Are your subconscious beliefs about money holding your business back? This week, Lisa and Precious welcome Ruchi Pinniger, a venture capital investor and the founder of Watch Her Prosper®. Ruchi shares her journey from a successful Wall Street career to becoming a financial mentor for women entrepreneurs. She explains why traditional financial advice often fails without addressing the underlying money mindset. Ruchi discusses her signature RIR Method™ for recognizing, interrupting, and reframing negative self-talk to cultivate a feeling of abundance. Listen in to learn how to connect your self-worth to your net worth and build a shame-free relationship with your finances for lasting profitability and growth.

What You’ll Hear:

• Heal Your Mindset, Grow Your Revenue: Learn why a healthy money story is the most critical asset for unlocking your financial success.
• From Inspiration to Action: Hear how Ruchi was inspired by her immigrant single mother’s journey and how that shaped her mission to empower other women financially.
• The Worthiness Equation: Learn how the price you put on your time and expertise, from project fees to your annual salary, is a mirror of your own feeling of worthiness.
• Find Your Magic Number: Hear the one question every entrepreneur should ask to align their business revenue with their personal financial goals to fund their ideal life.

Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn
• Ruchi Pinniger's LinkedIn

Important Links for Ruchi:

• Watch Her Prosper Website

About Ruchi Pinniger:

Ruchi Pinniger, International Speaker, Venture Capital Investor, Founder and CEO of Watch Her Prosper®, is dedicated to providing financial mentorship, support and services that women-led service-based businesses need to succeed. Recently named one of the “Women Leading the Finance Industry,” Ruchi’s signature approach fosters shame-free empowerment, enabling clients to achieve significant results in profitability and economic growth. Ruchi leverages her years of experience on Wall Street to provide expert advice on financial leadership, tax-time readiness, and small business finances.

She is dedicated to philanthropy, serving on the executive boards of Savvy Ladies and the Pajama Program. Recognized with the Entrepreneur Community Leadership Award 2024, she is committed to helping entrepreneurs thrive, and cherishes moments with her family exploring food and diverse cultures around the world.

Certified Financial Therapist Erika Wasserman returns to The Power of the Ask to discuss how women can stop feeling shame around money and start building more confidence. Learn how a “personal board of directors” can help you on your financial journey. This conversation provides the tools you need to rewrite your money story and build a supportive community that helps you move forward.

Key Takeaways

• Asking for Help is a Strength: Leaning on your community during difficult times allows others to show up for you, strengthening your relationships and helping everyone involved.
• Make Your Ask Specific: Vague requests get vague results. To get what you need, practice making your asks direct and targeted.
• Confidence is a Practiced Skill: A lack of financial confidence doesn’t mean you’re bad with money, it just means you haven’t practiced yet.
• Boundaries Create Freedom: Setting financial boundaries isn’t just about saying “no.” Create intentional rules that work for you, which may include saying “yes” to the right things in moderation.

Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn

Important Links for Erika:

• Erika Wasserman's LinkedIn
• Your Financial Therapist Website

About Erika Wasserman:

Erika Wasserman, the visionary CEO and founder of Your Financial Therapist, established the company in 2019 with a mission to transform how people view and manage their financial lives. As a Certified Financial Therapist (CFT-I™)—a prestigious certification held by fewer than 70 professionals worldwide—Erika blends her expertise in finance and international economics with her passion for empowering individuals, couples, and organizations to rethink their relationship with money.

She is also the creator of the innovative Let’s Talk Finances: Financial Wellness Conversation Cards. This unique tool features 50 thought-provoking questions designed to spark meaningful conversations about money, fostering financial clarity and emotional connection.

Erika’s academic credentials include a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the University of Florida and a Graduate Certificate in Financial Therapy from Kansas State University. Her work reflects a deep commitment to financial well-being, making her a trusted expert in financial therapy.

Join Lisa Zeiderman and Precious Williams as they welcome Erika Wasserman, one of only 100 certified financial therapists in the United States and founder of Your Financial Therapist, to the Power of the Ask podcast. Drawing from her personal journey through divorce and reinvention, Erika shares her signature Money Mindset Method and reveals how our backgrounds, cultural influences, and past experiences shape our relationship with money.

In this eye-opening conversation, Erika demonstrates how to move beyond financial shame and fear to create healthier money conversations in every area of life. Whether you're navigating a breakup, planning for retirement, or simply want to feel more confident about your financial decisions, this episode offers practical tools and compassionate guidance.

You'll discover:

• The Foundation of Financial Therapy: Learn what financial therapy really means and why talking about money feels so uncomfortable for most people
• The Money Mindset Method: Erika's five-step framework (M.O.N.E.Y.) for having productive financial conversations in any situation
• Breaking Generational Patterns: How family background, culture, and personal experiences create our money stories and how to rewrite them
• Practical Conversation Starters: Real strategies for discussing finances with partners, family members, and even yourself
• Financial Trauma Recovery: Compassionate approaches to healing from past financial wounds and building trust in new relationships

Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn

Important Links for Erika:

• Erika Wasserman's LinkedIn
• Your Financial Therapist Website

About Erika Wasserman:

Erika Wasserman, the visionary CEO and founder of Your Financial Therapist, established the company in 2019 with a mission to transform how people view and manage their financial lives. As a Certified Financial Therapist (CFT-I™)—a prestigious certification held by fewer than 70 professionals worldwide—Erika blends her expertise in finance and international economics with her passion for empowering individuals, couples, and organizations to rethink their relationship with money.

She is also the creator of the innovative Let’s Talk Finances: Financial Wellness Conversation Cards. This unique tool features 50 thought-provoking questions designed to spark meaningful conversations about money, fostering financial clarity and emotional connection.

Erika’s academic credentials include a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the University of Florida and a Graduate Certificate in Financial Therapy from Kansas State University. Her work reflects a deep commitment to financial well-being, making her a trusted expert in financial therapy.

On this episode of The Power of the Ask, we speak with Ivette Rivera, an inspiring Afro-Latina Nuyorican from Camden, New Jersey who transformed her life from homelessness to founding Harley, a trauma-informed fintech platform dedicated to helping women escape financial abuse and build wealth.

Ivette shares her incredible journey of resilience, faith, and the bold asks that paved her path to success, including selling a domain to rapper and entrepreneur Nas and her pivotal experience with Tesla. Learn how she diversified her investments with the guidance of Savvy Ladies, turning potential setbacks into powerful momentum. This episode explores:

• Financial Independence: Ivette’s journey highlights how asking for help and clarity is the first step in rebuilding your life, even from rock bottom.
• Female Fintech: Learn about Harley, a platform designed to meet the specific financial needs of women, offering everything from high-yield accounts and robo-investing to a “diamond squad” for women-supporting-women funding.
• Cultural Entrepreneurship: Understand how cultural entrepreneurship, like Ivette’s Loiza Foods and Bodega Flavor, can be a powerful act of healing, identity affirmation, and creating spaces for underrepresented communities.
• Digital Safety: Recognize the growing need for women to embrace cybersecurity and digital safety as a core part of their financial lifestyle, protecting themselves from online scams and financial targeting.

Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn
• Ivette Rivera's LinkedIn

Think insurance is dull? Think again! Join us as visionary CEO and turnaround expert Monica Adwani shatters myths about the insurance industry and entrepreneurship. With nearly two decades of experience, Monica shares how she built a thriving career from the ground up, empowering Latino and immigrant entrepreneurs through innovative solutions. Tune in to hear the surprising ways insurance saves lives and businesses, the truth about the entrepreneurial journey, and the vast, often overlooked opportunities within this dynamic industry.

• Insurance is Not Boring: Find out how a dynamic career in insurance has led to Monica’s greatest reward: saving lives and businesses.
• Self-Made Success: Learn how Monica built her career from “zero” to CEO, arriving in the U.S. as an immigrant with no immediate family or help.
• Industry of Opportunity: The insurance sector faces a massive workforce gap, presenting significant career opportunities for new talent.
• Cultural Inclusion & Legacy: Monica is a passionate advocate for bringing diverse, younger talent into the industry. She hopes to leave a legacy of positive impact and enabling opportunities for others.

About Monica Adwani

Monica Adwani is a visionary CEO and turn-around expert with over 18 years in the insurance and business world. As the founder of Breezy Seguros, she empowers Latino and immigrant entrepreneurs through innovative insurance solutions and business growth strategies.

Recognized with multiple honors—including the AXL100 and Top 50 Women Leaders of Massachusetts—Monica is also a passionate advocate for inclusion, a board advisor for women entrepreneurs, and the voice behind the TranscendWithM podcast. Her journey from immigrant to impact-maker continues to shape industries and inspire change.

Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn
• Monica Adwani's LinkedIn

Tune in as Lisa Zeiderman and Precious Williams welcome Zoe Bogan, founder of ZB Agency and the visionary behind the Revenue Catalyst Program, which empowers women in traditionally male-dominated industries to excel in revenue-generating roles. Drawing on her experience as a former mergers and acquisitions leader at KPMG, Zoe shares her expertise helping women cultivate the confidence to overcome traditional barriers and boldly ask for opportunity, ownership, and the compensation they deserve. Learn how to move past fear and step into your power by:

• Laying the Foundation: Explore Zoe's personal journey and the "breadcrumbs" that led to empowering women's confidence.
• Cultivating Self-Belief: Learn strategies for shifting your mindset to build deeper belief in your worth and potential.
• Speaking Up: Get practical tips for asking powerfully and with confidence, even when navigating fear in male-dominated environments.
• Embracing an Empowered Mindset: Understand the importance of transitioning from a passive "employee" stance to an active, confident "entrepreneurial" mindset.
• Demanding Your Due: Learn why confidently demanding what you inherently deserve is crucial for achieving true financial empowerment.

About Zoe Bogan

Zoe Bogan is the founder of ZB Agency and a catalyst for women stepping into revenue-generating leadership roles across accounting, law, consulting, and beyond. Through her flagship program, Revenue Catalyst, now in its third cohort, she equips women to lead with confidence, close deals, and shift how they’re seen and valued in high-stakes rooms.

She is the visionary behind the ZB Agency Conference: Women Leading in Revenue Generation and Dealmaking and the ZB Golf Series, which has introduced nearly 70 women to golf as a powerful tool for business growth.

Zoe also leads the Capital Power-Up Initiative and upcoming Capital Power Summit, helping diverse and women-owned businesses prepare for funding and connect with aligned investors.

A former Corporate Development leader at KPMG, Zoe brings deep experience in M&A, integration strategy, and culture alignment. She’s a SUNY Fredonia alum, a passionate advocate for women in business—and most likely to be found on the golf course with her dog, Angel, when not building what’s next.

Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn
• Zoe Bogan's LinkedIn
• Zoe Bogan's Website , ZB Agency

On this episode of The Power of the Ask, we welcome Melissa Cisco, Esq., Director of High School Innovation and Special Projects, NYC Department of Education, for a discussion on the surprising intersection of education and real estate. Melissa shares her journey of discovering the power of property ownership for building wealth and how she empowers her students with this knowledge. Tune in for these key takeaways:

• Unlocking Wealth with Real Estate: Discover how a legal lens on the property market reveals pathways to building significant wealth, accessible to individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Making Smart Money Moves: Learn strategies for successful real estate investments, understanding the long-term game versus the quick flip for sustainable growth.
• Educating for Economic Empowerment: Understand how forward-thinking educators can equip students with financial literacy skills.
• Igniting Transformation Through Opportunity: Hear about Melissa's dedication to creating life-changing experiences for students, both in their local communities and across the globe.

About Melissa Cisco:
Melissa is an educator, attorney, and advocate for generational wealth and global learning. With 15 years in education and a legal focus in real estate, education, and immigration, she empowers families through smart investment strategies and teaches students the value of real estate. As Director of High School Innovation and Special Projects , she supports NYC’s 1.1 million students and has led international trips to expand their worldviews. Melissa is passionate about creating meaningful, transformative opportunities for the next generation.

Welcome, Melissa! We’re so excited to have you with us today. To kick things off, why don’t you share something with our audience, something that they wouldn’t know just from reading your bio?

Important Links:

• Savvy Ladies
• Precious Williams' LinkedIn
• Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn
• Melissa Cisco's LinkedIn

In this episode of the Power of the Ask podcast, hosts Lisa Zeiderman and Precious Williams reconnect with investor, writer, and facilitator Nirupa Umapathy. Nirupa explores the significance of embracing life’s transitions and advocating for your financial value. Discover how learning to say “no” and understanding your financial landscape can empower you to ask for and receive what you truly need.

Key Takeaways:

• Community is Crucial: In times of chaos and division, the strength of your network and the people around you is paramount for support and growth.
• Seven-Year Cycles of Change: Recognize and embrace the natural rhythms of significant shifts and evolutions in your life and career.
• Advocate for Your Worth: Never undervalue yourself or index your expectations to the lowest baseline; aim for compensation and recognition that reflect your true value.
• Financial Literacy is Foundational: Understand your cost of living, liabilities, and the levers you can control in your financial life.
• Timing and Context in Asking: Be mindful of when and how you make an ask, always considering the context and the other person’s perspective.
• Become a Champion Receiver: Recognize and actively work against societal conditioning that may prioritize giving over receiving, particularly for women.

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About Nirupa:

Nirupa Umapathy is an independent SG-focused investor, writer, facilitator, and classical Pilates teacher. A former Managing Director at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Whitebox Advisors, she was known for executing complex deals in structured credit markets. After leaving finance in 2017, she redesigned her life around joy and creativity.

Nirupa founded Salons for Life, a community fostering connection through unstructured play, and writes on empowered transitions. She also curates a unique alternatives portfolio, drawing on her financial expertise. Nirupa holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Economics from Smith College.

Important Links:
Savvy Ladies
Precious Williams' LinkedIn
Lisa Zeiderman's LinkedIn
Nirupa Umapathy LinkedIn