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On this episode of the Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast, I spoke with Carol Chiang, aging-in-place expert and author of Age in Place or Find a New Space, about how to take control of your aging journey with an aging plan.

💡 Key Takeaways

🔹 Aging is a natural process, and it can also be an opportunity.
🔹 People need to be active participants in their own aging plan.
🔹 Start planning early, while you have time, options, and income.
🔹 Be intentional about whether you want to age in place or find a new space.
🔹 Have honest and open conversations with loved ones.
🔹 Accept that aging is happening and make intentional choices.
🔹 Your choices today become your consequences tomorrow.

Connect with Carol Chiang:

Evolving Homes Website (here)

LinkedIn (here)

Books:

• Age in Place or Find a New Space: How to Create Beautiful Spaces That Promote Meaningful Interactions (Amazon)

Bio:

Carol Chiang, OTR/L, CAPS, ECHM, CHAMP Author, Podcast Host, and International Aging in Place Specialist. Carol Chiang takes a proactive and holistic approach to longevity, shifting the narrative from reactive care to intentional living. As a former Olympic-caliber athlete and Urban Poling Master Trainer, she blends physical wellness with environmental design to help people “future-proof” their lives.

Author of the Kirkus starred guide Age in Place or Find a New Space, Carol is a leading voice in the “home as healthcare” movement. She is the host of the Innovative Aging podcast and a tireless advocate for the Parkinson’s community, frequently speaking to international audiences on how to leverage technology and habit-building to maintain independence.

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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 the Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast, I spoke with Brandon Lovingier, Founder of Military Money, about the tactics financial predators use and how military members (and all of us) can stay one step ahead.

Key Takeaways:

🔹Start with your goals, then decide if a product helps you get there.

🔹 Ask questions, until you understand what you’re investing in or purchasing

🔹 Understand your benefits. For example, you don’t need to pay anyone to “unlock” your VA benefits.

🔹 Slow down, time pressure lends to suboptimal decision making

🔹 Understand how someone gets paid and their underlying incentives.

🔹 How military members (and all of us) guard against financial predators.

🔹 Be wary of pitches that lean on military status or shared connections.

🔹 Learn how a Military Qualified Financial Planner can help protect you.

Connect with Brandon Lovingier:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonlovingier/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@enlistedmoney
• Website: https://enlistedmoney.com/
• Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/enlistedmoneyguy
• Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/enlistedmoneyguy/

Resources mentioned:

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/
• Military Qualified Financial Planner designation: https://mqfp.org

Bio:

Brandon Lovingier, ChFC®, AFC®, MQFP®, wasn’t born into money. He joined the Army right out of high school and has served for over 20 years on active duty – including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. When he was younger, he wasted money on trucks, beer, cigarettes, energy drinks, and everything in between. At one point, he and his wife had to put rent on a credit card just to get by.

Fast forward, they’re debt-free and building wealth. He established his blog, Enlisted Money, to help enlisted service members avoid the same mistakes he made. He earned his Chartered Financial Consultant – ChFC® designation in 2022 and is one of the first Military Qualified Financial Planner – MQFP® designation holders. He was awarded The American College of Financial Services NextGen Financial Professional Award for 2024. He’s been a speaker at MilMoneyCon and loves mentoring other service members on their own financial freedom journey.

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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 The Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast, I spoke with Melana Carbary, Private Wealth Manager at Burning River Advisory Group and founder of EnlightenHer to talk about how confidence, authenticity, and action can change the way women engage with money.

Key Takeaways:

🔹 Listen with intention, rather than just thinking about the next thing you’ll say.

🔹 If we care enough, we will take the right action.

🔹 Be authentic and focus on helping, not selling.

🔹 Your history doesn’t define you, but you have to take action to move forward

🔹 Work through shame or trauma so it doesn’t hold you back.

🔹 Include women in money conversations as equal partners.

🔹 Speak to women in ways that make them feel seen and respected.

🔹 Most women will be in charge of their money at some point in their life.

Connect with Melana Carbary:

• LinkedIn: (here)

• EnlightenHer Website (here)
• EnlightenHer Resources: (here)
• EnlightenHer Coaching: (here)
• EnlighterHer Instagram: @enlightenHerofficial (here)
• EnlightenHer LinkedIn: (here)
• EnlightenHer Facebook: @enlightenHer | (here)

• Burning River Advisory Group website: (here)

Bio:

Melana Carbary, CFP®, CLU®, CDFA®, grew up in a small Ohio town, the daughter of a second-generation railroading family. While extremely close with all of her family, Melana shared a special bond and relationship with her mother. Her mom’s strong role within the family led Melana to be the strong, independent woman she is today and

helped shape her career and passion for working with women.

Melana strives to live simply, be a prudent steward of her money, and create a life full of meaningful experiences. Her journey is about collecting memories, not “things.”

She is most proud of the role she served in supporting her mom during her battle with cancer. She is also now the proud auntie of two beautiful nieces.

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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 The Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast, I spoke with Justyn Makarewycz, about how financial fluency fuels better career choices—and a more intentional life.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Invest in financial fluency. Understanding money helps you make smarter career moves.
• Clarify what matters. Define your values and long-term goals before chasing the next title.
• Plan backward. Start with your vision, then create the action steps to reach it.
• Network strategically. Relationships open more doors than résumés.
• Stay adaptable. Careers evolve, keep learning and adjusting.
• Compare offers wisely. Evaluate benefits, growth, and balance, not just salary.
• Keep your purpose in sight. Every move should advance what success means to you.

💭 Tony’s Take
Financial fluency isn’t only about budgets—it’s about making intentional choices that align your work, your money, and your purpose.

Connect with Justyn Makarewycz:

• LinkedIn (here)

Podcast:

• Host of the Zicklin GCMC Podcast (here)

Bio:

Justyn Makarewycz is Deputy Director of Employer Relations at Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business. He has over 15 years' experience in university career services, employer relations, alumni engagement, as well as contingency recruitment and staffing. His work is focused on developing and implementing employer-relations strategies that open up hiring opportunities for MBA and specialty Masters students, while maintaining the strong brand of Baruch College with employers. Before his work in university career services, Justyn worked in digital marketing on the brand, agency, and publisher sides for a decade.

Justyn became interested in financial literacy from an early age when his parents gifted him The Wealthy Barber at age 11. Plenty of additional financial-literacy books later, and in his own work and research in financial topics, he has become invested in how important financial literacy is in people's lives and how much it can impact the choices they make and ideas they dream about their careers.

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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 The Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast, I spoke with Annalee Kruger, President of Care Right Inc. and author of The Invisible Patient about how creating an aging plan can save time, money, and stress.

💡 Key Takeaways

🔹 Start the conversation early. Hold family meetings that include every stakeholder.

🔹 Family members should clear on the parent’s wishes and goals are.

🔹 Build the right team. Engage qualified senior-care consultants and verify how they’re compensated.

🔹 Understand the true costs and safety factors of aging at home vs. facilities.

🔹 Do your due diligence. Review care-facility complaint records and service histories.

🔹 Make caregiving sustainable. Accept limits, share responsibilities, and give yourself grace.

🔹 A clear aging plan turns potential crises into calm coordination.

💭 Tony’s Take: Preparing an aging plan isn’t just about logistics—it’s about dignity. When families align on values and advisors guide with empathy, everyone wins.

Connect with Annalee Kruger:

• Care Right, Inc. Website (here)
• LinkedIn (here)
• Facebook: (here)

Books:

• The Invisible Patient: The Emotional, Financial, and Physical Toll on Family Caregivers: How to Plan Ahead and Save Time, Money, and Stress (Amazon) (book website)

Resources mentioned:

• Care Right E-Grab and Go Binder
• Carescout Cost of Care Calculator

Bio:

Annalee started Care Right Inc, a VIRTUAL consultancy, in 2011, after working in Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC's) for 22 years. Annalee Kruger has devoted her career to guiding family caregivers and their aging loved ones with decisions about aging, dementia progression, the landscape of senior care, considerations of aging at home, helping outline current and future care options, helping families determine their "safety triggers" for when parents need care/more care and the aging at home care budget to prevent families from not qualifying financially to gain admission into a quality care community.

She is a national speaker on aging, caregiving, dementia, family dynamics/mediation, and end-of-life. Major financial services conferences she has presented at: IWI, FPA, NAPA, NAIFA, AICPA, CIMA, Truist, D.A. Davidson, and many other conferences in the healthcare/senior care industry.

She authored, The Invisible Patient: The Emotional, Financial, and Physical Toll on Family Caregivers.

Annalee also offers training packages for the financial services and healthcare industries—which include in-person, webinar, and masterminds.

She also created the Aging Strategy Coaching Academy (ASCA), the first ever global coaching program that PROPERLY addresses aging, family caregiving, dementia/chronic illness, the landscape of senior care, dying, grief, and much more.

Annalee also created the Elder Planning Specialist certification program, specifically for CFP’s who want to earn a certificate to better identify and addr

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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 The Get Ready Before Life Happens Podcast, I spoke with Shannon Ryan, Financial Literacy Advocate and author of Your Money Has Feelings about how to bridge mindset and money and aligning your money with your values.

💡 Key Takeaways:

🔹 Money has no feelings, it’s just paper, however our relationship to money has feelings
🔹 Align your financial choices with what truly matters to you
🔹 Life is about purpose, not just money
🔹 Authenticity and being yourself is key to success in both life and business
🔹 Financial wounds can leave emotional scars that prevent us from financial success
🔹 Transparency between partners is important
🔹 Avoid money shaming — everyone’s journey is different

Shannon reminds us that understanding your emotions around money is just as important as understanding your numbers — because how you feel about money shapes how you use it.

Connect with Shannon Ryan:

Website: https://shannon-ryan.com/

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

X: https://x.com/theheavypurse/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theheavypurse/

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theheavypurse

Books:

Your Money Has Feelings : Understand Your Financial Wounds to Find True Freedom (Amazon)

TEDx Talks: Confronting your financial scar tissue (YouTube)

Bio:

Shannon Ryan is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)with over 30 years of experience guiding individuals and families through the emotional side of money. Known for her relatable insights and warm, clear style, Shannon combines deep financial knowledge with a heart-centered approach to help people move from money stress to empowerment.

She’s the author of “Your Money Has Feelings” and a seasoned media guest, having appeared on CNBC, Good Morning America, and TEDx. Shannon’s work focuses on uncovering the beliefs and wounds that silently shape our financial behavior—and showing people how to rewrite them. Whether she’s advising clients or speaking to audiences, Shannon helps others understand why they do what they do with money, and how to build lasting confidence rooted in clarity, not shame.

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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 Podcast, I spoke with Brendan Frazier, Chief Behavioral Officer at RFG Advisory and host of The Human Side of Money Podcast, about how the future of financial advice goes beyond plans and portfolios and why the most powerful tool an advisor has isn’t a spreadsheet, but a question.

💡 Key Takeaways:

🔹 The future of advice is at the intersection of the technical side and the human side
🔹 Empathy and emotional intelligence are our true advantages over technology
🔹 Ask great questions — and listen with intent, empathy and curiosity

🔹 A great question without listening is no longer a great question
🔹 Money is a tool that funds the things in life that are important to you
🔹 The best advisors focus on the person, not just the numbers

Connect with Brendan Frazier:

• Website (here)
• LinkedIn (here)

Podcast:

• The Human Side of Money Podcast (here)

Bio:

Brendan Frazier is the Chief Behavioral Officer at RFG Advisory, the host of The Human Side of Money podcast, a keynote speaker, and was twice named one of Investopedia’s Top 100 Financial Advisors. He has built global training programs to help advisors around the world learn how to leverage behavior, psychology and communication principles on the path to mastering the human side of advice.

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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 Podcast, I spoke with Dr. Alison Schmidt, founder and CEO of Unconvention and host of the (un)conversations® podcast, about how being your own advocate can reshape not only your finances, but also your life and values.

💡 Key Takeaways:

🔹 Believe in yourself — trust that you have the tools to execute
🔹 Be open to risk and new ways of working
🔹 Focus on who you want to be and how you want to serve
🔹 Take time to understand what clients truly want to achieve

🔹 Build long-term relationships grounded in empathy and integrity
🔹 Respect your clients’ emotions and where they are in their journey
🔹 Embrace miscommunication as an opportunity to learn and grow

Connect with Dr. Alison Schmidt:

• Website (here) https://www.unconventionllc.com
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-l-schmidt-phd-bcc/
• Instagram: @alsphdbcc / @unconventionllc / @unconversationspodcast
• TikTok: alschmidtphd
• Facebook: @AlisonSchmidt

Podcast:

• (Un)conversations® Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@unconversations/playlists
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5xkI3Kg3e4VCUY5hXFGUaS?si=29139d32e77e427f
• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/un-conversations/id1765209182
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c056dff2-e060-4852-a830-8cc4824da4ba/un-conversations%C2%AE
• iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-unconversations-274225870/

Bio:

Dr. Alison Schmidt is the Founder and CEO of Unconvention, where she partners with elite leaders through transformative executive coaching and organizational consulting. With over 20 years of experience, she helps CxOs, founders, boards, high-performing teams drive strategic growth, navigate change, and break free from the stubborn quo.

Alison is also the creator and host of (un)conversations®, a bold podcast spotlighting industry pioneers and CxO leaders who share the unconventional decisions that have shaped their lives and businesses.

A passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion, and purpose-driven leadership, Dr. Schmidt holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from Alliant International University (formerly California School of Professional Psychology) and is a Board Certified Coach through CCE Global. Based in Dallas, she draws inspiration from her global travels with her wife, N

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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.