My Story

Anxiety. I’ll never forget the feeling I had while sitting alone at my dining room table the evening I decided to launch my own business. I had been unhappy at my job for months and was finally facing down the “either/or decision.” Either I stay, or I go. I was being pushed to partner with somebody I wasn’t a fan of and facing the prospect of what my career would look like by choosing to stay with the firm. 

Even as a financial planner, I was terrified to start a business. Though I had done a massive amount of research, I had resisted for years and consistently pointed to our finances as a reason to not take the risk. “What’s the worst that could happen?” friends would ask. To be honest, I could extrapolate “the worst” to look pretty bad. “The worst” was that I would take the leap, find out I didn’t know what I was doing, have other people discover I didn’t know what I was doing, ruin my reputation, end up unemployable, run out of money, go into debt, and as all of these stories go, end up living on the streets. This narrative was strong that evening. 

My husband, who was serving as an officer in the Navy, was floating on an aircraft carrier somewhere in the Indian Ocean when I was facing down this decision. I needed to loop him in. It was over an hours-long email exchange that went late into the night that we laid out a more rational line of thinking. Despite my fears, I was bringing a lot to the table: 10 years of industry experience, a degree specifically in Financial Services, my CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™designation, a bulked up savings account, a creative eye, and the fact that if my business flopped, I was still very much employable.

It was time to take the leap. As it turned out, I did know what I was doing.

Workable Wealth launched as one of the first virtual RIAs in the country, influencing change in the industry and sparking conversation about making financial planning accessible to underserved populations. We merged with Abacus after six successful years.

How I’m expanding what’s possible with money

I strive to make money relatable, which breaks down emotional barriers and helps people to see what’s possible in their lives. I’m the creator and host of the financial education podcast, Work Your Wealth, which has over 165,000 downloads and author of Work Your Wealth: 9 Steps to Making Smarter Choices With Your Money.

I’ve been featured as a financial expert on major media outlets such as NBC, The Wall Street Journal, Glamour, NPR, The New York Times, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan, CNBC, Forbes, and more.

I’m proud to have been named to the “Top 40 Under 40” by Investment News, “10 Young Advisors to Watch” by Financial Advisor Magazine, and named a Top Ten Most Influential Advisor by Investopedia – a list that celebrates financial advisors making significant contributions to critical conversations about financial literacy, investing strategies, life-stage planning, and wealth management.

Outside of work, my passions include

If I’m not crunching numbers on my trusty HP-12C financial calculator, you can find me on my Peloton, reading a book, cornered by a 4 and 6-year-old who are constantly demanding snacks, writing, or having an adventure in or around San Diego with my family.