Financial expert Tricia M. Taitt shares her journey from Wall Street and Broadway to writing the Amazon bestseller Dancing with Numbers and founding FinCore, a financial planning platform for women entrepreneurs. Discover the mindset shifts that define a CEO, why financial literacy is essential for women entrepreneurs, and the most overlooked opportunity for increasing your business profit. Tricia also reveals the two biggest asks that transformed her life, including deferring a six-figure job offer to pursue her passion for dance. 

You’ll hear Tricia discuss: 

• The CEO Mindset Shift: Why she avoided the CEO title for years, and how she realized the role means building a team, not doing everything herself. 
• From Layoff to Liberation: The pivotal moment in 2009 that led Tricia to combine her expertise (Wharton, Duke, Wall Street) with her passion for dance to create FinCore. 
• Unlocking Profit: The single most overlooked profit opportunity Tricia sees across industries. 
• Tough Love with Honey: How she balances compassion and accountability to help entrepreneurs face their money stories and understand the consequences of inaction. 
• The Bold Ask: Tricia’s most uncomfortable asks, including the time she asked a major corporation to defer her employment to dance. 

Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies (https://www.savvyladies.org/)
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/precious-l-williams/)
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisazeiderman/)
• Tricia M. Taitt's LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/triciataitt/)

Important Links for Tricia:

• FinCore Website (https://fincorestrong.com/)
• Dancing with Numbers (https://a.co/d/7WZIpem)

About Tricia Taitt:

Tricia M. Taitt is the CEO of FinCore and Author of the Amazon best-selling book, "Dancing with Numbers: Grow A Financially Healthy Business and Choreograph the Life You Want".   

She holds an M.B.A from The Fuqua School of Business of Duke University, and a BS in Economics with a Finance concentration from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. For over 20 years, she’s been a finance professional. Half of the time was spent working on Wall Street while the other half was spent in the trenches side by side with small business owners.  

As a result of working with FinCore, clients have been able to take control of their numbers and feel more confident in their ability to make decisions, while increasing profits by 10% and building a cash stash to invest in growth. 

Ready to level up your money game? This episode of The Power of the Ask podcast—brought to you by Marshalls—features CEO and financial mastermind behind the Your Rich BFF brand, Vivian Tu. Vivian takes us behind the scenes of her journey from Wall Street trader to one of today’s most trusted voices in personal finance. She shares how and why she built her viral, community-centered brand, what she’s learned about empowering women through money, and why financial literacy doesn’t have to feel overwhelming — in fact, it can feel like chatting with your bestie. 

Just in time for the holiday season, Vivian also shares how to set clear, achievable financial goals, beginner-friendly budgeting tips, and her signature luxe-for-less shopping hacks (hint: she’s a proud Marshalls girl). If you love a good deal, smart money moves, and a little bestie-to-bestie real talk, this episode is for you. 

Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies (https://www.savvyladies.org/)
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/precious-l-williams/)
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisazeiderman/)
• Vivian Tu's LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/viviantu-yourrichbff/)

Important Links for Vivian:

• Your Rich BFF (https://www.yourrichbff.com/)

About Vivian Tu:

Vivian Tu is on a mission to make the financial world less intimidating—and way more accessible—for everyone.  

A former Wall Street trader turned content creator, Vivian’s titles include financial expert, speaker, entrepreneur, and the voice behind the wildly popular brand, Your Rich BFF. 

In just three short years, she’s grown a massive community—over 8 million followers across platforms—by breaking down everything from credit scores to investing in an approachable manner and speaking to her fanbase like her peer– or as she likes to call them–her besties. You may have seen her featured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and Top Creators lists, or listened to her hit podcast, Networth and Chill. It’s one of the first of its kind, blending expert insights and real talk about money—and it shot straight to the top of the business charts. 

Vivian’s unique ability to make finance feel friendly and fun has made her one of the most in-demand voices in the space. She’s partnered with Marshalls to to show us how we can all boost our financial literacy as a way of getting “the good stuff” in life, however we may individually define it.. 

And because getting “the good stuff” is a team effort, Marshalls partners with organizations like our own. With Marshalls’ support, Savvy Ladies helps equip women across the country take control of their finances with real tools that make financial empowerment possible. 

As a long-term partner of Marshalls, Vivian has brought her inspiring, bite-sized lessons to women across the country through The Marshalls Good Stuff Social Club and The Marshalls Good Stuff Accelerator Program. 

And if that’s not enough, she’s also a New York Times bestselling author—her debut book, RICH AF released in 2023 with rave reviews, and another on the way, hitting shelves in 2026. 

Award-winning CFP® Professional and Women and Wealth Authority Cary Carbonaro shares her remarkable, decades-long journey through the financial industry, shattering the glass ceiling. Carbonaro reveals the bold, decisive moves that shaped her career, including walking away from a half-million-dollar Wall Street salary after 9/11, quartering her income, and ultimately choosing to build her own multimillion-dollar financial planning practice from scratch. 

She talks candidly about the challenges of operating as a woman in a male-dominated industry, detailing the effects of implicit bias and the constant need for resilience. Her personal story—from a high-stakes divorce that inspired her first book to a toxic corporate sale that sparked her second—delivers a powerful message. Finally, and notably, as the first woman on the NASDAQ Advisor Council, she advocates for the power of the ask, arguing that women must stop waiting to be noticed or rewarded and instead become 100% responsible for their financial future to close the wealth gap.   

• The Power of Self-Nomination: Carbonaro confidently “threw her hat in the ring” to become the first woman on the NASDAQ Advisor Council, proving the importance of asking for a seat at any table rather than waiting for an invitation. 
• Career Reinvention & Independence: Hear why she quit a high-earning NYC job, quartered her salary, and built her own firm, illustrating that true wealth requires building your own platform and never settling for less. 
• Resilience in a Male-Dominated Industry: A candid look at the implicit and unconscious bias women face in finance, stressing that resilience is the essential, non-negotiable trait needed to succeed. 
• Lemons to Lemonade: Hear how she calls on deeply personal, difficult experiences—a multi-million-dollar divorce and a toxic corporate sale—as the motivation to write her best-selling books and share crucial lessons with the world. 

Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn
• Cary Carbonaro's LinkedIn 

Important Links for Cary:

• Cary Carbonaro's Website 
• Cary's Women and Wealth Book 

About Cary Carbonaro:

Cary Carbonaro is an award-winning Certified Financial Planner™ with over 25 years of experience. She is the Managing Wealth Advisor and Women and Wealth Ambassador at Ashton Thomas, where she leads a multimillion-dollar financial planning practice focused on empowering women. Cary is the bestselling author of The Money Queen’s Guide and Women and Wealth: A Playbook to Empower Clients and Unlock Their Fortune, which offers actionable strategies for better serving women in financial services.  

 It was a #1 new release in wealth management and #1 in business finance and economics.  A respected industry voice, she’s been named as Investopedia’s Top 100 Financial Advisors list six times and is the first female member of the 2024 Nasdaq Advisor Council. She has been a CFP Board Ambassador for over a decade.  Through speaking, media appearances, and advocacy, Cary champions financial literacy and female empowerment. 

In a culture that glorifies the hustle, choosing to rest can feel like a revolutionary act. Licensed therapist, founder of Burn Bright Consulting, and host of Black Girl Burnout podcast, and 2025 Savvy Ladies Female FinFluencer Achievement Award Kelley Bonner shares her journey from clinical burnout to building a life centered on joy. She offers a radical perspective on ambition, arguing that much of what we call drive is actually conditioning. Listen for practical tools to dismantle the systems that drain your energy and learn how to finally give yourself permission to just be. 

  In this episode, you’ll learn about: 

• Redefining Burnout: Why burnout is a systemic problem, not a personal failure. 
• Being Present: How to stop performing for others and start living in alignment with your own needs.  
• Ambition vs. Conditioning: Why women of color often carry societal conditioning that is disguised as personal ambition. 
• Restorative Tools: Practical, five-minute exercises you can use to regulate your nervous system and restore your sense of safety. 
• Reclaiming Joy: Why reclaiming joy is a powerful way to honor yourself and the women who came before you. 

  Hear ways to give yourself the grace you deserve. Listen now.  

Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn
• Kelley Bonner's LinkedIn 

Important Links for

• Burn Bright Business Consulting 

About Kelley Bonner:

Kelley Bonner is a transformational specialist and licensed therapist dedicated to helping women overcome burnout and reclaim their joy. As the founder of Burn Bright Consulting and host of the top-rated podcast Black Girl Burnout—which has surpassed 1 million downloads Kelley guides individuals on a journey to authenticity and empowerment. 

Drawing on her own experience of overcoming clinical burnout, Kelley combines her expertise in social work and criminal justice to create transformative spaces for growth. Anita Hill has described her work as “revolutionary,” and the Pentagon has called her “a benchmark in her field.”

Kelley’s mission is to help women opt out of struggle and into a life filled with purpose, joy, and resilience. Through Burn Bright Consulting, she provides individuals and organizations with the tools they need to thrive.

Are your subconscious beliefs about money holding your business back? This week, Lisa and Precious welcome Ruchi Pinniger, a venture capital investor and the founder of Watch Her Prosper®. Ruchi shares her journey from a successful Wall Street career to becoming a financial mentor for women entrepreneurs. She explains why traditional financial advice often fails without addressing the underlying money mindset. Ruchi discusses her signature RIR Method™ for recognizing, interrupting, and reframing negative self-talk to cultivate a feeling of abundance. Listen in to learn how to connect your self-worth to your net worth and build a shame-free relationship with your finances for lasting profitability and growth. 

What You’ll Hear: 

• Heal Your Mindset, Grow Your Revenue: Learn why a healthy money story is the most critical asset for unlocking your financial success.  
• From Inspiration to Action: Hear how Ruchi was inspired by her immigrant single mother’s journey and how that shaped her mission to empower other women financially. 
• The Worthiness Equation: Learn how the price you put on your time and expertise, from project fees to your annual salary, is a mirror of your own feeling of worthiness. 
• Find Your Magic Number: Hear the one question every entrepreneur should ask to align their business revenue with their personal financial goals to fund their ideal life. 

Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn
• Ruchi Pinniger's LinkedIn 

Important Links for Ruchi: 

• Watch Her Prosper Website 

About Ruchi Pinniger:

 Ruchi Pinniger, International Speaker, Venture Capital Investor, Founder and CEO of Watch Her Prosper®, is dedicated to providing financial mentorship, support and services that women-led service-based businesses need to succeed. Recently named one of the “Women Leading the Finance Industry,” Ruchi’s signature approach fosters shame-free empowerment, enabling clients to achieve significant results in profitability and economic growth. Ruchi leverages her years of experience on Wall Street to provide expert advice on financial leadership, tax-time readiness, and small business finances.  

She is dedicated to philanthropy, serving on the executive boards of Savvy Ladies and the Pajama Program. Recognized with the Entrepreneur Community Leadership Award 2024, she is committed to helping entrepreneurs thrive, and cherishes moments with her family exploring food and diverse cultures around the world.

Certified Financial Therapist Erika Wasserman returns to The Power of the Ask to discuss how women can stop feeling shame around money and start building more confidence. Learn how a “personal board of directors” can help you on your financial journey. This conversation provides the tools you need to rewrite your money story and build a supportive community that helps you move forward. 

Key Takeaways 

• Asking for Help is a Strength: Leaning on your community during difficult times allows others to show up for you, strengthening your relationships and helping everyone involved.  
• Make Your Ask Specific: Vague requests get vague results. To get what you need, practice making your asks direct and targeted.  
• Confidence is a Practiced Skill: A lack of financial confidence doesn’t mean you’re bad with money, it just means you haven’t practiced yet.  
• Boundaries Create Freedom: Setting financial boundaries isn’t just about saying “no.” Create intentional rules that work for you, which may include saying “yes” to the right things in moderation. 

Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn

Important Links for Erika:

• Erika Wasserman's LinkedIn 
• Your Financial Therapist Website 

About Erika Wasserman:

 Erika Wasserman, the visionary CEO and founder of Your Financial Therapist, established the company in 2019 with a mission to transform how people view and manage their financial lives. As a Certified Financial Therapist (CFT-I™)—a prestigious certification held by fewer than 70 professionals worldwide—Erika blends her expertise in finance and international economics with her passion for empowering individuals, couples, and organizations to rethink their relationship with money.

She is also the creator of the innovative Let’s Talk Finances: Financial Wellness Conversation Cards. This unique tool features 50 thought-provoking questions designed to spark meaningful conversations about money, fostering financial clarity and emotional connection.

Erika’s academic credentials include a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the University of Florida and a Graduate Certificate in Financial Therapy from Kansas State University. Her work reflects a deep commitment to financial well-being, making her a trusted expert in financial therapy.

Join Lisa Zeiderman and Precious Williams as they welcome Erika Wasserman, one of only 100 certified financial therapists in the United States and founder of Your Financial Therapist, to the Power of the Ask podcast. Drawing from her personal journey through divorce and reinvention, Erika shares her signature Money Mindset Method and reveals how our backgrounds, cultural influences, and past experiences shape our relationship with money. 

In this eye-opening conversation, Erika demonstrates how to move beyond financial shame and fear to create healthier money conversations in every area of life. Whether you're navigating a breakup, planning for retirement, or simply want to feel more confident about your financial decisions, this episode offers practical tools and compassionate guidance. 

You'll discover: 

• The Foundation of Financial Therapy: Learn what financial therapy really means and why talking about money feels so uncomfortable for most people 
• The Money Mindset Method: Erika's five-step framework (M.O.N.E.Y.) for having productive financial conversations in any situation 
• Breaking Generational Patterns: How family background, culture, and personal experiences create our money stories and how to rewrite them 
• Practical Conversation Starters: Real strategies for discussing finances with partners, family members, and even yourself 
• Financial Trauma Recovery: Compassionate approaches to healing from past financial wounds and building trust in new relationships 

 Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn

Important Links for Erika:

• Erika Wasserman's LinkedIn 
• Your Financial Therapist Website 

About Erika Wasserman:

 Erika Wasserman, the visionary CEO and founder of Your Financial Therapist, established the company in 2019 with a mission to transform how people view and manage their financial lives. As a Certified Financial Therapist (CFT-I™)—a prestigious certification held by fewer than 70 professionals worldwide—Erika blends her expertise in finance and international economics with her passion for empowering individuals, couples, and organizations to rethink their relationship with money.

She is also the creator of the innovative Let’s Talk Finances: Financial Wellness Conversation Cards. This unique tool features 50 thought-provoking questions designed to spark meaningful conversations about money, fostering financial clarity and emotional connection.

Erika’s academic credentials include a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the University of Florida and a Graduate Certificate in Financial Therapy from Kansas State University. Her work reflects a deep commitment to financial well-being, making her a trusted expert in financial therapy.

On this episode of The Power of the Ask, we speak with Ivette Rivera, an inspiring Afro-Latina Nuyorican from Camden, New Jersey who transformed her life from homelessness to founding Harley, a trauma-informed fintech platform dedicated to helping women escape financial abuse and build wealth. 

Ivette shares her incredible journey of resilience, faith, and the bold asks that paved her path to success, including selling a domain to rapper and entrepreneur Nas and her pivotal experience with Tesla. Learn how she diversified her investments with the guidance of Savvy Ladies, turning potential setbacks into powerful momentum. This episode explores: 

• Financial Independence: Ivette’s journey highlights how asking for help and clarity is the first step in rebuilding your life, even from rock bottom. 
• Female Fintech: Learn about Harley, a platform designed to meet the specific financial needs of women, offering everything from high-yield accounts and robo-investing to a “diamond squad” for women-supporting-women funding. 
• Cultural Entrepreneurship: Understand how cultural entrepreneurship, like Ivette’s Loiza Foods and Bodega Flavor, can be a powerful act of healing, identity affirmation, and creating spaces for underrepresented communities. 
• Digital Safety: Recognize the growing need for women to embrace cybersecurity and digital safety as a core part of their financial lifestyle, protecting themselves from online scams and financial targeting. 

Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn
• Ivette Rivera's LinkedIn

Think insurance is dull? Think again! Join us as visionary CEO and turnaround expert Monica Adwani shatters myths about the insurance industry and entrepreneurship. With nearly two decades of experience, Monica shares how she built a thriving career from the ground up, empowering Latino and immigrant entrepreneurs through innovative solutions. Tune in to hear the surprising ways insurance saves lives and businesses, the truth about the entrepreneurial journey, and the vast, often overlooked opportunities within this dynamic industry. 

• Insurance is Not Boring: Find out how a dynamic career in insurance has led to Monica’s greatest reward: saving lives and businesses. 
• Self-Made Success: Learn how Monica built her career from “zero” to CEO, arriving in the U.S. as an immigrant with no immediate family or help. 
• Industry of Opportunity: The insurance sector faces a massive workforce gap, presenting significant career opportunities for new talent. 
• Cultural Inclusion & Legacy: Monica is a passionate advocate for bringing diverse, younger talent into the industry. She hopes to leave a legacy of positive impact and enabling opportunities for others. 

About Monica Adwani 

Monica Adwani is a visionary CEO and turn-around expert with over 18 years in the insurance and business world. As the founder of Breezy Seguros, she empowers Latino and immigrant entrepreneurs through innovative insurance solutions and business growth strategies.  

Recognized with multiple honors—including the AXL100 and Top 50 Women Leaders of Massachusetts—Monica is also a passionate advocate for inclusion, a board advisor for women entrepreneurs, and the voice behind the TranscendWithM podcast. Her journey from immigrant to impact-maker continues to shape industries and inspire change. 

Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn
• Monica Adwani's LinkedIn 

Tune in as Lisa Zeiderman and Precious Williams welcome Zoe Bogan, founder of ZB Agency and the visionary behind the Revenue Catalyst Program, which empowers women in traditionally male-dominated industries to excel in revenue-generating roles. Drawing on her experience as a former mergers and acquisitions leader at KPMG, Zoe shares her expertise helping women cultivate the confidence to overcome traditional barriers and boldly ask for opportunity, ownership, and the compensation they deserve. Learn how to move past fear and step into your power by: 

• Laying the Foundation: Explore Zoe's personal journey and the "breadcrumbs" that led to empowering women's confidence. 
• Cultivating Self-Belief: Learn strategies for shifting your mindset to build deeper belief in your worth and potential. 
• Speaking Up: Get practical tips for asking powerfully and with confidence, even when navigating fear in male-dominated environments. 
• Embracing an Empowered Mindset: Understand the importance of transitioning from a passive "employee" stance to an active, confident "entrepreneurial" mindset. 
• Demanding Your Due: Learn why confidently demanding what you inherently deserve is crucial for achieving true financial empowerment. 

About Zoe Bogan

Zoe Bogan is the founder of ZB Agency and a catalyst for women stepping into revenue-generating leadership roles across accounting, law, consulting, and beyond. Through her flagship program, Revenue Catalyst, now in its third cohort, she equips women to lead with confidence, close deals, and shift how they’re seen and valued in high-stakes rooms.

She is the visionary behind the ZB Agency Conference: Women Leading in Revenue Generation and Dealmaking and the ZB Golf Series, which has introduced nearly 70 women to golf as a powerful tool for business growth.

Zoe also leads the Capital Power-Up Initiative and upcoming Capital Power Summit, helping diverse and women-owned businesses prepare for funding and connect with aligned investors.

A former Corporate Development leader at KPMG, Zoe brings deep experience in M&A, integration strategy, and culture alignment. She’s a SUNY Fredonia alum, a passionate advocate for women in business—and most likely to be found on the golf course with her dog, Angel, when not building what’s next.

Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn
• Zoe Bogan's LinkedIn
• Zoe Bogan's Website , ZB Agency