In this episode, Priya marks the close of Season One with episode 82, and explains why she's pausing the podcast to focus on building a new piece of budgeting software. Instead of a typical topic breakdown, she revisits the five Season One episodes she thinks will do the most for your financial future than your next raise. She throws in a bonus favorite on dating below your ambitions, and crowns a new champion in her Best Bite segment.

Takeaways:

• Building wealth is about thousands of small decisions that create a foundation strong enough to stand on.
• Treating homeownership as a default milestone can work against high earners who have other paths to build net worth.
• Understanding the life you can afford boils down to one number.
• Understanding how your financial advisor gets paid shapes the advice you get.

Follow Priya Malani:

LinkedIn | Instagram | Stash Wealth | YouTube

The Stuff Our Lawyers Want Us to Say:

Stash Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Content presented is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to make an offer or solicitation for any specific securities product, service, or strategy. Consult with a qualified investment adviser (that's us) before implementing any strategy. Investing involves risk, including the loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. There…we said it.

In this episode, Priya sits down with AJ Ayers, CEO and co-founder of BrooklynFI, to talk about the money shame that persists even after high earners have built real wealth. They dig into the single most expensive mistake people make with equity compensation, why doing nothing with a windfall is actually a strategy, and the exact savings framework AJ uses with clients who have lumpy or unpredictable income. AJ also shares the thesis behind her new book, Creative Money, and the one chapter she fought to include.

Takeaways:

• Money shame doesn't disappear once you get rich, or even after 10 years with a financial advisor - the goal isn't to eliminate it, it's to stop letting it freeze you.
• The most expensive mistake with equity compensation is doing nothing: waiting to exercise options or sell RSUs almost always costs more in taxes than acting early.
• If you experience a cash windfall, slow down and build the framework, because acting fast is what turns sudden money into a mistake.
• If your income is lumpy, save 50% of every dollar in a high-yield account for at least 15 months; that's the number that keeps a good year from turning into a surprise tax bill.

Follow Priya Malani:

LinkedIn | Instagram | Stash Wealth | YouTube

Guest Bio:

AJ Ayers is the CEO and co-founder of Brooklyn FI, a national financial advisory firm specializing in equity compensation and tax strategy for tech professionals, founders, and creatives. She co-hosts The Liquidity Event podcast, and her first book, Creative Money: New Financial Rules for Artists, Innovators, and Misfits, is out this fall.

Guest Links:

ajayers.com

Podcast: The Liquidity Event

Instagram: @brooklyn_fi and @ajayersnyc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajayers/

The Stuff Our Lawyers Want Us to Say:

Stash Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Content presented is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to make an offer or solicitation for any specific securities product, service, or strategy. Consult with a qualified investment adviser (that's us) before implementing any strategy. Investing involves risk, including the loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. There…we said it.

In this episode, Priya sits down with Pinterest executive Soniya Monga to talk about the wealth-building asset most high earners ignore: their own career. Soniya, who has spent two decades inside LinkedIn, Snap, TikTok, and now Pinterest, breaks down how "life as a portfolio" thinking changes the way you evaluate career moves, location, and even how you spend money. They also get into the real trade-offs behind delaying marriage and kids, and why comparison is an expensive financial habit.

Takeaways:

• At $200K-$400K, your career is your biggest asset.
• Chasing job titles early in your career can shrink your long-term earning potential.
• In tech, individual contributors can out-earn managers, so climbing the leadership ladder isn't automatically the highest-ROI path.
• Comparison isn't just an emotional tax, it's a financial one.
• Asking "would I still want this if nobody could see it?" changes most purchase decisions.

Follow Priya Malani:

LinkedIn | Instagram | Stash Wealth | YouTube

Guest Bio:

Soniya Monga leads global agency and account partnerships at Pinterest, following senior leadership roles at LinkedIn, Snap, and TikTok. Over two decades in tech, she's built significant personal wealth through career strategy, equity, and leadership rather than entrepreneurship.

Guest Links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soniyamonga/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/soniyamonga

The Stuff Our Lawyers Want Us to Say:

Stash Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Content presented is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to make an offer or solicitation for any specific securities product, service, or strategy. Consult with a qualified investment adviser (that's us) before implementing any strategy. Investing involves risk, including the loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. There…we said it.