Financial Feminist

millionaire mindset: lever theory

What if the real reason you're not hitting your money goals has nothing to do with how hard you're working? In this millionaire mindset episode, I'm introducing you to the Lever Theory, the framework that completely changed the way I run my $7.5 million dollar business and manage my own finances. Ever felt like you're pushing a boulder up a hill and getting nowhere? Well this episode is going to reframe everything. We're talking about why hustle culture is lying to you, why you have to know your numbers before anything else works, and how to find the one single move that closes the gap between where you are and where you want to be. No grinding required. Visit ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠ to sign up for the free Savings Sprint and stay up-to-date on all resources mentioned on our show! The #1 Mindset Holding You Back podcast episode: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/142-the-1-mindset-holding-you-back-in-life/  00:00 Intro 00:47 Why working harder is almost never the answer 01:10 What Millionaire Mindset is about 03:19 Why hustle culture disproportionately traps women 04:07 The lie: more hours = more output = more worth 06:05 Grinding past a certain point is just expensive noise 08:45 You can't set goals if you don't know your numbers 10:05 The ostrich effect: putting your head in the sand 11:36 You cannot pull a lever you can't see 13:06 The Lever Theory explained 14:28 Finding the gap: a revenue example 15:43 The three questions to find your lever 18:35 Implementing the Lever Theory beyond business 20:49 Working smarter, not harder 22:09 Saving Sprint announcement 24:09 Why we resist finding the lever 26:14 The all-or-nothing mindset sabotaging your goals 27:10 Analysis paralysis and the fear of simplicity 29:21 How to find your lever (5 steps) 33:29 Your homework: find the lever this week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

285. Why You Stay Stuck in Jobs, Relationships, and Financial Patterns That Aren’t Working with Simone Stolzoff

Why do we stay in jobs, relationships, and financial patterns we know aren't working? Author and journalist Simone Stolzoff is back on the show to talk about his new book, How to Not Know — and the surprising answer has everything to do with our relationship with uncertainty. We're getting into the three certainty traps keeping you stuck, why more information is actually making your anxiety worse, the difference between one-way and two-way door decisions, and what it really takes to break the cycle when you can see the problem but can't seem to move. This is one of the most powerful conversations we've had on this show, and one you'll want to send to everyone you know. Simone’s links: How to Not Know: https://bookshop.org/a/90037/9781324089452 Learn the exact strategies to save money, pay off debt, improve your money mindset, increase your net worth, in The $100K Club. Get the details here: ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠. 00:00 Intro  01:08 Why Uncertainty Feels Worse Than Bad News 03:14 Three Certainty Traps: Comfort, Hubris & Control 04:49 Why We Struggle to Admit We Were Wrong 05:36 Identity, Doubling Down & Changing Your Mind 10:23 Why Our Tolerance for Uncertainty Is Declining 14:28 More Information, More Anxiety 16:18 Escalating Commitment 16:52 Stop Loss Strategies & Rules-Based Decision Making 20:13 Outsourcing Your Willpower & Knowing Your "Enough" 28:08 Connie & Andrew's "Year of Living Dangerously" 30:21 How to Run Your Own Low-Stakes Life Experiment 35:16 One-Way Door vs. Two-Way Door Decisions 44:39 Ghost Ships: Making Peace with the Paths Not Taken 50:39 The Miscarriage, the Uncertainty & Finding Your Anchors 54:54 How to Not Know Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

284. How to Be Less Lonely with Liz Moody

You might be the loneliest you've ever been — and have no idea why. One of my favorite guests and favorite humans, Liz Moody, is back on the show to talk about why loneliness isn't an exposure problem. It's not about being around more people. It's a discomfort problem. We're getting into why our frictionless, optimized lives are quietly killing our ability to connect, what it actually takes to build real friendships from scratch, why vulnerability is the shortcut nobody wants to take, and the one shift you can make this week that will move you toward deeper connection — no new plans required. Liz’s links: Website: https://www.lizmoody.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizmoody/  Podcast: https://www.lizmoody.com/the-liz-moody-podcast/  Book: A Hundred Ways to Change Your Life: http://Bookshopbookshop.org/a/90037/9780063333710  Not sure what to do with your money? Visit ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠ and take our FREE Money Plan Quiz to get your personalized money plan, and find any resources mentioned on our show! 00:00 Intro 00:13 Why We've Never Been More Connected — Yet More Alone 02:34 The "Creation Era" of Friendship & Why Discomfort Is the Price of Connection 03:23 The Cozy Era vs. The Creation Era of Friendship 06:17 Loneliness Is a Discomfort Problem, Not an Exposure Problem 11:37 Misdiagnosing Loneliness — What You're Actually Missing 13:05 The Harvard Study of Adult Development & the #1 Predictor of a Long Life 14:59 Face-Down Phone Theory & What Your Phone Is Costing Your Relationships 11:27 Match Theory: Stop Impressing, Start Finding Your People 17:32 The 50-Hour Rule: How Long It Really Takes to Make a Friend 21:17 From Transaction to Connection — Getting Past Tit for Tat 21:13 Human Beings vs. Human Doings: Productivity Culture & Friendship 38:21 Shared Experiences, Novelty & Building Deeper Bonds 38:16 "Abouts" — The Secret Ingredient to Lasting Friendships 50:24 Healthy Solitude vs. Loneliness (and Why Most of Us Never Actually Rest) 58:20 The One Shift to Make This Week If You Feel Lonely Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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