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How to Build Healthy Financial Habits (The Hard Truth Nobody Talks About)

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In August 2024, I had VSG surgery. Vertical sleeve gastrectomy. A major procedure that permanently changed the size of my stomach, and with it, my entire relationship with food.

The recovery was hard. Not primarily because of the physical pain, although it was certainly uncomfortable. It was hard because for the first time in my life, I could not use food for comfort. Not even a little. While my stomach healed, food as a coping mechanism was completely off the table. And that meant I had to sit with every uncomfortable emotion I had been numbing for years.

That experience cracked something open in me. Because I had spent years sitting across from clients who were doing the exact same thing with their money.

Not facing their numbers. Not opening the statements. Spending in ways that felt good in the moment and terrible afterward. Using money the way I had been using food. As a way to avoid feeling something they did not want to feel.

When you cannot run from the hard thing anymore, ...

The Intentional Money Method: A Values-Based Approach to Building Wealth

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A few years ago, I was sitting across from a client who had done everything "right." She had a solid income. She was contributing to her 401k. She had no credit card debt. On paper, her finances were in great shape.

And she was miserable.

Not because of the numbers. The numbers were fine. She was miserable because none of it felt like hers. Her financial plan had been built by a previous advisor who never asked her what she actually wanted from her life. He asked about her risk tolerance and her time horizon and her tax bracket. He never asked what kept her up at night. He never asked what she would do with her life if money were not a factor. He never asked what mattered to her beyond the spreadsheet.

So she had a plan that looked good on paper and felt hollow in practice. She was saving for a retirement she could not picture. She was investing in a strategy she did not understand. She was following a financial path that someone else had drawn for her.

That conversation, and dozen...

Women's Empowerment Network: Why You Need More Than a Group Chat

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Let me tell you something I wish someone had told me earlier in my career: the women who build real, lasting wealth are almost never doing it alone.

They have a women’s network. They have mentors. They have a community that holds them accountable, celebrates their wins, and tells them the truth when they’re playing small.

I’ve been a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst and financial planner for nearly two decades. I’ve sat across from hundreds of women in some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives, and one pattern shows up again and again: women who are isolated make harder, more expensive, more emotionally draining decisions than women who are connected.

That’s not a knock on anyone. It’s a call to action.

If you’re looking for a women empowerment network that goes beyond surface-level networking and actually helps you build wealth, clarity, and confidence, keep reading. This is for you.

What a Real Women’s Empowerment Network Actually Looks Like

Not all women’s networ...

5 Money Lessons My Mom Taught Me (That Changed How I Think About Wealth)

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A tribute to the woman who showed me what financial intentionality looks like in real life

My mom didn't teach me about money through a course or a textbook. She taught me through how she lived and the lessons she passed down became the foundation of everything I do today.

Today, February 18th, would have been her birthday. And I wanted to honor her the best way I know how: by sharing what she taught me, so you can carry it forward too.

My mom was an accountant, a business owner, a director of operations at a nonprofit, and she retired as a director of financial aid at a college. She had an undergraduate degree in accounting and an MBA. She reinvented herself more times than I can count. And every single time, she did it with intention.

These five lessons are woven into the Intentional Money Method™. They're woven into my book. And today, I'm sharing them with you, along with one thing you can actually do with each one this week.

Lesson One: Reinvention Is Always on the Table

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Where Your Money Beliefs Come From (And How to Change Them)

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The first thing I learned about money had nothing to do with a bank account.

I was about ten years old. My mom was a single mom, and she had hurt her back badly enough that she could not go grocery shopping. So she sent my brother and me to the store with a list and a set amount of cash. I remember standing in the aisle doing math in my head, trying to figure out if we had enough for everything on the list. We did not. We had to make choices about what to put back.

That experience taught me something I carry to this day: money is about choices. It is about trade-offs. And your feelings about those trade-offs start forming long before you ever earn a paycheck.

I share this because when I sit down with a new client and we start talking about money, the conversation almost always goes deeper than numbers. It goes to a place that feels more like identity. She will say something like, "I have always been bad with money." Or, "I do not deserve to have more than I need." Or, "Money just st...

Life Isn't Fair: How Women Can Build a Stronger Money Mindset Anyway

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by Liesel Darby, Mediator & Divorce Coach

Growing up, you probably heard the "F-word" at some point, and it wasn't "fudge." In this post, we're talking about a different F-word, one that can quietly undermine your financial empowerment and overall wellbeing: FAIRNESS.

For women navigating careers, money, relationships, and midlife transitions, the belief that things should be fair can be a surprisingly powerful obstacle. Here's what the research and real life experience tell us about why fairness thinking holds us back, and what to do instead.

Why "Life Isn't Fair" Is Actually Useful Wisdom for Women

The concept of fairness seems harmless enough. It has the ring of righteousness. When things go our way, fairness feels like justice. But that's precisely the problem: the expectation that things should be fair sets us up for indignation, resentment, and paralysis when life doesn't deliver.

At the extreme end, a rigid attachment to fairness can keep us stuck, waiting for the world to ...

Building Financial Confidence: How Women Can Develop a Stronger Money Mindset and Take Intentional Action

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I remember the full range of emotions I felt when I bought my first house in 2007. Pride that I was doing something so significant. Worry that I was making the wrong decision. Excitement to finally have a place of my own. And overwhelming anxiety about all the new expenses and responsibilities ahead of me.

What I didn't realize at the time was that I was doing exactly what it takes to build financial confidence. I was taking intentional action, even in the face of fear.

Building financial confidence is a journey, not a destination. With each financial decision, we get an opportunity to flex our confidence muscles. Yet so many women shy away from these moments due to fear, self-doubt, or the belief that they don't know enough yet. What if the very act of making decisions, imperfect, uncertain, sometimes scary decisions, is exactly what builds the confidence we're waiting to feel?

Clarity and Values Come First

Before you can take confident financial action, you need two things: cla...

How to Find a Financial Accountability Partner (And Why It Changes Everything)

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I have been working with women on their finances for nearly two decades, and one of the most consistent patterns I have seen is this: the women who make the most meaningful progress are almost never doing it alone.

Not because they are more disciplined. Not because they have more money to work with. But because they have someone in their corner. Someone who knows their goals, checks in on their progress, celebrates the wins, and tells them the truth when they are sliding off track.

That is what a real accountability partner does. And if you do not have one, finding one might be one of the most impactful financial decisions you make this year.

What a Financial Accountability Partner Actually Is

An accountability partner is not a cheerleader, though encouragement is part of it. And they are not a financial advisor, though they might help you think through decisions. A true accountability partner is someone who holds space for your goals, asks the hard questions, and shows up consiste...

Returning to Work After a Career Gap: What Women in Midlife Need to Know

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Returning to work after time away from your career is one of the most significant financial transitions a woman can face. And it almost never happens in a vacuum.

Maybe you stepped back to raise children and are now re-entering after a divorce. Maybe your kids have launched and you are ready to rebuild professionally. Maybe a relationship ended and your financial independence is no longer optional. It is urgent.

Whatever brought you here, I want to start by saying something I mean: the time you spent away from traditional employment was not wasted. You built skills. You managed complexity. You made decisions under pressure with real consequences for real people. That counts. And in many ways, it has prepared you for exactly the kind of intentional, values-driven professional life that is possible on the other side of this transition.

The fear is real. So is the opportunity. Here is how to navigate both.

Start With Clarity Before You Start With Resumes

The instinct when returning t...

How to Make Extra Money Fast: Practical Strategies for Women in Financial Transition

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There are moments in life when you need money and you need it now.

Maybe you are in the middle of a divorce and the finances are complicated. Maybe you are between jobs and the gap is longer than you planned. Maybe an unexpected expense wiped out your buffer and you are trying to rebuild faster than your regular income allows.

Whatever brought you here, I want to say two things. First, this situation does not reflect your worth or your capability. Financial pressure is something almost every woman I work with has navigated at some point. You are not behind. You are in a moment. Second, there are real, practical things you can do right now to create some breathing room.

These strategies are not a long-term financial plan. They are a bridge. A way to generate cash in the short term while you build the foundation that actually lasts. That longer-term work matters. But first, let's talk about right now.

Start With What You Already Have

The fastest way to genera

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Leah Hadley, AFC, CDFA, MAFF

Leah Hadley, AFC® CDFA® MAFF™, is a bestselling author and financial planner with over 20 years of experience helping women build wealth with intention. She is the founder of Watch Her Thrive and Intentional Wealth Partners, and the author of Intentional Money: The Modern Woman's Guide to Building Wealth, Purpose & Peace.

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Investment Advisory Disclosure:

Leah Hadley is a Licensed Investment Adviser Representative and the Founder of Intentional Wealth Partners, a Registered Investment Adviser. Advisory services are offered exclusively through Intentional Wealth Partners.

Watch Her Thrive is not a Registered Investment Adviser and does not provide individualized investment advice, financial planning, or securities recommendations. All content provided through Watch Her Thrive is for educational and informational purposes only.