Episodes

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Catherine Gray. Catherine Gray is our guest this week on the podcast. Catherine is an advertising professional turned movie producer. Her most recent film titled, “Show Her The Money”, is raising the awareness of how underfunded women are in the start-up world. As we’ve talked about before, only 2% of venture capital dollars are invested in women owned businesses. Catherine’s goal with this new film is to educate women, and men, about venture capital,...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Maher Kaddoura. At just 13 years old, Maher embarked on a solo journey that would forever change his perspective on life and money. Traveling alone, across international borders, taking buses and hitchhiking, Maher explored Turkey and Bulgaria. As the son of a refugee, Maher was no stranger to the survival instinct. From a young age, it was ingrained in him that he had to earn money for anything he wanted. Maher discovered that money earned through hi...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Mike Robbins. In 2005, pressured by the rising housing market, Mike and his wife, Michelle, bought a home with no money down and no savings. That was a thing you could do back then. The negative amortization loan they secured seemed manageable at first, but Mike and Michelle soon realized they were sinking deeper and deeper into debt with no equity to show for it. They were getting by, and life was getting good for the couple. Mike's business was star...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Emily Chang. Emily’s financial adventures began in her early 20s in the most unexpected way. One frigid night, Emily found a young girl huddled by the roadside, clearly beaten and wearing nothing but a windbreaker. She took the girl to a diner, offered her a meal, and then invited her to stay in her spare room for the night. That one night turned into a week, then months, until Emily could help her find stability. Emily’s family worried the girl might...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Kathleen Quinn. Hers is a story about the importance of not putting off to tomorrow what you can do today. Kathleen and her husband, Michael, were updating their estate plan when Michael asked if they could set up a scholarship to help students. Kathleen, who had spent 35-years in university alumni relations and development, immediately said, "Absolutely." Michael insisted the scholarship be in Kathleen's name, honoring her decades of hard work. In 20...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Steven Foster. Steven began his career with a singular focus on making as much money as possible. By age 26, he was doing just that. Steven was one of the most successful dance music producers in the world, running a record label and hosting live events that drew crowds of 30,000 people. The financial risks were enormous, and the rewards seemed even greater. However, by age 30, Steven had lost everything. The following years were marked by a series of...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Steven Atneosen. Steven describes himself as a husband, a father, a citizen of Earth and a lifelong optimist who is focused on leveraging technology and data to improve the quality of life. He’s a passionate advocate for fairness and equity for all. Steven’s commitment to justice and respect stems from his experiences being bullied as a child. This shaped his belief in the importance of treating others with kindness and integrity. These values have pr...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Marla Sofer. Marla had an epic career in financial services and fintech. Along the way she developed an entrepreneurial itch that wouldn’t go away. Realizing she only has one life to live, Marla decided to align her work with her values and leapt into entrepreneurship. A key motivator was her daughter, who, after hearing Marla's dreams, asked, "When are you going to do it?" Realizing that Marla was modeling more for her daughter than she thought, Marl...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon. Darnyelle grew up facing tough challenges – both of her parents struggled with addiction. She knew she had to make her own money and started working at McDonald’s at age 13. Darnyelle was a diligent saver who was shocked when one day she opened her bank statement to see that there was no money in the account. Without apology, her dad had taken the money. Despite the difficulties, Darnyelle managed to find success, but it c...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Derrick Miles. Like many of us, Derrick has experienced the highs and the lows during his pursuit of happiness and purpose. Starting from humble beginnings, Derrick's mom always encouraged him to dream big. He believed that becoming a CEO and making a lot of money would bring him happiness, and while he achieved that dream and made millions, Derrick felt like he was living paycheck-to-paycheck. He couldn't figure out why he wasn't happy. In a brave mo...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Graham Rowan. In the 1990s when Graham's career was taking off, he started accumulating wealth and not having the time to manage it. A colleague referred him to a financial advisor. Graham trusted this advisor, who promised to navigate the complexities of the market on his behalf. As the dot-com bubble swelled, so did Graham’s investments, which were concentrated in the euphoria of the NASDAQ wave. As Graham tells us, he would go to bed at night and w...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Grifan Cayce. Grifan began her career in the teaching profession. She was driven by a deep love for education. As Grifan immersed herself in the demanding world of high school teaching, she encountered a stark reality: the disconnect between her efforts and her financial compensation. Teaching multiple AP classes in a competitive school district, Grifin felt the weight of her labor far outweighing the rewards. The rigid teachers’ salary structure did ...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is AJ Schneider. At just four years old, AJ's world was forever altered when her sister was diagnosed with a brain tumor the size of a golf ball. The family found themselves facing a nightmare. In the face of adversity, AJ's family fractured. As AJ tells us, there was no unity, only separation. For her, this pivotal moment solidified every negative belief she held about the world - fear of abandonment, the need to flee, a pervasive sense of insecurity. A...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Julia Cancro. Years back, Julia was dining with a friend at restaurant in New York City. Amidst bites of food, her friend shared that she started to accumulate savings, but she was unsure of what to do with the money beyond keeping it in a standard checking and savings accounts. Julia went into action, offering to point her friend toward resources that delve deeper into financial choices. In that moment, Julia became acutely aware of a gap in financia...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Mirela Sula. At the age of 16, Mirela found herself in her home country of Albania, engaged to be married. Not because of a teenage romance or a whirlwind courtship, but because of something much darker – the risk of being sold into prostitution. Upon accepting the proposal, Mirela made her fiancé promise that he would allow her to continue her studies. If he didn’t, she vowed to disappear from his life. That promise was Mirela’s lifeline. She was mar...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Nina Israel. Earlier in her career, Nina found herself juggling two roles at a company, accounting and human resources. As she tells us, her salary seemed fair, until the company brought on a new hire to take on the HR function. Nina was astonished to discover that he was being paid twice Nina’s salary for doing half the job she had been doing. Nina became aware of the new hire’s salary because she was the person managing payroll. Nina confronted the ...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Allison Kinnear. In 2007, Allison found herself in Silicon Valley, working at Google, the epicenter of innovation. She was part of a team providing early childhood education to families of Google employees. While Allison was surrounded by the creation of immense wealth, her pay wasn’t anywhere close to the tech professionals at the company. As those coworkers enjoyed high salaries and stock options, Allison couldn't help but question her own worth. Sh...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Laura Moreno Lucas. Laura arrived in the United States from Mexico when she was seven years old, unable to speak a word of English. With her parents tirelessly working to make ends meet and facing their own language barriers, Laura found an unexpected mentor in the form of a janitor at her elementary school. Day after day, this janitor stayed behind after school to help Laura navigate the complexities of her new language, instilling in her not only th...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Rena DeLevie. As Rena looks back on the early days of her career, she regrets her harsh leadership style at the time, which she attributes to learning from those around her. To quote Rena, “I was an asshole. I learned from the best and I really threatened and intimidated. It did not feel good.” By the time she hit her mid-thirties, Rena was done. The asshole persona was a ruse that took too much energy to keep up. Rena realized that, at her core, she’...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Jennifer Guynn. After years of career success as a real estate developer, Jen decided to step away to raise her three children. She describes this as a scary jump for her and her husband because she was making good money, and it would be an adjustment to live on one income. Fast forward to when their youngest child went off to Kindergarten, Jen was ready to head back to work. But she knew that whatever she decided to do next, it had to be worth it to ...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Mariana Saddakni. Mariana is a Latina trailblazer in technology innovation. Her cross-cultural money journey started in Argentina where her family considered their wealth to be their intellect and capacity to learn. That was their status, not the money in the bank. Mariana’s ambition to learn more took her to the United States for graduate school. Her goal was to be at the top of her game in design and technology. Mariana talks about the financial hur...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Jodi Morris. Jodi is a fierce advocate for education and empowerment, especially for girls around the globe. From her own struggles navigating the financial aid system when she applied to college, Jodi recognizes the immense challenges faced by girls in less privileged parts of the world. She shares with us her passion for leveling the playing field and making education accessible to all, regardless of location or circumstance. Jodi's commitment doesn...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Sarah “Sharky” Harkness. We dive into Sharky’s extraordinary journey where she narrowly escaped death not once, not twice, but three times. Sharky shares the raw moments of facing mortality, finding strength in the depths of despair, and embracing a no quit mindset. From battling through over two dozen surgeries within four years to shedding layers of shame, Sharky's story is a testament to the power of resilience and the courage to defy the odds. She...

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Ann Oleson. Ann embarked on her entrepreneurial journey in 2011. When she started her first business, Ann found herself navigating uncharted territory as a female entrepreneur. She craved role models and networks to guide her along the way. She was specifically looking for women founders of companies generating over a million dollars a year in revenue. Ann got there through creativity and persistence. Today, Ann and her network are breaking barriers a...