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And I'm trying to plan my July trip right now, but travel is crazy right now and you guys like we have to be strategic about how we book it. So Monarch is the personal finance app that tracks everything accounts, investment, saving goals and spending. And you can get your first year of Monarch for half off just $50 with promo code Financial T. And Monarch is basically like having a financial advisor in your pocket. And I'm a very visual person, so Monarch is so good for me. They have diagrams and visualizations that make it easy to see patterns and detect spending associated with the dreaded lifestyle creep. They also help identify financial goals for you, which is huge because sometimes the problem is just like not knowing where to begin. And you can ask Monarch's AI assistant anything about your finances, like how much did I spend on travel last summer? Can I afford this vacation without touching my savings? And another cool feature is that you can split the check without the headache. With Monarch's bill split, you literally just scan the receipt. Everyone claims what they got and then settles up without a separate app needed. So use code financialteaonarch.com to get your first year half off at just $50. That's 50 off your first year at monarch.com with code financial T. This is Financial Tea. What's up sippers? Welcome back to Financial Tea, the podcast where I teach you how to build wealth with a side of market drama, money scandals, and of course financial pop culture. So the rumors are true. I am turning 35. I don't think that I'm being dramatic when I say, like, this is a very big age. It's a scary age. And it feels like if you are not married with three kids and a billion dollar company, society does not let you turn 35 quietly without judging yourself. There is a charge to this birthday. There's pressure. And I've been feeling it before I could even name it. So today I just wanted to talk about how I am approaching this milestone. Like, I was originally going to do 35. Things I learned turning 35, but, you know, that is a lot of things. So let's just do 10. Time is money. 10 is my lucky number. Anyways, I was born on July 10th, so it just feels right. But before I get into lists, I just want to say something about taking stock, which is not about, like, taking stock in a company, although we love that too. But I feel like that freeze can be a little toxic. Like, when you hit a big birthday, there's this instinct to, like, audit your life. Am I married? Am I a mother? Am I where I want to be financially? But here's the thing. Some of those goal posts, you genuinely cannot rush. And like, if you take stock and you're not where you pictured, that can feel like a verdict on you, like you're behind. But I really don't think it's a verdict. I think it's more like an arrow. That's what I'm telling myself. It's just pointing me towards what I actually want. Not telling me that I failed to get there yet. So I hope that you'll take that to heart too. And don't rush the milestones just because you feel behind. Just like you shouldn't rush to invest just because you're getting older. If you don't have it built your emergency fund and haven't paid down your debt, like, the timing has to be right for things. And just because you have a birthday doesn't mean that everything's gonna line up. But I do think understanding which way you're trending and what you actually want more of, like, that part is really good and powerful and is worth noting. And that's why birthdays are great. And one more thing I've been thinking about a lot before I get into the list is the issue with lists, like the 30 under 30 lists, all these lists that, like, make you feel like you have to be a successful ingenue. Like, we just live in this culture that absolutely worships you. You have to be a breakout overnight sensation. And I just want to say, like, that is not the reality for 99% of people, it is so much more common to find your footing and yourself in your 30s and 40s and 50s. And that is not too late. Like, Taylor Swift has been famous for two decades, and I would say arguably, like, she's peaking right now in her mid-30s. Also think about Sex in the City, obviously, constantly, all the time. Those women were all in their mid-30s, 40s, living full, complicated lives. We need more of those stories because I feel like youth culture has sold us this really false timeline of what success is supposed to look like. And nothing is too late. So let's get into it. But first, let's get into the MDJ market report. Okay, our first story today is about Paul Rudd. Because, yes, the man is a national treasure. He never ages. But also randomly, you guys, he did invest in pop up bagels. Mm. People aren't talking about that enough. And when you invest in pop up bagels, you're basically investing and making sure every street in America looks the same. Like every downtown is gonna have a blank street, a sweet green, a Van Leeuwen, a pop up, a Cava. And if you've noticed this too, it's not your imagination. Yes, all these businesses have different products, but they all have the same financial playbook where they are really easy to scale. And so they're everywhere. And it's not because they're not scaling because they make better coffees or salads or bagels or ice cream. Although I do really like puppet be bagels. It's mostly just because their businesses are so copy pasteable. And that is what Paul is investing in. And honestly, he got in really early. And the company recently sold a stake to investors at a roughly $300 billion valuation. Which blew my mind because I was like, $300 million for a bagel company? That's insane. But they already have franchise agreements signed for roughly 300 more locations. And that 300 more locations doesn't have anything to do with America suddenly wanting to eat 10 times more beagles. It just has everything to do with investors basically betting that they can stamp out the exact same bagel shop 300 times over, which I feel like is really easy to pop up because they don't have that many SKUs. They have really small storefronts. It's great. And that is sort of the whole private equity Wall street playbook. Like, they're not paying for what a business is today. They're basically paying for how big they can make it and how fast that they can then sell it for more than they paid. And so to do that, they look for businesses like Pop up, like Cava, like Sweetgreen, like Van Leeuwen that can be replicated with as little friction as possible. They have simple menus, they've got standardized operations, they've got centralized production, they don't have that many employees, they've got low operating costs. And they can give you the same customer experience whether you're in New York or Denver or Nashville. Because that consistency definitely scales. Just think about McDonald's, you know what I mean? They are so consistent. But the issue is, is that Kraft doesn't scale. Like, I grew up in New York. I had the place on my corner with like the 30 year old bagel recipes and the guys who are hand rolling every single one and they've got 20 different homemade cream cheeses and lox and it's like a little bit dirty, but you can get a customized bagel that's like so creative. And that's what makes a neighborhood spot special, especially when you're hungover. And it's also exactly what makes it so impossible to scale. So to be clear, I'm not saying that private equity is evil. I'm not saying Paul Rudd is evil. I'm not saying pop up bagels is bad. I love pop up bagels. They arrive hot, they're so good at delivery. And I also, you know, with the private equity thing, you know, these investors are funding real jobs, real growth, 300 locations franchise. That's amazing for like American business. But I just think that it's important to note that every financial system has a trade off and this is ours. Like when we reward these businesses that are scaling the fastest, we then stop rewarding the businesses that make a place really feel like a place. Which I feel like is like the best part of living in a neighborhood. And you're not gonna notice it until your favorite cafe closes or until like the 40 year old deli becomes location number 47. Or until you land in a new city and realize that you've already eaten at like half of the restaurants there back home. So it's a really good opportunity to vote with your dollars. Like if you don't want every downtown in America to feel interchangeable, try the Weir Coffee Shop. Buy your bagels from the families that's been making them for 40 years. Because every dollar that you spend is really casting a vote for the kind of neighborhood that you want to live in. And you know Wall street is just going to keep investing in these businesses that can be copied forever. But the rest of us consumers get to decide if we want to live somewhere that's more one of a kind. And the truth is, like, Paul Rudd can stay ageless, but I would rather my neighborhood stay original. Okay, for my second story in the market Report, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce apparently have a new addition to the family. I was shocked at this, you guys. They have gotten a dog. A fluffy white samoyed. They're like those Alaskan dogs. It honestly feels very on brand. Although I am shocked that America's most famous cat lady has a puppy and that she's in her dog mom era. And I just want to know, like, I hope he doesn't chew up her journals. We need those journals. But because I am Mrs. Dow Jones, I do have one piece of unsolicited advice for Taylor, Travis, and literally everyone with a pet, including myself. Be careful where you take your animals for health care. Because one of the craziest things I learned this week that made so much sense considering the medical journey I've been on with mystery. Wall street takeovers have been taking over the veterinary system. And you probably have never heard about this, but you're gonna hear about it now. Cause it is costing all of us. This is insane data. But over the last decade, veterinary prices have risen more than twice as fast as overall inflation. And most people are just assuming like, oh, our medicine is so expensive. You know, supply chains are a mess. But guys, that is only part of the story. And the real story here is private mother freaking equity. They did a roll up. Your neighborhood vet used to be exactly that. Your neighborhood vet. I mean, when I grew up, we had a country house in Bedford and I literally worked at the vet. It was so mom pop. It was usually owned by the doctor whose name was on the building. They knew your dog's personality, they remembered your family. Like, if money was tight, they'd often work with you because they owned the practice. But then Wall street noticed something that swifties have sort of known forever, which is like, people will do absolutely anything for something they love, be it buy thousand dollar eras, tour tickets or for their animals. They will skip vacations, they will eat ramen for a week, they'll put thousands of dollars on a credit card. All this before we ever tell our dog, like, sorry, we can't afford that medical treatment. So to investors, even though that's so nefarious, it is an incredible business. So private equity firms and giant corporations started to buy veterinary clinics across America. So like, just think about this. In 2011, corporations owned only about 8% of veterinary practices. But today they control roughly half of all clinics and more than 75% of specialty and emergency animal hospitals. So that is a huge jump. And the craziest thing, and this is why nobody really realizes it, is that they usually don't change the name. So like, the sign might still say, like, Main Street Animal Hospital and it will look really local. And like, the receptionist may have worked there for years. But behind the scenes, their pricing software, their financial targets, their profits are all flowing back to corporate owners and investment funds. And this is the exact same financial playbook that we've watched happen with pop up bagels that we were just talking about and sweet green and Van Leeuwen. But the problem with this, and I really am so upset about it, cause I can tell you guys another time about all the shit they've gone through, Mysteries, health. And like, a lot of it has come down to bad vets, is that medicine is not supposed to run like a merch line. Like private equity firms typically want to sell these businesses within three to five years. So that means that every clinic has pressure to grow revenue. So that means tighter appointment schedules. Like, you're not going to really get that much time with the vet. It means production goals for veterinarians. It means more expensive diagnostic testing becoming the default. Like they're going to upsell you every chance you get. And like, obviously we're emotionally connected to the animals, so we're going to say yes. But it also changes something much more emotional, which is that there used to be a spectrum of care. Like your vet used to say, here's the gold standard treatment. But financially, I also have this lower cost option that still has a really good chance of working. So you as the pet parent could decide and do what worked in your budget. But now more clinics are encouraged to offer one standardized protocol. So like, if you can't afford it, you're suddenly having these heartbreaking conversations that have as much to do with money as medicine. Like, you either do that or you have to put your dog down. So if you're not into that, I'm definitely not into that. Here's what I'm doing instead. First, if you can find an independently owned veterinarian, an organization that I've been using a lot is the independent Veterinary Practitioners Association. And this will help you identify clinics that still answer to doctors instead of shareholders. So that's major. Make sure that you're not going to one of these programs. Private equity owned clinics. Stay away from bond vet. They suck. Second, start a pet emergency fund throw 50 or $100 a month into a high yield savings account. Automate it. I have this for mystery. It's so, so helpful. This is for vaccines, for ear infections, for dental cleanings. Like, those predictable expenses will then stop feeling like financial emergencies and will just make your life easier. And then I love pet insurance, but I have had a unique experience with it because my dog had cancer really young, so I, like, got the with my pet insurance because I actually was able to really milk it. You could also just consider catastrophic pet insurance, which has a high deductible and a low premium and will protect you against the truly devastating bills like major surgery or cancer treatment or emergency hospitalization. These can easily run you into the thousands. And so I definitely would recommend just having some sort of, you know, guard up between you and that expense. Insurance is important. So I'm happy that now you have tools to avoid this. And, yes, stay away from those private equity vet clinics. They are so freaking evil. And then, yeah, this is my 35th birthday episode. So the vibes today have to be absolutely immaculate in the market report. And I'm sorry that I kicked things off with, like, a deep dive into private equity, by the way. I just, like, really love bagels and my dog. And I just want to make sure that you guys understand how the world is, like, actually working right now, because we can avoid it. But, yeah, before we wrap, I just want to throw a hail Mary pass into a topic. I get flipped, flooded with questions about, like, aside from wedding etiquette, I would say the number one social phenomenon that causes financial anxiety is the dreaded birthday dinner split. So I'm having a birthday dinner tomorrow. I want to break it down. I want to say I feel incredibly fortunate that this year I am in the position to handle the bill. So I'm taking, like, 10 of my closest friends to Mr. Chow in Tribeca, which is an absolute institution. One of my favorite restaurants. We're going to sit on the patio. We're going to have lychee martini. We're gonna have squab and lettuce wraps. It's gonna be a night. And we're doing the prefix menu. It's $120 ahead. So then everyone's gonna get cocktails and tax and tip. It's probably gonna be around, like, $2,000, which is a lot. But I am treating this entire cost as, like, a birthday gift to myself because I love investing in experiences and I love my friends. But also, I will say, don't compare your spending to mine. The golden rule of money is that, like, we all make different amounts and everything is relative. So, like, maybe I make more than you, maybe I make less. And that sounds crazy to spend $2,000 on the dinner, but, like, my spending plan is different than yours, and it's all relative to how much I'm actually investing in saving. So, anyways, the sitter has been planned for, it's been saved for, fits comfortably into my budget. It's a gift to myself. But I best been thinking about how much money we spend celebrating certain milestones. And, like, 35 is this really weird birthday where, I don't know, it's like, one of those big numbers. And by the way, I'm single. Like, I don't own a house. I haven't hit any of the traditional American dream milestones, so. But over the last decade, I've happily flown to weddings. I bought bridesmaid dresses. I paid for hotel rooms. I've gone to bridal showers, baby showers, engagement parties. I bought registry gifts. Like, you name it. I've been shelling out money on my friends, hitting those American dream milestones, and I wouldn't change a thing. Don't get me wrong, because I definitely love celebrating the people that I love. But it did make me realize something. Like, we have built an entire economy celebrating marriage and babies. Like, we have the registries, we have the showers, we have the parties, and we have all these amazing traditions that say, like, this milestone matters, but where are the rituals for becoming financially mother freaking independent? Like, where is the party for paying off your student loans? I once went to a party for a girl who paid off her credit card debt. It was so fun. Like, I thought that was freaking genius. Where's the registry for maxing out your 401k for 10 years? Where's the celebration for building a business or writing a book or just creating a life that gives you freedom? One of the things that behavioral psychologists talk about is that celebrating progress will really reinforce behavior. Like, we celebrate what we value. And I actually think that we would have more financially confident people if we celebrated wealth building a little more, too. So that's what this dinner is for. It's actually not for my birthday. It's a celebration of wealth building. It's a celebration of every year I kept investing in myself and in my finances when it wasn't exciting. Every year I bet on myself. Every year I built my business instead of chasing someone else's definition of success. Like, I'm really proud of where I am at 35. It might not be like where my mom was, she had three kids. At this age, she was out of the workforce. But every year that I chose long term freedom over short term financial flexing or pressures, I think that's really worth celebrating. And I'm not saying that those milestones are more important than getting married or having kids. I just think that our lives deserve more than one script. And especially as women. Like, we're really the first generation of women that belong to ourselves. Like, couldn't have our own credit cards till 1974. We couldn't open our own businesses till the 80s. Like, we need to celebrate making our own decisions and being able to have our independence. Don't wait for society to tell you that your life is important enough to throw a party. Throw the party for yourself. It doesn't have to be a Mr. Chow, but, you know, you deserve to wear a crown and to do things that make you feel really special. And that also, by the way, it's a good use of money because one of the greatest returns that your money can buy is really just creating moments that remind you how far you've come. And that's what this birthday is all about. And I also just really want to thank you guys because when I think about my 35th birthday and where I'm at, something that grounds me, me and makes me feel so excited for the future. It's just that I get to do this work and that we are together and that we are going through this life and we are becoming financially independent and wealthy. And I just love you guys and I hope that you are staying rich and that you have a great weekend and that you enjoy this episode. So, yeah, see you next week when I'm 13. Mother freaking five. Here are the 10 things I've learned heading into lucky number 35. So number one is have a board of directors. You guys, this is something that no one tells you about life and it's such a good hack, but you can actually make your own board of directors from whoever you want. And as you get older, you actually need more mentors, not less. But they don't have to be alive. They don't have to actually know who you are. They don't have to know that you exist, but you just keep them in your back pocket as, like, little voices in your head. A few years ago, I started to build my personal board of directors. I've got Sarah Blakely on there, Helen Gurley Brown, who started Cosmopolitan, Zaza, Gabor, Kiki Palmer, Ina Garden. All wildly different women, different decades, different, you know, industries different ways of being a woman in public. But when I'm stuck on a money decision, on a career decision, on a how I do I want to carry myself decision, I just ask what one of them would do or like even what do I want to make for dinner? I just ask Ina Garden. In my head, I'd say Sarah Blakely is definitely the president of my board of directors though, because obviously she built Spanx into a billion dollar company. She's the first female billionaire in America. But it's not what she did, it's how she lives that really makes me be obsessed with her. Like she's always on like a solo trip just to think and be alone with her thoughts and her journals and her books, or like taking all of her friends from middle school on a trip on a private plane, or like giving money away, enormous sums. I feel like she has a family, she has a husband, she has a business. But what's actually the coolest part of her is Sarah, which is something that anyone can nurture about themselves. And she just has like a really deep connection to herself and like, I don't know, I feel like she's just vibes. And so that to me is the blueprint where you like build the thing, you take care of yourself inside of it, you give generously and then you don't let your success cost you your people. So I would say, yeah, definitely make sure that you have people in your head who you can talk to, even if they are borrowed. Number two, the flip side of lifestyle creep. So obviously I talk about lifestyle creep on this show all the time. Like you got a raise, your spending creeps up to meet it, you end up having no money to actually invest, so your net worth stays the same and you're on this hedonic treadmill. But I feel like nobody talks about the flip side of lifestyle creep, which is like the costs that just sort of appear as you age that you never really had to budget for before. Cuz as you get older, things just get so expensive. Like, first of all, I just want to say your wardrobe is not an investment. I tried to do the math on this. I want to say that clearly Pinterest will tell you otherwise. Instagram influencers will tell you otherwise. It's really not. But you know what is? When you take stock of the things that are accruing quietly in the background of your life right now. Like the ones that didn't exist five years ago. So like some skincare, therapy, a nicer mattress. Because now you're 35 and your back hurts more like, you know, flights home more often to see your family because your parents are aging. Like this is the real lifestyle creep of your 30s. And I feel like it deserves a line item, not a guilt trip. And it's okay just as long as you have money to actually invest. Did you know that three out of four US homes have toxic chemicals in their tap water? And what's crazier is that even though contaminated water looks clear, it could put you at for crazy health concerns like fatigue and hormone disruption and cognitive decline. I mean, even cancer. So that's why I want to talk to you about Aquatru. It is this countertop water purifier and it has been tested and certified to remove 84 contaminants, including foreign for chemicals and microplastics. It has this patented four stage reverse osmosis system that goes way beyond ordinary filters. Aquatru has been featured in Business Insider and Popular Science. So go to aquatrue.com now for 20% off your purifier using code financial tea and Aqua True even comes with a 30 day best tasting water guarantee. That's aquatru.com a Q U a T R U.com promo code. F I N A N C I A L T E A okay, let's be real. The best summer pieces are the ones that you're ending up wearing on repeat. And that's why I love Quints because they have those pieces, but they also have really beautiful 14 karat gold jewelry that you can use to add this sort of subtle finishing touch. And the price is so good. Like everything at Quints is literally priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. They work directly with ethical factories and then are able to cut out the middleman. So you're really just paying for exceptional quality instead of brand markup. I just got their Bella stretch barrel jeans. They are so flattering. They look so expensive and they were only $50. So if you want to just like make your summer wardrobe feel easier, you don't want to spend a million dollars. You want really good quality. Go to quint.com financialtea you're going to get free shipping on your order. You're going to get 365 day returns. If you're in Canada, it's available there too. That's Q U I n c e.com/financialtee for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com/financialtea 89% of dog parents consider their dog their best friend and 31% would even let their dog eat off their own fork. Safe to say people are obsessed with their pets and I just want to shout out my perfect poodle. Mystery. Mystery, you're the. You're the man. Love you. If anyone gets being dog obsessed, it's me. But it's also Ollie. They deliver fresh human grade food in five drool worthy flavors so Mystery can live his best life too. From the moment you start your subscription, everything is tailored to your pup. The meals are perfectly portioned and you get a puptainer and scoop for easy storing and serving. Since switching to Oll, the street just has like a new pup at his step. Get ready for both you and your pup to be obsessed. Head to ollie.com tea, tell them all about your dog and use code tea to get 70% off your welcome kit when you subscribe today. Plus it's risk free with their obsession guarantee. That's O l l I e.com tea and enter code TEA to get 70% off your first box. Ollie, feed the Obsession number three. Start where you are. This one means a lot to me because I've spent basically my whole life single. Like obviously I've dated, but no one who I actually liked. Don't tell them I said that. But there's this idea that like your financial life starts when you have a partner and like that's when you are allowed to start making financial decisions and moves. And so there's so many women who I feel like are single and doing well financially and they have the desire to like you use their money towards things. But they feel like they should wait because they haven't met the person yet and they don't know like what life will actually become. And I just want you to start wherever you are with exactly what you have, not some future date. Start now. And this could mean investing, this could mean buying a house, this could mean, you know, going on that trip or living abroad. But every year that you wait is a year that you don't get back. And I firmly believe you're going to have everything that you want in life, but it just might not be in the order that you expect. So don't sit around waiting for anything. Build the life that you want now and then I promise the rest is going to come. Number four, health is wealth. Which by the way is a really cool saying that I just made up. No one has ever said that before. This one's going to be really short because it doesn't need to be complicated. But please prioritize preventative health care. Like get your freaking Manograms, get the blood work. I'm paying out of pocket for so much freaking blood work these days. Go to the doctor. I be at the dentist, you guys. Like, I used to think of healthcare as something that you use to deal with when something's wrong, but now I really look at it as a financial strategy because catching something earlier is cheaper in money, in time, in years of your life. And I just feel like as you get older, you really do need to start, like, not treating yourself like such a trash bin and, I don't know, lifting a weight, going on a walk, like, all these things that sort of suck. But you have to do the blood work especially, I feel like, is really important. I've been getting a lot of blood work. Do I like needles? No. Do I know what any of the things that they're testing for actually are? Also no. I've been using ChatGPT for that. I'm sure it's horrible that it knows so much about my health and that, you know, Sam Altman is doing something nefarious with the data, but nevertheless, now I know more about my money and now I know which vitamins to take, which is awesome. Okay, number five is caretaking upwards. This is the one I want to slow down on a little bit because I think it's maybe the most important thing on the list and the thing that women end up talking about the least, because somewhere in your 30s, I think that the caretaking starts to flow upward. Like your parents start needing things, logistical help, medical advocacy, sometimes money, instead of you needing things from them. And there's no clean timeline for this. It could happen in your 40s, could happen in your 20s, and no one tells you when it starts, it just sort of creeps in. But when you're also thinking about having kids and you're staring down this barrel of what they call basically the sandwich generation, which is when you're caught between the generation above you and the generation below you, it's really hard because you're expected to give to both ends at once. So I just want to acknowledge this and say that caretaking is such a massive wealth killer for women. You guys. Like, statistically, we are the ones who step back from work. We downshift our careers, we leave the workforce entirely to take care of aging parents. And, like, it doesn't just cost us a paycheck. It completely devastates your timeline, your earning trajectory, your compound interest curve in ways that are basically impossible to claw back later, as well as it degrades your sense of self. Because I think that we all get so much identity from our careers, and I love my parents so much. So this is not to say that, like, I'm gonna kick them to the curb, but I just think that put a boundary up now before you're too exhausted to think clearly. Like, you can offer your logical support, time, presence, but protect your capital. And that's not unloving. That's the thing that's actually going to let you keep showing up for the next 30 years instead of burning out in five. Number six, don't rush the milestones. Okay, so I was single for a long time, like, genuinely for most of my life so far. And I recently got into a relationship. And I just want to tell you about the strange sort of specific beauty of finding love later, because I don't think that we talk about it enough, and also about staying single for a long time, because there's also a beauty in that, too. So I just think that, like, if I had met my partner in my 20s, and, yeah, I'm calling him my partner, I think I would have just bent myself completely around him, like, compromise my career, sacrifice my goals, like, sort of just let my life start orbiting his a little. And I don't say that with regret. Like, I think it's just what happens when you're young and you're sort of figuring out where you end and someone else begins. And it's easy to just be like, two halves make one versus, like, two people make two. So I just think, like, meeting him now, we're two fully formed adults. We have our own money, we have our own independence. We have our own lives that we were already, like, into and want to keep before we found each other. Like, we're not clinging to anything out of the fear of being alone. We're choosing each other. And I'm not gonna pretend there's not biology present here. Like, if you want biological children, there's, of course, a timeline. I'm not gonna soften that. And if you haven't listened to our episode on the economics of freezing your eggs, definitely go listen to that one next. But outside of that one biological reality, like, you do not have to rush. Don't rush the house, don't rush the marriage, don't rush the kid. Like, 35 is an arbitrary number that society decided to be scared of. So let it be arbitrary. Do what's right for you on your timeline, not the one you inherited, and you're going to end up in a much better place. And also, like I said, there's such a beauty in being single. I think having the opportunity to really grow yourself, especially as you get older, you have more resources, you know yourself more, is so cool. And you're gonna get into a relationship one day if that's what you want. And you're gonna be nostalgic for those times because they were really good times. Starting something new isn't just hard, it is terrifying. Trust me, I know when I started my business I was not sure what I was doing. And now I know that it was right to believe in myself despite like all of those fears and hesitations. But I have to say it also helps when you have a partner like Shopify on your side to help so accelerate your efficiency. Whether you are uploading new products or trying to improve existing ones, Shopify is packed with helpful AI tools that write product descriptions, page headlines, and even enhance your product photography. So get the word out like you have a marketing team behind you. Easily create email and social media campaigns wherever your customers are scrolling or strolling. And best yet, Shopify is your commerce expert. With world class expertise and everything from managing inventory to international shipping to processing returns and beyond, it's time to turn those what ifs into with Shopify today. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.com financialtea go to shopify.com financialtea that's shopify.com financialtea this episode
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Run your business smarter with Square. Get started today. Number seven, Esthetics. Yes, we're going to talk about needles. Girls, I want to say the thing that nobody wants to say out loud. Keeping yourself looking good isn't just vanity. It's actually economics. Like, economists have a name for it. It's called the beauty premium. People who are perceived as polished and well put together and young tend to earn meaningfully more than their average presenting peers. I know this sounds shallow, because it definitely kind of is. But like, in corporate and entrepreneurial spaces, looking rested and high maintenance gets unfairly read as competence. So, like, at 35, I have started to think about investing in how I present myself. Not as vanity, but really as like career and life maintenance. Like, I'm not going to go out without a fight. And here's how I actually think about the math. Cost per wear. Like, a $2,000 designer bag sits in your closet most of the week, but like your face you're wearing every single second of every day. Like, like if a $600 Botox treatment, even though it doesn't work for me every four months, makes you feel rested and powerful at every zoom call. The cost per wear is honestly pennies, but this part matters. Don't put on a credit card. Don't buy now, pay later. It you need to treat your aesthetic enhancements as you get older as a fixed expense, like as a subscription. The same way that you would treat like car insurance. Like, if it's $600 for Botox every four months, then that's $150 a month. So automate that deposit into a high yield savings account. I call mine the Glow up fund. And if the cash isn't there, then don't book the appointment. Pick your poison. If you want the higher impact treatments, maybe that means skipping the 150amonth manicure for press ons and like reallocating that money instead. I've done a lot of this myself and I think, like, yeah, you just have to figure out what's worth it, but it has to be funded honestly. Not borrowed against your future, but, like, no shame in the game, you know, we're 35 girls. Maybe we're older. We got to make sure we stay tight. Okay, number eight Confidence follows action. I think about this all the time because I think that people think that their financial lives are going to change. Like, one day they're going to wake up and they're going to want to change it. But you're never going to feel ready or confident before you do the hard thing. You just have to do it anyway. So, like, send the pitch, ask for the raise, record the episode, post the video. Because confidence isn't a precondition, it's a byproduct. So, like, take action first, scared and unsure, and then the confidence will show up afterwards, built from the evidence that you can actually do the thing. So, like, waiting to wait. I think it's just a very convincing form of procrastination. So just remember that confidence follows action and not the other way around. Number nine, be selfish. I am putting this in capital letters because I mean it. You need to be selfish. This doesn't mean that you have to, like, forget your relationships and things like this. It just means, like, as you get older, you're going to have more on your plate and make sure that you actually take the time to nurture yourself and to take time for yourself. Like, you know, do the things that actually help you get to know yourself and stay in a good place with yourself, versus, like, getting swallowed by all of your responsibilities. This isn't about disappearing on the people you love. It's really a practice. This is going to be the theme of my 35th year. Just prioritizing myself on purpose, like, just the way that I did when I was single, the way that I did when I was younger. Because I think that otherwise resentment builds and you sort of lose yourself. And, you know, it's a hard thing to do. It's much harder than we talk about. But I think that you get so much out of it. And number 10 is have a birthday money date. You know, usually your money dates are just like going through your credit card statements and things like that. But make sure that you go through your net worth, track it annually, make a goal for next year. This isn't to judge yourself, but I just think it's like, you need to hold yourself accountable. You want to see the line move. And this is just like a good moment. This is also a great moment to, like, cancel subscriptions, to figure out what you value, to make a plan. Do I want to move this year? What trips do I want to take? Like, think about your next year in a bigger way and how you actually want to spend your money. And remember, like, 35 is not a deadline. It's a really just a good place to pause and to take the arrows direction and just keep going. So if you're also at a turning point with your age, I, you know, happy birthday and I hope that it's your best year yet and remember to just like not take it too seriously. And that's my 35. Those are the 10 things. But I will really say that one thing underneath all of them is just stop waiting for permission to take yourself seriously. Like your money, your time, your face, your boundaries, your love story. Like all that gets to happen on your timeline, not the one that you were handed. I just want to thank you so much for being here for this, for being a sipper. I know this is a little bit more vulnerable than our usual episodes, but it just felt right for this birthday. And as always, stay rich.
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Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Now, I was looking for fun ways to tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited Premium Wireless for $15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills, but it turns out that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for the commercial. Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment
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of 45 for 3 months, $90 for 6 months or $180 for 12 month Plan required $15 per month equivalent to taxes and fees. Extra initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes. Me slow when network is busy. See terms.