HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

Episode 508: How to Invest in Yourself and Thrive in 2026
Guest: Maha Abou Elanain
Date: December 31, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode is dedicated to the concept of self-reliance as a foundation for financial and personal growth, particularly for women navigating unique career and life challenges in a rapidly changing world. Host Jean Chatzky is joined by Maha Abou Elanain, global communications expert and author of Seven Rules of Self Reliance, to explore actionable strategies for building confidence, value, and opportunity in 2026 and beyond.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Does Self-Reliance Really Mean?

[04:01] Maha:

• Self-reliance is about leveraging your skills and abilities to drive your life forward, not about isolating yourself or being selfish.
• It's a strategy for becoming valuable to yourself and others, equipping yourself with the right tools to shape your future.
• Quote: “The power that exists in this world is you... Self reliance is like, hey, I have skills, I have abilities. I have the ability to drive my life in the direction I want it to go.” (Maha, 04:06)

2. The Opposite of Self-Reliance: Being a “Waiter”

[04:51] Maha:

• Self-reliant people create their own opportunities rather than waiting for things to happen.
• The “waiter” mindset holds people back from action—waiting for permission or the perfect moment.
• The antidote: reverse engineer skills, volunteer, take online classes; leverage the free resources available.

3. Financial Independence vs. Building Confidence

[06:32] Maha:

• Self-reliance is both financial and personal. Reputation and personal brand are currencies that create opportunities.
• “Your name is the only thing you actually own.” Invest in your reputation and brand to unlock business, financial, and personal security.
• Quote: “Think of your reputation as a currency, like it's money—what's it worth and what's its value?” (Maha, 06:36)

4. Maha’s Personal Journey to Self-Reliance

[10:28] Maha:

• She recounts moving from a dream job in Minnesota to Egypt at 27 to care for her ill mother, with no job, network, or Arabic language skills.
• Starting over: took a secretarial job for a billionaire to learn, network, and add value, eventually becoming his business partner.
• Lesson: “Listening and learning how to create value for other people was how I survived.”
• Quote: “I started as his secretary. I ended in four years as his business partner.” (Maha, 13:13)

5. Rule #2: Be a Value Creator

[16:21] Maha:

• Ask “How can I help?” to understand where you can add value for others, which builds trust and relationships over time.
• Value creation isn’t just monetary; it can be simple acts like introductions or sharing someone’s work.
• Quote: “It’s the single thing that built my career—I always went into a relationship thinking, what can I do to be of value to them without wanting anything in return.” (Maha, 17:45)

Five Core Characteristics of Self-Reliant People

[19:27] Maha’s Framework:

1. Initiative
   • Be proactive, build relationships intentionally via small daily actions (e.g., 15 minutes on LinkedIn).
   • Quote: “Your network is not there for you to ask them for favors. It's really for you to contribute to theirs, right?” (Maha, 20:39)
2. Adaptability
   • Lifelong learning is crucial—embrace new technologies (e.g., AI) and be open to change.
   • Curiosity and the willingness to pivot supersede rigid career credentials.
   • Quote: “I'm looking for people who are adaptable... who are curious. You have to have curiosity in order to be adaptable.” (Maha, 23:16)
3. Decision Making
   • Accept that perfect decisions are rare; acting on available information is key.
   • Reframe “failure” as part of the success process.
   • Quote: “There are no wrong decisions in life. You might go down this street and then have to pivot and go down another street.” (Maha, 25:38)
4. Leadership
   • While not unpacked in detail, leadership is suggested as acting intentionally and setting your own priorities.
5. Growth Mindset
   • Constantly seek growth and prioritize learning for personal, professional, and financial improvement.
   • Quote: “No one's gonna put you at the top of your priority list but you.” (Maha, 30:10)

Building Habits and Achieving Consistency

[32:24] Maha:

• Small, daily habits trump grand resolutions for lasting change.
• Examples: 10–15 minutes a day on LinkedIn, a short walk, reading.
• Quote: “The small things are the big things… it's building a habit of doing something consistently for 10 minutes a day.” (Maha, 32:25)

The Motto: “Stay Low, Keep Moving”

[33:20] Maha:

• Borrowed from military terminology, this mantra means focusing on your own path and progress despite distractions and setbacks.
• The approach helps avoid comparison, maintain focus, and continue incremental progress.
• Quote: “Stay low is about how can you stay focused... Keep moving is because life happens, right? People get sick, you have a bad day… life happens, right? So how can you try to, like, despite the hard days, despite the bad days, keep moving.” (Maha, 33:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The power that exists in this world is you.” (Maha, 04:06)
• “Your name is the only thing you actually own.” (Maha, 06:43)
• “There are no wrong decisions in life. You might go down this street and then have to pivot and go down another street.” (Maha, 25:38)
• “Failure is not the opposite of success. It is part of success.” (Maha, 25:46)
• “No one's gonna put you at the top of your priority list but you.” (Maha, 30:10)
• “The small things are the big things.” (Maha, 32:24)
• “Stay low, keep moving.” (Maha, 33:20)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:21] Episode intro: investing in yourself for the new year
• [04:01] Maha defines self-reliance; difference from selfishness
• [06:32] Self-reliance: balancing financial independence and confidence
• [10:28] Maha’s personal story: relocation and career reinvention
• [16:21] The value-creator mindset and building relationships
• [19:27] Five key characteristics of self-reliant people
• [22:07] Networking tips for introverts and intentional relationship-building
• [22:52] Adaptability and lifelong learning in the age of rapid change
• [25:35] Decision-making and reframing failure
• [32:24] Why consistency and small habits matter more than big goals
• [33:20] “Stay low, keep moving” as focus and resilience mantra

Final Takeaways

• Self-reliance is about intentional growth—cultivating your skills, relationships, and mindset to generate opportunities rather than passively waiting.
• Building your reputation and personal brand is a foundational form of personal “currency.”
• Daily, consistent action and focus matter more than setting giant, abstract goals.
• Own your priorities—no one else will make you their main concern.
• Stay focused and persistent through distractions and setbacks; steady movement is crucial to thriving.

Maha’s practical and candid advice is a reminder that women’s financial and life journeys are unique and that investing in oneself, in every way, is the surest route to thriving in the coming year.