Should You Quit Your Job? Here's The Formula from Nicole Walters

Primary Topic

This episode delves into the critical decision of leaving a corporate job to pursue personal business ventures, featuring insights from Nicole Walters, an entrepreneur and author.

Episode Summary

In this transformative episode of Money News Network, host Nicole Lapin engages with entrepreneur Nicole Walters to discuss the formula for successfully quitting your job and starting your own venture. Walters shares her journey from feeling unfulfilled in a high-paying corporate role to launching her own business, emphasizing the importance of financial planning and understanding your worth. Key discussions include setting up financial safety nets, evaluating personal and professional growth opportunities, and the practical steps involved in transitioning from an employee to an entrepreneur.

Main Takeaways

  1. Prepare financially before quitting: Assess your financial landscape and prepare for various scenarios—worst, likely, and best case.
  2. Calculate the risk: Understand what you stand to gain or lose financially by leaving your corporate job.
  3. Importance of self-worth: Recognize your value and ensure any business venture allows you to maintain or increase your self-worth.
  4. Business planning: Effective business planning and financial management are crucial from day one.
  5. Continuous learning: Embrace continuous learning and improvement to adapt and grow your business.

Episode Chapters

1: Introduction and Background

Nicole Walters discusses her career journey and the initial realization that led to her contemplating quitting her job. Walters highlights the importance of financial stability and self-fulfillment in work. Nicole Walters: "I realized that I was gonna be capped in my role and didn't feel fulfilled."

2: The Decision to Quit

Detailed account of Walters' decision to quit her job live online, including her preparation by building a side hustle and ensuring financial security. Nicole Walters: "I streamed the call where I quit... I had proof of concept and working capital."

3: Setting Up for Success

Walters explains the strategies for setting up financial safety nets and scenarios planning which aided her smooth transition from employment to entrepreneurship. Nicole Walters: "I set up three columns: worst case scenario, likely scenario, and best case scenario."

4: Lessons in Entrepreneurship

Discussion on the broader lessons Walters learned through entrepreneurship, emphasizing financial planning and personal growth. Nicole Walters: "You need to fall in love with your numbers because these decisions aren't that hard."

5: Future Outlook and Conclusion

Insights into sustaining business growth, treating oneself fairly as a boss, and the long-term vision for personal and professional life. Nicole Walters: "I paid myself from day one... now I pay myself significantly more."

Actionable Advice

  1. Start with a side hustle: Before quitting, build a side hustle to secure a financial fallback position.
  2. Financial safety net: Establish a savings buffer equivalent to at least six months of expenses.
  3. Risk assessment: Regularly update your financial risk assessments to stay aligned with your goals.
  4. Invest in yourself: Allocate resources towards personal development and professional training.
  5. Mentorship and networking: Engage with mentors and networks that can offer guidance and support.

About This Episode

This episode checks all of the boxes. Want the secret sauce to being a bigger player at your company? Check. Are you thinking about starting your own thing and want the formula to determine whether you can leave your job behind? Check. Are you raising kiddos and want help teaching them the value of a dollar? Check, check and check. The reason this episode has everything is because it features the incredible and wise entrepreneur Nicole Walters. And when the Nicoles get together, they leave no stone unturned.

People

Nicole Walters

Companies

None

Books

"Nothing is Missing" by Nicole Walters

Guest Name(s):

Nicole Walters

Content Warnings:

None

Transcript

Nicole Lapin
I'm Nicole Lapin, the only financial expert. You don't need a dictionary to understand. It's time for some money rehab.

The conversation you're about to hear. Checks. All of the boxes want the secret sauce to being a bigger player at your company? Check. Are you thinking about starting your own thing and want a formula to determine whether or not you can leave your job behind?

Check. Are you raising kiddos and want help teaching them the value of a dollar? Check. Check. Check.

Nicole Lapin
The reason this conversation has everything is because it's a conversation with the incredible entrepreneur Nicole Walters. The reason Nicole can cover so much ground is because she has lived a lot of lives. She has a new book called nothing is missing, which she calls a fresh start manual. Today we talk about all of her fresh starts, which are jam packed with useful advice for your career and beyond. Here's Nicole.

Nicole Walters, welcome to money rehab. Oh, my goodness. I'm so excited to be here. I am so excited to have you. I've had a lady crush on you for before, for many, many years.

I am such a huge fan of yours. I love that both of us are like open books. And now you have a new book out. Nothing is missing. And so I don't want to miss anything, pun intended, in this conversation.

Let's start with the moment in your life when you wanted to get a fresh start in your career. Yes. So I think a lot of those of us who started in corporate or did the more traditional background, just like you. I mean, so much of being an anchor is corporate. I don't think people even understand how much paperwork y'all do.

Nicole Walters
But all that said, when I realized that I was gonna be capped, I was 28. I was in my division with within my company as the youngest person there. And my boss literally looked me in. The face and said, yeah, you're just gonna be here for a while and making money for the company and yourself. And what's interesting is I needed money.

I loved the work I was doing, but I didn't feel fulfilled. And it was the first time I was faced with that question, is my work meaningful? And is this what I wanna do for the next 20 years? So I put my job live online in front of 10,000 people. So what I saw, you streamed the call where you quit the corporate job and you were making six figures at the time.

Why did you do that? So, okay, it sounds crazy, right? But I always try to tell people. And you do this, too, but I. Built a place for me to go, right?

Nicole Walters
I had already started working my own side hustle, taking private consulting clients. So it wasn't as wild as it seemed. It was still a big, bold move. But I was prepared to be my own boss. I was prepared to pay myself my own salary, made sure that I understood my budget.

I knew my profit and loss and my margins and my overhead. So I was really comfortable in knowing that this was just as good as taking an offer to work for another company. Just the company was mine. Talk dirty to me about those margins. Yes.

Nicole Lapin
I mean, that is the part that I'd love to dig into, too. It's not the fun, sexy kind. Like the fun, sexy thing was. It's so interesting watching you do it live. No filter whatsoever.

But what about the preparing for that moment, like, the squirreling away savings? What did that look like? Yeah. So I love this because a lot of people want to hear about the. How did you get the confidence?

How did you do something so bold? And the truth is, trust me, if. You do the work that I did on the back end, you'll have it, too. So one of the exercise I always. Tell people is I set up three.

Nicole Walters
Columns, worst case scenario, likely scenario, and best case scenario. And then I went to find the numbers that would fall into those columns. What do I need to do to replace my salary? How little do I need to make in order for me to sustain my life while still saving, in case there's a rainy day? And what is the best case scenario after testing my new product, if I have blockbuster projections?

So, once I ran all those numbers. I realized that I could survive on. Half my salary, which literally was. I could get a job at target and still be okay. It would be uncomfortable.

There wouldn't be as many dinners out. There wouldn't be a vacation. But I could give myself a shot at building my own thing and having some good breathing room. And once I realized that I wasn't as far away from goal as possible and I was doing pretty well, I started actually working. So I started building my dream before I quit, and I saved, at that point, $11,000 in one week.

So I knew that I had proof of concept. I knew that my product was viable, and I also knew that I had some working capital to fund my business for a while before I actually brought in any revenue. But fortunately, revenue was coming in, so. It all worked out. Nicole, this is so, so important.

Nicole Lapin
And I want to double click on it a little bit more, because you'll hear all these entrepreneurial experts being like, go out, yolo, fomo, whatever. Do it earn your corporate bra. Like, if not when you don't want to be on your deathbed regretting us. Like, God damn. Like, there is no shame to feeding yourself and your family and, like, budgeting.

And unless you have a trust fund, and I certainly did not. So, like, I don't hate people that do. Right. But you have to prepare yourself, and it's so important to start doing that when you still are gainfully employed. Yes.

Nicole Walters
I think that people really don't understand that part of why these companies fail, fail in the first five years is because they aren't doing the thing they should be doing from day one, which is looking at your money. You need to fall in love with your numbers because these decisions aren't that hard. They aren't as emotionally tied as you think. If you are trying to figure out, well, when is the right time to quit, well, I'll just ask them, when. Can you afford it?

What do your numbers look like? Because your data will drive your decisions. That's what I did. I just said, look, I still have this beautiful safety net of corporate, right? Even though I want out, let me.

Nicole Walters
Start putting things aside, paying off what I paid. So, first of all, I paid off all my debt, my credit card debt. So I knew I was going into it without that pressure. And then I was like, all right. Now it's just about how big can this thing go?

I can give myself six months to. A year before I would need to. Go back to corporate. And if I can't do it in six months to a year, then honestly, I should go back to corporate, you. Know, because it's not working.

And also, you know, this whole thing that I think a lot of entrepreneurs do where there's pride in not paying yourself. I hear this all the time. I didn't take a check for ten years. I didn't pay myself for three months. That's terrible.

You are the worst boss to yourself of all time. Why would you leave your horrible nightmare boss and not cut yourself a check, even if that check is for a dollar? Shouldn't you honor the way you're showing up in your business? And so I was really proud to say that from the day one of starting my business, I paid myself the same thing I made in corporate. And, you know, obviously now I pay myself significantly more, you know, but since day one, I paid myself.

I've been the best boss I've ever had. And why is that so important? Like, let's reiterate that to entrepreneurs, to. Pay yourself first, because, one, I mean. If you have going concern in your business.

Nicole Walters
And you know that you want to be able to bring in new people and honor them with hopefully a day and benefits and grow. Shouldn't you start doing that to yourself? Because as a leader in your company. Everything is going to be dictated by how you behave. So if you can't give yourself a break, your team is going to feel like they can either.

If you can't pay yourself a proper salary, your team isn't going to think that either. So the habits that you start your business with are the habits that will sustain your business. So for me, you better believe that. I went hard, but I also honored myself by paying myself a good salary and treating myself well, like vacations, homes. Nice things, because I deserved it.

I did the work. Yeah, you did. And what was your rubric around that? Vacations? Did you give yourself pto?

How many days was it? Did you create a structure? So one of the first things I. Did in my business on the front end was a kind of bonus driven structure. So if we hit certain monetary goals, I was allowed to bonus myself out.

Nicole Walters
So I wasn't just sitting here saying, oh, yeah, you know, my business is my bank. You know, like, oh, my gosh, I. Had a great launch. Let me go buy that awesome bag as a reward. I said, no, I have to build.

Up my working capital in my business to this amount. Why? Because what that means is I'll be able to hire teams. So my goal being, if I can take off every Friday, I can take off every Friday. I mean, I really had perspective around the long term goals versus the short term win.

A lot of people live in that short money instead of a long money. And for me, I was like, no, I'm not pressed to be able to take a photo of my laptop on my knees in Bali tomorrow to show that I had a big launch. I would much rather show people that I'm at target crying in joy while eating copious amounts of cheese in my passenger seat and watching old episodes of friends in celebration. And then they can still see me. Here seven years later in a villa in Bali that I was able to bring my whole family to, you know, perspective.

Nicole Lapin
Yes. I don't know if you show these in your courses, but I'd love to see those spreadsheets that you came up with and those different scenarios. Yeah, for sure. For sure. Because they're also modifiable.

Nicole Walters
I love a function and a formula. You know, so being able to say. Like, okay, here's where you were, and then here's what we changed and it makes you feel better. I mean, people freak out about entrepreneurship, and there's tons to freak out about. Making sure your consumer loves you, making sure that you're seeing your kids enough, making sure, you know, like, there's tons of stuff.

But realistically, the money part and those numbers that's been done, we have the data for that. Don't let that be the thing that makes you scared in the process. You need to look at your money and face your money so that, that way you can control your money the best you can. And that has helped me so much. And there's kind of this shame of like, oh, well, I'm doing it for my passion.

Nicole Lapin
It's like, that is a very luxurious thing to do something for. Like, it sure is. Let's talk about the savings that you have or the money or the not fun Gary vee type rhetoric. Right, right. I almost feel like people are like, oh, well, I'm not doing it for the money.

It's like, well, then how the hell are you paying your rent or your bills? Yes, yes. And let's just be all the way legit. You know, I have a policy that I've used for the past ten years, which is, I don't do free. I am allergic to free in Freeza buy Felicia free gives me itches like I'm not here for it, you know?

Nicole Walters
And it's crazy because people are like, so you're saying you don't do charity and you don't do this? No, I charge so I can do philanthropy. It's churches, charity and my children. And even the church pays the plumber. So why shouldn't I charge?

Understand that money is just a tool that gives me options. So if I'm the type of person. Who doesn't want to charge money, so good with me that I should have a lot of it so I can do good things. People who are terrible people have tons of money and have zero problem doing bad things with it. So why should we get it if.

We know we're going to make big changes in the world? And what I love to see you promote is how to sell, because I think whether you're in a corporate job, whether you work for yourself, whether you have a big team, everything goes back to sales and customers. You don't have any kind of business, whether you're entrepreneur or entrepreneur, if you cannot sell that sizzle. So I would love, just personally, to see some magic in action. If you could.

Nicole Lapin
Could you pitch me your one k one day course and then break down like why you pitch it that way? Absolutely. In a heartbeat. So I gotta tell you, Nicole, I. Am so impressed with everything that you've built.

Nicole Walters
You have built an incredible business. But what I often find is when. People start building their business, they skip steps. And if you're in a position right. Now where you're saying to yourself, I.

Know that there's a next level, but I'm not 100% clear around what those steps are, how to get there, and if I have all the tools I. Need or where to get them, I. Know that one k one day can stand in that gap to give you what you need, give you the confidence. To get it, and make sure that. You understand how you got it, so that, that way you can continue to soar.

One k one day is the comprehensive course solution that teaches you your financial foundations, the importance of product development, and how to execute it so you have sustainable results. Not a one hit wonder. And we do it at a reasonable price for the support that you require. Sign me up. Buy it now.

Nicole Lapin
So why did you frame it that way? What are those elements that people could take away to pitch their own anything class product? The first thing is you really do. Need to know your own product. That's like the no brainer.

Nicole Walters
I gotta tell you, whenever I work with my clients as a consultant, one of the things that I keep running into is that they, without a doubt, have built something that they thought they were supposed to build. They don't even love their own product. You know, it's, well, someone told me that this was the next hot thing or this is what I felt was like kind of a good idea. If you don't love it, I can tell every minute when you're selling, if you don't really believe it can work. Or change lives, your sales already not going to work.

So get immersed in your product. Love it, have a story behind it, because that's what's going to sell it. The next part is a lot of. People talk about money too much, which. Sounds so weird to say here, but.

The truth is you want to talk about the value proposition. You want to make sure people understand what value change and transformation the product is going to bring into their life. Because at the end of the day, people are willing to spend to get the thing that they think is going to improve their life. I mean, they will figure out the money. As a mom, you know, I face cancer with my daughters.

I face all sorts of crazy experiences. Where money really gave us more options. And I would have cut off my left arm to get them whatever they need. And people feel the same way about. Changes in their life.

Nicole Walters
So you better believe that that's a huge part of any good sale, is making sure that you understand the value proposition and then obviously ask for the. Sale at the end if you don't. Tell them, here's where you go, here's. Where you buy it, and here's where to start. Then what was the point of all the things to say before?

Nicole Lapin
Yeah, the call to action. Yep. And people value the stuff that they pay. They do more than the stuff they get for free. I call it a commitment fee.

Right. I commit that I will show up, and this will commit that you'll do the same. That's all it is. Hold onto your wallets, money rehab. We'll be right back.

Nicole Lapin
Do you ever get FOMO fear of missing out? Well, do you ever get FOMO Tupita fear of missing out on the perfect hire? If so, I have the antidote. It's LinkedIn jobs. LinkedIn jobs helps you hire professionals you can't find anywhere else, even those who aren't actively searching for a new job, but might be open to the perfect role.

In any given month, over 70% of LinkedIn users don't visit other leading job sites. And that adds up to a serious squad of awesome candidates. LinkedIn has over a billion professionals on the platform, and these candidates are super qualified. So much so that 86% of small. Businesses get a qualified candidate within just 24 hours.

I work with LinkedIn jobs for all of my dream team needs. So they're hooking up money rehabbers@LinkedIn.com. Mnn. Go there and you can post your job for free. That's LinkedIn.com mnn, as in money news Network.

To post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply.

And now for some more money rehab. All right, let's talk about the story behind Nicole WAlTERs because, damn, we have. A lot to get to. Let's start with your love life. Tell me about your divorce.

What did you see in that marriage that made you recognize you needed to do something different? So I came into my marriage having a background of being a poor child of immigrant, you know. And I talk about that for the first time in my book. A lot of people don't know that I grew up with every single ounce of scarcity mindset because I actually had scarcity and I knew that there was something more and I was willing to work for it. And that was so much of my life, looking for what was missing.

Nicole Walters
And even in my marriage, happiness always felt like it was some mystery destination where if I worked a little harder or if I change this thing, whether. It was lose a couple pounds or. Move to a different home or lived in a different neighborhood or something, that we might finally be positioned for the greatest of joy. I got married really young, I was 22. And as I grew in that marriage, I learned that no money isn't it.

When it finally came time for me. To transition out after twelve years, I was like, oh, I have everything. We are taking private jets and vacationing in villas and I am absolutely miserable. I'm unhappy, my partner's unhappy, my kids aren't seeing me being loved. Well, you know, I have girls.

Nicole Walters
They need to understand that money isn't everything, that we value our health and love. And so I did. And I was grateful that I'd made. The choices in my business and my life prior to that. That gave me the flexibility to make those moves the way that they need to be made.

Nicole Lapin
So this is now your fresh start to love. You have said you're in the most loving, supportive relationship now. So what was that like, dating after divorce? So it's crazy because I dated in. LA, which is a whole category in and of itself.

I'm in it now, you're in it now. Bless it, Nicole, bless your spirit. I hope you find the right person because it is like there's the end of the dating pool. It's insane out there. So I am very grateful, though, because I met an incredible guy.

He's a producer. And I never understood what people meant when they would talk about being in the type of partnership where you felt like it actually enhanced you and that you weren't operating as an island. I think I always thought before that. In life, you know, it's kind of. Two people working side by side with their independent gifts towards goals.

Nicole Walters
I didn't realize that there's a unifying thing that can happen when you have someone who's willing to not just support. You, but also call you out, who. Can bring a fresh perspective, who can lend their gifts to what you're doing. And I just achieved so much more. And I feel so safe in my relationship to be flawed, to know that I could have $0 and he would.

Love me, I could have billions of. Dollars and he would love me. And I'm just not validated by my work and how I show up the way that I was before. I feel like everything I do now really is for a purpose of changing lives. It's not just about hitting marks and hitting goals.

Nicole Walters
And he's also super hot, which is, like, that's a real blessing. I'm so grateful. All the things are good. I really love this for you, Nicole. I love this for me, too, girl.

Nicole Lapin
What's cool, though, about having a fresh start is that it's so powerful to bring all the lessons that you have in your lived experience to this whole other chapter. So what are some of the lessons that you learned from your marriage that have influenced the way you approach your fiance? I think now. Yes. Fiance.

Yes. I'm en fianced. Yes. I think that one of the things is that I shouldn't be afraid of fresh starts. Right.

Nicole Walters
I think that a lot of times, starting over and, quote, unquote, failure has such a negative connotation. But, my goodness, if you are still. Standing to start over, what a blessing. And above all else, you get to bring everything you learned before. So I'm doing this relationship, this marriage.

Number two, so differently. I've grown. I am more patient. I am less anxious. I'm a better partner, and I don't even know if my husband would even recognize me today because I've come a long way, and I'm really grateful for that.

That to therapy, to prayer, to solid. Friendships, to taking the time to really. Do my own self exploration, to make sure I found someone that supported where I'd like to see myself. So, yeah, I learned a lot, and. I'm applying everything I've learned.

Nicole Lapin
And, of course, you will love you no matter what. It sounds like $1, $1 billion or anywhere in between. But how do you feel about prenups? Oh, my God, girl, prenup it down. You know what's crazy?

Nicole Walters
And you want to hear something that's really funny? So I have always felt I needed a prenup, even when I was broke. And that really said something about our vision of self. And if anyone hears that and that, like, resonates with them as women, where you're like, oh, you know, I may not have made all my money yet. Or I feel like I'm just, like.

Full of ideas and I'm starting something. Get your prenup anyway, girl, because you know, you. You know what you're capable of, and you know what your future looks like. You may not have all the funds yet. Get that prenup anyway, because you still deserve to protect that.

You wouldn't buy a business without a contract. You wouldn't hire an employee without a contract. You wouldn't have a nanny watch your babies without a contract. It's just a contract to make sure things are easy paperwork on the back end. Save yourself legal fees, save yourself time and headache.

Be a better, more attentive mother during the divorce process because everything is already figured out concussity wise, you know? Get that prenup. It's the right thing to do. Marriage should have a contract also. Yeah.

Nicole Lapin
Because, yes, you're never going to get divorced or in love. La la, la la. But also, you don't want the state to decide. And that's a big reason. Like, it's a big reason.

Nicole Walters
Like, I mean, you don't want your house to catch on fire, but you still get insurance. You don't think that you're going to get sick tomorrow, but you still get insurance. It makes sense. So do it. Yeah.

Nicole Lapin
Listen, I have not been married, but I have my prenup ready to go all day. I'm like, he's going to sign it. The good part also is you get that prenup done while you are friends, while you are still at your peak hotness, because marriage can be a very long time. Okay. While he is looking at you saying, I want all of that, let him sign and agree.

Nicole Walters
Okay, ladies. This idea, I think, is really important to reframe, especially for women, because I hear it like, oh, he's making me sign a prenup. No, I'm protecting my own things. These conversations of I have to say in this prenup because I'll only get whatever x from him. No, no, no, no, no.

Nicole Lapin
We have to take control. Yes, 100%. I think if you're on the other side of prenup signing, where maybe you're not the breadwinner girl, get your own lawyer and recognize that if you can't get through the prenup process. I don't know what you think marriages, but it is nothing but a million of those conversations coming from someone who. When you have the first kid, like.

Nicole Walters
What diet are we going to have? What school are they going to go to? How are we going to raise them in terms of values in parenting? You are going to have those conversations all the time. If you can't talk about a contract, about something as clear cut as dollar.

Amounts, it's going to come up later. A prenup will save you a lot of headaches down the road. It always does. And so much goes back to money trail, as you know, especially in marriage. What advice would you give somebody who is currently in an unhappy marriage?

Nicole Lapin
I mean, I think what's so cool about what you and I do is that hopefully we empower women who are scared to leave abusive relationships because they're scared they can't take care of themselves or make their own money. So the first thing I would say. Is, it's kind of an old school. Thing, but they call it a Lord. Have mercy fund, right?

Nicole Walters
You know, a lord have mercy fund is a woman should have her own money. It should be your own money that. You are allowed to have. It doesn't mean that you can't have a mutual, shared account. You know, it doesn't mean that you.

Can'T contribute to the household. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with you having things in your own name. And it doesn't even have to be millions and millions and millions of dollars. It's nice if it is, but just enough that when you know, you're in a situation where you need flexibility and you don't want to have to answer to anyone, whether it's about you or. Your children, you want to have that.

So if you're currently in something difficult or challenging or frightening or scary, one, seek support, right? Therapy, resources, most important thing. But two, while you're in it, you. Can start planning and exit. So save money, start that side hustle, and train yourself on skills, you know, take that extra class, do whatever you can do right now to empower yourself to have more choices later.

Because as much as I talk about money, like, oh, you can do this, and I bought these things and all that. All that money is as a tool. So that you can get out into. The world and do big things without bureaucracy, paperwork, or permission. Yes.

Nicole Lapin
I call it the oh, shit fund. Or, like, breaking case of emergency. Yes, exactly. Right. Same thing.

Nicole Walters
Yep. And do you think a secret account is kosher? Like, if you have to have a secret account, you have problem o's anyway, but, yeah, absolutely. Right. Exactly.

And either way, in a divorce, it. Isn'T secret forensic accountants. Right? Everything comes out. But I will tell you that whether.

Nicole Walters
Or not they know about it, it's in your name. They can't do anything to you. It's your money. You use, like, a nationwide bank, one. That has full nation distribution, like a large, big bank.

Then just go somewhere else and access your money there so you don't have to tell them about it. They don't need to control what's in it. You are allowed to have your own money. You are allowed to. When you give this advice, I feel the pain behind it.

Nicole Lapin
You're giving it from life experience. It cuts deep. I mean, thank you so much for writing this memoir. Truly incredible. Your life experience and your stories.

I think we could have a whole series. In fact, I'm going to try to recruit you for our network because you should have a full series on this. Like, I can't even get into all of the amazing stories on this one episode, but I'd love to talk about you adopting your three girls after meeting their mom, who you saw Panhellen laying on the street. I suppose becoming a mom to three daughters overnight wasn't on your bingo card. For the year, Morgan.

Nicole Walters
Yeah, it wasn't on my bingo card. This happened ten years ago. And I was just driving down a. Street, and, you know, that thing hit me where I was like, this seems really off, you know, but I'm going to pull over and see what I can do. And they were 311 and 14 at the time, and I just, you know, got into their life and helped out where I could.

I didn't have a dollar to my name at the time, and I was 28. And so after about 30 days or. So, she told me she was going to be incarcerated for substance abuse issues. And so I said, okay, well, what's going to happen to the girls? And they said, well, they will end up either split up by the state, or we'll figure something out.

Nicole Walters
And I said, okay, well, I'll take them. I'll help. So I had the girls, and after, you know, she came back, it was just very clear that we needed to figure something out so they could stay. Stable and, you know, and again, this ties back to money. When you have kids incentivizes.

It was part of what initiated my. I need to quit my job because I need more hours. I've got two kids in the next five years going to college, and I have zero fund for them. What am I going to do? I've got a kid going into kindergarten who needs to be in top schools.

We lived in a crummy neighborhood at. The time, and I was like, I. Have to move into a better school district. All of a sudden, within a year, I had all the pressures that parents typically have a solid 1015 years to figure out. I needed to solve them all.

Touching. And so it was challenging, but what. Was crazy was the answer was bet on yourself. You know, I can't get four jobs. I can bet on myself, though, and that's what I did.

And throughout my life, it's worked. You are a good woman. You're very kind. I did not know what I was doing, and I talk about that in the book as well. You know what it is?

Nicole Walters
It's kind of like entrepreneurship. I think parenting is like that, too. There's a reason why you jump to something blind, because you learn how much you're capable of figuring out along the way. And if you just try to do. The next right thing, it really does work out.

So, Nicole, like, we talk about knowing your numbers and doing the right thing with your money and being responsible and all those things, but there are times where in your business, you have to do what's right, even if it doesn't monetarily make sense. And I think that a lot of people forget that that is part of being a good business owner and evolving. And it's why we try to make the right decisions as often as we can, so that when it's time to just make those calls, you can. I've had times where it was like, I've had an employee who's been going through it, and the right thing to do was to issue their bonus now and not wait till the end of the year, because it would transform the trajectory of their life. And I knew that that didn't make sense in terms of that quarter's numbers, right?

But it made sense overall. And because I understood my total business, I knew I could do that safely and it was the right thing to do. So I'd like to think I'm good. But part of it is that I really have worked hard to make sure that I know what I know so I can do what's right. Well, it's an art and a science, right?

Nicole Lapin
Like, when you're thinking about cutting somebody a business truck where it doesn't make business sense, there's humanity to it, as well as mathematics. Right. Like, both coexist. And you grew up in a household. You mentioned that money was a huge struggle.

Like mine also, you know, first generation. American, it sounds like, you know, your. Daughters, in their early life struggled, but now their household is run by a self made millionaire. How do you think about approaching money with your daughters? Well, you know what's really interesting, and I hope this resonates with anyone who happens to be a mom.

Nicole Walters
Your kids are different. So I've got three, and they're not my bio babes. I don't know if it's different when you raise them all at the same time, but their approach to money, despite. Having me as a mom, a lot. Of that is fully formed, I think.

Very early on, and I think it really resonates. I'm sure there's, like, studies about that, but my 24 year old relationship with. Money is that I don't know if. I'll ever have it. Scarcity runs my life.

I have tons of fear and I. Got her at 14. She understands the struggle she lived in very early on. She's more of a, like, hustler. My 21 year old is a scraper.

Nicole Walters
She's like, I don't want to spend anything. I will live bare bones to the point where I regularly have to teach her value, where your time is worth something. It actually does not make sense to try to build your own bed because it'll cost you more in the long run versus spending the money for it. And then my little one, her relationship with money is actually the most healthy. She's eleven.

Where I really have to balance some of her charitable nature of it because. She'S like, oh, yeah, money's comes and goes. There's plenty in the world. I can always work to make more. And if I do write and serve people, I'll make it.

Like, that's where she is. And I'm like, girl, hold on, though. But you need to save because this is also mom's money, not your money. So let's get it together. You know what I mean?

Like that. There's like that. So it's interesting to watch them sort of apply what they know and evolve. With what they've learned. But people like you create resources that.

Nicole Walters
I get to put into the hands of my daughters. You get to be examples that change their life. And so I'm thankful to you for that. And I'm thankful to you and they're thankful to you. Are they excited about touching this book?

My little one is at about three quarters of the way through and it has been. I mean, you've written an incredible book that literally changed lives. People come up to you and they say, like, I did this thing from your book and it changed everything. So you understand what books can do. And I feel like getting a little.

Emotional about it, but having my daughter have conversation with me about the book. Because she's like, mom, I didn't know. Your life was so hard growing up. It's a lot like ours was because. She doesn't remember that she was three when I got her and I was like, yeah.

And she was like, I didn't know. That we both could have hard lives and still end up really good. And I was like, oh, yes. You know, and it's just the calm, you know what I mean? It's just the conversations are like, wow.

Nicole Walters
And I'm just grateful because if this. Can happen for an eleven, my God. What could happen when it reaches the. Rest of the world. So it's just such a privilege to end our episodes.

Nicole Lapin
I ask all of our guests for a piece of money advice listeners can take straight to the bank. It could be anything. Investing, saving, retirement, negotiating. What would yours be? So this is one that applies in all those categories.

Nicole Walters
Grant yourself some grace. I think we're all way too hard on ourselves. We set these expectations for wild, incredible results and weird returns financially. And I just want to let you know that as long as you're still breathing, you have another day to try again. And shame is not going to serve you as you start over fresh.

So grant yourself little grace as you go. Have you given yourself grace during this crazy time? I try every single day.

Nicole Lapin
Money Rehab is a production of Money News news Network. I'm your host, Nicole Lapin. Money rehab's executive producer is Morgan Lavoie. Our researcher is Emily Holmes. Do you need some money rehab?

And let's be honest, we all do. So email us your money questions. Money rehaboneyoneyoneynewsnetwork.com to potentially have your questions answered on the show or even have a one on one intervention with me. And follow us on Instagramoneynews and TikTokoneynewsnetwork for exclusive video content. And lastly, thank you.

No, seriously, thank you. Thank you for listening and for investing in yourself, which is the most important investment you can make.