We Thrive Life

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Budgeting Basics for Real Life

Most people think budgeting is about spreadsheets, strict rules, and cutting out everything fun.

But what if the real challenge with money isn’t math at all?

In this episode of We Thrive Life, Isabelle sits down with educator, speaker, and founder of 10X Teaching, Mary Saylor, to talk about the real-life foundations of budgeting. After years of living paycheck to paycheck — even on a six-figure household income — Mary and her husband hit a breaking point when a sudden illness forced them to completely rethink how they handled money.

What followed was a total shift in how they approached finances: not just logically, but emotionally.

Together, they paid off over $30,000 in debt and built a six-month emergency fund — all on a teacher’s salary.

This conversation goes beyond simple budgeting tips. It explores the emotional side of money, the habits that quietly sabotage our finances, and the practical steps anyone can take to start gaining control of their money today.

If budgeting has ever felt overwhelming, confusing, or stressful, this episode will help you see money in a completely new way.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why budgeting isn’t really about math • The emotional habits that sabotage financial progress • The most common money mistakes college students make • Why tracking your spending changes everything • How to budget when your income is inconsistent • The importance of setting healthy financial boundaries • How to start building an emergency fund • Practical tools for tracking spending simply and consistently

About Our Guest

Mary Saylor is an educator, speaker, and founder of 10X Teaching, where she helps teachers and professionals simplify their finances and build sustainable systems for managing money.

After years of financial stress and living paycheck to paycheck, Mary developed a practical and emotionally aware approach to budgeting that helped her family eliminate debt and build financial stability. Today she teaches others how to reduce financial stress, create clarity around money, and build habits that actually work in real life. New Episode 352026, 25741 PM

Learn more about Mary and her work: https://tenxteaching.org

Resources Mentioned

• Simple spending tracker (write down spending daily) • Budget tracking using spreadsheets • Budgeting apps (various options available) • Weekly money check-ins with your partner or family

Connect With We Thrive Life

If you’re figuring out adulthood and feeling a little underprepared, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

🌱 Website: https://wethrivelife.com

📸 Instagram: @WeThriveLife

Share This Episode

Know someone who feels stressed about money or doesn’t know where to start with budgeting?

Send them this episode.

Because adulthood gets easier when we conquer it together.

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Rejection. Ramen. Running a business.

Most people see the spotlight. They don’t see the auditions, the instability, the networking, the rejection — or the fact that acting is essentially running your own small business.

In this episode of We Thrive Life, we sit down with professional actor, director, and coach Brandon Burke to unpack the myth vs. reality of building a creative career.

We talk about:

• Why talent isn’t enough
• The business side of acting no one prepares you for
• How unstable income actually works in the beginning
• The emotional toll of constant rejection
• Hobby actors vs. career actors
• Whether grad school is worth it
• What it really takes to sustain a long-term career in the arts

If you’re pursuing acting — or any creative field — this conversation will give you the clarity most people don’t talk about.

You’re not behind. You’re under-informed.

Let’s fix that.

This is We Thrive Life. Conquer Adulthood Together.

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Entrepreneurship is everywhere online — “Be your own boss.” “Make money while you sleep.” “Escape your 9–5.”

But what does starting a business actually look like in real life?

In this Season 2 premiere of We Thrive Life, Isabelle sits down with Landon Smith, Entrepreneur in Residence at Southern Utah University’s Dixie L. Levitt School of Business, to break down the myths, the hard truths, and the practical realities of building something from scratch.

From scanning $2 law school books to resell on Amazon… to failed niche websites… to real estate investing… to building a multi-year software company — Landon shares what worked, what didn’t, and what aspiring founders actually need to know before jumping in.

If you’ve ever thought:

• “Maybe I should start a business…”
• “Is entrepreneurship the answer to burnout?”
• “How much money do I really need to start?”
• “What if I fail?”

This episode is for you.

What We Cover

✨ The biggest myth young adults believe about entrepreneurship ✨ Why “escape your job” isn’t always a good reason to start a business ✨ The #1 financial mistake first-time founders make ✨ What validation actually means — and how to do it for free ✨ How students can realistically start a business with $0 ✨ The emotional toll of entrepreneurship (and how to push through) ✨ Why systems matter more than hustle ✨ Knowing when to walk away from an idea ✨ The two skills every entrepreneur must master

Key Takeaways

1. Entrepreneurship isn’t easy — it’s earned. Freedom, flexibility, and financial success come after sacrifice, effort, and consistency.

2. Validate before you build. Just because you want the product doesn’t mean the market does. Test demand early — before you spend money.

3. You can start with zero dollars. Thanks to AI, free tools, and social platforms, many ideas can be validated and launched without major capital.

4. Systems create freedom. Document your processes. Delegate. Use automation. Build something that runs with you — not only because of you.

5. Success isn’t just money. For Landon, real success means creating value and having the autonomy to spend time with the people who matter most.

Who This Episode Is For

• College students curious about entrepreneurship
• Young adults feeling burned out in a job
• Aspiring founders afraid of failing
• Anyone who wants practical, grounded advice — not Instagram hype

If you’re figuring out adulthood and feeling a little underprepared — you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

🔗 Connect with us at wethrivelife.com 📲 Follow along on Instagram 🎧 Share this episode with someone building something big

This is We Thrive Life — where we conquer adulthood together.

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Wondering how to turn your degree into your dream career? On todays episode we are walking through all those questions about passions, dreams and how they apply to your future career!

Find me @We_ThriveLife on Instagram

or go to https://thrivelifegrowth.wixsite.com/wethrivelife

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This episode we are talking all about Resumes. What is a resume? How do you format a resume? What is a summery and should you include it?

So If you've been wondering what employers are, actually, looking for in a resume. This is the episode for you!

Find me @We_ThriveLife on Instagram

or go to https://thrivelifegrowth.wixsite.com/wethrivelife

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Today we are with the Director of Career and Professional development Mr. Brandon street. We are walking through everything you need to know to get that job! From how to handle questions about salary, to what should you ask for future employer.

Find me @We_ThriveLife on Instagram

or go to https://thrivelifegrowth.wixsite.com/wethrivelife

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Welcome to We Thrive Life, where we conquer adulthood together. Today It's just me, and we're talking about one of my favorite soap-box issues: education. Early education. I'll discuss what I feel about the way we teach children, and some of the social issues that arise with the public school system.

Find me @We_ThriveLife on Instagram

or go to https://thrivelifegrowth.wixsite.com/wethrivelife

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Today we are talk about the ACT with Math Teacher and ACT Prep program leader, Mrs. Braithwaite. So if you've ever wondered why we take the ACT, and why colleges seem so adamant about it. This is the episode for you!

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Are you ready to be an adult? Emery and Talisa from Launch High School are ready to find out. Take the test yourself and decide for yourself how ready you are!

Find me @We_ThriveLife on Instagram

or go to https://thrivelifegrowth.wixsite.com/wethrivelife

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Today we will be having a open conversation about one of the leading causes of death in the USA. Suicide. We will discuss my experience with suicidal thoughts, and what I have learned on my path to healing.

***Reminder: I am not a professional. Everything I say is complete opinion.***

Find me @We_ThriveLife on Instagram

or go to https://thrivelifegrowth.wixsite.com/wethrivelife