Real Stories Ep 39: Kitty, Finding Humanity in Finance
- May 15, 2023
Podcast: Download (Duration: 56:57 — 45.6MB)
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Kitty’s Irish ancestors began a very successful business in the wake of the San Francisco earthquake in the early 1900s. This success created generational wealth that Kitty benefits from.
But her story is much more complicated than that. Despite familial wealth, her upbringing left her without a financial game plan in early adulthood. And then life happened – in her case, an injury that left her unable to work temporarily after giving birth to her son.
The pandemic compounded Kitty’s financial stress. She eventually found someone who not only listened to her concerns but offered a solution to lower her finance charges dramatically.
Kitty’s story is one of shame transformed to pride. She wants to change the conversation around money and empower others to pursue their own path towards self-forgiveness.
Key Moments
2:58 Kitty discusses her unique upbringing and how it influenced her approach to money.
12:49 She talks about how medical issues related to her pregnancy affected her finances.
17:33 She calls her creditor looking for help and gets connected with GreenPath, who provides much needed relief, both emotionally and financially.
22:07 Kitty explains how important it is to take a holistic approach to improving your finances.
25:41 She describes the humanity in her conversations with a GreenPath counselor.
27:40 Kitty shares about the power of Non-Violent Communication and learns that GreenPath actually uses this approach.
36:24 Her goals include buying a house with a garage where her husband can pursue his metal artisanal work and she can paint and draw.
40:16 Kitty advocates changing the dialogue around money.
43:30 She urges others in difficult financial situations to forgive themselves.
49:45 Our co-hosts reflect on themes from Kitty’s story: generational wealth, communities of support, transforming shame to pride, and empathic communication.
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Music by Hir-O