The one and only Gail Vaz-Oxlade and I chat about her career as a personal finance guru, TV host and best-selling author. She also shares her top money tips for getting rid of debt, kicking bad financial habits to the curb and leading a more balanced life.
Long episode description:
This episode of the Mo’ Money Podcast is brought to you byWealthSimple. To learn more about the the fastest-growing automated investing service in Canada and to get your special $50 bonus when you open a new WealthSimple account, go to: wealthsimple.com/jessicamoorhouse.
Before I even recorded my first podcast episode almost a year ago, there was one guest I always dreamed of interviewing. At the time I thought it was just that, a dream, but one year and 51 episodes later it’s now a reality!
I’ve been a huge fan of Gail Vaz-Oxlade for years. I obsessively watched Til Debt Do Us Part when I was 24, broke and living in a basement with two equally broke roommates. It was her say-it-like-it-is attitude and helpful advice that motivated me to save as much as I could and stick to a budget during those tough years. I am so thankful for her show and books, and I know I wouldn’t be as financially on track today if it weren’t for her.
I am also thankful that I got the gumption to ask her to be on my podcast early this year, because I think I got her right in the nick of time! Gail has had a long and successful career as a money guru, and she mentions in this episode, she’s going to be taking a step back to focus on other opportunities.
I hope you love this episode as much as I do! And I ardently encourage you to check out some of her helpful resources, her awesome books (Money Talks is a great read!), and join her community on Facebook. And make sure to check back here next week (or subscribe to my email list) for my final episode of the season where I’ll be doing a special solo episode and giving away some prizes to mark my one year podcast anniversary!
Helpful Resources & Tools
Gail’s Books You Need to Read Right Now
Follow Gail on Social
Shownotes: jessicamoorhouse.com/51
For this episode, I interview my grandma Audrey, my dad's mom. She has an incredible story, though she may disagree with me. Sometimes it's hard to realize how much stuff you've accomplished and experienced when it's your life, but that's why I love having this podcast. Not only did my grandma immigrate from Scotland to Canada in the 1950s and start a new life with her young family in her early 20s, she was also a teacher for her entire career and was able to save enough to retire at 62. I've never really heard her story from her before this episode, so it was a real treat talking with her, I hope you enjoy it too!
Long episode description:
My grandma Audrey grew up in Insch, Scotland, a village located outside the city of Aberdeen. Growing up as a woman during that time, there weren’t as many options for work as there are now, but my grandma followed her passion and had a long career as a school teacher. Both my grandmas were teachers funnily enough.
When she was in her early 20s, she got married, had my dad (Derek), and moved with her young family to Vancouver, BC, Canada. They bought a house and she was able to find a teaching job fairly quickly, two things that are near impossible nowadays. Seriously, if she had kept her house in Vancouver all this time, it would be worth millions!
After a few years in Vancouver, they moved to Terrace, BC, and my grandma continues to live there along with my aunt (my dad’s younger sister) and my two cousins. My grandma has been living the retired life for the past few decades and now spends her time gardening and painting water colours. She painted this lovely postcard-sized painting of the BC coast for me before I moved to Toronto, I still have it in a frame in my living room (thanks grandma!).
This episode is the first time I’ve ever heard my grandma’s story from her herself. Over the years I’d hear things from my dad, but one of the great things about having a podcast is it gives me a reason to sit down with people and let them share their story with me. I am so grateful my grandma let me interview her, and I definitely plan on interviewing a few more family members soon too! Sometimes it’s the people closest to you who have gone through the most incredible things. Maybe this episode will inspire you to pick up the phone or email one of your family members so you can hear their story. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn something!
Shownotes: jessicamoorhouse.com/50
I talk with licensed insolvency trustee Doug Hoyes about the key things everyone should know about debt and bankruptcy.
Long episode description:
I haven’t personally had much experience with debt, having only had a very small student loan to pay off after university (which I was able to crush in less than a year), but the fact is I’m the exception not the rule. Most households have debt, and so I wanted to make sure I did a podcast episode all about it.
I’ve known Doug Hoyes for a little while as I’ve been a guest on his podcast Debt Free in 30 a few times. He is seriously the nicest guy, and also incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to the world of bankruptcy and insolvency (two very hard words to say if you’re me, apparently!).
In this episode, we go through the basics of debt and bankruptcy, such as the difference between secured and unsecured debt and what a consumer proposal is and then Doug shares some of his tips on what you can do now to avoid going into bankruptcy.
Doug brought up a really good point in the show – you can either look at life and say it’s all about choices, or look at it and say it’s all about circumstance. The reality is life is about choice and circumstance, but I think no matter what your circumstances are, you can always make the choice to better yourself, change courses and rid yourself of debt once and for all.
Like I told Doug, I’ve been debt-free for years and there is seriously no better feeling. If you’re still on your journey to be debt-free, I commend you for your hard work and promise you that life after debt is the best kind of life you could lead.
Helpful Resources & Books
My Favourite Debt Free in 30 Podcast Episodes
Follow Doug on Social
Shownotes: jessicamoorhouse.com/49
Jen Hemphill is proof that if there's a will, there's a way to balance family, money and career. Being an army wife isn't easy, especially when you have to move around the country with your family every few years. Most people with spouses in the military have a hard time maintaining a career living this lifestyle, but Jen found a way to have a career, help support her family financially and educate others about the importance of personal finance by starting her own money coaching business. In this episode she shares her story of growing up as a latch-key kid from a humble family, and how that influenced her to be a dedicated stay-at-home mom while pursuing her ambitions to be an entrepreneur who could help other women take control of their finances too.
Long episode description:
Jen Hemphill is an entrepreneur, money coach, mother and army wife, and in this episode of the Mo’ Money Podcast she chatted with me about how she started her own business while juggling the family finances and being a full-time stay-at-home mom.
I often wondered how people like Jen did it. It’s not easy having to move around the country for your partner’s job, having to start a new life in a new town every few years. I’ve only moved cities once, and honestly, once might just be enough for me! Not only that, being married to someone in the military can mean giving up your career to support your partner’s career. That is not an easy thing to do, though as Jen shares in this episode, it’s not the only option.
Jen figured out a way to have a career that melded perfectly with her life. She started her own business that she could take with her anywhere by being a money coach online. Not only that, she’s really good at what she does! She is just so passionate about helping people, especially women, take control of their finances and set themselves up for a better future, it was incredibly inspiring talking to her.
On top of being a money coach, Jen also has her own podcast and continually makes new resources to help teach others about personal finance. I’ve listed a few resources below, plus my favourite podcast episodes of her’s. Lastly, she also a Facebook group for women who want to take ownership of their financial lives, so if you’re looking for a community that fits this bill, make sure to join!
Helpful Resources & Books
My Favourite Her Money Matters Podcast Episodes
Follow Jennifer on Social
Shownotes: jessicamoorhouse.com/48