The 3 Ingredients Every Financially Confident Woman Has
Spoiler alert: You weren't born knowing how to manage money, and neither was anyone else. Here's how to build real financial confidence from scratch.
The Myth of the "Natural" Investor
You know that person—maybe it's a tech bro, a financial advisor, or just someone who seems to effortlessly make smart money moves. They talk about investments like they were born understanding compound interest.
Here's the truth: Nobody is born with financial knowledge. Every financially successful person you admire started exactly where you are right now. They set goals, took action, and learned along the way.
Even those "mediocre white males with way too much confidence"? They worked their asses off to learn what they know. And so can you.
Ingredient #1: Financial Knowledge (Nobody is Born with It)
Think about something you're genuinely knowledgeable about right now. How did you learn it?
Did you:
Read books or articles?
Listen to podcasts during commutes?
Watch YouTube videos?
Take a course?
Find a mentor?
Learn by doing?
Whatever learning modality worked for you in other areas of life will work for money topics too.
Your next step: Pick one financial topic you want to understand better. Maybe it's:
Estate planning (hint: it's not just for wealthy people)
Investment basics
Student loan repayment strategies
Building recurring income
Money Mindset
Then choose your favorite learning method and dive in. Start with 15 minutes this week.
Ingredient #2: Financial Practice (Even When It's Messy)
Remember the first time you drew a picture of your family? It probably looked like stick figures with questionable proportions. But if you kept practicing, your skills improved over time.
Financial confidence works the same way.
I'll be honest—I'm terrible at picking individual stocks. I naturally root for the underdog, so I always choose stocks I think will have a comeback story. It doesn't usually work out well.
But here's what I learned: The goal isn't perfection; it's practice.
When I bought my first individual stock, I started with $20. Not because I expected to get rich, but because I wanted to understand the process. What's it like to buy a stock? How do you read the charts? What's a P/E ratio?
I focused on the learning experience, not the outcome.
Your next step: Choose one small financial experiment. Maybe it's:
Opening a High Yield Savings Account
Investing $25 in an index fund
Negotiating one bill
Tracking your expenses for a week
Having a money conversation with your partner
Start small. Learn from the experience. Build confidence through action.
Ingredient #3:Your Financial A-Team (Figuring it Alone is Lonely)
Here's something I know for sure: You didn't achieve any big goal in your life alone. You had cheerleaders, mentors, people who took risks on you.
Your financial journey deserves the same support system.
Your Financial A-Team might include:
Specialists: The people you'll share everything with for tailored advice (financial advisors, CPAs, estate planning attorneys)
Connectors: The "who's who" people who can introduce you to others (successful friends, professional networks)
Mentors and Mentees: People 5 years ahead of you and 5 years behind you in similar journeys
Financial Friends: Your money cheerleaders who understand this isn't a competition
Change Makers: Early adopters who try new things and expand your options (maybe they were early to online banking or cryptocurrency)
Your next step: Identify one person you want on your Financial A-Team. Maybe it's:
A friend who's great with budgeting
A mentor who's successfully invested in real estate
A professional who can help with your specific situation
Someone in your network who's achieved a goal you're working toward
Reach out to them this week. People love sharing their experiences when you ask thoughtfully.
The Permission You've Been Waiting For
You don't have to be born knowing this stuff. You don't have to figure it out perfectly on the first try. You don't have to do it alone.
Give yourself permission to be a beginner. To practice. To build your knowledge over time. To ask for help.
Financial confidence isn't about having all the answers—it's about knowing you can figure it out as you go.
Your Confidence-Building Action Plan
This week, commit to one action in each area:
Financial Knowledge: Choose one financial topic and spend 15 minutes learning about it
Financial Practice: Try one small financial experiment
Financial A-Team: Reach out to one person for your financial A-team
Remember: Discussion creates clarity and action builds wealth. Start the conversations. Take the small steps. Your financially confident future self is already cheering you on.
What's one money topic you've been curious about but haven't explored yet? There's no better time than now to start building that knowledge.
If you’re looking for more accountability and conversations, you belong in PAL (Pledgettes Accountability League). Doors are open now!
