How She Does It

According to research by Deloitte, the number of women who reach the highest level of leadership in financial services is on the rise, with women holding 18% of financial C-suite positions globally. But the research also says that number is climbing slowly — without a more concerted effort, women financial leaders may not even reach 25% by 2031. Lindsay Hans, President and Co-head of Merrill Wealth Management, is working to change that. In her role, she’s committed to lowering the barrier to entry for women financial advisors — including being a strong advocate for their new training program which is more attractive to female advisors who may not have a pre-existing network of wealthy connections. Takeaways: Historical reasons, such as wealth distribution and demographics, have contributed to the underrepresentation of women in the financial services industry. The presence of women in leadership roles in the financial services industry is slow but increasing Younger women are increasingly knowledgeable and comfortable with financial decisions. There is a preference for financial advisors of the same sex, but it varies on a case-by-case basis. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 06:51 - Lindsay Hans Career Advancement 16:20 - Initiatives to Support Women Financial Advisors 20:40 - Advisors and Client Relationships 25:58 - Challenges in Attracting Women to Financial Advisory Role 30:15 - Conclusion More money news when you need it! Get the latest and greatest updates on all things investing, budgeting and making money. Subscribe to the HerMoney newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Making the decision to have kids is one of the biggest decisions a woman can make in her life, and increasingly, women (and men) are not waiting until they find the right person to have kids with — they’re walking the journey on their own. With a wide array of options from sperm and egg donors to surrogacy or adoption, there are more options than ever for those choosing the journey into parenthood. When Leigh Gallagher, Senior Managing Director at Teneo, was in her early 40s, she decided she was done waiting for the “dating gods” and made the choice to have a child on her own. She says that while she’s famously bad at making decisions, this was actually the easiest one she’s ever made. Listen in to hear details on how she chose a sperm donor, how she’s built a village of childcare to support her, and why her daughter knows that above all, they are always a team. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:05:02 - Decision to Have a Baby 00:11:31 - Pregnancy and Preparing for Parenthood 00:13:46 - Choices as a Single Parent 00:14:21 - Life Changes After Having Her Daughter 00:17:06 - Challenges of Single Parenthood 00:18:58 - Destiny and Parenthood 00:21:31 - Advice for Prospective Single Parents and Current Parents 00:24:09 - Lightning Round Takeaways: Making the decision to become a single mother by choice can be empowering and fulfilling. Having a strong support system, such as a nanny or trusted babysitters is crucial. The process of fertility treatments and choosing a sperm donor can be challenging but ultimately rewarding. Transparency is key when talking to children about their unique family structure. For those considering becoming single parents, it's important to talk to others who have gone through the same experience and to think about the long-term impact of the decision. Despite the challenges, being a single parent can bring immense joy and fulfillment. Join the HerMoney community! For the latest episode drops and financial news-you-can-use, subscribe to our newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Women’s ability to access high-quality, affordable, healthcare is a huge issue. From conception to asking questions about IVF and egg freezing, to our peri and postmenopausal life stages, we need easy access to specialized care for a lifetime. That’s exactly why Kate Ryder created Maven Clinic, a comprehensive 24/7 virtual platform that offers support and referrals related to fertility and family planning, pregnancy, postpartum health, adoption, surrogacy, parenting, and menopause. Kate details how she went from journalist to startup founder, and how Maven provides straightforward access to care for women at all life stages. Takeaways: Increasing access to affordable fertility care is crucial for women's health. Maven Clinic provides comprehensive support and referrals for various stages of women's health. The need for more women in the healthcare industry and venture capital The impact of recent IVF restrictions in Alabama on patients and clinics. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and the Importance of Access to Fertility Care 06:52 The Origin Story of Maven Clinic 14:43 Expanding Services to Support Conception and Menopause 26:53 The Unprecedented Situation in Alabama 28:17 The Need for Comprehensive Women's Health Services Join the HerMoney community! For the latest episode drops and financial news-you-can-use, subscribe to our newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re always so impressed when we hear about female founders who can turn a product they start making in their homes into a multi-million dollar business. So, how did they do it? Did they always dream of starting something bigger or did it take time for them to realize that their humble idea could really scale? And do the skills it takes to run a small business translate to running one with many employees, where the day-to-day tasks are wildly different? Starr Edwards is one of those founders. In 2010, she was looking for creative ways to provide for her young family, and with just $200 and a used Vitamix, she started selling her dips, with a clever name – Bitchin' Sauce. After starting with small sales at the San Diego Farmers Market, today the company is a $50 million dollar business, and their vegan almond dip is sold everywhere from Costo to Whole Foods. Edwards shares how she scaled her company while raising a family of five, and what she learned when she shipped the sauce to Colorado (hint: it got messy!) Takeaways: Starting small and scaling organically can lead to significant growth over time. Learning from peers and industry experts can be invaluable in navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship. Maintaining a personal connection to the brand and product can drive passion and success. Providing childcare as a benefit can have a significant positive impact on employees and the company as a whole. Finding the right fit for team members and harnessing their talents can lead to greater fulfillment and value for the company. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction and Background 00:03:29 - Scaling Production from Home Kitchen to Manufacturing 00:04:32 - Getting into Whole Foods and Challenges with Distribution 00:09:20 - Balancing Family Life and Business Growth 00:11:10 - Learning from Peers and Avoiding Mistakes 00:18:18 - Benefits of on-site Childcare 00:21:32 - Future Aspirations 00:23:55 - Hiring Strategy and Building a Team More money news when you need it! Get the latest and greatest updates on all things investing, budgeting and making money. Subscribe to the HerMoney newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finding out about our family's history can tell us so much about ourselves, and our place in the world. For a long time, Deb Liu, CEO of Ancestry.com, said she felt like a victim of her history. She grew up in South Carolina, and since she was one of the only Asian-American kids in her classes, she was often made the target of pranks and bullying. She had to fight for her place in the world. Fast forward years later, Liu credits Sheryl Sandberg, her mentor at Facebook, for helping her come out of her shell and embrace her true self. One day after a meeting, Sandberg pulled her aside and said, “You can stop fighting now. You can be gracious.” This statement profoundly changed the way she worked. Listen in to hear her advice on leading with warmth, how to avoid falling into the trap of ‘strategic ambiguity’ in your career, and why she thinks more women should plan their marriages the same way they plan their wedding day. Takeaways: It's important to speak up and advocate for yourself in the workplace. Don't be invisible; make your contributions known. Building relationships is key. Seek out allies, mentors, and sponsors who can provide advice and open doors for you. Transition from a mindset of fighting to one of building connections. Success in the workplace is about teamwork and relationships, not just individual achievement. Plan your marriage with the same care as your wedding. Discuss expectations and roles to create a partnership where both parties contribute and support each other. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:43 The Road to Becoming a CEO 03:23 Speaking Up and Building Relationships 06:27 The Importance of Allies, Mentors, and Sponsors 09:25 Asking for What You Want 10:34 Transitioning from Fighting For What You Deserve to Building Connections 14:27 A Swim Lane Marriage 21:14 The Vision for Ancestry.com 26:36 Lightning Round 29:43 Where to Find Deb Liu Join us! Snag all the latest episodes, savvy budgeting tips, investing advice and even giveaways via the HerMoney Newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Women often have a blur of busy days — going from meetings and important phone calls to the grocery store or soccer practice. It often feels like the day goes by in a blink of an eye. This, of course, leaves many of us feeling drained at the end of the day, or inspired to push off our most important tasks to next week — or we forget about them completely. So how can we better juggle our busy work days, the challenges of raising a family, and all of the other tasks in-between, while still making time for fun? Laura Mae Martin has cracked the code. She’s Google’s Executive Productivity Officer, and she coaches Google’s top executives on time management and efficiency. She offers her take on how to cut out time-suck meetings once and for all, and why discovering our “power hours” does wonders for our creativity and productivity. Takeaways: Manage your email inbox like doing laundry - sort, prioritize, and focus on one task at a time. Use the list funnel method to organize tasks and prioritize based on timeframes. Limit and optimize meetings by setting agendas, evaluating their necessity, and providing feedback. Identify your power hours and schedule important tasks during those times for maximum productivity. Minimize multitasking and manage email effectively to improve productivity. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 05:24 Optimizing Time for Emails 07:10 The List Funnel 13:58 Working with Executives on Productivity 15:06 Limiting Meetings 19.32 Power Hours and Structuring Productive Days 24:33 The Importance of Flexibility in Work Hours 26:01 Productivity Mistakes: Multitasking and Email Overload 28:06 New Research on Productivity 29:12 Lightning Round: Quick Questions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s been a major shift in the fashion industry over the past few years, with a noticeable shift away from Fast Fashion. H&M, once a stock market darling, is now well below 50% of its all-time high. This, in no small part, comes from the concern over the waste emanating from the fast fashion pieces that now fill our landfills. Jensen Neff and Ellie Chen found out just how much fabric goes to waste in the fashion industry (14 million pounds of fabric daily, to be exact) and created their sustainably sourced clothing brand Oddli as their senior capstone project at Stanford. Fast forward to today, they’ve grown into a multi-million dollar profitable brand. Listen in to hear how they used social media to build a following from the start, and their best advice for other young female founders. Takeaways: The fashion industry is shifting away from fast fashion and embracing second-hand retail due to concerns over waste. Oddli was founded by Jensen Neff and Ellie Chen, who met at Stanford University and shared a passion for creating ethically sourced clothing that promotes community connection. Oddli sources excess fabric, known as deadstock, from warehouses in downtown LA to reduce fabric waste in the fashion industry. The founders of Oddli believe in staying true to their vision and have chosen a non-traditional approach to fundraising and scaling their business. Balancing ethical production and affordability is a challenge in the fashion industry, but transparency and education can help consumers understand higher price points. Social media platforms like TikTok can be powerful tools for brand growth and reaching a wide audience. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Shift Away from Fast Fashion 01:21 Introduction to Oddli 10:23 Sourcing Raw Materials and Accessing Excess Fabric 15:50 Ignoring Conventional Wisdom in Fundraising 23:38 Navigating the Industry as Female Founders 31:22 Ambitions for the Future Join us! Snag all the latest episodes, savvy budgeting tips, investing advice and even giveaways via the HerMoney Newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past 10 to 20 years, the sharing economy has taken over: In many ways, renting and returning is now our way of life. Think about it: We stay in strangers’ homes via Airbnb and VRBO, we borrow books on Kindle, Zipcars are viable alternatives to owning a car, and we rent a different dress for every wedding or event so we never have to be Instagrammed wearing the same thing twice. But what about renting things for the smallest members of your family? Fran Maier, CEO and founder of BabyQuip, has made that possible. With BabyQuip, traveling families can rent high-quality everything from cribs and toys to car seats for when they’re on the go. Listen in to hear Maier’s advice as a serial entrepreneur, her biggest regret when selling Match.com, and her hope for the future of female-founded companies. Chapters 00:00 Entrepreneurial Roots 03:29 Early Career and Match.com 15:44 Time After Match.com 22:12 Pitching BabyQuip on Shark Tank 23:45 Navigating the Challenges of the Pandemic 26:02 Competition and Market Strategy 29:46 The Gender Gap in Financing 31:24 Lightning Round 33:13 Where to Find BabyQuip More money news when you need it! Get the latest and greatest updates on all things investing, budgeting, and making money. Subscribe to the HerMoney newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Music is ever-present in our lives, from our morning exercise routines until bed. And we all have a "life soundtrack" of songs that transport us to a moment or an era — one note and you're right back there. Music is also a multi-billion dollar business. But who runs this business? Despite so many of the biggest performers being women, the industry itself has long suffered from a lack of women and diversity — not only on the talent side but also on the executive side. One of the most powerful longstanding players in this business is Jody Gerson, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group. She’s the first woman ever to hold the position at a major music publisher, and since joining UMPG in 2015, she’s transformed the company, which has now surpassed $2 billion dollars in revenue. Listen to how she got her start in the music industry, how she can tell the difference between a mediocre song and a hit, and why she is working to make the industry more inclusive for women. Join us! Snag all the latest episodes, savvy budgeting tips, investing advice, and even giveaways via the HerMoney Newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s just admit it: Being a working mom in America is absolutely exhausting. Today, millions of women in our country are struggling to pay for their children’s care while they maintain their spot in the workforce. At the same time, American women are also fighting against the so-called “Motherhood Penalty,” which means that mothers earn just 58 cents for every dollar paid to fathers. Allison Robinson found herself — like many women! — questioning whether or not it was even possible to have both a family and a career. So, she decided to do something about it. She left her job at Procter & Gamble to start “The Mom Project,” which is now the leading digital marketplace for moms offering hiring, education, and retention solutions. Listen in to learn more about her mission to connect moms with jobs that work with their schedules, and how women can stay engaged in the workforce while taking career breaks. Join the HerMoney community! For the latest episode drops and financial news-you-can-use, subscribe to our newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How does she do it? This week, we decided to ask our indomitable host, Karen Finerman, and co-host of InvestingFixx, HerMoney’s investing club for women, how she makes it all happen. Between her role as CEO of Metropolitan Capital Advisors, being a panelist on CNBC’s Fast Money, serving as a Wharton board member, and being a mom to two sets of twins, she does it ALL. We knew it was time to share her incredible story. Listen in to learn why Karen decided she wanted to become a risk arbitrageur at age 15, how she worked full time while raising her kids, and her best advice for getting invested — and staying invested — as a woman. Join the HerMoney community! For the latest episode drops and financial news-you-can-use, subscribe to our newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are countless situations in which risky behavior can be detrimental to your life. But there’s one area though, where risk can be a very good thing — sometimes life-changingly incredible. That’s with entrepreneurship and your career. In fact, not taking risks is arguably one of the riskiest things you can do in your career, and perhaps no one knows this better than Pinky Cole, owner of Slutty Vegan, and author of “I Hope You Fail: Ten Hater Statements Holding You Back From Getting Everything You Want.” Pinky Cole knows exactly what it means to take risks in her career, fail, and get back up again. When her first restaurant burned down, she didn’t let it break her. Instead, she took it as a sign that she wasn’t fully aligned with her purpose, and chose to completely reset. Fast forward to today, and she’s the owner of the multimillion-dollar vegan empire Slutty Vegan. Our favorite bit of Pinky Cole brilliance from this conversation? “The sky is not the limit, there’s so much more beyond it.” We couldn’t agree more. Join us! Snag all the latest episodes, savvy budgeting tips, investing advice, and even giveaways via the HerMoney Newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While a whopping 25% of 40-year-old Americans have never been married, an all-time high according to Pew, engagements and weddings are still a huge business. Couples spent an average of $5,800 on an engagement ring in 2022. And with all of the different companies out there vying for your engagement ring dollars, how does a business target couples at the exact right moment when they’re ready to buy a ring? Gina Drosos has that moment down to a science. She’s ​​the CEO of Signet Jewelers, the world’s largest diamond retailer. When she took over as CEO six years ago, she made a pivot into data-driven business decisions that studied couples’ 45 “trackable milestones” that lead them to get engaged — and it transformed the company. Listen in to hear her philosophy as a “spider web leader” and what she’s doing to lift up other women as she climbs. More money news when you need it! Get the latest and greatest updates on all things investing, budgeting and making money. Subscribe to the HerMoney newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Long gone are the days when going to therapy was something we hid from our friends, family, and even our spouses because of the fear that “they might think something is wrong with us.” These days, we share our learnings from therapy proudly and wear good mental health like a badge of honor. And at HerMoney, we love to see women talking about things that used to be taboo (like mental health and money!) because it makes it easier for all of us to learn from one another. Yet even though we’ve made progress with what’s “off limits,” there’s still a stigma surrounding couples therapy. Many believe it’s only reserved for couples who are dealing with serious relationship issues like infidelity, abuse, dishonesty, or other toxic behaviors. But Kati Morton, YouTube creator, and licensed marriage and family therapist, is using her platform to help couples understand that seeking out therapy shouldn’t feel so weighty. In fact, it can be an asset to any relationship. Listen in for more insight into the benefits of therapy ahead of Valentine’s Day, along with the patterns Kati notices that make her optimistic that a couple can get through any conflict. Join the HerMoney community! For the latest episode drops and financial news-you-can-use, subscribe to our newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s crazy to think that it’s only in recent history that women have been able to open a bank account, let alone own a bank. As recently as 1970, women could be turned away by lenders if they didn’t have a male co-signer. There are 4,236 FDIC-insured banks in the United States, and according to Bankrate, there are only 13 women-owned banks – Lead Bank being one of them. In her role as Chief Development Officer at Square, Jackie Reses saw how important access to capital was to small businesses. So, when she left that job, she decided to open a bank. Listen in to hear about Jackie’s career from private equity to building a successful startup and then buying a bank — and why she says being a business owner brings her so much joy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What comes to mind when you think of a poker game? Is it a basement or a casino? Is it filled with smoke? Is it mostly men? If those are the assumptions you made, you’re not far off because of the one hundred million people who play poker, fewer than 10% of them are women. Learning the game of poker isn’t just for fun though, it can teach women key skills in life — making bets on themselves, taking risks at work, and practicing their best poker face in a negotiation. Erin Lydon is the President of Poker Power, a women-led community that uses the game of poker to build confidence, challenge the status quo, learn strategy, and assess risk. Listen in to hear about her career from private banking to poker whiz, the difference between a fish and a shark (in poker, not the aquarium), and how women can use the skills learned in poker to navigate everything from a divorce to a raise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever thought about what goes into a Broadway production? I mean really thought about it? For one, it can cost upwards of $20M (yes, million) dollars just to put a show together that includes scenery, costumes, lighting, and rehearsals just to name a few expenses. Carmen Pavlovic, co-owner and CEO of Global Creatures has done that many times worldwide and her hit show — Moulin Rouge! The Musical earned her and her team 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Listen in to hear about the many years of hard work it took to make the show, including working with 160 composers represented by 30 publishers to license the music alone, and why Carmen reads all the reviews — both good and bad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We know that being a female CEO in the investment management industry is rare, and being a Black woman in the investment industry is even rarer. According to a recent study from McKinsey, only 4% of the financial industry’s C-suite positions are held by Black women. We also know that centering Black women in positions of power is good for the entire economy. Mellody Hobson, President and Co-CEO of Ariel Investments is using her influence as one of America’s most powerful women to create more revenue for minority-owned businesses with Project Black. Listen in to hear about her 32-year career at Ariel, how she went from Intern to Co-CEO, and why she’s passionate about teaching children the value of money young. More money news when you need it! Get the latest and greatest updates on all things investing, budgeting, and making money. Subscribe to the HerMoney newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seems that lately, more women than ever are changing careers and finding success in their careers AFTER they turn fifty. While society likes to tell us that our careers (and our looks) have a shelf life, more women than ever are proving that to be completely false. Take comedian and actor Leanne Morgan. Her standup career took off when she was in her 50s — 57 to be exact! She made her comedy career work while also being a mom, doing midnight sets and then waking up at 6 a.m. to do it all over again. Now, her Netflix special, “Leanne Morgan: I'm Every Woman,” is one of the top comedy specials on the platform. Listen in to hear how she went from small-town mom to an international superstar. Join us! Snag all the latest episodes, savvy budgeting tips, investing advice, and even giveaways via the HerMoney Newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Making it in the restaurant industry is tough. The National Restaurant Association estimates that only 20% of restaurants end up making it and the vast majority of restaurants — about 80% — fail within 5 years of opening. We also know that being a female in the restaurant industry is even tougher. It’s estimated that only 19% of chefs are female. So what does it really take to make it as a female restaurant chef and owner? Esther Choi, chef and owner of Mŏkbar shares how she won her first restaurant space by pitching the concept in an elevator (yes, the literal definition of an elevator pitch). Listen in to hear about her new YouTube show, Heat Eaters, and how she balances her life as a chef, restauranteur, and Food Network personality. Join the HerMoney community! For the latest episode drops and financial news-you-can-use, subscribe to our newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices