My biggest teacher was my mom's checkbook. At 15, I was balancing her checkbook in our tiny Beverly Hills apartment. Watching her fall for "buy now, pay later" schemes. Seeing the stress she tried to hide. She never sat me down and said, "Let me teach you about money." But she taught me everything. I learned that credit cards aren't free money. I learned that pretending to be fine doesn't make the bills disappear. I learned that financial independence wasn't optional—it was s

Patio at Beverly Hills High School (1998) Life Yearbook signing. Harsh? Maybe. But hear me out. I recently read 𝘐'𝘮 𝘎𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘺 𝘔𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘪𝘦𝘥 by Jennette McCurdy — a raw, honest look at trauma, control, and silence behind closed doors. It made me reflect on my own uncomfortable truth. The custody battles. The power struggles. The courts. Unlike Jennette, I fought back — a lot — with my single mom. Where did that independence come from? At a young age, my mom gave me sma

What I’d Tell My 23-Year-Old Self About Money — and Climbing Mountains Greetings from Zermatt. The last time I stood here, I was in college. Same mountains. Same views. Completely different lens. Back then, I thought success was about earning altitude fast. Wall Street. Long hours. Steep climbs. No looking down. What I didn’t understand yet: Work isn’t just about earning — it’s about training for the next ascent. Here’s what the mountain (and money) taught me over 30 years: ⸻

Homecoming ( guys dress up as cheerleaders, cheerleaders dress up as football players.) Not rich in money. Rich in perspective. We lived in a crappy apartment in Beverly Hills.  Just so my mom could feel rich.  Just so I could go to Beverly Hills 90210  While classmates drove BMWs, I walked to school.  At 15, I was balancing my mom's checkbook,  watching her fall for "buy now, pay later" scheme.  That Circuit City TV? $19 a month for 5 years on a $700 purchase. While I didn’t

(Photo: Henry noticed where my attention was and took one of my 6 CFP books I was reading to pass my Certified Financial Planning exam. ;-)  Greenwich → Houston → Atlanta. Each move for Rich's career meant starting over.  New city, new schools, zero network. But the real kicker came when Morgan Stanley held Rich's stock plan. As a "courtesy," they assigned us a financial advisor. When Rich kept dodging the guy's calls, he finally said, "Just talk to my wife." I was between ca

In front of Ben Franklin Alexandra recently asked me: “I just don’t know what I need to know about the stock market for my interviews.” My instinct? “I can talk to you about the market!” I was so eager to help—finally a chance to show off decades of experience. She replies, “I already know what an LBO is and what multiples are…” And she does. But that’s not real money education—and she definitely wasn’t asking for a lecture on what drives stock prices. And then it hit me. The

My mom's failure in life was the biggest gift to me. Rich and I were out in California visiting parents—his in San Diego, my mom up north (I also went to the Big Game).  Sitting with my mom on Sunday, watching her struggle with disorganized bills all over the place, I realized something: We don't want to end up like our parents. Harsh? Maybe. But here's what I mean. At 15, I was balancing my mom's checkbook.  Learning indirectly, how compound interest worked, quietly observin

Why starting at 48 was my biggest advantage—not my setback. When people learn I launched Wealth Engagement at 48, they always ask the same question: “How did you think about taking the jump?” But that question misses the point. At 48, I wasn't taking a big risk. I was starting with: - 25 years of Wall Street wisdom - A Rolodex built through real relationships - And most importantly, clarity about what actually matters Here’s what nobody tells you about “late” starts: - You de

The world is constantly giving you feedback. Most of us just don’t slow down long enough to listen. A few weeks ago in Nashville, I put my whole life on hold for Caroline’s audition. And the experience taught me more about lanes, identity, and money than I expected. The Moment Everything Got Quiet The producers kept asking her:  “Are you country?  Are you pop?  What’s your style?” Caroline said the truth — she likes to sing everything and she appreciates all kinds of music. B

Home Coming After months of chasing goals, I had to admit to a friend —I didn’t hit my business target. Not because I wasn’t working, but because I was building my third act. At first, I thought the next chapter was writing another book. But that lesson took a while to set in —I learned I’d need a large social media audience to make it matter.  I don’t have that (yet). 2025 Spring break brought reflection. Then trade wars hit in April. My analyst brain kicked back in—position

Caroline at 6 years old On Sat., Feb. 8th, 2014, I gave up my weekend morning to attend a parent education seminar at my daughter’s school — which, honestly, was the last thing I wanted to do with my time.  But I went because I was desperately searching for what was missing in my life. The topic was “organizational health” — not for companies, but for families. Married with three kids, living in Houston, my husband’s career was taking off, but I felt stuck. I didn’t believe i

Driving Caroline to the airport on Saturday morning,  I confessed, I sometimes sound/look like my mom or  I know I try to control Caroline the way my dad used to try to control me  — a family trait I'm trying to let go.  She listened closely.  I reminded her that, whether we like it or not, we inevitably become our parents in some ways. And I'm trying hard to be self-aware and notice the pattern. What was cool was that she was actually listening instead of tuning me out.  Mea

boat to Martha's Vineyard (2019) Six years ago — summer of 2019 — we were having dinner with close friends from Houston on Martha’s...

photo is me trying to look tough with my mouse like Trinity from The Matrix Working at my desk, building a financial model, I slipped...

Fearless Girl When I worked at a hedge fund, pitching investment ideas to my boss was an adrenaline rush. I’d research a company, prepare...

The Exchange My mom was so proud. About 40 years ago, she dragged me to Circuit City to buy a new TV. “It was only $19 a month!” she...

Two days ago marked 20 years of marriage.  Marriage is tough, and raising kids is even tougher.  Add in multiple moves for my husband...

Lately, it feels like chaos is everywhere. Trade cases. Court appeals. Volatile markets. Wacky job reports. High inflation. High interest...

Standing next to the Bull on Wall Street, I couldn’t help but think:  Every bubble looks different in the moment—but the story is always...

Block Island Five years ago, I started my own firm—and recently reached a big milestone: becoming SEC-registered.  That moment made me...