Shows
Best Friends FinanceAvoiding the biggest threats to a secure retirement, with investment advisor Pam PrinePam Prine is a co-founder of Keystone Capital Management Group – an investment and retirement planning firm. In her near 20 years of working with women on preparing for retirement, she's seen it all and knows women's biggest fears around money. This episode is all about taking ownership of your future and combating that fear with knowledge!Would you believe that per the 2019 US census, the average age of widowhood is 59? Retirement planning for women has special considerations. Women, on average, live 17 years alone after the loss of their spouse. Pam breaks down the two biggest potential pitfalls for wo...2021-06-2245 minBest Friends FinanceMoney Problem vs. Money Project with Author and CPA, Chris FeltonCouples Money, co-authored by our guest Chris Felton, is a must-read for any couple looking to improve their financial situation and create a more meaningful relationship with their partner. Unfortunately, money is a leading cause of divorce, and many couples think they are alone with their financial struggles. In this episode, we discuss the financial perspective of middle, upper and world-class thinkers. After seeing thousands of couples from all walks of life struggling with finances, Chris and his wife Marlow felt they must share their insights into what they believe is th...2021-06-0843 minBest Friends FinanceThinking (A)broadly to Slash Higher Education Costs with Blogger Crista WathenThe crippling cost of higher education is a common concern for young people and their parents alike. In this episode, Richful Thinker blogger Crista Wathen shares how some out-of-the-box thinking, and her willingness to study abroad saved her from drowning in debt.Could it possibly cost less to study at Oxford than Montana State? Listen and find out! Follow Crista:https://www.richfulthinker.com/@richfulthinkerblog on Instagram2021-05-2530 minBest Friends FinanceInvesting and Building a Stock Portfolio Before High School Graduation? Why Not? Teen Investor, Entrepreneur and Author, Jack Rosenthal Shows Us How!Calling all moms of teens and young adults! Does talking to your kids about saving and investing money overwhelm or intimidate you? In this episode, we interview our first teen male entrepreneur, investor and author! Jack Rosenthal, an 18-year-old student at Babson College in Massachusetts, talks about how he founded the Young Investors Club, LLC, one of the largest teen investment organizations in the world with close to 100 members and over $115,000+ under management. Jack has personally mentored 100+ students on investing and is considered an authority on teenage investing. He's written three books and you'll find he's wildly pas...2021-05-1121 minBest Friends FinanceWomen, Men and Money with Financial Advisor DeeAnna BurkholderWomen and men. We think differently, act differently, process differently, multitask differently, plan differently, even shop differently. It's no surprise we save, spend, budget and invest differently, is it?In this episode, financial advisor DeeAnna Burkholder joins us to discuss those differences. From decision making regarding purchases to whether to work with experts, there is a lot of middle ground to strive for. The most important part? Both partners should have a voice in the decision making process.Communication is everything when it comes to couples and finances. Listen in to learn how to bridge...2021-04-2737 min
Delivering Health55. Two Working Moms Talk FinanceSince finances are one of life’s major stressors and a common reason for arguments in a marriage, then who better to talk to about juggling finances in the real world than two working moms and entrepreneurs. Amanda Kessler and Lara Ford are on a mission to help other women achieve financial success and independence. As they describe it, they made it to their 40s with their heads planted firmly in the sand and didn’t have a clue regarding finances, until a few key conversations with friends changed the trajectories of their financial lives. And hopefully, today’s episod...2021-04-1637 minBest Friends FinanceAccountant and Tax Strategist, Paris Banisaeid, Discusses All Things Taxes, Retirement and How Life as an Entrepreneur Gives You More ChoicesDo taxes overwhelm you? With tax season upon us, we are thrilled to feature our first Accountant and Tax Strategist on this week's episode. Paris Banisaeid, @taxsavvyparis, shares tax tips and advantages of being a small business owner. Whether you already own a small business or you are ready to start a business, or even just a side hustle, you need to hear this! Paris coaches her clients from the beginning that saving for retirement is as essential as their marketing expenses. In this episode, Paris stresses the importance of focusing on your financial path (not someone els...2021-04-1337 minBest Friends FinanceTackling Debt and Building Generational Wealth at the Same Time? Yes! Mommy and Her Budget Blogger, Chris Brown, Shows Us How.Chris Brown is a young mom taking control of her financial future, and taking her followers along for the ride through her blog and YouTube channel, Mommy and Her Budget. Just three years ago, Chris was drowning in student loan and credit card debt, and pregnant with her first daughter. She dealt with her situation by making minimum payments and ignoring it, until an unpaid maternity leave made it clear something had to change.Inspired to build a better financial future for her daughter, Chris buckled down, and committed to taking control of her finances. After sitting...2021-03-2826 minBest Friends FinanceA Suitcase and a Smile The Story of Christina Gawlik: Why She Chose to Live a Traveler's Lifestyle and How To Do ItAfter admitting she was addicted to consumerism, Christina Gawlik, was seeking change. In 2019, Christina sold all of her belongings except what fit in two suitcases and opted to embrace a nomadic lifestyle. With an open mind, she ultimately decided to move and lower her living cost while keeping the same income level. Also known as geoarbitrage. Christina Gawlik, Ph.D., is an entrepreneur, math content developer & consultant and now world traveler. In this episode, Cris gives us a step-by-step plan on how she accomplished COAST FIRE through saving, investing, and developed a...2021-03-1649 minBest Friends FinanceTravel for the Low with Fly.nanced Creator, Cinneah El-AminIs travel a love language? Based on how much many of us have missed it through the pandemic, we at Best Friends Finance think it is. We've never felt so ready to hop on a plane and hit the beach, so it's the perfect time for a conversation with Cinneah El-Amin.Known as Fly.nanced in the online personal finance space, Cinneah is a 26-year-old travel and financial freedom course creator. She's visited nearly 30 countries across 6 continents, and is enjoying a debt-free life without limiting travel and adventure.Cinneah shares her tips to "travel for...2021-03-0143 minBest Friends FinanceMaking Personal Finance Fun with a Money Mindset, Business and Finance Blogger, Kristina GudelisDid you know women are the next wave of growth in US wealth management over the next 3-5 years? Yet, women own $.32 to men's $1 in the US. Kristina Gudelis, creator of @financialyou_ insists it's never too late to start asking questions about your money. Kristina is on a mission to help women bridge the pay and wealth gap through financial education and literacy. In this episode we discuss emergency funds, the power of net worth, and how to use Robo-Advisors for low-risk investing.How can you start your financial education and set yourself up for suc...2021-02-1631 minBest Friends FinanceSlay the B-Word to Live a Life You Love with Easy Budget Blogger, Merilee SpeignerWhat if a budget wasn't a burden or a downer? What if instead it was exactly what you needed to set yourself free to live, to experience, to give... with abundance? Merilee Speigner, author of The Easy Budget blog and personal finance influencer, joins us to break down how budgeting has set her family up to live the life of their dreams.Merilee did not have a head start when it comes to financial independence. In fact, she and her husband started their family while in college and required government assistance to get by. Merilee knew she...2021-02-0238 minBest Friends FinanceAuthor and Vitality Coach Chana Mason Helps Us Build Our Cash MachineYou don't have to be a financial expert to write a personal finance book. In fact, quite the opposite. Before writing The Cash Machine, Dave and Chana Mason found themselves deeply in debt, despite earning significant amounts of money in their careers. They've created an incredibly prosperous life working 2-3 hours a day from across the globe. They define their mission as "Learn, Grow, Teach."The Cash Machine is unlike other personal finance books ever written. This book is a page-turning love story that teaches you financial lessons and gives you tools to help drive your financial de...2021-01-1956 minBest Friends FinanceHow Will You Live Richly in 2021?It's our first episode of 2021 and our 50th episode since launching in early 2020! We're celebrating with a fun question... What does living a rich life mean for you? As a kid, this vision may have included a yacht and a robot maid, but for most of us it looks very different now. After the challenges of 2020, we're ready to focus on goals to live richly - with intent, purpose, confidence and happiness - in 2021!In this episode, we talk about the ways we can create the feelings we want to feel this year. From security and peace...2021-01-0531 minBest Friends FinanceGreatest Hits! Food, Fitness and Finance with Amanda Nighbert, RD, Creator of the LEAN PhenomenonWe're closing out 2020 with our MOST downloaded episode to date. In this episode, we discuss how wellness is like a wagon. If one of the wheels falls off - financial, physical, mental, emotional - we're off balance or just plain stuck. Amanda Nighbert, RD, creator of the LEAN program has built an army of loyal followers whose lives she's changed. Join us for a candid chat with Amanda about what works and what doesn't when it comes to weight loss and the economics of nutrition. You can't afford to miss this episode if your health is at the top of yo...2020-12-3053 minBest Friends FinanceGreatest Hits: How this (Previously Taboo) Conversation StartedWe're wrapping up 2020 (finally) by replaying our very first episode. For those of you who've joined us midstream, this will give you the skinny on how two working moms and solopreneurs learned that when women start talking about money, it's worth a million!2020-12-2221 minBest Friends FinanceAttorney and Money Mentor, Delyanne The Money Coach, On Growing Your Net Worth After Years of StagnationAre you looking to get a leg up on your finances? Delyanne, Attorney and Money Mentor, coaches her clients on how to slay the stock market without feeling like it's too late. In this episode, Delyanne shares whether you're spending or saving money, every dollar needs a specific goal. It's time to stop watching your net worth stay stagnant despite your income going up.At 38, Delyanne discovered the FIRE movement and realized she could do so much more with her money. Now, she's on track to retire in 7 years. Her goal is to inspire us to break...2020-12-1544 minBest Friends FinanceGreatest Hits! Ready to Create Your Path to Success? CFP Katy Greene Shows us Where to Start.The single most common message we've received since staring this podcast? Some version of "I'm just like you used to be, and I'm ready to change. Where to I start?" Well friends, we're re-airing one of our first episodes to answer just that! Certified Financial Planner Katy Greene knows women and money. In her experience, a lot of women want to take an active role in planning for their financial future, but need some direction. In this episode, Katy provides a clear path for your journey to financial independence. We're talking exactly where to start. It's all...2020-12-0843 min
Mind Your Money with MissBeHelpfulSeason 2: E14 | Year in Review (Top 7 Podcasts)1. Yo Quiero Dinero Podcast hosted by Jannese Torres-Rodriguez (https://anchor.fm/yoquierodinero/episodes/12--How-Yanely-Paid-Off-20K-in-18-Months--Yanely-Espinal-of-MissBeHelpful-ebhpvf/a-a2pot56)2. Choose FI Podcast hosted by Brad Barrett and Jonathan Mendonsa (https://www.choosefi.com/breaking-the-cycle-of-poverty-ep-266/)3. The Best Friends Podcast hosted by Amanda Kessler & Lara Ford (https://bestfriendsfinance.com/2020/09/22/youtuber-yanely-espinal-aka-missbehelpful-empowers-young-women-with-the-true-definition-of-wealth/)4. The Journey To Launch Podcast hosted by Jamila Souffrant (https://www.journeytolaunch.com/episode176/)5. The New Money Podcast hosted by Nathan Kennedy (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-are-we-not-teaching-personal-finance-in-school/id1496381447?i=1000476737136)6. The Financial Confessions Podcast hosted by Chelsea Fagan (https://anchor.fm...2020-12-0735 minBest Friends FinanceEssential Listening for 20 Somethings and All Girl Moms, with FinanciALLI Focused Founder, Alli WilliamsIf you're a young woman or raising a young women, this episode is for you! 29 year old author, blogger, money coach and new mom, Alli Williams, has made it her mission to help young women and couples ease financial anxiety, build wealth and dream bigger. She understand there is no one size fits all approach, and her personal story is wildly inspiring.How many recent college grads do you know who have $17,000 saved for their future wedding (before they're even engaged)? From a young age, and before studying finance later in her 20s, Alli was debt free...2020-12-0244 minBest Friends FinanceHow Couples Can Reduce Holiday Financial Stress and Still Create Holiday Magic with Sarah and Chris HelmsIt's no secret that Christmas is the most expensive holiday of the year. Not only can gifts be costly, but everything else is too! From Christmas cards, to pictures with Santa, to matching PJs, to holiday parties, it’s easy to blow your budget. That's why relationship coaches Sarah and Chris Helms say it's essential to set expectations with your partner (and those grandparents) to avoid the conflict and anxiety the holidays can bring.In this episode, the Helmses share their candid approach to avoiding "all things holiday" sucking the joy out of the season. It starts by...2020-11-2438 minBest Friends FinanceYour Game Plan to Control Holiday Spending with Holly of From Possibility to ActualityAre you going over-the-top to create Christmas or Hanukkah magic for your family? There is no bigger budget-blower than the holidays! In this episode we chat with financial educator and YouTuber, Holly, about ways to save on gifts this season. From values-based gift giving to being an "eco-tentional" shopper, Holly's tips will have you rethinking your holiday game plan.And since we love a good money story, Holly also shares her journey to pay off $135K in debt, which she and her husband started AFTER she left her corporate career in high end fashion and slashed their...2020-11-1730 minBest Friends FinanceWhat Does Financial Security Look Like To You? CFP and Owner of Guiding Wealth, Hannah MooreA recent study shows that 45% of Americans would prefer to visit their dentist than talk to their financial advisor! Certified Financial Planner, Hannah Moore, has made it her mission to change that, by thoughtfully focusing on the learning style and dreams of each client. In this episode, Hannah asks us, “What does financial security look like for you?” It's about so much more than numbers, spreadsheets and amassing a big pile of money. We discuss planning for your future while still living a wealthy life now. And by living wealthy, she simply means every dollar spent should bring...2020-11-1038 minBest Friends FinanceThe BFFs Talk Simple Ways to Save on GroceriesAre you conscientious about spending when it comes to feeding your family? Amanda and Lara were not, until their paths to financial independence made them intentional shoppers, even at the grocery store.In most American households, groceries are the second biggest line item for monthly spending. And during the pandemic, with school hot lunches and restaurant meals out the window, many families are spending more than they ever have before to put three meals/day, seven days/week, on the table.From their personal shopping strategies to tips from financial gurus, the BFFs talk saving...2020-11-0327 minBest Friends FinanceOur Relationship with Money from an Emotional and Spiritual perspective with Money Coach, Heidi CarterMoney Coach Heidi Carter helps women break their income records by creating a divine relationship with money without overworking and depleting themselves. In this episode, Heidi shares why money is like a relationship and requires time and attention. When you spend money, it's essential to know what emotion you're seeking.We shifted the conversation to talk about how female entrepreneurs struggle with worthiness, fearing success and failure as they break through earning ceilings. As our self-esteem grows, we can live out our life's purpose and mission once we quit spending money on the things we kind of wan...2020-10-2737 minBest Friends FinanceFinancial Blogger Sahirenys Pierce on Meeting Financial Challenges with PoiseAs a college student, Sahirenys Pierce saw her parents struggle through the Great Recession. This sparked her passion for understanding and avoiding financial pitfalls, and led her to a career in financial planning. While working for companies like Merrill Lynch, MetLife, and Ameriprise, Sahirenys saw a disturbing trend. Women were not coming to the table for important conversations, rather deferring to their spouses.Sahirenys felt moved to help women create a lifestyle that isn’t run by our finances. So, she launched her blog, thepoisedlifestyle.com, to provide women, particularly millennials, with the financial tools and resources nec...2020-10-2046 minBest Friends FinanceListener Money Story! Taneisha Barton On Being A "NO" Girl and Not Being Too Hard On YourselfIt's time for a listener money story! This week we interview TaNeisha Barton, who entered college with a lofty goal of graduating with her PhD by the time she was 30. After graduation, TaNeisha decided to take a real look at her student loans. With 112,000K in loans, and mounting credit card debt, she needed a plan, fast! TaNeisha met her now-husband and with his support, she started following what she calls Dave Ramsey "light." After only 18 months, she had paid her student loans off in full! She credits being the "No" girl for making it happen. Today, TaNeisha and h...2020-10-0942 minBest Friends FinanceThe Essentials of Estate Planning with Wendy Monteith, Esq.Did you know 64% of Gen Xers do not have a will? Even worse, nearly half of Americans over 55 don't either? A survey from Caring.com found that in total, only 4 in 10 American adults have a will or living trust. Unfortunately, failing to do appropriate planning could have disastrous consequences. Attorney Wendy Monteith experienced this first hand as a child, and has devoted her law practice to ensuring her clients are prepared for anything and everything. In this episode, Wendy shares the why and how behind estate planning. It includes more than just a will. A health care d...2020-10-0638 minBest Friends FinanceTHE 90 DAY SPEND LESS/SAVE MORE CHALLENGE. WHAT WILL YOU COMMIT TO?It's time for our 90 DAY SPEND LESS/SAVE MORE CHALLENGE!! The BFFs started this last year to give up frivolous spending to impact their consumer debt and focus more on saving for their futures. If you've ever participated in a #Last90Days challenge, then you know how awesome it is. If you've never done it before, you should join in because it's super motivational, free, and WILL improve your financial situation. What is it all about? The intention is simple...can we take care of our finances and work on our financial goals for the last...2020-09-2931 minBest Friends FinanceYouTuber Yanely Espinal, aka MissBeHelpful, Empowers Young Women with the True Definition of WealthGrowing up in a low-income Dominican household in Brooklyn, Yanely Espinal learned very little about managing her personal finances. Despite her full scholarship to Brown University, she racked up both student loan and credit card debt paying for all the extras. So, when Yanely started working as an elementary school teacher in her early 20s, she committed to becoming debt free. She managed to put an unbelievable 50% of each paycheck toward her debt, and paid off $20,000 in 18 months!After paying off her debt, Yanely realized could make that same commitment to herself and her future by aggressively...2020-09-2231 minBest Friends FinanceAuthor, Researcher and Breakthrough Coach, Shadé Ashani on How Your Relationship With Your Dad Can Affect Your Bank AccountWhat does your dad have to do with money? Shadé Ashani's life's work has been to figure that out. She's interviewed hundreds of women ages 18-75 and found significant differences between girls who grew up with and without their fathers when it comes to how they experience love, abundance, and money. Shadé's book, "In Search of My Father" explores how healing her relationship with her father set her free to experience healthy love and wealth. She has toured the country for years keynote speaking at conferences, high schools and colleges so she could get her arms ar...2020-09-1831 minBest Friends FinanceListener Money Story! Heidi Bounds on How a Career Pivot Lead to Financial FreedomIt's time for a listener money story! This week we interview Heidi Bounds, who had to redesign her financial habits after leaving the corporate world to become a pastor. Heidi and her husband knew they had to make big changes, so she'll share how they completed Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University to become, and remain, debt free!Heidi's story focuses us in on being becoming knowledgeable about earnings, expenses and savings, being aware of your money mindset, how your money story impacts how you handle money today, and how living beneath your means will set you up...2020-09-0234 minBest Friends FinanceSenior Director of Retirement & Investor Research at ICI Sarah Holden on Features of 401(k) Plans, Including the Potential for "Free Money"How many Economists with a PhD who study retirement and policy trends, as well as the behaviors of an investor do you know? We know one! Sarah Holden is the Senior Director of Retirement and Investor Research at Investment Company Institute, the leading global association of regulated funds. Despite that hefty title, Sarah uses plain English to make retirement and investment concepts clear. In this episode, she shares the three steps every worker should take to make the most of a workplace IRA or an individual IRA. Learn how America’s retirement system works for you...2020-08-2543 minBest Friends FinanceIronman and Eco Challenge Fiji Competitor Sonja Wieck on Values Based Budgeting (When Your Passion Doesn't Come with a Paycheck)Time for another listener money story! Sonja Wieck is an endurance sports athlete, triathlete, and adventure racer. In fact, you can binge watch 10 episodes of her competing in The World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji on Amazon Prime now! When a huge financial hit that Sonja calls their "$32,000 mistake" rocked her and her husband's world early in their marriage, they made extreme sacrifices to get out of debt. In doing so, Sonja discovered her true values in life and started making financial decisions guided by those values, rather than what others thought, or what her neighbors were doing.2020-08-1852 minBest Friends FinanceAmanda & Steve: From Polar Opposites to a Solid TeamCohost Amanda's husband, Steve, joins the BFFs to share his money story and what happens when a frugal-by-nature saver marries a spender who refuses to talk about money. Hint... it ain't good. But there is hope! Amanda always thought she and Steve were financially stable by earning a good living and faithfully contributing to retirement. Steve was not as confident, and shares candidly how his attempts to get the family's spending under control put Amanda on the defensive. Fortunately, after a decade of avoiding crucial money conversations, Amanda had a paradigm shift that made a big impact o...2020-08-1148 minBest Friends FinanceLara & Jeff Talk Reinventing Their Financial Lives TogetherAfter host Lara lost her mom at a very young age, she and her husband Jeff have always lived in the moment. As a result, these high wage earners found themselves living a big life, but saving very little. Then Lara discovered the Financial Independence (FI) movement and decided there was a better way. She became a student of saving, investing and conscientious spending, and made it her mission to get Jeff on board.Jeff joins us to talk about the money story he brought to the marriage, how Lara's paradigm shift regarding spending and saving changed...2020-08-0436 minBest Friends FinanceBeing More with Less with Project 333 Author, Courtney CarverAfter a life changing diagnosis, author Courtney Carver decided it was time for major change, specifically eliminating all stress. She found this came down to being more with less, simplifying her life and really living. Living with less created time and space to discover what really matters. Through decluttering, and focusing on the best things instead of all the things, she created a life with more joy with less obligation.In her book, Project 333, Courtney takes a new approach to living simply–starting with your wardrobe. Project 333 promises that not only can you survive with just 33 items in...2020-07-2844 minBest Friends FinanceBreaking Down Barriers Between Women and Strong Financial Foundations with Author Ande FrazierYou know that friend? She's relatable, warm and funny. Talking to her feels a bit like therapy? What if she had served as the head of a multi-million-dollar fintech company and as VP of a major insurance company? And was the recipient of numerous awards and honors including being named “Top 100 in Finance for 2019" and "Top 50 Women of 2019" by Top 100 Magazine? That's Ande Frazier. Ande is a Certified Financial Planner and author of Fin(anci)ally Free! 11 Conversations to Have With Yourself About Life, Money & Your Worth. Her mission is to help women feel secure in their fu...2020-07-2245 minBest Friends FinanceModern Couples Talk Money with Sarah & Chris HelmsRelationship coaches, and founders Becoming Committed, Chris & Sarah Helms are both children of divorced parents. That simple fact makes them 91% more likely to have their marriage also end in divorce. They have the odds stacked against them, but they are pushing back and are determined not to be another statistic. After 16 years together (8 of them married and a toddler in the mix) they are determined to help modern couples navigate conflict and communicate efficiently around what they call “The 5 Pillars” (money, parenting, intimacy, partner personality, and roles). In this episode they dive into...you guessed it...money! S...2020-07-1439 minBest Friends FinanceThe Most Powerful Woman in the Room is You with Author Lydia FenetSales, public speaking, negotiation, rejection, networking. Let's face it, many of us see that as a list of challenges, if not our greatest fears. From winning a coveted position as an intern at Christie's, fresh out of college (when no positions were actually available), to snagging the spot as the lead benefit auctioneer for the famed auction house, to creating her dream job as Managing Direct of Strategic Global Partnerships for Christie's, Lydia Fenet has not shied away from the hard stuff. In fact, her comfort in areas we might find uncomfortable has not only been essential to her...2020-07-0738 min
The Boss Lady Investor™ PodcastTBLI Podcast: Episode 34: Best Friends Finance-Authenitic Women Talking about the M-word...MoneyJoin host Krista Goodrich as she chats with the Bad Ass Boss Ladies, Lara Ford and Amanda Kessler, of Best Friends Finance Podcast, about their journey to tackling understanding personal finance and what women can do to get their money life on track. This down-to-earth chat between girlfriends explores the many ways that women can learn and grow to create a life of financial wealth. Guests Lara and Amanda, both extremely successful business leaders, recognized the need for women to have "girl-centric" guidance when it comes to money-talk so they grabbed the reins, took the lead and created an aw...2020-07-0754 minBest Friends FinanceAmanda's Money Story UpdateThis week Amanda updates us on her financial journey, with three tweaks that have had a huge effect on her family's bottom line. First, Amanda worked with her accountant to maximize her pre-tax retirement savings. Do you know your options? Did you know a Solo 401K is a thing? Neither did she! Second, Amanda and Steve aggressively saved for emergencies by automating savings and moving windfalls out of site, out of mind...directly into a separate high yield savings account. When a series of unfortunate events added up to $5000 in unexpected expenses, the impact was far less t...2020-06-3021 minBest Friends FinanceLara's Money Story UpdateLara gets candid with an update on her financial journey. Eight months ago, Lara put pen to paper to get the full picture on her family's debt. The result shocked her and brought her right back to the feelings of watching her single mom struggle financially when she was a child. The difference was, Lara had the means to live an abundant life. However, the number at the bottom of the debt column made it clear - even high earners can overspend. Lara realized that just because you can afford the payment doesn't mean you can afford the thing.2020-06-2332 minBest Friends FinanceListener Money Story: Heather Guyan, Mom of Three, Takes the Leap to Become Debt FreeMom of 3 and entrepreneur Heather Guyan and her husband were doing everything right. They had two good incomes, contributed to 401Ks and IRAs, and had 529 plans for their three children. Building and furnishing their dream home three years ago was the icing on the cake. However, as credit card debt mounted, and the "little things" kept adding up, they realized they were just getting by, rather than getting ahead. When Heather sat down last November and listed out all the money they owed, she was shocked. Despite having a decent portfolio for retirement, consumer debt was derailing h...2020-06-1635 minBest Friends FinanceThe Ultimate Spending (and Saving) ExperimentThe BFFs and their families have thus far remained healthy during the Covid-19 pandemic. And, while the revenues of Lara and Amanda's businesses did take a dip, they have not experienced significant financial hardship from the three months of stay at home orders. Recognizing the privilege of their circumstances, and that the situation is fluid, it has been a telling financial experiment. When restaurants, commuting, travel, entertainment and shopping are out the window...what do we spend money on? What do we save money on? And what can we give up going forward? Hear the BFFs' take, a...2020-06-0934 minBest Friends FinanceFocus on Your Strengths and Thrive, With Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, Amy ZambettiWe are all uniquely powerful! Imagine if you knew your true, innate talents, and focused on building your professional life around those? Think increased job satisfaction and bigger earning potential. And what if you applied the same focus on strengths to your personal life, your relationships and your parenting? Using your individual gifts could benefit everyone around you, and make you a heck of a lot happier. The world-famous Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment has helped more than 10 million people discover their strengths and what they do best. In this episode, we talk to Gallup-Certified StrengthsFinder Coach, Amy Zambetti, a...2020-05-2637 minBest Friends FinanceFrom Money Mistakes to Millionaire Next Door with Stephanie QuevedoHere at BFF we love a good money story! Mom and former teacher Stephanie Quevedo has a great one. Stephanie and her husband went from struggling financially to debt-free and thriving, but their journey took time and was not without some hiccups. Stephanie's candid reflection on what it takes to become financially free is pure gold, and her thoughts on raising her children to understand the importance of keeping more than you spend will inspire you! Do you have money goals? After this episode, we bet you will. 2020-05-1947 minBest Friends FinanceDestigmatizing Investing, Wealth and Power for Women with The Boss Lady Investor Author, Krista GoodrichThis week you'll hear the money story of investor, author and speaker, Krista Goodrich, who went from growing up with very little, to managing 401Ks for the likes of NBA teams and Spanx. Krista discovered at a young age that earning and saving money gave her a sense of control. However, as a young women working in financial services, she learned that even some of the most educated and successful women she knew were not comfortable managing and growing their finances. It has become Krista's mission, through her blog, podcast and book, The Boss Lady Investor, to make investing...2020-05-1252 minBest Friends FinanceFood, Fitness and Finance with Amanda Nighbert, RD, Creator of the LEAN PhenomenonRegistered dietician, entrepreneur and creator of the LEAN program, Amanda Nighbert, RD, felt like a "renegade" in the clinical space after learning that much of the conventional wisdom about nutrition missed the mark. So, she made a career pivot to create a wildly successful, and totally virtual nutrition program, based on science that makes sense. Through LEAN - Living Energized and Nourished - Amanda has built an army of loyal followers whose lives she's changed. Join Amanda for a candid talk about what works and what doesn't when it comes to weight loss, and the economics of nutrition. Because...2020-05-0552 minBest Friends FinanceBuilding Your Emergency Fund Parachute on the Way DownRemember that emergency fund we've been talking about? Well, for many the emergency is here. For those whose income has not been affected, we discuss how decreased spending due to stay at home orders creates an opportunity to start or supplement your emergency fund. And for those who are experiencing decreased income or any financial hardship due to Covid-19, we talk through five tips to weather the storm:1. Utilize all resources available to you, like Economics Impact Payments (aka stimulus check), unemployment benefits and the Paycheck Protection Program.2. Cut your costs by asking.3. Cancel travel p...2020-04-2825 minBest Friends FinanceStaying Well (and Sane) When Normalcy is Out the Window with Bridgette BinfordWe are all getting bombarded with suggestions of what to do during this time - emails with home workouts and posts from friends with pinterest-worthy art projects they are completing with their kids. Coupled with the fact that many of us are working with kids home round the clock, and we’re in a global pandemic, this all can be so overwhelming! Let's face it, even with more time at home, it can feel challenging to get things accomplished or take care of ourselves. In this episode, wellness and productivity coach Bridgette Binford joins us to share some tips fo...2020-04-2128 minBest Friends FinanceCovid-19 Edition: Surviving (Thriving?) Through Crisis Schooling with Michelle KellyIn this special Covid-19 edition of Best Friends Finance, we go totally off topic to discuss and commiserate over our current school situation due to the pandemic. Long time educator and mom of three, Michelle Kelly, joins us to talk about what this really is (hint...it's not homeschooling), and what our children actually need from us at this time (another hint...it's not all the answers to their math homework, thank god). Michelle speaks as both a teacher and a parent about managing our expectations, fostering a growth mindset, and giving ourselves and our teachers a whole lot...2020-04-1434 minBest Friends FinanceMax Efficiency and Minimize Pitfalls with Productivity Coach and Estate Attorney Nicole SeawellHow many estate attorneys do you know who are also productivity and efficiency coaches? We know one! Nicole Seawell first coaches us on actively managing our finances, because we can't expect a healthy relationship with money if we aren’t informed and active in its management and use. Nicole then puts on her estate attorney hat for some tough love. Many people avoid estate planning because the subject is uncomfortable. Nicole helps us see that planning ahead diminishes the discomfort for the people we love, and ensures our values and assets live on. Win/Win!2020-04-0735 minBest Friends FinanceWhat the Coronavirus Means for Your Money with Katy GreeneCertified Financial Planner Katy Greene is back with Lara and Amanda to talk about the short and long term effects of the Coronavirus on the market and your money. We discuss reallocating monthly funds during uncertain times, tips for those with several decades of working to go v. those at retirement age, and why staying the course with your investments makes sense, even when it feels harder than ever!We recommend you consult your own financial planner and tax professional during this time, as always. If you'd like to reach Katy directly, Contact Katy Greene at katy...2020-03-3127 minBest Friends FinancePandemic Pow Wow - Socially Distant, Not Anti-SocialThe BFFs may not be financial experts, but they do know a lot about working from home. As the world embraces a new temporary normal of social distancing and sheltering in place, Lara and Amanda discuss the emotions around financial uncertainty and share their tips on getting things done and maintaining your sanity while home.2020-03-2430 minBest Friends FinanceThe Emotional Side of Money with "Girl, Get Your $hit Together" Author, Lisa ChastainAs women we FEEL more, and that's not a bad thing. This week we parse through some of those emotions around money with our guest, Lisa Chastain. Lisa has been coaching, mentoring and advising millennials for nearly 20 years, and her #1 Best Selling Book, Girl, Get Your $hit Together teaches millennial women how to own their history with money so that they can boss up and own their futures. Lisa has also had her own personal struggles with learning how to manage her money and live her most authentic life. From being at the top of her game in 2011 to b...2020-03-1743 minBest Friends FinanceOne Mom's Money Hacks Lead to Passion and Purpose with Leah AlexanderLess is more. This is a value Leah Alexander has adopted. She was working towards her corporate exit strategy when she recognized her family could make BIG changes in their life, begin to eliminate hefty household expenses, and create additional income by leveraging assets they already owned. Leah shares how implementing lower operating costs and passive income at home helped do the same for a shelter in Africa. Her ideas of sustainability and her mission mindset will leave you inspired!On episode 9 of Best Friends Finance Podcast we share the microphone with Leah Alexander. Here is how y...2020-03-1038 minBest Friends FinanceSmall Changes with Big Impact #moneyhacksWhen it comes to taking control of your financial future, the mantra is "spend less and save more." But, there is so much more to it - like tweaks you can make to make the process easier, speed it up, and maybe even make it fun! Lara and Amanda share six simple changes that made a big impact on increasing their bottom lines.Visit us at bestfriendsfinance.com for full show notes!2020-03-0331 minBest Friends FinanceSimplify Your Space AND Your Spending with Professional Organizer Stephanie SikoraThose piles of papers, overstuffed drawers and cluttered closets take a toll on us. They impact our time, relationships, health and finances! Stephanie Sikora, author of "Simplified: A Real-Life Guide to Organizing Your Space and Saving Your Sanity", shares how simplifying routines in your home and life, from getting everyone out the door, to curating your wardrobe, to only owning one pizza cutter, will make your home, life and budget run more smoothly!2020-02-2536 minBest Friends FinanceThat Time We Gave Up SpendingNot-so-fun fact. Did you know it just takes $27.40 a day to blow $10K/year? Serial sale shopper, Amanda, and less frequent, but full-price shopper, Lara, give up discretionary spending for the last 90 days of the decade and experience some major paradigm shifts. 2020-02-1830 minBest Friends FinanceSecrets of an Ivy League Finance Professional Turned Household CFOStay at home mom and wife, Cristina Gil, shares how she's using her finance education and experience to live a big, beautiful, debt-free life. Neighbors Cristina and Lara's conversations about money started over a cup of coffee in Lara's kitchen. By sharing how she saves, and how she and her sisters hold one another accountable when it comes to spending, Cristina was unknowingly inspiring Lara to make some meaningful changes. We've said it before. When women talk about money, it's worth a million!2020-02-1142 minBest Friends FinanceDo You Feel Like You're "Just So Bad at this Money Thing"? CFP Katy Greene Sets You Straight"I'm just so bad at this money thing." According to Certified Financial Planner Katy Greene, the reality is you're not. A lot of women experience some fear and self-doubt when it comes to planning for their future, and just need someone to help them with setting goals and getting some direction. Today's episode is all about taking those first steps... even if you can't see the whole staircase. 2020-02-0440 minBest Friends FinanceAmanda's Money StoryGrowing up with fiscally responsible parents set Amanda up for financial success. Ultimately a financial scare when she was a young mom led her to diversifying her career path. When her second career took off, she found herself falling head first into the quicksand of lifestyle inflation. The spending party lasted several years, before she acknowledged she had to make a changes. In this episode she shares her journey from thoughtless spender to conscientious saver.2020-01-2730 minBest Friends FinanceLara's Money StoryEven as a very young girl, Lara Ford saw the stress finances caused her single mom. Lara was forced to grow up fast when her mom passed away when she was only 17 - becoming financially independent without any financial IQ. Ultimately she and her husband had times of financial growth and prosperity. However, there were setbacks that forced them to start concentrating on their “path to success” (or what most people call budget) and start aggressively preparing for their future retirement, rather than living in the moment and hoping it would all come together "someday" once their kids graduate from...2020-01-2629 minBest Friends FinanceWait. You want to talk about WHAT?Two working moms and solopreneurs learn that when women start talking about money, it's worth a million. Best Friends Finance is a weekly podcast featuring stories, ideas and support to help empower women to take control of their financial future by talking about money...with friends! Hosted by Amanda Kessler & Lara Ford, who made it to their 40s with their heads planted firmly in the sand regarding finances, until a few key conversations with friends changed the trajectories of their financial lives. No judgment, no lectures. Just a chat with best friends.2020-01-1920 min