Getting Rich Together

Join host Syama Bunten for an inspiring conversation with Cate Luzio, founder and CEO of Luminary, the global platform advancing women and underrepresented talent in the workplace. Cate shares her remarkable journey from a middle-class upbringing with an FBI agent father and teacher mother to leading multi-billion-dollar corporate banking units at JP Morgan and HSBC, before launching her own company at age 44.

In this candid conversation, Cate reveals how her Gen X "save, save, save" mentality and early lessons about hard work shaped her financial foundation. You'll hear about her pivotal "what's your number?" moment at JP Morgan that changed how she thought about compensation, her strategic decision to self-fund Luminary instead of raising venture capital, and how she navigated building a business through a global pandemic.

This episode is a masterclass in calculated risk-taking, the power of using your own capital to maintain control, and why profitable, sustainable businesses don't need to be unicorns to be successful and impactful.

Key Topics:

1. How Gen X saving habits create entrepreneurial freedom - Learn why the "pay yourself first" mentality enables bigger life moves later
2. The compensation conversation that changes everything - Discover how asking "what's your number?" can transform your earning potential
3. Why self-funding beats venture capital for some businesses - Understand when using your own capital gives you speed and control advantages
4. Building cash-positive businesses from day one - Get the blueprint for creating sustainable companies that don't rely on endless fundraising
5. Navigating major life changes as financial catalysts - Explore how divorce and career pivots can clarify money priorities and goals
6. The strategic advantage of being a seasoned founder - Learn why starting a business in your 40s brings networks, experience, and better judgment
7. Smart acquisition strategies for growing businesses - Discover how profitable companies can grow through buying complementary businesses
8. Balancing lifestyle and business reinvestment - Master the art of paying yourself appropriately while funding company growth

Connect with Cate Luzio:

Luminary: luminary.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cateluzio

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: syamabunten.com

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

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

Join host Syama Bunten for an inspiring conversation with Catherine Gray, CEO and founder of She Angel Investors and executive producer of the award-winning documentary "Show Her the Money." Catherine shares her remarkable journey from growing up with entrepreneurial parents outside Washington, DC to becoming a trailblazer in cable television advertising and eventually a passionate advocate for women in venture capital.

In this engaging conversation, Catherine reveals how she built multiple successful businesses, from a college photography franchise to pioneering cable TV advertising when only four channels existed. You'll hear about her bold leap into creating content that changes culture, including producing groundbreaking LGBTQ+ programming and documentaries. Catherine also opens up about her strategic approach to real estate investing, her philosophy of balancing wealth-building with enjoying life, and her mission to educate women about alternative investments.

This episode is a masterclass in recognizing emerging opportunities, the power of storytelling to drive social change, and why women need to claim their space in venture capital and alternative asset investing.

Key Topics:

1. How entrepreneurial parents shape money mindset - Learn why early exposure to business ownership creates lifelong wealth-building habits
2. Spotting ground-floor opportunities before they explode - Discover how to identify emerging industries and ride the wave of growth
3. The art of strategic real estate flipping - Get the blueprint for Catherine's $40k profit on her first property purchase
4. Why you should invest in what you're passionate about - Understand how funding causes you believe in creates both impact and returns
5. Breaking into venture capital as a woman - Learn the difference between angel investing and VC funds and why diversification matters
6. Using media and storytelling to change culture - Explore how investing in film, theater, and content can drive social transformation
7. Building wealth through alternative assets - Discover why only 2-5% in venture capital can outperform traditional market investments
8. The power of "paying yourself first" - Master the psychology of saving and investing before spending on lifestyle

Connect with Catherine Gray:

Show Her the Money: https://showherthemoneymovie.com/

She Angel Investors: sheangelinvestors.com

Invest in Her Podcast: Available on all major podcast platforms

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

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: https://syamabunten.com/

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

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

I am here today with the incredibly kind, generous, and brilliant Wendy Li. Wendy is the co-founder and Chief Investment Officer at Ivy Invest, where she's democratizing access to the same sophisticated investment strategies typically reserved for billion-dollar endowments and foundations.

Today, we take a deep dive into Wendy's remarkable journey from growing up in a tight-budget immigrant family in Pennsylvania to becoming a top institutional investor managing multi-billion dollar portfolios. You'll hear about her early relationship with money shaped by her parents' financial struggles and eventual success, her unexpected discovery of finance as a career path at Columbia, and her unique experience working in the investment offices of prestigious institutions like the Met Museum.

Wendy shares candid insights about being a natural saver from her early twenties, the power of compounding through market volatility, and her bird's-eye view of the vast landscape of investment opportunities most individual investors never see. She opens up about the scary but ultimately rewarding decision to leave the security of institutional investing to build Ivy Invest, and how her mission is to bridge the gap between what billion-dollar institutions can access and what individual investors have available to them.

Listen as Wendy discusses her "endowment in a box" approach, the importance of building financial cushions that provide life optionality, and her vision for helping the next generation of investors build wealth in ways they didn't previously think possible. It's a conversation filled with practical wisdom on investing, risk-taking, and creating meaningful impact through financial innovation.

Key Topics:

1. Growing up in an immigrant family with financial struggles that transformed when her father completed his PhD and entered the semiconductor industry
2. Discovering finance as a career path at Columbia through Wall Street recruiting, despite initially planning to become a lawyer
3. Starting her career at the Met Museum's investment office under female leadership and learning the institutional investing landscape
4. Developing a natural saving mindset in her twenties, living frugally in NYC to maximize investments and build wealth through market volatility
5. Understanding the vast world of alternative investments as an institutional investor - from private equity to real estate to specialized credit strategies
6. Making the difficult decision to leave institutional investing security to co-found Ivy Invest with her family's support
7. Building "endowment in a box" - democratizing access to sophisticated asset classes with just a $1,000 minimum investment
8. Balancing legacy building through both family relationships and creating pathways for others to build wealth

Connect with Wendy online:

Website: https://www.ivyinvest.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-li-cfa/

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: https://syamabunten.com/

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

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

I am here today with the beautiful and brilliant Meredith Noble, a successful entrepreneur who has created an incredible business helping others make money through grant writing - a niche that not too many people have really thought about. While today's conversation touches on Meredith's entrepreneurial success, we dive much deeper into what it's like to live an expansive life with intention and purpose.

Meredith takes us on a fascinating journey from her childhood as a fifth-generation cattle rancher in Wyoming, where she learned the value of hard work and frugality at age four, through her early entrepreneurial experiments (including selling Swedish tobacco out of her high school locker), to building a million-dollar grant writing business that allows her to pursue ambitious dreams like purchasing 10 acres in remote Alaska.

You'll hear about Meredith's strategic approach to career building through informational interviews, her calculated leap from corporate consulting to entrepreneurship, and the near-death experiences her business faced before finding the right model. Meredith shares candid insights about paying herself properly, reinvesting in growth, expanding her capacity to receive wealth, and her vision for creating generational impact through both her business and her Alaska property development.

This conversation is packed with practical wisdom on entrepreneurship, financial discipline, strategic risk-taking, and designing a life that balances security with bold expansion.

1. Growing up on a fifth-generation cattle ranch in Wyoming and early money lessons about debt, frugality, and hard work
2. Early entrepreneurial experiments from high school through college and learning through creative "failures"
3. Mastering the art of informational interviews to create career opportunities and bypass traditional job hunting
4. Making the calculated leap from corporate consulting to entrepreneurship and managing financial runway
5. Building a sustainable grant writing business model through near-death experiences and strategic pivots
6. Scaling personal wealth while reinvesting in business growth and learning to pay yourself properly
7. Expanding capacity to receive wealth and pursuing ambitious dreams like the Alaska property project
8. Creating generational impact and legacy through both business success and physical spaces for future generations

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/22meredith/

Get her book: How To Write A Grant: https://amzn.to/4nzG8CT

https://www.learngrantwriting.org/

Attend a FREE training, "Dreamy Customer Journey Map" on informational interviews - DM Meredith on Instagram for access here: https://www.instagram.com/learngrantwriting/

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: https://syamabunten.com/

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

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

I am thrilled to bring you this inspiring conversation with the remarkable Dee Poku, a visionary leader who is spearheading the future of what success looks like for women. Dee is known within women's communities as someone building the future of community, powerful homes, powerful lives, and true independence. Before creating this incredible impact, she built a successful career in entertainment that took her from the UK to the United States.

Today, we dive deep into Dee's fascinating journey from a sheltered childhood in the UK to experiencing wealth inequality firsthand in Ghana at age six, through her rebellious university years, her climb in the entertainment industry, and ultimately her transition to entrepreneurship and community building. You'll hear about Dee's early financial awakening through credit card debt, her strategic career moves including an international relocation, and the pivotal moment when she walked away from a prestigious corporate career to build something meaningful.

Dee shares her insights on navigating identity crises during career transitions, learning to advocate for her worth, and the evolution from hosting informal gatherings to building a thriving business centered on connecting powerful women. This conversation is packed with wisdom on financial empowerment, community building, and creating a legacy that uplifts future generations of women.

1. Growing up between the UK and Ghana and witnessing wealth inequality at age six
2. Early financial awakening through university credit card debt and learning money management
3. Choosing creativity over corporate finance and transitioning through fashion to entertainment
4. Strategic career moves, salary negotiation, and making the bold leap from UK to US
5. The pivotal moment of leaving prestigious corporate entertainment to pursue entrepreneurship
6. Navigating identity crisis, self-worth challenges, and learning to charge for value
7. Evolution from failed first business to building a thriving community-centered company
8. Building a legacy focused on women's economic empowerment and equal representation

Connect with Dee Poku online:

https://www.deepoku.com/

https://www.instagram.com/deepoku

https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepoku

https://www.thewiesuite.com/

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: https://syamabunten.com/

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

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

In today's episode, we have an incredible guest — Kristy Hurt, the creator of the co-lab who has brought together hundreds of people in the fashion industry to help them grow professionally. Kristy is also known for her amazing recruiting work in the industry, helping many people and businesses find great talent for their brands.

In our conversation, Kristy shares her fascinating journey from growing up as the daughter of a pilot in Houston to becoming a major player in the New York fashion scene. She talks about her early career experiences at Kate Spade and LVMH, quitting corporate to start her own successful recruiting business, and the birth of the co-lab community during the pandemic.

Throughout the episode, Kristy shares valuable insights on managing finances, investing in real estate, balancing work and family, and building multiple income streams. She also opens up about her hopes and plans for the future as her kids get older. In truth, she's just getting started and has no plans to stop anytime soon.

This is an episode packed with inspiration, relatability, and practical wisdom from someone who has truly built an incredible life and career on her own terms. I know you'll get a ton of value from hearing Kristy's story and perspective.

Key Topics:

1. Kristy's first intro to retail and fashion
2. Studying abroad in Spain
3. Her first hard lesson in paying down credit card debt after college
4. Moving to NYC from Texas with no plan
5. Officially starting her fashion career at Kate Spade NY
6. The first big money Kristy earned in her life
7. How real estate changed the savings and investing game for her
8. How having kids changed Kristy's philosophy around money and spending
9. What caused her to leave corporate and become an entrepreneur
10. Rethinking spending and earning after the pandemic flipped her business upside down

Connect with Kristy online:

Website (personal): https://www.khurtconsulting.com/about

co-lab: https://www.jointhecolab.com/become-a-member

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

https://www.instagram.com/jointhecolab/

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: https://syamabunten.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/scalingretailconsulting

I am thrilled to welcome the incredible Hazel Evans to the show this week. Hazel is a powerhouse leader known for her exemplary career in retail, building incredible businesses, and pioneering work in fractional executive services. Her journey from Scotland to becoming a successful entrepreneur and business leader is truly inspiring.

Today, we dive deep into Hazel's remarkable story, starting with her upbringing in Scotland where her accountant father instilled crucial financial wisdom from an early age. You'll hear about how open money conversations at the dinner table shaped her financial acumen, her groundbreaking decision to buy her first home at just 22 years old, and her diverse career path that included working as a stockbroker.

Hazel shares invaluable insights about strategic career planning, the importance of negotiating exit packages, and how she successfully transitioned from corporate leadership to launching her own fractional executive firm. Her commitment to diversity, inclusion, and empowering the next generation shines through as she discusses raising financially savvy children and building a legacy-focused business.

This conversation is packed with practical wisdom on wealth building, career advancement, and entrepreneurial risk-taking that will inspire anyone looking to take control of their financial future and make a meaningful impact in their industry.

Key Topics:

1. Growing up in Scotland with open family money conversations and her father's feminist advice about financial independence
2. The groundbreaking decision to buy her first home at 22 as a single woman instead of renting
3. Transitioning into finance and working as a stockbroker to learn about investments firsthand
4. Strategic career planning and the importance of negotiating exit packages in senior leadership roles
5. Recognizing market gaps and launching her fractional executive firm with three years of financial runway
6. Investment strategies including maxing out 401k, high-risk portfolios, and angel investing in women-founded companies
7. Teaching her children financial literacy and encouraging them to become entrepreneurs
8. Building a diverse and inclusive business as her legacy while empowering the next generation

Connect with Hazel online:

https://www.highlandvalleydigital.com/

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

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: https://syamabunten.com/

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

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

I am joined this week by the inspiring Laurie Wood of Evolution Financial Coaching. Laurie is a dedicated financial coach who has transformed her early experiences with financial hardship into a mission to help others achieve financial independence and break the taboo around money conversations.

Today, we dive deep into Laurie's journey from growing up in a single-parent household reliant on public assistance to becoming a successful financial coach helping others navigate their money stories. You'll hear about Laurie's early exposure to corporate finances as a budget manager, her real estate investing adventures with her sister, and how she discovered her calling to help others with their financial lives.

Listen as Laurie shares her transition from a 30+ year corporate career to launching Evolution Financial Coaching, the importance of "paying your future self," and her philosophy around using money as a tool for both security and joy. Laurie's story demonstrates the power of turning personal challenges into purposeful work that creates lasting impact in the lives of others.

Key Topics:

1. Growing up with financial hardship after her parents' divorce and learning early lessons about money and survival
2. Early career exposure to corporate finances as a budget manager and discovering salary disparities and gender pay gaps
3. First steps into investing through company programs, early losses, and building consistent 401k contributions
4. Real estate investing journey inspired by Rich Dad Poor Dad, partnering with her sister, and overcoming fear to purchase property in San Francisco
5. The natural evolution from helping friends with money decisions to moonlighting as a financial coach
6. Formal training and launching Evolution Financial Coaching while working full-time, including her first beta client success story
7. Building a coaching practice through networking, referrals, and helping clients transform their financial lives
8. Money philosophy around "de-cumulation strategy," using money for self-care and joy, and creating philanthropic legacy through donor advised funds

Connect with Laurie online:

Evolution Financial Coaching: https://www.evolutionfinancialcoaching.com/

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

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/evolution-financial-coaching/?viewAsMember=true

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: https://syamabunten.com/

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

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

I am joined this week by the incredible Ari Krzyzek from Chykalophia Design and Development Studio. Ari is not only a design queen and best-selling author but also a passionate advocate for building women-led businesses. Her journey from a modest upbringing in Bali, Indonesia to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the United States is truly remarkable.

Today, we dive deep into Ari's inspiring story of breaking cultural expectations, following her heart across the world, and building a thriving creative design and development studio from scratch. You'll hear about her early life in Bali, learning English from her tour guide father, rejecting a full scholarship to pursue her dreams, and the bold decision to move to the US for love and opportunity.

Ari shares the real challenges of starting a business with just $250, working at Sears while building her company part-time, and navigating the complexities of being married to your business partner. Her story is a testament to the power of resourcefulness, determination, and staying true to your vision even when the path seems impossible.

Key Topics:

1. How to start a successful business with only $250 and two laptops
2. Moving to America as an immigrant entrepreneur with no credit history
3. Rejecting a full scholarship to follow your entrepreneurial dreams
4. Working at a corporate job while building your business on the side
5. Running a business with your spouse and navigating money conversations at home
6. Bootstrap business growth strategies and accessing grants for small businesses
7. Transforming your relationship with money from scarcity to abundance mindset
8. Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and how it changed everything

Connect with Ari online:

Website: https://www.chykalophia.com/

https://arikrzyzek.com/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ari.krzyzek

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: https://syamabunten.com/

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

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

Join me for an inspiring conversation with beauty industry pioneer Kim Wileman, co-founder of No Makeup Makeup and founder of Gala Beauty. Kim takes us on her unconventional journey from growing up with rock musician parents who toured with Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, to discovering her passion for beauty at a Lord & Taylor counter.

Kim shares how she built a successful career without finishing college, why no executive has ever asked about her education, and how following her heart to Hawaii opened doors she never expected. We dive deep into her philosophy of walking away from opportunities that aren't in alignment, even when money is tight, and how that approach has consistently led to better outcomes.

From her early days making $5.80 an hour as a buyer to consulting for billionaires and now co-owning a revolutionary beauty brand, Kim's story is a masterclass in trusting your instincts, building expertise through experience, and creating wealth with purpose. She reveals her approach to risk management as an entrepreneur and shares her vision for using future success to invest in and mentor the next generation of founders.

Key Topics:

1. How growing up with parents who followed their dreams despite uncertainty shapes your relationship with risk and possibility
2. Why she never finished college but built a successful career anyway - and why no executive has ever asked about her education
3. How to recognize when opportunities aren't in alignment with your values and have the courage to walk away
4. Building industry expertise and authority through hands-on experience rather than formal credentials
5. The transition from employee to consultant to business owner - and how to manage financial risk at each stage
6. Why following your heart (like moving to Hawaii for love) can open unexpected professional doors
7. Her approach to building wealth for legacy - planning to invest in others rather than accumulating for herself

Connect with Kim online:

Website: https://nomakeupmakeup.com/

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

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

Find more from Syama Bunten:

Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod

Website: https://syamabunten.com/

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

Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com