Money Chill Out

What really happens inside a venture capital fund? 🤔

When people think about VC, they often picture glamorous events, million-dollar deals, and founders ringing the bell after a successful exit.

The reality? It's a lot more nuanced.

In the latest episode with Anieke Lamers, we unpack what venture capital actually is.

We explore:

💡 How VC funds really work (and why they’re built on a 10 year horizon)

🚀 How investors evaluate startups, and why the team often matters more than the idea

🎯 Why venture capital is as much an art as it is a science

🌍 How you can combine profitability with purpose, people, and planet

Despite the fact that only around 2% of venture capital funding goes to female founders, Borski Fund is actively working to change that. With €50M under management and 70% of its investors being women, the fund is proving that strong financial returns and greater diversity can go hand in hand.

Its triple-impact thesis is simple but powerful: invest in companies with at least one female founder, invest alongside more female investors, and back businesses tackling challenges that disproportionately affect women, such as women's health.

My biggest takeaway?

Success isn't just about the financial exit. It's about building resilient companies, creating value for customers, fostering healthy team cultures, and staying curious throughout the journey.

Whether you're a founder, investor, or simply curious about how venture capital works, I think you'll enjoy this conversation.

Wealth isn't glamorous. It's repetitive, disciplined... and often a little boring.

In Money Chill Out Podcast #125, I sat down with Christina for a conversation that challenges many of the myths we tell ourselves about money.

In this episode, we explore why:

💡 Wealth is 80% mindset and only 20% strategy.

💡 Most people don't have an income problem, they have a mindset problem.

💡 Building wealth is more about subtraction than addition. Remove the habits that leak money before focusing on earning more.

💡 Optimism and patience are two of the most valuable wealth-building skills. Long-term success belongs to those who stay the course.

💡 Delayed gratification isn't old-fashioned, it's a competitive advantage.

💡 Build assets, not appearances. In a world of "fake real life" on social media, many truly wealthy people don't look wealthy.

💡 Networking, continuous learning, and optimism compound, just like investments.

One sentence really stayed with me:

"People often overestimate what they can achieve in one year, but underestimate what they can achieve in a decade."

If you're interested in developing a wealth mindset instead of chasing the illusion of wealth, I think you'll enjoy this episode.

Today’s topic is something that trips up almost everyone at some point:

Why knowing what to do with money… isn’t enough.

Because let's be honest, most of us already know the basics, right?

✅ Save more than you spend ✅ Avoid unnecessary debt ✅ Invest for the long term

None of that is new.

And yet... many people still struggle to build wealth.

In this Money Chill Out episode #124, Alexandru Arteni shares a powerful reminder:

💡 Money isn't a knowledge game, it's a behavioural game.

The biggest challenges aren't usually a lack of information. They're the emotions that influence our decisions:

• Stress • Fear • Comparison • The temptation of instant gratification

After all, spending feels good now. Investing pays off later.

That's why financial success isn't built on motivation. It's built on systems.

A few key lessons from our conversation:

🔹 Wealth is built through consistency and repetition, not perfect decisions.

🔹 Tracking your spending and investments creates clarity and control.

🔹 Good habits beat good intentions.

🔹 Automation and structure help you stay on track when emotions take over.

🔹 Don't trade momentary comfort for future security.

The people who make progress financially aren't necessarily the smartest.

They're often the ones who create simple systems that allow them to keep taking action, even when they don't feel like it.

What financial habit or system has had the biggest impact on your life?

#MoneyChillOut #PersonalFinance #Investing #FinancialFreedom #WealthBuilding #MoneyMindset #BehaviouralFinance #Podcast

Fraud today is sophisticated, quick, frightening, clever, and global.

In Money Chill Out episode #1223, I sat down with Becky Holmes to discuss the future of financial fraud, why scams are becoming more effective, and what we can actually do to protect ourselves.

A few things that stayed with me from the conversation:

➡️ Many scams now start on social media: Marketplace scams, fake QR codes, impersonation accounts, fraudulent ads.

➡️ Romance fraud is one of the cruelest forms of fraud because it weaponises trust and emotion.

➡️ Fraud statistics are massively underestimated. Many people never report scams: • “It was only £100.” • “I’m embarrassed.” • “I should have known better.”

Even victims of £10k+ fraud often stay silent.

➡️ Scammers succeed because they create urgency and target what matters to you most. When emotions take over, rational thinking disappears.

➡️ Practical protection strategies: • Two-factor authentication • Keeping social accounts more private • Family “safe words” to verify identity • Speaking to someone else before acting • Slowing down emotional decision-making

One point that surprised me: Fraud accounts for roughly 40–50% of crime in the UK, yet only around 1% of police resources are allocated to it.

And while banks in the UK can reimburse fraud victims up to £85k, social media platforms still carry very little responsibility despite fraudsters operating openly through ads and fake accounts.

The biggest takeaway?

Stop. Think. Speak to somebody else. Get a different perspective. Favour face-to-face meetings whenever possible.

🎙️ New episode of Money Chill Out with Becky Holmes is out now.

Nobody is inherently bad with money.

Financial wellbeing is a skill, and like any skill, it can be learned, practised, and strengthened with the right support.

That's why I was delighted to join Eli Strzelecka on the Hello Shame podcast to discuss "Beating Financial Shame."

In this episode, we explore:

💰 Why financial struggles are often not about a lack of intelligence or discipline.

📈 The difference between financial wealth and financial health, and why you can have one without the other.

🌱 Practical ways to change money habits, build confidence, and develop a healthier relationship with your finances.

As a former London trader turned financial empowerment coach, I've seen first-hand how transforming someone's relationship with money can positively impact every area of life, from reducing stress and anxiety to creating more freedom and fulfilment.

A huge thank you to Eli and the Hello Shame team for creating space for such an important conversation.

If you've ever felt stressed, guilty, overwhelmed, or ashamed about money, this episode is for you.

🎙️ Listen to Beating Financial Shame and let me know what resonates most with you.

#FinancialWellbeing #MentalHealth #FinancialHealth #FinancialFreedom #PersonalFinance #MoneyMindset #FinancialEducation #HelloShame #MoneyChillOut

What does it really mean to inherit wealth?

With my guest Marine, we open up a conversation that is usually kept behind closed doors.

She inherited wealth at 24. She knew something was coming, but not the scale, not the impact, and definitely not the emotional weight that came with it.

Why is inheritance one of the least discussed topics around money? Because, as she puts it: “You didn’t do anything to earn it.” And with that comes guilt, fear of judgment, and concern about how it shapes relationships.

For a long time, she handed over the responsibility. Stayed at a distance. Tried to “prove herself” first. Until one simple question changed everything:

“How much time do you spend managing the wealth that gives you your freedom?

The answer was: none.

That moment sparked a shift, from avoidance to ownership. From seeing wealth as a burden, to seeing it as a tool to fuel what she believes in.

In this Money Chill Out episode, we explore:

• Why inheritance isn’t just money

• The hidden emotional burden of inherited wealth

• Why it can feel isolating, even among close friends

• The silent pressure to preserve and pass it on to the next generation

• How men and women experience and express this responsibility differently

• What happens when you finally decide to take ownership

This episode is an invitation to rethink how we talk about money, especially the kind we don’t feel “allowed” to discuss.

If you’ve inherited, expect to inherit, or simply want a more honest conversation about wealth:

🎧 This one is worth your time.

Finances are the #2 cause of divorce, yet most couples avoid these conversations early on.

🎙️ Today for Money Chill Out podcast, I sit with Alex Edwards to discuss Financial Green & Red Flags in Relationships

Here’s what we cover:

💚 Green flags (alignment & mindset)

• Curiosity > judgment in money conversations
• First-date questions: routines, mentors, goals, debt mindset
• Shared financial goals + open communication
• Monthly/quarterly money check-ins
• Healthy independence (separate accounts where needed)

🚩 Red flags (watch early)

• Avoiding or hiding credit score (responsibility indicator)
• Indecisiveness or poor financial decision-making
• “Quit your job, I’ll take care of you” → control risk
• One partner controlling all money (financial abuse risk)

💔 Reality check

• 20% of women are in relationships they can’t afford to leave
• 25%+ of women in relationships don’t have a separate account
• Financial secrecy / “financial infidelity” (between 1 in 3 to 1 in 2 couples)

🤝 What healthy couples do differently

• Talk about money early and often
• Align on goals, spending styles, and debt
• Treat finances as teamwork, not control
• Consider prenups as a financial clarity plan, not a breakup plan

💡 Ultimately, financial compatibility isn’t about being identical. It’s about building shared systems, honest communication, and aligned goals.

🎙️ In this episode, I sit down with Nancy Ho to unpack a powerful truth: achievement alone isn’t enough.

We’ve been taught to move forward, to achieve, to win, and yes, that drive is positive. It’s universal. But without a clear WHY, it can quietly turn into stress, burnout, and a lingering sense of “something’s missing.”

💡 Here’s what we explore:

• Why high achievers (even in their 30s) are feeling more pressure than ever
• How a lack of purpose, not success, triggers unhappiness
• Why fulfilment is not about downsizing your life, but redefining what matters
• The importance of asking yourself: “Does my life actually make sense to me?”
• Why money buys choices, but should never be the end goal
• How to define your personal “enough” (and why most people start in the wrong place)

Nancy shares a grounded perspective on building wealth and inner peace.

✨ This episode is a reminder: You don’t need to escape your life, you need to understand your WHY.

And most importantly… don’t wait for something to go wrong before you start asking the right questions.

🎧 Tune in now and take a moment to reflect: What are you really working toward?

Wealth Strategies and Location-Independent Living 🌍

What if your wealth strategy had to work anywhere in the world?

In my latest podcast episode, I’m joined by Bobby Casey, an entrepreneur who has lived in 10 countries and built a life designed around freedom and mobility.

We explore what it really takes to build income and investments that travel with you.

Some key ideas from our conversation:

• How the location-independent movement accelerated in the 2000s with the arrival of Skype

💡 Redefining wealth Wealth isn’t just about accumulating money. It’s about having the time and financial freedom to live the lifestyle you want — and the ability to work when and where you choose.

💻 Remote income vs. portable income Remote income = work you can do from anywhere. Portable income = investments that generate income no matter where you live.

📉 Predictability is a myth Entrepreneurs learn to live with uncertainty. They live day to day, not paycheck to paycheck.

🏡 Investments that travel well For people living a nomadic lifestyle, real estate can become complicated. Bobby prefers stocks, and when he wants real estate exposure he invests through Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).

🌐 Living in lower-cost countries Lower costs can make life more comfortable — and many countries offer tax incentives to attract entrepreneurs and investors.

This week, I sat down with Gregory Guilmin to talk about stock market tutorials.

Greg’s journey is honest 👇

📉 Summer 2013 He starts investing by buying stocks that had lost 50%+ of their value. The logic? “At some point, it should rebound.” The reality? Too much risk. Too much emotion.

➡️ At one point, 100% of his portfolio was in a single stock.

Even with a PhD, he learned something crucial: 👉 Beating the market consistently is extremely hard.

📊 Today, his approach is radically different:

• 94% in passive ETFs (10 ETFs total)
• The same amount invested every single month
  • 105 months in a row since May 2017

💡 His investment framework is simple but powerful:

1️⃣ Define your time horizon

2️⃣ Know your volatility tolerance (can you handle a -40% drawdown?)

3️⃣ Choose asset classes, geographies, and sectors

4️⃣ Select ETFs (hello JustETF.com)

5️⃣ Invest monthly

6️⃣ Keep going

❓ The most asked question from his newsletter “Les Tutos de Greg”: “Is it a good time to invest?”

📈 Fact: ➡️ 70% of the time, the stock market is positive on a yearly basis.

⏱️ How long does it take to feel confident investing? ➡️ 10 to 20 hours

🔥 Greg’s best advice: Take your time. Build your financial muscle.

And if there’s one habit everyone should adopt: Invest the same amount every month.

🎧 Full episode available now