Épisodes

  • 201 | How to Get Your Kids Through College Debt-Free (Without Scholarships) | Jeannie Burlowski

    201 | How to Get Your Kids Through College Debt-Free (Without Scholarships) | Jeannie Burlowski
    Oct 29 2026
    Connect with the Investor Mama Tribe Looking for ways to boost your income? Check out these resources to help you with your money journey About Jeannie Burlowski is an academic strategist helping parents of kids ages 12–26 set those kids up to graduate college debt-free. She is the author of the book LAUNCH: How to Get Your Kids Through College Debt-Free and Into Jobs They Love Afterward. Her writing provides parents a clear, step-by-step checklist so they can set their kids up to succeed brilliantly in college, graduate debt-free, and move directly into careers they excel at and love. Jeannie’s expertise in this field comes from over 23 years of helping students apply to highly competitive law, medical, business, and graduate schools. During those years, she became a curator (think: a person who collects and catalogs valuable artifacts for a museum) of every possible good idea for succeeding brilliantly in college, graduating debt-free, and moving directly into satisfying and well-paying career after college. (And sailing straight into law, medical, business, or grad school, if that is a goal.) Jeannie also leads the LAUNCH TRIBE Membership, which meets 11 times a year to assist parents in helping kids ages 12–26 graduate college debt-free without scholarships. She is also an Academic Strategist who works with older students applying to competitive law, medical, business, and grad schools. Key Take Aways 1. Sign Up for Upromise.com — Start Before Birth What it is: A free service that automatically deposits a portion of your everyday purchases (Target, Walgreens, grocery stores, 1-800-PetMeds, and more) into a 529 college savings plan. Family members — even childless uncles — can participate and direct funds to your child. Action step: Go to Upromise.com tonight after the kids are in bed. Sign up, and invite grandparents, aunts, and uncles to do the same. It requires no extra paperwork after setup — just shop as normal. 2. Open a 529 College Savings Plan — Even $10/Month Counts What it is: A tax-advantaged savings plan where small monthly contributions grow over time. The money can be used for college, technical school, or other qualified educational programs. As of 2024, unused 529 funds (up to $35,000) can be rolled into your child’s Roth IRA. Action step: Call your family financial advisor and say, “I heard it’s easy to set up a 529. We can only do $10 a month right now.” Set one up for each child. Don’t worry if your child doesn’t end up going to college — the funds are flexible. 3. Open a Roth IRA in Your Child’s Name — As Soon As They Earn Income What it is: Kids of any age can open a Roth IRA as soon as they have earned income — even from raking yards or doing odd jobs. It sparks conversations about compound interest, investing, and frugal money habits. Best of all: money in retirement accounts is not counted on the FAFSA financial aid application. Action step: The next time your child earns money for any job, help them open a Roth IRA in their own name. Show them the BankRate Roth IRA calculator online so they can see how their money grows over time. Let them know they can withdraw contributions (and up to $10,000 in earnings) for a future first-home down payment. 4. Move Exposed Assets Into Retirement Accounts Before January 1st of 10th Grade What it is: The FAFSA looks at your finances during the “base year” — January 1st of your child’s 10th grade year through December 31st of 11th grade. Money sitting in regular brokerage or savings accounts counts against you. Money in official retirement accounts (401k, Roth IRA, traditional IRA) is protected and invisible to financial aid. Action step: By May of your child’s 9th grade year, sit down with a qualified financial advisor. Move any exposed cash you can spare into official retirement accounts before January 1st of 10th grade. Selling assets after that date counts as income and makes you look richer than you are on the FAFSA. 5. Start Early and Follow a 3-Month Reading Plan What it is: Jeannie Burlowski’s book Launch: How to Get Your Kids Through College Debt-Free and Into Jobs They Love Afterward gives parents a short reading assignment every 3 months as kids grow up — from birth through high school. Families who start early get the best results with the least stress. Action step: Get the book (free at your local library) and start with the chapter “Prior to Seventh Grade.” Follow the 3-month reading schedule so you’re never overwhelmed. If your child is already in high school, you can still benefit — but the earlier you start, the more strategies are available to you. Bottom line for moms: You don’t need to be wealthy or wait until high school to start. The biggest advantage comes from small, consistent actions started early — even before your child is born. Every $100 you save in a 529 only reduces financial aid by $5.64, but every $100 in...
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    Moins d'une minute
  • 200 | The Hidden Financial Cost of Hormonal Imbalance Every Working Mom Needs to Know | Ali Swart, CFP

    200 | The Hidden Financial Cost of Hormonal Imbalance Every Working Mom Needs to Know | Ali Swart, CFP
    Oct 15 2026
    Connect with the Investor Mama Tribe Looking for ways to boost your income? Check out these resources to help you with your money journey About Ali is the Managing Director of Waldron’s Wealth Planning Department, where she develops and implements comprehensive, goal-based wealth planning strategies for our clients. For more than 12 years, Ali has been helping entrepreneurs and their families simplify their financial lives. After earning a Marketing and a Management Information Systems degree from Marietta College, she earned a Master of Business Administration from Florida Atlantic University. Key Take Aways “Common” doesn’t mean “normal.” Extreme exhaustion, cystic acne, and mood swings are common among working moms, but they can be signs of real hormonal imbalances. Ali’s cortisol was in the single digits and her pregnenolone was critically low — both missed by her routine annual blood work.Advocate for yourself, even when your doctor says no. Ali’s PCP told her she didn’t need to see a hormone specialist. She went anyway, and the specialist found multiple serious deficiencies using the same blood work. If your gut says something is off, keep pushing.The financial cost is real — and navigable. Office visits were affordable (~$100), but specialized blood work like amino acid profiles ran into the thousands. The key to getting it covered: learning to read your Explanation of Benefits, cross-checking diagnostic codes, and relentlessly following up between your doctor’s office and the lab.Small schedule shifts can transform your health. Ali stopped working out at 4 AM on an empty stomach, pushed caffeine until after breakfast, and started arriving at the office at 8:30 instead of 7:45. Nothing fell apart — and within three months her energy, skin, and cortisol levels all improved significantly.Hormone health is family wealth. Ali’s hormone specialist told her that based on her blood work, she likely wouldn’t have been able to conceive again — connecting her recurrent miscarriages to underlying imbalances. Proactive hormone testing before and after pregnancy could save families heartache, and it’s an overlooked part of a mom’s financial and life planning. Additional Resources and Help Support the Show Check out the Intern Strategy Course created by Christina from Smart InfluencerLearn How to Make Extra Money with a Side Hustle or Get a High Paying Salary with Time FlexibilityEpisode #30:The #1 Side Hustle for the On the Go Busy Mom with Mike Yanda and Bobby HoytEpisode #52: Millionaire by 31 and How to Start An ETSY Side Hustle Business with Julie Berninger from Gold City VenturesCheck out Julia’s Sidehustle course to get started todayThe Legacy Binder to help you organize all of your estate documents and plans in case of an emergencyShow Me How To Fix My Pelvic Floor from Tighten Your Tinkler Use Coupon Code: INVESTORMAMA to save $50 off this signature programHigh-income earner, needing an amazing accountant? Check out the TaxGoddess Connect with Ali Instagramhttps://www.waldronprivatewealth.com/ Prior Investor Mama Episodes Episode #116: Legacy Blueprint – Estate Planning 101 with Ali Swart, CFP Episode #117: Estate Planning 202 Understanding Trusts and Other More Complex Estate Strategies with Ali Swart, CFP
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    22 min
  • 199 | From Burnout to 7 Figures-How One Mom Rebuilt Her Life and Therapy Business | Helen Malinowski,

    199 | From Burnout to 7 Figures-How One Mom Rebuilt Her Life and Therapy Business | Helen Malinowski,
    Oct 1 2026
    What happens when your body forces you to stop? Helen Malinowski was a solo practitioner, a mom of two, and completely burned out — until a shingles diagnosis became her wake-up call. In this episode, she shares how somatic therapy, community-building, and facing her money blocks helped her grow a thriving 7-figure group practice while actually working less. If you're a mom running on empty, this one's for you.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    36 min
  • 198 | Sales Confidence for Moms- How to Build a Business Without Burning Out | Michelle Terpstra Sales Mentor and Host of the Revenue Rascals Podcast

    198 | Sales Confidence for Moms- How to Build a Business Without Burning Out | Michelle Terpstra Sales Mentor and Host of the Revenue Rascals Podcast
    Sep 17 2026
    Connect with the Investor Mama Tribe Before starting her own business, Michelle spent a decade in sales working for 3 Fortune 500’s (yep! nearly 25,000 sales conversations and 2,100 sales presentations!). She went on to open and run a Toastmasters Club that helped high-achieving professionals master their messaging to easily gain new clients. Michelle said goodbye to the stability of the 9-5 to jump feet first into the wild ride of entrepreneurship. Now as a business owner and the creator Revenue Rascals, Michelle has taught 1,000+ of online brands and startups to create and sell premium products by mastering sales skills and then building sales teams from the ground up. Her signature FREEDOM Framework helps coaches, consultants, speakers, agencies, brick and mortar service providers, and professional service providers create, implement and scale a stress-free rinse-and-repeat sales system while freeing up more and more time to do the things they love. Michelle host’s Revenue Rascals podcast, and advocate for smart ways to grow that create LTV, recurring revenue, and a hybrid sales approach to scaling. Key Takeaways: Confidence is earned through action, not born. Build it incrementally — if you’re scared to charge $5,000, start by asking for $1,500, then work your way up. Reps build confidence, not the other way around.Consistency beats intensity in sales. The best sellers do “boring” daily activities (follow-ups, asking for the sale) without fail. Skipping sales activity today shows up as a slump ~90 days later — the “feast and famine” cycle.Keep your offer simple and start local. You don’t need a big following, expensive ads, or a perfect website — one core offer and a single email to your network can be enough to land your first clients.Use AI as a thought partner, not a replacement. Train AI on your own frameworks/templates to save time (e.g., turning a 6-hour custom script into a 10-minute process), and use it to pressure-test your offer by having it “poke holes” in your pitch.Regulate yourself before you perform. Non-negotiable personal habits (movement, rest, emotional release) prevent burnout cycles — treat self-regulation as seriously as your sales activities to sustain high performance long-term. Additional Resources and Help Support the Show Check out the Intern Strategy Course created by Christina from Smart InfluencerLearn How to Make Extra Money with a Side Hustle or Get a High Paying Salary with Time FlexibilityEpisode #30:The #1 Side Hustle for the On the Go Busy Mom with Mike Yanda and Bobby HoytEpisode #52: Millionaire by 31 and How to Start An ETSY Side Hustle Business with Julie Berninger from Gold City VenturesCheck out Julia’s Sidehustle course to get started todayThe Legacy Binder to help you organize all of your estate documents and plans in case of an emergencyShow Me How To Fix My Pelvic Floor from Tighten Your Tinkler Use Coupon Code: INVESTORMAMA to save $50 off this signature programHigh-income earner, needing an amazing accountant? Check out the TaxGoddess Connect with Michelle Host, Revenue RascalsFractional Leadership: 3 Tiers Available Prepare your business, hire and train your first (or next!) A-team sales professional with the Startup Sales Leadership Academy Hybrid Digital Course! Grab Michelle’s new High-Performance Sales Habits Workbook on Amazon!InstagramLinkedIn
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    23 min
  • Replay Episode #96: Doing it All with Kids and Instagram Mom vs. Reality Mom with Mindy Jensen from Bigger Pockets

    Replay Episode #96: Doing it All with Kids and Instagram Mom vs. Reality Mom with Mindy Jensen from Bigger Pockets
    Aug 5 2026
    Looking for ways to boost your income? Check out these resources to help you with your money journey. Bio Mindy is the Community Manager at BiggerPockets.com. She is a Personal Finance Lover, Real Estate Nerd and DIY Gal. Lightning Round 1. What is one fun fact about you that not that many people know? So a hundred thousand years ago, in 1999, I hopped on my bicycle with a hundred other people. We rode from Seattle, Washington to Washington DC in 48 days. It was a super fun time. It was a fundraiser for the American Lung Association because when you can’t breathe, nothing else matters. 2. Who inspires you the most and why? My oldest daughter is incredibly inspiring because she is so smart and she’s so driven. She’s 15. She has the normal amount of 15 year old, the self-consciousness, but there are other parts of her where she’s like, I know that this is right, and I am not going to be deterred in any way. I don’t care what other people think about me. 3. What books are you reading now or have read and loved that you’d recommend? The Psychology of Money by Morgan Hausel Tipped: The life changing guide to financial freedom for waitresses, bartenders, strippers, and all other service industry professionals by Barbara Sloan 4. What is one actionable tip or piece of advice that you can tell our moms out there to help them on their financial independence journey? Know what you want and write down what your goals. It doesn’t necessarily have to be you plural. It can be you singular. I think that being on the same page with your partner is so valid. Know what you want as a mom, know what you want as a for your financial situation and then work backwards. Additional Resources Investor Mama: Make some money Bigger Pockets Money Podcast First-Time Home Buyer: The Complete Playbook to Avoiding Rookie Mistakes by Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench How to Sell Your Home: The Essential Guide to a Fast, Stress-Free, and Profitable Sale by Mindy Jensen Connect with Mindy Twitter Facebook Email: Mindy@biggerpockets.com Instagram Bigger Pockets
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    25 min
  • Replay Episode #91: How to Teach Your Kids To Manage Money At Any Age with Dee from Kids Money Academy

    Replay Episode #91: How to Teach Your Kids To Manage Money At Any Age with Dee from Kids Money Academy
    Jul 23 2026

    Looking for ways to boost your income? Check out these resources to help you with your money journey.

    Bio

    Dee is a CPA, finance instructor at UCLA and a mom of two. After doing some research, she found that there was no one single resource that shared tips on how to talk about money in simple and exciting ways with kids. One that also provides empirical data on the benefits of early childhood financial literacy. So, she created it!

    Dee founded Kids Money Academy to fill a huge need that empowers parents from all backgrounds to talk to their kids about money in a positive way.

    Her mission is to reach as many parents and kids as possible to instill healthy financial habits that create an abundant money mindset and legacy for wealth. As parents, the greatest gift that we can give our children that has unlimited return is a money mindset that creates an abundant and happy life.

    Additional Resources

    Sign up for Dee’s Friday Freebies

    The ABC’s of Investing for Kids

    Kids Money Academy

    Greenlight Debit Card for Kids

    Famzoo Debit Card for Kids

    Connect with Dee

    Instagram

    Facebook

    LinkedIn

    Episode #92: How to Respond to Your Children’s Money Questions with Dee from Kids Money Academy
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    Moins d'une minute
  • Replay of Episode #72: Simple Ways to Adventure in Your Own Backyard with Heidi Dusek From Ordinary Sherpa

    Replay of Episode #72: Simple Ways to Adventure in Your Own Backyard with Heidi Dusek From Ordinary Sherpa
    Jul 9 2026

    Connect with the Investor Mama Tribe

    Looking for ways to boost your income? Check out these resources to help you with your money journey.

    Bio

    A catalyst, healthy disruptor and unshakeable optimist, Heidi’s passion lies in challenging the status quo, driving change and delivering experiences. Known as a translator between sectors whose background transcends education, health, nonprofits, university, business, philanthropy, design and podcasting. While stacking talents and lived experiences is her superpower, she continually embraces each role with a lens of empathy, trust and curiosity as critical threads embedded in the fabric of designing an authentic and memorable life.

    Today she and her husband live in Wisconsin with 3 children and spend a considerable amount of time outdoors, remodeling their third generation farm house, mastering un-tourism, and creating connections with people around the world. Her podcast Ordinary Sherpa inspires families to connect through simple adventures.

    Lightning Round

    1. What is one fun fact about you that not that many people know?

    I have distant family relatives that are tied to Vincent van Gogh.

    2. Who inspires you the most and why?

    90% of the time I’d have to say my kids because I really get a lot of my energy from them.

    I like to think of myself when I was four, and one of the people that was really inspirational to me was my grandfather. He was a retired pastor, but he was a natural outdoorsman that was always making something out of nothing.

    3. What books are you reading now or have read and loved that you’d recommend?

    The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere by Pico Iyer

    Outdoor Kids in an Inside World: Getting Your Family Out of the House and Radically Engaged with Nature by Steven Rinella

    4. What is one actionable tip or piece of advice that you can tell our moms out there to help them on their financial independence journey?

    Keep it simple. When you start to think about what are the things that bring you joy, they’re usually things that are tangible, that are accessible, that you just have to look around and maybe look at with a new lens. It’s amazing how one little thread, you can pull on it, and it sparks so many other opportunities. So try to keep it simple.

    Additional Resources

    Ordinary Sherpa

    Heidi’s new book: Beyond Normal: A field guide to embrace adventure, explore the wilderness, and design an extraordinary life with kids

    Ordinary Sherpa Podcast

    50 Free Adventure Ideas

    Connect with Heidi

    Facebook

    Instagram
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    50 min
  • 197 | How to Raise a Money Smart Kid - The Simple Savings Strategy That Helped Deb Kierstead's (from Live Skills Money) Son Buy a House at 24

    197 | How to Raise a Money Smart Kid - The Simple Savings Strategy That Helped Deb Kierstead's (from Live Skills Money) Son Buy a House at 24
    Jun 25 2026
    Connect with the Investor Mama Tribe Deb Kierstead is a mom of four and an educator with over 29 years of experience who got tired of waiting for schools to teach kids what they actually need to know about money. So she built a financial literacy program that’s practical, playful, and shockingly fun. Her son bought his first house at 24 – proof that teaching money skills young actually works. Key Takeaways: 1. Start the money conversation NOW — and keep it positive Money habits begin forming as early as age 7. Talk about money openly and often at home, but always frame it in a neutral or positive way. Swap “we can’t afford that” for “we’re choosing not to buy that right now.” 2. Give your kids real cash and let them feel the pinch Hand your child a set amount at the grocery store and let them manage it — including figuring it out if they go over. The embarrassment or problem-solving in that moment teaches more than any lecture ever could. 3. Build a saving strategy, not just a savings lecture Instead of just saying “save your money,” use one of Deb’s three systems: Dime Dash – save 10¢ per dollar earnedQuarter Quest – save 25¢ per dollar earnedMarg’s Method – save 50¢ per dollar earned (the one that helped her son hit $100K by 23) 4. Teach the 3-step Spending Test before any purchase Before your kid buys something, ask: Is it a need or a want?Do you have the money for it?Is the quality worth the price? If it passes all three — no guilt, they buy it. This removes the battles and builds lifelong decision-making skills. 5. Stop fixing it — let them own it Whether it’s a budgeting mistake at the register or an impulse buy they regret, resist the urge to bail them out. Kids who earn and manage their own money develop a sense of ownership and pride that money handed to them simply can’t buy. Additional Resources and Help Support the Show Check out the Intern Strategy Course created by Christina from Smart InfluencerLearn How to Make Extra Money with a Side Hustle or Get a High Paying Salary with Time FlexibilityEpisode #30:The #1 Side Hustle for the On the Go Busy Mom with Mike Yanda and Bobby HoytEpisode #52: Millionaire by 31 and How to Start An ETSY Side Hustle Business with Julie Berninger from Gold City VenturesCheck out Julia’s Sidehustle course to get started todayThe Legacy Binder to help you organize all of your estate documents and plans in case of an emergencyShow Me How To Fix My Pelvic Floor from Tighten Your Tinkler Use Coupon Code: INVESTORMAMA to save $50 off this signature programHigh-income earner, needing an amazing accountant? Check out the TaxGoddess Connect with Deb Live Skills MoneyFacebookInstagramYouTube
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    17 min