Connect Who or what is your inspiration in business?

My grandmother, Little Ga, inspires me for her fierce independence and for building security through sheer grit and determination, then remaining in her own home until the very end, protected and able to make that choice for herself. Gail Vaz-Oxlade inspires me for her no-nonsense, shoot-from-the-hip honesty about money. Mothers everywhere inspire me for getting it done one way or another, refusing to stay stuck and continuing to look for a better way forward.

How do you stay motivated?

What keeps me motivated is knowing I may be exactly what one person needs at the moment they are ready to hear it. If I keep moving forward, keep speaking and keep building, the right people will find me. My son, 14 and on the cusp of launching into this world, also keeps me motivated because the way I work, choose and show up now becomes part of what he learns about possibility, responsibility and building a life with intention.

What would you do with the $25,000?

The $25,000 would help me strengthen my platform in ways that create lasting reach, including building practical digital tools, developing an app and creating a retreat where financial conversations can happen in a more human and transformative way. Part of it would also go toward a memory-making trip with my family, because building a meaningful life is not separate from the work I teach.