In this episode of Self Funded, Chrissie sits down with Eryn Schultz, founder of Her Personal Finance, to talk about building a trust-first business in an industry where trust is often hard to earn. Eryn shares how she went from working in grocery retail and asking hard questions about 401(k) fees to creating an advice-only financial planning firm that serves women and couples navigating major life and money decisions. They talk through her business model, the flywheel between education and advising, the reality of early-stage hustle, and how a personal decision to speak up about high-fee financial products ultimately led to a major New York Times feature that changed the trajectory of her business.

(00:01:24) Tailoring Financial Education for Women and Couples

(00:13:59) Trust-Centered Financial Services Approach by Eryn Schultz

(00:20:44) Navigating Entrepreneurial Growth Through Client Prioritization

(00:30:34) Managing Website Traffic Surge from Media Coverage

(00:34:28) Fostering Business Expansion through Service Diversification

(00:40:07) Personal Values Drive Self-Funded Ventures

Eryn's Links:

Check out her website: herpersonalfinance.com/
Follow her on Instagram: @her.personal.finance

Self Funded Links:
Substack: ⁠https://selffundedbychrissie.substack.com/⁠
Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded/id1845157459⁠
Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5u4zA43k4hC183fM0PisKq?si=26bf586458934e49⁠
YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxW6fdMBQaTaLXsrAneZ2aQ⁠
The Long Game:
I help growth-stage companies close the gap between strategy and execution for growth or exit through The Long Game. Learn more at longgametalent.com.
My Self Funded Tech Stack:
These are some of my favorite tools I use everyday in my business and podcast (affiliate links):
Collective: Powers my S-Corp from bookkeeping to paying contractors to tax prep. ⁠https://share.collective.com/mQHI7Bf⁠
Flodesk: The easiest email platform with clean, easy-to-customize designs and a simple workflow interface: ⁠https://flodesk.com/c/19VL1X⁠
Granola: I’ve tried several AI notetakers and this is my favorite. I take my own notes in the interface which are the enhanced after the call: ⁠https://go.granola.ai/chrissie-francona⁠
Airtable: I’ve built my business operating system in Airtable, including my CRM, content management tool, and to-do list: ⁠https://airtable.com/invite/r/uq7tgTC3⁠

Michelle Penczak didn’t set out to build a multi-million dollar company. She just needed a job that could survive military life. After being turned down again and again because she might “move someday,” Michelle built her own path — starting as a virtual assistant, launching an LLC during her husband’s deployment, and eventually co-founding Squared Away. Today, her fully bootstrapped company has employed more than 1,600 military spouses worldwide and paid over $32 million to military families. In this episode, Michelle shares how she scaled from solo VA to CEO, why she refuses venture capital, how AI is transforming operational support, and her practical framework for delegation that every founder needs to hear. This is a masterclass in building a business around constraints — and turning them into your biggest advantage.
(00:01:36) Reclaiming Time: Building Businesses Around Constraints
(00:16:05) Efficient Growth Strategies for Virtual Assistance Businesses
(00:18:15) Remote Career Evolution for Military Spouses
(00:25:36) Supporting Military Families Through Employment Opportunities
(00:31:23) Enhancing Business Efficiency with Automation Tools
(00:36:34) Delegation's Role in Balancing Mom Entrepreneurship
(00:38:40) Passion-Driven Business Success
Michelle's Link:
www.gosquaredaway.com/
Self Funded Links:
Substack: ⁠https://selffundedbychrissie.substack.com/⁠
Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded/id1845157459⁠
Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5u4zA43k4hC183fM0PisKq?si=26bf586458934e49⁠
YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxW6fdMBQaTaLXsrAneZ2aQ⁠
The Long Game:
I help growth-stage companies close the gap between strategy and execution for growth or exit through The Long Game. Learn more at longgametalent.com.
My Self Funded Tech Stack
These are some of my favorite tools I use everyday in my business and podcast (affiliate links):

Collective: Powers my S-Corp from bookkeeping to paying contractors to tax prep. ⁠https://share.collective.com/mQHI7Bf⁠

Flodesk: The easiest email platform with clean, easy-to-customize designs and a simple workflow interface: ⁠https://flodesk.com/c/19VL1X⁠

Granola: I’ve tried several AI notetakers and this is my favorite. I take my own notes in the interface which are the enhanced after the call: ⁠https://go.granola.ai/chrissie-francona⁠

Airtable: I’ve built my business operating system in Airtable, including my CRM, content management tool, and to-do list: ⁠https://airtable.com/invite/r/uq7tgTC3⁠

In this episode of Self Funded, Dana Hork, Founder & CEO of Beers With Friends, shares how she transformed her frustration with the traditional agency model into a five-day sprint business designed for modern marketers. Drawing on her experience at Wonder, Walmart, and Jet.com, Dana explains how she and her co-founder built a creative microagency rooted in trust, speed, and focus—offering “creativity on tap” without long retainers or bureaucracy. She discusses shared consciousness in co-founding, iterating toward product-market fit, and why senior judgment and perspective are more valuable than ever in an AI-driven world.
(00:00:01) Career Control Through Self-Funded Ventures
(00:08:49) Collaborative Decision-Making in Co-Founding Ventures
(00:15:28) Evolution from Flexible Projects to Productized Services
(00:28:12) Creating a Trust-Based Independent Agency Culture
(00:29:29) "Creative Collaboration for Business Success"
(00:33:34) Personal Friction: Entrepreneurial Success Recipe
Dana's Links:

Beers with Friends: www.bwfagency.com

Dana's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/danahork/

BWF LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/beerswithfriends/

BWF Instagram: www.instagram.com/getbeerswithfriends

BWF YouTube: youtube.com/@beerswithfriends

BWF TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@beerswithfriends
Self Funded Links:
Substack: ⁠https://selffundedbychrissie.substack.com/⁠
Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded/id1845157459⁠
Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5u4zA43k4hC183fM0PisKq?si=26bf586458934e49⁠
YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxW6fdMBQaTaLXsrAneZ2aQ⁠
The Long Game:
I help growth-stage companies close the gap between strategy and execution for growth or exit through The Long Game. Learn more at longgametalent.com.
My Self Funded Tech Stack:
These are some of my favorite tools I use everyday in my business and podcast (affiliate links):

Collective: Powers my S-Corp from bookkeeping to paying contractors to tax prep. ⁠https://share.collective.com/mQHI7Bf⁠

Flodesk: The easiest email platform with clean, easy-to-customize designs and a simple workflow interface: ⁠https://flodesk.com/c/19VL1X⁠

Granola: I’ve tried several AI notetakers and this is my favorite. I take my own notes in the interface which are the enhanced after the call: ⁠https://go.granola.ai/chrissie-francona⁠

Airtable: I’ve built my business operating system in Airtable, including my CRM, content management tool, and to-do list: ⁠https://airtable.com/invite/r/uq7tgTC3⁠