Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin

Your first $100,000 in investing feels impossible—until you see the math. Today, Nicole breaks down why the first $100K is the hardest money you’ll ever make, what changes mathematically once you cross it, and the path to get there… without a hot stock tip, crypto bro, or dumb luck.

Nicole walks through a real, doable five-year plan based on the average U.S. salary —including exactly how much to invest each month, where to put your money, and how the beautiful power of compound interest quietly accelerates behind the scenes. 

Try Nicole’s Compound Interest Calculator

Check out Nicole’s financial literacy course The Money School 

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole’s company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab’s Instagram and Nicole Lapin’s Instagram

Here’s what Nicole covers today:

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab?

00:18 Why Your First $100K Is the Hardest

02:53 Year-by-Year Investment Plan

03:05 Year 1: Building the Habit

04:00 Year 2: Gaining Momentum

04:33 Year 3: Growth Year

04:59 Year 4: Push Harder

05:37 Year 5: Reaching the Goal

06:00 Reality Check: Life Throws Curveballs

06:33 Passive Income

07:20 Your Next Steps and Resources

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

From Kim Kardashian, J.Lo, and Ariana Grande, Chris Appleton has styled the biggest names in Hollywood, but his journey getting there was not easy. Today, Chris opens up about the hustle it took to go from a small-town salon in the UK to red carpets, and the bumps in the road along the way.

Chris shares the financial trauma, internal battles, and deep personal work it took to get to the top—and stay there. He gets vulnerable about the struggles behind the success: coming out after being in a heterosexual relationship, the breakthrough moment with Christina Aguilera that allowed him to beat his imposter syndrome, and why the word “fine” isn’t in his vocabulary.

Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Resources

Find video clips from the pod on Money Rehab’s Instagram and Nicole Lapin’s Instagram

Check Out Chris’ Book Your Roots Don’t Define You

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole’s company Private Wealth Collective

Here’s what Nicole talks about with Chris:

00:00 Money Rehab Presents: Chris Appleton

03:01 Childhood Struggles and Financial Trauma

06:53 Telling the Hater Inside to Quiet Down

10:54 Navigating a Scarcity Mindset

13:44 Chris’ Erewhon Smoothie

16:27 Chris’ Early Hustle Days and Evading Train Conductors 

21:52 Moving to LA and Chris’ Big Break with Christina Aguilera

26:07 Chris’ Coming Out Story and Hitting Rock Bottom

32:05 Why “Fine” Isn’t Fine

34:52 Why the Hair Salon Feels Like Therapy

38:01 How Chris Built His Reputation and How to Sell the Sizzle

41:46 Lessons from Kim Kardashian

44:42 Chris’ Take on Marriage, Relationships and Self Love

45:01 The Importance of Self-Love and Selectivity

48:46 Chris’ Tip Listeners Can Take Straight to the Bank

Is kindness an asset or a liability in business? Daniel Lubetsky—founder of Kind Snacks—makes a strong case for kindness as a competitive edge. He joins Nicole to share the behind-the-scenes story of buying out a private equity firm for $220 million to preserve his direction, the difference between being nice and being kind, and why values-driven leadership isn’t just idealistic—it’s strategic. Plus, how he’s helping the next generation of founders build principled, profitable businesses through Camino Partners and Shark Tank.

Keep up with Daniel on Instagram

Learn more about Camino Partners

Read Daniel's Op Ed

Today, Nicole rips the veil off one of the most costly mistakes you're probably making with your money—and no, it's not skipping some secret tax loophole. It's way more basic than that: leveraging how tax brackets work. And avoiding tax talk? It’s bleeding your paycheck dry. Nicole breaks down how the system really messes with you if you’re not paying attention, and how a few strategic (and totally legal) moves can stop the IRS from taking more than its fair share. Bottom line: this episode could be the difference between donating thousands to the government... or keeping it in your wallet.

Today, Jonathan Aguilera who we're calling the “Robinhood of life insurance”—pulls back the curtain on how certain life insurance policies, especially Indexed Universal Life (IUL), are often misunderstood, aggressively sold— or even predatory.

Jonathan has gone viral for helping policyholders get refunds on problematic policies, and today, you get to be a fly on the wall during a live call with a policyholder and the insurer, as Nicole and Jonathan work to help this policyholder get back $100K.