Work Your Wealth Podcast

The 8 things I have every small business client check before the year is half over. I'm a CFP® who works with small business owners, and every June and July, I sit down with clients for the same conversation: not about revenue, which they always know cold, but about everything underneath it. Cash reserve. Insurance. What happens to the business if they're the one who's out for six weeks. In this episode, I walk through the eight questions I have every client answer at the halfway mark of the year: reading your P&L for what surprises you, cutting expenses that made sense a year ago and don't anymore, checking your cash reserve in real months of coverage, getting your estimated taxes actually aligned, making sure your insurance still matches the business you have now, building a continuity plan, checking your retirement contributions, and revisiting what you're actually paying yourself. None of this needs to happen in one sitting. But if it's been a while since you looked past the top line, this is the conversation to have with yourself before the year runs out of runway. LINKS: Allora Wealth Connect with Mary Beth on LinkedIn or Instagram What's Your Money Style?

You've been saving for years. The balance is there. And you still can't fully picture how it becomes a paycheck. That gap is not about how much you have saved. It is about how you have built it. In this episode, Mary Beth Storjohann, CFP and founder of Allora Wealth, breaks down the three retirement buckets every high earner needs to understand:tax-deferred, tax-free, and taxable, and explains why the mix matters just as much as the total. She walks through what most high-earning women and business owners get right, what they consistently miss, and what the difference costs them in retirement. If you have been putting most of your savings into one type of account, this episode is for you. Topics covered: Why high earners face a bigger retirement income gap than most people realize What each bucket is, how it is taxed, and when you access it The account most high earners forget to build deliberately Two real-life examples: the W-2 earner with equity compensation and the business owner The question worth asking yourself before your next contribution  

The term "financial plan" gets thrown around a lot, but what does it actually mean? In this episode, Mary Beth breaks down the concept of financial planning from the ground up — what it is, what prompts people to seek one out, and what the process really looks like. You'll learn: The life transitions and moments of complexity that most commonly lead people to a financial planner The difference between investment management and comprehensive financial planning What data you'll need to gather (and why "garbage in, garbage out" matters) The key areas a comprehensive plan covers — cash flow, retirement, taxes, insurance, estate planning, college savings, and more How a financial plan should be rooted in your personal, professional, and financial goals Why your plan is a living document — and how often it should be updated Whether you're wondering if you need a financial plan for the first time or just want to understand what you'd actually be getting, this episode gives you a clear, jargon-free look at what financial planning can do for your life.

You have been contributing to your retirement accounts. You negotiated your last salary. You are not starting from zero. And yet there are questions in your financial life that have not been fully answered.  In this episode, Mary Beth walks through 10 financial questions every woman at this stage should be able to answer. Not just the basics. The ones that matter when your income is high, your life is full, and you are carrying the weight of everyone who depends on you. Topics covered include understanding your total compensation beyond your base salary, confirming your retirement accounts are actually invested and not sitting in cash, planning a retirement timeline that accounts for a longer life, protecting your income if you are the primary earner, and defining what financial independence looks like for you specifically. You do not need to know the answers off the top of your head. You need to know where to find them.

There is a version of hoarding cash that looks completely responsible. The emergency fund is fully funded. The sinking funds are organized. The high-yield savings account is earning a little something every month. And still, the number never quite settles the nervous system. In this episode, Mary Beth gets honest about the psychology of cash: why we hold it, what it is really doing for us, and when a healthy cushion quietly becomes a way to avoid making a harder decision. This is a conversation about what is actually underneath the behavior and what to do when the number in your account still does not make you feel secure. Mary Beth covers: Why cash is not just money: it is optionality, and why that matters emotionally The invisible weight women carry when it comes to financial security How to tell the difference between strategic liquidity and emotional hoarding A clear framework for how much cash to actually hold at this stage Four concrete steps to start moving through the fear of investing If you have ever checked your savings balance at eleven o'clock at night and still gone to bed unsettled, this one is for you. RESOURCES MENTIONED: Allora Wealth Get started with Mary Beth Allora Wealth, LLC is a registered investment adviser. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute personalized investment advice. Please consult a financial professional before making any financial decisions.

Welcome back to Work Your Wealth. This is the first full episode of the relaunch, and we are starting with something that does not get talked about enough in financial planning circles: optionality. Not as a buzzword. As a strategy. If you are in your 30s, 40s, or 50s, juggling a career at peak earning years alongside kids, aging parents, and a household that does not run itself, you have likely felt the weight of a life that offers very few exits. This episode is about changing that. Mary Beth breaks down what financial optionality actually means, why the invisible load gets heavier when your money is not set up to give you choices, and the five pillars she uses with clients to build real flexibility into their financial lives. She also gets personal about the decisions she made over the last several years that gave her the freedom to step away from a C-suite role and relaunch Allora Wealth on her own terms. This episode covers: Why a full emergency fund is not the same as having options How to structure savings across taxable and tax-advantaged accounts to preserve access The debt strategy conversation most people are not having Income diversification that does not require a side hustle What work-optional actually looks like and how to plan for it now You are not behind. You are just building the foundation. This episode will show you what to build.

After four and a half years away, Mary Beth is back. In this relaunch episode she shares where she's been: from merging her first firm to becoming Co-CEO of a $3.5 billion RIA, and why she walked away from all of it to build something smaller, more intentional, and more aligned with the work that got her into this industry in the first place. This isn't a reinvention. It's a return. You'll hear what's coming for the podcast, what Mary Beth has learned after two decades of watching women navigate their finances, and why the hard part is almost never the math. If you're new here, welcome. If you've been waiting, thank you. Either way, this one's for you. New episodes dropping April 2026. Hit follow so you don't miss them. Questions or topics you want covered? Send them to [email protected].

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: The issues women have been facing over the past 18 months Examples of how women have been disproportionately impacted during the pandemic Where women started in the labor force compared to where we are today The impact of the 19th amendment on women in the workforce The long-term impact of the gender wage gap Comparing the changes men and women have faced as a result of COVID-19 The pressure that we perceived and now is being voiced by society due to the pandemic The average cost for childcare and how it relates to other expenses How the pandemic impacted accessibility and feasibility of childcare for many families How women of color have faced even more challenges through the pandemic Long-term financial impacts that these changes are going to have on women Small steps you can take to make that financial progress How Social Security is affected when women have to leave the workforce Why the savings gap is exacerbated by women's longevity A few ideas on how to make progress for women A few financial considerations as we move forward with the pandemic LINKS WE MENTIONED ON THE SHOW: Work Your Wealth Book Abacus Wealth Partners Book a consult with Abacus Wealth Partners How the Pandemic Slashed Years of Women's Workforce Progress LET'S CONNECT! Twitter Instagram

One of the best parts of launching this podcast is to talk to others about money topics and addressing concerns they've had or seen. Today is an important episode in the direction of the Work Your Wealth podcast and where you might continue to find financial resources. Today I'm talking about 5 important lessons I've learned over the past four years through my journey with this podcast and what the future will hold for me and Abacus Wealth Partners.   HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: The timeline of the Work Your Wealth Podcast The reason behind launching the podcast and writing the Work Your Wealth book The 5 lessons I've learned in doing the Work Your Wealth podcast The potential rewards that could come with putting yourself out there and taking risks The importance of doing what you love Why you have to recognize when it is time to evolve The one person that will always look out for you most Where you can continue to find the Work Your Wealth content and where you can continue to connect with Mary Beth LINKS WE MENTIONED ON THE SHOW: Work Your Wealth Book Abacus Wealth Partners Book a consult with Abacus Wealth Partners LET'S CONNECT! Facebook Twitter Instagram

Dasarte Yarnway is the Founder & Managing Director of Berknell Financial Group, an innovative independent wealth management firm focused on helping millennials and seasoned investors design their best lives. Since the firm's inception, Berknell Financial Group has become one of the most notable millennial-led financial services organizations. In an industry that focuses on revenue and dollars-invested, Dasarte realized that a firm's value is created through how they could invest in their clients. Through this, The Wealth Bridge™ , Private Client Groups and Berknell Athletes were created. With his passion for listening to his clients greatest concerns and applying realistic solutions, Dasarte has become the go-to partner for millennials, growing families and seasoned investors alike. Berknell encapsulates this approach in their motto: Advice With You In Mind. Coined a "financial thought leader" and Guru by NerdWallet and Financial Planning Magazine, Dasarte believes in meeting you where you are. He offers advice and insight through his weekly podcast, The Young Money Podcast, three books (Dating Benji 2016, Young Money 2018, Pay Me In Equity 2019) and weekly blog. His prayer is that you may design your wealth on your terms.   HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: The story of how Dasarte got into the financial world The group Dasarte likes to empower around their finances How he built an ecosystem of financial knowledge for a community of people Why Dasarte embodies a mindset of servant leadership Applying the R.I.I.T.E. planning process The reason Dasarte has applied the lighthouse method in all that he did What the bigger picture for Berknell Financial looks like The changes Dasarte has made to build his business more efficiently The responsibility Dasarte feels to improving the financial industry The hardest business lesson learned by Dasarte The niche that Berknell Financial is continuing to reach The biggest thing many clients don't understand  The unique challenges athletes face with financial decisions Who the real hero is in the advisor-client relationship and why LINKS WE MENTIONED ON THE SHOW: Investopedia Top 100 Financial Advisors 2020 Books By Dasarte Yarnway Young Money Podcast GET SOCIAL WITH DASARTE AND LET HIM KNOW YOU HEARD ABOUT HIM HERE Website Twitter Instagram