Smart Women Invest

On today’s episode of the $mart Women Invest podcast, we are discussing the importance of spending plans. When we choose to use this term instead of ‘budgets,’ we feel less constrained and create more positive emotion towards spending money. Tune in to today’s episode to learn how to start saving in a way that feels empowering, not limiting!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Investing isn’t for the weak-willed. To divert money from your wallet to an investment fund takes a specific type of person. You have to acknowledge that it’s a risk without letting the unknown run your life. This is the tricky balancing act that separates the good investor from the bad one. On today’s episode of the $mart Women Invest podcast, we are discussing why women make better investors. It’s no secret that a women are able to process more information than men, so when it comes to investing—we see how this fundamental difference can be advantageous to one side of the gender side. Tune in to today’s episode to hear why women make better investors, so you can lean into your strengths next time you choose to make an investment.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We vote with our dollar. And the more something costs, the less voice we have in our wallet for our next purchase. That is why it’s important to be a mindful consumer. By understanding the economics behind our purchasing decisions, we can push for a better future. That’s why today, on the $mart Women Invest podcast, we are discussing the pink tax. This phenomenon is when women are forced to pay more than men for the same product. Razors, toys, and lotion are just a few examples of SKUs that when put under a microscope—we see the inherent gender discrimination. Tune in to today’s episode to hear the research, so you can more thoughtfully browse the aisles next time you’re at the store.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s okay to pursue money. But as we work diligently at our jobs and side hustles, we can fall into the tunnel vision of solely caring about our paychecks. We look around and see our peers making more than us, so we start to work harder and harder. This is the trap, and if we don’t defend against this—we lose our ability to motivate ourselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The end of the year is approaching. As we plan our parties and festivities for this holiday season, we are putting that final stamp on the spending in 2018. Come April, we will look at these expenses, our pay stubs, and our investments, and pay the necessary taxes on them.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Giving gifts is difficult. You have to find something the person would want, while keeping the price under an appropriate budget. For the novice buyer, this task can send you into a rabbit hole of Google searches and blog reading.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tempting food is everywhere. From our office snack rooms to our kitchen cabinets, the chips and candy is ever-present. We go about our days, wanting to perform our best, but can we really expect that with so many temptations nearby?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We sit at desks all day. And if we’re not exercising, our backs may start to hurt. Pretty soon we’re at the doctor, and an MRI is recommended, or maybe physical therapy. This is when we pull from the HSA, that tax-deductible fund we’ve been contributing to while being employed.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We swipe our cards everywhere. Starbucks, the grocery store, online shopping—no matter what the expense is, our credit card is the go-to. While we may not think twice about the repercussions of this instinct, studies show that our spending actually doubles when we swipe versus spend in cash.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Entrepreneurship is not romantic. If you find a hole in the marketplace, and create a product or service that fills that void, chances are you will most likely succeed. This recipe is no secret, yet most of us get lost in creative dreamland when imagining the company of our dreams. That’s why it’s so important to distill your mission down to a customer demographic and align that with a product or service.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s easy to swipe a credit card. On our way to work, we pass Starbucks, and think—why wouldn’t I hand over this piece of plastic to get a mocha latte? Over time, however, this adds up and we’ve gathered thousands of dollars in expenditures by making these decisions. This is the dilemma of having a credit card.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Saving money is easier said than done. And saving smartly is even more difficult. When we get our paychecks, knowing where to put our savings can quickly become overwhelming. 401(k), stocks, mutual funds—the list goes on and on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Couple time should be couple time. When we find ourselves with a significant other, the focus should be to enjoy each other’s company and have fun. The challenge is that most activities that promote this cost money.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anyone can start a business. But how many entrepreneurs build something that ends up getting acquired? When your business model is fruitful enough to solicit the attention of another company, you have built something special. Acquisition does not mean selling out. Rather, it is a stamp of quality on the business model that the entrepreneur has created. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Studies show the gender wage gap more than doubles after a woman has her first child. But we as a society don’t think twice about it. After maternity leave, women return to their office to find a different company culture. Whatever ladder they were climbing has suddenly shifted, and their path upwards has redirected to somewhere new.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all know the challenge of networking. But in male-dominated industries, it’s much more difficult. Last year, less than 3% of venture capital in the United States was raised by women. In Silicon Valley, men meet with men to fund male-led applications, which makes being a woman trying to break into these circles especially challenging.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we revisit a popular episode from earlier this season where we spoke with Jean Kristensen on how to launch a business.  From clothing companies to financial management services, lifestyle brands to creative agencies, the spirit of entrepreneurship is everywhere in the Big Apple. If you don’t have your own LLC, then you can bet the person standing next to you on the subway does.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Style isn’t something that comes easy. Our office dress code sets guidelines that if we follow too closely, we run the risk of not sticking out. But if we try to stick out, we run the risk of being looked at as a rebel. Threading this needle, in all walks of life, is a tricky balancing act that requires outside opinion.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nothing is more taboo than sex, right? Wrong. If you're like me, sitting at these brunches with your girlfriends taking note of what subjects get get covered and which get brushed over, you might be realizing the same thing I am: that money is more taboo than sex.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can’t predict the future, but you can certainly create it. The societies that are doing such are the same ones that don’t have a past. Here in the United States, we are bogged down by our rich history, stuck in archaic systems that don’t harness the technology of today. Meanwhile, communities like Dubai are able to launch into utopian visions because of their lack of history.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices