Women & Money: The Shit We Don't Talk About! | Purse Strings

Hosted by Barbara Provost & Maggie Nielsen

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153

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Aug 2026

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"We will never solve the feminization of power until we solve the masculinity of wealth." - Gloria Steinem. On this podcast, we're going to call out those ways that women are consistently left behind financially. But most importantly, how women can help themselves. Join hosts Barbara Provost & Maggie Nielsen as they help you navigate the ins and outs of financial independence so that you can be financially fearless. They'll connect you with helpful resources and compelling stories from women all across the country. Whether it's buying a house, preparing for retirement, dealing with divorce, there won't be a single question off the table. Maggie is a partner and Barbara is the founder of Purse Strings, a two-part model that's all about providing women the tools and resources they need to help them learn and understand what they need to know to make good financial decisions. And they help connect women with attorneys, financial planners, realtors, and many other financial professionals who have the expertise and desire to serve the female market. Women & Money: The Shit We Don't Talk About can be your place for tools, resources, education and a place to ask the important questions on your mind (or even better, the - you know - you aren't talking about). Find out more about Purse Strings by visiting https://pursestrings.co/ and we can't wait to connect with you on the podcast!

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August 14, 2026Episode 15344 min

How to Spot Financial Abuse (And How to Get Out) with Joleen Fuller and Heather Wiese

Send us Fan MailWhen we think about abuse, we picture bruises and broken doors. But there is a form of abuse that leaves no marks, traps 99% of survivors, and follows women long after they have left. Almost no one is talking about it, and it might be the biggest reason so many women feel like they can't get out.In this episode we sit down with Joleen Fuller and Heather Wiese. Joleen has called Portland home for more than 20 years. A Lewis & Clark College graduate, she has built her career around supporting survivors of domestic violence and trauma serving as an advocate, volunteer, and program coordinator to help individuals find safety, stability, and empowerment. Joleen currently serves as Director of Programs at FinAbility, where she champions survivors and fights for those too often pushed to the margins. Heather has been in the role of Family Services Advocate for the Shelter Stability Program at Raphael House since September 2020. She currently provides one-one-one advocacy, facilitates multiple support groups, and provides educational workshops for DV survivors and training workshops for fellow advocates. With over 22 years of experience working with families experiencing homelessness, Heather has worked in a wide range of roles including case management, program management, development, volunteer management, crisis intervention, and housing. Her primary passion in her work is economic empowerment and how to navigate complicated emotions surrounding personal finances while building skills and confidence towards financial health. Why do 99 percent of domestic violence survivors experience financial abuse?Because financial control is one of the most effective tools of power and control. It is not a side effect of abuse. It is a strategy. Keeping her broke, in debt, and financially dependent is exactly how an abuser makes sure she cannot leave.What are the three forms of financial abuse?Financial exploitation is identity theft, coerced debt, and accounts opened in her name without permission. Financial control is withholding her ID, monitoring every transaction, and keeping her on an impossible allowance. Financial sabotage is destroying her credit, her rental history, her job, and manipulating child support and legal systems after she leaves.Does the financial abuse stop when she leaves?Often it gets worse. Retaliation is immediate. Accounts get drained, money moves offshore, property gets destroyed. Child support evasion by switching jobs every few months is financial abuse that continues for years. Safety planning is not one and done. It is ongoing.Why are survivors more afraid to look at their credit report than they were to leave their abuser?Because the credit report is concrete evidence of everything that was done to them. It is an on-paper reminder every time they try to move forward. And for many survivors, the credit report is also a safety risk because soft pulls from housing or credit applications show their new location to anyone who knows how to look.What can a survivor do right now if she does not know where to start?One call. The National Domestic Violence Hotline. You do not need a plan. You just need to ask what resources exist near you. That call leads to the next one. The My Plan app is there for anyone who is not ready to pick up the phone.What do you need people who are not survivors to understand right now?The safety net survivors rely on is being cut. Support your local domestic violence shelter. Volunteer, donate, show up. And say it out loud: I believe survivors. In this moment those three words matter more than most people realize.Wherever you are on your journey, you are not alone, and there is help. Join us for next week’s Money Talks, “Financial Recovery After Abuse: The Step-by-Step Path to Stability”. Leaving is just the beginning. For many survivors, the financial damage lasts years after the relationship ends. This session is about what comes next. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with Joleen & Heather:finability.org and raphaelhouse.comInstagram: @finabilityus and @raphaelhousepdx Want to take this conversation one step further? Join us for our next Money Talks, a free 30 minute live session where we’ll dig into a question we hear all the time from women business owners: Budgeting for Businesses to Offer Benefits. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with us!Website Facebook PageFacebook groupInstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTubeReddit ResourcesHave questions? Click this to check out our expert Q&A for tips from industry experts, tailored to help women address their most common financial concerns. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive financial tips delivered weekly here!...

August 7, 2026Episode 15238 min

Net Worth Is Not Self Worth with Elizabeth Husserl

Send us Fan MailYou can look successful on paper and still feel like it is never enough.In this episode, we have Elizabeth Husserl, a sought-out speaker, entrepreneur, registered investment advisor, mother and cofounder of Peak360, a boutique wealth planning ﬁrm. She expertly guides people to a deeper understanding of their relationship to money and wealth. But more than anything, she is a thought leader at the intersection of psychology and money. Her debut book, The Power of Enough: Finding Joy in Your Relationship with Money, is a paradigm- shifting exploration that invites readers to redefine success, loosen the emotional grip of traditional financial beliefs, and build a more joyful, self-aligned relationship with wealth.Why do so many women feel financially insecure even when the numbers look good on paper?Because we measure wealth mentally but experience it physically. We hit the metrics and the goalpost moves. The missing piece is learning to actually feel wealthy in your body, not just know it in your head.What is the wealth mandala and how do you use it?It is a circle with twelve human needs like health, connection, freedom, and purpose. You rate each one from one to ten and color it in. Then you look at your whole life like a flower and see where your time and resources actually need to go.What is the difference between money, wealth, and power?Money is a tool. Wealth is a state of wellbeing where your human needs are being met. Power is the agency to design your own life. None of them are the same thing and only one of them lives in your bank account.What is satiation and why does it matter more than gratitude?Gratitude is a heart experience. Satiation is a body experience. It is that feeling when a meal truly hits the spot. Elizabeth says we need to bring that same felt sense of enough into our financial lives, not just think it, feel it.How do you define enough when the world keeps telling you it is never enough?Start by feeling what enough actually feels like before you take it to a spreadsheet. Then do the math in five-year segments. And compound your moments of meaning the same way you compound interest.Join us for next week’s Money Talks, “Your Complete Financial Protection Plan: Estate, Insurance & Investments Simplified” Most women have one of the three dialed in. Fewer have all of them. We’re laying out exactly what you need to protect what you’ve built, grow it intentionally, and make sure it goes where you want it to go. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with Elizabeth:WebsitePeak360 Wealth ManagementInstagram LinkedIn Book: The Power of EnoughChatGPT tool “Conversations with Money”Want to take this conversation one step further? Join us for our next Money Talks, a free 30 minute live session where we’ll dig into a question we hear all the time from women business owners: Budgeting for Businesses to Offer Benefits. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with us!Website Facebook PageFacebook groupInstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTubeReddit ResourcesHave questions? Click this to check out our expert Q&A for tips from industry experts, tailored to help women address their most common financial concerns. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive financial tips delivered weekly here!...

July 31, 2026Episode 15149 min

What Widowhood Taught Me About Money, Loss, and Starting Over

Send us Fan MailGrief and money can't be separated. It's like a lava lamp, you cannot separate it out.Meet Kathi Balasek, the Founder of Grief-Ready Communication for Financial Professionals, Firms, and Leaders. She helps advisors and organizations build the communication skills needed to support clients through loss, transition, and life-altering moments to strengthening trust, retention, and long-term relationships in the process.In this episode, we sit down with Kathi for one of the most powerful conversations we have ever had on this show. We talk about the financial rules nobody tells widows, like the fact that remarrying before 60 means losing your late spouse's Social Security forever. We talk about why widows are rushed into decisions that don't need to be made that first year. And we talk about what to say and what to stop saying to the grieving people in your life.This one is for every woman who wants to be more financially prepared, more empathetically equipped, and more honest about the conversations we are all too afraid to start.Do not wait until you need this information to find it. Join us for our next Money Talks session, "The Financial Checklist Every Woman Needs Before Losing a Partner" Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with Kathi:Website InstagramLinkedIn Modern Widows ClubWings of WidowsWidow 411Want to take this conversation one step further? Join us for our next Money Talks, a free 30 minute live session where we’ll dig into a question we hear all the time from women business owners: Budgeting for Businesses to Offer Benefits. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with us!Website Facebook PageFacebook groupInstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTubeReddit ResourcesHave questions? Click this to check out our expert Q&A for tips from industry experts, tailored to help women address their most common financial concerns. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive financial tips delivered weekly here!...

July 24, 2026Episode 15043 min

How to Turn Your Passion into a Six Figure Side Hustle with Ashley Neidert

Send us Fan MailMost women start a side hustle to make a little extra money. Ashley Neidert started posting videos and built a six-figure business. She is here to tell you exactly how she did it and what nobody else is going to tell you before you start.Meet Ashley Neidert, full-time cat content creator, pediatric doctor of physical therapy, and the world's only pet content creator coach. Through her brand Petfluencer Secrets, she helps aspiring and growing pet creators turn their pages into real income through brand deals, YouTube, and scalable online revenue streams. Known for its honest, no fluff approach, Petfluencer Secrets focuses on strategy, storytelling, and sustainable growth, giving creators the tools and confidence to build a profitable pet brand without relying on viral moments.In this episode, we pull back the curtain on what it actually looks like to make real money as a pet content creator. This is not the highlight reel. This is the 4:00 AM Starbucks run, the algorithm shifts, the taxes nobody warned you about, and the real income timelines you need to hear before you start.You will walk away with a clear-eyed, no-fluff picture of the pet influencer world, plus practical steps to start building your own channel the right way.Want to start a side hustle? Join us for next week’s Money Talks “The Tax and Money Moves You Need to Make Now” Let’s talk about the financial side of actually running it. From estimated taxes to business structure to keeping your books right, we’re covering what every woman building a side income needs to know. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with Ashley:WebsiteInstagramYoutube Want to take this conversation one step further? Join us for our next Money Talks, a free 30 minute live session where we’ll dig into a question we hear all the time from women business owners: Budgeting for Businesses to Offer Benefits. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with us!Website Facebook PageFacebook groupInstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTubeReddit ResourcesHave questions? Click this to check out our expert Q&A for tips from industry experts, tailored to help women address their most common financial concerns. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive financial tips delivered weekly here!...

July 17, 2026Episode 14944 min

Empowering Women through smart Investing with Janine Firpo

Send us Fan Mail"I realized my money was actually invested in ways that were undermining me. It was invested in things that were creating the problems I was trying to solve."- Janine FirpoMeet Janine Firpo, co-founder of the nonprofit Invest for Better and author of Activate Your Money. With a 35-plus-year career that took her from coding in Silicon Valley in 1981 to fighting international poverty with technology, Janine's path has never been ordinary. After retiring eight years ago, she took her money back from her financial advisors, started figuring it out herself, and founded a movement. Today, she helps women step into their economic power, not just by investing more, but by investing with intention and in alignment with their values.In this episode, we sit down with Janine for one of the most eye-opening conversations we have ever had about women and money. This one goes deep. We are talking about what it really means to invest with your values, why most of us have no idea what our money is actually doing in the world, and how even small shifts can create a ripple effect that changes everything.You will walk away with practical, no-overwhelm steps to start aligning your money with your values today, even if you only have a bank account.Women are outperforming men in investing but we’re still less likely to start. If you’d like to take the next steps, Join us for next week’s Money Talks “Your Next Investment Move: A Step-by-Step Breakdown”. We’re getting into how to begin, what actually matters, and why the biggest risk is waiting too long. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with Janine:Invest For BetterOur Sheconomy InstagramLinkedIn Our Sheconomy on LinkedIn Activateyourmoney.net Want to take this conversation one step further? Join us for our next Money Talks, a free 30 minute live session where we’ll dig into a question we hear all the time from women business owners: Budgeting for Businesses to Offer Benefits. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with us!Website Facebook PageFacebook groupInstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTubeReddit ResourcesHave questions? Click this to check out our expert Q&A for tips from industry experts, tailored to help women address their most common financial concerns. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive financial tips delivered weekly here!...

July 10, 2026Episode 14839 min

Your Points May be Worth More Than You Think with Tiffany Funk

Send us Fan MailDo you have points sitting in an account right now that you have no idea what to do with? You signed up for the card, you spent the money, and somehow it still feels like not much of a value for you? Tiffany Funk is here to fix that.Tiffany Funk is the co-founder of Point Me, a platform built to make travel loyalty programs actually accessible to real people. She is a recognized expert in points, miles, and the financial systems that connect airlines, credit cards, and consumers and she has spent her career cutting through the noise so women can make smarter choices with the money they are already spending.WHAT WE COVER06:30 Why there are so few women in the miles and points space11:30 The mutual fund strategy for picking your everyday card16:00 The truth about first class upgrades and lounge access22:00 How many credit cards do you actually need?26:00 Business credit cards for women-owned businesses30:30 The one simple shift that doubles or triples your pointsTiffany left us with something worth sitting with: financial freedom is about having good choices available. This episode is your starting point. And if this topic is important to you, join us for next week’s Money Talks; “The Solo Traveler’s Money Guide: How to Budget for Adventure as a Woman”. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! This episode is supported by Meredith Schnepp, VTA, CCC, founder of Sunkissed Bliss Travel. Meredith designs deeply personal, seamless travel experiences for busy women, couples, and families who want beautifully executed trips without the time, stress, or guesswork of planning it themselves. Through carefully vetted global partners and high-touch, full-service planning, she makes sure every detail is handled so you can show up and actually enjoy your trip. If you're ready to invest in travel that feels as meaningful as it is memorable, book your complimentary consultation at www.sunkissedblisstravel.com and follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.Follow & connect with Tiffany:LinkedInWebsite InstagramWant to take this conversation one step further? Join us for our next Money Talks, a free 30 minute live session where we’ll dig into a question we hear all the time from women business owners: Budgeting for Businesses to Offer Benefits. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with us!Website Facebook PageFacebook groupInstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTubeReddit ResourcesHave questions? Click this to check out our expert Q&A for tips from industry experts, tailored to help women address their most common financial concerns. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive financial tips delivered weekly here!...

June 26, 2026Episode 14741 min

How to Reenter the Workforce After Divorce with SheQuip

Send us Fan MailYou have been out of the workforce for years, you are in the middle of a divorce, and someone just told you that you need to get a job. Where do you even start?This week we are sitting down with not one, not two, but three powerhouse women behind SheQuip, Pamela Lisle Smith, Carol Savvas, and Kate Rapier. SheQuip is a career reentry service built specifically for women coming out of divorce who need to get back into the workforce with confidence, strategy, and real support behind them. Together these three are doing something that is genuinely needed. They are taking women who feel broken, overwhelmed, and completely out of the loop and helping them see that the skills they have built while raising kids, managing households, running fundraisers, and navigating life are absolutely valuable in today's marketplace.In this episode we get into the real stuff. How to rebuild a resume when you have been out of the workforce for years. Why LinkedIn is non-negotiable right now and how to actually use it. The free certifications and courses that can refresh your skills fast. How to negotiate your job search support right into your divorce settlement. And the story of a woman who said she had done nothing, only to reveal she had organized a fundraiser for over 1,000 people.Carol's reminder is this: what if it is easier than you think? Start walking. Get those comfortable shoes on. The mountain in front of you might not be as steep as it looks. Join us for next week's Money Talks “What Happens to Your Mortgage When You Divorce?”. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! This episode is supported by Marguerita Cheng, CFP®, RICP®, CDFA®, CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth. Marguerita works with women navigating divorce to bring clarity, confidence, and control back into their financial lives. At Blue Ocean Global Wealth, the focus is on helping women understand their options, make informed decisions, and feel empowered about their financial future, especially during moments that feel uncertain or overwhelming. If you’re going through divorce and want support that’s clear, grounded, and centered on your long term wellbeing, you can learn more and connect with Marguerita at www.blueoceanglobalwealth.com and follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube.Disclosure:Securities offered by Registered Representatives and Advisory products and services offered by Investment Advisory Representatives through Private Client Services, member FINRA/SIPC, and a Registered Investment Advisor. Private Client Services and Blue Ocean Global Wealth are unaffiliated entities.Follow & connect with SheQuip:LinkedIn Website InstagramWant to take this conversation one step further? Join us for our next Money Talks, a free 30 minute live session where we’ll dig into a question we hear all the time from women business owners: Budgeting for Businesses to Offer Benefits. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with us!Website Facebook PageFacebook groupInstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTubeReddit ResourcesHave questions? Click this to check out our expert Q&A for tips from industry experts, tailored to help women address their most common financial concerns. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive financial tips delivered weekly here!...

June 19, 2026Episode 14648 min

The Childfree Financial Advantage More Women Are Choosing with Kristen Myers and Erika Abdelatif

Send us Fan MailWhether you have kids, don’t have kids, or are still figuring it out, the life you choose deserves a real financial plan behind it.This week we are sitting down with Erika and Kristen, the best-friend duo behind the DINKY Podcast. DINK stands for Dual Income, No Kids. These two have built a thriving community around what it actually looks like to choose this life on purpose. Erika comes from a background in social media and comedy and now runs her own freelance business while co-hosting the podcast full time. Kristen spent years in tech before making the bold move to relocate to Dublin, Ireland, where she is in business school part time, building a side business, and working on an invention she is genuinely excited about. The DINKY Podcast launched about four years ago, right as Roe v. Wade was overturned, and it has grown into a bold, funny, and politically engaged conversation about reproductive rights, financial freedom, chosen family, and the real cost of the life society tells us we should want.Erika and Kristen bring live poll data from thousands of women, real talk about what financial freedom actually feels like when you are building it on your own terms, and some of the most refreshingly honest takes on money, marriage, and end-of-life planning we have ever had on this show. From the $6,000 a month Seattle daycare reality check that started it all to why 77% of women said they still would not want kids even with more money, this one is packed. We also get into retiring as you go, bodily autonomy in a post-Roe world, chosen family, and why having a written end-of-life plan is not optional regardless of whether you have children.Erika and Kristen's reminder is this: the women who came before us did not get to choose. We do, and that is worth respecting with intentional decision making. Join us for next week's Money Talks “You Don’t Have to Have Kids to Build a Legacy”. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with Kristen Myers and Erika Abdelatif:Dinky Podcast - YouTubeAbout DinkyInstagramWant to take this conversation one step further? Join us for our next Money Talks, a free 30 minute live session where we’ll dig into a question we hear all the time from women business owners: Budgeting for Businesses to Offer Benefits. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with us!Website Facebook PageFacebook groupInstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTubeReddit ResourcesHave questions? Click this to check out our expert Q&A for tips from industry experts, tailored to help women address their most common financial concerns. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive financial tips delivered weekly here!...

June 12, 2026Episode 14550 min

Release the Emotions Driving Your Financial Decisions with Bari Tessler

Send us Fan MailThis week we're sitting down with Bari Tessler, a Financial Therapist and a pioneer in the Financial Therapy field. She has a Masters degree in Somatic Psychology from Naropa University, 1998. She then ran a bookkeeping business for therapists and artists. In 2001, she merged all her training and created a somatic-based Financial Therapy methodology that she has been teaching for 24 years. She is also the founder of The Art of Money, a financial therapy program and a Mentor Program for therapists, coaches and financial professionals.Bari breaks down why 90% of our money decisions are based on emotions, not logic, and what to actually do about it. She shares her signature Body Check-In tool, why couples fight about money even when everything else is great, and how to start having real money conversations with your partner without it turning into World War III at the kitchen table.Bari's reminder is that the way you were raised to think about money shapes every financial decision you make today. Join us for next week’s Money Talks, we’re digging into money stories, emotional patterns around spending and saving, and how to rewrite the ones that aren’t working for you. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with Bari Tessler:WebsiteInstagram LinkedIn Facebook Want to take this conversation one step further? Join us for our next Money Talks, a free 30 minute live session where we’ll dig into a question we hear all the time from women business owners: Budgeting for Businesses to Offer Benefits. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with us!Website Facebook PageFacebook groupInstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTubeReddit ResourcesHave questions? Click this to check out our expert Q&A for tips from industry experts, tailored to help women address their most common financial concerns. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive financial tips delivered weekly here!...

June 5, 2026Episode 14440 min

Intentional Travel in Uncertain Times with Brenna Girardi

Send us Fan MailTravel isn't spending. It's investing.This week, we're sitting down with Brenna Girardi, the Co Founder of Olivette Travel Design, a boutique luxury travel advisory specializing in bespoke journeys around the world. She designs tailored, high touch travel experiences for couples, families, and private groups, partnering with the world’s most respected hotels and trusted global experts to unlock exclusive access and seamless service. Brenna breaks down why now, more than ever, getting out of your bubble and experiencing other cultures is not a luxury. It's a necessity. She shares the real financial and emotional cost of DIY travel gone wrong (yes, we're talking Airbnb horror stories), why ChatGPT should never be your only travel planning tool, and what "memory dividends" actually mean for your life and your kids' lives.08:00 Traveling Smart in Uncertain Times10:00 Why You Need a Travel Advisor Right Now13:00 The ChatGPT Itinerary Problem15:00 Travel Is Intentional Investing16:00 Memory Dividends: The Book Die With Zero20:00 Common Money Mistakes Travelers Make22:00 Airbnb vs. Vetted HotelsBrenna's reminder is a good one: your health, your time, and the people you love aren't guaranteed forever. The best memory dividends start now. Traveling more in 2026? Join us for next week’s Money Talks “Traveling more in 2026? Here’s What You Need to Know About Your Taxes”. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! This episode is supported by Meredith Schnepp, VTA, CCC, founder of Sunkissed Bliss Travel. Meredith designs deeply personal, seamless travel experiences for busy women, couples, and families who want beautifully executed trips without the time, stress, or guesswork of planning it themselves. Through carefully vetted global partners and high-touch, full-service planning, she makes sure every detail is handled so you can show up and actually enjoy your trip. If you're ready to invest in travel that feels as meaningful as it is memorable, book your complimentary consultation at www.sunkissedblisstravel.com and follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.Follow & connect with Brenna:Website InstagramLinkedIn Want to take this conversation one step further? Join us for our next Money Talks, a free 30 minute live session where we’ll dig into a question we hear all the time from women business owners: Budgeting for Businesses to Offer Benefits. Click here to register for FREE and bring your questions! Follow & connect with us!Website Facebook PageFacebook groupInstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTubeReddit ResourcesHave questions? Click this to check out our expert Q&A for tips from industry experts, tailored to help women address their most common financial concerns. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive financial tips delivered weekly here!...