What happens when a therapist decides to build a financial company?

You get Dream Money, and you get Megan Hale.

In this episode, host Rosa Hart sits down with Megan to talk about her unconventional path from the therapy room to the founder's chair, and why that background turned out to be her superpower. Money is emotional, and Megan built Dream Money to meet solo CEOs where they actually are: not with another bookkeeping tool, but with financial forecasting that helps them see where their business is going, not just where it's been.

Timestamps:

0:00 – Introduction to Megan Hale and Dream Money

0:59 – Megan's background as a therapist and path into coaching

2:15 – Struggles building an online coaching business; founding Dream Money

2:56 – Moving to Louisville and starting a new chapter

4:11 – How Dream Money differs from bookkeeping/accounting tools like QuickBooks

5:44 – The "DREAM" acronym: deliberate, reliable, easeful, abundant, meaningful money

7:11 – Recent milestones: grants, JPMorgan Chase sponsorship, and a new award

8:00 – The big vision: scaling Dream Money to serve 100,000 solo CEOs

9:37 – Finding community and support as a new business owner in Louisville

11:07 – The loneliness of being a solo CEO and the need for shared community

12:32 – Announcing the "Well Off and Wealthy" monthly money meetup

13:51 – How to connect with Megan and host a meetup

16:32 – The "good, better, best" financial framework inside Dream Money

18:18 – Managing everyday cash flow stress with Dream Money

19:47 – Closing thoughts and thanks

Connect with Megan Hale / Dream Money:

Connect with Megan: https://meganhale.co/

Email: ​​[email protected] 

Find out more about Dream Money:https://dreammoney.co/

Welcome to The Lou Review Podcast hosted by Rosa Hart

🎙️This podcast highlights powerful conversations around business, branding, entrepreneurship, and community stories from Louisville and beyond.We feature inspiring founders, creatives, and leaders sharing real insights, growth strategies, and behind-the-scenes journeys.

🔹 Topics Covered:- Business Growth & Marketing

- Branding & Creative Strategy

- Entrepreneurship & Startups

-Local Louisville Stories & Culture

Subscribe for weekly podcast episodes and real conversations that matter.

What happens when 100 women each write a $1,000 check? You get a $100,000 grant; and in just six years, the women of Impact100 Louisville have put more than $2.5 million into nonprofits across Jefferson County.Host Rosa sits down with co-founder Carey Goldstein and current president Kim Hansford to unpack the collective giving model that's transforming Louisville philanthropy.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 - Welcome & the math behind Impact100: how $1,000 checks become $100,000 grants
• 0:40 - Six years in: 500+ members, five $100K grants in a single night
• 1:07 - Carey's origin story: from a dinner party idea to a Pensacola conference
• 2:10 - Finding founding board members and getting the 501(c)(3) off the ground
• 3:20 - How COVID unexpectedly accelerated growth from 75 to 206 members
• 4:42 - Charcuterie boards, house gatherings, and a grassroots approach to recruiting
• 6:32 - Kim's story: why she waited until year two (and why her best friend never let her forget it)
• 7:05 - What drew Kim in: feeling connected to where her money goes
• 7:44 - Breaking down the grant process: letters of intent, site visits, and the finance committee
• 9:27 - From 165 applications to 8 finalists; how volunteers power every step
• 10:26 - The "Meet the Finalists" event: a science-fair style evening with every finalist nonprofit
• 13:15 - Merit money: how semifinalists also benefit, and the rule on reapplying
• 13:22 - Grant spotlight: The Smoketown Community Laundromat, GE appliances, an app instead of quarters, and a man from the neighborhood
• 15:21 - Decode Project, Granny's Birth Initiative & addressing the Black maternal health crisis
• 16:36 - Synergies in action: Decode Project meets Louisville Leopards at a grantee event
• 17:35 - Louisville Lightning: Paralympic-style athletes earning scholarships
• 18:48 - How nonprofits come back to share updates, and the ripple effects on volunteerism
• 19:47 - La Casita Center: feeding 800 meals a week from a tiny kitchen, and a kitchen build-out that changed everything
• 22:10 - The network has grown: why not knowing everyone is a good sign
• 22:10 - Impact Junior: high school girls doing collective giving with $100 memberships
• 22:46 - Impact Junior gave $7,000 to KRM, and the board doubled it
• 24:07 - Three generations of Goldsteins in Impact100
• 24:12 - Who belongs in this room? Carey's message: this is not a club
• 25:35 - Efforts to diversify by zip code, age, race & ethnicity
• 27:10 - How to join: website, fellowship opportunities, and the $1,100 membership (with $1,000 going directly to grants)
• 28:08 - Kim: you can write a check and clap in November, or go all in on committees
• 28:12 - Rosa shares how she first heard about Impact100 through Hildegard House
• 29:51 - Carey: the board has no special influence; the process is equal opportunity
• 31:28 - The follow-up process: nonprofit relations committee, contracts, and six-month check-ins
• 31:50 - How to connect: impact100louisville.org | [email protected]
• 33:05 - How nonprofits get on the letter of intent list (March is the window)
• 33:38 - Closing: follow Rosa @rosaraves and subscribe wherever you listen

Welcome to The Lou Review Podcast hosted by Rosa Hart 🎙️This podcast highlights powerful conversations around business, branding, entrepreneurship, and community stories from Louisville and beyond.We feature inspiring founders, creatives, and leaders sharing real insights, growth strategies, and behind-the-scenes journeys.🔹 Topics Covered:- Business Growth & Marketing- Branding & Creative Strategy- Entrepreneurship & Startups- Local Louisville Stories & CultureSubscribe for weekly podcast episodes and real conversations that matter.#Podcast #BusinessPodcast #Branding #Entrepreneurship #Louisville

What does it actually take to support mental health in our community, before a crisis hits? In this debut episode, host Rosa Hart sits down with Nancy Brooks, Executive Director of NAMI Louisville, to talk about the free programs, peer support, and early intervention tools that are changing lives right here in Louisville.From family education classes to QPR suicide prevention training to the Wellness Wheels school bus, NAMI Louisville is doing more than you probably realize — and it's all free.Timestamps:(Add after editing)In this episode:✔ What NAMI Louisville actually does (and how it's different from the national org)✔ Free programs for families, caregivers, veterans' families & providers✔ Why mental illness is a full family illness✔ The importance of early intervention — before crisis hits✔ Coping tools Nancy uses personally (including faking a smile & cleaning the kitchen)✔ The 988 mental health emergency line — do you know about it?✔ How to volunteer, donate, or partner with NAMI Louisville✔ NAMI Walk 2026 details + the new kids' zone & Therapy VillageConnect with NAMI Louisville:🌐 namilouisville.org📸 Instagram: @NAMILouisville📘 Facebook: NAMI LouisvilleNAMI Walk 2026📅 September 12, 2026📍 Waterfront Park, Louisville, KY🕘 9:00 AM – 12:00 PMIn a mental health crisis?📞 Call or text 988 — the national mental health crisis lineWelcome to The Lou Review Podcast hosted by Rosa Hart 🎙️This podcast highlights powerful conversations around business, branding, entrepreneurship, and community stories from Louisville and beyond.We feature inspiring founders, creatives, and leaders sharing real insights, growth strategies, and behind-the-scenes journeys.🔹 Topics Covered:

• Business Growth & Marketing
• Branding & Creative Strategy
• Entrepreneurship & Startups
• Local Louisville Stories & Culture

Subscribe for weekly podcast episodes and real conversations that matter.

Before Colonel Sanders was a global icon, he was a Kentuckian. Now, for the first time in 50 years, his personal world is going up for auction.

In this episode of The Lou Review, host Rosa Hart sits down with Jonathan Klunk, the real estate professional and Kentucky Colonel helping bring nearly 100 of Colonel Harland Sanders' personal artifacts to auction on July 28 at Claudia Sanders Dinner House in Shelbyville, Kentucky.

Key dates:

• Preview Day: Monday, July 27, noon to 6 PM
• Live and syndicated auction: Tuesday, July 28 at 6 PM ET

Bid in person or online from anywhere in the world. View all auction items and register at ⁠ClaudiaSandersAuction.com⁠

Jonathan shares the remarkable story of Blackwood Hall, the Colonel's home of 25 years and the original headquarters of Kentucky Fried Chicken, and the Settle family, hand-selected by the Colonel himself to carry on his legacy. From a mysterious handwritten recipe with 11 herbs and spices (and the 2001 lawsuit it sparked with KFC) to his 1956 day planner, engraved pressure cooker, and photo albums from his travels to Japan, these artifacts have been preserved in place, untouched, for five decades.

In this episode:

• Why the Colonel sold KFC for $2 million, and what happened five years later
• How Cherry Settle went from KFC employee to owner of the Colonel's beloved restaurant, with a loan from the Colonel himself
• The unlabeled recipe of 11 herbs and spices that KFC's lawyers came knocking for
• Japan's surprising love affair with Colonel Sanders (yes, they dress him as Santa)
• What it means to be a Kentucky Colonel, and how the "Chicken Man" became a marketing mastermind
• The sealed bid auction for Claudia Sanders Dinner House itself, including the restaurant, the historic home, and the Claudia Sanders trademark

Connect with The Lou Review:
Like, follow, and subscribe so you never miss the people and places making Louisville and the region unlike anywhere else.

She bought a window cleaning business, ran it for less than a year, and sold it at a profit; all while using her M.D. in research, finishing an MBA, and building one of the most credible health voices on social media.Host Rosa Hart sits down with Kristina Bianca Cabañez Winner, physician, clinical researcher, foodie and travel influencer (@KristinaDoesResearch), and acquisition entrepreneur, for a wide-ranging conversation about health literacy on social media, buying and selling a business, pursuing an MBA while working full-time, and the best restaurants Louisville has to offer.Topics Covered:Kristina's pivot to health and wellness content: Why she shifted from food and lifestyle content to evidence-based health education, and why she believes social media needs more credible voices in the health spaceAcquisition entrepreneurshipHow to find a business to buy in LouisvilleKristina Does Research, the blood sugar experiment: How she compared a Hershey's bar to a date-sweetened chocolate bar and tracked her blood sugar to demonstrate the difference in real timeNutrition during pregnancy: Kristina's personal journey of eating intentionally while pregnant, and why she's mindful of the long-term metabolic impact on her babyMBA at U of L and her honest take on whether an MBA is worth it

Leveraging vulnerability and asking for help: Why admitting what you don't know is one of the most powerful tools in entrepreneurshipLouisville restaurant recommendations:Oriental HouseKyushu (Japanese hibachi)Porch Restaurant (in the Omni Hotel)Grassa Gramma (Italian, immersive theming)Louisville's food and cocktail scene: Why both agree that Louisville punches above its weight classResources MentionedCodie Sanchez, acquisition entrepreneurship content creatorBizBuySell, business marketplaceETA (Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition), local Louisville groupKristina Does Research newsletter on Beehiiv, with a new project launching late July/early AugustConnect with KristinaInstagram: @KristinaDoesResearchNewsletter: Kristina Does Research on Beehiivhttps://kristinadoesresearch.beehiiv.com/Connect with Rosa & The Lou ReviewInstagram: @RosaRavesFacebook: The Lou Review PodcastWebsite: loureview.comThe Lou Review Podcast is made possible by The Lou Review Foundation, dedicated to amplifying the messages of businesses and nonprofits making Louisville, Kentucky a great place to be.Connect with Kristina on LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-cabanez/Timestamps1:51 — Kristina's pivot to health & wellness content on social media3:27 — What is acquisition entrepreneurship?4:17 — Buying the window cleaning business in 20245:28 — Learning every role: washing windows herself6:46 — How to find a business to buy in Louisville7:22 — BizBuySell & business marketplaces10:32 — ETA: Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition group in Louisville13:18 — Kristina Does Research: evidence-based health content14:09 — The blood sugar experiment: Hershey's vs. date-sweetened chocolate16:16 — Eating intentionally during pregnancy18:58 — Louisville restaurant recommendations19:32 — Oriental House, Kyushu, Porch Restaurant & Grassa Grandma23:54 — MBA at University of Louisville: experience & value25:34 — Previous businesses: medical school solopreneur to hiring employees34:19 — Where to follow Kristina & closingThis podcast highlights powerful conversations around business, branding, entrepreneurship, and community stories from Louisville and beyond.We feature inspiring founders, creatives, and leaders sharing real insights, growth strategies, and behind-the-scenes journeys.🔹 Topics Covered:- Business Growth & Marketing- Branding & Creative Strategy- Entrepreneurship & Startups- Local Louisville Stories & CultureSubscribe for weekly podcast episodes and real conversations that matter.#Podcast #BusinessPodcast #Branding #Entrepreneurship #Louisville

Rosa Hart sits down with Louisville keynote speaker and confidence curator Chris Fulkerson to talk about personal reinvention, empowering women, and the "F Words to Live By" framework she teaches across the country.

In this episode:

How Barbie birthday parties became a symbol of joy and resilience after profound personal loss

The journey from image consulting (closets, fashion shows, feng shui!) to full-time keynote speaking

Why dressing women on the outside can't work if they're not supported on the inside

The "F Words to Live By": Food, Fashion, Fitness, Fun & Friendship

A moving story from a Dress for Success Louisville fashion show that illustrates the power of community and saying yes to yourself

How Toastmasters and the National Speakers Association transformed Chris's speaking career

Dress for Success Louisville's work — including outreach to teachers and rural counties

Timestamps:

1:17 – Meeting through Toastmasters & NSA Louisville

1:38 – The Barbie birthday party origin story

2:17 – Grief and the mindset shift behind the parties

7:00 – Goal: a 100th Barbie party

11:17 – What image consulting really involves

14:45 – The mission: women saying yes to themselves

17:00 – The F Words to Live By framework

20:40 – Self-care is not selfish

22:35 – Breaking cycles of self-sacrifice for our kids

26:00 – Toastmasters & NSA journey

30:20 – The power of storytelling

36:38 – What Chris's business looks like today

38:00 – Dress for Success: "Turning Over a New Leaf" story

44:14 – Dress for Success mobile outreach

46:07 – How to book Chris

47:05 – Wags Pet Therapy & dog fashion show

49:59 – Outro

Find Chris: fwordstoliveby.com

Instagram: @chris_fulkerson

The Lou Review podcast highlights powerful conversations around business, branding, entrepreneurship, and community stories from Louisville and beyond.

We feature inspiring founders, creatives, and leaders sharing real insights, growth strategies, and behind-the-scenes journeys.

Topics Covered:- Business Growth & Marketing- Branding & Creative Strategy- Entrepreneurship & Startups- Local Louisville Stories & CultureSubscribe for weekly podcast episodes and real conversations that matter.

Learn more about The Lou Review Foundation Inc at LouReview.com

Connect with host, Rosa Hart on Instagram: @RosaRaves

What does it actually take to end homelessness in a city? Rosa Hart sits down with Ra'Shann Martin, Executive Director of St. John's Center for Homeless Men, to find out.

Ra'Shann didn't start in homeless services — he started with young people. His work at YouthBuild showed him how quickly housing instability derails a life, and that realization sent him on a path that eventually led to leading one of Louisville's most essential nonprofits. In this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on what homelessness in Louisville really looks like, who it affects, and what's actually working.

In this episode:

Ra'Shann shares his journey from YouthBuild to executive leadership, including the unexpected phone call that changed everything. He breaks down how St. John's Center operates across shelter, outreach, and permanent housing — and why something as simple as a mailing address can be the difference between stability and crisis. He introduces Sheehan Landing, the new 80-unit permanent supportive housing complex, and tells the story of an 83-year-old man found living in an encampment who now has a home. He also unpacks the myths around homelessness in Louisville, explains the new Outreach Referral Tool as a compassionate alternative to calling 911 or 311, and answers the question everyone wants to ask: should you give money to someone panhandling?

You'll walk away knowing:

• What homelessness in Louisville actually looks like — and who it affects
• How permanent supportive housing works and why it changes outcomes
• What the Outreach Referral Tool is and how to use it
• What supplies are always needed (it's not just socks)
• How employers, volunteers, and community members can get involved right now

Connect with St. John's Center:
Website: stjohnscenter.org
Outreach Referral Tool: stjohnscenter.org (click "Referral Tool")
Phone: 502-568-6758 (ask for Outreach)
Connect with Ra'Shann Martin on LinkedIn

Support the work:
Donate, volunteer, or explore partnership opportunities at stjohnscenter.org

Know a Louisville mover and shaker making a difference? Rosa wants to hear from you.

On this episode, host Rosa Hart sits down with Ebony Bartee, co-owner and Senior VP of Equus Flight Academy, and one of fewer than 12 Black women in the U.S. to ever own a Part 141 flight school. Ebony shares how she "tripped into a Cessna" with zero aviation background and now leads a multi-location flight training company spanning Kentucky, Indiana, Oregon, New Hampshire, and Florida.

But this episode is about much more than planes. Ebony is described as a "pipeline builder" on a mission to bring awareness, accessibility, and affordability to the aviation industry, starting as early as kindergarten.

From co-founding an Aerospace Engineering CTE program at W.E.B. Du Bois Academy to drone certifications, discovery flights, and dual credit high school programs, she's opening doors to 200+ aviation career paths that most people never knew existed.

In this episode:

• What Part 141 vs Part 61 flight schools actually mean
• How students can earn a pilot's license before their driver's license
• Why drone piloting is a near six-figure career at age 17
• Scholarships nobody is applying for — and why you should
• The full spectrum of aviation careers (nurses, lawyers, engineers, IT, and more)
• How Jefferson County EMS is using drones in emergency response

Connect with Ebony on LinkedIN🌐 Equus Flight Academy — equusflightacademy.com 📱 Instagram: @Equus.FlightAcademy

To learn more about college scholarships in aviation:

https://www.aviationstart.org/

https://aopa.org/

https://www.eaa.org/eaa/learn-to-fly/scholarships

https://nbaa.org/professional-development/scholarships/

The Lou Review podcast highlights powerful conversations around business, branding, entrepreneurship, and community stories from Louisville and beyond.

We feature inspiring founders, creatives, and leaders sharing real insights, growth strategies, and behind-the-scenes journeys.🔹

Topics Covered:- Business Growth & Marketing- Branding & Creative Strategy- Entrepreneurship & Startups- Local Louisville Stories & CultureSubscribe for weekly podcast episodes and real conversations that matter.

Learn more about The Lou Review Foundation Inc at LouReview.com

Connect with host, Rosa Hart:

on Instagram @RosaRaves

on Linkedin

Welcome to The Lou Review Podcast hosted by Rosa Hart 🎙️ Find out how private investigation looks nothing like the movies.Forget what you think you know from TV. Private investigation is less car chase and more courtroom strategy, and Amber Kaset has built a career doing the real thing.In this episode, Rosa Hart sits down with Amber Kaset, founder of AK Investigations and creator of the Investigative Expert Method, to pull back the curtain on what private investigators actually do, and why their work matters more than most people realize.Amber specializes in criminal defense and civil investigations, working alongside attorneys and legal teams to surface the facts that courtrooms depend on. From navigating Kentucky's licensing requirements to explaining how investigators build credibility as expert witnesses, Amber breaks down a profession that is quietly essential to how justice works.They also dig into the AI question. As artificial intelligence reshapes every industry, what happens to a field built on human judgment, source relationships, and reading between the lines? Amber shares her take on where technology helps and where it falls short.Whether you're curious about the field, considering a career change, or just ready to have your misconceptions challenged, this conversation delivers.In this episode:What private investigators actually do in criminal defense and civil cases (and what they don't do)How to get licensed in Kentucky and what career paths look likeWhy TV portrayals get it wrong and what the work really requiresHow AI is changing investigative work and what only humans can still doResources mentioned:Investigative Expert MethodAK Investigations: akinvestigations.comThis podcast highlights powerful conversations around business, branding, entrepreneurship, and community stories from Louisville and beyond.We feature inspiring founders, creatives, and leaders sharing real insights, growth strategies, and behind-the-scenes journeys.🔹 Topics Covered:- Business Growth & Marketing- Branding & Creative Strategy- Entrepreneurship & Startups- Local Louisville Stories & CultureSubscribe for weekly podcast episodes and real conversations that matter.Learn more about The Lou Review Foundation Inc at LouReview.com

In this episode, Rosa sits down with CTRL Group co-founders Deshawndra' "Dray" Ray and Ann Hardin, two members of a bold founding team behind Louisville's newest creative agency and marketing collective. CTRL Group is redefining brand visibility through event curation, experiential media, and influencer marketing, connecting local brands, creators, and communities through experiences that are authentic, cultural, and community driven.

Dray and Ann share the story behind this Louisville startup, how their community building approach is changing brand strategy for Black owned businesses and women entrepreneurs, and what the city's rising creative scene looks like from the inside.

In this episode:

• What makes CTRL Group different from a traditional creative agency
• Building influencer partnerships and creator storytelling that actually converts
• Why community driven marketing is the future of brand activation
• Supporting Louisville women in business and young professionals through intentional partnership
• The March 27 launch event at Goodwood Whiskey Row

Catch CTRL Group - The Launch:

RSVP here📅 March 27 | 6–9 PM📍 Goodwood Whiskey Row, 121 W Main St, Louisville, KY

Connect with CTRL group on social media:InstagramFacebookTikTokAbout The Lou Review nonprofit:The Lou Review Foundation Inc. amplifies Louisville voices, stories, and changemakers, bringing together community leaders, innovators, and culture builders for honest, inspiring conversations about what it means to build something meaningful in this city.Follow host Rosa Hart @RosaRaves

Subscribe to The Lou Review podcast for more conversations with Louisville entrepreneurs, culture builders, and community leaders who are changing the game.