Josette Mandela talks with Nathalie Mansueti Stratton, co founder of Hearth, about how her upbringing as the daughter of immigrants shaped her money mindset, career choices, and approach to family life. Nathalie shares how she moved from architecture into tech and then entrepreneurship, and why she built a household coordination product for moms and families after living the problem herself.In this episode, they discuss how immigrant money habits can turn into scarcity thinking, why Nathalie sees money as a tool for expansion rather than hoarding, and how Hearth helps families reduce the mental load with a shared system for calendars, routines, and to do lists. Key topics: Nathalie shares how growing up in Bogotá, Colombia, then moving to the United States at age 8 shaped her sense of responsibility as the eldest daughter.She explains the financial habits she learned at home, including saving, giving, and a strong emphasis on security, and how those lessons later needed to be unlearned.The conversation centers on her shift from seeing money as something to preserve into seeing it as a tool to fund education, travel, business, and new experiences.Nathalie describes leaving architecture grad school after realizing the career path would not give her the financial freedom or family flexibility she wanted.She explains how architecture skills like systems thinking, design thinking, and analytical problem solving translated directly into product design and startup work.Nathalie walks through the origin of Hearth, which began during COVID after interviews with families who were managing life with whiteboards, sticky notes, agendas, and text messages.She says Hearth is built around a 27 inch touch display plus a companion app, with calendars, to do lists, routines, meal planning, and family coordination tools in one place.She discusses the product decision process, including an early mistake around screen size and how feedback from families in New York and Denver helped the team land on the right balance.Nathalie explains the company’s belief that kids are capable and benefit from chores and shared responsibility, which reduces the burden on moms.She closes with advice for women who feel overwhelmed: take one small step that feels uncomfortable, create community, and define what independence and freedom mean on your own terms. Connect with Nathalie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathalie-mansueti-stratton/ I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Josette and the The Empowered Money Girl podcast team Visit Josette’s website here: http://www.josettemandela.com/ Listen to The Empowered Money Girl on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/61pX81PVR5wWKuwVeku1MK Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-empowered-money-girl/id1828162793 Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/110858f4-ca71-492a-8f92-be8a140c87a1/the-empowered-money-girl #FinancialConfidence #WomenEmpowerment #Entrepreneurship #Insurance #FinancialIndependence #BusinessGrowth #theempoweredmoneygirl #josettemandela #femaleleaders #executivewomen #womeninbusiness #femalefounders #careerwomen #financialempowerment #purposeandprofit #womeninfinance #podcastforwomen #womenwholead #executivemindset #leadershippodcast #womeninpower #redefiningsuccessThe Empowered Money Girl is a podcast for ambitious women who are building careers and lives on their own terms. Hosted by Josette Mandela, each episode features honest conversations with female leaders from across the country—founders, executives, and changemakers who’ve carved their own paths in business, finance, and beyond. From money mindset and leadership to career pivots and personal growth, this show brings real stories and practical insights for women who want more than just success—they want meaning, freedom, and impact.
