Through powerful themes like mentorship, meaningful work, and the desire to build a life that feels aligned, Tara shares what stood out the most from her conversations with this inaugural season of female financial advisors.

She also speaks candidly about the quiet struggles many women face—juggling too much, navigating an industry that hasn’t always been built or welcoming for them, and questioning whether they belong.

This episode is both a reflection and an invitation—to think differently, to create more space, and to trust yourself in building a life and practice that truly fits.

Before taking a break, Tara shares what’s next, what she’s still figuring out, and why she believes this work—and this community—matters more than ever.

That realization led Joanne to build Birch Street Advisors, where she focuses on thoughtful planning and long-term client relationships.

In this episode of Her Life, Her Practice, Her Way, Tara talks with Joanne Burke about her journey from tax to planning, the courage it takes to evolve your career, and how her definition of success has changed over time.

Joanne also shares how she is entering the next phase of her firm—hiring and mentoring a new team member—and what she hopes the future of her practice will look like.

It’s a thoughtful conversation about clarity, growth, and building a practice that supports the life you actually want to live.

In this episode, Tara sits down with Oakland-based CFP®, Ella Taylor to explore environmental sustainability, systemic investing, philanthropy, and designing a life that truly fits.

Ella’s mission is bold: move as much capital as possible toward positive impact for our planet and the people on it. Her firm integrates sustainable investing, shareholder engagement, philanthropy consulting, and systemic investing — all grounded in deep, relational financial planning.

But this conversation is about more than investing.

Motherhood reshaped her ambition. She paused growing her firm. She stopped taking new clients for more than two years. She redefined what “enough” looked like. And now she is growing again — with more clarity and intention than ever.

In this episode, we explore:

• What systemic investing really means
• Why outsourcing felt harder than it looked
• How scarcity mindset can hide inside high performers
• Designing a firm around your values
• Letting ambition evolve without losing your drive
• Defining success on your own terms

Ella reminds us that impact does not require burnout — and that success can expand and evolve as we do.

Episode Highlights

• From pastry chef to CFP® — and rediscovering creativity inside finance
• Launching her firm at the start of COVID and feeling unexpectedly abundant
• Environmental sustainability as a true north
• What “systemic investing” means and why it’s the next iteration of impact investing
• Including a philanthropic consultant as part of the advisory experience
• Wrestling with money scarcity while building a thriving firm
• Extending maternity leave and pausing growth without regret
• Redefining ambition and deciding what “enough” looks like
• Choosing 60 households, four days a week, and deep relationships as her version of success
• Hiring from alignment, not urgency

She got into it because she thought she needed it as a young single mom.

Growing up, money was a source of stress and wasn’t talked about. It wasn’t something that was taught but she thought it was something she should learn so she started taking the financial planning classes and kept going.

She enrolled in a CFP program because she wanted and needed those skills for herself. She then wanted to help others with the knowledge and skills that she had learned. She knew that this information could make a difference in people’s lives.

Today, Melissa owns her own firm, Capital Wealth Planners, and primarily works with small business owners — many of them women who are the primary breadwinners in their families like she is. She understands them deeply because she had to learn how to run her own business too. She wasn’t trying to become a business expert — she had to become one.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• Why money is a learned skill (and why no one should feel embarrassed about not knowing it)
• The pressure women feel in this industry to prove themselves
• Choosing depth over scale
• Letting go of “more is better”
• And defining what “enough” really looks like

Melissa loves the impact she has on her clients’ lives. She helps business owners move from just trying to make ends meet… to being strategic, intentional, and building something that supports both today and their future.

There is always more to learn in this profession. And there is always more room to grow — not just financially, but personally.

This conversation felt honest and steady. I could relate to so many of the things Melissa said. I hope the episode gives you permission to build your practice — and your life — in a way that truly fits you.

Episode Highlights

• Melissa’s path into financial planning as a single mom who needed and wanted the skills for herself
• Growing up without conversations about money — and how that shaped her mission
• Why money is a learned skill, not a moral judgment
• Becoming a business owner — and realizing she had to learn how to run one and once again wanting to share that knowledge and expertise
• Working with small business owners who are often just trying to “keep the doors open”
• Helping clients shift from reactive to strategic
• The unique pressures women face in a male-dominated industry
• Choosing a smaller, deeper practice instead of chasing scale
• Delegating, outsourcing, and creating margin for herself
• Defining what “enough” looks like — personally and professionally

Kim shares how she grew into the role of advisor over time—initially not wanting to be an advisor—and why that early hesitation may be one of her greatest strengths today. She reflects on building long-term client relationships, creating asset models, and finding fulfillment in the positive impact she makes.

The conversation also explores the value of community, including the women’s group Kim is part of that prioritizes connection, friendship, and mutual support over competition.

This episode is a reminder that there’s no single right way into this profession—and that caring deeply, even feeling scared at first, can be a sign you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.

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Disclaimer - The opinions expressed in this podcast are for general informational purposes only and not for specific, individualized advice.

The information does not constitute financial or legal advice.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

The RIA is not liable for actions taken based on the podcast content.

In this episode, Tara sits down with Amy Irvine to talk about the courage it takes to build a financial planning practice that truly fits your life. Amy shares how loss became a wake-up call, why she walked away from a traditional AUM model, and what she learned when she realized she had planned for failure—but not for success. It’s a thoughtful, honest conversation about values, mentorship, and trusting your own voice as you design what comes next.

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In this episode of Her Life, Her Practice, Her Way, I sit down with Amy Irvine, founder of Rooted Planning Group, for a deeply human conversation about courage, intention, and what it really means to build a practice that fits your life.

Amy’s story isn’t one of chasing growth for growth’s sake. It’s a story shaped by loss, reflection, and a quiet but persistent inner voice asking, Is this the life I want to be living? After the sudden loss of her uncle, Amy found herself questioning not just how she worked—but why she worked the way she did. That moment became a catalyst for change.

She shares what it was like to leave a traditional AUM-based firm, launch a values-driven planning practice before “remote work” was normalized, and build a flat-fee model that prioritizes people over portfolios. Along the way, Amy speaks candidly about fear, self-doubt, and the realization that she had planned carefully to avoid failure—but not fully for success.

What stands out most is Amy’s humanity: her commitment to mentorship, her generosity with other advisors, and her willingness to talk openly about the emotional complexity of leadership and succession. Now, as she thoughtfully transitions her firm to the next generation, Amy is once again modeling what it looks like to trust, let go, and lead with integrity.

This episode is a reminder that you don’t have to follow someone else’s blueprint. You can build a practice rooted in your values, your voice, and the life you actually want to live.

Episode Highlights

• How personal loss became the wake-up call that changed everything
• Why Amy chose a flat-fee, planning-first model over traditional AUM
• The fear she didn’t talk about—and what finally pushed her forward
• “I planned for failure, not success”—and what she learned from it
• Building a practice before remote work was the norm
• Mentorship as both a gift received and a responsibility carried forward
• Navigating succession, identity, pride, and grief—at the same time

Episode Highlights

• How Kristen's childhood and her parents' divorce shaped her and led to years of disassociation and depression as a teen.
• What the restaurant industry taught her about people, prioritization, and operating in constant chaos — and why she still has “server nightmares.”
• Being passed over twice for management in favor of older men, and how that painful experience eventually pushed her out of restaurants and onto something different.
• Moving into commercial real estate and then the solar industry, where she essentially built “a company inside a company” and discovered she was an operations person at heart.
• Feeling like the “junk drawer” at work — the person everything gets handed to — and how that fueled her passion for dignifying operations roles.
• The leap into entrepreneurship and how her husband nudged her into it, even when stability felt safer.
• Why she calls business ownership “personal development on steroids” and what happens when things aren’t working and the mirror points straight back at you.
• Bringing her husband into For the Love of Systems: their complementary strengths, shared clients, proprietary frameworks — and the stress and uncertainty that surfaced a challenging season.
• Habit Story: the assessment that maps behaviors to the stories we tell ourselves, and how retaking it showed her how much she had actually changed.
• Trauma therapy, couples counseling, and the deep inner work that helped them come out the other side with a stronger marriage and clearer roles in the business.
• Her people-first approach: paying a small team well, offering benefits, and designing a digital-first company so she can treat employees like how she wants to be treated.
• Why she loves working with financial advisors - strong values alignment, and believes the future of advice is female — with mentorship as a key lever.
• How systems and tech (and good boundaries) help her manage ADHD and avoid burnout in both life and business.
• Designing a life around walking in nature, being close to trails in Columbia, MO, and defining success as freedom — including the dream of a four-day workweek.
• The sweetest part of all: after a hard season, her marriage is now the thing bringing her the most joy.

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In this conversation, I had the true pleasure of sitting down with Michelle Underwood Gass—with Paradigm Advisors. Michelle’s path makes you believe in serendipity and the ways life prepares us for the work we’re meant to do.

Michelle didn’t arrive in financial planning quickly or conventionally. Her journey spans four careers: tax accounting, working in a family office, hedge fund management, and finally financial / life planning. Every chapter added something essential. As she says, her work today is “a culmination of everything I’ve ever done and got me to my happy place.”

What stands out most is her deep love of people. Michelle is very curious, non-judgmental, and committed to treating everyone with dignity. It’s no surprise she found her calling in life planning, where the work moves beyond spreadsheets and goes into values, meaning, time, and what really matters.

Michelle has also built something rare: a truly humming team. Each person plays to their strengths, collaborates closely, and shares ownership of the client experience. Her clients don’t refer to themselves as “Michelle’s clients.” They say, “I’m a Paradigm client.” That team-based clarity takes intention and heart—qualities she embodies.

This episode is full of wisdom for anyone building a practice, questioning their next step, or wanting to serve from a place of purpose. Michelle is proof that our careers can evolve beautifully and surprisingly over time—and that when we listen to what lights us up, we find work that feels like home.

Episode Highlights

• • How Michelle’s four-decade journey through tax, family office, and a hedge fund unexpectedly led her to her true calling in financial planning.
  • Why discovering the Kinder life-planning approach felt like coming home—and how she uses money, time, and values as the foundation of her work.
  • The intentional way she built a four-person team where everyone works in their highest and best role.
  • What she loves most about planning: “seeing the sense of relief and fulfillment that our clients get once they realize that they’ve got this.”
  • Her early belief that she had to “master everything” before moving forward—and how she eventually learned to leap before everything was perfect.
  • How she defines the right client: engaged, willing to collaborate, and ready to invest time in their own financial life.
  • Why she wants more women in the profession—and how the industry can demystify the math and build confidence in women earlier
  • The power of simplicity: why complex strategies aren’t always better, and why helping people live the life they want matters more than any investment product.
  • Her reflections on designing a practice that fits her life now—balancing impact, growth, and making time for family and joy.
  • The wisdom she hopes younger advisors embrace: don’t wait until everything is perfected. “If you don’t try, you can’t fail. If you can’t fail, you’ve never done anything.”

This episode — the second part of my conversation with Shanna Due — is all about what it feels like to carry people through some of the biggest, most emotional and uncertain decisions of their lives. One of the things I love most about Shanna is her natural instinct to say, “It’s okay. I’ve got you.” She does that with her clients, with her students, with her kids, and honestly with anyone lucky enough to cross her path.

In this conversation, we talk openly about the beautiful and brutal parts of being an entrepreneur — the moments where everything feels like it’s clicking, and the next moment where you wonder what in the world you were thinking and whether anything is working at all. Shanna names the doubts out loud: the fear of making mistakes, the weight of wanting to do right by people, the pressure to get it “right,” and the emotional big highs and lows that comes with building something of your own.

We also talk about how quickly life can change — how many times women reinvent ourselves, often quietly, often alone, and often without giving ourselves credit for the courage it takes. From raising teenagers, to shifting careers, to redefining success, this conversation is a reminder that most of us are navigating more than we ever say out loud.

If you need encouragement, if you’re questioning your path, if you’re carrying something heavy, or if you’re trying to give yourself permission to choose a life that actually fits — Shanna’s voice will meet you right where you are.

Episode Highlights

• Shanna’s desire for every client to feel held, supported, and never alone in the messiness and challenges of college planning
• How she structures her work around parenting teens and honoring her definition of freedom
• The emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship — why it feels so extreme, and why it’s completely normal
• The pressure women feel to reinvent ourselves again and again, especially in midlife
• How “perfect” is often the enemy of good
• How Shanna built a niche practice from scratch, without a roadmap
• Why women are deeply needed in financial planning — and how to help more women enter the field
• The balance between boundaries, accessibility, and being human
• What success looks like to her now: choices, joy, meaning, and freedom

In this first part of our conversation, Shanna shares her path from growing up with financial insecurity to building Due Financial and helping families make thoughtful college decisions that fit academically, socially, and financially. We also explore what I call “money head trash” — the hidden beliefs that shape how we think, talk, and argue about money.

The conversation cut off when my power went out, but what we captured here is rich, real, and well worth a listen.

A PhD in educational psychology who became a financial advisor, Amy now runs two businesses—Juno Wealth Management and a study-skills coaching practice—while teaching, mentoring, and inspiring others to invest in themselves. A cancer survivor, certified hypnotist, and life long learner, she shares how curiosity, courage, and a growth mindset shaped every chapter of her life.

This high energy conversation radiates with humor, honesty, and heart. Amy reminds us that success isn’t just about achievement; it’s about joy, gratitude, and designing a life that fits who you are—one that lets you keep dancing, both literally and figuratively.

Episode Highlights

• Grew up a self-described “library kid” who loved learning—and turned that passion into a life of teaching, coaching, and advising.
• Discovered financial planning after training other advisors and “just kept saying yes” to new opportunities.
• After being diagnosed with ADHD in her twenties, Amy learned to give herself grace and build systems that help her thrive—leaning on support, focusing on her strengths, and showing up as her best self.
• Balances dual careers: wealth management and coaching for students with ADHD, test anxiety, or neurodivergence.
• Survived breast cancer and found healing through ballroom dancing—now competing nationwide.
• Practices fierce self-investment: hiring help, delegating, and leaning on her “village” to focus on her strengths.
• Creates space for growth and reflection with her annual birthday retreat—a personal strategy day for goal-setting and gratitude.
• Champions women in finance and beyond to trust themselves, take risks, and invest in their own development.
• Defines success not by work-life balance, but by purpose, joy, and presence.

In this episode, Jen Hushion shares how a leap of faith took her from Toronto to Prague, where she talked her way into a financial reporting job she knew nothing about… and then another leap that led her to New York, love, and an entirely new life.

From a creative writing degree to a CFP®, Jen’s path has been anything but linear. Yet every twist was shaped by her courage, her curiosity, her willingness to learn, and the people who believed in her along the way. Today, as a financial planner for women professionals, she blends heart and intellect—building trust through empathy, honesty, and storytelling.

This conversation explores the courage to leap, the power of support, and the call to make our profession more inclusive (and better).

Episode Highlights

• How early leaps of faith—from moving to Prague for a job she wasn’t “qualified” for to following her heart to New York—shaped Jen’s courage and curiosity.
• The pivotal influence of mentors and supporters, including a professor who encouraged her to pursue personal finance and her husband who backed her dream of becoming a CFP®.
• Building a practice rooted in empathy, narrative, and trust—especially for women physicians and professionals seeking connection, not just investment advice.
• Recognizing and addressing unconscious bias in financial education and advocating for more diverse, inclusive voices in the profession.
• The importance of lifelong learning, gratitude, and self-awareness in both personal growth and professional success.

In this conversation, Carl shares his first memories of money, his winding (and often accidental) path, and how his restless, “always in trouble” energy as a kid evolved into a career built on curiosity and creativity. He reflects on how the mountains quite literally saved his life, why he now thinks of his work as an adventure journal, and how hosting a women’s retreat became one of the most rewarding things he’s ever done. It’s a reminder to notice what matters, lean into authenticity, and never give up on the dream of doing life your way.

Episode Highlights

• How answering the wrong ad led Carl into financial services — and the serendipity that shaped his career.
• The first whiteboard sketch that sparked a global body of work on money and behavior.
• Why Carl describes his work as an “adventure journal” rather than self-help.
• Growing up “always in trouble” — and how he’s learned to embrace the right kind of trouble.
• How the mountains have been a refuge and even a lifesaver throughout his life.
• How Carl juggles multiple projects, retreats, and writing by learning to say no — even to things he loves.
• The decision to sell his firm after realizing it had become an anchor instead of a safety net — and what it teaches about updating goals and dreams.
• The role of authenticity in our lives and this profession.
• Why intentionally creating space for women and underrepresented voices makes the industry stronger and more interesting.
• The power of noticing small sparks of joy and following them.
• Carl’s reminder not to give up on your dream, even if it doesn’t fit the mold.
• His newest book of 101 sketches, and the mission behind it: helping more people talk about money in ways that matter.

Although her father, Brett Danko, is a well-known financial planning educator and firm founder, Abbie is determined to succeed on her own terms. Today, she’s in Merrill Lynch’s Advisor Development Program, building her career with intention while carrying forward her mom’s legacy of helping others.

In our conversation, Abbie shares:

• Why self-awareness matters more than “following the expected path”
• How her psychology background shapes her approach to advising
• The 3 powerful questions she asked mentors that shaped her journey
• What has surprised her about this industry
• Her passion for spreading awareness of financial planning as a rewarding career for women
• Why every advisor—and every person—needs a “hype person”

Today, as a single mother raising neurodiverse children who don’t fit neatly into the traditional school system, Sarah has also built a career that refuses to fit the mold—blending financial planning and financial therapy into a practice that honors healing, freedom, and possibility.

Her work as both a financial planner and a financial therapist is deeply personal. It’s about healing shame, rewriting money stories, and creating space for clients to see what’s possible. And it’s about crafting a life that allows her to be present for her children, to honor her own healing, and to define success on her own terms.

This episode isn’t just about career pivots or business strategies — it’s about resilience, about finding your voice after being silenced, and about choosing a path that honors your values and your freedom. Sarah’s journey is a powerful reminder that the “right way” is the way that works for you.

Episode Highlights

• Growing up in rural Pennsylvania as a pastor’s daughter and the heavy weight of purity culture
• Being betrothed at 14 to a 26-year-old youth pastor — and the miraculous intervention that ended it
• Carrying shame and trauma from abuse, and how years later therapy and courage helped her name it for what it was
• Losing both of her brothers (at different times) and walking through grief, while holding on for her sister, her parents, and her children
• Starting in financial services at 17, mentored by advisors who taught her both money skills and life skills
• Building her CFP® career against the odds — as a young woman in a male-dominated industry — and pushing through failure to pass the CFP® exam
• Choosing to walk away from traditional advisory roles when they conflicted with her values, and finding her way into financial therapy
• Navigating divorce, single parenting, and raising neurodiverse kids who don’t thrive in the traditional school system
• Creating a flexible, heart-centered practice that blends planning with therapy — giving clients clarity and confidence while honoring her own healing journey
• The wealth of relationships: finding her people, reclaiming community, and investing in connections that truly sustain life

Kristin’s career began in the beauty industry, where she built a successful salon business she loved—until a life-changing cancer diagnosis forced her to reimagine everything. After a long recovery, she channeled her love for people, numbers, and coaching into a new path: financial planning. Today, she serves salon, spa, and medical spa owners as a true thought partner, blending practical strategies with deep listening and empathy.

In our conversation, Kristin shares how surviving cancer reshaped her values, why she believes time—not money—is our most precious resource, and how she balances serving clients, growing a business, and being present for her family. We talk about perfectionism, the challenge of putting yourself out there, and the importance of being unapologetically yourself in an industry that can feel cutthroat.

Whether you’re navigating a career pivot, trying to balance business and life, or looking for a reminder that you do have this—Kristin’s warmth, wisdom, and humor will leave you feeling seen, encouraged, and ready to take the next step.

Highlights

• From stylist to CFP®: Kristin’s unconventional career path and the skills she carried forward from the beauty industry.
• A life-changing diagnosis: How cancer shifted her priorities and her approach to money, work, and life.
• The “you got this” mantra: Using self-belief to move through fear and uncertainty.
• Time as our most limited resource: Why clarity on what matters makes hard choices easier.
• Serving a niche you love: Why she focuses on salon, spa, and medical spa owners—and how speaking their language makes all the difference.
• Progress over perfection: Overcoming the trap of waiting until things are “just right” before putting your work into the world.
• Authenticity as a business advantage: Building a practice that reflects who you are, not who you think you “should” be.

In this conversation, we talk about how she left a steady Human Resources corporate career in compensation to create a practice centered on purpose, intuition, and real connection. Angela shares how she defines success (hint: it’s not AUM), how she built her firm one client at a time, and why leaning into what feels good has helped her build a thriving practice for women—and for herself. We also talk about why more women aren’t entering this field, despite its flexibility and deep rewards, and how outdated sales models and misconceptions about what financial planning really is may be keeping them away.

We also talk about her three-step prospect process, how she balances life and business, and the surprising power of Sunday morning reflection.

Episode Highlights:

• Angela’s earliest money memories and lifelong pull toward personal finance
• Leaving corporate life behind and building her firm from scratch while raising kids
• The emotional depth of financial planning—and how it surprised her
• Why she believes more women aren’t entering this profession (and how we can change that)
• How she discovered her niche organically and rebranded her firm to reflect it
• Her three-step values-driven prospecting process
• Structuring her schedule with intentionality: surge meetings, light Fridays, and time off
• Why she defines success as peace of mind, not performance
• The role of reflection, journaling, and Sundays in her business and life

What makes Larissa’s story shine is how fully she integrates her whole self into her work. Whether she’s connecting with clients through yoga, building a practice around the values of resilience and care, or attracting aligned clients through authentic marketing—Larissa shows us what it means to lead with integrity and heart. As a yoga teacher-in-training, she also brings mindfulness and presence into every client conversation—on and off the mat.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who’s ever wondered if it’s too late to reinvent themselves—or whether they have to choose between a heart-centered life and a numbers-driven career. Larissa reminds us that you can have both.

🔑 Key Themes & Takeaways

• Reinvention is always possible: Larissa became a financial advisor after staying home with her kids for a decade.
• Authenticity attracts: She built her practice around who she is, and her clients are often reflections of that.
• Soft skills are technical skills: Larissa’s empathy, listening, and life experience are core to how she helps clients.
• Being good with money starts with identity: Changing behavior with money or anything else, starts with changing how we see ourselves.
• Balance over scale: She values showing up fully for her clients more than building a huge firm.
• Support matters: She’s grown with the help of masterminds, coaching, and a tight-knit network.

📌 Highlights

• Larissa’s solo backpacking journey at 22 that shaped (or highlights?) her openness and curiosity and love of people, travel and adventures
• How she fell into financial advising after googling “wealth management” one day
• Launching Protea Wealth Management and the powerful symbolism behind the South African protea flower
• Her “too hard basket” philosophy: break down what feels overwhelming into digestible steps
• Why she doesn’t jump on “one-size-fits-all” coaching frameworks and instead trusts her presence

Whether you’re dreaming of launching your own firm, craving more balance, or wondering how to serve the people you truly care about, this episode is full of practical wisdom and gentle encouragement.

Highlights from the Episode:

• Why Linda’s tagline “Plant, Grow, Harvest” isn’t just branding — it’s her life philosophy
• How gardening teaches patience, resilience, and how to enjoy the fruits of your labor
• Blending personal values with your niche — especially in ESG and impact investing
• Letting organic growth and referrals guide your business — no pressure, just trust
• How to be a calm, grounding force for clients in times of chaos
• Working on the business vs. in the business — and making time to do both
• Using podcasts, YouTube, and content to help ideal clients self-select in
• Raising kids, running a firm, and redefining success on your own terms

Linda’s story is such a beautiful reminder that we can build our practices in alignment with who we are, what we love, and how we want to serve. Like a garden, it takes intention and care — but the harvest is so worth it.

Kathryn’s evolution into financial planning wasn’t linear — but it was deeply intentional. You’ll hear how she navigated career change, COVID-era parenting, launching a practice, and growing a mission-driven business on her own terms.

📝 Topics Covered:

• Kathryn’s early career in physical therapy and what she carried into financial planning
• The link between physical and financial well-being
• Making a career pivot during the pandemic with three kids at home
• Building About Time Financial Planning with transparency, inclusion, and empowerment as guiding values
• Why there’s “no one best exercise — or best financial plan” for everyone
• Designing a practice that supports your life — not the other way around
• Creating intentional systems to grow a solo firm efficiently
• The power of being a “thought partner” instead of an expert on a pedestal
• Navigating motherhood, entrepreneurship, and identity as an LGBTQ+ family
• Working remotely, the power of mastermind groups, and referral networks without strings
• Recommendations for inclusive finance books and the importance of values-aligned money decisions

✨ Episode Highlights:

• Liz’s roots: Growing up Mennonite and entering her father’s practice
• Discovering purpose early: Why she knew in 8th grade that financial planning was her calling
• Balancing tradition with reinvention: Buying and evolving her family’s firm
• Imposter syndrome and math insecurity — and why she stayed in finance anyway
• Reimagining client engagement with group coaching and seasonal, nature-aligned programming
• Creating a role that suits her strengths as a relationship builder, not a number cruncher
• The power of intuition in life, leadership, and business decisions
• Her passion for helping women flourish financially—and why she thinks many leave the industry too soon
• How she balances two businesses, motherhood, and creative self-expression
• Why she stopped listening to podcasts (and what she reads instead)

💡 Favorite Takeaways:

• “Money is not competition.”
• “You find what you’re looking for—whether that’s community or cutthroat culture.”
• “Women need to stay in this industry. We need more creative, intuitive advisors.”
• “Coaching is about release, not efforting.”

This episode is packed with wisdom for any woman in financial services—or anyone looking to align their work with who they really are.

Interviewed by her trusted friend and fellow advisor Kristin Stutz, Tara reflects on the experiences that taught her empathy, resilience, and the importance of creating a life and practice that truly align with who you are.

💡 Highlights from the Episode:

• • Tara’s non-linear career path: engineering, consulting, life coaching, and financial advising
  • The impact of divorce and the healing power of solitude, therapy, and self-reflection
  • Why she believes female advisors are often uniquely skilled for the profession
  • The founding story of Main Street Financial Solutions and balancing career with motherhood
  • Tara’s personal shift from “being good at financial planning” to focusing on what lights her up—connecting, coaching, and helping others find clarity
  • How coaching helped her rediscover herself—and why she thinks every woman should have access to that kind of support
  • The mission behind the podcast: to build a community of authentic, empowered female advisors doing life and work their own way

This first episode sets the tone for a podcast that's honest, inspiring, and full of heart. Tara’s story is a reminder that there’s not one "right" way to build a career—or a life—and that listening to your own voice might just be the most powerful move of all.