What happens when a seasoned Finance professional with an MBA and 26 years in construction loses nearly $2 million to a Ponzi scheme? In this candid and empowering conversation, Laura Rotter sits down with Lauri Kibby—Managing Partner at Seleen Brighthouse Real Estate investment fund—who turned one of her most devastating financial mistakes into a mission to educate and empower women investors.

Lauri’s journey from growing up with Money as a “weapon” (despite living an upper-middle-class life) to becoming a successful entrepreneur and developer reveals powerful lessons about financial resilience, self-trust, and the importance of knowing your complete financial picture. After discovering she’d been caught in a Ponzi scheme in 2023—lured by greed and the failure to trust her own gut instincts—Lauri didn’t hide in shame. Instead, she founded Seleen Brighthouse to provide women access to real Estate investment opportunities typically reserved for the ultra-wealthy, along with the Education and community they need to become sophisticated investors.

This episode is essential listening for any woman who wants to take full ownership of her financial life, whether you’re preparing for the great wealth transfer, managing an inheritance, or simply ready to stop outsourcing your financial decisions. Lauri shares why women need to look beyond the two-year horizon, how to build fundamental self-trust that creates wealth, and why knowing your net worth is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself.

Key Takeaways

💡 Even finance professionals fall for scams—and that’s the point: Lauri, with her MBA and decades of investment experience, lost $2 million to a Ponzi scheme because greed overrode her gut instincts. If it can happen to her, it can happen to anyone. The antidote is education, community, due diligence, and trusting the “pit in your stomach” when something feels off.

💡 Most women don’t know their true net worth—and that’s disempowering: Women often can’t name all their assets, forget about old 401(k)s, and don’t have a consolidated view of their financial picture. Knowing your complete balance sheet—assets and liabilities—is incredibly empowering and usually reveals you’re worth more than you think.

💡 True financial success comes from daily impact, not account balances: After comparing herself to ultra-wealthy Family members for years, Lauri redefined success as the impact she makes in Relationships every day. Better relationships lead to better decisions, which lead to better financial outcomes—not the other way around. And fundamentally, most people have always been okay, which should give us power to do big things without fear.

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Disclaimer: Please remember that the information shared on this podcast does not constitute accounting, legal, tax, investment or financial advice. It’s for informational purposes only.

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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.