"When you make a decision that you can do it, your help will come." - Alice Tang

In this special role-reversal episode, guest host Laura Salerno Owens sits down with the visionary behind Women's Million Dollar Conversations (WMDC), Alice Tang. After interviewing over 60 high-achieving women, Alice reflects on her own journey and how the WMDC project has shaped her views on financial freedom, building meaningful community, and leaving a legacy that endures for generations.

We dive deep into:

• Wealth Beyond Money: Why your health and time are invaluable currencies.
• Shedding the Joneses: How to stop building someone else's perfect life and start honoring your own.
• Micro-Mentoring: Why 15 minutes of advice can change a career path.

Join the conversation and gain powerful wisdom to carry with you on your own journey to the million-dollar mountain top.

Can you save students $1 billion while building a million-dollar company?

In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Kim Thanos, CEO of Lumen Learning. Kim shares how she moved from a stable career at HP to founding a company that replaces traditional textbooks with digital learning software that supports better student outcomes at a fraction of the cost.

Inside this episode:
• The $1 Million Milestone: How Lumen Learning reached seven figures in revenue within three years.

• Detaching from the "Baby": Why viewing your company objectively makes you a more effective leader.

• The Power of "Why": How Kim used a failed grant application to level up her business strategy.

• Trust-Based Leadership: Hearing the feedback that actually moves the needle.

Connect with Alice Tang for more insights: https://www.askalicetang.com/

Is your career path a straight line or a patchwork quilt?

Kristi McFarland explains why she intentionally seeks out "challenging and messy" problems to solve. Alice Tang dives into how a non-traditional career path—spanning HR, Marketing, and Strategy—can lead to a million-dollar milestone and a deeply fulfilling life.

Key Takeaways:
• Challenge the Status Quo: Why the "good stuff" is hidden in complex problems.

• Sailing Toward Success: Why your journey doesn't have to look like anyone else's.

• Investing in Innovation: How Kristi supports women entrepreneurs and local art.

• The Friday-to-Monday Jump: Graduating and starting a new chapter under pressure.

Connect with Alice Tang for more insights: https://www.askalicetang.com/

How much is your reputation actually worth? Join Alice Tang as she speaks with Shari Dunn, author of Qualified, about the "millions of dollars" sitting in your current network. Shari reveals her transition from nonprofit leadership to hitting seven-figure revenue in her second year of consulting. Learn why showing up consistently as your authentic self creates a financial backstop for your future and why Shari believes in sharing the "secrets" of success with everyone.

In this episode, you'll learn:
The Network Asset: Why your professional history has a specific financial value that can power a new business.

The Publishing 80/20 Rule: Why 80% of a book's success depends on business strategy rather than the writing itself.

Ownership Oversight: The necessity of maintaining oversight on every aspect of your business, from websites to financials.

Breaking the Scarcity Mindset: Shari's move from a paycheck-to-paycheck community to understanding wealth generation.

Key Moments
00:00 – Network as an Asset: Shari explains why your reputation is worth millions.
01:52 – Transition to Consulting: Starting a business after 25 years in law, policy, and journalism.
03:00 – The $1M Milestone: Reaching seven-figure revenue in the second year of business.
05:45 – The Ultimate Backstop: Why business owners must review everything themselves.
07:08 – Bite-Sized Resilience: Managing the overwhelm of business by focusing on "now, now, now".
08:42 – The Business of Books: Shari reveals the shocking investment required to promote a book.
10:01 – Traditional Publishing Hurdles: The critical role of agents and the auction process.
13:00 – Cashing in Credibility: Realizing that her New York network had a hidden financial value.
14:34 – Mentorship Renewal: Why conversations with students re-energize the mentor more than the mentee.
15:35 – Scarcity Mindset: Coming from a working-class background and finding the courage to save early.
17:15 – Broad Legacies: Using time and board service to preserve nature and support workforce access.

How do you build and maintain brands that resonate across the globe? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Jigna Kapadia, a powerhouse marketing executive who has led strategic initiatives for Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Cisco. Jigna shares her journey of navigating the complexities of global markets and explains why the most successful brands are those that prioritize human connection over pure data.

Jigna reveals her philosophy on Brand Equity and discusses how aligning cultural intelligence with marketing strategy is the ultimate catalyst for reaching the million-dollar level of professional influence. If you are an aspiring leader looking to amplify your global impact or a veteran marketer navigating a pivot, Jigna's insights on intentionality and storytelling are essential.

In this episode, you'll learn:

-The strategic evolution of Jigna's career through some of the world's most iconic brands.
-How she reached the $1M milestone by consistently delivering high-impact global results.
-Why Jigna views money as a tool for creating "Optionality" and personal freedom.
-Tactical advice for building a "Global Mindset" in your leadership style.

Key Moments
00:42 – Global Roots: Jigna's background leading strategic marketing across continents.

03:15 – The Value of Money: Defining money as the freedom to choose projects that align with personal values.

05:50 – The $1M Milestone: Managing the high-stakes responsibility of global P&Ls and brand equity.

08:25 – Cultural Intelligence: Why understanding the "Human Why" is the secret to scaling brands.

11:40 – Authentic Leadership: How to own your seat at the table in male-dominated corporate environments.

14:55 – Advice for Marketers: Moving beyond data to build emotional connections with your audience.

17:10 – Gratitude: Reflecting on the impact of mentoring the next generation of global leaders.

How do you transition from the C-suite of a major corporation to a thriving independent consultancy? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Kristin Bauer, founder of Kristin Bauer Consulting and a veteran HR executive. Kristin shares her journey of leaving a secure executive role to build a million-dollar practice that helps founders and CEOs navigate the "People Side" of business growth.

Kristin reveals why Organizational Design is the key to scaling and discusses how her "Human-Centered" approach allows companies to reach the million-dollar milestone by aligning their talent with their business strategy. If you want to learn how to build a high-performance culture or own your narrative as a leader, Kristin's insights are essential.

In this episode, you'll learn:

-The strategic steps Kristin took to launch her consultancy after a storied HR career.
-How she reached the $1M revenue mark by focusing on high-impact fractional CHRO services.
-Why Kristin views money as a tool for "Optionality" and creating professional freedom.
-Tactical advice for building a leadership team that scales with your vision.

Key Moments:

00:45 – The Career Pivot: Moving from a secure corporate C-suite role to the "brave new world" of independent consulting.

02:30 – The Value of Money: Why she views capital as "Optionality"—the ability to choose your projects, your time, and your impact.

05:10 – The $1M Milestone: Proving that high-level HR strategy is a revenue-driving asset, not just a "cost center".

08:15 – Organizational Design: Why your business will stop growing if your team structure isn't built for the next stage of revenue.

11:40 – Neutralizing Conflict: How to lead through the "Messy Middle" of rapid hiring and cultural shifts.

14:55 – Advice for Founders: The importance of "owning your seat at the table" and trusting your executive intuition.

18:10 – Gratitude: Reflecting on the legacy of building high-performance teams that actually enjoy working together.

How do you turn a technical career in laboratory science into a high-impact consulting business? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Jessica Porter, founder of Jessica Porter Consulting. Jessica shares her journey of moving away from the lab bench to build a million-dollar practice that helps organizations optimize their workflows and lead their teams with more clarity.

Jessica reveals why Process Improvement is the unsung hero of business growth and discusses how her "Efficiency Mindset" allowed her to reach the million-dollar milestone while maintaining personal freedom. If you are a technical professional looking to transition into consulting or a leader struggling with operational "clutter," Jessica's insights on professional agency are essential.

In this episode, you'll learn:

-The strategic steps Jessica took to launch her firm after a career in specialized science.
-How she reached the $1M revenue mark by focusing on high-value process consulting.
-Why Jessica views money as a tool for "Buying Back Time" and creating personal options.
-Tactical advice for building technical authority in a competitive consulting market.

Key Moments:

00:55 – The Shift: From the laboratory bench to operational consulting.

03:10 – The Value of Money: Providing the resources to build a life of Professional Agency.

06:25 – The Efficiency Mark: Reaching $1M by helping organizations "get out of their own way."

09:50 – Process Improvement: Why "boring" operational systems are the key to high-growth scale.

13:40 – The Authority Shift: How to be taken seriously as a technical consultant in the boardroom.

17:15 – Advice: "Standardize the routine so you can be creative with the exceptions."

Is your money working for your values, or is it just sitting in a bank? Join Alice Tang as she speaks with Marla Sofer, a 25-year financial services veteran and founder of Knowmee. Marla reveals why "money is power" and how women can leverage their financial resources to become catalysts for global change. She shares her transition from big-name firms like JP Morgan and BlackRock to launching a startup at age 46, driven by a deep belief that wealth should serve a purpose. Learn how to find your voice through your money and why the most important life decisions are never just about the numbers.

In this episode, you'll learn:
Money as a Catalyst: Why financial resources are a privileged seat of opportunity to back the issues you care about.

Holistic Discovery: The importance of a delightful fact-finding process that centers client values over industry jargon.

The "Hustle" Path: How Marla worked her way up to leadership roles at top firms like JP Morgan and BlackRock through part-time MBA studies and hard work.

Memory Creation: Why money is most useful when it empowers you to create the most important memories and experiences for your family and beyond.

Key Moments
00:00 – Money as Power: Marla defines wealth as the primary tool for creating impact beyond one's immediate circle.
01:15 – 25-Year Journey: An introduction to Marla's deep experience in financial services and operations.
01:56 – Jumping into FinTech: Motivated by wanting to find better financial solutions for clients a decade ago.
02:40 – Knowmee's Mission: Using financial psychology to help people articulate what they want their money to do.
03:36 – The $1M Milestone: Marla reflects on how hard work and "elbows" led to her first seven-figure net worth.
05:35 – Holistic Discovery: Why the financial industry struggles to make the "fact-finding" process engaging for clients.
06:25 – Stickiness vs. Numbers: Why centering a client's life goals creates more business trust than just talking about returns.
08:12 – Tool for Impact: Even paying for a child's education is giving money a specific purpose in the world.
09:49 – Men and Power: A reflection on why men have traditionally embraced money as power more than women have.
11:50 – Starting at 46: Why it's harder to start a company with more experience because "you know your worth".
13:12 – Changing the Future: Marla's technology goal to give every person more say over how each dollar changes the world.
15:21 – Podcasting Goals: Marla explains the purpose of her new show, Knowing Me, Knowing You.
16:43 – Gratitude: A focus on health, family, and the hard but chosen path of an entrepreneur.