All posts by SeattleMoneyCoach

Podcast: Women, Money, and Midlife with Jo Blackwell

Podcasts

I journeyed across the podcasting universe to the UK, where I spoke with Britain’s Jo Blackwell, a coach for women who want more from their lives after 50. Her “midlife movement” is changing minds about becoming older. (The Midlife Movement with Jo Blackwell.)  We dove into the topic of money fog and talked about how the financial messages given to women have changed so much within our own lifetimes.  For example, for women in mid-life, money conversations were not generally part of our childhoods.  We also talked how the divorce rate impacts women, and the fact that we don’t want money to be why we stay in a bad relationship.  And yes, we talked about the balance of power in relationships and how money impacts us. Money- it’s such an emotional topic. We rounded out the conversation by discussing how to rise above the money fog using three powerful questions, and how to open up and step into our dreams.

Podcast: Apple | Spotify | YouTube

Podcast: Feeling good about retirement with NewRetirement

Podcasts

I was honored to guest on the NewRetirement Podcast with Steve Chen. He has revolutionized retirement planning by making financial planning accessible to everyone with his affordable online tools. Take Retirement Planning into Your Own Hands | NewRetirement We had a great conversation on how to feel good about your money in the “de-accumulation” phase of life– how can you feel good when you are no longer adding money to your retirement pot? This tends to push a lot of buttons for people. And of course, once you do retire, you still need to manage your monthly cashflow. In fact, it may even be more important. We also dove into the dynamics of couples and money. And we did not shy away from the differences between men and women. For example, how do women catch up in retirement if their career trajectory is so much later then men’s? As I said in the podcast, this is about combining skillset and mindset. We rounded out the conversation with understanding your unique money personality.  Enjoy!

Podcast – Listen here

Podcast: Jen Pestikas with Brave Women at Work

Podcasts

What a deep conversation this was! Jen Pestikas is a fabulous career and leadership coach who can set you on the right career path when you feel stuck. We talked about my new book, and dove into the emotional side of money—and how our childhood experiences impact us. I shared my own childhood money story, and while painful, how it inspired me to find my own career path.  We ended by discussing being caught in the career “golden handcuffs”, and how we sometimes overwork because we are in a money fog. Then we dove into the concept of receptive surrender.

Podcast: Apple | Spotify

Podcast: The Efficiency Bitch Podcast

Podcasts

Gasp! What a name for a podcast! Podcast host Melissa Leon runs Two Sense Consulting, and she focuses on how “ambitious women can have it all without doing it all”.  That is the focus of her “Efficiency Bitch” podcast as well. (By the way, “BITCH” stands for Bank, Inbox, Time, Connection, and Harmoney.) In this episode, we spent a focused 20 minutes on what IS the money fog? How can you tell if you are in a money fog? Why is it so emotional??? How do marketers and Madison Avenue tell you what you should do with your money? (We recorded this episode right before the Holidays and talked about the crazy advertising that tells us to spend, spend, spend!) And last, how does the money fog keep us from living our dreams? Melissa is a great host, and you will love this fast twenty minutes.

Podcast:

Apple | Spotify | YouTube

Podcast: Lead like a Woman

Podcasts

This conversation with Andrea Heuston, from Lead Like a Woman, hits it all.  We dove into what happens in big life transitions like empty nesting and divorce. This is when the money fog really rears its head. We also debated whether money fog affects women more than men. Listen in to find out Mikelann’s thoughts on this. We talked about our childhoods and chatted about where money fog comes from. Many of us were raised in families where not only were we not taught about money, but money talk was also completely taboo… And then for good measure we talked about raising our own children around money. Andrea shared how she parented her boys around money. Needless to say, it was not how she herself was raised!  Listen to this frank conversation between two women who dive in deep.

Time marks you may enjoy:

5:00– What is money fog?

10:00– How much is enough?

14:00 – The hidden impact of money fog

16:00 – Common life transitions

20:00– Do women suffer more from money fog?

22:00– From our childhoods

25:00– Parenting our own children

29:00– The three key questions

32:00– Elegant financial simplicity

Podcast:

Apple | Spotify

Podcast: The psychology of money, with Wendy Valentine of the Midlife Makeover Show

Podcasts

Wendy Valentine of the Midlife Makeover Show interviewed me on her fabulous podcast. She titled the episode “Clearing the Money Fog: Empowering your finances.” I love that. I would also call this episode, “The psychology of money”. We hit everything from where your beliefs about money come from (childhood…) to how money affects your romantic relationships. Ideally, money is the sacred tool that you use to design and live your own best life. Understanding the emotions and beliefs that surround your money will empower you and help you envision a great next chapter. Tune in to this super fun and engaging conversation.

Podcast:

Apple | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Podcast: Simplify your finances, with Jennifer Ford Berry and the Make Room Show

Podcasts

I can’t say enough about the Make Room Show podcast with Jennifer Ford Berry. (Certified Professional Organizer and Productivity Coach for Women (jenniferfordberry.com) She had read my book cover to cover and dove straight in with all her questions and comments. Wow! We hit a lot. From money as a sacred power to how and why people get stuck in debt (and how to get out of debt!) We talked about my favorite topic of “elegant financial simplicity”, which Jennifer loved, being in the field of organizing. And yes, we talked about using a spending plan process to become the visionary of YOUR life. This podcast is both inspirational AND also packed with a lot of practical take-aways. A lot. Enjoy!

Time marks you may enjoy:

2:05- Mikelann and money coaching—25 years! 4:45

4:45- Money as a sacred power 6:20

6:20- What IS money fog? 8:22

9:00 The Money Fog and scarcity mindset 10:32

11:40- What are the signposts of money fog? 14:35

15:15- How to get clear about money- try “elegant financial simplicity” 19:25

19:25 The two savings accounts you want to have for more money peace 22:53

22:54- How to get out of the debt cycle forever26:32

26:32- How to become the visionary of your life- using a spending plan to create an amazing life- 31:00

31:00 – The call of self-care in midlife 34:00

35:00  When you rise above the fog, your life purpose and mission rise before your eyes

Podcast:

Spotify

Apple

YouTube

Podcast: Divorce for wealthy women

Podcasts

If you are contemplating divorce, or somewhere in the process, here is a podcast for you.

I spoke with Olivia Summerhill, of the Summerhill Firm. She is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (and so much more more) and has a podcast dedicated to divorce for wealthy women. We hit a lot of subjects that are perfect for all women in divorce, regardless of being “wealthy”.

I share how getting out of the money fog is key to creating a wonderful new life post-divorce and some solid tips on how to do this. We talked about elegant financial simplicity, how to “beautify your money”, feel like you are a good steward of your money, and understand your money personality. We packed a lot into 20 minutes! Enjoy.

Podcast – Spotify 

Money fog and your dream machine

Money Fog and your dream machine

Emotional Money Path

Money fog and your dream machineWhen women are in a money fog, their dream machine shuts down.

What is money fog? It is the feelings of stress and anxiety caused by financial vagueness. We lose our vision and the dreams for our life because the money fog literally obstructs our view of the future.

When women feel stressed and stuck around money, it keeps them from stepping into the life they want.

They feel stuck in their lives in general, just trying to get through the here and now. Sometimes they have glimpses of dreams, hobbies, houses, or different careers, but the money fog blocks their dream machine. The dream machine begins to spin up, and then money rears its scary, foggy head, and the dream machine shuts down, replaced with stress. “I could never afford it”. “I doubt I make enough for that.” “I could never do that”. However, the money fog keeps you from really finding out.

Money fog keeps you from answering questions related to dreaming and possibilities for the future, from

“I wonder if I could consider…?” to “Would it be possible to…”?

And even bigger inquiries, such as

“What do I really want to consider doing with my life?”

When we are in a money fog, we simply can’t answer these questions, so we shut down the internal conversation.

Being clear about your money life, learning to be in control of the flow of money into and out of your life, leads to exploring a life of your dreams. But how can this clarity open you up to possibility?

Let’s turn to a gardening metaphor to explore the answer.

By creating and tilling healthy financial soil, your dreams can take root.  This rich moist soil is made up of knowing where your money goes, of having little debt and possessing sufficient savings. It’s made up of knowing how to plan for expenses, both big and small, and knowing how to adjust when things don’t go according to plan. It’s about feeling in control. The money fog, with its related fear, anxiety, and scattering of life and financial resources, causes the soil to dry out. Dreams simply can’t take root under those circumstances.

The seeds of possibility are all around us:

Many opportunities come to us in our lives, from travel and hobbies to dreams of higher education and having children. But an unhealthy, chaotic, and foggy money life makes the seeds skip off the arid ground and blow away. They have no chance to take hold.

Perhaps someone floats the idea of taking a long vacation and spending the summer in a country you’ve always been curious about. But your first reaction is “I could never afford that!”, though you don’t really know—and never investigate the possibility. Or you’re reading an article online about a really cool city, and you think for a moment what it would be like to move there, but you immediately assume it’s impossible. Who knows what you would need to earn to do that? You shut the idea down. Maybe you meet an interesting woman who is super involved in horseback riding, something you’ve always fantasized about. But your work schedule has never allowed you to do anything that took so much time. And the expense! You make great money, and you work really hard for it. So, you just keep plugging along and dismiss the idea of ever riding horses.

However, when seeds land in healthy financial soil devoid of money fog, you can till and care for them in the garden of your life. Some of the seedlings you discover in your soil you nurture and let grow—tiny ideas that become real possibilities because you have the financial clarity and confidence to explore bringing them to fruition.

In my own life, one tiny seed that blew in on the wind was the idea of learning how to dance tango. At first, I brushed the idea off, simply saying I was too busy. But I also initially assumed that the expense of lessons, fancy clothes, and my secret dreams of dance-related travel would likely be too expensive. Then, I paused and turned to my spending plan, which serves to keep me out of the money fog, and began playing with the idea of taking up the hobby. I took a clear look at all the potential costs. Could I start with some dance lessons to even see if I liked it as much as I suspected? Why, yes, I could.

One thing led to another, and I fell in love with tango with an all-encompassing passion that has given me more joy than I could have imagined. If I had been under financial stress or scattered about money, I likely would not have dipped my toe into the wondrous, complex world of tango dancing. My financial clarity allowed me to see what I could afford and possible tradeoffs to make if I wanted to spend more than I originally anticipated. For example, one year I waited to do some landscaping so I could travel more for dance. Creativity and choice flourish when out of the money fog.

In contrast, arid money soil is made up of money vagueness and a general scattered sense of money.

It often reflects your own unique combination of debt, insufficient savings, and/or low net worth. Or you work too much for the money you make, and there is no extra time or energy for these dreams. Either way, it’s the vagueness that kills the dreams. You honestly don’t know if you can afford something that arises or how much you actually need to make whenever money fog obscures your vision.

If your financial soil is rocky and dry, all those seeds merely blow away. You don’t even notice them floating by, carried on the wind, beyond a vague feeling of a life not fully lived, hobbies not developed, places never visited.

Being clear with your money and developing a healthy relationship with it creates an alchemical soil in which possibilities can take root and flourish.

Learning how to be in control of money and becoming financially empowered are about learning to harness your life force, which can take you anywhere. And you’ll always feel there is a choice.

What seeds will YOU find growing in your healthy financial soil?

Look for them. Ask yourself, what would you explore if you felt totally in control of your finances?

This article is based on Mikelann Valterra‘s latest book, Rise Above the Money Fog—The key to confidence, clarity, and control over your life. The book explores the hidden impact of money fog in our lives through the stories of four women, the psychology of where money fog comes from, and what it takes to rise above it. To order, see www.riseabovethemoneyfog.com

Mikelann’s book earns top new release!

Emotional Money Path

Great news! My new book Rise Above the Money Fog, the key to confidence, clarity, and control over your life, launched this week on Amazon. I am happy to say it earned the top new release in both Amazon’s finance category AND women and business! Wow. I am over the moon. I want to thank everyone who has purchased a copy and a special thank you to the readers who shared their reviews on Amazon. It feels so good to see this book in the world, after a lot of hard work. At only 100 pages, it is short but powerful. May it help women rise above the money fog and step into their true potential!

Book info and ordering