Making Change with your Money

Laura Rotter, CFA, CFP® | Financial Advisor for Women in Midlife Transitions
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Making Change with Your Money is the go-to podcast for women in midlife experiencing major life transitions and ready to transform their relationship with money. Hosted by Laura Rotter, CFA, CFP®—a financial advisor and Founder of True Abundance Advisors—this podcast features intimate conversations with women who have successfully navigated career changes, divorce and financial independence, retirement planning, entrepreneurship, and complete life reinvention. Every episode explores both the practical side of financial planning for women and the deeper inner work around money mindset, worthiness, and values-based living. From healing financial trauma to building sustainable businesses, from leaving corporate careers to investing with confidence, these stories provide both inspiration and actionable financial guidance. Whether you're contemplating a career pivot, managing an inheritance, recovering from divorce, or simply feeling that there must be more to life than the relentless pursuit of more—this podcast will help you use your resources (money, time, energy, and talent) to create a life of meaning and purpose. Laura brings her Wall Street experience, mindfulness practice, and financial life planning expertise to help listeners understand that true abundance isn't about the numbers in your account—it's about the freedom to live authentically. Perfect for: Women over 40, midlife career changers, recent divorcées, pre-retirees, women entrepreneurs, and anyone questioning whether they're worthy of pursuing their heart's desires. Topics include: Financial planning, money mindset, career transitions, retirement alternatives, divorce and money, women's financial empowerment, entrepreneurship, investing, financial therapy, values-based financial planning, and life reinvention.

  1. 6d ago

    I Volunteered to Lose My Job.

    Imagine calling your manager and asking to be laid off. You're the primary breadwinner for a family of six. Two kids in college. And you're volunteering to walk away — with no plan, no next step, nothing but a severance package and a gut feeling that staying would break you completely. At some point you've probably asked: What do I do when the career I built my identity around stops feeling like me? When did success start feeling like a costume I can't take off? And what does it even mean to start over when you've been achieving since you were fourteen? Tracy Hill grew up solidly middle-class, watching her mother — a computer systems analyst — handle every penny with precision, and her father — a cartoonist who drew for Playboy and The New Yorker for forty years — ride the creative ebb and flow. She inherited her mother's drive and her father's love of beauty. By fourteen she was already working. By her twenties she was climbing in commercial real estate. By midlife she was a Fortune 500 marketing executive, global product marketer, primary breadwinner — and completely numb. When layoffs came during COVID, colleagues called her crying. She felt something she wasn't expecting: envy. Not of their job loss — but of their freedom. So she called her manager and asked to be on the list. She leapt with a severance package and no net. What she did next surprised even herself. She sat still. She went to her back deck and listened. For the first time in decades, she heard birds — really heard them. Cardinal. Bluebird. Robin. And as the stillness deepened, she began to come alive again. She started noticing what she loved: beauty, in every form. A sunset. A beautiful notebook. A meaningful conversation. She started searching for what she called her "beautiful fixes" — small moments of awe that would lift her out of the numbness. That search became A Beautiful Fix — now a top 5% globally ranked podcast, streamed in over 40 countries. Tracy Hill is the creator of A Beautiful Fix, a top 5% globally ranked podcast and movement born from her own midlife unraveling, now streamed in over 40 countries and 500+ cities worldwide. A former Fortune 500 marketing executive, Tracy now guides women through their own reinvention using Human Design, soul-led retreats, and radical honesty. Her mission: help women stop searching outside themselves and start trusting the wisdom within. Connect with TracyWebsite: https://www.abeautifulfix.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/abeautifulfix/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abeautifulfixLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyehill/ResourcesA Beautiful Fix PodcastFree Human Design ChartFree ResourceSoul-led retreats — follow Tracy on Instagram for upcoming dates

    I Volunteered to Lose My Job.

  2. Aug 10

    I Didn't Know Who I'd Be on the Other Side.

    Imagine being twenty-five years into a marriage and then finding yourself standing at the edge of a choice you never thought you'd have to make. Not because you stopped caring. But because your body had been telling you something for years that your mind refused to hear. At some point you've probably asked: How do I trust myself when everything inside me is at war? And what happens to your identity when the life you knew is no longer the life you're living? Heather Sloan didn't see her divorce coming. After twenty-five years of marriage, two children, and a deep faith life, she found herself in what she now calls liminal space — that terrifying in-between where the old life is ending and the new one hasn't yet revealed itself. Her body knew the truth before her mind would accept it. Physical symptoms, sleeplessness, a fight-or-flight state that wouldn't calm — her body was sending signals she had been trained, through a lifetime of faith and self-sacrifice, to override. The night she finally moved out of the family home, a health issue that had plagued her for two years resolved itself overnight. Her body's message was clear: finally. You're listening. What she discovered in that season of outer chaos and inner transformation became the foundation of her book, Tour de Force: Emerge from the Split with Grace and Grit — a navigational guide for women going through divorce. Drawing on spiritual practices, the research of Brené Brown, and her own training Heather shares practical tools: discernment skills for decision-making, a simple daily review practice for building self-awareness, and a reframe of boundaries that stopped her cold — the most compassionate people, research shows, have the strongest boundaries. Her message to anyone in the middle of it right now: I'm sorry, because I know it's hard. And also — congratulations. There is a beautiful life waiting on the other side. You don't have to be able to imagine it yet. Just hold on to the hope that others are holding out for you. Keep looking for the lights you can see. Take the next step. Guest Heather Sloan is an author, coach, and spiritual director trained through SoulFormation's Academy of Spiritual Formation and School of Spiritual Direction. Educated at Westmont College and The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, she has worked as a public health nurse and Peace Corps Volunteer. She is the author of Tour de Force: Emerge from the Split with Grace and Grit, a practical guide for women navigating divorce. Connect with HeatherWebsite: https://www.theheathersloan.comInstagram: @theheathersloanFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573971909851ResourcesTour de Force: Emerge from the Split with Grace and Grit by Heather SloanFree Divorce Prep Checklist.Divorce Gift Kit (book, journal, candle, chocolates + personal note):Previous episode with Heather Sloan

    I Didn't Know Who I'd Be on the Other Side.

  3. Aug 2

    Two Tacos for My Son. None for Me.

    Imagine standing in a Taco Bell with your young son, counting the change in your pocket, and realizing you can afford two tacos for him — but nothing for yourself. You've always worked. You've always hustled. And somehow you've still ended up here. At some point you've probably asked: How did I get here? I've worked my whole life — so why does it still feel like the ground can disappear at any moment? And what does it take to finally feel financially secure, not just financially surviving? Heather Nelson grew up in a household where her dad worked in construction and never stopped — no vacations, no splurges, just hustle. That ethic became her inheritance. By fifteen she had her first job. She's never stopped working since. But hard work alone, she would learn, doesn't protect you from life's curveballs. Her first marriage ended with a clean break: she walked away from the house, the furniture, the kitchen stuff — everything — to avoid conflict. She moved into her dad's four-bedroom home with her two young kids and rebuilt from scratch over two to three years. Then she met her current husband, who was coming out of his own divorce. They started over together. Just as things stabilized, she quit a job that felt wrong — without another one lined up. Money dried up. That Taco Bell moment hit. It became her turning point. She launched The Connection Hive, her hospitality consulting business. Then co-founded a labor company with her husband. The businesses grew. And then — her husband was badly injured at work. Two years out of commission. She became the sole breadwinner for a family of six, carrying it all while building two companies from the ground up. Her definition of success is simple and hard-won: security without scraping. Vacations with her kids. A car repair that doesn't spiral into a crisis. Living in a million-dollar rental she doesn't own — and feeling proud of the journey that got her there. "I don't own it," she says, "but I get to live in it. And that makes me proud." Her closing message: you are in the driver's seat. If you want a different life, go get it. It won't appear on its own. But if you believe you can — and you put in the effort — the opportunities will open up in ways you can't yet imagine. GuestHeather Nelson is the founder of The Connection Hive, a business consulting firm helping companies grow through strategy, sales outreach, and relationship-building. With over 25 years in hospitality and events, she is a leading voice in Sonoma County's business community. She also co-owns a labor company serving the events industry, hosts the podcast Life Conversations with a Twist, and curates women's empowerment retreats. Connect with HeatherWebsite: https://www.theconnectionhive.coInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathernelson.lifeFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/heather.nelson.7587LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathercelestenelson/ResourcesThe Connection Hive (business consulting): https://www.theconnectionhive.coLife Conversations with a Twist Podcast — search on your favorite podcast platformWomen's empowerment retreats — follow Heather on Instagram for upcoming events

    Two Tacos for My Son. None for Me.

  4. Jul 25

    I Did All the Right Things and Still Felt Empty

    Imagine you've done everything right. Good grades, good job, good friend, good daughter. You followed every rule, checked every box, never gave anyone a reason to worry. And then one day you wake up in the middle of a global pandemic and realize: I feel completely empty. At some point you've probably heard yourself asking: Is this it? I worked so hard for this life — so why doesn't it feel like enough? And what do you do when the anxiety and perfectionism you've been running on finally runs out? Allie Brooke grew up with a father who was an accountant — money was always handled, never discussed. No allowances, no financial education, just a clean household where the adults took care of everything. It was comfortable. And it left her completely unprepared for adulthood. The only lesson that stuck: make sure you have good credit. By her mid-twenties she had the career, the commute, the New York City life. She was also burning out quietly, running on perfectionism and people-pleasing with no idea how empty she'd become. COVID stopped everything — and in that stillness, she finally heard the whisper she'd been drowning out: you are made for more. She bought a microphone off Amazon and started talking. Not to an audience — just to herself, processing what she was learning in therapy, from self-development books, from her own life. The Growth Mindset Gal podcast was born from a woman who needed to heal out loud. Then came a harder decision: leave New York City, take a pay cut, and move three and a half hours upstate to a slower life near her fiancé's family. Her therapist's verdict after the first session post-move: "You are a completely different person." Her commute went from ninety minutes to twelve. Her therapy sessions went from weekly to monthly. She never looked back. Her two lessons for anyone in transition: everything is temporary — emotions, seasons, relationships, the hard stuff — so stop holding on so tightly. And be open to joy, even when fear of judgment tries to talk you out of it. Whether it's a hot yoga class or a cross-country move, little steps toward what lights you up are never wasted. GuestAllie Brooke is a veteran educator, podcast host, and certified Emotional Intelligence and REBT Mindset Coach dedicated to empowering women to overcome anxiety and build resilient mindsets. Having navigated chronic anxiety and burnout firsthand, she transformed her experience into a mission: creating a supportive community where women can connect, heal, and thrive. She is the host of The Growth Mindset Gal podcast. Connect with AllieWebsite: https://thegrowthmindsetgal.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegrowthmindsetgal/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allie-brooke-a4798031bResourcesThe Growth Mindset Gal Podcast (Laura's guest episode)The Growth Method — Free Community: join at thegrowthmindsetgal.comThe Growth Method — Premium Community: $20/month (use code GROWTHMINDSETGAL for 50% off your first month)

    I Did All the Right Things and Still Felt Empty

  5. Jul 19

    I Treat My Bank Account Like a Relationship I Can't Ghost.

    Imagine going from "we're poor, we can't afford groceries" to a million-dollar payout—and back again—all before you're fifteen. Now imagine carrying that financial whiplash into adulthood, through single motherhood, through a tripled income, through a broken engagement, and two layoffs on the same day. At some point you've probably asked: Why does money still feel so chaotic even when I'm making good money? Lia Bliss grew up watching money arrive in floods and disappear overnight. Her father's dot-com startup paid out millions—then her parents split, child support came in bursts, and her mother swung between "we can't afford groceries" and spending a thousand dollars at Walmart in one fell swoop. Money, for Lia, was never neutral. It was fear, then avoidance, then chaos again. The wake-up came in stages. Becoming a single mother pushed her out of scarcity. Then a cold call from her stepmother landed her a job training 10,000 salespeople on LinkedIn during COVID—and her income tripled overnight, from $40K to $120K. She and her then-fiancé spent every dollar. When he stopped working and the relationship collapsed, and then both her jobs were cut on the same day, she was back at zero. But this time, she knew better. "I decided to treat my finances like a relationship," she says. "If I'm trying to date somebody, I cannot ghost them for months." She started checking her bank account every single day—not from fear, but from love. That daily practice changed everything. She launched Bliss Magic, her LinkedIn strategy consultancy, built it into a six-figure business, and now helps executives and entrepreneurs do what she learned the hard way: show up consistently, build trust over time, and never confuse activity with strategy. Her definition of success? Freedom. Not survival finances—freedom finances. The ability to make decisions from a place of empowerment, not constraint. And her closing message for anyone in transition: the most important thing you can do is just start. Accept the help. Admit what you don't know. The community of women who show up for each other is real. GuestLia Bliss is the founder of Bliss Magic, where she helps ambitious leaders and growing companies master LinkedIn strategy and executive thought leadership. Her signature keynote, "LinkedIn Mastery: Adapting to the Digital Age," has helped countless executives build meaningful connections and expand their influence. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, she is a sought-after speaker, sales trainer, and strategist for organizations ranging from nationwide financial firms to solo entrepreneurs just getting started. Connect with LiaWebsite: https://theblissmagic.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liabliss/ResourcesFree 30-minute consultation with Lia: https://app.usemotion.com/meet/lia-bliss/meeting?d=30 (mention Making Change with Your Money podcast)VIP Day — LinkedIn profile + 10 posts + sales infrastructure ($1,000 / 4 hours): theblissmagic.comDone-for-you LinkedIn management ($2,500/month): theblissmagic.com

    I Treat My Bank Account Like a Relationship I Can't Ghost.

  6. Jul 11

    You've Muted Your Hidden Talent

    Imagine growing up as one of seven children, watching your mother stretch every dollar until it couldn't stretch any further—and still somehow never making you feel poor. She would hand down clothes to the next sibling and simply say, "If it's still good, you wear it." No apology. No shame. Just wisdom. At some point you've probably asked yourself: What is my money actually for? Am I working to build wealth—or to build a life that matters? And what happened to the talents and passions I convinced myself I didn't have time to pursue? Those are the questions Sairan Aqrawi helps women answer. Born and raised in Iraq, Sairan learned from her mother that joy, generosity, and dignity aren't determined by income. She also grew up hearing one lesson that shaped her future: "Education is a weapon. No one can take it away from you." When she moved to the United States nearly 30 years ago with an engineering degree, she quickly realized education was a foundation—not a guarantee. She built a successful engineering career, earned advanced degrees, and even started a doctoral program before one unexpected question changed everything. After speaking to young female engineers, someone asked, "Are you a coach?" She laughed. She thought coaching was only for athletes. But after discovering business coaching, she found her calling. She became certified and never looked back—while intentionally keeping her engineering career. "I always tell my clients I'll never ask them to leave their day job," she says. "When your business creates enough income, you'll quit without telling me." Today, through her Gem Thrive Academy, Sairan helps professional women in midlife uncover the talents they've been hiding and build purpose-driven businesses alongside their careers. Her philosophy is simple: stop dismissing the gifts other people consistently see in you. For Sairan, success isn't measured by your bank account or job title. "Success is the relentless energy to progress," she says. Money should create freedom, opportunities, and a meaningful life—not become the goal itself. Her advice is simple: don't wait. Don't let your dreams stay buried until retirement. The hidden talent inside you isn't gone. It's just been waiting for you to use it. GuestSairan Aqrawi is a certified business strategist and life coach (ACC-ICF) who helps professional women in midlife discover their hidden talents and build purpose-driven businesses alongside their existing careers. A practicing engineer with a master's degree and nearly three decades of experience in the United States, Sairan brings a uniquely precise, systems-oriented mindset to business coaching. She is the founder of the Gem Thrive Academy, a 28-day clarity and strategy program, and is a sought-after speaker, writer, and mentor to women navigating career pivots and entrepreneurship. ResourcesWebsiteLinkedInInstagramFree 15-minute LinkedIn profile consultation — mention Making Change with Your Money podcast when bookingFree 15-minute Instagram business page consultation — mention the podcast when booking

    You've Muted Your Hidden Talent

  7. Jul 5

    The Year Everything Was Chaos

    Imagine you're a month away from giving birth to your second child. Your toddler is eighteen months old. Your husband is a military pilot about to deploy for six months, just three weeks after the baby arrives. Somewhere in the middle of it all, you open a spreadsheet for the first time and ask yourself: What do I actually need my money to do for me? At some point, you've probably asked: Why does money still feel heavy, even when the numbers look okay? Why do I feel anxious when I look at my finances, and just as anxious when I avoid them? How do I stop chasing someone else's definition of financial success? Maybe you've done the mindset work, read the books, and tackled your money story, yet it still isn't translating to your bank account. Maybe you've chased revenue goals that left you burnt out. Maybe you've borrowed money to grow your business and carried shame because you learned debt was irresponsible. Megan Hale grew up watching her grandmother meticulously manage money and model financial independence. She also inherited the belief that debt was shameful. So when Megan opened her therapy practice and took on business debt, she felt like a financial failure. Over time, she realized business debt is different from consumer debt. Used intentionally, it can be a strategic tool. The turning point came in 2018. With two babies under two, a deployed husband, and a business she refused to abandon, Megan created her Good, Better, Best planning framework. That became the foundation of Dream Money, a planning platform that helps entrepreneurs organize personal pay, expenses, taxes, savings, team costs, reinvestment, and giving through the Good, Better, Best framework. It also includes a 2% Pledge, showing how small contributions from many business owners can create meaningful collective impact. Today, Megan defines financial success as more than stability. It's having enough margin to enjoy life, give generously, and believe "more than enough" is possible. Guest Megan Hale is the CEO and Founder of DreamMoney™, a strategic business planning platform for solo entrepreneurs to know their numbers, map sustainable revenue plans, and build a healthier relationship with money. A former therapist, she combines psychology with business strategy. Connect with Megan Website: https://dreammoney.co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreammoneyco Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/meganhaleco Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dreammoney.co LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganhale1/ Podcast: https://meganhale.co/podcast Resources Free Minimum Viable Revenue Calculator: https://dreammoney.co/mvr Try Dream Money free: https://beta.dreammoney.co Dream Money platform: $297/quarter or $997/year The 2% Pledge: https://dreammoney.co Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

    The Year Everything Was Chaos

  8. Jun 28

    We Chose to be Rich in Children

    Imagine growing up watching your mother drive past a neighborhood mansion and say: "That family has money — and they're miserable." Now imagine that lesson becoming the foundation of everything you believe about wealth. At some point you've probably asked: Is money the thing that makes life good? And if you've ever caught yourself saying "I can't afford that" — this conversation is for you. Leslie Hocker grew up the oldest of five children with a petroleum engineer father and not much room for extras. Her parents' answer to every wish: "We chose to be rich in children." That one phrase shaped her entire relationship with money. Today, when a client says "I can't afford it," Leslie redirects them: try saying "I choose to spend my money on other things." It's a small shift — but it moves you from scarcity to agency. She went on to become one of the youngest female executives in the petroleum industry, managing multi-million-dollar deals — until she realized she was working in the dark and coming home in the dark. So she opened Houston's first Pilates studio. While still employed full-time. (Her words: "It wasn't very well thought out.") The entrepreneurship journey taught her the hard truth: there's no stopping at zero — you can go way past it. She learned to say no. To protect her time. To measure success not by money in the bank, but by the choices money gives you: staying an extra day, flying home Monday instead of fighting the Sunday rush, turning every conference into an adventure. "You want to die with memories," she says. Not things. Not titles. Moments. And her closing message: be a little better today than you were yesterday. You are not too old. It is not too late. If someone else has done it — so can you. Guest Leslie Hocker has built brands, coached leaders, and helped entrepreneurs create legacy businesses across the globe. One of the youngest female execs in petroleum, she pivoted to launch Houston's first Pilates studio. A certified NLP trainer with Tony Robbins, she now mentors purpose-driven entrepreneurs with her husband, a Doctor of Pharmacology. 30+ countries. One mission: lead with heart, scale with integrity, build a business you're proud of. Connect with Leslie Website: https://LeslieHocker.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/bizcoach.leslieLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-hocker/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leslie_hocker/ Resources Free Daily Affirmations: https://LeslieHocker.comThe Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. DankoDie With Zero by Bill Perkins

    We Chose to be Rich in Children
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Trailer

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About

Making Change with Your Money is the go-to podcast for women in midlife experiencing major life transitions and ready to transform their relationship with money. Hosted by Laura Rotter, CFA, CFP®—a financial advisor and Founder of True Abundance Advisors—this podcast features intimate conversations with women who have successfully navigated career changes, divorce and financial independence, retirement planning, entrepreneurship, and complete life reinvention. Every episode explores both the practical side of financial planning for women and the deeper inner work around money mindset, worthiness, and values-based living. From healing financial trauma to building sustainable businesses, from leaving corporate careers to investing with confidence, these stories provide both inspiration and actionable financial guidance. Whether you're contemplating a career pivot, managing an inheritance, recovering from divorce, or simply feeling that there must be more to life than the relentless pursuit of more—this podcast will help you use your resources (money, time, energy, and talent) to create a life of meaning and purpose. Laura brings her Wall Street experience, mindfulness practice, and financial life planning expertise to help listeners understand that true abundance isn't about the numbers in your account—it's about the freedom to live authentically. Perfect for: Women over 40, midlife career changers, recent divorcées, pre-retirees, women entrepreneurs, and anyone questioning whether they're worthy of pursuing their heart's desires. Topics include: Financial planning, money mindset, career transitions, retirement alternatives, divorce and money, women's financial empowerment, entrepreneurship, investing, financial therapy, values-based financial planning, and life reinvention.

Information

  • Creator
    Laura Rotter, CFA, CFP® | Financial Advisor for Women in Midlife Transitions
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    131
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Laura Rotter, CFA, CFP® | Financial Advisor for Women in Midlife Transitions
  • Show Website
    Making Change with your Money

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