The Clever Girls Know Podcast With Bola Sokunbi

On this episode of the podcast, we're joined by Nadia Kotsev for a powerful conversation about rebuilding your finances—and your life—after divorce, cancer, grief, and major personal loss. As a public-school educator, Nadia spent years navigating challenges that included cancer-related infertility, the loss of her best friend, divorce, and the difficult decision to walk away from toxic family relationships.
While she was financially functional, she realized she had been operating on autopilot rather than making intentional decisions about her future. Today, Nadia is in a very different place: she increased her income, rebuilt her credit, and created a thriving Teachers Pay Teachers business that generates income beyond her classroom work.
In this inspiring listener interview, she shares how courage, self-trust, and a willingness to face discomfort transformed both her finances and her outlook on life.
 
What Nadia Discussed on the Podcast:
Her journey through cancer, divorce, grief, family estrangement, and financial rebuilding.
The realization that sparked her shift toward intentional financial decision-making.
Advice for women facing difficult personal or financial crossroads.
Building a successful Teachers Pay Teachers business and creating income beyond a traditional job.
Rebuilding credit and confronting financial blind spots.
How her definition of financial success has evolved through different life stages.
The decisions she is most proud of and how they changed the trajectory of her life.
Encouragement for women who feel like they are starting over later than planned.
 
How to Keep Up With Nadia:
Facebook: Nadia Kaye
Personal Instagram: @nadiakaye17
Website: www.authenticeducatorconsulting.com
Business Instagram: authentic_educator_consulting
Linktree: The Authentic Alchemist
 
New Book - Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What's Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions - Available to order now
 
More Clever Girl Finance Resources:
👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here
❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books
❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages
❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog
❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance

On this episode of the podcast, we're joined by Myasi Jackson for an inspiring conversation about building financial stability against the odds.
Myasi shares her journey from living in a group home, working low-wage jobs, and focusing on survival to creating a life grounded in financial confidence, intentionality, and long-term growth. Along the way, she navigated challenges including debt, eviction, living paycheck to paycheck, and taking an unconventional path through college before earning her degree at 30.
Most recently, she won a $10,000 financial challenge—an achievement that reflects years of consistency and commitment to changing her financial future. Through her story, Myasi offers encouragement, practical lessons, and proof that meaningful financial progress is possible no matter where you start.
 
What Myasi Discussed on the Podcast:
Her financial journey from living in a group home and working low-wage jobs to building stability and confidence.
How early life experiences shaped her relationship with money.
The difference between surviving financially and intentionally building wealth.
The mindset shift that helped her stop seeing herself as unfortunate and start seeing herself as capable and deserving.
How budgeting worked when money was extremely tight.
Lessons learned from experiencing eviction, debt, and living paycheck to paycheck.
Her perspective on using debt strategically and understanding the difference between helpful and harmful debt.
Staying committed to long-term goals despite setbacks and an unconventional college journey.
What winning a $10,000 financial challenge taught her about consistency, opportunity, and growth.
The habits that had the biggest impact on her financial transformation.
Encouragement for anyone who feels behind or discouraged about their financial progress.
What financial success means to her today.
 
How to Keep Up With Myasi Jackson:
Follow on Instagram: @myasijanne
 
New Book - Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What's Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions - Available to order now
 
More Clever Girl Finance Resources:
👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here
❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books
❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages
❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog
❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance

Building wealth as a woman isn't just about saving more or investing earlier. There are unique financial realities that many women face—and most traditional money advice doesn't talk about them.
On this episode, I share 8 important truths every woman should know about building long-term wealth, including how the wage gap, career breaks, caregiving responsibilities, longer life expectancy, and financial expectations can shape your financial future.
 
You'll learn:
Why negotiating your salary matters more than you think
How career breaks impact long-term wealth
Why women need a different retirement strategy
How to protect your financial future while supporting family
Why building wealth isn't just about discipline—it's about strategy
If you're serious about becoming financially independent and building lasting wealth, this conversation is for you.
 
New Book - Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What's Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions - Available to order now
 
More Clever Girl Finance Resources:
👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here
❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books
❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages
❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog
❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance

On this episode of the podcast, we're joined by Stephanie Khumalo, an events and communications professional whose financial journey is a powerful reminder that a healthy relationship with money can be learned, and relearned. Despite growing up with a strong financial foundation and later earning an MBA, Stephanie found herself facing lifestyle inflation, consumer debt, poor credit, and delayed financial goals after falling into spending habits that gradually pulled her off track.
In this candid conversation, she shares how financial stress affected multiple areas of her life, the mindset shifts that helped her regain control, and how support from loved ones, delayed gratification, and intentional financial decisions helped her rebuild. Today, Stephanie is focused on investing, paying down student loans, managing a mortgage, and creating multiple income streams while defining financial success on her own terms.
 
What Stephanie Discussed on the Podcast:
Growing up with a strong financial foundation and how lifestyle creep began after getting her first car.
Early warning signs that spending was getting ahead of her financial goals.
How financial stress impacted her confidence, relationships, and future plans.
Her experience with poor credit, consumer debt, and delayed financial milestones.
Why a healthy money mindset can be learned or relearned at any stage of life.
The role her husband and loved ones played in supporting her financial recovery.
Navigating periods of being underpaid or underemployed without giving up on her goals.
How delayed gratification helped accelerate her financial progress.
What financial success means to her today compared to a decade ago.
Advice for anyone feeling ashamed of past financial mistakes or worried they're too far behind.
AND SO MUCH MORE
 
How to Keep Up With Stephanie:
Follow on Instagram: @stephforthewin27
Learn more: Stephanie's website
 
New Book - Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What's Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions - Available to order now
 
More Clever Girl Finance Resources:
👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here
❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books
❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages
❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog
❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance

On this episode of the podcast, we're joined by Easter Givens-Okoli for an inspiring conversation about building financial stability as a single mom during one of the most difficult seasons of her life. During the height of the pandemic, Easter was managing overwhelming credit card debt, caring for her household on one income, and trying to keep everything together emotionally and financially.
Through faith, entrepreneurship, resilience, and the practical financial education she found along the way, she slowly began transforming her finances and breaking cycles of financial burden for her family and future generations. 
Easter shares the mindset shifts, small habits, and intentional decisions that helped her pay off debt, improve her credit, and build a stronger financial foundation—all while navigating the realities of single motherhood.
 
What Easter Discussed on the Podcast:
What life looked like during the pandemic as a single mom managing everything on one income.
The emotional and financial weight of carrying overwhelming credit card debt.
Why shame around debt and financial struggle is so common, especially among single mothers.
What made personal finance finally feel accessible and realistic for her.
Small financial habits and changes that created momentum early on.
How her mindset around money evolved as she paid off debt and improved her finances.
Why financial stability is more about managing what you have than how much you earn.
Balancing household responsibilities while still prioritizing financial goals.
The emotional impact of improving her credit score and becoming debt-free.
Staying motivated through slow progress and discouraging moments.
Advice for women and single mothers feeling financially overwhelmed and unsure where to begin.
What she's most proud of about her journey.
 
How to Keep Up With Easter:
Facebook: Easter Okoli
Google: Okoli Heart & Soul CPR 
 
New Book - Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What's Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions - Available to order now
 
More Clever Girl Finance Resources:
👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here
❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books
❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages
❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog
❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance