Facing major life changes can feel overwhelming, especially when the future is unclear and the stakes are high.

How do you move forward when fear, finances, and identity are all shifting at once?

In this episode, I chat with Claudia Porter, CFP®, CDFA®, Wealth Advisor at RFG Advisory, about navigating divorce, financial uncertainty, and rebuilding life with purpose. She shares her personal journey from feeling financially powerless to taking control, the mindset shifts that helped her move forward, and how small steps can create momentum.

Claudia also explores the importance of support systems, journaling for clarity, and empowering women to take an active role in their financial lives.

Key takeaways:

• How financial control in relationships can limit independence and decision-making during major life transitions
• Why taking one step at a time can help reduce overwhelm and build confidence in uncertain situations
• The role of journaling in creating clarity, distance, and better decision-making during emotional periods
• How building a trusted support team can provide guidance, perspective, and accountability when it matters most
• Why participating in financial conversations early can help avoid stress and uncertainty later in life
• And more!

Resources:

• Get Your FREE Simply Retirement Roadmap

• WOMEN, WEALTH, AND WINNING: Essential Strategies Female Business Owners Should Know to Master Your Money, Cultivate Success, and Build a Solid Financial Future by Claudia Porter
• On the Other Side: A Woman’s Guide to Rediscovering Strength and Success Beyond Adversity by Claudia Porter

Connect with Eric Blake:

• www.TheSimplyRetirementPodcast.com
• Join the Simply Retirement Newsletter
• Ask a Question or Suggest a Topic for the Podcast
• Blake Wealth Management
• YouTube

Connect with Claudia Porter:

• LinkedIn: Claudia Porter
• Website: RFG Advisory

About our Guest:

Claudia was born and raised in West Germany.

She is a Certified Financial Planner® and has been in the financial industry for 11 years and partnered with RFG Advisory in March, 2025 to go independent.

She has a Master’s Degree in Teaching English and French from the University of Göttingen and a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Braunschweig Technical University. In 2014, she left academia to return to her earlier passion for financial planning and wealth management to make a more significant impact in people’s lives. For Claudia, “Success is not what you get, but the positive impact you make in other people’s lives.”

She is the author of 2 books, “Women, Wealth, and Winning” and “On The Other Side: A Woman’s Guide to Rediscovering Strength and Success Beyond Adversity”.

Claudia has 4 boys, 3 of whom are in college, 1 is still in high school.

What happens when retirement stops being a finish line and starts being a choice?

What if the biggest barrier between you and financial freedom isn’t the math, it’s the mindset?

In this episode, I sit down with Bernadette Joy, author and CEO of CRUSH Your Money Goals®, for a candid conversation about what it really takes to take control of your finances, redefine what retirement means to you, and finally stop waiting for the “right” time to live the life you actually want.

We talk about the moment Bernadette discovered she had $72,000 in student loan debt she didn’t know was growing, how she paid off $300,000 in debt and reached financial independence, and why she believes financial fluency matters far more than financial literacy. This conversation will challenge how you think about money, work, and what retirement could actually look like for you.

Key takeaways:

• How a shocking student loan balance became the turning point that led Bernadette to pay off $300,000 in debt
• Why learning finances is more like learning a language than solving a math problem, and what that means for women approaching retirement
• How the loss of a client changed Bernadette’s perspective on waiting for the “right time” to retire
• What financial independence actually looks like when work becomes optional, not obligatory
• Why women advocating for themselves in financial conversations is not just empowering, it is essential
• And more!

Resources:

• Get Your FREE Simply Retirement Roadmap
• 2026 Tax and Retirement Planning Cheat Sheet

Connect with Eric Blake:

• www.TheSimplyRetirementPodcast.com
• Join the Simply Retirement Newsletter
• Ask a Question or Suggest a Topic for the Podcast
• Blake Wealth Management
• YouTube

Connect with Bernadette Joy:

• LinkedIn: Bernadette Joy
• Website: CRUSH Your Money Goals®
• YouTube: Bernadebtjoy

About our Guest:

Bernadette isn’t your typical financial expert—she’s a powerhouse with real-world experience. With two business degrees and a background in psychology, Bernadette knows how to blend academic knowledge with street smarts. As a first-generation Filipino American and former corporate employee, she intimately understands the stress of financial uncertainty, even when the paycheck looks promising.

She’s a featured money expert on CNBC, CNET, Forbes, MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance and has taken the stage at FinCon, SXSW, NASDAQ and TEDxHouston (just like Brene Brown!)

But here’s where Bernadette truly shines: she’s walked the walk. In just three years, she obliterated $300,000 of debt. And by her thirties, she achieved a net worth of over $2 million—all while working part-time hours. That’s right—she clocks in just 20 hours a week.

One hundred episodes in. More than a milestone, this is a window into the heart behind the work.

In this episode, I reflect on what it means to reach Episode 100 of the Simply Retirement Podcast, alongside the people who know me best, my family, Dawn Blake, Kaitlyn Blake-Lolliot, and Eric L. Blake.

We talk about why helping women feel confident around money matters so deeply, how communication and compassion shape our work, and what it means to build a business rooted in trust.

This conversation also pulls back the curtain on the personal side of Blake Wealth Management, from client relationships to family legacy. More than anything, this episode highlights the values that have carried us this far and the purpose that continues to guide what comes next.

Key takeaways:

• Why making financial conversations easier to understand helps women feel more confident asking questions and making decisions
• How respect, communication, and legacy shape the way Blake Wealth Management serves clients
• What it means to support clients through life changes like widowhood, divorce, health issues, and other difficult transitions
• How Dawn, Kaitlyn, and Eric Lowell each bring a different perspective to the family business and client experience
• Why Episode 100 is both a celebration of the journey so far and a reflection on the future of a multi-generational firm
• And more!

Resources:

• Get Your FREE Simply Retirement Roadmap
• 2026 Tax and Retirement Planning Cheat Sheet
• Ultimate Guide to Women’s Social Security Success

Connect with Eric Blake:

• LinkedIn: Eric Blake
• www.TheSimplyRetirementPodcast.com
• Join the Simply Retirement Newsletter
• Ask a Question or Suggest a Topic for the Podcast
• Blake Wealth Management
• YouTube

Meet the Team:

• About Our Firm

About our Guests:

As the Client Success Coordinator at Blake Wealth Management, Dawn Blake’s goal is simple: to make your life just a little easier and ensure every interaction you have with our firm feels personal and meaningful. Whether she’s helping schedule a meeting, coordinating a transaction, or just checking in to see how you’re doing, Dawn wants you to feel like our only client.

As Client Service Associate at Blake Wealth Management, Kaitlyn Blake-Lolliot’s role is all about making sure the client experience behind the scenes is just as thoughtful and smooth as the one our planning team delivers up front. Whether she’s managing schedules, processing paperwork, streamlining internal systems, or solving the daily challenges that come with running a growing firm, Kaitlyn’s goal is to support both our clients and team with clarity, efficiency, and care.

As a Paraplanner at Blake Wealth Management, Eric L. Blake supports our planning team by helping build retirement plans, conducting investment research, and analyzing the tax and financial information that guide the strategies we deliver to clients. A large part of his work involves organizing data, running projections, and making sure every detail behind the scenes aligns with the goals, values, and long-term needs of the families we serve.