far
4. Preparing for The Great Wealth Transfer
5. How do we close the confidence gap between women and their wealth?
6. The Women & Wealth Catalyst Summit
7. The motivation and inspiration behind the summit
8. What holds women back from opening up about money
9. Where I've been investing and the financial goals I'm trying to meet
10. Where I've lost some money on investments
11. Getting more interested in AI and the investment opportunities there
12. Getting started in venture fund investments

Join Frec to start getting more out of your investments today: https://frec.com/?utm_source=GRT&utm_medium=GRT&utm_id=GRT

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 welcome the brilliant Amberly Jones on today's episode. Amberly is a powerhouse in the world of finance, currently as Head of Growth at Frec, and she has an incredible journey to share with us today.

We start by diving into Amberly's unique upbringing, shaped by her entrepreneurial parents and her early fascination with personal finance. She shares how moving frequently and having younger siblings grounded her, instilling a sense of independence and a keen interest in wealth-building from a young age.

Her first major role at Realm, a startup focused on helping homeowners make better financial decisions, became a playground for her entrepreneurial spirit and desire to help others be financially educated. Amberly's journey culminates in her current leadership position at Frec, where she spearheads efforts to educate and provide tools for tax loss harvesting and direct indexing.

She candidly talks about the challenges of educating people on these niche financial strategies and the impact they're making by lowering the barriers to entry for people to take steps toward growing their wealth. Throughout the episode, you'll gain insight into Amberly's steadfast approach to personal finance, her strategic career decisions, and her passion for making financial literacy accessible to all.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone inspired by the intersection of personal finance, entrepreneurial grit, and impactful leadership. Tune in to learn how Amberly is paving the way for more people to achieve financial freedom and make smarter financial decisions.

Key Topics:

1. How Amberly's parents piqued her interest in personal finance from a young age
2. Hitting the ground running with an entrepreneurial spirit and a dream
3. The importance of creating the conditions to make your own success
4. Early lessons in budgeting and money management from her father
5. Pivoting from law school aspirations to building and founding startups
6. Amberly's laser focus on networking and working in college
7. How a mentor changed Amberly's view on negotiating and asking for what you're worth
8. Amberly's start at Realm and surrounding herself with other successful founders
9. How her perspectives on investing and saving have shifted as her career has developed
10. The money conversations Amberly is now having at home with her wife
11. Amberly's introduction to tax loss harvesting and direct indexing
12. How Frec is working to help educate people on finances and change the way people save money
13. Amberly's dream of being a founder who focuses on educating women and children for brighter financial futures
14. Embodying more fearlessness and courage in future endeavors

Join Frec to start getting more out of your investments today: https://frec.com/?utm_source=GRT&utm_medium=GRT&utm_id=GRT

Connect with Amberly online:

Website: https://frec.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberly-jones-247461a4/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/frecfinance/

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 delighted to introduce the phenomenal Jocelyn Magnan on today's episode. Jocelyn has been a trailblazer in advocating for more women on boards and creating wealth collectively. In this conversation, we dive into Jocelyn's life story, from her upbringing in the South to navigating her way through prestigious universities and big tech startups.

Jocelyn shares candidly about her journey through some of her most influential roles, like how she talked herself into a job helping launch City Search (now Ticketmaster), her experiences learning financial literacy, and the challenges she faced moving up in the tech world. Later, we get into the crucial moments that led her to found Him for Her, an organization aimed at solving board diversity issues.

Through our conversation, you'll gain an understanding of how Jocelyn uses her network, passions, and experiences to drive impactful change and empower others. We also discuss her innovative approach to her portfolio career, her passion for investing, and the invaluable lessons she's teaching her children about money and independence.

This episode is for anyone seeking to understand the intersection of purpose, financial independence, and strategic career decisions. Tune in and be ready to be inspired by Jocelyn's vision and her relentless pursuit of a more inclusive and financially empowered world for women.

Key Topics:

1. Growing up in the South with a Texas feminist mom
2. Choosing a university major for passion, not money
3. Navigating early finances and summer jobs to get through university
4. How Jocelyn learned she needed more experience in order to move up in her career
5. Being at the forefront of City Search as an early startup
6. Moving up in her career, but staying relatively the same financially
7. Moving to Open Table for a new career challenge
8. What prompted Jocelyn to branch out on her own and start Him for Her
9. Building safety nets and raising capital to fund her entrepreneurial ventures
10. What Jocelyn has learned along the path of building a portfolio career
11. Getting passionate about rebalancing the investment scales for women
12. Empowering children to learn how to earn and spend money
13. Getting more women on boards to generate better outcomes for all

Connect with Jocelyn online:

Website: https://www.illumynimpact.org/

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

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 have the incredible connector-in-chief, Jen Nash, on today's episode. Jen is a powerhouse whose life's mission revolves around helping others unlock their purpose and power while creating meaningful relationships.

Today, we dive into Jen's lesser-known backstory about her money journey, which shaped her into the financially fearless thought leader she is today. From her dynamic childhood growing up on the other side of the world to venturing into real estate investment and consulting, Jen's story is nothing short of inspiring.

We explore how her upbringing influenced her financial perspectives and how core moments in her life, like losing everything in the stock market crash and managing multiple properties, shaped her financial resilience. Jen also shares some candid advice on partnering in real estate and the importance of keeping overheads low.

Her journey offers a unique blend of practical tips and emotional wisdom, making this episode a must-listen for anyone interested in financial freedom and purposeful living. You'll learn that the true essence of financial security lies in understanding your values, managing your investments wisely, and always planning for the future.

Key Topics:

1. A global upbringing that shaped how Jen looked at the world and money
2. How getting published for the first time helped Jen think more strategically about money
3. Scoring a rent-stabilized apartment after moving to NYC to work for the New York Times
4. Losing everything when the dot com bubble burst
5. Transitioning to real estate and starting her first real estate fund
6. Getting more savvy and creative about her real estate investments as she gained more experience
7. Turning real estate into a passive income stream
8. Understanding where to invest and why it's a good investment
9. Turning her focus to helping the environment and protecting our oceans

Connect with Jen online:

Website: https://jennash.com/

Instagram: @realjennash

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennash-connect

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 so excited to introduce you to the incredible Susan Sierota, a dynamic and passionate two-time exited founder who has devoted her life to helping others, mentoring budding entrepreneurs, and driving positive change in the world.

In our conversation, we dive deep into the pivotal moments of her upbringing, her unique approach to education, and how she overcame adversity to create her own destiny. Susan grew up in an upper-middle-class family, but despite this, she faced significant challenges, leaving home before she turned twelve and learning to be independent from a very young age.

Susan emphasized education as her ticket out and earned a community college degree, even after dropping out of high school. She shared her extensive experiences from working at Procter & Gamble, where she moved through the ranks and used the company's benefits to further her education, eventually earning an MBA.

We later dive into her transition from the corporate world to entrepreneurship. Susan candidly talks about the struggles and learning moments from her first startup, emphasizing the importance of not living beyond one's means and the power of delayed gratification. She later founded a tech company focused on animal health, driven by a deep personal mission after losing her dog to cancer.

Her journey illustrates the balance between financial prudence and pursuing a mission-driven life. This episode is not just about financial success; it's about resilience, growth, and the impact one can have by staying true to their values.

Key Topics:

1. Learning to fend for herself at age 12
2. Paying for a college education on credit cards
3. Getting a master's with the help of P&G
4. Susan's first introduction to saving and investing through work
5. Learning to never live outside of your means
6. Susan's first introduction to real estate as an asset at 26
7. Laying the groundwork for her first startup
8. Setting boundaries for herself around money while launching the business
9. Early lessons and mistakes from leaving corporate to launching her first business
10. Taking time to travel after exiting her first business
11. Opening a Crossfit gym and advising businesses on the side
12. How her dog inspired her next business venture
13. How Susan is continuing to build her body of work today
14. Play long-term games with long-term people

Connect with Susan online:

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

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