On this week’s episode of Brown Ambition, Mandi shares a personal update on reclaiming her office space, juggling family life, and the big push to finish her upcoming book Brown Ambition. She opens up about the discipline it takes to chase big goals—like her 4 a.m. writing sessions—and why it’s so important to reserve your best energy for yourself, not just your 9-to-5.

Mandi also dives into the latest jobs report and what the data really says about the state of the economy, especially for Black women. With over 300,000 Black women pushed out of the workforce this year, she breaks down why the numbers don’t always tell the full story and how systemic bias shows up in hiring trends. But it’s not all doom and gloom she highlights industries where jobs are still growing, from healthcare to IT, and offers perspective on pursuing career moves that align with your skills and passion rather than just chasing trends.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How to identify your personal “power hours” and use them for your most important goals
• The reality behind the labor market and why Black women are being hit hardest
• Sectors where job opportunities are growing despite the downturn
• How to balance pursuing in-demand fields with staying true to your own career path
• Practical ways to use AI to boost your job search and career strategy
• Why protecting your mental health is just as important as networking and applying

Resources and Links Mentioned:

• Click here to Sign up for Mandi’s free workshop: How to Leverage AI for Your Career – September 25th, 8 p.m. EST
• Join the Brown Ambition Book Club via Patreon:patreon.com/brownambition
• Learn more about the Loveland Foundation: thelovelandfoundation.org

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BA Fam, we’ve got a special one for you today! 🎉 Tiffany is back in the studio and she didn’t come alone — she brought along her powerhouse financial advisor Anjali Jariwala.

If you’ve ever wondered what it really looks like to build wealth after financial setbacks, this convo is for you. Tiffany opens up about her journey from foreclosure to financial freedom, and how she learned to let go of control and finally trust someone else with her money. (Spoiler: it wasn’t easy!)

Anjali breaks down the emotional side of money — especially for children of immigrants — and shares the tools she uses to help clients like Tiffany make smart financial moves. We get into everything from navigating money trauma, to building a solid financial foundation, to unlocking “cheat codes” the wealthy use (ever heard of a pledged asset line? 👀).

You’ll also hear:

• Why Tiffany interviewed nearly 20 advisors before landing on Anjali
• How financial planning goes way beyond investing (think: insurance, estate planning, and even grief support)
• The real talk about debt: when it’s dangerous and when it can actually be a wealth-building tool
• Tiffany’s behind-the-scenes stories of buying not one but TWO new properties — and the strategies that made it possible

This episode is equal parts financial glow-up and bestie therapy session. Whether you’re just starting out or already stacking assets, you’ll walk away with practical tips and a reminder that money is emotional and that’s okay.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Brown Ambition, Mandi sits down with the brilliant Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman award-winning researcher, speaker, and author of The Double Tax: How Women of Color Are Overcharged and Underpaid.

Anna breaks down the reality of the “double tax” that compounded cost of racism + sexism that women of color know all too well. From hair discrimination to pay inequity, resume “whitening” to broken rungs on the career ladder, Anna shows us the data behind our lived experiences and, most importantly, offers solutions for economic justice.

We get real about:

• Why “diversity vs. merit” is a false narrative (spoiler: they’re complements, not competitors).

• The hidden financial and emotional toll of navigating workplaces as women of color.

• How Anna negotiated her first big offer (and walked away with $20K more 💅🏾).

• The role of allies — and why Chelsea Clinton writing her book’s foreword actually makes sense.

• Why Governor Lisa Cook’s fight matters for all of us, not just Black women.

Anna also shares her personal journey: from growing up Ghanaian-American to becoming a PhD candidate at Harvard, teaching future economists, and creating a pathway for the next generation of women of color in academia and beyond.

This isn’t just a convo about the problems — it’s about solutions, power moves, and creating change.

✨ Resources + Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Grab Anna’s book: The Double Tax: How Women of Color Are Overcharged and Underpaid

• Follow Anna on IG: https://www.instagram.com/itsafronomics/?hl=en

• Learn more about the Sadie Collective: sadiecollective.org

• Show your support: #WeStandWithLisaCook

Let’s Connect:
IG: @brownambitionpodcast | @mandimoney
Email: brownambitionpodcast@gmail.com

We launched a Patreon! 🎉

🎥 Get early access to ad-free video recordings, join our BA book club, and even score a seat live in the studio during tapings. 👉 patreon.com/brownambition

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BA Fam, today’s Wash Day Woosah is a treat. We’ve got our girl Giovanna “Gigi” Gonzalez aka The First Gen Mentor, author of Cultura en Cash, and three-time BA guest back on the mic. But this time, she’s not joining us from Chicago… she’s calling in from Spain!

In this episode, Gigi shares the money moves and life decisions that made it possible for her and her husband to pack up and move abroad. We talk about:

• The financial planning behind her big move (and what she wishes she’d known sooner).
• How she turned her biggest regret—never studying abroad—into a mid-career dream come true.
• The not-so-sexy side of moving abroad: visas, taxes, and the Spanish version of the IRS (spoiler: don’t mess with Hacienda).
• What’s surprised her most about living in Spain (yes, even the credit cards work differently).
• Why she’s pushing for a Spanish-language version of her book to serve first-gen families across borders.

We also get real about career pivots, the rise and fall of DEI budgets, navigating relationships with neurodivergence, and why sometimes the real flex isn’t retiring early—it’s having the freedom to choose how and when you work.

Resources & Links:

• Follow Gigi on IG and TikTok: @thefirstgenmentor
• Grab her book Cultura en Cash wherever you get your books
• Join the BA Fam newsletter at brownambitionpodcast.com

Let’s Connect:
IG: @brownambitionpodcast | @mandimoney
Email: brownambitionpodcast@gmail.com

We launched a Patreon! 🎉

🎥 Get early access to ad-free video recordings, join our BA book club, and even score a seat live in the studio during tapings. 👉 patreon.com/brownambition

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we’re doing something different, BA Fam! Mandi takes us on a trip down memory lane, looking back at her five favorite moments from the summer of 2025. From thought-provoking conversations to laugh-out-loud guest appearances, these episodes stood out not just while recording, but even more when listening back with fresh ears.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

-Why replaying past episodes feels so different from being in the interviewer’s chair

-The most popular and talked-about episode of the summer—and why it resonated

Let’s Connect:
IG: @brownambitionpodcast | @mandimoney
Email: brownambitionpodcast@gmail.com

We launched a Patreon! 🎉

🎥 Get early access to ad-free video recordings, join our BA book club, and even score a seat live in the studio during tapings. 👉 patreon.com/brownambition

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the podcast crossover you probably never saw coming, BA Fam. For today's Washday Woosah show, I sit down with Victoria L. Johnson, founder of the Sailor Moon Fan Club podcast. In each episode of the Sailor Moon Fan Club, Victoria L. Johnson interviews incredible fans of the '90s anime including bestselling authors, comic book and manga creators, influencers, musicians --baddies like Saweetie, WWE Superstar Sasha Banks, and Fefe Dobson.

Since she founded the podcast in 2020, Victoria's expanded the brand into a thriving events business dedicated to providing spaces for anime fans from underrepresented communities to find community and let their inner kids fly free (See y'all at the Sailor Moon Day Party 2026, OK!).

Follow Victoria on Twitter @missoldskool

Follow the Sailor Moon Fan Club podcast at @mooniesclub on Twitter and @moonies_club on Instagram.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BA Fam, this week’s BA QA Mandi is joined by her girl, Yanely Espinal aka Miss Be Helpful and author of Mind Your Money — to answer a listener question that so many of us can relate to: How do you financially support aging parents when there’s little to no retirement savings in place?

Yanely shares the systems she and her eight siblings built to cover their parents’ expenses, including:

• Setting up a joint family fund to automate bill payments.
• Creating a fair way for siblings to contribute different amounts without judgment.
• Why a high-yield savings account beats investment accounts for immediate needs.
• Balancing financial support with maintaining their parents’ dignity and independence.
• How to set allowance boundaries when one parent struggles with gambling.
• Tips for protecting elderly parents from scams and keeping finances transparent among siblings.

Let’s Connect:
IG: @brownambitionpodcast | @mandimoney
Email: brownambitionpodcast@gmail.com

We launched a Patreon! 🎉
🎥 Get early access to ad-free video recordings, join our BA book club, and even score a seat live in the studio during tapings. 👉 patreon.com/brownambition

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey BA Fam! Mandi, Yanely, and Chris are back at the Brown table with real talk about life, business, and the news that’s shaping our money and our sanity.

This week, Mandi kicks things off with a story about her busted laptop, a wild Apple Store experience, and how she stumbled onto a secret financing program for small business owners. From cracked screens to unexpected leases, we’re breaking down the ways solopreneurs can stretch their resources without drowning in debt.

But that’s not all — we go from tech fixes to life updates:

• Yanely is thinking about their next big move (Miami? Barcelona? Van life?)
• Chris gets a crash course in babysitting two kids under four — and gains a whole new respect for parents.
• Mandi opens up about stress, sleep struggles, and why she’s finally considering a CPAP machine.

Then, we shift gears and dig into the hard stuff happening in the world right now — including DC’s state of emergency, over-policing in Black and brown neighborhoods, and how authoritarian tactics abroad are starting to feel way too familiar here at home.

It’s equal parts personal, political, and practical — the way we always do on Brown Ambition.

Links + Resources Mentioned

• Apple’s hidden business leasing program
• Info on Dun & Bradstreet (DNB) numbers for small business credit

• • Defectors by Paola Ramos (recommended reading on Latinx politics + authoritarianism)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.