WINii: MoneyBites

Finding passion in career vs life has been a recurring theme in our interviews at MoneyBites. Silvia had successfully sold multiple companies. But the realities of payout and the grind coming to a halt had her reflecting on her next steps. She felt a pull to still prove something to herself. For years, she’d built tech companies alongside her husband and brother. But this time, she wanted to step...

Maria wrote her dream job into existence—and it came true. She envisioned the exact role, the scope, the team culture, even how she’d receive the offer—on a beach in Costa Rica. Then NVIDIA called with an offer, and yes, the role was as she imagined. But Maria’s journey wasn’t all manifestation and sunshine. Her mindset shift was sparked by a painful experience—watching her beloved uncle suffer fr...

Hyun’s career has been anything but typical. She helped launch Airbnb in Korea—building everything from the ground up like a scrappy startup, but with the backing of a global brand. It was one of her biggest career highs—but what came before and after was just as compelling. Did you know international students often pay more for student loans? Hyun did—and it shaped the career decisions she had to...

They say you don’t quit jobs—you quit managers. I’ve had a toxic boss whose explosive anger left me shaking on the commute home. Sadly, Helen faced a similar situation. But unlike me, she found her voice—and a smart, strategic way out. In this episode, Helen shares how she stood up to a workplace bully and rewrote her own story. We also dive into her incredible career pivot from translator to inst...

Did you know up to 70% of mental health conditions may be misdiagnosed? Rui is on a mission to change that with her mental health AI startup. But her path to entrepreneurship is anything but typical. Rui worked in AI before large language models went mainstream. As her corporate career accelerated, the pandemic hit—prompting deep reflection on work, identity, and mental health. It also brought bac...

What do crisis managers really do? I thought they were pessimists, always expecting the worst. But Marnie showed me they’re actually optimists—people who believe they can still make a difference. In this episode of MoneyBites, Marnie shares why she left government after the Capitol attack and opens up about her personal cancer scare, at a time when women under 50 face the highest rise in cancer di...

Neta has one of the coolest jobs I know. She leads workplace innovation—having scaled Meta’s internal hackathons globally, and now serving as Director of Innovation at Okta. But her path wasn’t always smooth. Despite a decade of success as a hardware engineer at Broadcom, returning to the workforce after maternity leave brought crushing interview experiences that led her to pivot industries entire...

What would it take to walk away from a high-paying role as Head of Engineering at a top tech company? For Nancy, it came down to one question: Can I see myself in the company leadership’s shoes 10 years from now—and feel excited about it? The answer was no. She didn’t envy their path, and that realization gave her the clarity to break the golden handcuffs and launch her own startup. In this episod...

In this episode, Shoma gets real about what it’s like when your career hits pause and how it taught her a big lesson: _you are not your job_. We chat about the power of building an identity beyond the 9-to-5, why multiple income streams are a must, and how the tech job hunt isn’t as simple as “just get a referral” anymore. Come hear about Shoma's career, money, and life journey on WINii's...

Kati’s career journey went from leading a wild salmon research study to driving sustainability initiatives at major tech companies like Google , Meta , and Adobe . What I find most inspiring about Kati isn’t just her commitment to building a purpose-driven career—it’s her willingness to continuously reassess what success and wellbeing truly mean. During COVID, she was white-knuckling her job, conv...

We've heard some fascinating origin stories, but never a clarinet repair business owner turned software engineer. Melanie loved her work, but like many small businesses, one down side was the brutal hours. Every hour she spent at her repair bench was directly tied to her income. Time off? Practically impossible. That is, until life forced her to pivot. Through a series of unforeseen events, Melani...

Katherine is a rare combination of being wicked smart and super grounded. Five minutes of talking to her, and it's clear she has mastered her craft as a product marketing manager. What I didn't know about her, is that Katherine started her career in standup comedy. (No wonder she’s so articulate and quick on her feet!) What I learned about her through this interview was her superpower. Per her man...

This was another fun interview where I got to learn about a new role at Meta that I didn't know existed. Ever wondered who brings 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 avatars to life in the Metaverse? Natasha shares how art producers connects concept artists, animators, engineers, and researchers to shape groundbreaking ideas. While Natasha's journey into tech was an interesting one, what also resonated with me was her em...

I heard about Imposter Syndrome in many professional women's circles. I identified with it - especially in recent years when I switched both role (from program manager to product manager) and industry (from ad tech to AI). Walking on tight rope feeling underwater and unsure in my abilities. Jossie Haines brings a refreshing new perspective. She channels Reshma Saujani's bold assertion that imposte...

Should you follow your passion? Joelle found her passion early. She was getting her doctorate in archeology, when she hit her highest career and lowest life satisfaction levels. Her career in academia wasn't sustainable though - it took her years to work through the burn out. So Joelle pivoted her career into tech, shifting research from neolithic to modern day human behaviors. Her chase to a more...

Ever wonder how you can become an art collector? Did you know corporations like Meta have art divisions dedicated to surfacing local artists and introducing their artworks around global offices? Fola is at the intersection of both experiences. Come hear her career journey stewarding art in corporations, while as the founder of ISE-DA, also helping the next generation of art collectors invest in bl...

This is a difficult but inevitable conversation - how to support your parents as they pass. As an only child, I tear up even thinking about this topic. It was one of the toughest conversation I've had in my life, but my parents and I have discussed how they wish to be treated post life. Mary shares her experience in dealing with her brilliant father's mental illness towards the end of his...

I probably won't enter C-Suite at my current company. But have I daydreamed about rising higher up the org? Absolutely. This was a fun one to record because it itched my own curiosity. ❓ What do you do when you feel your career is stuck? ❓ Why (and how) women should brag at work ❓ What you (and your company) can do to bring more women into the C-Suite Come hear Bhavana's career and mone...

Amanda is one of the most infectiously vivacious co-workers I've had the privilege of working with. So I was surprised when she shared her experience of burning out while working in tech. Having gone through several burnouts myself - in an odd way, it was heartening to commiserate and empathize. Plus the advantage of getting inspired by Amanda's resilience and her proactive approach to int...

Cristina packed her bags and moved to San Francisco without a job lined up. She wanted to prove herself, and one day work at a company whose name was instantly recognizable. She made bets on herself and it paid off big time - Cristina became the 30th employee at Spotify in the US. She rode the startup rollercoaster alongside the company, embracing Spotify's innovative "tours of duty"...

0:00 Intro 3:18 From college degree in Geography to tech 5:07 Spotting red flags for roles/career 7:20 Budgeting while living in NY 9:36 Switching roles in same company 12:02 Balancing work/life satisfaction 16:00 Was student loans worth college experience? 18:35 Supporting parents financially 20:14 Shifting life perspective after a personal tragedy

Christy was disillusioned with the American Dream. Coming from an immigrant family, she worked hard believing her college degree will be her ticket to success. It was not. What was more important to Christy's success was her hustle (she started her own company when opportunities were slim picking), tenacity (her commitment to hit every networking event she can attend), and the final secret sau...

Linda wanted to become a singer. She came from a musical family and had the talent to go professional. However, through her career in music and later on in tv production, she saw how difficult it can be as a women in front of media. So she sought out a career where she can maintain autonomy - by becoming a software engineer. I was fascinated by Linda's process in finding career advancing oppor...

I haven't laughed this much in a podcast. Ashley shares her intense affection for The Walt Disney Company, while sprinkling in her career journey - from the start of her career at Time Inc. (she built some amazing memories while living with her grandma + saved enough to buy her first home afterwards), to her work experience taste tasing ice cream as a finance manager at Unilever, and later at ...

Reny was deeply influenced by her family. She was inspired by her grandmother's journey and work ethic moving with nothing from DR, to building a life and foundation for her family through #realestate investing in the US. Her older sister also was a positive influence in entering the world of #advertising (though some healthy sibling rivalry had Reny looking elsewhere at first). Reny has since...