Get Ready: Before Life Happens Podcast

Tony Steuer

Get Ready: Before Life Happens brings together diverse voices, guides, and changemakers from around the world who are helping people and professionals navigate life’s what-ifs with clarity, integrity and confidence.  Hosted by Financial Readiness Advocate Tony Steuer, the show explores the insights, stories, and tools that strengthen financial readiness and reshape how we think about money, life, aging, caregiving, resilience, and purpose. Want more? Join The Get Ready Movement at www.tonysteuer.com [CLAIM:D51LCAQS]

  1. 2D AGO

    Your Money Has Feelings: Why You Need to Align Money and Mindset

    Send us a text On this episode of The Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast, I spoke with Shannon Ryan, Financial Literacy Advocate and author of Your Money Has Feelings about how to bridge mindset and money and aligning your money with your values. 💡 Key Takeaways: 🔹 Money has no feelings, it’s just paper, however our relationship to money has feelings  🔹 Align your financial choices with what truly matters to you  🔹 Life is about purpose, not just money  🔹 Authenticity and being yourself is key to success in both life and business  🔹 Financial wounds can leave emotional scars that prevent us from financial success  🔹 Transparency between partners is important  🔹 Avoid money shaming — everyone’s journey is different Shannon reminds us that understanding your emotions around money is just as important as understanding your numbers — because how you feel about money shapes how you use it. Connect with Shannon Ryan: Website: https://shannon-ryan.com/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theheavypurse/   X: https://x.com/theheavypurse/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theheavypurse/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheavypurse/   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theheavypurse Books:   Your Money Has Feelings : Understand Your Financial Wounds to Find True Freedom (Amazon) TEDx Talks: Confronting your financial scar tissue (YouTube) Bio:  Shannon Ryan is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)with over 30 years of experience guiding individuals and families through the emotional side of money. Known for her relatable insights and warm, clear style, Shannon combines deep financial knowledge with a heart-centered approach to help people move from money stress to empowerment.    She’s the author of “Your Money Has Feelings” and a seasoned media guest, having appeared on CNBC, Good Morning America, and TEDx. Shannon’s work focuses on uncovering the beliefs and wounds that silently shape our financial behavior—and showing people how to rewrite them. Whether she’s advising clients or speaking to audiences, Shannon helps others understand why they do what they do with money, and how to build lasting confidence rooted in clarity, not shame. Support the show The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

    37 min

  2. 6D AGO

    The Future of Financial Advice Starts with Great Questions

    Send us a text 🎙 On this episode of Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast, I spoke with Brendan Frazier, Chief Behavioral Officer at RFG Advisory and host of The Human Side of Money Podcast, about how the future of financial advice goes beyond plans and portfolios and why the most powerful tool an advisor has isn’t a spreadsheet, but a question. 💡 Key Takeaways: 🔹 The future of advice is at the intersection of the technical side and the human side   🔹 Empathy and emotional intelligence are our true advantages over technology  🔹 Ask great questions — and listen with intent, empathy and curiosity 🔹 A great question without listening is no longer a great question  🔹 Money is a tool that funds the things in life that are important to you  🔹 The best advisors focus on the person, not just the numbers Connect with Brendan Frazier: Website (here)LinkedIn (here) Podcast: The Human Side of Money Podcast (here) Bio:  Brendan Frazier is the Chief Behavioral Officer at RFG Advisory, the host of The Human Side of Money podcast, a keynote speaker, and was twice named one of Investopedia’s Top 100 Financial Advisors. He has built global training programs to help advisors around the world learn how to leverage behavior, psychology and communication principles on the path to mastering the human side of advice. Support the show The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

    43 min

  3. JAN 27

    How Self-Advocacy Redefines Success

    Send us a text On this episode of Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast, I spoke with Dr. Alison Schmidt, founder and CEO of Unconvention and host of the (un)conversations® podcast, about how being your own advocate can reshape not only your finances, but also your life and values. 💡 Key Takeaways: 🔹 Believe in yourself — trust that you have the tools to execute  🔹 Be open to risk and new ways of working  🔹 Focus on who you want to be and how you want to serve  🔹 Take time to understand what clients truly want to achieve 🔹 Build long-term relationships grounded in empathy and integrity  🔹 Respect your clients’ emotions and where they are in their journey  🔹 Embrace miscommunication as an opportunity to learn and grow Connect with Dr. Alison Schmidt: Website (here) https://www.unconventionllc.comLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-l-schmidt-phd-bcc/Instagram: @alsphdbcc / @unconventionllc / @unconversationspodcast TikTok:  alschmidtphdFacebook: @AlisonSchmidt  Podcast: (Un)conversations® Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@unconversations/playlistsSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5xkI3Kg3e4VCUY5hXFGUaS?si=29139d32e77e427fApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/un-conversations/id1765209182Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c056dff2-e060-4852-a830-8cc4824da4ba/un-conversations%C2%AEiHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-unconversations-274225870/ Bio:  Dr. Alison Schmidt is the Founder and CEO of Unconvention, where she partners with elite leaders through transformative executive coaching and organizational consulting. With over 20 years of experience, she helps CxOs, founders, boards, high-performing teams drive strategic growth, navigate change, and break free from the stubborn quo. Alison is also the creator and host of (un)conversations®, a bold podcast spotlighting industry pioneers and CxO leaders who share the unconventional decisions that have shaped their lives and businesses. A passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion, and purpose-driven leadership, Dr. Schmidt holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from Alliant International University (formerly California School of Professional Psychology) and is a Board Certified Coach through CCE Global. Based in Dallas, she draws inspiration from her global travels with her wife, N Support the show The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

    44 min

  4. JAN 23

    What If It Is Possible? Rethinking Money and Abundance

    Send us a text On this episode of Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast, I spoke with Michelle Petrowski, CFP®, CDFA®, founder of Being in Abundance, about one powerful question: What if it is possible? We explored how shifting from a Do-Have-Be mindset to Be-Do-Have changes everything by starting with how do you want to be, then asking how do you want to do it and then asking what could I have? 💡 Key Takeaways: 🔹 Abundance is a choice that we get to make moment from moment 🔹 Align your money with your values and what truly fulfills you 🔹 Women should dream bigger, ask what’s important to you? 🔹 Step into your power, you get to choose who you want to be  🔹 We have to dream and ask what’s important to us  🔹 If you don’t have a plan, your goals are just wishes Michelle reminds us that you are more than your paycheck — and your financial plan should reflect who you are, not just what you earn. This episode was inspired by the blog post “What If It Is Possible?” (here) Connect with Michelle Petrowski: Being In Abundance Financial Coaching Website (here)Being Mindful in Divorce Website (here)LinkedIn (here) Bio:  Michelle Petrowski is a Certified Financial Planner™ and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, and the founder of Being in Abundance, a financial coaching and planning firm for high-earning women and dual income families navigating major life transitions. Michelle is a nationally recognized voice in women’s wealth and divorce planning, featured in outlets including CNBC, MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance, Investment News, TheStreet’s Retirement Daily, Purse Strings, and Rethinking65. She writes and speaks on the Great Wealth Transfer for Women, the financial blind spots of high earners, and the biggest mistakes women make in divorce — and how to avoid them. When she’s not advising clients or speaking, Michelle leads workshops, creates educational tools, and is currently writing her book, Next Chapter, Best Chapter: A Playbook for Women Creating Wealth, Wisdom & What’s Next. Support the show The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

    36 min

  5. JAN 20

    Value Investing Secrets and Wall Street’s Blind Spot

    Send us a text On this episode of Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast, I spoke with Jose Mayora, author of Wall Street’s Blind Spot, about the principles of value investing and understanding risk. 💡 Key Takeaways: 🔹 Always do your homework,  don’t chase headlines, do thorough research 🔹 Have a long term horizon - patience is important  🔹 Be an independent thinker  🔹 Only invest in what you understand  🔹 Don’t let emotions drive your decisions  🔹 The importance of emotional intelligence   🔹 Be willing to let go of potential opportunities that you don’t understand Connect with Jose Mayora: Website (here) LinkedIn (here) Books:   Wall Street’s Blind Spots: A Unique Perspective on Value Investing, Valuation and Capital Allocation (Amazon)  Bio:  Jose Andres Mayora is the author of Wall Street’s Blind Spots and the Senior Portfolio Manager of Divita Value-Growth Fund, a long-only public equities fund he co-founded with a focus on long-term, fundamentals-driven investing. A CFA charterholder with degrees in Business and Economics from the University of Virginia and a Master’s in Economics from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Jose blends analytical depth with a grounded, real-world perspective on how value is created—and misunderstood—in public markets. His book challenges conventional valuation frameworks and introduces a simpler, common-sense approach to understanding investment returns, reinvestment, and capital allocation. Jose’s mission is to help investors and business leaders alike cut through complexity and rethink the assumptions behind how money grows over time. Support the show The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

    36 min
  6. Money Made Easy

    JAN 16

    Money Made Easy

    Send us a text 🎙 On this episode of Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast, I’m joined by Rishi Vamdatt, the teenage creator of Easy Peasy Finance — a multi-award-winning platform making financial literacy fun and accessible for kids, parents, and beginners. 💡 Key Takeaways: 🔹 Families can learn about money together — parents should involve kids from any age. 🔹 An allowance is a powerful way to teach money responsibility. 🔹 Keep it simple — use clear, everyday language. 🔹 Make money fun by tying it to daily activities kids already know. 🔹 Teachers don’t have to be experts — they can learn alongside students. 🔹 Frugality matters, but spending on happiness is important too. 🔹 Financial literacy reduces stress later in life if started early. Connect with Rishi Vamdatt: Website: https://www.easypeasyfinance.com/Teacher Resources: https://www.easypeasyfinance.com/teachers/YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@EasyPeasyFinance/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/easy-peasy-finance-llc/ Books: Easy Peasy Banking: A Fun Banking Book for Kids (Amazon)Easy Peasy Investing: A Fun Investing Book for Kids (Amazon) Easy Peasy Money: A Fun Money & Budgeting Book for Kids (Amazon)  Kids Activity Book on Money and Finance: A Counting Money Book & Money Activity Book for Kids Ages 6-8 (Amazon) Bio:  Rishi Vamdatt is a 15-year-old entrepreneur who founded Easy Peasy Finance at age 8 to make money fun, relatable, and accessible for kids and teens. Over the last 7 years, he has created 1,000+ videos, authored 4 books, won multiple awards including two Plutus Awards and the MAIA Award, and reached millions worldwide. He has been featured by CBS News, Fidelity, Kiplinger, and international media across Japan, Singapore, Canada, and Europe. Support the show The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

    30 min

  7. JAN 13

    College Planning Made Simple for Divorced & Widowed Parents

    Send us a text 🎙️ On this episode of Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast, I spoke with Vicki Vollweiler, founder of College Financial Prep and author of College Planning for Divorced and Widowed Parents, about how families can save money on college while navigating the emotional and logistical challenges of divorce, separation, or loss. 💡 Key Takeaways:  🔹 Bring up college planning in a neutral tone—communication is critical.  🔹 Every college has its own financial formula—some are more generous than others.  🔹 Have a college budget in place before committing to a school. 🔹 Start scholarship searches early to maximize opportunities. 🔹 Include kids in the process—they’ll live with the long-term impact. 🔹 Reducing college costs requires flexibility from both parents and students. 🔹 It’s not just about the numbers—it’s about values, feelings, and goals. Connect with Vicki Vollweiler: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicki-vollweiler/Website: https://www.CollegeFinancialPrep.comFacebook: https://www.Facebook.com/CollegeFinancialPrepInstagram:  @CollegeFinancialPrep Books:   College Planning For Divorced and Widowed Parents: Reduce Stress, Save Thousands and Make Smart Decisions For Your Child's Future (Amazon)📘 Vicki’s book was inspired by client success stories and reminds families that they are not alone—there are proven strategies to lower costs and reduce stress. Podcast: College Financial Prep https://www.collegefinancialprep.com/podcasts Bio:  Vicki Vollweiler, MBA, CDC, the founder and CEO of College Financial Prep, provides a full range of college funding and college admissions services for families as both parents and students prepare to enter college.  Vicki is both a College Planning Expert and a Divorce Financial Coach helping parents to navigate financial aid, scholarships, student loans and college planning.  With her Master's Degree in Business Administration and expertise in analysis, pricing, return on investment, and negotiations, Vicki brings valuable skills to the table. She received her MBA degree from Syracuse University, where she was honored with a Full Merit Scholarship and financial stipends. Before establishing College Financial Prep, Vicki served as a Certified Divorce Coach. As clients began to inquire about affording college costs for their children, Vicki, a divorced mom herself, recognized the goal and challenge of providing the best education while minimizing expenses and reducing student loan debt. To date, many clients have successfully saved thousands of dollars, some saving hundreds of thousands of dollars, with the guidance provided by College Financial Prep. Vicki, a divorced parent, is the proud Mom of two children, one who is now a PhD candidate and one who will be preparing for college shortly.  Her fur baby, Maggie, provides joy to all. Support the show The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

    36 min

  8. JAN 9

    How to Build the Investor’s Edge: Smarter Choices in Risk and Reward

    Send us a text On this episode of the Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast, I spoke with Joseph Pach—author of Building The Investors Edge and Chief Investment Officer of Corcovado Investment Advisors—about building stronger financial decision-making frameworks by understanding risk, opportunity cost, and human behavior. 💡 Key Takeaways 🔹 Opportunity cost is the tradeoff behind every choice you make  🔹 Risk isn’t just theory—it’s the potential downside you must define and prepare for  🔹 Risk asymmetry helps weigh what you stand to gain vs. what you could lose  🔹 Catalysts and patterns shape market outcomes—know how to spot them  🔹 Avoid unnecessary risks by creating calm, intentional decision environments  🔹 Shrink emotional reactions—don’t confuse urgency with importance  🔹 Small, deliberate steps compound into better long-term outcomes Connect with Joseph Pach: LinkedIn (here)Corcovado Investment Advisors, LLC Website (here)The Silver Lining - Substack newsletter (here)   Book: Building the Investor's Edge: How Money Really Works—and How to Make It Work for You (at Any Age) - (Amazon)  Bio:  Joseph Pach is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Corcovado Investment Advisors, a California Registered Investment Advisor serving clients facing complex transitions such as divorce, inheritance, and liquidity events. He brings over thirty years of institutional experience in options trading, global portfolio management, and risk structuring. Joseph began his career as an options market maker on the Pacific Stock Exchange, then spent two decades at Mellon Capital Management (a BNY Mellon subsidiary) as a trader and portfolio manager within the global asset allocation group, contributing to strategies at a firm managing over $400 billion. He now specializes in tax-efficient structuring and tailored asset allocation for high-net-worth individuals and families. Joseph is also the author of a forthcoming book on foundational money skills and decision-making for young adults. Support the show The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

    40 min
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About

Get Ready: Before Life Happens brings together diverse voices, guides, and changemakers from around the world who are helping people and professionals navigate life’s what-ifs with clarity, integrity and confidence.  Hosted by Financial Readiness Advocate Tony Steuer, the show explores the insights, stories, and tools that strengthen financial readiness and reshape how we think about money, life, aging, caregiving, resilience, and purpose. Want more? Join The Get Ready Movement at www.tonysteuer.com [CLAIM:D51LCAQS]

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