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On this episode of The Get Ready Money Podcast, I spoke with Taj Chiu, divorce coach, about navigating divorce as both a financial and emotional transition, and how clarity, communication, and planning can help people move forward with greater confidence.

Taj reframes divorce not as a failure, but as a forcing function that invites reflection, growth, and better alignment with what comes next. We explore why knowledge is one of the strongest antidotes to fear, how emotional and legal divorces differ, and why having a real plan for your money matters more than simply tracking balances.

Key Takeaways

🔹 Walking into the storm can help you move through divorce with more clarity and intention
🔹 Divorce is both a financial and emotional grief process, often with multiple stages
🔹 Knowledge and information are powerful tools for reducing fear
🔹 The emotional divorce can outlast the legal divorce, especially when there are kids.
🔹 Clear communication helps both parties get on even ground and reduces unnecessary conflict
🔹 Differences are not weaknesses and deserve acknowledgment and respect
🔹 Financial literacy alone isn’t enough, experience and application matter

This episode is a reminder that readiness during divorce comes from understanding yourself, your money, and your next chapter, not from avoiding hard conversations.

Connect with Taj Chiu:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tajchiu/
• Website: https://tajchiu.com

Resources mentioned:

• Financial Date Discussion Cards Website (here)
• Check out my conversation with BatSheva Goldstein the creator of the Financial Date Discussion cards: The Power of Money Conversations: Emotions Over Dollars (here).

Bio:

Taj Johnson Chiu is a Certified Divorce and Financial Coach. She works with parents who are trying to keep their footing during one of the hardest chapters of their lives. She helps people sort through the choices, the money questions, and the day to day realities of separating a family, especially when they want to stay out of court and keep things steady for their kids. A lot of her work is simply helping people feel less alone while they figure out what comes next.

Before she ever became a divorce coach, Taj spent more than twenty years in technical consulting and running a small business. That experience shaped the way she supports families today: practical, calm, and focused on what actually helps. She especially loves working with LGBTQ+ parents and neurodivergent families, and she cares deeply about helping people move through divorce without losing themselves or the relationships that matter most.

☕ Support the Get Ready Movement.

If these conversations help you think differently about money or prepare for life’s what-ifs, your support helps expand financial readiness education and keep this work accessible.

👉 Support (here)

The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

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What if learning about money felt more like running a lemonade stand than sitting in a classroom?

Can a video game improve financial literacy for kids? In this episode, Mac Gardner joins me to explore how Berryville teaches money, entrepreneurship, and real-world financial habits through hands-on experience.

Key Takeaways

🔹 Financial literacy sticks when it’s fun, practical, and interactive.

🔹 Berryville teaches money through entrepreneurship, showing how earning connects to spending and saving.

🔹 Early financial habits shape long-term outcomes, often more than income level.

🔹 Financial education starts at home and empowers parents to have better money conversations.

🔹 Games can democratize financial literacy by making it accessible and engaging.

🔹 Teaching kids to realize, recognize, and rationalize builds stronger financial judgment.

🔹 Staying curious about money builds lifelong financial confidence.

💭 Tony’s Take

Financial readiness starts earlier than we think. When we make learning about money engaging and habit-based, we give the next generation a powerful head start.

Connect with Mac Gardner, CFP®

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macgardner/
• The Four Money Bears: https://www.thefourmoneybears.com
• Finlit Tech Website: https://finlittech.com
• MNY Fraternity Website: www.MNYFraternity.org

Books:

• Motivate Your Money!: Plan Spend Save Invest Gift (Amazon)
• The Four Money Bears - Mac Gardner (Amazon)

Berryville Books

Bio:

Mac Gardner, a Certified Financial Planner practitioner, has served in the financial services industry for more than 20 years. Mac is the author of “Motivate Your Money!” and "The Four Money Bears" which teaches children about the four basic functions of money.

Mac also serves as Founder and Chief Education Officer of FinLit Tech. The company's mission is "Building a Bridge Between Financial Literacy and Financial Technology". FinLit Tech develops Financial Education tools to start the personal finance education journey from as early as elementary school. Mac's passion to bring more young people into the Financial Services industry led him to create the first co-ed Professional Fraternity for Financial Planning degree seeking students. Mu Nu Upsilon (MNY) Fraternity, helps to bring high achieving students together with industry professionals to help them along their financial career journey.

☕ Support the Get Ready Movement.

If these conversations help you think differently about money or prepare for life’s what-ifs, your support helps expand financial readiness education and keep this work accessible.

👉 Support (here)

The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.

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On this episode of Get Ready: Before Life Happens, I spoke with Sharan Kaur Varaitch, founder of Build and Conquer Financial Literacy, about her journey growing up paycheck to paycheck, supporting her family from a young age, and discovering how saving, investing, and asking better questions helped her build stability and purpose.

🔑 Key Takeaways

🔹 Financial literacy begins with lived experience rather than formal education

🔹 Starting early, even with small steps, creates long-term impact through time and patience

🔹 Teachers and intermediaries need financial confidence before they can effectively teach others

🔹 Talking openly about money helps reduce shame and normalizes these conversations

🔹 Financial literacy strengthens resilience at both the household and community level

🔹 Money decisions are most effective when they align with personal goals and values, not comparisons with others

🔹 Money and prosperity are everyone’s birthright

Tony’s Take: Financial literacy starts with mindset, teachers play a critical role, and open conversations about money can help break generational cycles and create a more equitable future.

Connect with Sharan Kaur Varaitch:

Build & Conquer Financial Literacy Website https://www.buildconquer.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharan-kaur-v-75780928b/

Bio:

Sharan Kaur Varaitch is the Founder and Director of Build & Conquer Financial Literacy, dedicated to lifelong financial education through a whole organisation approach. With over 15 years’ experience in Organisational Development, HR, Learning & Development, and Change Management, she blends strategic insight with a passion for financial empowerment. A committed investor for over 15 years, Sharan knows how financial literacy transforms lives. Her mission is to make financial education accessible, practical and embedded in everyday learning, helping young people, educators and adults build confidence, make informed decisions and create lasting change.

☕ Support the Get Ready Movement.

If these conversations help you think differently about money or prepare for life’s what-ifs, your support helps expand financial readiness education and keep this work accessible.

👉 Support (here)

The Get Ready Money Podcast and its guests do not provide investment advice. All content is for educational purposes. Guest opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Get Ready Money Podcast and Tony Steuer.