Connect Who or what is your inspiration in business?

My husband Bill is my greatest inspiration in life & business. For 39 years he has believed in my entrepreneurship, even when I dreamed up My Financial Girlfriend. While I built the business, he was the steady W-2 that kept our household grounded. Hearing the misogynistic stories I brought home from finance, he urged me to build something better. With his backing, I turned conviction into purpose: women are heard, respected, and financially powerful.

How do you stay motivated?

Honestly...how could I not stay motivated? When I open my calendar and see women, couples, and referrals from happy clients, I get giddy. Each conversation means someone trusts me with their money story. My favorite moment is when a session ends with a huge, knowing smile and a “Let’s do this.” Helping people grow their money and confidence step by step is deeply meaningful work. Because when people understand their money, they start believing in themselves.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would invest the $25,000 as catalytic capital to launch the Financial Girlfriend Academy, the start of a movement to train more women financial advisors to build thriving practices without the pushy sales culture that drives so many people away from financial help. Only about 26 percent of advisors are women, and I want to change that percentage. When more women guide money decisions, families, communities, and the financial system grow stronger.