Why Self-Worth Predicts Your Income More Than Your SAT Score Does, with Marisa Franco
Afford Anything | Get Smarter With MoneyShow Notes
#751: The belief that’s quietly sabotaging your progress might not even be true. Free worksheet to question it: https://affordanything.com/turn-it-around
Two people can grow up with the exact same test scores — and as adults, one of them ends up earning double the other. Psychologist Marisa Franco says the deciding factor isn't intelligence, and it isn't luck. It's whether you actually believe good things are allowed to happen to you.
Dr. Marisa Franco is a psychologist and professor at the University of Maryland, and the New York Times bestselling author of Platonic. She's back to talk about her new book, Worth: The New Science of Self-Esteem and Secure Attachment.
In this episode, we discuss:
How self-worth — not intelligence or family income — predicts how much you'll earn as an adult
Why some people quietly sabotage their own portfolio right before they hit financial independence
The difference between "good" and "bad" high self-esteem, and why one of them wrecks relationships
Why getting more love or praise than you expect can make you pull away instead of lean in
How to actually process a hard emotion instead of shoving it down
Why hitting a big financial goal can leave you feeling strangely empty once you get there
How to rebuild your sense of self after losing an identity you were attached to
Whether you've ever undermined your own progress right before a finish line, or wondered why reaching a goal didn't feel the way you thought it would, this episode gives you a framework for understanding — and changing — that pattern.
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
Note: Timestamps may vary slightly depending on dynamic ad placements.
(02:05) The two very different types of high self-esteem
(04:36) Self-esteem vs. self-worth: the real difference
(05:37) Why self-worth predicts income more than SAT scores
(12:21) Sabotaging your own portfolio right before you hit FI
(14:15) The self-fulfilling prophecy behind financial fear
(23:36) Why too much love can make you pull away
(25:05) How low self-worth blocks promotions and job offers
(36:13) The memory trick that can change your brain
(46:19) Why self-worth matters most in a bad market
(1:06:10) Does self-worth actually drive your net worth?
🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED
👉 Worth: The New Science of Self-Esteem and Secure Attachment: https://drmarisagfranco.com/worth-the-book/
👉 Marisa's website (speaking, articles, more): https://drmarisagfranco.com
👉 Marisa on Instagram (for signed copies via Lost City Books): https://www.instagram.com/drmarisagfranco/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
More from Afford Anything | Get Smarter With Money
#761: Roughly 3 million Americans who own private businesses — car dealerships, beer distributors, dental practices — are collectively worth more than ten times the entire Forbes 400. Most of them didn't start rich, and you've probably never heard of a single one.
#760: A couple in their late 30s and early 40s with $1 million invested may never need to save another dollar for retirement, because left alone, that money could grow to about $4 million. The harder question isn't the money. It's which of them keeps working to carry the family's health insurance. Paula and Joe start with Beth, an accountant married to a burned-out tech worker, who wants to know whether they can cut back on work now. Then they tackle a retiree's Ivy League financial aid questions and a New Yorker asking whether renting forever is a financial death sentence.
#759: At 19, Jaspreet Singh bought a rental for $8,000. What followed was a nightmare tenant, a lawsuit, and a later house stripped of its copper, and it taught him what the real estate books leave out.
#758: Joe says that if you tell an employer you’re not motivated by money, you’re unemployable. Paula says that’s exactly the person she wants to hire.
#757: Ron Johnson is the creator of the Apple Stores and former CEO of JCPenney.