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The Year Everything Was Chaos

  1. The Year Everything Was Chaos Laura Rotter, CFA, CFP® | Financial Advisor for Women in Midlife Transitions 42:36

Imagine you’re a month away from giving birth to your second child. Your toddler is eighteen months old. Your husband is a military pilot about to deploy for six months, just three weeks after the baby arrives.

Somewhere in the middle of it all, you open a spreadsheet for the first time and ask yourself: What do I actually need my Money to do for me?

At some point, you’ve probably asked: Why does money still feel heavy, even when the numbers look okay? Why do I feel anxious when I look at my finances, and just as anxious when I avoid them? How do I stop chasing someone else’s definition of financial success?

Maybe you’ve done the mindset work, read the books, and tackled your money story, yet it still isn’t translating to your bank account. Maybe you’ve chased revenue goals that left you burnt out. Maybe you’ve borrowed money to grow your business and carried shame because you learned debt was irresponsible.

Megan Hale grew up watching her grandmother meticulously manage money and model Financial Independence. She also inherited the belief that debt was shameful.

So when Megan opened her Therapy practice and took on business debt, she felt like a financial failure. Over time, she realized business debt is different from consumer debt. Used intentionally, it can be a strategic tool.

The turning point came in 2018. With two babies under two, a deployed husband, and a business she refused to abandon, Megan created her Good, Better, Best planning framework.

That became the foundation of Dream Money, a planning platform that helps entrepreneurs organize personal pay, expenses, taxes, savings, team costs, reinvestment, and giving through the Good, Better, Best framework. It also includes a 2% Pledge, showing how small contributions from many business owners can create meaningful collective impact.

Today, Megan defines financial success as more than stability. It’s having enough margin to enjoy life, give generously, and believe “more than enough” is possible.

Guest

Megan Hale is the CEO and Founder of DreamMoney™, a strategic business planning platform for solo entrepreneurs to know their numbers, map sustainable revenue plans, and build a healthier relationship with money. A former therapist, she combines psychology with business strategy.

Connect with Megan

Website: https://dreammoney.co

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreammoneyco

Instagram (personal): https://www.instagram.com/meganhaleco

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dreammoney.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganhale1/

Podcast: https://meganhale.co/podcast

Resources

Free Minimum Viable Revenue Calculator: https://dreammoney.co/mvr

Try Dream Money free: https://beta.dreammoney.co

Dream Money platform: $297/quarter or $997/year

The 2% Pledge: https://dreammoney.co

Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

Laura Rotter Founder and Owner

I am Laura Rotter, the founder of True Abundance Advisors. We are a fee-only financial planning firm in Westchester County, New York for mid-life professional women.

After 30 years of successfully managing money for institutional investors including Citicorp and Para Advisors, I found my definition of abundance shifting. As I reviewed my own financial landscape, I realized that abundance wasn't just about accumulating more wealth, but about employing my wealth to do the things I most valued. My mindset changed from “I must use my life to make money,” to “I can use my money to make a life.” This experience helps me empathize with many of my clients.

Outside of my work as a financial planner for mid-career professionals, I serve on the Advisory Council of Impact100 Westchester, lead workshops for Invest For Better and am on the board of the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners.