Episode 502: How to Talk About Money Without Shame, in the Classroom and at Home w/ Diana Isern
Journey To LaunchShow Notes
Diana Isern's "new" clothes came out of donated garbage bags, and the money message she grew up with was: we don't have it. In this episode, I sit down with Diana, a former New York City assistant principal and author of Money Talks: An Educator's Guide to Teaching Financial Empowerment.
Diana started teaching at 21 with student loans, no savings, and a habit of leaving bar tabs open. A two-week no-spend challenge and an honest look at her statements turned things around, and soon teachers, students, and parents were bringing her their money questions. That led to finance courses teens signed up for on repeat, a girls investing club, a book, and the decision to walk away from a secure pension job.
Her message for parents and educators is that you don't need to be a money expert to start the conversation. You just need to show up curious.
In this episode, Diana Isern shares:
How growing up with a deficit mindset around money shaped her, and what helped her shift it The no spend challenge and spending review that got her finances on track The 403(b), TDA, and 457 options teachers can use on top of their pensions How educators and parents can teach money with curiosity instead of expertise
What's New in the Paperback Edition of Your Journey to Financial Freedom:
A bonus chapter: When Life Happens: Staying on the Path to Financial Freedom Through Setbacks, Shifts, and Uncertainty A book club and discussion guide with prompts, exercises, and action steps Updated corrections from the original hardcover Exclusive bonuses when you purchase the paperback, including: The Fire Starter Course The Find Your FIRE Number Worksheet
Other related blog posts/links mentioned in this episode:
Money Talks: An Educator's Guide to Teaching Financial Empowerment: beacon.org 403bwise: 403bwise.org Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF): ngpf.org Get a Financial Life NYC: heckscherfoundation.org Banzai: banzai.org Jump$tart Coalition: jumpstart.org Intuit for Education: education.intuit.com Council for Economic Education: councilforeconed.org Stackwell Capital: stackwellcapital.com Get your paperback edition of Your Journey To Financial Freedom if you haven't already. Apply to Share Your Journeyer Story, here./' Join the Journey to Launch Book Club to dive deeper into financial freedom with guided discussions and resources here! Join The Weekly Newsletter List to get updates, deals & more! Leave Your Journey To Financial Freedom a review! Get The Budget Bootcamp Check out my personal website here. Leave me a voicemail– Leave me a question on the Journey To Launch voicemail and have it answered on the podcast! YNAB – Start managing your money and budgeting so that you can reach your financial dreams. Sign up for a free 34 days trial of YNAB, my go-to budgeting app by using my referral link. What stage of the financial journey are you on? Are you working on financial stability or work flexibility? Find out with this free assessment and get a curated list of the 10 next best episodes for you to listen to depending on your stage. Check it out here!
Connect with Diana:
Instagram: @dianadinero_edu
Connect with me:
Instagram: @Journeytolaunch Twitter: @JourneyToLaunch Facebook: @Journey To Launch Join the Private Facebook Group Join the Waitlist for My FI Course Get The Free Jumpstart Guide
More from Journey To Launch
Access to capital can determine which entrepreneurs get the opportunity to turn their ideas into successful businesses. In this episode, I sit down with Arian Simone, founder and CEO of the Fearless Fund, to discuss her work investing in women of color, why access to funding remains a challenge, and what it takes to build a venture fund focused on closing that gap. We also talk about her journey as an entrepreneur, investor, author, philanthropist and more.
A 7% interest rate looks like a wall to a lot of buyers, but Erika Brown sees a market where deals are landing $45,000 and even $150,000 under asking. In this episode, I sit down with Erika, a real estate investor and serial entrepreneur whose portfolio generates over six figures a year, for an update five years after her first appearance.
Financial independence started as a formula: save and invest 25 times your expenses, then step away from the job. In this solo episode, I respond to an Instagram post from Ashley Evans asking whether the FIRE movement has lost the plot, as more of the conversation shifts toward making more money, growing businesses, and owning more.
Health insurance is one of the biggest questions standing between you and leaving your job, and for a lot of families, it's the reason one spouse never does. In this episode, I welcome back Jordan Grumet, hospice physician, host of the Earn & Invest podcast, and author of Taking Stock, The Purpose Code, and his newest book, The Healthcare Heist.
Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung left their lucrative software engineering careers to enjoy world travel and freedom. Both retired in their early 30's with a 7-figure portfolio and have complied their secrets to success in their book Quit Like a Millionaire: No Gimmicks, Luck, or Trust Fund Required. Kristy and Bryce are financially independent, self-made millionaires who hail from humble beginnings and learned along their journey how to follow the money so they could afford to pursue their passions.