MONEY WITHOUT MATH

Patterns shape the way we lead, work, spend, save, and even show up in our relationships, and still, most of us rarely stop to notice the ones shaping us behind the scenes. In this conversation, Karen sits down with leadership strategist and keynote speaker Bukola Oguntala, whose work centers on helping people recognize the unconscious behaviors that drive burnout, miscommunication, and resistance.

Bukola’s perspective comes from her own experience. As a first-generation Nigerian American who lost both parents at 12, she learned early how patterns can help you, and how they can also work against you. Her experience spans a 20-year career across consulting, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and HR leadership, and now informs the SHIFT™ framework she teaches to leaders who feel stretched thin.

In this episode:

• How early experiences shape our patterns as adults
• Why high performers often cling to habits that eventually hold them back
• The role of culture and context in how we show up at work
• What burnout can reveal about the patterns we’ve outgrown
• Small shifts that help create space for new ways of leading and living
  
  

Connect with Karen:

• Clarity Planning
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Instagram

Connect with our guests: 

• Bukola Oguntala on LinkedIn
• Bukola Oguntala Website

Generation X has officially entered the “wait… how close is retirement?” era. And while most of us still feel mentally 35, the numbers are inching closer whether we’re ready or not. This conversation with Kerry Hannon and Janna Herron, co-authors of Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future, feels like a warm, clear-eyed check-in about where we stand, what we can do now, and why it’s not too late to build a retirement that actually feels good.

In this episode:

• How lifestyle creep reshapes your financial picture.
• Why Gen X often feels behind and what’s actually within your control.
• The role of work, reinvention, and staying relevant in midlife.
• Ways your home, health, and network can support a stronger retirement. 

Get the book Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future: https://www.amazon.com/dp/154170584X 

Connect with Karen:

• Clarity Planning
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Instagram

Connect with our guests: 

• Kerry Hannon on LinkedIn
• Janna Herron on LinkedIn

Building a life with someone means blending histories, emotions, habits, and hopes, and money is woven through all of it. In this conversation, Karen is joined by author Heather Boneparth, who spent two years interviewing couples and experts to understand what truly helps partners feel seen, supported, and financially aligned. 

Together, they explore how couples can move toward more fairness, more teamwork, and more empathy, even when life gets messy. Heather shares why caregiving is as valuable as earning, why communication needs to stay constant, and how staying curious about your partner can transform your financial life and your relationship.

In this episode:

• Why your early money “scripts” still influence you today
• How couples can approach risk when they were raised differently
• The deeper story behind a “croissant fight” and what resentment reveals
• Why contributions at home deserve equal weight to contributions at work
• The one habit Heather believes every couple should practice

Connect with Karen:

• Clarity Planning
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Instagram

Connect with our guests: 

• Heather Boneparth on LinkedIn
• Bone Fide Wealth

We spend so much time thinking about how to live longer, but not nearly enough time thinking about how to live better.

In this episode, Karen sits down with Dr. Kerry Burnight, known as America’s Gerontologist and author of Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life’s Second Half, to explore what truly drives quality of life as we age.

They go through the habits, mindsets, and small daily choices that influence not only how long we live but how deeply we enjoy those years. If we were to choose one takeaway from Dr. Burnight’s words, it’s that joy is an inside job.

In this episode:

• The four elements of joyful longevity: grow, connect, adapt, and give
• Why your mindset about aging can add years to your life
• How asking for help actually strengthens connection
• Small gratitude habits that change how we experience each day

Connect with Karen:

• Clarity Planning
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Instagram

Connect with our guests: 

• Dr. Kerry Burnight on LinkedIn
• Dr. Kerry Burnight’s website

When a loved one suddenly needs care, most people expect to handle the emotional and medical side, but few are ready for the financial maze that comes with it. In this episode, Karen sits down with journalist Beth Pinsker, CFP®, author of My Mother’s Money: A Guide to Financial Caregiving, to talk about what really happens when you step into someone else’s financial life. They cover power of attorney hurdles to bank bureaucracy and the importance of talking about “who gets the candlesticks,” and Beth shares her firsthand lessons from caring for her mother and settling her estate.

This conversation is a must-listen for anyone helping aging parents, supporting a spouse, or simply wanting to get their own affairs in order before life gets complicated.

In this episode:

• What “financial caregiving” really means
• Why the hardest part isn’t legal but logistical
• The importance of creating a clear paper trail for loved ones
• How to prepare before an emergency call changes everything

Connect with Karen:

• Clarity Planning
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Instagram

Connect with our guests: 

• Beth Pinkser on LinkedIn
• Marketwatch

We spend decades preparing financially for retirement, but far less time preparing emotionally. Retirement is often painted as the finish line, yet for many, it’s just the start of a very human transition filled with uncertainty and identity shifts in the search for a new purpose.

In this episode, financial planner and retirement coach Dan Haylett, host of Humans vs. Retirement and author of The Retirement You Didn’t See Coming, talks about the emotional journey that follows the mathematical calculations. Here, Dan explains how to approach this season not as an ending, but as a reinvention.

In this episode:

• The “most dangerous day” of retirement, and why it sneaks up on so many people
• Why hitting your number doesn’t guarantee fulfillment
• How loss of identity, structure, and purpose can affect your well-being
• The five pillars of a thriving retirement
• Why high achievers often struggle the most, and how to find peace in stillness

Connect with Karen:

• Clarity Planning
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Instagram

Connect with our guests: 

• Dan Haylett on LinkedIn
• TFP Financial Planning

What does it take to build both a thriving career and a lasting relationship? Dr. Julie Gurner has spent years working behind the scenes with executives, athletes, and entrepreneurs, and she’s seen the patterns that make or break couples under pressure. Spoiler: it’s not the flashy headlines or the dramatic stories we see in the news. It’s the quiet, intentional habits that keep partners aligned. Those habits protect both their love and their wealth.

In this episode, Dr. Gurner shares what ambitious couples do differently. If you’re building a business, balancing big goals, or simply wanting to protect the most important relationship in your life, this episode offers grounded wisdom you won’t want to miss.

In this episode:

• Why “knowing yourself” is the first step to a lasting partnership
• The role money conversations play in protecting both love and wealth
• How the best couples argue—and what makes conflict constructive
• Why saying the uncomfortable thing early can save years of regret

Connect with Karen:

• Clarity Planning
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Instagram

Connect with our guests: 

• Dr. Julie Gurner on LinkedIn
• Dr. Julie Gurner’s website
• Dr. Julie Gurner on Substack
• Dr. Julie Gurner on X

Life doesn’t always follow the plan we set for it. Bernadette Smith knows this well. From her early days as an “activist wedding planner” helping same-sex couples celebrate love, to her work today leading Equality Institute, she’s built a career on courage, authenticity, and connection. Along the way, she’s navigated personal and professional pivots that reshaped not only her business, but the way she sees herself.

Her story is filled with lessons about resilience, trusting yourself when the ground shifts, and finding joy even in the toughest transitions. At the center of it all is a belief that life is richer and lighter when we build real relationships across differences, and bring a little good energy wherever we go.

In this episode:

• What it takes to start over when the old path no longer fits
• The mindset shifts that helped Bernadette move from scarcity to abundance
• Why leaning on others makes the journey lighter and more meaningful
• A simple daily tool for building authentic connections

Connect with Karen:

• Clarity Planning
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Instagram

Connect with our guests: 

• Bernadette Smith on LinkedIn
• Equality Institute

Today we're throwing it back to an incredible episode with Amani Zaveri, which you won't want to miss! 

Quitting has such a negative connotation today. But quitting isn’t always a terrible thing. In fact, it can be a powerful and positive skill.

In this episode, Karen Coyne and Amani Zaveri examine the misunderstood art of quitting. For starters, the Latin root word for quitting, quietus, is closer to liberating than it is to failing.

Karen and Amani connect financial habits to the concept of quitting, offering fresh insights on using savings for intentional life changes. They explore when it’s time to quit — whether a job, relationship, or hobby — by recognizing signs like persistent dissatisfaction, an overloaded schedule, or mental disengagement.

(This episode reminds us that quitting, when done thoughtfully, can be a powerful step toward a more authentic and fulfilling life!)

Key Highlights:

• Quitting as Liberation: Redefining quitting as a positive and necessary life skill for personal growth
• Financial Decisions & Quitting: Linking financial habits to the strategic use of quitting for intentional life changes
• Knowing When to Quit: Recognizing the signs that it’s time to let go and move forward
• Quiet Quitting: Understanding how disengagement extends beyond the workplace to relationships and activities
• Benefits of Quitting: Discovering the mental clarity and renewed energy that come from making the right decisions at the right time
• Navigating the Emotional Side: Handling the grief and loss that may accompany quitting, with support from others
• Practical Tips: Regularly reassessing your life’s direction to ensure you’re aligned with your true goals
• And much more!

Connect with Karen Coyne: 

• Clarity Planning
• [email protected]
• 301-739-7002
• LinkedIn: Karen Coyne, CFP®
• X: @karencoyne
• YouTube: @karencoynecfp
• Instagram: @moneywithoutmath

Connect with Amani Zaveri: 

• LinkedIn: Amani Zaveri
• Global Soul Travel
• Substack for Amani’s travel business
• Book a complimentary exploratory call 

About Our Guest: 

Originally from India and born and raised in Hong Kong, Amani has been in the luxury travel space for 12 years. After working as a members-only concierge for 9 years, she launched her own luxury travel agency where she works with high-net-worth individuals and companies for their travel needs. She's planned everything from Indian destination weddings to a year-long round-the-world trip for a family and everything in between. 

Amani's desire to start her own business was propelled by a need to have more flexibility and spend more quality time with family. She's passionate about helping female entrepreneurs create balance in their lives so they don't have to choose their careers or personal life. 

Some advice sounds harmless, but when it’s pulled out of context, it can quietly steer you in the wrong direction. Today we’re joined by Melissa Joy, founder of Pearl Planning, for a conversation about the kind of money “rules” that sound wise on the surface but don’t always fit your life.

We explore the trouble with blanket statements like “you should never buy a new car” or “always max out retirement accounts,” especially for people who’ve moved beyond survival mode and are making more nuanced financial choices. Along the way, we talk about how shame often seeps into money decisions, why one-size-fits-all guidance doesn’t serve everyone, and why your values deserve a place in the conversation.

In this episode:

• Why the word “should” can be so damaging in financial conversations
• How to spot advice that’s built for someone else’s life, not yours
• Why success doesn’t always make decisions easier
• The importance of aligning money choices with what matters most to you
  
  
  

Connect with Karen:

• Clarity Planning
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Instagram

Connect with our guests: 

• Melissa Joy on LinkedIn
• Pearl Planning