Money Tales

Aspiriant

In American society, money is a taboo topic. By not talking with loved ones and friends about money, we miss opportunities to sort through the noise and learn the vocabulary and skills we need to effectively understand, evaluate and financially plan for what’s most important to us. Money Tale$ gives a voice to this uncomfortable topic. Co-hosts Sandi Bragar and Cammie Doder bring more than 35 years of combined professional experience in personal finance to each episode to demystify money and demonstrate what it’s like to speak openly about personal financial matters. Join us for interviews with modern day movers and shakers who share how money decisions intertwine with their daily lives and the wisdom they gained from those experiences.

  1. Aug 6

    Teaching Kids About Money Without Spoiling Them

    When should parents start teaching kids about money? How do you raise financially independent children without making money a source of conflict? And what are the most important financial lessons teenagers wish they had learned sooner? In this episode of Money Tales, musician and singer-songwriter Neda Patra joins her daughters, Parmeeda and Patris, for a candid family conversation about money, financial literacy, and the values that shape lifelong financial habits. Together, they explore how culture, parenting, allowance, budgeting, generosity, and open communication influenced each generation’s relationship with money. Through honest stories, playful disagreements, and shared perspectives, they reveal how talking about money at home can help children develop confidence, responsibility, and financial independence long before adulthood. Whether you’re raising young children, parenting teenagers, or simply reflecting on the money lessons passed down through your own family, this episode offers practical insights into building healthy financial habits and creating more meaningful family conversations about money. Three Money Conversations This Episode Explores Teaching financial independence starts earlier than most parents think. Neda shares how giving her daughters an allowance, setting clear boundaries, and allowing them to make—and learn from—their own spending decisions helped build confidence, budgeting skills, and financial responsibility. The financial literacy lessons many teenagers wish schools taught. Parmeeda and Patris discuss why understanding budgeting, credit, earning money, saving, and everyday financial decision-making has proven just as valuable as traditional classroom subjects. How to make family money conversations feel natural instead of awkward. Through stories about spending, generosity, priorities, and even friendly debates over who pays the restaurant bill, this family demonstrates how open conversations about money can strengthen relationships and prepare children for adulthood. About Neda Patra Neda Patra is an international singer, songwriter, actress, and performer whose career spans music, television, and theater. Inspired from an early age by artists such as Madonna, she developed a love for a wide range of musical styles, including Persian, Kurdish, Turkish, pop, hip-hop, and R&B. She began singing and dancing at just five years old, laying the foundation for a lifelong passion for the performing arts. Throughout high school and college, Neda immersed herself in drama, theater, dance, and choir while continuing to pursue her artistic ambitions. After graduating from high school, she attended California State University and, at 18, moved out on her own. While building a career in the financial industry, she continued to develop her work as a singer, dancer, and actress. Neda’s talent has earned recognition across the international entertainment community. She was featured by Javanan Magazine for her performance in the play Forbidden Chess and later as a rising recording artist. She also appeared on the magazine’s cover multiple times between 2018 and 2021 in recognition of her growing success as an international pop artist. Her work has also been featured in interviews on television networks including Manoto, ITN, OTIN, and TIN. In addition to her music career, Neda hosted Patra’s Show, a successful television program that aired for a year before she chose to focus her full attention on creating music and performing. Follow Money Tales on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Music for more real stories that inspire thoughtful, intentional decisions about money.

  2. Jul 2

    The Tradeoffs That Shape Your Financial Life

    How do you build better money habits, overcome money shame and make smarter financial decisions? In this episode of Money Tales, money mentor Anne Lester explains why financial success isn’t about having more willpower. It’s about understanding the psychology behind your financial decisions. Whether you’re navigating your first paycheck, paying off debt, trying to save more or planning for retirement, Anne shares practical insights to help Millennials, Gen Z and anyone looking to build lasting financial confidence. Fresh out of college, Anne thought she was doing everything right. She had landed her first job, was earning a paycheck and was building an independent life. Yet she was also carrying credit card debt, struggling to save while making financial choices that felt right in the moment. Those experiences eventually shaped a career spent helping people prepare for retirement and build healthier relationships with money. In this conversation, Anne talks about the lessons she learned from her own mistakes and why building a better financial life starts with understanding yourself. About Anne Lester: Money Mentor and Financial Wellness Advocate Anne Lester is the Money Mentor for Gen Z and Millennials. She is helping a generation of young adults, and those who serve and employ them, turn money shame into money power – so they can live their best life and do their best work now. Her research for the award-winning book, Your Best Financial Life: Save Smart Now for the Future You Want, revealed that only 17% of GenZ and Millennials are confident in their money plan and on track to retire. The difference? They had a money mentor growing up. Anne earned the 2020 Lillywhite Award for lifetime contributions to Americans’ economic security. During three decades at J.P. Morgan Chase, she launched and ran the SmartRetirement Target Date funds and Income Builder fund, and was named Morningstar’s Asset Allocator of the Year in 2014. She’s a trusted keynote speaker, emcee, and media guest for audiences ranging from employees and professionals to Bloomberg TV, Barron’s, CNBC, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. Looking for more practical guidance? Aspiriant’s advisors regularly write about the habits and decisions that build long-term financial confidence. If you’re just getting started, explore 4 Financial Tips for Young Adults for foundational advice on saving, credit and investing. You can also read The Road to Financial Wellness, which offers practical strategies for developing healthy financial habits and creating a sustainable approach to managing your money. Together, these resources reinforce one of Anne’s central messages: lasting financial success begins with small, intentional choices—not perfection. Follow Money Tales on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Music for more real stories that inspire thoughtful, intentional decisions about money.

  3. Jun 25

    Planning for Care Before Crisis Hits

    How do you prepare for the financial, emotional and logistical realities of caring for a loved one? In this episode of Money Tales, Lindsay Jurist-Rosner shares how nearly three decades of helping care for her mother after an MS diagnosis revealed just how unprepared most families are for the challenges of long-term care. From navigating healthcare systems and managing complex decisions to coping with caregiver stress and financial strain, Lindsay’s experience inspired her to found Wellthy, a platform designed to help families coordinate care and reduce the overwhelming burden that often accompanies caregiving. This conversation offers valuable insights for anyone supporting aging parents, caring for a family member with a chronic illness or planning for the future costs and responsibilities of care. About Lindsay Jurist-Rosner: Transforming Family Caregiving Through Innovation Lindsay Jurist-Rosner is the co-founder and CEO of Wellthy – a market-leading care concierge company that is revolutionizing the way families care for their loved ones and themselves. Wellthy combines digital innovation and human expertise so that family caregivers have the support they need to navigate any care situation throughout all life stages – ensuring that families can spend their time prioritizing love over healthcare logistics. Two million people have direct access to Wellthy’s services through some of the largest and best-known health plans and employers across the country, including Best Buy, Cisco, Hilton and Meta. With Wellthy, Lindsay is building the company she needed throughout the 28 years she cared for her mother. Today Wellthy has more than 300 staff working to support family caregivers. In 2023 Wellthy was named one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies” and one of the magazine’s “Top 10 Most Innovative Workplace Companies,” and Lindsay herself was named to Inc. Magazine’s “Female Founders 200” list celebrating dynamic women entrepreneurs. Prior to founding Wellthy, Lindsay was in the advertising technology and media industries with responsibilities and leadership in marketing, product and sales. She served as the Senior Vice President of Marketing for NY-based advertising technology startup Simulmedia, ran Marketing Research at Machinima and worked in product and strategic marketing at Microsoft. Lindsay received an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BA in Economics-Operations Research from Columbia University. She’s written for Fortune, Good Housekeeping, Employee Benefit News and more, and has spoken at numerous panels and conferences, including most recently at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. She serves on the Board of Hilarity for Charity (HFC) a non-profit dedicated to supporting Alzheimers’ caregivers and founded by comedian Seth Rogen and his wife Lauren Rogen. Lindsay lives in New York City with her husband and four kids. Follow Money Tales on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Music for more real stories that inspire thoughtful, intentional decisions about money.

  4. Jun 18

    Leadership, Self Awareness and Money

    What does self-awareness have to do with money, leadership and success? More than most people realize. In this episode of Money Tales, leadership expert Margaret Andrews shares how a single piece of difficult feedback early in her career sparked a lifelong pursuit of self-awareness, emotional intelligence and personal growth. From her beginnings as a CPA to teaching some of Harvard’s most popular leadership and executive education courses, Margaret explores how the beliefs we hold about ourselves quietly influence our careers, relationships, decision-making and financial lives. Her story offers practical insights for anyone looking to become a better leader, make more intentional choices and develop a healthier relationship with money. About Margaret Andrews: Harvard Leadership Instructor, Author and Expert in Emotional Intelligence Margaret is a seasoned professional speaker, executive, academic leader and instructor whose work has been written about in a variety of publications, including BusinessWeek, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and The Times of India. Her course, Managing Yourself and Leading Others, is among the most popular classes and executive programs at Harvard. In addition, Margaret teaches Unlocking Creativity, Leading with Emotional Intelligence, Strategic Leadership, Creativity and Innovation, and It Depends: Unpacking the Challenges of Leadership. She is also the Co-Faculty Director of the Executive Program for Senior Life Sciences Leaders at Harvard Medical School. In the academic arena, Margaret has been Executive Director of the MBA Program at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Vice Provost at the Hult International Business School and Associate Dean at Harvard University. On the business side, Margaret started her career as a CPA in San Francisco and has also been a marketing executive and a long-time strategy consultant. She now leads The MYLO Center, a private leadership development firm. Margaret earned an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley and her graduate degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her writing has been featured in Leader to Leader, Training Industry Magazine and Psychology Today and her book, Manage Yourself to Lead Others, was published by Hachette in 2025. Follow Money Tales on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Music for more real stories that inspire thoughtful, intentional decisions about money.

  5. Jun 11

    When Financial Curveballs Keep Coming

    Sometimes the moments that challenge your identity the most end up reshaping your entire relationship with money. In this episode of Money Tales, Bobbie LaPorte shares what it looks like to navigate financial highs and lows with humility and resourcefulness. After years of corporate success, Bobbie found herself asking a very different question. What do you do when the path you expected disappears and you still need to move forward? Bobbie’s story is candid and full of hard-earned perspective and thoughtful generosity. Bobbie is a leadership advisor, executive coach, Founder and CEO of Bobbie LaPorte & Associates, where she helps leaders navigate volatility, complexity, and constant change. She works with Fortune 500 companies, global organizations, and high growth start-ups to build confident leaders who can think and perform at their best when the ground is shifting. Bobbie brings rare credibility to the conversation, having served as a CEO, COO and CMO in multiple Fortune 50 companies, including IBM, GE, and UnitedHealthcare, as well as leading two healthcare technology start ups. Bobbie is the and author of When the Curveballs Keep Coming. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Master’s in Positive Leadership and Strategy from IE University in Madrid. Known for blending real world executive experience with science-based insight, Bobbie helps leaders strengthen personal agency, confidence and decision making under pressure. Her work spans keynote talks, leadership workshops, enterprise learning programs and one on one executive coaching. When she’s not working with leaders, Bobbie is training for her seventh Ironman triathlon—often alongside her two Golden Retrievers on Bay Area trails. Here are three money conversations this episode will help you navigate: 1. How your relationship with money is shaped early and evolves over time. Growing up between abundance and scarcity, Bobbie learned to be self-sufficient and still carries that lens into how she saves, spends and supports others today. 2. What it really takes to get through financial uncertainty. Bobbie shares the reality of starting over, including the humbling decision to take any job available while building something new, and how that shaped her confidence and independence. 3. How to define “enough” when success keeps raising the bar. Through her work with high-earning clients, Bobbie brings a grounded lens on balancing ambition and wealth with the relationships, health, time and everyday experiences that often get pushed aside in the pursuit of more. Follow Money Tales on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Music for more real stories that inspire thoughtful, intentional decisions about money.

  6. Jun 4

    Money Across Cultures

    How do cultural beliefs, immigration and life experience shape our relationship with money? In this episode of Money Tales, Uday Wagle, a former director at the International Finance Corporation within the World Bank Group, shares his personal journey from India to the United States and the financial lessons he learned along the way. Uday discusses how his perspectives on money were shaped across continents, cultures and decades. From growing up in India where money wasn’t discussed, to building a life in the United States with a young family and initially very little financial cushion, Uday’s story is thoughtful, grounded and full of perspective. Uday is a seasoned executive, with 37 years in the corporate world, in diverse industries and roles. Most of his career has been in investing in the emerging markets private sector. In addition to his skills and experience in development finance, he has the natural skills of a coach and teacher. His empathetic nature has enabled him to help many individuals at difficult points in their lives, to think through and solve thorny problems and take difficult decisions. Money Conversations: Three Topics This Episode Explores How cultural norms shape what you do and don’t say about money – Uday reflects on growing up in India where money was rarely discussed, and how that silence influenced his early understanding of saving and spending. What it really feels like to start over financially – From early sticker shock to juggling a mortgage, family expenses and occasional overdrafts, Uday shares the reality of rebuilding stability from scratch. Why sharing financial responsibility matters more than you think – After seeing friends struggle when one partner handled everything financially, Uday looks at his own marriage and the importance of making money visible, shared and understood. Follow Money Tales on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Music for more real stories that inspire thoughtful, intentional decisions about money.

  7. May 21

    Navigating Legacy and Wealth Together

    Every multigenerational family carries a money story. How wealth is discussed, modeled and passed down influences family relationships, stewardship of wealth and the long-term success of a family’s legacy and enterprise. In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Dr. Charles Eckhart. What began with childhood dreams of striking it rich through baseball cards evolved into a career helping ultra-high net worth families navigate the complexities of wealth, relationships and legacy. Charles reflects on how his early views of money shaped his path and shares insights on guiding multigenerational families through the balance of ambition, stewardship, purpose and responsibility across generations. About Charles Eckhart: Guiding Families Through Wealth, Governance and Multigenerational Legacy Charles is the Founder and Managing Partner of Cathexis Group, a family engagement and governance consulting firm based in Santa Barbara, California. Charles consults with families and couples of significant wealth to catalyze family transitions and establish and evolve practices for effective family governance and collaborative decision making. Charles also consults with financial institutions to build, train, and support wealth advisors in family dynamics and governance. Prior to the founding of Cathexis Group, Charles had a career as a Clinical Psychologist, including numerous academic teaching and training roles in doctoral clinical training programs. He contributes publications, presentations, and thought leadership in the intersection between family wealth, legacy, governance, and relationships. Three Discussion Topics on Multigenerational Wealth, Identity and Financial Relationships How family legacy shapes financial identity. Growing up inside a multigenerational story about ambition, earning and purpose can influence how you see your role, even when you choose a different path. Building a business when financial security is on the line. Charles shares how leaving a stable career to start something new brings real pressure, especially when a partner has a very different relationship with risk. Navigating financial inequality in relationships. When one partner brings significant wealth into a relationship, the emotional and practical decisions around spending, ownership and identity get complicated fast. Ready to strengthen your family’s Governance and Multigenerational Legacy? Learn how Aspiriant’s Exclusive Family Office (EFO) services help families navigate succession, governance and multigenerational wealth planning. If you’d like to talk with one of our advisors about your own family enterprise or wealth planning needs, get in touch with us here. Subscribe to Money Tales on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music for more conversations on family enterprise, wealth legacy and purpose.

4.9
out of 5
64 Ratings

About

In American society, money is a taboo topic. By not talking with loved ones and friends about money, we miss opportunities to sort through the noise and learn the vocabulary and skills we need to effectively understand, evaluate and financially plan for what’s most important to us. Money Tale$ gives a voice to this uncomfortable topic. Co-hosts Sandi Bragar and Cammie Doder bring more than 35 years of combined professional experience in personal finance to each episode to demystify money and demonstrate what it’s like to speak openly about personal financial matters. Join us for interviews with modern day movers and shakers who share how money decisions intertwine with their daily lives and the wisdom they gained from those experiences.

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