The Clever Girls Know Podcast With Bola Sokunbi

Hard work can help you earn more money and build financial security, but hard work alone won't make you wealthy. At some point, building real wealth requires a shift in how you think about money, risk, time, opportunity, investing, and even yourself.

After more than a decade of helping women improve their finances, and through my own journey from aggressively saving my first $100,000 to investing, building a business, and creating multiple pillars of wealth, I've learned that every new financial level can require something different from you.

What you'll learn:

• Five identity shifts that can become increasingly important as you build wealth.
• How being overly afraid of losing money can keep you from taking smart, calculated risks
• Why struggle is not proof that you deserve success
• How old financial identities can keep you stuck
• Why your decisions need to reflect where you're going instead of only where you've been
• And why earning more money alone isn't enough to create lasting wealth

Because the habits that help you save your first $10,000 may not be the same habits that help you build your first $500,000. And sometimes the next financial decision isn't difficult because the math is complicated. It's difficult because it requires you to see yourself differently.

Latest Book - Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What's Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions - Available to order now

More Clever Girl Finance Resources:

👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here

❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books ❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages

❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog

❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance

After nearly 20 years of investing through market highs, crashes, uncertainty, and everything in between, the biggest investing lessons I've learned have surprisingly little to do with picking the right stocks or predicting the market. They have much more to do with patience, consistency, managing risk, understanding market volatility, and learning how to stay invested when your emotions are telling you to do something else.

What you'll learn:

• What nearly two decades of investing have taught me about building long-term wealth
• Why compounding can feel incredibly boring before it becomes powerful
• Why your relationship with risk should change as your life changes
• And why you don't need to predict the stock market to become a successful long-term investor

And one of the most important things I've learned is this: investing isn't only a financial skill. It's a behavioral one. If you're investing for retirement, working toward financial independence, building generational wealth, or simply trying to become a more confident investor, I hope these lessons help you think beyond what to invest in and focus on the habits that can actually keep you investing for decades.

Latest Book - Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What's Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions - Available to order now

More Clever Girl Finance Resources:

👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here

❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books ❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages

❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog

❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance

On this episode of the podcast, we're joined by Esther Bangura, a UK-based neurodivergent money coach, researcher, and podcast host, for an important conversation about managing money with ADHD and neurodivergence.

After receiving an ADHD diagnosis as an adult, Esther began to understand that many of the financial challenges she had experienced including debt, avoidance, overwhelm, and stress spending, weren't simply about a lack of discipline. That realization transformed the way she approached her own finances and ultimately shaped the work she does today helping neurodivergent adults build calmer, shame-free money systems.

In this episode, Esther shares how neurodivergence can affect financial behaviors, why traditional budgeting and willpower-based advice may not work for everyone, and practical ways to use automation, simplification, and personalized systems to make managing money easier and more sustainable.

What Esther Discussed on the Podcast:

• What neurodivergence means and how it can influence money management.
• How her adult ADHD diagnosis changed the way she understood her past financial struggles.
• Why difficulty managing money isn't always a discipline or willpower problem.
• The impact of executive function, emotional regulation, and overwhelm on financial behaviors.
• Understanding financial avoidance and practical ways to interrupt the cycle.
• Strategies for creating a pause between an impulse to spend and making a purchase.
• What a more neurodivergent-friendly approach to budgeting can look like.
• Using automation, separate accounts, reminders, and visual cues to reduce the mental load of managing money.
• Addressing debt without allowing shame to prevent financial progress.
• Recognizing when a financial system needs more consistency versus when the system simply isn't a good fit.
• Creating a calmer relationship with money for anyone who has internalized the belief that they're "bad with money."

AND SO MUCH MORE

How to Keep Up With Esther:

• Follow Esther Bangura on Instagram: @bossofmymoney
• Learn more about Esther Bangura and her work: estherbangura.com
• Tune into her podcast - Neurodivergent Money Management: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GzXmbU6LwVtMF3DmJcBGm

Latest Book - Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What's Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions - Available to order now

More Clever Girl Finance Resources:

👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here

❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books ❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages

❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog

❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance

What do financially successful women have in common?

After more than a decade of building Clever Girl Finance and speaking with hundreds of women who have built significant wealth, I've noticed something: they didn't all start in the same place, follow the same investing strategy, or build wealth at the same age. But there is one trait I see again and again: they take ownership of building their wealth.

In this episode, I'm breaking down what that actually looks like and four behaviors you can start practicing in your own financial life.

What you'll learn:

• The #1 trait I've consistently observed in financially successful women
• Why taking ownership of your finances does not mean knowing everything about money
• Why wealthy women aren't afraid to ask questions or admit what they don't know
• How financially successful women think about risk, investing, career opportunities, and entrepreneurship
• Why understanding both the potential downside and upside matters when making financial decisions
• How playing the long game can help your saving, investing, income, and financial decisions compound over time
• Why building wealth isn't about being fearless or financially perfect
• How to become a more active participant in your own financial future

Building wealth isn't one perfect decision or one lucky break. It's learning, making informed decisions, taking calculated risks, adjusting when life changes, and staying in the game long enough for your decisions to compound.

Latest Book - Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What's Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions - Available to order now

More Clever Girl Finance Resources:

👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here

❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books ❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages

❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog

❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance

On this episode of the podcast, we're joined by Lara Olutunbi, Founder and Creative Director of LarAllan, a London-based contemporary handbag brand known for timeless statement pieces that blend sculptural design, functionality, and African heritage.

Originally from Nigeria, Lara built an international career in financial services across the UK, Switzerland, Canada, and the United States before turning a lifelong passion for design into a business.

After training at Central Saint Martins and completing the Fashion Executive Masterclass through the London School of Economics and Africa Fashion Week London, she founded LarAllan in 2017. Since then, the brand has earned international recognition through Nordstrom.com, the ADAN x Zalando Black-Owned Brands Accelerator, CANEX, and other global fashion platforms.

In this episode, Lara shares how she made the transition from finance to fashion, the realities of building and growing a product-based business, the financial lessons that have shaped her as an entrepreneur, and why creating greater visibility for African luxury is such an important part of her work.

What Lara Discussed on the Podcast:

• Her journey from an international career in financial services to founding LarAllan.
• Turning a lifelong passion for design into a viable fashion business through education and preparation.
• The early realities of launching a handbag brand, from funding and manufacturing to product development and finding customers.
• The challenges of building and growing an independent luxury accessories brand.
• Financial lessons around pricing, inventory, cash flow, and deciding where to invest in the business.
• How her finance background shaped her approach to risk, growth, and strategic decision-making.
• What a career in finance couldn't prepare her for about entrepreneurship.
• Creating opportunities that led to international recognition and retail placement on Nordstrom.com.
• How to evaluate opportunities and say no when something doesn't make financial or strategic sense.
• What African luxury means to her and the importance of increasing its visibility within the global fashion industry.
• The decisions and lessons that have shaped nearly a decade of building LarAllan.
• Advice for women who want to explore a creative business idea without immediately walking away from an established career.

AND SO MUCH MORE

How to Keep Up With Lara:

• Shop on Website: https://LarAllan.com and on Nordstrom.com
• Instagram: @larallan

Latest Book - Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What's Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions - Available to order now

More Clever Girl Finance Resources:

👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here

❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books ❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages

❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog

❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance

Some of the most popular financial advice sounds great in theory, but doesn't always work in real life. After more than 10 years in personal finance and helping hundreds of thousands of women through Clever Girl Finance, I've learned that technically correct money advice can still be bad advice when it's too rigid, unrealistic, or impossible to sustain.

On this episode, I'm sharing 4 pieces of financial advice I no longer give, why I've changed my perspective, and what I believe works better for building wealth over the long term.

What you'll learn:

• Why you don't necessarily need to pay off all debt before you start investing
• When it actually makes sense to use your emergency fund
• Why cutting every small joy out of your budget can make your financial plan harder to sustain
• Why waiting until you feel completely ready can keep you from investing, negotiating, starting a business, or pursuing bigger financial goals
• How to think beyond rigid personal finance rules and make smarter decisions for your own circumstances
• Why sustainable financial habits matter more than trying to follow a "perfect" money plan

The biggest lesson I've learned is that personal finance is rarely all-or-nothing. The goal isn't to follow the strictest financial rules—it's to build a financial life you can realistically sustain for decades.

New Book - Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What's Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions - Available to order now

More Clever Girl Finance Resources:

👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here

❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books ❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages

❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog

❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance

AI can help you plan a vacation, write an email, compare products, and answer almost any question you can think of, so it's no surprise that more people are turning to tools like ChatGPT for help with their money, too.

In this episode, I break down how to use AI as a helpful financial education and research tool without handing over your financial decision-making. From understanding financial concepts and asking better questions to recognizing when AI might be giving you incomplete, outdated, or simply incorrect information, this conversation is all about staying informed and keeping yourself in the driver's seat.

• The difference between financial education and personalized financial advice
• Smart ways to use AI to learn about money
• Why AI doesn't know your complete financial situation
• How AI can give incorrect information with a lot of confidence
• Why changing tax rules, contribution limits, and regulations should always be verified
• The risks of blindly following AI-generated investing recommendations
• Financial and personal information you should be cautious about sharing with AI
• How to use AI to ask better financial questions instead of making decisions for you
• Why consequential financial information should be verified with trusted primary sources
• When it may make sense to consult a qualified financial, tax, or legal professional
• Why financial literacy matters even more in the age of AI
• How to keep yourself, not AI, as the CEO of your financial life

The bottom line: AI can be your research assistant, brainstorming partner, and financial education tool, but it shouldn't become the CEO of your financial life. Use it to become a more informed decision-maker—not to hand over your decision-making.

New Book - Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What's Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions - Available to order now

More Clever Girl Finance Resources:

👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here

❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books ❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages

❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog

❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance

Wanting to build wealth doesn't make you greedy, selfish, or ungrateful. But for many women, believing that intellectually and truly believing that wealth is available to them are two very different things.

On this episode, I'm talking about why so many women struggle to believe they deserve wealth, from the examples we grew up seeing and the pressure to always be the giver, to imposter syndrome, financial setbacks, guilt around wanting more, and the money stories we carry with us.

• Why some women struggle to believe they deserve wealth
• How the messages and examples you grew up with can shape what you believe is financially possible
• Why wanting wealth is not the same as being greedy or selfish
• How imposter syndrome can quietly affect your earning, investing, and financial decisions
• Why always being the giver can make prioritizing your own financial future uncomfortable
• How past financial setbacks can cause you to limit what you believe is possible
• Why healing your money story is an important part of building lasting wealth
• How to start shifting the beliefs that may be holding you back financially

I also share how my mother's sacrifices shaped what I believed was possible for my own life, and why building wealth requires more than budgeting, saving, and investing. We have to examine the beliefs driving our financial decisions too. Because wealth isn't greed. Wealth is options. Wealth is security. Wealth is the ability to take care of yourself, support the people you love, give generously, and make decisions from a place of greater freedom.

If you've ever wondered whether you're allowed to want more financially, this conversation is for you.

New Book - Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What's Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions - Available to order now

More Clever Girl Finance Resources:

👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here

❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books ❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages

❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog

❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance

On this episode of the podcast, we're joined by Emily and Cassidy, co-hosts of The Finance Girlies podcast, for a practical conversation about managing money as a freelancer, creative, or anyone with a nontraditional career.

After spending more than a decade writing and editing personal finance content for brands like Yahoo, Experian, and NerdWallet, they realized that much of the financial advice available simply didn't reflect the realities of Millennial and Gen Z women.

Together, they share why traditional money advice often falls short for freelancers and entrepreneurs, along with practical strategies for managing inconsistent income, planning for retirement without an employer, building financial stability, and creating systems that make running a business, and your finances, feel far less overwhelming.

What Emily and Cassidy Discussed on the Podcast:

• Why traditional financial advice often misses the realities of Millennial and Gen Z women.
• How conventional money advice falls short for freelancers, creators, and self-employed professionals.
• Practical strategies for managing inconsistent income and improving cash flow.
• Retirement planning options for freelancers and business owners without employer-sponsored plans.
• The financial foundation to build before leaving a traditional job to freelance or start a business.
• The financial realities of working for yourself that social media often overlooks.
• Common money mistakes freelancers and creatives make—and how to avoid them.
• Financial systems and habits that help business owners stay organized and confident.
• How young professionals can prepare for a future where careers and income are increasingly nontraditional.
• Their best financial advice for freelancers and creatives just starting out.

How to Keep Up With Emily and Cassidy:

• Website: thefinancegirlies.com
• Behind the scenes of how they manage their finances: thefinancegirls.com/bts
• Instagram: @thefinancegirlies

New Book - Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What's Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions - Available to order now

More Clever Girl Finance Resources:

👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here

❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books ❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages

❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog

❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance

On this episode of the podcast, we're joined by Requel, a personal finance educator who is passionate about helping women take control of their money and build financial confidence, especially after major life transitions like divorce.

After spending more than 20 years believing her household finances were being managed as a partnership, Requel found herself unexpectedly becoming the CEO of her own financial life. She had to quickly learn how to manage investments, protect her retirement, negotiate child support, and make major financial decisions while navigating the emotional challenges of divorce.

Today, she uses those hard-earned lessons to help other women replace money stress with practical strategies, personalized financial roadmaps, and the confidence to create a more secure future. Her guiding philosophy, "Work with what you have," reminds women that meaningful financial progress starts exactly where they are.

What Requel Discussed on the Podcast:

• Her personal financial journey and what inspired her to become a personal finance educator.
• The moment she realized her household finances weren't being managed as she had believed.
• Financial conversations and warning signs she wishes she had recognized earlier in her marriage.
• Becoming the sole decision-maker for her finances during separation and divorce.
• Navigating major financial decisions, including protecting her retirement, negotiating child support, and buying out her ex's share of the family home.
• The meaning behind her philosophy, "Work with what you have," and why it helps women overcome financial overwhelm.
• The habits that helped her build confidence after taking ownership of her finances.
• How shifting from thinking in dollars to thinking in percentages transformed her financial decision-making.
• Her multiple bank account budgeting system and why it has been so effective.
• The biggest fears and misconceptions she sees in women who are just beginning their financial journeys.
• Encouragement for women who feel like they're starting too late or have never managed their own finances.

AND SO MUCH MORE

How to Keep Up With Requel:

• Connect with Requel via email [email protected]
• Her event planning business: http://sfk2events.com/

New Book - Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What's Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions - Available to order now

More Clever Girl Finance Resources:

👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here

❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books ❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages

❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog

❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance