Tag: Financial Fluency

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When Work Becomes Optional: Redefining Retirement with Bernadette Joy (Ep. 101)

When Work Becomes Optional: Redefining Retirement with Bernadette Joy (Ep. 101)

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What happens when retirement stops being a finish line and starts being a choice?

What if the biggest barrier between you and financial freedom isn’t the math, it’s the mindset?

In this episode, I sit down with Bernadette Joy, author and CEO of CRUSH Your Money Goals®, for a candid conversation about what it really takes to take control of your finances, redefine what retirement means to you, and finally stop waiting for the “right” time to live the life you actually want.

We talk about the moment Bernadette discovered she had $72,000 in student loan debt she didn’t know was growing, how she paid off $300,000 in debt and reached financial independence, and why she believes financial fluency matters far more than financial literacy. This conversation will challenge how you think about money, work, and what retirement could actually look like for you.

Key takeaways:

  • How a shocking student loan balance became the turning point that led Bernadette to pay off $300,000 in debt
  • Why learning finances is more like learning a language than solving a math problem, and what that means for women approaching retirement
  • How the loss of a client changed Bernadette’s perspective on waiting for the “right time” to retire
  • What financial independence actually looks like when work becomes optional, not obligatory
  • Why women advocating for themselves in financial conversations is not just empowering, it is essential
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Connect with Bernadette Joy: 

About our Guest: 

Bernadette isn’t your typical financial expert—she’s a powerhouse with real-world experience. With two business degrees and a background in psychology, Bernadette knows how to blend academic knowledge with street smarts. As a first-generation Filipino American and former corporate employee, she intimately understands the stress of financial uncertainty, even when the paycheck looks promising.

She’s a featured money expert on CNBC, CNET, Forbes, MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance and has taken the stage at FinCon, SXSW, NASDAQ and TEDxHouston (just like Brene Brown!)

But here’s where Bernadette truly shines: she’s walked the walk. In just three years, she obliterated $300,000 of debt. And by her thirties, she achieved a net worth of over $2 million—all while working part-time hours. That’s right—she clocks in just 20 hours a week.

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Finding Your Financial Footing After Life’s Biggest Transitions with Tony Steuer (Ep. 88)

Finding Your Financial Footing After Life’s Biggest Transitions with Tony Steuer (Ep. 88)

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Major life transitions can leave you feeling lost and uncertain about your financial future.

How do you move forward when everything feels overwhelming? What questions should you even be asking when you’re navigating divorce, widowhood, or any significant financial change?

In this episode, I sit down with Tony Steuer, Author and Host of The Get Ready Podcast. Tony shares his perspective on why so many people freeze when facing financial decisions and how reframing your relationship with money, treating it like learning a new language, can transform confusion into confidence. We discuss practical steps for getting organized, recognizing red flags in advice you receive, and giving yourself permission to ask for help without shame.

Key Insights:

  • Why acknowledging overwhelm is the essential first step before making any financial decisions
  • The concept of financial fluency and how treating money like a new language removes shame from the learning process
  • Red flags that signal potentially harmful financial advice, including time pressure and isolation tactics
  • Simple organizational steps to inventory your financial life and understand what you actually have
  • How working with fee-based insurance consultants can provide unbiased reviews of existing policies
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Eric Blake: 

Connect with Tony Steuer: 

About our Guest: 

Tony Steuer, CLU, LA, CPFFE, is an internationally recognized financial preparedness advocate, award-winning author, podcaster and fintech advisor who is changing the way we think about money. Tony is the host of The Get Ready Money Podcast. Tony developed the Get Ready Movement to empower and educate people on all areas of personal finance. He is an Advisor at Insurance Nerds and Dingo Technologies, an expert content reviewer for Nerdwallet and Bankrate as well as a member of The Forbes Advisor Insurance Advisory Board. Tony is a five-time recipient of the Excellence in Financial Literacy Education Award as well as a member of the ThinkAdvisor’s LUMINARIES Class of 2022 as a Finalist in Thought Leadership & Education. Tony served as a long-term member of the California Insurance Department Curriculum Board.

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