Money Tales

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Kathleen Quinn. Hers is a story about the importance of not putting off to tomorrow what you can do today. Kathleen and her husband, Michael, were updating their estate plan when Michael asked if they could set up a scholarship to help students. Kathleen, who had spent 35-years in university alumni relations and development, immediately said, "Absolutely." Michael insisted the scholarship be in Kathleen's name, honoring her decades of hard work. In 2020, just three weeks after signing the scholarship paperwork, Michael was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and died four months later. Kathleen shares how grateful she is that they didn’t put this important project off.

Kathleen Quinn is an executive coach who guides her clients to own the power they already have to lead a life of purpose and impact. She’s also a certified grief educator.

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Steven Foster. Steven began his career with a singular focus on making as much money as possible. By age 26, he was doing just that. Steven was one of the most successful dance music producers in the world, running a record label and hosting live events that drew crowds of 30,000 people. The financial risks were enormous, and the rewards seemed even greater. However, by age 30, Steven had lost everything. The following years were marked by a series of ups and downs, with several business ventures failing along the way. It wasn’t until his late 40s, after yet another setback, that Steven shifted his focus from maximizing profit to creating something with purpose.

Steven is the founder of One Golden Nugget. The firm’s mission is to inspire and empower individuals to discover and share their unique nuggets of wisdom with the world. Through their books, podcasts and live events, One Golden Nugget seeks to foster connections, spark conversations, and inspire personal growth and transformation.

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Steven Atneosen. Steven describes himself as a husband, a father, a citizen of Earth and a lifelong optimist who is focused on leveraging technology and data to improve the quality of life. He’s a passionate advocate for fairness and equity for all. Steven’s commitment to justice and respect stems from his experiences being bullied as a child. This shaped his belief in the importance of treating others with kindness and integrity. These values have profoundly influenced Steven’s career path, personal philosophy and relationship with money. As you’ll hear in this conversation, Steven has provocative ideas for how society can use its financial resources to make the world a better and more sustainable place for all of us.

Steven is CEO and cofounder of tomtA.ai, a data privacy and AI enablement solution that generates safe and precise data from PII data without privacy risk. He has been CxO, general counsel and chief privacy officer for private and public technology companies. His career spans over 20 years growing disruptive enterprise technology companies that leverage data and AI to improve health, mobility and energy. He hosts the Looked Up! Podcast and serves as a mentor at StartX (Stanford) and SkyDeck (Berkeley) accelerators. 

Before tomtA.ai, Steven was a founding team member and Vice President of Corporate Development for NIO’s XPT division where he led business and product strategy including investment and acquisitions, culminating in NIO’s IPO (NYSE: NIO). Prior to NIO, Steven was SVP, Corporate Development, General Counsel and Secretary for StayWell Health Management, accountable for StayWell’s product and partner strategy until StayWell was merged with Krames and later acquired by Merck. 

Earlier in his career, Steven served as Vice President and General Counsel for two global technology companies: first at CarParts Technologies, a leading provider of supply chain software solutions for the automotive industry; and then at Aristocrat Technologies, the second largest technology provider to hospitality and gaming. Steven began supporting entrepreneurs and startups as an IP, franchise and technology lawyer at Mackall Crounse & Moore. 

Prior to Steven’s private and corporate work, he was appointed to a United States Supreme Court appeal team for Minnesota vs. Dickerson at the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and served as a prosecutor on the drug team.

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Marla Sofer. Marla had an epic career in financial services and fintech. Along the way she developed an entrepreneurial itch that wouldn’t go away. Realizing she only has one life to live, Marla decided to align her work with her values and leapt into entrepreneurship. A key motivator was her daughter, who, after hearing Marla's dreams, asked, "When are you going to do it?" Realizing that Marla was modeling more for her daughter than she thought, Marla took this as a double dare that she wanted to go after.

Marla, Founder and CEO of Knomee, is a seasoned financial services and fintech executive, founder of two women’s networks driving change and inclusion in corporations, frequent speaker on topics related to the future of financial services, wealth, and asset management, startup advisor, 2020 Woman of Silicon Valley, 2021 Woman in WealthTech to Watch, and proud mom, and wife. She led partnerships quantified in billions of dollars at J.P. Morgan and BlackRock before leaping into fintech in 2015 to improve customer experiences. Her experiences at Microsoft, Carta, Invesco, Xignite, and Lending Club influenced her decision to create a solution that would improve personal financial wellness and enable financial services companies to better serve their customers and prospects.

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon. Darnyelle grew up facing tough challenges – both of her parents struggled with addiction. She knew she had to make her own money and started working at McDonald’s at age 13. Darnyelle was a diligent saver who was shocked when one day she opened her bank statement to see that there was no money in the account. Without apology, her dad had taken the money. Despite the difficulties, Darnyelle managed to find success, but it came with a heavy burden. By her early thirties, she found herself drowning in a staggering $250,000 of credit card debt. Eventually, she had no choice but to file for bankruptcy, which she did begrudgingly. It turned out that the bankruptcy trustee made a decision that forever changed Darnyelle’s financial trajectory. He required her take a financial literacy course, which opened the door for Darnyelle’s success.

You’ve never met a business consultant like Darnyelle. She is the award-winning, iconic and incomparable two-time Inc.5000 CEO of Incredible One Enterprises, LLC, a multi-million-dollar coaching and consulting brand. Best known for transforming the lives of her business coaching clients and live event attendees, Darnyelle equips her clients to leverage and scale businesses that serve them financially and spiritually. In fact, over the last 10 years, she has helped her clients generate more than $1/2B in sales and more than $378M in revenue. By teaching her award-winning Move to Millions® Method, Darnyelle helps clients collapse the amount of time it takes them to cross the million-dollar mark all while deepening their connection to God and strengthening their faith.

Darnyelle is a 7-time best-selling author, the creator of 5 powerful business systems and the host of the MOVE To Millions Podcast with Dr. Darnyelle J. Harmon. Now, she is introducing the world to the book she was born to write, Move to Millions®. To learn more about Darnyelle, visit drdarnyelle.com.

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Derrick Miles. Like many of us, Derrick has experienced the highs and the lows during his pursuit of happiness and purpose. Starting from humble beginnings, Derrick's mom always encouraged him to dream big. He believed that becoming a CEO and making a lot of money would bring him happiness, and while he achieved that dream and made millions, Derrick felt like he was living paycheck-to-paycheck. He couldn't figure out why he wasn't happy. In a brave move to find himself, Derrick decided to try his hand at entrepreneurship, hoping to create a legacy for himself and his family. Things didn't go smoothly. Just when life seemed darkest, his friends stepped in to support him. Their help and encouragement pulled Derrick out of his lowest point and gave him the strength to keep going.

Derrick is founder and CEO of CourMed®. In addition, Derrick is Chairman and Founder of TMB Equity Partners (executive team are former healthcare executives with 15+ years of experience); a boutique firm focused on investing/developing innovative healthcare solutions that achieve a liquidity event within five years. He is also a multiple patented inventor.

Derrick received both an MSHA (#1 program in the country) and MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He also holds a BA in Medical Technology (minor in Chemistry) from Bethune-Cookman University. Derrick received a certificate in Lean Healthcare from the University of Michigan and is enrolled at Stanford University working toward a professional certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Derrick is married with two sons; his family lives in Collin County, TX and Dade County, FL.

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Graham Rowan. In the 1990s when Graham's career was taking off, he started accumulating wealth and not having the time to manage it. A colleague referred him to a financial advisor. Graham trusted this advisor, who promised to navigate the complexities of the market on his behalf. As the dot-com bubble swelled, so did Graham’s investments, which were concentrated in the euphoria of the NASDAQ wave. As Graham tells us, he would go to bed at night and wake up richer. As the market continued to rise, Graham questioned his advisor’s approach to his portfolio, only to be reassured of the market's invincibility. "Don't you recognize a minor correction in a raging bull market when you see one?" the advisor quipped. The tide turned and Graham found himself adrift, as his portfolio was hemorrhaging value. And just like that, the advisor cut Graham loose because his portfolio dwindled below the firm’s minimum required amount.

Graham is an international speaker, TV presenter and author who has worked with high net worth investors and family offices for more than a decade. His mission is to enable private investors to cut through the noise and misinformation prevalent in the financial services world so that they can create and protect multi-generational wealth.

In recent years his mission has seen him speak at the United Nations in New York, Harvard Business School in Boston and both houses of Parliament in the UK. At the World Wealth Creation Conference in Singapore Graham shared the stage with billionaire investor Jim Rogers and business guru Brian Tracy.

Graham chairs Beaufort Private Equity, a global network of over 500 high net worth investors and family offices in 37 countries. As well as providing educational content and market analysis its members, the Beaufort team provides direct equity investment opportunities in fast growing privately held companies and a mix of bonds and loan notes combining above market returns with strong asset-backed security. He also sits on the advisory boards of a digital assets hedge fund and an international digital marketing agency.

Graham has fronted three series on Sky TV, Make Your Money Work, Finding Financial Freedom and Money & Me. In March 2024 he will publish his fourth investment book, Diary of a High Net Worth Investor. During 2024 he will speak at events in Dubai, Singapore, London, New York, the Cayman Islands and Riyadh.

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Grifan Cayce. Grifan began her career in the teaching profession. She was driven by a deep love for education. As Grifan immersed herself in the demanding world of high school teaching, she encountered a stark reality: the disconnect between her efforts and her financial compensation. Teaching multiple AP classes in a competitive school district, Grifin felt the weight of her labor far outweighing the rewards. The rigid teachers’ salary structure did not recognize the results she was producing or her efforts, leaving her feeling undervalued and frustrated. In one poignant moment, as she looked out her classroom window at a colleague leisurely enjoying the sun as a PE teacher, Grifan realized the stark disparity in their different levels of work, yet their compensation was basically the same. As a result, Grifin made the decision to pivot her career.

Grifan is a mother to two little girls, wife and avid skier. As a young professional, Grifan obtained her Master’s in Education focusing on modernizing delivery of US History in a manner to encourage student engagement and metacognition. Stepping away from the classroom in 2008, Grifan attended law school and practiced estate planning and probate law for nearly fifteen years. A longtime advocate for public schools and civic education, Grifan was recognized by the Washington State Bar Association for her work in civics education with local students.

Grifan remains dedicated to this work and Co-Chairs a political action committee that runs local political campaigns for school funding. Today, Grifan is both a recovering attorney and recovering people pleasing perfectionist – for the time being she is focused on raising her daughters to shamelessly value the present moment by exploring the outdoors, taking risks, and making each day an adventure. Grifan isn’t sure what is next and is trusting she’s right where she needs to be.

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is AJ Schneider. At just four years old, AJ's world was forever altered when her sister was diagnosed with a brain tumor the size of a golf ball. The family found themselves facing a nightmare. In the face of adversity, AJ's family fractured. As AJ tells us, there was no unity, only separation. For her, this pivotal moment solidified every negative belief she held about the world - fear of abandonment, the need to flee, a pervasive sense of insecurity. As AJ watched her sister's illness unfold, she couldn't ignore the disproportionate role finances played in her family's story. AJ believes that money should have never been a factor, that they should have instead focused solely on healing and supporting one another.

AJ is a budget coach, business strategist and money mindset expert. She is passionate about showing people that budgeting is the most radical form of $elf-care you can do. AJ started as a starving yogi who was always struggling to get by, formally known as "poor friend" in her upper eastside dwellings in constant fear around her debt and struggled to pay her bills. While she was waiting for all her problems to go away, she figured out she was the answer she was looking for.

By changing her mindset around debt, money management and manifestation, AJ discovered beyond the material that she manifested the love of her life, now husband, by using the magic of money to heal. Her relationship with money was the key to understanding her relationship with herself. She has helped over 300 clients get out of debt and build wealth through personal accountability, vulnerability and strategic financial planning. Along with her team of five coaches, AJ teaches clients how to heal their relationship with money so they can show up in the world authentically and live a life of choice.

AJ’s mission is to help women, couples and small business owners who were never taught to care about personal finance but feel completely overwhelmed and anxious and are under chronic stress when it comes to money get out of debt, increase wealth, gain financial freedom and grow their independence, so they can harness and use their innate power to take control over their destiny and build a brighter future.

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Julia Cancro. Years back, Julia was dining with a friend at restaurant in New York City. Amidst bites of food, her friend shared that she started to accumulate savings, but she was unsure of what to do with the money beyond keeping it in a standard checking and savings accounts. Julia went into action, offering to point her friend toward resources that delve deeper into financial choices. In that moment, Julia became acutely aware of a gap in financial literacy. On one side of the spectrum, there's a lot of support for financial beginners, teaching fundamental skills like budgeting. On the other side, there's a plethora of resources for those diving into complex financial instruments. But what about the middle ground? For those progressing in their financial journey but not yet advanced, there's a notable absence of guidance. Julia realized there's a chasm of financial information waiting to be addressed. This inspired her to write More Than Cash: What To Do With Your Money Now That You’re Finally Making Some.

During Julia's ten plus years living and working at Fortune 500 companies in New York, she has watched successful colleagues and friends struggle to understand how to manage the money they work so hard to earn. This inspired her to write More Than Cash: What To Do With Your Money Now That You’re Finally Making Some. Julia earned her BA in Psychology and Spanish from Notre Dame in 2012. When she's not reading or writing about personal finance, she can be found skiing and playing tennis.

More Than Cash is a short, conversational guidebook for people without a finance background who want to answer the question: what should I do with my money besides keep it in cash? It is an approachable beginners’ guide to getting started with the right accounts and investments to build a financially secure and lucrative future. This is the only consolidated guidebook under 50 pages that arms you with the vocabulary and the thought process to get started on your own so you can feel confident managing your hard-earned money.