Money Tales

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 starting to thrive. Then the housing market crashed. By 2009, Mike’s business had halved, and they were hundreds of thousands of dollars underwater. With two young children and a declining business, they were left asking, "How did this happen?" That’s when they hunkered down and started chipping away at the problem to change their situation. Mike is the author of five books, Focus on the Good Stuff, Be Yourself Everyone Else is Already Taken, Nothing Changes Until You Do, Bring Your Whole Self to Work and We're All in This Together. He's an expert in leadership, team performance, and company culture who delivers keynotes and seminars around the world that empower people, leaders, teams, and organizations to be more successful. Prior to his speaking and writing career, Mike was drafted by the New York Yankees out of high school but turned them down and chose to play baseball at Stanford University where he pitched in the College World Series. After college, Mike signed with the Kansas City Royals. He played three seasons in the Royals organization before arm injuries ended his playing career while he was still in the minor leagues. After his athletic career was cut short by injuries, Mike worked in sales and business development for two tech companies, before starting his own consulting business in 2001. Mike's clients include some of the top organizations and institutions in the world, such as Google, Wells Fargo, eBay, Gap, Microsoft, Schwab, Airbnb, the Oakland A's, Harvard University, Coca-Cola, and many others. Mike and his work have been featured on NPR, ABC News, the Oprah radio network, and in Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. He's a regular contributor to Forbes, hosts a weekly podcast, and his books have been translated into fifteen different languages. For more information about Mike and his work, visit www.Mike-Robbins.com.

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 steal or harm her, but Emily chose to see the potential for good. She helped not just that one girl but went on to assist 17 individuals over the next 23 years, transforming lives one by one. Emily is a global commercial leader with 24 years of experience spanning QSR, Retail, Hospitality, Creative, Tech, and FMCG industries. An acknowledged thought leader in Digital Customer Experience, Workplace Culture, and Business Strategy, Emily holds an exceptional track record of accelerating global brands. She is a bicultural leader with proven success bridging China and U.S. cultures. Before joining VML, Emily was CEO of McCann Worldgroup in China, where she looked after 450 team members across four agencies located in three offices. She developed new strategic and digital O2O capabilities to partner with clients like IKEA, LEGO, The North Face, and Innocent Juice. Prior to McCann, Emily was CMO of Starbucks China, where she oversaw all commercial functions including Digital Flywheel, Loyalty, Sales & Partnerships, Category Management, and Studio. She led the commercial teams that brought O2O experiences to life: Shanghai Roastery Augmented Reality, Starbucks Delivery, and Digital Gifting. Prior to Starbucks, Emily served as Chief Commercial Officer for InterContinental Hotels Group, Greater China where she led transformation of brand experience, loyalty offering, data and BI, and OTA strategy/implementation to turn around share and become the #1 hotel brand in China. As the first executive in China for Apple Retail, she oversaw the APAC region, expanded the flagship footprint, and developed the Apple Asia retail operating model. Emily began her career at P&G, where she worked across all three business units, from upstream innovation to retail and digital marketing at Walmart. Emily believes passionately in living with intention and leading with authenticity. She’s a servant leader who gives back by teaching and sharing with next gen leaders; she has delivered four TEDx talks and spoken at other industry-leading events like Fortune Most Powerful Women. She recently published a best-selling book called “The Spare Room,” telling the stories of 17 children she and her family have cared for in their spare room.

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 2020, just three weeks after signing the scholarship paperwork, Michael was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and died four months later. Kathleen shares how grateful she is that they didn’t put this important project off. Kathleen Quinn is an executive coach who guides her clients to own the power they already have to lead a life of purpose and impact. She’s also a certified grief educator.

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 ups and downs, with several business ventures failing along the way. It wasn’t until his late 40s, after yet another setback, that Steven shifted his focus from maximizing profit to creating something with purpose. Steven is the founder of One Golden Nugget. The firm’s mission is to inspire and empower individuals to discover and share their unique nuggets of wisdom with the world. Through their books, podcasts and live events, One Golden Nugget seeks to foster connections, spark conversations, and inspire personal growth and transformation.

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 profoundly influenced Steven’s career path, personal philosophy and relationship with money. As you’ll hear in this conversation, Steven has provocative ideas for how society can use its financial resources to make the world a better and more sustainable place for all of us. Steven is CEO and cofounder of tomtA.ai, a data privacy and AI enablement solution that generates safe and precise data from PII data without privacy risk. He has been CxO, general counsel and chief privacy officer for private and public technology companies. His career spans over 20 years growing disruptive enterprise technology companies that leverage data and AI to improve health, mobility and energy. He hosts the Looked Up! Podcast and serves as a mentor at StartX (Stanford) and SkyDeck (Berkeley) accelerators. Before tomtA.ai, Steven was a founding team member and Vice President of Corporate Development for NIO’s XPT division where he led business and product strategy including investment and acquisitions, culminating in NIO’s IPO (NYSE: NIO). Prior to NIO, Steven was SVP, Corporate Development, General Counsel and Secretary for StayWell Health Management, accountable for StayWell’s product and partner strategy until StayWell was merged with Krames and later acquired by Merck. Earlier in his career, Steven served as Vice President and General Counsel for two global technology companies: first at CarParts Technologies, a leading provider of supply chain software solutions for the automotive industry; and then at Aristocrat Technologies, the second largest technology provider to hospitality and gaming. Steven began supporting entrepreneurs and startups as an IP, franchise and technology lawyer at Mackall Crounse & Moore. Prior to Steven’s private and corporate work, he was appointed to a United States Supreme Court appeal team for Minnesota vs. Dickerson at the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and served as a prosecutor on the drug team.

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, Marla took this as a double dare that she wanted to go after. Marla, Founder and CEO of Knomee, is a seasoned financial services and fintech executive, founder of two women’s networks driving change and inclusion in corporations, frequent speaker on topics related to the future of financial services, wealth, and asset management, startup advisor, 2020 Woman of Silicon Valley, 2021 Woman in WealthTech to Watch, and proud mom, and wife. She led partnerships quantified in billions of dollars at J.P. Morgan and BlackRock before leaping into fintech in 2015 to improve customer experiences. Her experiences at Microsoft, Carta, Invesco, Xignite, and Lending Club influenced her decision to create a solution that would improve personal financial wellness and enable financial services companies to better serve their customers and prospects.

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 came with a heavy burden. By her early thirties, she found herself drowning in a staggering $250,000 of credit card debt. Eventually, she had no choice but to file for bankruptcy, which she did begrudgingly. It turned out that the bankruptcy trustee made a decision that forever changed Darnyelle’s financial trajectory. He required her take a financial literacy course, which opened the door for Darnyelle’s success. You’ve never met a business consultant like Darnyelle. She is the award-winning, iconic and incomparable two-time Inc.5000 CEO of Incredible One Enterprises, LLC, a multi-million-dollar coaching and consulting brand. Best known for transforming the lives of her business coaching clients and live event attendees, Darnyelle equips her clients to leverage and scale businesses that serve them financially and spiritually. In fact, over the last 10 years, she has helped her clients generate more than $1/2B in sales and more than $378M in revenue. By teaching her award-winning Move to Millions® Method, Darnyelle helps clients collapse the amount of time it takes them to cross the million-dollar mark all while deepening their connection to God and strengthening their faith. Darnyelle is a 7-time best-selling author, the creator of 5 powerful business systems and the host of the MOVE To Millions Podcast with Dr. Darnyelle J. Harmon. Now, she is introducing the world to the book she was born to write, Move to Millions®. To learn more about Darnyelle, visit drdarnyelle.com.

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 move to find himself, Derrick decided to try his hand at entrepreneurship, hoping to create a legacy for himself and his family. Things didn't go smoothly. Just when life seemed darkest, his friends stepped in to support him. Their help and encouragement pulled Derrick out of his lowest point and gave him the strength to keep going. Derrick is founder and CEO of CourMed®. In addition, Derrick is Chairman and Founder of TMB Equity Partners (executive team are former healthcare executives with 15+ years of experience); a boutique firm focused on investing/developing innovative healthcare solutions that achieve a liquidity event within five years. He is also a multiple patented inventor. Derrick received both an MSHA (#1 program in the country) and MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He also holds a BA in Medical Technology (minor in Chemistry) from Bethune-Cookman University. Derrick received a certificate in Lean Healthcare from the University of Michigan and is enrolled at Stanford University working toward a professional certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Derrick is married with two sons; his family lives in Collin County, TX and Dade County, FL.

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 wake up richer. As the market continued to rise, Graham questioned his advisor’s approach to his portfolio, only to be reassured of the market's invincibility. "Don't you recognize a minor correction in a raging bull market when you see one?" the advisor quipped. The tide turned and Graham found himself adrift, as his portfolio was hemorrhaging value. And just like that, the advisor cut Graham loose because his portfolio dwindled below the firm’s minimum required amount. Graham is an international speaker, TV presenter and author who has worked with high net worth investors and family offices for more than a decade. His mission is to enable private investors to cut through the noise and misinformation prevalent in the financial services world so that they can create and protect multi-generational wealth. In recent years his mission has seen him speak at the United Nations in New York, Harvard Business School in Boston and both houses of Parliament in the UK. At the World Wealth Creation Conference in Singapore Graham shared the stage with billionaire investor Jim Rogers and business guru Brian Tracy. Graham chairs Beaufort Private Equity, a global network of over 500 high net worth investors and family offices in 37 countries. As well as providing educational content and market analysis its members, the Beaufort team provides direct equity investment opportunities in fast growing privately held companies and a mix of bonds and loan notes combining above market returns with strong asset-backed security. He also sits on the advisory boards of a digital assets hedge fund and an international digital marketing agency. Graham has fronted three series on Sky TV, Make Your Money Work, Finding Financial Freedom and Money & Me. In March 2024 he will publish his fourth investment book, Diary of a High Net Worth Investor. During 2024 he will speak at events in Dubai, Singapore, London, New York, the Cayman Islands and Riyadh.

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 not recognize the results she was producing or her efforts, leaving her feeling undervalued and frustrated. In one poignant moment, as she looked out her classroom window at a colleague leisurely enjoying the sun as a PE teacher, Grifan realized the stark disparity in their different levels of work, yet their compensation was basically the same. As a result, Grifin made the decision to pivot her career. Grifan is a mother to two little girls, wife and avid skier. As a young professional, Grifan obtained her Master’s in Education focusing on modernizing delivery of US History in a manner to encourage student engagement and metacognition. Stepping away from the classroom in 2008, Grifan attended law school and practiced estate planning and probate law for nearly fifteen years. A longtime advocate for public schools and civic education, Grifan was recognized by the Washington State Bar Association for her work in civics education with local students. Grifan remains dedicated to this work and Co-Chairs a political action committee that runs local political campaigns for school funding. Today, Grifan is both a recovering attorney and recovering people pleasing perfectionist – for the time being she is focused on raising her daughters to shamelessly value the present moment by exploring the outdoors, taking risks, and making each day an adventure. Grifan isn’t sure what is next and is trusting she’s right where she needs to be.

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. As AJ watched her sister's illness unfold, she couldn't ignore the disproportionate role finances played in her family's story. AJ believes that money should have never been a factor, that they should have instead focused solely on healing and supporting one another. AJ is a budget coach, business strategist and money mindset expert. She is passionate about showing people that budgeting is the most radical form of $elf-care you can do. AJ started as a starving yogi who was always struggling to get by, formally known as "poor friend" in her upper eastside dwellings in constant fear around her debt and struggled to pay her bills. While she was waiting for all her problems to go away, she figured out she was the answer she was looking for. By changing her mindset around debt, money management and manifestation, AJ discovered beyond the material that she manifested the love of her life, now husband, by using the magic of money to heal. Her relationship with money was the key to understanding her relationship with herself. She has helped over 300 clients get out of debt and build wealth through personal accountability, vulnerability and strategic financial planning. Along with her team of five coaches, AJ teaches clients how to heal their relationship with money so they can show up in the world authentically and live a life of choice. AJ’s mission is to help women, couples and small business owners who were never taught to care about personal finance but feel completely overwhelmed and anxious and are under chronic stress when it comes to money get out of debt, increase wealth, gain financial freedom and grow their independence, so they can harness and use their innate power to take control over their destiny and build a brighter future.

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 financial literacy. On one side of the spectrum, there's a lot of support for financial beginners, teaching fundamental skills like budgeting. On the other side, there's a plethora of resources for those diving into complex financial instruments. But what about the middle ground? For those progressing in their financial journey but not yet advanced, there's a notable absence of guidance. Julia realized there's a chasm of financial information waiting to be addressed. This inspired her to write "More Than Cash: What To Do With Your Money Now That You’re Finally Making Some". During Julia's ten plus years living and working at Fortune 500 companies in New York, she has watched successful colleagues and friends struggle to understand how to manage the money they work so hard to earn. This inspired her to write "More Than Cash: What To Do With Your Money Now That You’re Finally Making Some". Julia earned her BA in Psychology and Spanish from Notre Dame in 2012. When she's not reading or writing about personal finance, she can be found skiing and playing tennis. "More Than Cash" is a short, conversational guidebook for people without a finance background who want to answer the question: what should I do with my money besides keep it in cash? It is an approachable beginners’ guide to getting started with the right accounts and investments to build a financially secure and lucrative future. This is the only consolidated guidebook under 50 pages that arms you with the vocabulary and the thought process to get started on your own so you can feel confident managing your hard-earned money.

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 married by the age of 18, trading her freedom for safety. Mirela lived with a large family in a small village, where there was no money to even discuss. Her role was clear – to wash, to clean, and to serve the family. At the same time, she continued to pursue her education, gaining knowledge, and with that, came confidence and exposure to the world outside. As Mirela progressed in her studies, she began to understand the importance of financial independence and worked aggressively toward it. Mirela is a British journalist, author, and CEO and Founder of Global Woman Magazine and Global Woman Club. She is an internationally recognized leader in the fields of media, education, and women's empowerment. With a dynamic career spanning over two decades, Mirela has left a mark on the world by transformative initiatives and fostering a global community of over 30,000 female founders in her Global Woman platform. Mirela is the owner of five magazines, author of 15 books, leader of 27 club chapters around the world and the organizer of more than 500 events. She has been speaking in more than 300 stages around the world and has reached over 1 million people with her message. Mirela has been honored with awards such as the 'Inspirational Award for Women 2015' for Human Rights, the 'Best Inspirational Influencer' Award from The Best You in 2017, and the Universum Donna Award 2017 from the Universum Academy of Switzerland. “The Businesswoman of the Year Award” from Wealth Dragons in 2019. "The Icon 2023" Award among top celebrities in the UK, and recently she received the “Peace Award” from Universal Peace of Federation on the United Nations International Day of Peace. Mirela is also the organizer of the Global Woman Summit and Global Woman Awards. She has appeared on London Live TV, BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, Sky TV and has also been featured in the ‘Evening Standard’, Forbes Magazine and ‘The Guardian’. Her last self-help book ‘Don’t Let Your Mind Go’ was a best seller and also published in America and Turkey.

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 CEO head-on. As a result, the company did a thorough analysis of everyone's salaries, uncovering disparities that had gone unchecked between longer tenured employees and newer hires. As a result of Nina’s bravery, fairness prevailed. The company rectified the pay inequities, and employees received the compensation they deserved. From that moment on, Nina vowed never to remain silent in the face of injustice. Nina Israel is an advocate for financial wellness. She is a financial educator, business strategist, and money mentor. She is also a 25-year veteran of making your books make sense to you. She believes that finance should be easy and, more importantly, fun. Fueled by a passion for wellness, a love of numbers, and an intense desire to help those around her succeed, Nina’s strength throughout her career has been empowering business owners to manage their cash flow better, improve efficiency, grow sales, and reduce costs. As the founder of Taryn Financial, Nina is deeply dedicated to financial education and uses a holistic approach to help small business owners gain financial clarity, increase their financial knowledge, and develop new confidence in their numbers. Based on her work with hundreds of business owners, Nina created her innovative program, Strength in Numbers, to help her clients reduce anxiety, achieve financial wellness, and make sense of their money through laughter, learning and a proven financial system.

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. She knew that her contribution to society, nurturing and educating young minds, was invaluable. At the same time, in the shadow of Silicon Valley's affluence, she couldn't shake the feeling of being undervalued. Reflecting on her position, Allison realized that her sense of entitlement was rooted in perspective. Relative to her own field Allison was at the top. She came to understand that comparison was a futile exercise – a "losing game," as she put it. For over 20 years, Allison has worked with parents, employees, and leaders as they navigate their vulnerabilities in the workplace and in life. She loves working with those in the high-stakes professional world, helping them have less stress and more effectiveness in their work. Allison frequently gives talks on managing stress, overcoming Impostor Syndrome, and creating healthy team dynamics. Allison has a Master’s in Human Development and is a certified life coach. She currently lives with her husband and two kids. To learn more, visit her at www.allisonkinnear.com.

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 the ability to communicate but also the courage to ask questions – a skill that would shape her future in profound ways. Fast forward to her first job in the financial sector, where Laura found herself surrounded by the dizzying flow of money that defines Wall Street. She couldn't help but wonder: Where did all this money come from? How did fortunes change hands so effortlessly? Laura stuck with that curiosity as she advanced her career and ultimately headed to the venture capital world. Laura is General Partner at L'ATTITUDE Ventures, leveraging her exceptional network and expertise to support the firm’s deal flow and outreach strategy. She is the Founder & CEO of Pandocap, which provides strategic advisory and media services that help early and growth-stage companies access capital markets, implement and measure ESG strategies and accelerate towards an initial public offering (IPO). Prior to Pandocap, Laura was a Managing Director at Nasdaq, leading the IPOs of Beyond Meat, Lyft, The RealReal, Airbnb, and other high-profile listings. Laura is also a successful Latina entrepreneur having found and exited Ladada, one of the first fashion subscription startups to feature emerging new designers. Laura is an advisor to 500 Startups, Fulcrum Ventures, and a board member at Pangea Legal and California Lutheran University.

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’s sensitive, empathetic, and intense. She couldn’t keep herself bottled up any longer. She needed to be herself. Making a move likely meant stepping away from the corporate ladder that was paying her handsomely. However, Rena knew in hear heart, at that moment, she needed authenticity more than money. Rena is dedicated to using compassion and accountability to help humans increase their connection within, and with others, to radically change leadership culture and how we treat one another. In 2001, she had a post-9/11 epiphany and created Compassionate Management, a management methodology that connects compassion and accountability to help leaders deliver the bottom line with integrity. Rena combines over 25 years with Fortune 500 companies and 22 years as a practitioner of mindfulness/meditation to show us the path to eliminate the fear-based culture so prevalent in corporate America. Her book, Compassionate Management, How Ambitious Creatives Become Kick-Ass Leaders, and her TEDxTalk, Compassionate Management -- using compassion as a business tool, have been used in businesses around the globe as a model to radically change leadership culture and how we treat one another.

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 take her away from the kids. She landed on taking a leap of faith by creating a non-profit with a friend, called Pebble Tossers. They were passionate about their mission to equip and empower youth to lead through service. So much so that they decided not to take salaries for a while. And, even when they eventually did, Jen’s priority was to put the money back into building her team and the business. Together they have evolved Pebble Tossers into a successful and award-winning organization. As Co-founder and Executive Director of Pebble Tossers, Jen lives a life of servant leadership. She serves as a State Commissioner for Georgia Serves, the State Commission for Service and Volunteerism, and is Chair of the Service and Development Committee. Jen is a 21/64 Certified Philanthropic Advisor, a mentor at Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School, and has been named a Titan CEO as one of the 2023 and 2024 Georgia Titan 100 award winners. She is an Atlanta native, serves on various boards and committees throughout Atlanta, and is married with three adult children and three rescue dogs (and two rescue grand dogs and a grand bunny).

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 hurdles and achievements she has encountered as an immigrant woman in a male-dominated industry. As you’ll hear, Mariana has navigated societal expectations and cultural shifts as she’s worked to achieve financial independence on her own terms. Mariana is a trailblazer in digital transformation and artificial intelligence, fearlessly leading organizations into the future of technology. Her extensive experience is unparalleled, orchestrating digital transformations at industry giants like AT&T, American Express, and Unilever. Mariana masterfully crafts AI strategies that don't just innovate – they inspire awe. A visionary leader with profound expertise, Mariana empowers global teams to transcend expectations, cultivating environments where innovation and talent flourish. Her leadership ethos revolves around fostering cultures of trust and unwavering commitment to ethical AI practices, ensuring technology serves as a force for positive change. One of Mariana’s crowning achievements was spearheading a groundbreaking AI project at AT&T that revolutionized customer service interactions, significantly elevating user satisfaction and operational efficiency. This milestone exemplifies her ability to translate complex AI concepts into tangible, business-driving outcomes. At the core of her distinguished journey is an unwavering belief in AI's power to elevate human experiences and solve real-world challenges. This conviction fuels her current venture, Saddakni & Co., where she demystifies AI adoption for organizations and guides them toward a future where technology and humanity converge for the greater good. Mariana is shaping industries and cultivating the next generation of AI innovators through mentorship. She invites leaders and thinkers to join her mission of realizing the transformative potential of ethical, impactful AI integration, crafting a legacy that transcends technology itself.

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't stop there. Through impact investing, she's aligning her goals and her values by channeling resources into initiatives that support female entrepreneurship and education in Africa and beyond. Jodi believes that each of us has a story to tell and an impact to make. She curates immersive small-group Venture Travels that challenge participants to think more purposefully. As a Success Coach, she helps people define their story and success on their terms, and how to invest their time, talent and money towards it. Leading by example, Jodi invests in impactful companies and girls’ education non-profits. An active writer, speaker, investor and traveler, her passion is connecting people and ideas across the U.S. and globally. Prior to this entrepreneurial career, Jodi spent over two decades in the investment management industry, leading strategic U.S. business-building initiatives at a start-up and notable firms like JP Morgan and Matthews Asia. Combining an analytical mindset, educational communication style and natural ease for connecting people and ideas, Jodi led teams that raised billions of dollars in assets in innovative investment strategies from institutional clients and financial advisors. Having traveled to 65+ countries with a particular emphasis on developing Asia and Africa, Jodi is inspired by individuals with ideas, passion, grit and goals. She invests in entrepreneurs globally, credits travel for opening her eyes to the critical role of women globally, believes that girls’ education is the best investment of our lifetime, and shares her global insights to inspire others. Jodi served as President of the IWF Northern California Legacy Foundation and on the International Women’s Forum (IWF) of Northern California Board. She is a Renew Capital and Portfolia investor and CFA Charterholder. She invests in women’s empowerment and girls’ education through global non-profits Room to Read, U-Go, Rise Up, Nurturing Minds/SEGA and SHE-CAN. Jodi graduated with honors from Northwestern University with a degree in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences and Economics. Raised in the Midwest, Jodi spent three decades living in New York City and San Francisco before recently settling in Santa Fe, New Mexico.