Synopsis
Brown Ambition is a weekly podcast about juggling life, career, and building wealth on your own terms. Your hosts are Mandi Woodruff, executive editor of MagnifyMoney.com and former personal finance reporter for Yahoo Finance, and Tiffany "The Budgetnista" Aliche, an award-winning financial educator and best-selling author of "The One-Week Budget."
Episodes
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2020 Rewind: Minority Mindset
06/01/2021 Duration: 01h05minThis week we're bringing you a re-broadcast of our interview with Jaspreet Singh of The Minority Mindset YouTube channel. Like Tiffany, Jaspreet’s story started with him falling victim to a scam (19:27). But he didn’t let that stop him and he’s now built The Minority Mindset into a YouTube channel with over 650,000 subscribers, a popular newsletter, and more.This conversation was another highlight of our year, and we're excited to share it with you again. Keep an eye out soon for new episodes. Be well, and happy new year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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2020 Rewind: Our Rich Journey
30/12/2020 Duration: 01h10minWe almost made it to the end of 2020. We're done making episodes for the year, but we wanted to replay this super fun, informative and important interview with Christina and Amon from Our Rich Journey. They achieved financial independence in 8 years, and they're shared some of their secrets with us. This was one of the highlights of our year, and its definitely worth a look back. Stay happy and healthy, we'll see you in 2021! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep 248 - Goodbye 2020!
23/12/2020 Duration: 01h02minLast chance y'all! Head over to the Brown Ambition merch store and use coupon code HOHOHO to get 25% off!----------------------Happy BA Wednesday y'all. It's our last episode of 2020! We're taking a look back at 2020 and talking about the good things that happened for us this year. We're also taking a look forward at 2021 and talking about what we're trying to do next year. Last but certainly not least, we're getting a new stimulus bill (2:45) soon, and we'll be telling you what is (and isn't in there).And because it's our favorite thing, we're still answering your questions this week! (35:43) I’m very unhappy in my current job. I have some money in savings and some in a 401k. Should I put my health first and quit my job now? Or should I wait until I secure something else? (41:48) I recently got a new job and lost all the sick time I had saved up. I want to start a family with my partner. I want to spend as much time with my new baby as possible. Should I spend the 6 months expenses I have saved to do that, o
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Ep 247 - How Can I Pay Off Debt on a Fixed Income?
16/12/2020 Duration: 01h01minOur self care journeys continue. Sometimes self care is more than a massage or your favorite cocktail. Sometimes it's therapy. Sometimes it's sitting in your car by yourself with your favorite drink. Whatever it means for you, we hope you're taking good care of yourself. The end of the pandemic is in sight, but we still have to get through the holidays and the first part of next year. It's still going to be hard, and you still deserve to be okay. In the meantime, we're going to keep bringing you money and career advice. There are some great questions this week like: (26:56) How can I pay off 20k in debt on a fixed income? (34:13) I’m 25 and I’m graduating with 2 masters degree. I received a job offer, but I’m afraid I might’ve asked for too little money. I had a great interview for a promotion with my current employer, and that might offer more money. I’m stressed out over what to do! As you finish up your holiday shopping, don't forget: You can save 25% at our merch store by using the coupon code HOHOHO. Goo
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Ep 246 - A New Season of Self Care
09/12/2020 Duration: 52minIt's the holiday season, but its the season for other things too. It's always a good time to look at the things in our lives that seem little (that achey-but-not-too-bad arm?) but might turn into something big. Why not take care of it before it gets out of control? Whether its your money or some other thing in life, you're worth it. It's time to start acting like it!We got some great questions from you this week: (23:44) - How do I get better odds of getting a balance transfer credit card that will cover the full amount of my debt? (28:23) - I have 40,000 dollars in savings and I’m not sure what to do with it. Is there a better place than my savings account? Don't forget the whole month of December you can get a 25% discount at our merch store with coupon code HOHOHO!Check out the links below for more reading:The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone's Mind by Jonah BergerContagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah BergerFSA StoreThe Noodle BudgetMagnify Money's List of the Best High Yield Savings AccountsWhat is Clubh
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Ep 245 - Is It Time to Invest My Extra Savings?
02/12/2020 Duration: 52minHOHOHO the gift giving season is upon us! And for the Brown Ambition fan in your life (including you!) we're offering a 25% across our merch store at brownambitionstore.com. Use promo code HOHOHO to get your discount!_______________________________We made it past Thanksgiving! We got our Zoom on and did what we could to spend time with our families and stay safe. We're trying to finish this holiday season safe and get ready for this vaccine that will hopefully be coming soon. In the meantime we're so excited to hear that a lot of you are taking charge of your mental health by reaching out to our friend Stephanie over at NaviPsych (not a sponsor, we just love her) or otherwise getting into therapy, and we want to send our love to all of you. Wishing you the happiest of holiday seasons!We've got some great questions this week like: (21:20) - I have 10k saved for my wedding, but I don’t think we’ll get married for awhile, where should I store this money? (28:50) - Neither of my parents have life insurance or hea
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Ep 244 - How Can I Avoid Being The Victim of a Racist Appraiser?
25/11/2020 Duration: 49minAnd just like that it's time for all the holidays! We've got Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, and even birthday celebrations to plan. Like everything else this year, Covid is making it way too complicated (seems like there are vaccines on the way though! (9:35). We're making it work thought like we ALWAYS do. So whatever you're doing this season, please stay happy, safe, and spend some time with people you love. Safely!We've got some great questions from you all this week like: (19:50) How can I make sure I’m not the victim of a racist appraiser? (28:11) What’s your perspective on taking some money out of a savings account and putting it towards stocks or an ETF? (30:47) I have $1,000 left on my car note, I have a o% interest credit card balance transfer at $10,000, and $6,000 on a high interest credit card. I’ve been focusing more on paying down debt during the pandemic. My car loan will be paid off in December and I’m wondering how best to allocate those funds. Should I pay down more debt or save
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Ep 243 - Can I Save When It Doesn't Seem Like There's Enough?
18/11/2020 Duration: 45minWe're still out of breath from the election, but we are breathing a little easier. But Covid-19 is on the rise again and the holidays are coming up. It's going to be a hard year for family gatherings (or lack thereof). We hope you stay safe and give yourself some time off if you can. But we still need to find time to celebrate the good things. And one super good thing we can celebrate is Tiff released the cover for her book, Get Good With Money (2:15)! The book is coming in March 2021. But in the meantime you take the financial wholeness quiz to see how close you are to being financially whole. We've got some great questions for you this week like: (25:00) I’m just having a lot of trouble saving money. Is it actually possible for me to save money when there just doesn’t seem to be enough? (31:20) I own a home that’s in need of a LOT of work. I took a home equity loan for the repairs. I haven’t spent the money yet because of the pandemic. Should I hold onto that money or go ahead with the repairs? Check out th
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Ep 242 - Black Magic Everywhere
11/11/2020 Duration: 01h15minIt's over! And we're breathing, at least a little. We made it y'all. It's been along four years, but Black folks (Black women specifically) pulled through and helped take this thing over the top for us. We hope wherever you are, you're able to relax and release some tension. But work is NOT over! There are two really important runoff elections happening in Georgia (16:20). These elections will help determine control of the Senate, and that could make a HUGE difference for what the next two years (at least) look like. Here's a great article describing how you can help even if you don't live in Georgia. Let's WORK.And we've got some great questions from you guys this week too: (38:54) I’ve got 40k in the stock market, should I pull some of that money out for a down payment on a house? (46:28) Yesterday I was fired from my new job. I experienced so much hate from the white women in the office, I think because of the election. Do you know anywhere I can go work and feel safe as a black woman? For further reading,
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Ep 241 - Trouble Don't Last Always
04/11/2020 Duration: 52minElection day is over. All that's left is for us to send some love to our future selves and hope things haven't gotten too wild. We're trying to focus on what's good. Like the fact that 115 BIPOC women are running for election this year! (8:47). And at least we know where people stand. It's no longer impolite to talk politics, and honestly we're here for that. Regardless of what happens in the election, let's take a minute to breathe, then get ready to get back to work. Because there's much more to do.In the meantime, we're here to answer your money questions! This week we'll talk about: (20:57) I have about $4,300 of credit card debt between two cards with high interest. Is it a good idea to get a personal loan with a lower interest rate to consolidate that debt? (26:20) - I own 4 timeshares, but now I realize they’re a waste of money. Do you have any good advice for how I can get out of them? To learn more, check out these links:Options To Get Out of Your TimeshareThe Master InvestorFarnooshGreenwood BankMag
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Ep 240 - Put Your Money Mask On
28/10/2020 Duration: 01h16minThe Election is coming up y'all (and no we're not going to stop talking about it). Do you have a plan to vote? Do you have a plan B? Check out iwillvote.com to make sure you're registered, find ballot drop off locations, and get all the voting information you need. Let's DO this.And not to flex, but Tiff was on Good Morning America last week (1:00:38). Its a great segment where she gets to share her story, some basic budgeting tips, and celebrate the HUGE positive impact she's had for Black and Brown women all over the country. Check it out here.The questions we cover this week are pretty great too. We'll cover: (32:36) - what’s the best retirement account for someone who’s only a few years away from retirement? (41:20) - Because of covid, I’ve gotten generous refunds on stipends from my school, what should I do with this extra money sitting in my savings? To read and learn more, check out the links below:The Noodle BudgetRoth IRAsHigher Heights Leadership Fund Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastc
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Ep 239 - Ownership = Wealth
21/10/2020 Duration: 53minBefore we begin this week, we need to have word about knowing what you're worth. Its Covid and times are tough, but some people (big companies) are acting wild trying to take advantage of people. Also you'll remember awhile back, a listener wrote in asking about draining her 401k to pay off her debt. The BA fam cam through and someone offered to buy a grocery card for her (25:40). Y'all are amazing. Then it's on to your questions. This week we've got: (28:22) I’m shopping for a home, I’m trying to decide if I should take on a renovation project. How do you find a good Reno team that will do a good job and not take advantage of you? (38:12) Is a 529 plan a good way to save for college for my 2 year old granddaughter? (read more about 529's here) Don’t forget about our new merch store. Use the promo code BROWNAMBITION15 to get 15% off your BA swag at https://brownambitionstore.com/And please support our sponsors:http://rothys.com/brownambitionhttp://betterhelp.com/brownambition – Special offer for Brown Ambitio
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Is it Time to Get a Financial Advisor?
14/10/2020 Duration: 48minElection time is approaching (and we're not going to shut up about it)! Are you registered? Do you have a plan? Do you have a plan B? Let's DO THIS. If there was a time to be extra, that time is now. Talk to your family and friends and do everything you can so we might be able to breathe some sigh of relief in a month or so.Aaaaaaanyway...We're back to answer your questions this week, and we got some juicy ones like: (19:00) My husband are looking to be first time homebuyers and we have some different ideas about how to get educated, is there a such thing as a home buying adviser? (27:40) My husband wants to invest our emergency fund, but I want to keep it liquid, what's the best thing to do? Also check out this essay that mentions Brown Ambition!And don’t forget about our new merch store. Use the promo code BROWNAMBITION15 to get 15% off your BA swag at https://brownambitionstore.com/And please support our sponsors:http://rothys.com/brownambitionhttp://betterhelp.com/brownambition – Special offer for Brown A
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Ep 237 - The Devil Has No New Tricks
07/10/2020 Duration: 52minThe rona invades The White House, Mandi's getting relatives to vote, and Miss Mali More's getting animated! We're doing what we can to smile right now because LORDT.And we're back to answering your money questions and we got some big ones this week... (26:50) I've never bought stock before and my employer is offering an employee discount on their stock. Should I buy some and how much? (34:22) I've got a lot of debt, some money in savings, and some money in a 401k. Does it make sense to just wipe out my debt now? And don’t forget about our new merch store. Use the promo code BROWNAMBITION15 to get 15% off your BA swag at https://brownambitionstore.com/Shout out to our wonderful sponsors:http://rothys.com/brownambitionhttp://betterhelp.com/brownambition – Special offer for Brown Ambition listeners, get 10% off your first monthhttp://fiverr.com – Receive 10% off your first order by using our code BrownAmbitionCheck out the links below for more resources:Mali MoreEmployee Stock Purchase PlansThe Noodle BudgetMagn
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Ep 236 - We Asked The Money Coach
30/09/2020 Duration: 01h07minThis week we're back with another interview. We got to talk with Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach. She is a personal finance expert, speaker, and author of 15 money-management books, including the New York Times bestseller Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom.We talked to her about how she's slowly building her real estate empire. You'll hear: Buying a property with a recourse mortgage (37:25) What it's like to manage the paperwork and logistics when you have multiple tenants in the same property? (40:16) Staying diversified, how to think about investments like stocks versus real estate (49:07) The link between age and risk tolerance (59:17) We love Lynnette so much and we were honored to have her back on the show!And don't forget about our new merch store. Use the promo code BROWNAMBITION15 to get 15% off your BA swag at https://brownambitionstore.com/Shout out to our wonderful sponsors:http://rothys.com/brownambitionhttp://betterhelp.com/brownambition – Special offer for Brown Ambition l
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Ep 235 - Day One, or One Day?
23/09/2020 Duration: 57minHey, Hey, Hey — WE HAVE A MERCH STORE. Get your BA swag at last here: https://brownambitionstore.com/To score 15% off your order, use the promo code BROWNAMBITION15--On today's show, the 2020 hits keep on coming. We're all grieving the death of the Notorious RBG — Ruth Bader Ginsburg.No one knows for sure what this this means for the future, but we do know that we need y'all to VOTE. Make sure you're registered, make a plan, and ask your friends to do the same. Presidential elections matter, but your local elections do too. Get informed and do the thing! Here's how.We've done some amazing interviews these last few weeks. But this week we're back to answering your questions. Just remember, we're your financial girlfriends, not your gurus. (20:30) Interest is super low on savings right now, should I take some of my savings out of the bank and put it into investments? (27:10) Should I have a Pre Tax 401k, or a Roth 401k? Is it a good idea to have both? (31:30) I'm 41 years old and I've never invested, where shou
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Ep 234 - 5 Years of Brown Ambition! (Plus Coronavirus Coping Strategies w/ Mental Health Expert Dr. Imani Walker)
16/09/2020 Duration: 01h13minHappy 5th anniversary to us...and all of you! We couldn't do this show without you, and we are so proud of this body of work. Whether you've been here say day 1 or you just subscribed this week, we are so grateful for your support.Today, we are walking down memory lane and chatting about some of our iconic episodes (Mouse in the House, anyone?!).Then, we're joined by a VERY special guest — Dr. Imani Walker from Bravo's Married to Medicine. She's here to give us some SOLID tips for staying sane during this quarantine, since it doesn't look like we'll be getting out any time soon. We're going to talk about: What is doomscrolling, and why should you stop? (39:20) What's the connection between the toilet paper shortage and anti-maskers? (41:40) What are the things we can do to bring back a sense of normalcy and control in our lives? (45:38) How do we learn to give ourselves a break? (51:15) The value of Black folks talking so openly about therapy (1:01:39) Why do we love our destructive habits so much? (1:06:45)
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Ep 233 - Do You Have a Minority Mindset?
09/09/2020 Duration: 01h04minWe're thrilled to bring you another interview this week! We're joined by Jaspreet Singh of The Minority Mindset. Like Tiffany, Jaspreet's story started with him falling victim to a scam (19:27). But he didn't let that stop him and he's now built The Minority Mindset into a YouTube channel with over 650,000 subscribers, a popular newsletter, and more. Jaspreet has SO much wisdom to share, and we're all so lucky to learn from him this week. We'll talk about: What does it mean to have a "minority mindset" (its not what you might think) (11:52) What actually is passive income, and where can we start? (31:20) What's a stock dividend? (35:24) What's the right mindset for getting into the stock market? (37:29) And where does Jaspreet go to get educated? (40:22) We have more exciting interviews coming up over the next weeks and months, we can't wait to share them with you! In the meantime, send your questions to brownambitionpodcast@gmail.com or hit us up on Instagram @brownambitionpodcastFurther reading/resources:Se
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Ep 232 - They Don't Want Us To Know This
02/09/2020 Duration: 01h12minMandi's building a she shed (2:38), we honor the life of our King T'Challa (6:34), and Tiffany has an update on her home appraisal fiasco (28:43). At it's core, our goal with this show is to give y'all knowledge to empower yourselves. This is stuff lots of powerful people have a vested interest in us not knowing. The revolution is to play their game and play it for YOURSELF (26:45).And the questions we're answering this week focus on podcasting! We feel like we've done pretty okay at the whole podcasting thing, so we thought we'd answer some questions from folks about how our podcast is made and how other people might go about making one of their own. (42:55) - How do you get your podcast on Apple Podcasts? Libsyn - for podcast hosting iTunes Connect - for getting your show on Apple Podcasts (45:35) - how much of your conversation gets edited out of your podcast? (49:30) - how much of a time commitment is your show? (50:18) - how long does it take to edit your show? (52:42) - how much did you pay to start y
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Ep 231 - Sandy Smith Earned $60k in a Month from Her Side Hustle — Now She's On a Mission To Educate Side Hustlepreneurs Like Herself
26/08/2020 Duration: 01h01minSandy Smith is the undisputed queen of side hustles. This week she gives us everything we need to know and then some about how to get started on a side hustle to get out of debt and save for your future.She runs the website https://yesiamcheap.com/, a personal finance blog dedicated to helping you live your best financial life. She's also the founder of Elevate, a conference aimed at helping Black and Brown folks live better financial lives.There are so many amazing insights in this episode, everything from Amazon, to drop shipping, to figuring out which products to sell. After you're done listening, go to yesiamcheap.com and start reading from top to bottom. Start with this article about side hustles to boost your income during quarantine and beyond.Further reading:A comparison of ETFs and Mutual FundsThe Hustle CrewAs always, reach out with your questions to brownambitionpodcast@gmail.com or hit us up on Instagram @brownambitionpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee