Beyond the balance

In This Episode We Talk About: Lacey Shrum did everything the safe way. Law degree, compliance career, steady paycheck. Then she watched how fast that safety could disappear and decided to build her own thing instead. Today she is the founder and CEO of Smart Kx, a fintech company serving registered investment advisors, and a mom of four running a household on structure, boundaries, and zero apolo...

In This Episode We Talk About What happens when an eight-year-old girl makes a promise to herself that she will never be financially trapped? She grows up, builds a SaaS company, helps lead it to a nine-figure exit, and then discovers that the money she chased for safety never actually made her feel safe. Danielle McKinley joins me for a raw, fire conversation about the money stories that drive us...

In This Episode We Talk About Molly Pierce is the CEO of Track That Advisor, a fintech and education company helping financial advisors understand their numbers and scale with clarity. She is also a wife, mom of two wild and wonderful boys, an Arizona native who grew up on a dairy farm with 4,000 cows and six siblings, and the kind of woman who wakes up at 4:30 a.m. and has already crushed Pilates...

In This Episode We Talk About Katie Levine went from interning at Vogue and assisting Annie Leibovitz to becoming one of the first female assistants on that team in a decade. She has photographed celebrities, shot magazine covers, and built a career most people dream about. And then she became a mom. In this episode, Katie and I get into the identity shift that blindsides you when motherhood colli...

In This Episode We Talk About What does it look like to rebuild your relationship with money, raise a financially savvy kid on your own, and still show up fully in every area of your life? Rhiana Whitmire is doing all three. In this episode, we get real about money habits, single motherhood, the power of community, and what it means to rise after loss. Rhiana is writing a series of financial liter...

In This Episode We Talk About Kristen Cantrell has built something most people would consider impossible: 42,000 moms in a national real estate community, Hello Culture chapters in 38 cities (and Canada), 400 agents in her real brokerage group, and two podcasts. And she did all of it as a mom of two boys, without a roadmap, in an industry she landed in because she refused to go back to a job that...

In This Episode We Talk About Sue Kuraja built her career in financial services sales and distribution the hard way, from mining high-net-worth clients at a bank to going 1099 as a wholesaler for MassMutual, all while raising four kids without a village in a city she moved to on faith. In this episode, Sue gets real about the job offer she turned down because they asked her to promise she would no...

In This Episode We Talk About Lindsey Lewis is a CFP, COO, Managing Director, Investment News 40 Under 40 recipient, and a mom of two who once won a silver medal in pole vaulting. She is not doing one thing well. She is doing everything with purpose these days. In this episode, Lindsey pulls back the curtain on what it actually looks like to build a career in financial services as a woman, navigat...

In This Episode We Talk About Lindsay Evans spent 22 years building a career in tech, data, and product management while navigating early motherhood, a cross-country move, a six-month postpartum breakdown, and a daughter's seizure that changed everything. Now she has made the leap from VP of Product to COO of her husband Andrew's RIA firm, and she is five weeks in and thriving. This episode is the...

Laura Hubbell is the Chief Information Officer and partner at one of the most well-established RIAs in the industry based in Atlanta. She is sharp, strategic, and the kind of woman who commands a boardroom. She is also the mom who sat across from her husband and had the real conversation about who handles pickup and drop-off. And some nights? Dinner is hot dogs and broccoli. Not because she failed...

In This Episode We Talk About Desaree Suttle didn't plan to be an entrepreneur. She planned to be a doctor. But life, a trip to Africa, a body that didn't cooperate, and a father-in-law who saw something in her rerouted everything. Now she runs a real estate firm, an interior design company, an HVAC business, and a pilot car company her mom manages. This episode is raw and real: how Desaree built...

In This Episode We Talk About Toni Gonzales has been in financial services for 30 years — and she did it as a new grad, a newlywed, a new mom, a single mom, and now a blended family matriarch with four thriving adult kids and a granddaughter. This episode is for every mom who's ever wondered if she has to choose between building a career and building a family. Toni is proof that the answer is no,...

AI, Blended Families & Building Without Burning Out Lisa Mont-Ros is the Co-Founder and COO of Strategy Ninjas — an AI strategy and solutions company helping businesses implement artificial intelligence to reclaim their time and scale smarter. But before AI, Lisa built (accidentally) a 30-person, seven-figure transaction coordination company in the Pacific Northwest, scaled it, and sold it. Th...

Rachel Cameron doesn't just hold a big title, she's built every piece of it intentionally. In this conversation, we pull back the curtain on what it really looks like when a working mom is the primary breadwinner, her husband is the stay-at-home parent, and the whole system is built to let her show up fully at work AND at home. We talk about how she and her husband Chad made the decision to retire...

Nicole Kuck, founder of Prep and Peony, shares her journey from special education to legacy planning, driven by her passion for serving families with special needs. Her transition to legal planning and the support of her spouse highlight the importance of work-life balance and self-care. Nicole's approach to household roles and her dedication to serving others reflect her commitment to education a...

In This Episode We Talk About Chrissy's journey from social work to real estate, the impact of motherhood on her career decisions, and the challenges of balancing work and family life. Chrissy shares insights on rebuilding herself in a new career, marriage and as a new mom again. The importance of setting boundaries, time-blocking, and the importance of being present in the moment. Additionally, s...

In This Episode We Talk About Katie Hubbard shares her career evolution from real estate and construction management to wholesaler at Walton. She discusses the challenges and successes she experienced in her professional journey, highlighting the importance of adaptability and seizing opportunities. Additionally, she delves into the impact of motherhood on her career and the strategies she employe...

In This Episode We Talk About Jessica Perez and Charlotte Carson covers topics such as navigating a male-dominated industry, the challenges of motherhood, and the importance of support and identity. Charlotte shares her experiences as a working mom and the journey of raising her son as a young mother. She also discusses the struggles of being a woman in a male-dominated industry and the need for a...

In This Episode We Talk About The conversation with Kris Moore covers her journey in financial services, her role as a leader and community builder, and the challenges of balancing work and family life. Kris shares insights on leadership, personal growth, and the importance of maintaining a work-life balance. The conversation covers the themes of prioritizing connection in marriage, investing in p...

In This Episode We Talk About The conversation covers the transition from traditional medicine to functional medicine, the impact of functional medicine on health, the challenges of balancing career and motherhood, the importance of self-care and relationships, and the adjustments in daily life after motherhood. It provides insights into the differences between functional and traditional medicine...

In This Episode We Talk About The conversation covers Janae Rowe's journey from corporate work to entrepreneurship, the challenges of becoming a mom during the pandemic, and the balancing act of managing a full-time career while building a business. It also delves into the impact of motherhood on personal and professional life, highlighting the importance of self-care and support systems. The conv...

In this very first episode of Beyond the balance , Jessica Perez shares the story behind why this podcast was created and the journey that led her here. As a working and entrepreneurial mom, Jessica opens up about the realities of building a career, raising a family, navigating identity shifts, and carrying the invisible weight that so many women quietly hold. She reflects on the challenges, lesso...