Amanda Holden spent years working 13-hour days at a male-dominated finance firm—helping rich men get richer—before she made a bold exit. She saved aggressively, sold her car, and walked away without a plan. That scrappy chapter even earned her the cute nickname “Dumpster Doggy.” 🙃

But it also gave her something most people never get: the space to figure out what she actually wanted. The answer? Teaching women how to invest.

In this episode of Ambition 2.0, Amanda Goetz sits down with Amanda Holden—financial educator, founder of Invested Development, and author of How to Be a Rich Old Lady—to unpack why investing still feels so overwhelming (even for smart, ambitious, high-earning women). Spoiler: it’s not you. The system was designed to gatekeep this information from women.

Amanda breaks down the biggest lies women have been told about money, why the Roth vs. traditional debate is more distracting than helpful, and what a 401(k) actually is (hint: for our millennial listeners, think of it like Caboodles from the ‘90s).

If you’ve ever looked at your retirement account and thought, “I should probably figure that out someday,” this episode is for you!

In this episode:

Why ambition isn't just about winning the man's game anymore
How Amanda went from finance bro to financial feminist
The Caboodles analogy that will change how you think about your retirement account
Why the Roth vs. traditional debate is the wrong conversation
What a fee-only financial planner actually does (and when you need one)
The #1 first step if you feel behind on investing
Why "go get your match" is the most important money advice for employees
The trad wife economy and the financial risks women need to understand

00:00 Intro

03:59 What drew her to finance and what made her leave

09:29 The mindset shift that helped her walk away from her finance job

11:02 Her scrappy, "Dumpster Doggy" era (which allowed her to quit her 9-5)

13:10 The TL;DR on Invested Development, Amanda’s financial education platform

16:12 Why investing feels so hard, even for smart women

21:01 The biggest lies women have been told about investing

23:49 Roth vs. traditional: why it's the wrong debate

25:13 The Caboodles analogy that explains your 401(k) perfectly

29:28 The first step when you feel overwhelmed by money

30:39 Do you actually need a financial planner?

34:57 The beginner investing move that builds real confidence

40:05 What it actually means to be a rich old lady

43:00 Rapid fire: earning vs. investing, money myths, and more

GUEST LINKS

IG: https://www.instagram.com/dumpster.doggy/

Read How to Be a Rich Old Lady

Check out the Invested Development course: https://amandaholden.podia.com/invested-development

FOLLOW THE PODCAST

IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/ | TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss

Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/

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ABOUT AMBITION 2.0 Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we'll be exploring what it really means to "have it all" in work, family, identity, and self… and if it's actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who've walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have.

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How to Be a Rich Old Lady: The Beginner’s Guide to Building Wealth with Amanda Holden