Get Smart with Money Podcast

In this episode of Get Smart With Money , Dayna Hernandez sits down with Danial Jiwani , author and speaker focused on wealth-building, critical decision-making, and resilience. Danial's story offers a very different perspective on financial security. While working in the Middle East, he faced an extraordinary personal crisis that resulted in his assets being frozen and his detention before ev...

What if success has less to do with knowing the numbers and more to do with the mindset behind the decisions? In this episode of Get Smart With Money, Dayna Hernandez sits down with Chris Hallberg, also known as “The Business Sergeant.” Chris is a military veteran, business leader, and leadership coach who brings a unique perspective on discipline, accountability, leadership, and decision-making....

Welcome to the Get Smart With Money Podcast! In this episode, Dayna sits down with Phil Calandra, a financial expert with more than 30 years of experience helping business owners, entrepreneurs, and families make smarter financial decisions. After building and selling a successful financial advisory business, Phil has dedicated his career to helping people simplify money and focus on what truly ma...

Are You Running Your Business, or Is Your Business Running You? | Forrest Derr What happens when your business becomes so dependent on you that you can't step away? In this episode of the Get Smart With Money Podcast, Dayna sits down with Forrest Derr, a Fractional COO, integrator, and operations coach with more than 28 years of experience helping small and mid-sized businesses build structure...

What does it really take to rebuild your life after hitting rock bottom? In this episode of the  Get Smart With Money Podcast , Dayna sits down with  Jay Sapovits , President of Ink'd Stores, serial entrepreneur, and someone whose remarkable journey proves that our greatest challenges can become our greatest strengths. After leaving home at just 18 years old, Jay pursued opportunity in Las Veg...

Have you ever wondered if you're really on track financially? In this episode of the Get Smart With Money Podcast, Dayna sits down with Scott, creator of Financial Fitness Passport™, to discuss a simpler, more practical approach to financial planning. Scott explains why so many people struggle with financial decisions and introduces tools designed to help people understand where they stand, pr...

What does it really take to start over and build a life with purpose? In this episode of the Get Smart With Money Podcast, I'm joined by Victor, Co-Founder and President of Avendo LLC, to talk about his incredible journey from leaving former Yugoslavia to building a successful business in the United States, leading it through a successful exit after more than 20 years, and starting a new chapt...

What if paying down debt and building long-term wealth didn’t have to be two completely separate goals? In this episode of the Get Smart With Money Podcast , I sit down with Ron Harris , CEO of Financial Literacy Group, MBA, author, speaker, and Tax-Free Retirement Income Professional, to explore a different perspective on debt, cash flow, financial protection, and long-term wealth building. Ron i...

What does true wealth really mean? In this episode of the Get Smart With Money Podcast, Dayna Hernandez sits down with Mark Wade, a financial advisor with nearly five decades of experience helping individuals and families build wealth, protect their assets, and create meaningful legacies. But Mark's story goes far beyond financial planning. Growing up in Newark, working multiple jobs through c...

Michael Uadiale is not your typical CPA.With over 25 years of tax and financial expertise, Michael has helped clients collectively save more than $15 million in taxes while building smarter pathways toward long-term financial freedom. As the founder of SMEED CPA, a 7-figure firm and member of the Tax-Free Wealth Network, Michael specializes in helping entrepreneurs think differently about taxes, w...

In this powerful episode, Dayna sits down with Joseph Shalaby, founder and CEO of E Mortgage Capital, to unpack a story that goes far beyond business. From arriving in the U.S. as a child fleeing religious persecution in Egypt, to building a nationwide mortgage company from scratch, Joseph shares the real lessons behind resilience, reinvention, and long-term success. We talk about: Starting over w...

In this episode of the Get Smart with Money Podcast, Dayna sits down with entrepreneur and former Disney executive Vance Morris to explore the powerful lessons behind world-class customer service, resilience, and building businesses people truly love. Vance shares his unique journey—from running restaurants at Disney to facing bankruptcy and eventually rebuilding successful brick-and-mortar busine...

In this episode of the Get Smart with Money Podcast, Dayna sits down with Neil to unpack what it really takes to build a profitable Amazon FBA business. Neil shares his success path, the lessons learned behind the scenes, and the mindset shifts required to move from uncertainty to sustainable income. This conversation isn’t about overnight wins — it’s about systems, discipline, and making smart fi...

In this episode of Get Smart with Money, Dayna sits down with Peter Maher, CEO of Ovanti US, to discuss how fintech innovation can create real financial inclusion — not just more debt. With over 15 years of experience building and scaling fintech companies, Peter is leading a movement in the short-term payments space focused on accessibility, trust, and smarter alternatives to traditional credit a...

Remote work is everywhere—but most people are doing it wrong. In this episode of Get Smart with Money, Dayna Hernandez sits down with Steven Puri, former EVP at DreamWorks, VP at 20th Century Fox, 3x tech CEO, and founder of The Sukha, a global productivity community with over 34,000 members. After more than 20 years leading remote teams across Hollywood and tech, Steven shares the unexpected less...

Building Unshakeable Confidence: How Mindset Shapes Leadership & Money In this episode of the Get Smart with Money Podcast, Dayna Hernandez sits down with Simone Knego, a two-time TEDx speaker, bestselling author, and confidence expert, to explore how authentic confidence impacts leadership, mindset, and everyday financial decisions. Simone shares practical insights from her signature REAL Met...

In this episode, I sit down with Bob Frady, CEO and co-founder of PropertyLens, to uncover the hidden financial risks of homeownership—and how to avoid them. Bob shares lessons from building HazardHub (later acquired by Guidewire) and now PropertyLens, where he helps homebuyers and real estate professionals spot costly surprises before they derail finances. With decades of experience in risk and i...

In this episode, Dayna sits down with George Thomas — financial coach, licensed banker, and founder of The Financial Constructor — to break down the truth about building wealth without overcomplicating it. George has spent years helping individuals and families move from  “barely making it”  to finally gaining clarity, confidence, and control over their finances. His practical, simple strategies h...

In this episode of the Get Smart with Money Podcast, Dayna Hernandez sits down with Kira Shishkin, a 4-time entrepreneur and the founder & CEO of informed, a news concierge service designed to help you “know more, read less.”With a career that spans fintech, venture capital, crypto mining, and strategy consulting, Kira has built and scaled companies worth hundreds of millions — but his latest...

In this episode, I sit down with Kate Assaraf, founder and CEO of DIP, the brand redefining hair care with sustainable shampoo and conditioner bars.  Kate shares her journey of building a mission-driven business, the challenges of scaling a product that puts people and the planet first, and how she’s shaking up the beauty industry with innovation and heart. You’ll walk away from this episode inspi...

In this episode, I sit down with Jimmy Rios, founder of Eye Level to High Level™, to share strategies for scaling businesses, securing non-recourse funding, and optimizing financial planning. With 20+ years of experience, Jimmy explains how his team creates custom roadmaps for lasting growth—covering credit, taxes, and operational efficiency. Hear real success stories from entrepreneurs who have u...

In this episode of the Get Smart with Money Podcast, I sit down with Julia and Gino Barbaro — Certified Money Coaches (CMC)®, entrepreneurs, and co-hosts of The Julia & Gino Show — for an inspiring conversation about faith, family, and financial freedom. As parents of six and partners in both life and business, Julia and Gino share how they’ve built a thriving real estate portfolio of over 1,8...

In this episode, I sit down with  Lori Pappas , entrepreneur, author, and humanitarian, to talk about how life’s toughest challenges can become the foundation for purpose, peace, and prosperity. Lori’s journey is one of powerful transformation — turning personal adversity into a series of successful ventures that inspire others to do the same. Through her work and her book  “The Magic of Yes,”  Lo...

In this episode, I sit down with  Matthew Stafford , Managing Partner of  Build Grow Scale , to discuss the art and science of scaling eCommerce businesses through data, psychology, and emotional intelligence. With over three decades of entrepreneurial experience across multiple industries — from brick-and-mortar to software — Matthew has helped hundreds of brands grow beyond seven figures and rea...

In this episode, Kim helps me personally but many others with one simple rule: think of your income as a percentage when you are saving some of it and do it first before anything else! Kim Kent is Perth's leading Money Mindset and Financial Coach, renowned for her transformative Wealthy As F*ck money coaching program. With over a decade of entrepreneurial experience, she's helped countless women o...