Social Work to Wealth Podcast

Today’s episode is all about the corporate side of social work! We sat down with Peter Mostachetti, LMSW, who went from a 25-year career in tech at IBM to leading employee experience, learning, and inclusion at IPSY, the largest beauty subscription company. Peter breaks down what corporate social work really is, how he applies the “person-in-environment” approach in HR, and why social workers are...

In this episode, we are doing something a little different! Faith and I are reacting to the conversation that transpired on LinkedIn after I posted: “Don’t post your job for a master’s level clinician if it doesn’t pay at least $100K.” The post got a lot of traction.... essentially went viral. Thousands of reactions, hundreds of comments, and a mix of support and pushback from folks across the fie...

Welcome to the Salary Series! This is a mini-series where we’re getting into the real numbers behind what social workers make. In this episode, I’m talking with Erika Morris, MSW, a forensic social worker who went from making $44/hr straight out of grad school to making up to $95/hr as a contractor in Washington state. Erika breaks down what forensic social work actually is and how working on publ...

This week, we are excited to welcome Jerrel Peterson, MSW, to the podcast! He’s the Head of Global Content Policy at Spotify, and formerly held a trust & safety role at Twitter. Jerrel walks us through his journey from direct practice in mental health to landing a job in tech. We dive into what “trust and safety” means in tech, how his team develops interventions for content-related harm, and...

In this episode, we’re joined by Aja Evans, financial therapist and licensed mental health counselor, to talk all things feelings and finances. We get into what financial therapy actually is, why our money habits are deeply emotional, and how unprocessed shame and avoidance are holding so many of us (especially those of us in helping professions) back from financial clarity and peace. Aja gives us...

In this episode, I’m talking with Lauryn Williams, CFP®, and consultant with Student Loan Planner, about what’s really going on with student loans right now, especially for social workers trying to make sense of repayment, forgiveness, and all the recent changes. We break down the current repayment options, what’s happening with the SAVE plan, and how the new RAP plan is expected to work (when it...

In this episode, I’m talking with Leslie Taylor, MSW, about what it looks like to leave traditional social work and build a career in tech, and specifically in the growing field of Trust & Safety. Leslie shares her career journey from intensive in-home therapy to working at organizations like Snap and Adobe. We get into what Trust & Safety actually means, how social workers are already equ...

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Ashley Stephens, LCSW-S, a social worker, supervisor, and consultant who shares how she built a career that’s financially stable and aligned with how she actually wants to live. Ashley walks us through her early money story and how she started creating multiple income streams, from clinical work to supervision, retreats, teaching, and consulting. We get into the...

In this episode, I’m joined by Amber Joiner-Hill, MSSW, a social worker and consultant who shares her story of how she transitioned from a traditional role in social work to starting her own consulting business. Amber walks us through everything from grad school to AmeriCorps, to the moment she said “no more toxic jobs” and built her own path. We get into the nitty gritty of program evaluation, se...

How do you actually write a bill and get lawmakers to take it seriously? In this episode, we’re talking with Dan and Monique from Payment for Placements in New York, two social workers who helped draft and introduce a pilot bill to pay MSW interns in New York State. They walk us through the entire process, from gathering a team to drafting the bill language, finding the right sponsors, and pitchin...

If you've been curious about consulting but unsure where to start, this episode is packed with gems! I’m joined by Christina Broderick-Royes, LSW, founder of Intention Elevation, to talk about what consulting actually is , how social workers can step into it, and why your experience is already more than enough. We get real about pricing, packaging your services, tapping into your network for leads...

In this episode, we’re diving into salary data from over 700 social workers who filled out our anonymous income survey . We talk about who’s hitting six figures, where they live, what jobs they have, and how long they’ve been in the field. But it’s not only about the numbers... we also get into the very real barriers social workers face when it comes to increasing income: expensive licensing proce...

Budgeting isn’t one-size-fits-all, and we’ve had our fair share of budgeting "fails". In this episode, we’re walking through how we budget now, what systems we tried (and ditched), and what finally made a difference in helping us feel more in control of our money. We talk about fun money accounts, money dates with our partners, and the power of automation. We also chat about how our values and min...

This week, we’re diving into a budgeting convo with Maureen Paley, MSW, AFC®, a financial coach and fellow social worker who brings both financial savviness and deep empathy. With a background in investment management and social work, Maureen gets the unique money struggles of our field and is here to help us reframe how we think about budgeting. We talk about the emotional side of money, why sham...

In this conversation, we’re joined by Eva Forde, MSSW, founder of Rich Social Worker and the Social Work Wealth Conference, to talk about what it really looks like when social workers claim their worth—financially, personally, and professionally. Eva shares her raw story of financial struggle, survival, and eventually building a business that empowers other social workers to rethink their relation...

Doing international social work sounds amazing in theory, but how do you actually do it? In this episode, we’re getting into the details. Faith talks through her experience moving to Switzerland and building a social work career internationally. She shares what worked, what didn’t, and the things she wishes someone had told her before making the move. Plus, we share resources if you’re seriously c...

How do we get social work interns paid? In this episode, we chatted with Jess Riley, BSW, and Jacqueline Guan from Payment for Placements (P4P), a grassroots movement fighting to make paid internships the norm for social work students. Jess and Jacqueline share their organizing journeys, the realities of advocating for paid placements, and the larger impact this issue has on equity and access in o...

In this episode, we were joined by Pilar Bonilla and Aiden Bondurant from Payment for Placements (P4P), an organization fighting for social work students to be compensated for their labor. We dive into the challenges of changing perceptions around student labor, the biggest roadblocks to securing funding, and the legislative efforts currently in motion to make paid placements a reality. We also ch...

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Marina Badillo-Diaz, aka The AI Social Worker, a school social worker turned AI enthusiast and consultant. Dr. Badillo-Diaz is breaking down the intersection of AI and social work, discussing the implications, practical applications, and everything in between! Dr. Badillo-Diaz also shares her insights and experience about building her consulting business and gr...

We're excited to welcome Nicki Sanders, MSW, a career coach and leadership development expert helping professionals break free from the outdated belief that passion and financial security can’t coexist. We dive into the indoctrination that keeps social workers stuck in low-paying roles, unpack the toxic messaging that keeps social workers struggling financially, and explore how we can shift the pr...

We are back again finishing our conversation with Sam where she shares her journey of taking control of her finances while navigating the challenges of student loans, credit card debt, and building savings. Sam gets real about the highs and lows of her financial journey- from her struggles with shame and overspending to her incredible progress paying off debt and boosting her savings. In this epis...

We are excited to welcome our very first guest, Sam, a licensed clinical social worker with an inspiring and relatable journey. Sam shares her path into the social work profession, opening up about the challenges she’s faced, from managing student debt to navigating salary growth and overcoming financial barriers along the way. In this episode, you'll learn: The impact of financial literacy on stu...

In this episode, we dive into our personal journeys with debt, salary progression, and the often-taboo topic of money within the social work profession. We share our experiences with student loans, financial strategies, and the importance of financial transparency. We also discuss the challenges social workers face regarding income and the societal messages that influence their perceptions of wort...

This is our first episode of the Social Work to Wealth podcast! As your hosts (Taylor and Faith), we felt it was important to introduce ourselves and share our journeys into the field of social work. We also discuss the challenges and rewards of our careers, the motivation behind starting the podcast, and our vision for empowering social workers to achieve financial literacy and wealth. Thanks for...