Home Podcasts Money Memories
Money Memories

Money Memories

Ilona Limonta-Volkova 119 Episodes Oct 13, 2026

Money Memories is a podcast that aims to make money conversations less taboo by exploring personal finance through the lens of early memories. Each week, host Ilona Limonta-Volkova interviews a guest about how their earliest money memory shaped their career and relationship with money.

Episodes

Building Outside the Bubble: What the Best Founders Understand About Community
Building Outside the Bubble: What the Best Founders Understand About Community Oct 13, 2026 00:12:41 Startup success isn't reserved for Silicon Valley. Andrew Albert joins Money Memories to discuss what he's learned helping founders build companies in emerging ecosystems, why capital efficiency is making a comeback, and how community can become a competitive advantage. We explore the relationship between money, ambition, and place, and why some of the most overlooked regions are producing the nex
From Burnout to Breakthrough: Rebuilding Wealth, Work, and Self-Worth
From Burnout to Breakthrough: Rebuilding Wealth, Work, and Self-Worth Sep 29, 2026 00:11:29 What happens when the life you've carefully built no longer fits? In this episode, Kellen Francis shares his journey through career pivots, personal reinvention, and the emotional realities of building wealth on your own terms. We discuss how money intersects with identity, the hidden costs of success, and why some of the most important financial decisions have nothing to do with spreadsheets. It'
The 2 Founders Building the Company They Almost Didn't Start [VIDEO]
The 2 Founders Building the Company They Almost Didn't Start [VIDEO] May 19, 2026 00:14:21 Here's a special presentation of one of our recent episodes, now on video! If you're listening in an app that supports video, you can now watch this conversation. Please enjoy! Before David Black and Heather Townsend became co-founders, they were people who almost did something — and didn't. Dave passed on buying a DC bar for $150,000 because he didn't know where to get financing. Heather built a
She Earned More Investing Than at Her Job. Then Everything Changed.
She Earned More Investing Than at Her Job. Then Everything Changed. May 6, 2026 00:16:56 Nicole Ingham grew up believing money came from sacrifice. In this episode, she shares how a childhood of bargain hunting shaped her financial mindset, why she struggled with money in early adulthood, and the moment investing transformed her life. We explore why women are still underserved by financial systems, how to start investing even with $10, and what it really takes to build wealth on your
The Two Founders Building a Company They Almost Didn't Start
The Two Founders Building a Company They Almost Didn't Start Apr 8, 2026 00:14:24 Before David Black and Heather Townsend became co-founders, they were people who almost did something — and didn't. Dave passed on buying a DC bar for $150,000 because he didn't know where to get financing. Heather built an earmuff company, had 500 pairs manufactured in China, and watched them arrive at her apartment. Years later, they met at UVA's Darden School of Business, reconnected during the
She Left a Six Figure Salary to Save Lives One Lap at a Time
She Left a Six Figure Salary to Save Lives One Lap at a Time Mar 25, 2026 00:20:22 Paulana Lamounier grew up in a Haitian household in Long Island where money wasn't talked about openly but was modeled constantly, from susu to savings books to tithing. She went on to build Black People Will Swim after a student's offhand comment about buoyancy sent her down a rabbit hole of racist history she couldn't unsee. In this episode, Paulana gets candid about leaving a $95K salary to go
What My Mom Knew About Business That MBAs Don't
What My Mom Knew About Business That MBAs Don't Mar 13, 2026 00:19:55 Ray grew up watching his single mother sell homemade dishes poolside during World Cup games in their Silver Lake apartment complex, and never forgot that resourcefulness. After a winding career path from photography to marketing to commercial lending in San Francisco, he returned to LA and found himself more energized by underserved entrepreneurs than by traditional banking. Now a small business c
The Housing Market Nobody Talks About
The Housing Market Nobody Talks About Feb 11, 2026 00:22:47 Jeff Hurst leads Furnished Finder as CEO, working inside a housing market most people never see. Serving traveling nurses and clinicians on short-term contracts, the platform sits where mobility, work, and stability collide. In this conversation, Jeff reflects on how temporary work reshaped housing long before “remote” became a buzzword, why trust outweighs scale, and how health care labor shortag
From Nigeria to Wall Street: A Journey of Resilience and Financial Freedom [Archive Episode]
From Nigeria to Wall Street: A Journey of Resilience and Financial Freedom [Archive Episode] Jan 29, 2026 00:16:08 This episode, we're looking back at our conversation wtih Ehis Akhetuamhen, host and creator of Unmuted Moments, a podcast about finding your voice in work and life. He shares his remarkable journey from growing up in a one-bedroom apartment in Nigeria to building a career in finance in the U.S. After losing his father at 13, he learned that financial success isn’t just about hard work—it’s about
Why Money You Can Access Immediately Feels More Valuable
Why Money You Can Access Immediately Feels More Valuable Jan 14, 2026 00:15:21 University of Oregon Associate Professor of Economics Jonathan Davis says he grew up with a sense of scarcity around money. His family always seemed to have enough, but there was this pervasive feeling that they wouldn’t. “I remember this narrative of, ‘money’s gonna be tight this year, don’t expect as many Christmas presents as last year,’” he says. In this episode, Davis shares findings from his
From Sunday Shifts to Whole Foods: Building a Cookie Dough Brand
From Sunday Shifts to Whole Foods: Building a Cookie Dough Brand Dec 18, 2025 00:20:29 Kathryn Bricken grew up in a family of six where early responsibility and earning her own money shaped how she viewed work and value. Sunday shifts at Publix, paid at time and a half, taught her how to think strategically about income long before she became a founder. What began as a love of food evolved into building Doughlicious, a gluten-free cookie dough brand now sold at Whole Foods, Target,
The Instagram Effect and Why You're Probably Doing Better Than You Think
The Instagram Effect and Why You're Probably Doing Better Than You Think Dec 3, 2025 00:18:16 Grant Gallagher grew up watching his parents constantly argue about money, teaching him what not to do with finances. Early in his credit union career, helping a 50-year-old man use an ATM for the first time revealed the massive gap in financial education. Now with over 15 years in the industry, he champions hands-on financial literacy through budget simulations and financial reality fairs, as wel

Recommended