Working Women's Wealth Podcast

What is the last thing you bought? Take a quick look at your bank statement to remind you… Any chance that purchase has taken you another step closer to living your best life? If, like most people, your answer is no, this episode is for you. Today I'll take you through an exercise that I do with my financial coaching clients to discover what your spending habits (and how you choose to spend your time) are revealing about what you REALLY value. Being true to your values often comes with big (tough) choices, and it can be a hard realisation that you’re spending more money on clothes or cars than on doing things that bring you joy. Because time and to a certain extent, money, are finite, there’s not enough of either to be spending them doing things that won’t get you and keep you on the journey towards your best life. Being honest with yourself about where your energy (and money) is going is the first step. Now let’s get out that bank statement…

Have you ever had a dream you didn't pursue because it felt impossible? MaZwane had a BIG IMPOSSIBLE dream too... And her story could inspire you to greatness. Because if somebody somewhere, from a situation that is the same or worse than yours, has achieved it, then it’s merely improbable, not impossible. And if it’s not impossible, it’s possible. Let MaZwane’s story inspire you, as she travels from rural KZN to the City of Johannesburg. A young woman of 19, armed with only faith and a dream, she stayed true to her convictions and eventually went on to pioneer a whole new sector within the food and beverage industry. “At the end, it’s how big is your dream? Are you willing to stay true to your conviction, no matter what it takes?” – Rita Zwane

Do you find yourself making sacrifices in order to give your kids the best of everything? Whether it’s the best school, the best holiday, or the latest pair of jeans, in the long run you may be doing them more harm than good. Today I reflect on raising children with three skill sets that are necessary for building wealth. These are the same three skill sets that are at risk if you are always giving your kids the best. In a quest to break free of the cycle of “shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations”, I explore the questions of how to raise children with a hunger for a dream (and the understanding of what it takes to make those dreams a reality), how to allow them to develop (on their own) the gentle strength that is required to fly like a butterfly, and whether giving your kids the best is always the best idea...

Remember that game where you had to pick an object to bring with you if you were to be stranded on a deserted island? With no way home, and in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, Julia Kerr Henkel picked resilience. In a story that plays out like a movie, Julia shares her experience of getting stuck in Bali with no way home, and what she learnt about how adversity can lead to a deeper understanding of vulnerability, courage and resilience. In case you needed a reminder today – you too can do hard things!

Where would your life be if you had been that tiny bit braver and less worried about failing? If you had had the conversations you needed to have? And taken the steps you needed to take? What has the fear of failure stopped you from even starting? In today's episode I take you through the ‘And Then What Process’, a technique I talk about in my new book. It’s unbelievably simple, but it’s made me see that the size of our fears is more often than not WAY bigger than the size of the fall out.

Andrea Liebross is a Possibilities coach – and helps people navigate their career paths to become the best possible version of themselves.  Sometimes it’s that we’re not clear on how our skills can pivot us to something new – and other times we’re not clear on where in fact we want to go.  Often, we’re just not willing to have those tough conversations. It all comes down to being clear on what we know, what we think, and how we act.  She offers a fresh perspective on the possibilities we all have available to us.

It took just less than 11 months from start to finish to write my first self-published book.  It’s truly been an unbelievable journey that re-enforced for me the importance of getting the right accountability group, and a great teacher.  Ever wanted an honest look at what it takes to write a book? I take you through 11 steps to writing a book, and how you can get it done too!

My book has launched!  So if you’re wanting to overcome patterns that keep you stuck, the sneaky peak into the book, Deep Grooves is here.  This week we do things a little differently – Abby is interviewing me about my book Deep Grooves: Overcoming Patterns that keep you Stuck.  It’s a fun look into a few parts of the book. We look at the difference between Good Reasons and Real Reasons, why we use Short-Term Hits of Happiness, and how Journaling fast tracks your thinking changes.  I also read an extract I love, and how getting suspended from kindergarten impacted my approach to leadership.

All of us have stuff that triggers us.  Sometimes they’re easy to spot, like when your partner asks you to pass the milk and a volcano erupts from your mouth.  The harder ones to recognise are the low-level trends of being irritated or annoyed or anxious by something or everything, or the subtle disappoint that creeps into life.  We have a choice – allow those triggers to drag us down, or use them as a signpost to point us towards a better life.  When we’re guided through looking at them through a different lens, the lessons are powerful, and we move through that difficulty quicker than before.

Can you actively plan your career when so much seems to be luck, timing and politics?   Why don’t we go for the job or the pay we deserve?  Why are we so terrified of people saying ‘no’ to us when in fact it holds the gold we need to boost our career? Kerrian Fournier went from Wall Street to Executive Coaching. She’s managed some of the largest HR budgets in the world, helped teams and leaders navigate their career paths.

Every one of us struggles with procrastination. Whether it’s with work, or the exercise we’re supposed to do, or the conversation in a relationship we keep avoiding. Procrastination is our brain’s way of avoiding a perceived pain – and once you understand what’s happening, and the six steps you need to beat it, it can be a game changer. But, if you don’t master it, prolonged procrastination or avoidance leads to giving up.  Giving up on exercise, giving up on your new work project, or even giving up on a relationship.

Are you chasing every new marketing strategy in the hope that one will stick, and work? You’re in Business 1.0 – the first phase of business start up that’s really exhausting. I chat with Michelle L. Evans to find out how you go from the chaos of Business 1.0 to the confidence of Business 2.0. Michelle runs a marketing agency and a podcast, Profit Without Worry, and she talks to us about her journey, and the journey she helps other owner managed businesses go through in trying to build Business 2.0. We look at how to push through that horrible phase quicker to find the customers and business operating model that works for you in Business 2.0

Perseverance and resilience are crucial to life.  We’re guaranteed that life is going to throw us a curve ball, knock us down, and take us out at some time or another. Perseverance is the ability to keep going, keep finding a path through the storm, and resilience, the capacity to quickly recover from difficulties or change. Can you imagine how wonderful it would be to have a huge supply of these?  We’d sail through life’s challenges. The problem is, we’re not born with these.  We only develop the muscle of perseverance and resilience as we journey through tough times, force ourselves to exercise perseverance and find a way through it, and as a result, build resilience which enables us to bounce back quicker next time.

Every time we do something new, we feel like an impostor. It doesn't matter how good we were at our previous venture, the fear of failure and the unknown kicks in. On our journey to becoming the Total Package we need to understand the stages we will go through so we're able to Handle Everything. I chat to Tara Bradford about how to fast-track the 6 stages of going from Impostor to Influencer, how to calm the noise, and some practical ways to overcome the side effects of impostor syndrome. Only then will you be able to become the Total Package for the clients you serve. We also discuss the key to being able to Handle Everything and the quick re-frame tool she uses to expand our thinking. She shares with us the one thing she has learnt that moves us quickly through the growth phase.

Financial enablement is when we help people out with money. Whilst it’s something that most often comes from a position of love and care, it ends up slowly weakening the person we're helping. Like all things in life, when it comes to financial enablement, there's a fine line between helping out and enabling. Like a piece of chocolate vs a slab or a ball of ice-cream vs a tub. As one of my mum's friend put it, "the difference between your kids having a safety net if stuff happens, and them lying in a hammock". One of the places i've come to see it is in the supporting of a loved one starting a business venture. It's about to get going - so more money gets sunk.  I recently woke up to the cold reality I'd been financially enabling myself.

Ever wondered if it’s possible for an everyday person to become a millionaire?  My guest today knows it is. I also wondered if, as an investment expert, she actually practiced what the investment industry preaches – does she budget, does she save the pennies so the pounds follow, and do market crashes of her personal wealth make her feel as anxious as it makes the rest of us feel?    Victoria Reuvers is the Managing Director of the South African business of Morningstar – a global investment company. In addition, we start off by chatting through how she got to the top of a very male dominated industry, and her views on leadership. 

Are you feeling hurt and frustrated that despite how much work you’ve put in, life is not working out the way you thought it should? You’re not alone, and I urge you to keep hope. All of us have a still, quiet voice of Wisdom within us, and we need to give it the space to speak. Sometimes it’s simply about timing.

How are you coping with the current trauma? Whilst no two stories are the same, people the world over are experiencing various levels of loss. And with that loss comes grief. Whether you are experiencing the loss of a loved one, freedom of movement, your income, or the life you knew before Covid-19, give yourself permission to grieve. My guest today, Harriet Cabelly, is a grief counsellor and positive psychology coach who talks about post-traumatic growth (the positive change and growth that comes about as a result of an adversity or loss). Because, although you may have no control over the bigger picture, you can choose - in the tiny daily decisions that you make - how you respond to your difficulties. There is hope. And there are other opportunities. How will YOU bounce back from this adversity?

Are your goals and dreams feeling a little out of reach in the present climate? Or does a recent failure (or series of them) have you ready to throw in the towel? Before you do, think about this… One of the highest determinants of success is HOPE. Broadly defined as “the overall perception that goals can be met”, there are things that you can do to reignite the flame of hope. Believe that you can, and that, because you’re resourceful, you’ll find a way. After all, we all need a dose of hope right now.

Have you had a chance to reconcile your current (isolated) reality with the fast-paced, schedule-filled life you were living prior to lock down? It’s a major transition that the whole world is having to adapt to, and much like the transition into retirement that it mirrors, it can be traumatic. If you think about it, by the time you retire you could possibly still have a third of your life left to live. That’s a lot of life. With that in mind, the question of what you would like your retirement to look like becomes pressing. Finding something you love to do and being able to share it and give from it creates joy. Simply put: It’s not too late and you’re not too old! My guest today, Maeve O’Byrne is a former CEO of a hospital foundation turned certified coach who helps retirees thrive during their transition into their third act or next chapter. She suggests using this time of lockdown as a trial for retirement. If you could do this completely differently, what would you want to do?