The Clever Girls Know Podcast With Bola Sokunbi

Money changes your life, but it doesn't magically erase fear, self-doubt, comparison, or the money stories you've carried for years. In this video, I'm sharing a side of building wealth that doesn't get talked about enough.

After building a business, writing six books, and reaching financial milestones I once only dreamed about, I've learned that wealth isn't just about growing your bank account. It's about growing into the person who can manage, protect, and enjoy it.

You'll learn:

• Why money mindset work never truly ends
• The new financial decisions that come with building wealth
• Why comparison never really goes away
• The fear of losing what you've built
• Learning to actually enjoy your success
• Why your financial journey is never a straight line

If you've ever wondered why reaching a financial goal didn't magically change how you feel about money, 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 Nadia Kotsev for a powerful conversation about rebuilding your finances—and your life—after divorce, cancer, grief, and major personal loss. As a public-school educator, Nadia spent years navigating challenges that included cancer-related infertility, the loss of her best friend, divorce, and the difficult decision to walk away from toxic family relationships.

While she was financially functional, she realized she had been operating on autopilot rather than making intentional decisions about her future. Today, Nadia is in a very different place: she increased her income, rebuilt her credit, and created a thriving Teachers Pay Teachers business that generates income beyond her classroom work.

In this inspiring listener interview, she shares how courage, self-trust, and a willingness to face discomfort transformed both her finances and her outlook on life.

What Nadia Discussed on the Podcast:

• Her journey through cancer, divorce, grief, family estrangement, and financial rebuilding.
• The realization that sparked her shift toward intentional financial decision-making.
• Advice for women facing difficult personal or financial crossroads.
• Building a successful Teachers Pay Teachers business and creating income beyond a traditional job.
• Rebuilding credit and confronting financial blind spots.
• How her definition of financial success has evolved through different life stages.
• The decisions she is most proud of and how they changed the trajectory of her life.
• Encouragement for women who feel like they are starting over later than planned.

How to Keep Up With Nadia:

• Facebook: Nadia Kaye
• Personal Instagram: @nadiakaye17
• Website: www.authenticeducatorconsulting.com
• Business Instagram: authentic_educator_consulting
• Linktree: The Authentic Alchemist
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiakauthenticalchemist/

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 Myasi Jackson for an inspiring conversation about building financial stability against the odds.

Myasi shares her journey from living in a group home, working low-wage jobs, and focusing on survival to creating a life grounded in financial confidence, intentionality, and long-term growth. Along the way, she navigated challenges including debt, eviction, living paycheck to paycheck, and taking an unconventional path through college before earning her degree at 30.

Most recently, she won a $10,000 financial challenge—an achievement that reflects years of consistency and commitment to changing her financial future. Through her story, Myasi offers encouragement, practical lessons, and proof that meaningful financial progress is possible no matter where you start.

What Myasi Discussed on the Podcast:

• Her financial journey from living in a group home and working low-wage jobs to building stability and confidence.
• How early life experiences shaped her relationship with money.
• The difference between surviving financially and intentionally building wealth.
• The mindset shift that helped her stop seeing herself as unfortunate and start seeing herself as capable and deserving.
• How budgeting worked when money was extremely tight.
• Lessons learned from experiencing eviction, debt, and living paycheck to paycheck.
• Her perspective on using debt strategically and understanding the difference between helpful and harmful debt.
• Staying committed to long-term goals despite setbacks and an unconventional college journey.
• What winning a $10,000 financial challenge taught her about consistency, opportunity, and growth.
• The habits that had the biggest impact on her financial transformation.
• Encouragement for anyone who feels behind or discouraged about their financial progress.
• What financial success means to her today.

How to Keep Up With Myasi Jackson:

• Follow on Instagram: @myasijanne

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

Building wealth as a woman isn't just about saving more or investing earlier. There are unique financial realities that many women face—and most traditional money advice doesn't talk about them.

On this episode, I share 8 important truths every woman should know about building long-term wealth, including how the wage gap, career breaks, caregiving responsibilities, longer life expectancy, and financial expectations can shape your financial future.

You'll learn:

• Why negotiating your salary matters more than you think
• How career breaks impact long-term wealth
• Why women need a different retirement strategy
• How to protect your financial future while supporting family
• Why building wealth isn't just about discipline—it's about strategy

If you're serious about becoming financially independent and building lasting wealth, 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 Stephanie Khumalo, an events and communications professional whose financial journey is a powerful reminder that a healthy relationship with money can be learned, and relearned. Despite growing up with a strong financial foundation and later earning an MBA, Stephanie found herself facing lifestyle inflation, consumer debt, poor credit, and delayed financial goals after falling into spending habits that gradually pulled her off track.

In this candid conversation, she shares how financial stress affected multiple areas of her life, the mindset shifts that helped her regain control, and how support from loved ones, delayed gratification, and intentional financial decisions helped her rebuild. Today, Stephanie is focused on investing, paying down student loans, managing a mortgage, and creating multiple income streams while defining financial success on her own terms.

What Stephanie Discussed on the Podcast:

• Growing up with a strong financial foundation and how lifestyle creep began after getting her first car.
• Early warning signs that spending was getting ahead of her financial goals.
• How financial stress impacted her confidence, relationships, and future plans.
• Her experience with poor credit, consumer debt, and delayed financial milestones.
• Why a healthy money mindset can be learned or relearned at any stage of life.
• The role her husband and loved ones played in supporting her financial recovery.
• Navigating periods of being underpaid or underemployed without giving up on her goals.
• How delayed gratification helped accelerate her financial progress.
• What financial success means to her today compared to a decade ago.
• Advice for anyone feeling ashamed of past financial mistakes or worried they're too far behind.

AND SO MUCH MORE

How to Keep Up With Stephanie:

• Follow on Instagram: @stephforthewin27
• Learn more: Stephanie's website

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 Easter Givens-Okoli for an inspiring conversation about building financial stability as a single mom during one of the most difficult seasons of her life. During the height of the pandemic, Easter was managing overwhelming credit card debt, caring for her household on one income, and trying to keep everything together emotionally and financially.

Through faith, entrepreneurship, resilience, and the practical financial education she found along the way, she slowly began transforming her finances and breaking cycles of financial burden for her family and future generations.

Easter shares the mindset shifts, small habits, and intentional decisions that helped her pay off debt, improve her credit, and build a stronger financial foundation—all while navigating the realities of single motherhood.

What Easter Discussed on the Podcast:

• What life looked like during the pandemic as a single mom managing everything on one income.
• The emotional and financial weight of carrying overwhelming credit card debt.
• Why shame around debt and financial struggle is so common, especially among single mothers.
• What made personal finance finally feel accessible and realistic for her.
• Small financial habits and changes that created momentum early on.
• How her mindset around money evolved as she paid off debt and improved her finances.
• Why financial stability is more about managing what you have than how much you earn.
• Balancing household responsibilities while still prioritizing financial goals.
• The emotional impact of improving her credit score and becoming debt-free.
• Staying motivated through slow progress and discouraging moments.
• Advice for women and single mothers feeling financially overwhelmed and unsure where to begin.
• What she's most proud of about her journey.

How to Keep Up With Easter:

• Facebook: Easter Okoli
• Google: Okoli Heart & Soul CPR

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 Vicky South for a deeply honest conversation about burnout, debt, emotional spending, and redefining success at 40.

Vicky is a British expat who has spent more than 15 years living across Vietnam, India, Hong Kong, and Argentina, navigating money across multiple countries and currencies while intentionally choosing a nontraditional path.

Despite being financially knowledgeable from a young age—even researching savings account interest rates as a child—she shares how emotional health, anxiety, and burnout shaped her financial decisions just as much as financial literacy did.

Now in the middle of an 18-month transition out of corporate life and into entrepreneurship, Vicky opens up about managing finances without a traditional paycheck, unlearning shame around money, and helping women understand that they are not "behind" just because their lives don't follow conventional timelines.

What Vicky Discussed on the Podcast:

• How living across multiple countries shaped her perspective on money, freedom, and success.
• Why choosing not to buy property was an intentional decision—not a failure.
• Her early fascination with money and financial literacy.
• Why financial knowledge alone isn't enough to build healthy money habits.
• The connection between anxiety, emotional health, shopping, and overspending.
• What burnout taught her about work, identity, and financial security.
• How she has stayed financially stable during an 18-month career pivot without a salary or pension.
• Why so many women feel "behind" financially by 40 and how to release comparison-based thinking.
• How teaching herself to invest during the 2008 banking crisis shaped her confidence with money.
• Lessons learned from managing finances across currencies, countries, and financial systems as an expat.
• Shame narratives and money beliefs she had to unlearn.
• Advice for women feeling embarrassed about debt, financial mistakes, or starting over later in life.

AND SO MUCH MORE

How to Keep Up With Vicky:

• Substack: Money — For Those Who Feel Behind
• LinkedIn: Vicky South
• Instagram: @vicsouthexplorer

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

Your salary keeps increasing, but somehow you're still living paycheck to paycheck. If you've ever gotten a raise, promotion, or new job and wondered where all the extra money went, you're not alone.

On this podcast episode, I'm breaking down the real reasons why earning more money doesn't automatically make you wealthier, and what you can do to finally get ahead financially. We'll talk about lifestyle inflation, rising fixed expenses, saving and investing strategies, debt, budgeting, and the mindset shifts that help you turn higher income into real wealth.

You'll learn:

• Why lifestyle creep keeps so many high earners broke
• How fixed expenses quietly consume your raises
• The pay-yourself-first strategy that actually works
• Why debt may be stealing your income growth
• How to create a spending plan that supports your goals
• The difference between saving money and building wealth
• Why defining your version of "enough" matters

If you're tired of making more money without making financial progress, this episode will help you create a plan that allows you to keep more, save more, invest more, and build lasting wealth.

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 Marcia Armstrong, MBA, founder of A Purpose Life and a multi-award-winning finance educator and business consultant, for an insightful conversation about building a purpose-driven business without losing yourself in the process.

With more than 15 years of experience in the finance industry, Marcia has helped individuals and organizations make strategic financial decisions that lead to sustainable success. She shares her journey from having a strong foundation in personal finance to navigating the very different realities of entrepreneurship, including the challenges of managing cash flow, pricing, business growth, and the emotional weight that often comes with being a founder.

This episode is packed with practical lessons for entrepreneurs who want to build profitable businesses while protecting their wellbeing and staying aligned with their purpose.

• Her journey into entrepreneurship and the inspiration behind launching A Purpose Life.
• The differences between managing personal finances and managing business finances.
• Why financial confidence in your personal life doesn't automatically translate to business success.
• Financial lessons learned the hard way during the early stages of entrepreneurship.
• Navigating the pressure of being solely responsible for business and personal financial stability.
• The shift from reactive financial decisions to intentional planning and strategy.
• Financial systems and habits that created more structure, clarity, and peace of mind.
• Why entrepreneurs need to separate business performance from personal identity.
• How her approach to pricing, cash flow, and growth has evolved over time.
• Advice for entrepreneurs who avoid looking at their numbers because of fear or emotional attachment.
• Building a financially sustainable business without falling into burnout.
• The business and money lessons she wishes she had learned earlier.

• Follow on Instagram: @apurposelife246
• Connect on LinkedIn: Marcia Armstrong
• Learn more: apurposelife246.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

Why does financial discipline feel so hard sometimes? Why do you keep overspending even when you genuinely want to stop?

On this episode, I'm breaking down the real reasons financial discipline feels difficult, and why it has far less to do with willpower than most people think.

You'll learn:

• Why relying on motivation keeps people stuck
• How your environment impacts your spending habits
• The systems that make managing money easier
• Why all-or-nothing thinking sabotages your progress
• How to build habits that actually stick
• The mindset shifts that help you stay consistent long term

If you've been feeling frustrated with your money habits, this episode will help you stop blaming yourself and start creating systems that actually support your financial goals.

Because building wealth is not about being perfect. It's about building a financial life that works for you consistently over time.

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