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

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

We’re not rushing off on an exhausting European vacation where I end up playing Julie the Cruise Director, trying to keep everyone...

My high school year book title ;-) I used to walk from my mom's crappy apartment to Beverly Hills High School and pass by the tiny stucco...

Lessons on Self-Awareness, Investing, and Owning Your Career Didn’t think I could talk for two full 75-minute sessions with students at ...

On a recent trip to visit Nashville, it was the first time my daughter and I took a trip just the two of us. Caroline loved Vanderbilt...

I love March.  Spring is coming, and the weather is getting a little warmer. I grow to miss the cold winter days of my runs because I...

During our recent family trip to Paris, I found myself reflecting deeply on the creative process of Picasso.  To understand his...

The secret to getting what you want.

Over Fall break, we attended a beautiful wedding, visited a college in Connecticut, and, of course, spent some time in New York City....

I remember when I was an analyst at a hedge fund.  One day, a company I invested in got acquired, and I made a 30% return in a single...

As we move our kids into their dorms this August, my Instagram and Facebook feeds are filled with images of well-decorated dorms and the...

I’ve been fighting with my daughter to study more for the ACT.  I would like her to take it one and done in September so she doesn’t have...

This week in Paris has taught me the power of being present and how inspiration can flow from simply engaging with our surroundings and...

I noticed as I was teaching my daughter how to drive, she ignores me. She tunes me out. It's really frustrating. I think she would rather...

A few weeks ago, we went to our good friend's house. I sat at their kitchen counter and asked the couple, “Do you all know my mom wrote...

The best lesson I learned about life and money was from my dad. I grew up being very budget-conscious, I always saved part of my weekly...

When I was young in my career, I was a people-pleaser. Some girls are sometimes conditioned to do this. Mine comes from needing...

One evening, while walking the dog with my son Henry. He was pressing me hard about earning money this summer. He can build spreadsheets...

Growing up in Beverly Hills, my friends' moms were divorced like my mom. And like my mom, they were always trying to get more money from...