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What We Stand For at Smart Money Mamas
- June 8, 2020
- by Chelsea
In today’s podcast episode, I wanted to take the time to address current events, our philosophy and purpose at Smart Money Mamas, and our plans to practice anti-racism now and in the future on the podcast and in our broader business. Typically, our show notes include just a short summary of the episode. In this case, we thought it was important to include the entire transcript, for those who prefer to read.
Black Lives Matter. We’re listening, learning, and taking action.
What We Stand For - Full Transcript
Hey there, mamas, I’m your host Chelsea Brennan and I think it’s safe to say it’s been a long couple of weeks for all of us and our work is just beginning – we’re finally having some long overdue conversations about race and justice in our society. We’re facing hard truths.
Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery – This violence, inequality, and injustice needs to stop. We need to address the systematic racism built into our society and do the introspection and work to dismantle it.
Over the past week and a half, I’ve been so proud of the Smart Money Mamas community. Proud of how open our mamas have been to learning, listening, and supporting each other. But we haven’t addressed it directly here, on the podcast.
And I wanted to take the time to do that today because…
(1) I want to make it clear where we stand
(2) I want you to have a deeper view of who we are and what we stand for as a company
(3) I want to share our plan with you
Black Lives Matter
There is a picture I’ve seen – you’ve probably seen it making its way through social media – of a female protester holding a sign that says, “All mothers were summoned when George Floyd called out for his mama.”
It froze me. I’ve been thinking about it since I saw it.
We are a community of moms. Everything we talk about here comes from that angle because we are women who have a direct responsibility for who the next generation grows up to be, who they are.
And we have to ask ourselves, time and time again, how do we raise a generation of kids who are better than we are? Not necessarily that has better or more, though, of course, we want that too. But how do we make sure they don’t make the same mistakes we’ve made? How do we make them better?
And how do we become better community mothers? How do we worry not just about our kids, but about our neighbor’s kids, the country’s kids, the world’s kids?
Smart Money Mamas will always be a place where we ask those questions. Where we do the work.
Black. Lives. Matter. And whether you are white, Latina, Asian, or any other race, we can not allow our Black mamas to struggle alone. To be left alone to worry about their children, their husbands, their nephews, themselves.
We have to demand better.
Why We Need to Talk About This Here
I told the mamas in our Mamas Talk Money Facebook Community last week – and if you’re not in that group, I hope you’ll join – that I know taking a strong stance will result in some people who reach out to tell me, “This isn’t my place.” that I should just talk about money, that that’s all they signed up to hear from me. Be quiet, they’ll say, go back to what you usually talk about.
Heck, we may even get some negative podcast reviews from just this episode.
So, I want to address that directly.
Smart Money Mamas and Mamas Talk Money are absolutely about financial health and prosperity. It’s about creating wealth and freedom and being able to live in line with your values. But money alone is not the root core of our mission.
Let me explain it like this… When you get into business, you’re told to niche down. To not just talk about money, but to talk about budgeting.
To not just talk about budgeting, but to talk about budgeting for moms.
To not just talk about budgeting for moms, but to talk about budgeting for single moms who make the majority of their income from freelancing.
You get the picture.
By narrowing down in this way the philosophy is that you will be able to connect so deeply with those people, that they will feel like you are speaking right to them. They’ll see themselves in what you do and become loyal customers.
But narrowing down that way has never been our focus. Our niche isn’t by topic, it’s by personal values and who our audience is.
When I think about this community and what I want Smart Money Mamas to continue to grow and be, I don’t think about one specific topic, I think about the people.
Our community, our niche, is mamas who live and love with their whole hearts. Who believe in more. More for themselves, more for their families, more for the world. Mamas who want to make a difference. Who want wealth, not just for the eight bedroom mansion on 60 acres (though maybe they want that too), but for what it means for their kids, what it means for the organizations they’re able to support, for how it allows them to speak their voice and stand in their truth without worrying about whether it will rub their boss the wrong way or limit their opportunities.
They believe things can be better and they are willing to do the work to get there.
We’ll talk about money. We’ll talk about budgeting and getting out of debt and investing and money mindset and advancing your career and starting businesses. Because money, as I’ve said so many times, touches everything. And having financial security and freedom lets you live more in alignment with who you are.
But there will also be times when you come here and we’re talking about self care, mental health, parenting, sustainability, gender wealth gaps – and, like right now, race. Because those things speak to what it’s like to be a whole-hearted mama.
If you’re a person listening to this, nodding your head, smiling – I’m so over the moon glad you’re here. You’re our people. We’re going to have a lot of fun and learn a lot together.
And if you’re not that person?
If you’re someone who just wants to hear about the black-and-white fundamentals of personal finance? I hope you find a place that better suits you. The beauty of the information age is that there are hundreds of communities and you can find one that fits your needs. Because while you can find that fundamental information here, it won’t be all you find.
So, I hope that explains who we are at Smart Money Mamas and what we believe. Which leaves one last thing I want to cover today. What can you expect in the coming weeks?
Our Plans Going Forward on Smart Money Mamas
First, on the podcast, we’re shuffling things up. This month was supposed to be our “Working Moms” theme but publishing those episodes right now felt like the wrong move. We didn’t want to repeat histories, old patterns, where companies see a difficult truth, produce a statement or discuss it for a day or two, then go right back to life as quote-unquote normal.
We also didn’t want to hit pause on the podcast as that felt lazy. Like taking the easy way out.
So, we’ve decided that over the next several weeks we will work to produce episodes of the Smart Money Mamas Show that uplift expert, incredible Black voices in the personal finance and entrepreneurship space, support anti-racism work, and help us all learn in this time.
We have some great interviews set up over the next several weeks, starting with my friend Meaghan Siekman this Thursday, sharing her experience as an oral and public historian that focuses on African-American history and genealogy as a white woman. How it’s opened her eyes and how it’s impacted how she thinks and raises her own kids.
You’ll find that we have more interviews and fewer solos – I’ll only be doing a solo about every other Monday for a while to make room for more voices. I am not an authority on racial issues, I’m just starting my own anti-racism work, and this felt like the best path forward.
Going forward, we’re going to be doubly sure we consistently feature diverse voices and perspectives on the podcast. Looking at our schedule for the next three months, we have a good starting place, though there is always work to do.
For the 2020 Mamas Talk Money Summit this October, our speaker lineup is ahhh-mazing and has so many incredible women with different experiences and backgrounds, I know you’re going to love it.
What I, Chelsea Brennan, Am Personally Doing
Second, I want you to know that when it comes to anti-racism and uncovering my own biases as a white woman who grew up in predominantly white spaces, I’m doing the work. I’m listening, reflecting, and learning.
I’m reading books (currently finishing White Supremacy and Me by Layla Saad), talking to friends and family about racism, donating to organizations who support racial equality, watching and listening to Black leaders.
I know I will make mistakes and I promise to you that when I do, I will listen to that feedback. I will take it to heart, without getting defensive, apologize and do better.
We Are A Community of Moms Who Believe In More, In Better
We have an opportunity here, mamas. A chance to create better, which I know we all want. And for those of you who are like me – who hate conflict and feel uncomfortable leaning into it, I want to share a quote from my friend Julien Saunders at Rich & Regular.
In his talk at the EconoMe conference, which you can watch on YouTube, we’ll link it in the show notes, he says…
“When you run from conflict, you give up an opportunity to change your life before you even start. When you embrace conflict…you come out the other side a better version of yourself.”
Discomfort is how we grow. If we just stay where we’re comfortable, where things feel safe and cozy, we’ll never find better. Not on major issues like race, not in our careers and our relationships, not with our money.
So, I encourage you to keep leaning in.
To all our Black mamas, I’m so, so sorry it took us this long. We’re standing with you.
To all the women in our community – I hope that Smart Money Mamas is a place where you find comfort. A place where you feel heard. Where you are empowered to reach for more, for better.
And, importantly, I want this to be a place where you can ask hard questions. Because that’s how we grow.
If you have have questions – from the simple to the deep and complex – questions you don’t feel you otherwise have a space to ask, feel free to DM me on Instagram or Facebook where I’m @smartmoneymamas, email me at [email protected], or – if you’re comfortable and want a broader conversation – post in the Mamas Talk Money Facebook community.
You’re amazing. I love you. Let’s go create better.
Links & Resources Mentioned
- Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad
- EconoMe Conference with Julian at Rich & Regular
- How You Can Help Close Racial Wealth Gaps
- Mamas Talk Money Free Facebook Community
- Instagram @smartmoneymamas
- Family Money Values Template - Free Download
What Are Your Family Money Values?
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1 thought on “What We Stand For at Smart Money Mamas”
Thank you, Chelsea. A statement of what we stand for is a great idea, and maybe something I should consider for the blog.