Money isn’t just about dollars—it’s about values, legacy, and freedom. In this Saddle Up Segment of Doing Life Different, Lesa Koski reflects on her conversation with financial advisor Kathleen Judge. Together, they explore why finances are deeply personal, why women must have a voice in money decisions, and how shame has no place in financial conversations. Whether you’re married, divorced, or starting over, this episode empowers you to align your finances with your values and live with confidence.

⏱ Timestamps

(00:00) Welcome to the Saddle Up Segment

(01:05) Finances are personal and values-driven

(02:10) Women need a voice in money conversations

(03:18) Why shame doesn’t belong in finances

(04:25) The power of boundaries in money decisions

(05:30) Hard seasons reveal your calling

(06:15) Weekly challenge: Align your financial goals with habits

(07:05) Closing encouragement & call to action

💡 Key Takeaways

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• Finances are personal. Money choices reflect your values, legacy, and relationships.
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• Women need a seat at the table. Don’t give away your power in financial decisions.
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• Shame is not welcome. Asking questions and learning about money is strength, not weakness.
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• Boundaries bring freedom. Clear financial boundaries align your choices with your goals.
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• Your hard seasons matter. The challenges you face may reveal your greatest calling.
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👩‍💼 Guest Bio

Kathleen Judge is a financial advisor with Edward Jones who brings her personal journey of adoption, homeschooling, and divorce into her work. She empowers women to feel confident, secure, and values-driven in their financial decisions.

🔗 Resource Links

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• Connect with Lesa: LesaKoski.com
• Lesa's Cabi style Page

Hey friends, welcome to the Saddle Up segment of doing life

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different where we are learning

to feel better and live better.

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And this is where we pause, reflect,

and take wisdom from Tuesday's episode

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to put into our everyday lives.

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So my guest Tuesday was Kathleen Judge.

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She's a financial advisor to

don't, don't turn this off.

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I know if I would've heard finances,

I would've not wanted to listen, but

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it was such a great conversation.

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Because she shared her personal story,

she talks about adoption and homeschooling

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and an unexpected divorce, and how all

of those experiences shape the way she

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helps people, especially women, feel

confident and secure in their finances.

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I do want to help you feel

better about your finances.

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I want to feel better about my finances,

and she helped me, um, figure that out.

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And one way is that they're finances

are really personal and they're

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really connected to your values.

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So money is never just about

dollars and cents, it's about

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what matters to you most.

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And Kathleen encourages us to

think about what we really want.

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In life, our legacy, our

relationships, our values, and to

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let that guide how we manage money.

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And I wanna say, if you are in a

situation where you are married, and

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maybe you are the one that's home more,

um, or not, so in charge of finances.

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You have a say and how you value

money and spending it matters.

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There's no stupidity in it.

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There's no shame in it.

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You might both have different

ideas about it, but you need to

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come together and talk about that.

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So.

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Women do need a voice in financial

decisions, and Kathleen shared how in her

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first marriage she kinda stepped back and

let her husband make the financial calls.

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Looking back, she realized she

gave up her voice and her power.

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She reminds that us that whether

we're married, divorced, or single,

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we deserve to be at the table

when money decisions are are made

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and shame has no place in money.

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Conversations.

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Kathleen shared how so many women

feel embarrassed if they don't

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know enough about finances, and

she said something really powerful.

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You wouldn't expect yourself to

perform a surgery without training.

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So why do you expect to

know everything about money?

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Learning is not a weakness.

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Asking questions is a strength,

and so my dear, I know that

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sometimes we can shy away some.

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There's some of us who

are really into finances.

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And some of us who shy away from it

and maybe dipping a toe in the water

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and learning more about it, even

though it's a little uncomfortable, is

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going to make you feel more confident.

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She talked about how bond

boundaries bring clarity.

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So like finances are often where

boundaries get blurry, but when

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you clearly define what you want.

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Your money choices align with your values.

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So boundaries aren't selfish.

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They're tools to help you create

the life that you're called to live.

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And then her last little tidbit was

hard seasons can reveal your call.

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And I'm living that right now with

writing my book and this podcast and,

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and all the fun new things I'm doing.

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And Kathleen shared how she never

expected to become a financial advisor.

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After her divorce, but when she

walked through something painful

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that season gave her the compassion

and courage to help others.

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So just remember, your hardest

seasons may be the very places

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that God is shaping your calling.

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So here's something we could try to

do to make our lives better right now.

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Maybe take 15 minutes to write down

what you really want for the future.

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And I'm gonna tell you I did this

and things change, and it's kind

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of hard to hold onto that because

I wanna kind of flip around.

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But I sat down and I thought

about what do I really want?

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Just be honest.

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Do you wanna travel?

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Build a legacy for your kids.

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Start a business, retire early,

support a cause, and then ask

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yourself, do my financial HA

habits line up with those goals.

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If you're married, sit down with

your spouse and share what you wrote.

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If you're single, share it

with a friend or an advisor.

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I dunno.

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It just helps you remain accountable.

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So friends, money doesn't define us,

but how we use it can either bring

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stress and fear, or freedom and peace.

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Let's choose freedom.

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This is something that I am

really, really working on.

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So remember, you are worthy of

being part of the conversation.

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You are capable of learning

what you need to know.

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It's never too late to start, so

thanks so much for joining me.