Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Cary Carbonaro.

A certified financial planner and author of Women and Wealth.

1. Guest Introduction: Cary Carbonaro

• Certified Financial Planner with 25+ years of experience.
• Leads a multimillion-dollar financial planning practice.
• Focuses on empowering women and increasing financial literacy.
• Promoting her second book: Women and Wealth.

2. Why Cary Wrote the Book

• To share her 25 years of experience working with women.
• To address the lack of female-friendly practices in the financial industry.
• Key stat:

“By 2030, women will control two-thirds of the nation’s wealth—$30 trillion.”

4. Challenges in the Financial Industry

• Industry built by men, for men.
• Not ready for the shift in wealth ownership to women.
• Harvard Business Review (2009):

“Financial services is the least sympathetic to women and has the most to gain if they get it right.”

5. Financial Planning Philosophy

• Everyone deserves a financial plan.
• Quote:

“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

• Financial planning includes:
  • Risk management
  • Cash flow
  • Tax strategy
  • Investments
  • Retirement
  • Estate planning

6. Making the Industry Female-Friendly

• Women often leave their financial advisors after a spouse dies (80% of the time).
• Reasons: lack of connection, poor communication, feeling ignored.
• Not a DEI issue, but a dollars and cents issue:

“What other industry would ignore a $30 trillion opportunity?”

7. Stereotypes and Societal Expectations

• Women face pressure to look attractive in professional settings.
• Stereotypes persist in media and even in AI-generated images.
• Example: AI generated a man when asked for an image of a financial planner with long hair.

8. Cary’s Personal Journey

• Inspired by her father, a JPMorgan Chase executive.
• Grew up learning about money and finance.
• Built her business by focusing on women, not traditional male-dominated marketing.
• Quote:

“Money equals power, and women need more of both.”

9. The Wealth Gap

• Beyond the wage gap, the wealth gap is driven by caregiving responsibilities.
• Termed the “good daughter/spouse penalty.”
• Lifetime cost to women: $1 million.

10. Call to Action

• Women should seek financial literacy and independence.
• Encourage planning before crisis hits.
• Quote:

“Wealth gives you choices in life.”

📌 Key Quotes & Highlights

• “If you don’t start dreaming about what you want today, you will not get it tomorrow.”
• “By 2030, women will control $30 trillion in wealth.”
• “The industry was built by men, for men. But the clients are changing.”
• “Money equals power, and women need more of both.”
• “The wealth gap is generated by caregiving responsibilities, costing women $1 million over a lifetime.”
• “Everyone deserves a financial plan.”

#SHMS #STRAW #BEST

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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed April Lancit.

• Founder of a private therapy practice focused on culturally sensitive therapy for Black and Brown communities.
• Main Topics:
  • Cultural differences in therapy
  • Challenges in modern relationships and marriage
  • The impact of technology on human connection
  • The role of therapy in addressing generational trauma and stress
  • The future of therapy in the age of AI

💡 Key Insights 1. Culturally Sensitive Therapy

• April emphasizes the importance of therapists understanding the lived experiences of marginalized communities.
• Black and Brown clients often face unique challenges that require a nuanced, empathetic approach.

2. Modern Relationship Struggles

• Top issues in marriage therapy: finances, infidelity, and communication.
• Communication is often overlooked but is foundational to resolving other issues.

3. Technology & Disconnection

• The rise of remote living and digital communication is reducing opportunities for organic human interaction.
• Couples are increasingly using text messages—even within the same home—to communicate, which can erode intimacy.

4. Therapy as a Preventative Tool

• Therapy shouldn't be reserved for crises; it can be a proactive tool for personal and relational growth.
• Pre-marriage counseling is often skipped or done too late, missing key conversations about values, finances, and intimacy.

5. AI in Therapy

• April sees potential in AI as a supplementary tool but stresses it cannot replace the human connection essential to effective therapy.

🧠 Final Message

April encourages people to seek therapy not out of crisis, but as a way to grow and connect more deeply—with themselves and others. She remains hopeful that with intention and effort, society can rebuild meaningful human connections.

#SHMS #STRAW

#BEST

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The Strawberry Letter for Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025. Subject: "Is His Girlfriend Still Mad He Left?"

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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Kimberly Kelly.

A real estate broker and entrepreneur who overcame a challenging upbringing in foster care, teen motherhood, and systemic adversity to become a successful businesswoman. Kimberly shares her journey of resilience, faith, and determination, offering inspiration to anyone facing difficult circumstances. Her story is a testament to perseverance, adaptability, and the power of believing in oneself.

🧭 Key Points 🌱 Early Life & Adversity

• Raised in foster care from a young age due to her mother’s struggles with addiction.
• Took on a caregiver role for her younger brothers at age 9.
• Became a mother at 15 and had two children by 18, while still caring for her siblings.

💪 Resilience & Mindset

• Developed a survival mindset early on, driven by responsibility and love for her family.
• Found faith and spiritual grounding during her time in foster care.
• Never doubted her ability to succeed despite overwhelming odds.

🎓 Education & Career Path

• Returned to complete her high school diploma and pursued technical education.
• Earned a degree in electronics engineering and transitioned into the IT world.
• Later became a licensed real estate agent and opened her own brokerage.

🏡 Business Ventures

• Founder of a real estate brokerage in McDonough, Georgia.
• Focuses on educating and empowering first-time homebuyers and entrepreneurs.
• Co-owner of a property preservation company, Get Adventurous, with her husband.

🤝 Leadership & Branding

• Leads a small team of agents with a hands-on, mentorship-driven approach.
• Emphasizes adaptability, personal growth, and celebrating small victories.
• Operates within a price range of $250K–$750K and above, adapting to market trends.

💬 Notable Quotes

“I’m superwoman. I’m phenomenal.”

“Foster care is supposed to be temporary, but sometimes it becomes permanent.”

“It never dawned on me that I wouldn’t be successful.”

“You can do anything. There is nothing you can’t do in this life.”

“Practice resilience. If you don’t have a support system, look in the mirror and talk to yourself.”

“I’m always in the mindset of staying adaptable.”

“My goal is to educate, motivate, and teach people that we can own real estate.”

#SHMS #STRAW #BEST

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Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Danielle Jeter.

A public relations and event planning expert, and founder of Women in Media Global and AOI Events and PR (Affairs of Influence).

Here are some key highlights from the conversation:

🎙️ Guest Background

• Danielle is a Spelman College graduate based in Miami, Florida.
• She began her career in event planning and transitioned into public relations after working at Radio One in Philadelphia.
• She founded Women in Media Global in 2012, impacting over 15,000 women and students globally.

📣 Strategic Communication & Branding

• Emphasizes the importance of external communication and understanding the target audience.
• Defines a brand as a company’s reputation, not just its visual identity.
• Brand activations are described as experiential marketing efforts that create emotional connections with consumers.

💡 Marketing & Sales Insights

• Advocates for niche marketing over trying to appeal to everyone.
• Encourages small businesses to allocate 10–30% of profits to marketing.
• Offers a six-week marketing and sales accelerator for startups and growth-phase businesses.

🤝 Client Onboarding Process

• Offers a free discovery call to assess fit and understand client goals and pain points.
• Works primarily on a retainer model for PR services.

🎧 Extensions of Her Brand

• Hosts the WIM Speaks podcast, available on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.
• Uses platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn to connect and share her work.

#SHMS #STRAW #BEST

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The Strawberry Letter heard on The Steve Harvey Morning Show, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. Subject: "My Daughter's Husband"

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The Strawberry Letter heard on The Steve Harvey Morning Show, Monday, July 21st, 2025. Subject: "Hip Hop & Jazzy"

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The Strawberry Letter heard on The Steve Harvey Morning Show, Friday, July 18th, 2025. Subject: "I Don't Want To Ever Go Back"

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