283. How to Turn Your Bills into Free Travel with Shakeemah Smith (The Passport Abuser)

283. How to Turn Your Bills into Free Travel with Shakeemah Smith (The Passport Abuser)

What if every bill you're already paying could get you closer to a free flight? Today I'm talking to Shakeemah "Keem" Smith — founder of Bills to Boarding Passes, solo travel educator, and the woman her family literally nicknamed The Passport Abuser — to talk about how she's traveled to nearly 100 countries without paying out of pocket for a single flight in three years. And no, you don't need a high-limit credit card or a six-figure salary to do this. Keem breaks down her Bills to Boarding Passes method, the airline partnerships most people have never heard of, why solo travel might be the most powerful thing you do for yourself this year, and the exact first steps to take this week, no matter your income, your debt situation, or your starting point. You’re gonna want to share this episode with a friend! Ready to turn your everyday bills into free flights? Sign up for our FREE Bills to Boarding Passes workshop with Keem & Tori: ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠ Compare the cheapest flights from all major airlines at ⁠Skyscanner.com⁠ Visit https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod to find our credit card recommendations and any other resources mentioned on our show! 00:00 Intro 01:36 Your Bills Are Your Boarding Passes 04:07 Airline Miles vs. Credit Card Points: What's the Difference? 07:05 How Airlines Make Money When You're Not Flying  09:32 Earning Miles on Your Utility Bills (NRG Partnership) 11:03 How Keem Got to Her First 20 Countries for Under $100  13:55 How to Travel for Free Without a Credit Card  16:22 What Started Solo Travel: A Friendship Betrayal in Amsterdam 19:10 Learning to Enjoy Your Own Company at 30 21:29 Traveling as a Black Woman — Safety, Research & Real Talk 28:24 Actionable Steps for the Woman Who Thinks She Can't Afford to Travel 31:44 Japan for $6 — Three Times (and Other Receipt-Worthy Receipts) 35:19 Treating Retailers Like You Treat Men: The 2-Out-of-3 Rule 38:44 Country That Surprised Me Most: Kuwait 39:31 The One Thing I Always Pack: A Carbon Monoxide Detector 41:27 Worst Travel Disaster: Saint Kitts Airport Scam 44:45 Best Flight Deal: $5 Flights as a Lifestyle 45:42 Most Underrated Solo Destination: Antigua and Barbuda 47:20 Final Message to the Woman Who Thinks Travel Isn't for Her Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

282. The $100K Blueprint: How I'd Save My First $100K in 2026

Yes, my $100K story has been in the New York Times, Business Insider, and on ABC News — and yes, I did it in 2019. But every time it goes viral, my DMs say the same thing: "Cool for you, Tori, but that was a different economy." So let's actually talk about it. In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly what I would do differently if I were starting from zero in my early 20s today — what still works from my original system, what I'd change, and why hitting your first $100K in 2026 is harder, but absolutely not impossible. This isn't a motivation episode. This is a framework episode built for the economy we're actually living in, with real numbers, real talk about systemic barriers, and a step-by-step system you can plug into your own money starting today. Want to build your first $100K, but not sure where to start? Visit ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠ to get my free guide. Get my HYSA recommendation, my book, Financial Feminist, and more resources from this episode at ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠ How I Saved $100K at 25: ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/how-to-save-100k/⁠  00:00 Intro 00:18 How Tori Hit $100K (Origin Story) 00:55 What Actually Went Into It 02:43 What Tori Didn't Have 03:28 Why 2016–2019 Was Different Than Now 07:18 What's Genuinely Harder Today 09:10 The Latte Factor Era Is Dead 10:03 The System Still Works 11:57 If I Was Starting Today 12:11 Step 1: Stop Trying to Be Perfect 15:22 Step 2: Don't Write Off Someone's Story 17:35 Step 3: Redefine What Your $100K Means 19:43 Step 4: Automate Your Savings 22:19 Step 5: Focus on Growing Income 23:57 Negotiate Every Job Offer 26:01 Step 6: Start Investing Now 29:11 Step 7: Values-Based Spending 31:11 The Full Plan Recap & Free Resource 32:28 Closing: You're Not Behind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

281. Build Wealth Without Leaving Your Culture Behind with Bricia Lopez

What if you never had to choose between building wealth and honoring where you came from? Bricia Lopez didn't –– and she built something incredible because of it. She grew up translating for her immigrant parents, learned money by watching her family create and lose and rebuild, and went on to become a restaurateur, cookbook author, and the woman behind one of LA's most iconic Oaxacan restaurants, Guelaguetza. Today she's sharing everything, the mindset, the hard lessons, the margarita vs. martini moment that changed how she thinks about her own worth. Come for the food, stay for the money talk. Bricia’s links: Website: https://www.ilovemicheladas.com/ Join the savings sprint to get your finances on track and take control of your money: https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod.  00:00 Intro  00:20 The First Money Lesson: You Can Just Make It 02:57 Being the Family Translator & Business Partner at 12 05:25 Redefining Success at Every Decade 09:08 Cutting Personal Comfort, Not Quality, During Hard Times 16:58 Why Bricia Talks Money Openly With Her Friends 17:22 The Margarita vs. Martini — Running Your Own Race 25:52 Why Customers Hesitate to Pay for Quality Mexican Food 26:37 The Importance of Knowing Your Worth 38:47 How Wealth Is More Than a Number 29:00 Building Something Meaningful Without Abandoning Your Roots 31:09 When Women Are Financially Free, the World Changes 32:38 Rapid Fire: Best Dish to Order, Desert Island Ingredients & More 38:58 Where to Find Bricia & What's Coming Next To stay up to date and find any other resources mentioned on our show visit: ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

280. How to Stop Making Emotional Financial Decisions with Dr. Nick

If you've ever thought, "I know what I'm supposed to be doing with my money, so why can't I just do it?"–– this episode is going to change everything. I'm sitting down with Dr. Nick, a licensed neuropsychologist and executive cognition specialist, to unpack the brain science behind why smart, capable women still make emotional financial decisions. We're going into the dopamine deficit that makes long-term financial goals feel impossible to start, the norepinephrine surge that only kicks in when things become an emergency, and why "I'm bad with money" is a story your brain makes up — not a fact about who you are. Dr. Nick breaks down how emotional dysregulation silently drives impulse spending, financial avoidance, and the boom-bust cycle so many of us know too well, and more importantly, how to build systems, practice self-compassion, and rewire your brain's relationship with money, one small win at a time. Dr. Nick’s links: Website: https://www.drnicolemurray.com/ Visit ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠⁠ to stay up to date and find any resources mentioned on our show. If you're feeling stressed about money, we've created a money plan to help you, no matter where you're getting started. Taking a quick 2-minute quiz to get your money plan at https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod In this episode: 00:00 How Emotional Decisions Shape Your Finances 01:47 Why Knowing Isn't Enough: The Brain Science 02:56 The Role of Dopamine in Financial Decisions 05:11 How to Create Urgency Before a Crisis 07:52 "I'm Just Bad With Money" — Debunked 10:15 What Is Emotional Regulation (And Why It Matters) 14:52 The Intensity Gauge: Rating Your Emotions 15:02 Managing the "Always at an 8" vs. Numb Baseline 17:29 Making Financial Decisions at a 5, 6, or 7 19:19 Replacing Mindless Spending With Systems 29:54 Willpower Is a Myth — Here's What Actually Works 32:11 The Case for Self-Compassion Over Willpower 35:43 The Boom-Bust Cycle of Financial Motivation 39:28 How Emotional Regulation Changes With Age 42:24 Preparing for Life's Transitions 49:00 Rebuilding Trust With Yourself and Your Money Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

279. Building REAL Confidence with Kara Loewentheil

If you've ever power posed in a bathroom mirror or blasted a Beyoncé song before a big negotiation hoping it would make you believe in yourself, this episode is going to completely change the way you think about confidence. I'm sitting down with return guest Kara Loewentheil, founder of The School of New Feminist Thought, host of the internationally top-ranked podcast Unfuck Your Brain, and author of the instant New York Times bestseller Take Back Your Brain, and we're getting into the real, evidence-backed truth about what confidence actually is — and why everything you've been told about building it is probably doing you more harm than good. Kara breaks down her Confidence Compass framework — self-knowledge, self-compassion, self-belief, and self-actualization — and why real confidence has nothing to do with a feeling or a pose, and everything to do with building a trusting relationship with yourself so you can take risks, go after your financial goals, and create the life you actually want. Kara’s links: Website: http://unfuckyourbrain.com/HSC  Unf*ck Your Brain podcast: https://schoolofnewfeministthought.com/podcasts/  Take Back Your Brain book: https://www.takebackyourbrainbook.com/  Visit ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠ to read the transcript and find any resources mentioned in this episode! 0:00 Intro 0:59 Confidence Is a Skillset, Not a Feeling 2:08 Why Power Poses and Beyoncé Songs Don't Work 4:19 Does "Fake It Till You Make It" Actually Work? 5:19 Kara's Background: Yale, Harvard Law, and Becoming a Coach 5:34 Betting on Yourself Without Feeling Confident 7:55 Confidence vs. Certainty and Control 9:30 Confidence as a Relationship with Yourself 12:02 The Confidence Compass Framework 14:40 Money, Shame, and Which Block Shows Up Most 16:47 How Shame Disguises Itself as Responsibility 19:37 The Permission Slip Problem 27:31 How to Uncouple Shame and Build New Beliefs 38:28 Unlearning Selflessness Without Feeling Selfish 43:04 Confidence Doesn't Come from Having Things — It Creates Them 45:37 Using the Confidence Compass for Money Goals 48:52 The Seeds of Who You Want to Be Are Already in You Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices