1. Money Is a Mirror, Not a Monster: Chelsea drives home that financial problems often reflect deeper issues like boundaries, communication, or beliefs—money simply brings these patterns to the surface.
2. Women Are Reshaping Financial Power: Despite only recently entering the world of independent finance (about 1% of the time financial institutions have existed!), women now control a growing share of wealth and are learning to own their money narratives.
3. Pay Yourself First—Every Time: Whether personally or in business, prioritizing savings before spending allows you to break the common “net zero” habit and set yourself up for long-term success—even if you’re only saving “50 cents at a time.”
4. The “B Word” Isn’t About Restriction: Creating a budget—whether for a business or household—is about establishing boundaries and protecting your future self, not about deprivation. Think of it as building freedom within guardrails you create for yourself.
5. Financial Planning Is an Ongoing Art: No plan can predict the future perfectly—what matters is having a clear “shot to call,” monitoring and adjusting regularly (even quarterly check-ins can make a big difference), and being comfortable with pivoting as life happens.

1. Growth through Every Role: Yanni’s journey from unpaid intern to executive team member highlights the power of curiosity, adaptability, and patience in career progression—valuable lessons for any professional aiming for leadership.
2. Embracing Complexity: His passion for complex financial and business planning, especially for entrepreneurs and family businesses, shows how diving into challenging territory can fuel a rewarding and meaningful career.
3. Culture Matters: Office culture and shared laughter—like wagers, crop tops, and interpretive dances—create lasting bonds that make hard work and long hours enjoyable and sustainable.
4. Succession & Transition: Yanni’s move from CIO to CFO is a model for “graduating” from one role to another within a growing firm, and demonstrates the importance of recognizing team strengths and supporting new leaders.
5. Advice for the Next Generation: Yanni’s top guidance? Don’t rush. Take time to learn and develop before seeking instant advancement, and embrace the opportunities to grow in both skill and confidence at every stage.

Welcome back to Don’t Retire… Graduate! In today’s episode, we’re diving into a critical and sometimes overlooked topic: divorce and its profound impact on your financial and personal future. I’m joined in the studio by Leon W. Berg, a highly awarded divorce attorney with 50 years of experience practicing law, primarily in Baltimore County. Leon is known for his thoughtful approach to family law, his ability to mediate highly emotional situations, and his unwavering dedication to setting realistic expectations for his clients. With countless accolades, including the Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent rating and the Baltimore County Bar Association’s prestigious J. Earl Plumhoff Professional Lawyer of the Year award, Leon brought unparalleled experience and wisdom to our conversation.

Together, Leon and I explored why family law—while often associated with conflict—is fundamentally about problem-solving, listening, and helping clients navigate some of the most stressful moments of their lives. We discussed the financial disruption that divorce can cause, including the challenges of dividing assets, uncovering hidden finances, and ensuring that both spouses exit settlements as fairly as possible. Leon shared fascinating insights on the negotiation process, the role of attorneys and judges, and the necessity of transparency and discovery. We also took a close look at prenuptial agreements—their original intent, when they’re truly needed, and why people often misunderstand or misuse them. Leon even shared a memorable anecdote about counseling a client on the dangers of a poorly crafted prenup, highlighting the ethical and emotional complexities involved.

Throughout our conversation, we emphasized the need for collaboration among attorneys, financial advisors, and tax professionals when divorce or remarriage is on the table. Finally, Leon discussed how he transitioned his own practice into mediation and best-interest advocacy for children, demonstrating how one can “graduate” into a new, purpose-driven phase of retirement.

5 Key Takeaways:

1. Divorce Is a Major Financial Iceberg: Divorce can upend your financial life more suddenly and drastically than almost any other event. It’s critical to approach it with both emotional and financial preparedness—and with strong professional guidance.
2. Transparency Is Essential in Negotiations: Successful outcomes in divorce require both parties to be forthcoming about assets and income. Leon stressed the importance of discovery, due diligence, and recognizing warning signs (like lifestyle-to-income mismatches) that signal hidden finances.
3. Prenups: Prevention and Pitfalls: Prenuptial (or ante-nuptial) agreements have a place, especially in cases involving family businesses or significant pre-marital assets. However, Leon warned that many people misunderstand their necessity and their limits, and that creating unrealistic or overly punitive agreements can backfire emotionally and legally.
4. Division of Assets Is More Nuanced Than It Seems: Not all dollars are created equal—retirement accounts, brokerage accounts, and home equity each come with their own tax implications and liquidity considerations. Splitting assets requires careful planning to ensure fairness and minimize tax pitfalls.
5. Graduating Into Retirement Can Mean Redefining Your Role: Leon’s story of shifting from traditional litigation to mediation and best-interest advocacy beautifully illustrates how professionals can—and should—find new purpose as they “graduate” from full-time careers into retirement.

Join us as we unpack these complexities with the help of an expert who’s seen it all. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating, and share Don’t Retire… Graduate! with friends and family—because navigating life’s biggest transitions truly requires the best...

1. Transferable Skills Matter: Hannah’s background as a teacher gave her a strong foundation in communication, organization, and relationship-building—skills that translated seamlessly to her success in client relations and marketing within financial services.
2. You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know: Hannah’s journey into financial literacy underscores the importance of seeking education and expertise, especially early in adult life. Working with a financial advisor opened her eyes to strategies and opportunities she didn’t know existed.
3. Financial Advice Is for Everyone: One of Hannah’s biggest realizations was that financial planning isn’t only for the wealthy or the older generation. She became a financial planning client herself as a young professional and newlywed, and encourages others to start early.
4. Building Confidence Through New Experiences: Immersing herself in new roles—from running marketing meetings to mastering client events—helped Hannah build confidence, deepen relationships, and discover her own path to making an impact in our industry.
5. The Human Side of Finance: By working closely with clients and advisors, Hannah experiences firsthand the personal and emotional impact financial planning can have on families, reminding us that this field is as much about relationships and trust as it is about numbers.

1. Reinvention is Possible at Any Age or Career Stage: Vasu’s journey from medicine to art illustrates that it is never too late to follow your creative instincts, pursue new passions, or find fulfillment in unexpected places.
2. The Importance of Family and Community Support: Family played a crucial role in supporting Vasu’s pivot, reminding her that success is not always measured financially but through personal fulfillment and impact.
3. Art as Therapy and Healing: Creating and viewing art can serve as powerful emotional outlets—helping to process change, relieve stress, and provide solace during challenging times, as evidenced by Vasu’s work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. Your Identity is More Than a Job Title: We discussed the tendency to conflate who we are with what we do, and how embracing all facets of ourselves—including new talents and interests—can lead to a more authentic and rewarding sense of self.
5. Bringing Purpose to the Next Chapter: Rather than simply retiring, Vasu is committed to spreading a message of healing and empowering others through art and creativity, seeing this as her next legacy.

1. Apprenticeship Matters: Cody’s journey from investment operations to advisor and eventually shareholder underscores the value of learning the business from the ground up, even when it means being patient and resisting the urge for immediate advancement.
2. Ownership Is a Big Commitment: Becoming a shareholder in a financial advisory firm is a major undertaking—financially and personally. It requires careful deliberation, family discussions, and a firm belief in the firm’s mission.
3. Leadership Beyond Management: Moving into ownership is not just about management; it’s about genuine leadership—inspiring others, setting an example, and mentoring the next generation of advisors.
4. The “Tortoise and the Hare” Career Path: Choosing the slower, steadier growth path—one that offers room for advancement and aligns with personal values—can yield far greater long-term rewards than chasing the quick buck.
5. Find Your Fit & Use Your Network: Cody emphasizes the importance of finding the right cultural fit in a workplace, using your network, and seeking advice from loved ones, rather than accepting the first appealing offer that comes along.

1. Financial Trauma Goes Beyond Numbers: Financial struggles often stem from deep-seated emotional and generational wounds—not just poor habits or lack of information. Understanding your relationship with money is key to breaking free.
2. Boundaries and Lifestyle Design Are Transformational: You don’t have to quit everything to make substantial change. Small but decisive shifts—like setting boundaries or redefining your social environment—can drastically improve financial and personal health.
3. The Snowball Method is Not Just Math—It’s Motivation: Alejandra used the snowball method (paying off smallest debts first) as a way to stay motivated and hack her emotional triggers, showing that psychology is as important as strategy in financial recovery.
4. Financial Independence is More Than a Dollar Figure: True financial independence involves breaking generational patterns, healing inherited beliefs, and gaining mental freedom—not just reaching a certain net worth.
5. Context and Culture Matter: Alejandra underscores that standard financial advice isn’t one-size-fits-all. Addressing systemic issues, generational trauma, and cultural context is essential for serving women of color and building sustainable financial confidence.

1. Start the Conversation Early: Cody emphasized the value of discussing family planning with your partner from the start—making sure both parties are on the same page about having children, lifestyle goals, and their shared vision for the future.
2. Financial Readiness is Ongoing: From daycare costs and household changes to adjusting work schedules, preparing financially for a family requires both planning and flexibility—plus an understanding that it might always cost more than expected.
3. Don’t Neglect the “What Ifs”: Expanding your emergency fund, reviewing insurance coverage, and updating estate documents are crucial steps every family should take when expecting a child, no matter how uncomfortable those conversations might be.
4. Leverage Your Network and Professional Resources: Even as financial professionals, Cody and I both agree on the benefits of seeking advice, collaborating with colleagues, and not hesitating to consult other advisors when preparing for major life changes.
5. Being Present Matters Most: As Cody put it so well, his ultimate career and personal goal is to be a present father who supports and loves his family—and that’s at the heart of both sound financial planning and a fulfilling life.