Financial Feminist

Traditional budgeting doesn’t work. In episode two of Financial Foundations, brought to you by State Farm, I'm showing you how to budget without hating your life. We'll reframe budgeting as a permission slip instead of a punishment. Budgeting doesn't mean you can’t ever have a latte, or buy organic, or even say no to a vacation. Creating a budget is as personal as your favorite band, which means that these one-size-fits-all solutions might be more the problem than you. Today we'll walk through my three-bucket budget, and find your three value categories: the parts of your life where spending brings you the most joy. Then we'll pull out the money diary from episode one and see whether your spending matches what you actually care about.

Catch-up on the Financial Foundations series:

Financial Foundations Episode 1: Your Money Blueprint: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/money-blueprint/

Save your seat in this 2-part workshop series that turns your “I wish I could quit my job” into a specific, actionable plan to get you out of your job in 90 days or less. Get access here: ⁠⁠⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠.

00:00 Intro

01:03 How to budget without hating your life

01:56 Refresher: the financial priority list

02:54 Why budgets fail like diets

03:23 Your budget is a gas gauge

04:50 Permission slip, not punishment

05:38 Why I hated every budget app

06:20 The three-bucket budget

07:51 Automate, automate, automate

08:44 Your three value categories

10:37 My coffee-as-a-walk confession

11:37 "Should" spending: museums, dinners, and bachelorette parties

12:51 Exercise: sort your money diary

14:09 Ask this at every checkout

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Save your seat in this 2-part workshop series that turns your “I wish I could quit my job” into a specific, actionable plan to get you out of your job in 90 days or less. Get access here: ⁠⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠⁠.

Today I'm sitting down with Natalie Ellis, mom, CEO, and founder of Boss Babe, and author of the New York Times bestseller The Freedom-Based Business Method. Natalie built a multimillion-dollar company and then realized she'd been running it on an aggressive growth playbook for a business she never planned to sell. We get into why burnout isn't a badge of honor, why the median follower count in Natalie's survey of six-figure-plus business owners will shock you, and the three boring things that actually make a business work. If you run a business, want to start one, or just keep buying courses hoping the next one fixes it, this is your episode.

Natalie’s Links:

Websites: https://www.bossbabe.com/ ; https://www.natalie-ellis.com/ Book: https://bookshop.org/a/90037/9781401997373

Mentioned during the show:

How to Reinvent Yourself (Without Losing Yourself) with Sophia Amoruso: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/reinventing-yourself-sophia-amoruso/

The Rise and Fall of the Girlboss: https://www.diabolicalliespod.com/p/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-girlboss

00:00 Intro

04:30 Is burnout the price of hustle? Energy-giving vs. energy-draining work

08:00 Why "more organization" isn't the fix: the three questions your business runs on

10:30 Big decisions vs. small ones, in business and personal finance

12:00 Natalie's Trojan horse course strategy

15:00 Tori's viral video and the 100,000 email subscribers

18:00 Building on land you own: why email beats followers

20:00 Shiny objects: new products, new platforms

26:00 One platform, one offer, and why you can't over-market a product

29:00 What to cut first: start with your data

31:00 Offer, funnel, traffic (build, borrow, or buy an audience)

34:00 Getting off the treadmill: executive retreats and "what do you want?"

37:00 Leaving easy money on the table

40:00 Seasons of sprint and giving yourself grace

44:00 Building for freedom when you're just getting started

47:00 The responsibility nobody posts about

52:00 The Boss Babe name, ten-plus years later

54:00 Hustle culture, soft life, and tradwife content

62:00 What successful women entrepreneurs know
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You told us Financial Foundations was your favorite series, so we brought it back. Presented by State Farm, these are short, actionable episodes, each one covering a single personal finance pillar and giving you one thing to go do. We're following along with my book, Financial Feminist, so if you have a copy, pull it out. In episode one, I'm walking you through your first money memory, the exact order to tackle your financial goals, and how to actually stay consistent with a monthly money date. If you've ever asked "Okay, but what do I do first with my money?", start here.

To find all of the resources mentioned in this episode including my free money quiz and my partner recommendation for your emergency fund), visit: ⁠⁠⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠.

00:00 Intro

01:03 Welcome to Financial Foundations

02:17 Your financial narrative and your first money memory

03:54 How your money memory shows up today

06:05 The financial order of operations

06:56 Why your emergency fund comes first

08:26 Priority two: high-interest debt

09:18 Priority three: investing for retirement and paying down low-interest debt

10:04 Priority four: saving for the big stuff

11:04 Staying consistent and the ostrich effect

12:37 Financial self-care and the money date

13:33 How to run your money date, step by step

15:15 Your homework: the money diary
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Today’s episode is so valuable, we decided to run it back. It's all about unlocking what I truly believe is the easiest money you will ever make — and yes, it’s as simple and lazy-girl-friendly as it sounds. I’m breaking down the one passive income strategy that requires zero extra hours, zero new skills, and absolutely zero stress: a high-yield savings account. If you’ve ever wished you could make money while taking a nap, running errands, or sipping a drink on the beach, this episode shows you exactly how to make your existing money work harder for you, without sacrificing your already-packed schedule.

Looking for a HYSA? We've done the research for you. See our partner recommendation (terms apply): https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod

00:00 Intro

01:14 The Problem with Checking Accounts

02:44 Why High-Yield Savings Accounts Matter

04:21 How to Set Up and Use a HYSA

08:44 The Power of Earning Interest

09:23 Using HYSA for Emergency Funds & Goals

10:22 Overcoming Myths & Fears

12:24 Making Money Passively

14:03 Is My Money Safe?

15:10 Final Thoughts & How to Get Started

Visit ⁠⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠⁠ to stay up to date and find any resources mentioned on our show!
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If you're carrying credit card balances and haven't looked into whether a lower-rate option is available, see if our debt-tool can help you: ⁠⁠⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠⁠.

What if the easiest business to start this year is one you could begin with a single DM? Justin Moore, sponsorship coach, founder of Creator Wizard, and author of Sponsor Magnet, has earned over $5 million in brand partnerships with his wife April, and spent seven years running an ad agency where he heard what brands say about creators behind closed doors.

We cover why building an audience may be the most AI-proof business you can start, why a tiny niche audience can out-earn a huge one, how to answer “what’s your rate?” without losing money, and the contract words that should make you run. If an extra couple thousand dollars a month would change your life, this episode shows you one way to get it.

Justin’s Links:

Website: https://www.sponsormagnet.com/

Also mentioned in this episode:

This Mistake Cost Me $500,000: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/my-500k-mistake/

Jasmine Star: How to Build a Business from Nothing: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/how-to-build-a-business-from-nothing/

00:00 Intro

01:18 Why building an audience is the most AI-proof business

03:03 You don’t have to be an “influencer” to do this

08:29 Side hustling the 5-to-9

11:05 What you actually need to start (one person)

14:37 Why Justin started calling out the gatekeepers

17:03 What running an ad agency taught him about how brands pay

19:37 Who undercharges most

24:55 How to answer “what’s your rate?”

29:10 Justin’s 8-step partnership system

38:53 Contract red flags: perpetuity, exclusivity, out clauses

43:46 Why Justin says don’t hire a manager

48:47 My half-million-dollar agency mistake

53:32 The $1 million math on a 20% cut

54:24 Rapid fire: free product, worst pitches, follower myths

58:37 One thing every creator should do today
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