As women, we're encouraged to be emotionally resilient, spiritually resilient—but financially resilient? We don't talk about that enough. That part of the conversation can feel intimidating or even off-limits. But not here, not today.

Meet Roxana Maddahi: financial advisor, president of Maddahi Wealth, and contributor for Forbes and HuffPost. Roxana's journey isn't just about spreadsheets or portfolios. She's seen what it's like to lose everything—to watch her savings slip away when Lehman Brothers filed for the biggest bankruptcy in history. Out of that painful experience rose her dedication to help others avoid the same struggles.

In this conversation, we explore what financial resilience really means—and how to build the habits, knowledge, and mindsets that help us withstand and recover from financial shocks like illness, job loss, market downturns, or divorce.

Disclaimer: This conversation is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial professional for guidance tailored to your personal situation.

In this episode, Roxana shares:

• The mindset of a financially resilient person: accepting that emergencies are inevitable
• Why meditation is essential for managing financial stress and making clear decisions
• How to build an emergency fund (and why it doesn't have to be all liquid cash)
• The biggest misconception about the stock market—it's not gambling
• Why women are as financially literate as men but 44% less likely to believe it
• Her story of working at Lehman Brothers during the 2008 bankruptcy
• Why she invested her life savings in Lehman Brothers stock—and lost it all
• How watching families lose everything shaped her mission to provide good guidance
• Why 90% of women will have to manage their finances alone at some point
• The importance of finding a financial advisor who truly understands you

✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast

The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice

References:

• Follow Roxana Maddahi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roxana.maddahi/?hl=en
• Visit Maddahi Wealth for more information: https://maddahiwealth.com/
• Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg and @ritanaffasdesign
• Visit www.journeywithrita.org for more episodes and resources

Gratitude isn't meant to be a once-a-year tradition reserved for the Thanksgiving table. It's something we can weave into our daily lives—a practice that shapes how we see the world, respond to challenges, and move through each day.

In this solo episode, I share my personal journey with gratitude, from hearing Oprah talk about gratitude journals as a teenager to how this simple practice carried me through breast cancer, miscarriages, and Guillain-Barré syndrome when I temporarily lost the ability to move.

In this episode, I share:

• How Oprah Winfrey's gratitude journal practice changed my life as a teenager
• Finding gratitude during breast cancer—feeling lucky to have treatment options and access to incredible doctors
• The moment I became paralyzed and was overwhelmed not by fear, but by the kindness of those who surrounded me
• Why gratitude is like a pearl in the ocean—you have to dive deep through murky waters to find it
• The science behind gratitude: How it rewires your brain and reduces anxiety
• Practical ways to build gratitude daily: savoring moments, journaling, dinnertime reflections, and the gratitude shift
• Teaching my children to look for the good, even on hard days
• Why gratitude doesn't mean pretending everything is okay—it means choosing to focus on what helps you move forward

When gratitude becomes part of how we live—not something we only visit once a year—life truly begins to shift. We start seeing beauty in ordinary moments, we become more resilient in hard times, and we realize that even when everything feels uncertain, there's always something to be thankful for.

✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast

Follow @journeywithritaorg on Instagram to keep building resilience through proven guiding principles, practical tools, and weekly inspiration.

The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice

References:

• Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg and @ritanaffasdesign
• Visit www.journeywithrita.org for more episodes and resources

What happens when the woman who appears to “have it all” pulls back the curtain and shares her failures, talks openly about mental health, and dispels the myth that women can have it all?

Meet Roxana Eli: accomplished litigation attorney, devoted mother of two, and the first female elected president in Sephardic Temple's 100-year history. In this raw conversation, Roxana pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to break barriers while staying true to yourself.

In this episode:

• Failing the bar exam
• Why "balance" is a myth for working mothers
• Making history at Sephardic Temple
• The panic attack that changed everything
• Being open about therapy and medication
• Missing her daughter's school event and breaking down
• Why asking for help is a superpower
• Mom guilt and how to handle it
• The power of saying no
• Why hiring help isn't shameful
• Being the only woman in the boardroom
• Mental health in our community

This conversation is about more than success. It's about the messy, beautiful journey of becoming who you're meant to be.

✨Tag me on Instagram and share what resonated with you! Use hashtag #JourneyWithRitaPodcast

References:

• Follow Roxana Eli on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rox_eli/?hl=en
• Follow Sephardic Temple on Instagram
• https://www.instagram.com/sephardictemple/
• Connect with Rita @journeywithritaorg and @ritanaffasdesign
• Visit www.journeywithrita.org for more episodes and resources