Getting Rich Together

I am joined this week by the brilliant and beautiful Patty Wexler. Patty is not only backing bold founders reimagining the future economy through Avila but also someone who has had such a unique story on this earth. From growing up in Venezuela as the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors to becoming a venture capitalist investing in nuclear fusion and geothermal energy, Patty's journey is a masterclass in experiencing excellence and finding your path.

Today, we dive deep into Patty's formative years split between Venezuela and New York, where she learned early that counting every penny was survival. You'll hear about the boss who picked up the phone and changed her life trajectory, her realization that $28,000 felt like infinite wealth until rent was due, and how she tasted excellence at the buffet of opportunities from consulting to Disney to tech investing. Patty shares her philosophy on why venture isn't for everyone, the critical importance of choosing financial partners like you're entering a marriage with children, and why she pivoted from typical Silicon Valley investing to backing companies working on humanity's biggest challenges.

Listen as Patty talks about teaching her son to invest in her fund at age eight, the awkwardness of mixing money and personal relationships when fundraising, and her deep belief that we all need to stay involved with critical thinking as the world teeters on instability. This is a conversation about building wealth while keeping your eyes on the long-term future of our planet.

Key Topics:

1. Growing up with the epigenetics of Holocaust survival and what it means to count every penny
2. Learning that the first leap is the hardest, but once you're an immigrant, there's more optionality
3. Why early career is about experiencing different things to figure out what makes you tick
4. Understanding that venture capital isn't for everyone and choosing the right financial partners is like marriage with children
5. Making the pivot from lazy Silicon Valley investing to backing nuclear fusion and geothermal energy
6. Teaching your kids that privilege isn't random and comes from working very hard
7. Why the world needs critical thinking and long-term vision when everything feels unstable

Connect with Patty online:

Website: https://www.avila.vc

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

Instagram: @pattywexler @avila.vc

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: wealthcatalyst.com

Substack: https://thewealthcatalystwithsyama.substack.com/

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 a profound conversation with Camille Scott-Wiles, an ICU nurse turned financial educator who transformed personal tragedy into a mission to help everyday professionals build lasting wealth. Camille's story begins in East New York, Brooklyn, where she grew up in poverty despite having a millionaire father, creating a complex relationship with money that would shape her entire financial philosophy.

Camille shares the pivotal moment when both her parents died of cancer just 19 hours apart, leaving her to navigate two estate settlements across multiple countries while launching her nursing career. This experience revealed critical gaps in financial planning that most families face—from missing life insurance policies to unprotected assets—and ignited her passion for teaching others how to avoid the same pitfalls.

Throughout our conversation, Camille reveals why she allocated 75% of her portfolio to precious metals, how she uses index universal life insurance policies that the wealthy have leveraged since 1913, and why she checks her investments daily in today's volatile economic climate. She breaks down complex concepts like the gold-to-silver ratio, wealth cycles, and the geopolitical shifts that are reshaping how we should think about protecting our assets. This episode is essential listening for anyone who wants to take control of their financial education and build wealth that can weather any economic storm.

Key Topics:

1. What you learn about money from watching your parents' struggles—and why sometimes the best lessons come from what NOT to do
2. How losing both parents within 19 hours forces you to become financially savvy overnight and manage estates across countries
3. Why life insurance is the first line of defense in estate planning—and the policy types most people never hear about
4. How to educate yourself on alternative investments while working full-time by following wealth cycles and market pioneers
5. Why diversifying into precious metals offers peace of mind when traditional markets face geopolitical and economic turbulence
6. What the gold-to-silver ratio reveals about when to enter and exit commodity investments for maximum returns
7. How index universal life insurance policies let you build tax-free retirement wealth the way elites have since 1913
8. Why checking your portfolio daily keeps you ahead of market shifts and helps you rebalance for changing economic conditions

Connect with Camille online:

Website: https://stan.store/PreciousMetalsMasterclass

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

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Join Syama's Substack: https://thewealthcatalystwithsyama.substack.com/

Website: https://wealthcatalyst.com

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

Wealth Catalyst Summit: https://wealthcatalyst.com/summits

Speaking: https://syamabunten.com

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

Join me for an incredible conversation with Flossie Hall, a powerhouse entrepreneur who has built and exited multiple seven-figure businesses and is now CEO of Stella Foundation, where she's helped move over $200 million in capital to female founders worldwide. Flossie's journey from growing up in poverty in small-town America to becoming a force for women's economic empowerment is nothing short of extraordinary.

Flossie takes us through her early years, from being "toothless Flossie" living in constant instability to becoming a teenage mother determined to break generational cycles. She shares how she navigated working three jobs while earning two undergraduate degrees, even becoming a Distinguished Researcher at the University of Michigan. Her story takes an unexpected turn when a military move forces her to pivot from medical school to accidentally launching a meal prep business that generated $30,000 per month from her home kitchen.

Throughout our conversation, Flossie reveals the inflection points that transformed her relationship with money, from the day she realized she could dictate her own income to learning that enough is truly enough. She opens up about teaching her four children about wealth, investing in startups as "lotto tickets," and why she organizes her work into three buckets based on mission, balance, and profit. This episode is a masterclass in turning adversity into advantage and using wealth as a tool for systemic change.

Key Topics:

1. How growing up in poverty shaped an unshakeable determination to create financial freedom
2. Becoming a teenage mother and the decision to work rather than let circumstances define your future
3. The moment you realize you can dictate your own income and why that autonomy changes everything
4. Accidentally building a $30K/month business and discovering your gift for scaling operations
5. Why treating businesses as temporary identities rather than permanent fixtures unlocks exponential growth
6. Finding your "enough is enough" threshold and choosing life balance over endless work
7. Teaching your children about money, investing, and the value of work when they've never experienced struggle
8. Building an investing muscle through sweat equity, small checks, and calculated risk-taking as your "lotto tickets"

Connect with Flossie online:

Website: https://stella.co/

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

More from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Join Syama's Substack: https://thewealthcatalystwithsyama.substack.com/

Website: wealthcatalyst.com

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 joined this week by the beautiful and incredible Nell Daly from Revenge Capital. Nell is not only a venture capitalist investing in underrepresented founders but also a former psychotherapist who spent 17,000 hours listening to people's life stories and understanding how deeply money affects our psychological well-being and life choices.

Today, we dive deep into Nell's unconventional journey from growing up as the daughter of Irish immigrants who physically skipped middle class but psychologically remained "kids from the projects," to becoming a therapist treating the symptoms of economic inequality, to finally deciding to treat the root causes by becoming a venture capitalist. You'll hear about the profound ways financial insecurity shaped her childhood, her pivot from law to art school after a friend's tragic death, and the realization that came from years of private practice that economic freedom is fundamental to human autonomy and mental health.

Nell shares how she taught herself venture capital during the pandemic by Googling every term she didn't understand, why her son named the fund "Revenge," and her mission to make sure that anyone who doesn't look or sound like traditional power has a seat at the table. Listen as Nell talks about the courage it takes to keep touching the hot stove, why being talent isn't enough when you want to run the company, and how we need more women later in the food chain writing the actual checks.

Key Topics:

1. Growing up with the psychological scars of poverty even when you're physically middle class

2. Treating 17,000 hours of patients and realizing money is the root cause, not just a symptom

3. Learning that economic freedom is fundamental to leaving bad relationships and living out your dreams

4. Teaching yourself venture capital through Google when you don't come from banking or finance

5. Why "Revenge" perfectly captures what underrepresented founders are really seeking

6. The difference between being talent and being the one who writes the checks

7. Creating systematic change so talented women don't leave male-dominated industries in tears

Connect with Nell online:

Website: https://revenge.capital/

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

Instagram: @nell.daly @revengecapital

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Join Syama's Substack: https://thewealthcatalystwithsyama.substack.com/

Website: wealthcatalyst.com

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 joined this week by the bold and brilliant Mel Dorman. Mel is not only a successful real estate investor with nearly three dozen rental units but also a financial activist devoted to helping people reclaim their financial power through ethical real estate investing.

Today, we dive deep into Mel's journey from being a self-described "anti-capitalist" social worker to becoming a real estate investor who's redefining what wealth-building can look like when it centers people and community. You'll hear about Mel's unconventional first business breeding reptiles in high school, her transformative humanitarian work abroad, and the family crisis that sparked her mission to build wealth differently.

Mel shares how she discovered seller financing as an alternative to traditional real estate investing, building a multi-million-dollar portfolio starting with just $500 out of pocket. She opens up about the profound moment at her father's bedside that crystallized her purpose to teach others what she learned too late to help him. Listen as Mel talks about creating the Seller Financing Academy, her vision for economic justice through local ownership, and how transformation happens when we build wealth in community with our neighbors rather than extracting from them.

Key Topics:

1. Starting with financial celibacy and learning that opting out of capitalism doesn't protect you from it

2. The family crisis that forced a reckoning with money as power and agency

3. Discovering seller financing as a relationship-based investment strategy built on social capital, not money capital

4. Turning $500 into 23 rental units through creative deal structuring and strategic thinking

5. The promise made at her father's bedside that became her life's mission

6. Why transformation happens in community, not through weekend boot camps

7. Building ethical real estate ecosystems where neighbors become partners instead of extraction targets

Connect with Mel online:

Website: https://www.meldorman.com/

Book: Bank on Your Neighbor

TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptadc1hNEi8

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

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

Seller Financing Academy: https://www.sellerfinancingacademy.com/

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Join Syama's Substack: https://thewealthcatalystwithsyama.substack.com/

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 extraordinary conversation with Biet Simkin, renowned spiritual teacher, bestselling author, and the self-proclaimed "David Bowie of meditation." Biet's journey from abject poverty in Queens with an awakened shaman father to becoming a sought-after spiritual guide earning seven figures is unlike anything you've heard before—and it will challenge everything you think you know about money, success, and destiny.

In this raw and transformative episode, Biet shares her childhood growing up in a roach-infested tenement apartment after her mother died of pancreatic cancer, being raised by a father who believed love and consciousness were the only currencies that mattered. She was reading Carl Jung at nine years old, meditating deeply, and already convinced she possessed magic—even as she cried every day at public school where she was punched for seeming "too intelligent."

Biet takes us through getting signed to Sony at 18, watching her music career collapse as the industry imploded, and descending into drugs, alcohol, and dating "the wrong men" as a DJ in New York's party scene. But after the devastating loss of her four-month-old daughter to SIDS, followed by her best friend's suicide, her father's death, and her house burning down, Biet found sobriety—and with it, her true calling.

She reveals how she went from earning $12,000 a year (living on $1,000 a month in NYC) to $170,000 in one year, then tripling to over $400,000, and eventually hitting seven figures—all without following conventional business advice, creating funnels, or doing what everyone said she "should" do. Instead, she trusted her magic, priced herself like Picasso, and believed the quantum field would deliver.

This episode is for anyone who's ever been told they're "too much," too spiritual, too unconventional—and for those ready to stop apologizing for their gifts and start claiming their worth.

Key Topics:

1. Why being raised in "abject poverty" by an awakened shaman became her greatest blessing
2. The dangerous lesson: when you're taught that money is shameful and love is the only real currency
3. From signed at Sony to career collapse: navigating the music industry implosion without a safety net
4. How devastating loss and trauma became the portal to sobriety and spiritual awakening
5. The moment her partner asked to see her numbers—and why shame kept her hiding from financial truth
6. Going from $12,000/year to six figures by trusting her magic instead of business gurus
7. The Picasso pricing philosophy: "I said so, therefore it's worth it"
8. Why sales and marketing are spiritual practices—and how to sell yourself without apology

Connect with Biet online:

Website: https://www.bietsimkin.com

Instagram: @bietsimkin

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 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