The Purpose Playbook Podcast - Ep 2 - Empowering Lessons on Life and Money from Donna Ibarra

Ep 2 - Empowering Lessons on Life and Money from Donna Ibarra

01/20/20 • 44 min

From the moment I saw Donna speak at a women’s financial empowerment event here in Santa Barbara, I knew I had to have her on this podcast. Her goofy, yet gracious demeanor is beyond endearing and her personal story of emigrating to the United States from China represents the American Dream at its finest.

Donna is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch, but she is not your average advisor. Her personal trials and tribulations have allowed her to identify her unique strengths and passions, which she now applies to make a meaningful contribution to her community. Donna has dedicated her career to providing women with the financial education and support that her family was never fortunate enough to receive.

In this episode, we talk about Donna’s experience emigrating to the U.S. and how she ultimately found her way to the wealth management industry; we touch on the power of practicing smart money management, the importance of positive self talk, and her recommendations for staying committed to your purpose (even when life gets in the way).

#PurposePlays from this episode

Create a financial vision board. Write down the things that are most important to you, the things that give you the most anxiety or fear. Then talk to a financial advisor and map out a game plan with small, measurable steps so you can reach these goals.
Create a “Lucky Stick List”. We all get hit by a Lucky Stick every once in a while, but more often than not we take these moments or things for granted. Create a list of when and how you’ve been hit with the Lucky Stick (i.e. an alternative to a Gratitude Practice).

Links:

Donna’s Practice in Santa Barbara, California

CFP Board list with top questions to ask your Financial Advisor.

Donna’s book recommendation: Triumphs of Experience by George E. Vaillant

#PurposePlays from this episode

Create a financial vision board. Write down the things that are most important to you, the things that give you the most anxiety or fear. Then talk to a financial advisor and map out a game plan with small, measurable steps so you can reach these goals.
Create a “Lucky Stick List”. We all get hit by a Lucky Stick every once in a while, but more often than not we take these moments or things for granted. Create a list of when and how you’ve been hit with the Lucky Stick (i.e. an alternative to a Gratitude Practice).

Links:

Donna’s Practice in Santa Barbara, California

CFP Board list with top questions to ask your Financial Advisor.

Donna’s book recommendation: Triumphs of Experience by George E. Vaillant

Previous Episode

Ep 1 - Welcome to the Purpose Playbook Podcast!

In this inaugural episode, host Alexandra Cole shares a glimpse of her own personal purpose journey and vision for the podcast and beyond.

She offers a tangible definition of purpose and what it means to live on purpose, as well as the reason so many people decide to settle for less than a full, vibrant, fulfilling life. You’ll learn the basics of the Sweet Spot framework and how to start identifying your own Sweet Spot. And finally, Alexandra provides a preview of what to expect from future episodes.

Next Episode

Ep 3 - How to Live Your Life Full Out with Samantha Jo Harvey

Sam is the epitome of a multi-passionate entrepreneur who shows up, big time. She’s a professional dancer, certified life coach, speaker, and Regional Vice President with Arbonne.

Like many of us, she’s struggled with worthiness which manifested itself in disordered eating and more recently, a divorce. But these experiences led her to find her voice and ultimately discover the value of mindset. Now she is sharing all her hard lessons learned through her coaching, her podcast (FULL OUT) and social media. She describes her purpose as activating and supporting women in owning their power and realizing they’re worthy AF so they can live their lives full out.

We talk about her divorce and what ultimately led her to stand up for herself; we talk about how she balances a portfolio of careers, the role journaling has played in her life, the importance of self-awareness and how the foundation of self discipline she developed in dance has been a key ingredient for her success.

#PurposePlays from the episode:

Journal, journal, journal. A few of her favorite exercises:
- Write down 3 small things you’re grateful for every day.
- Write down 10 of your dreams as if you’ve already made them come true. (When you write them down as a truth, your brain looks for ways to make them come true.)
Get support. Challenging times are part of life and you are the only person who can take responsibility for taking care of yourself so honor that and find a therapist, assistant, personal practice, coach, or other confidant.
Affirmations. Some of Sam’s favorites include: I Am Light, I Am Love, I am overflowing with gratitude.

Links:

www.samanthajoharvey.com

@SamanthaJoHarvey

FULL OUT Podcast

Samantha’s Book Recommendation: The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein