Authors of Financial Books for Women

C Diane Ealy, Ph.D.
Author of Our Money, Ourselves

1. What led you to write this book?

   Kay and I have been doing workshops together for almost ten years. Redesigning Your Relationship with Money is one of those workshops. Since we both love to write and to assist women in making their lives better, writing a book together was a natural. We see women's relationship with money as our last frontier to assuming an equal place in society.

2. What do you feel to be the biggest challenge facing women today when handling their finances?

   I think women's biggest challenge is clearing out their negative money messages and developing a positive, healthy relationship with money. We have plenty of excellent information available to us about what to do with our money, we just need the kind of emotional relationship with it that will enable us to use that information to our maximum benefit.

3. How has the atmosphere changed for women investors in the last 10 years?

   Kay and I started doing our workshops about 10 years ago and we were pioneers. Nobody was talking about women developing a strong, healthy relationship with money. Very little information and financial planning assistance was available. Financial planners were still asking women to bring their husbands along for appointments then directing their money advice to him and ignoring her. Women were not advised about risky investments that might bring higher return. They were steered toward "safe" places to put their money. This doesn't happen much anymore and when it does, women know enough to go find another financial advisor.

   We now have a solid track record of investing through clubs and have found that all-women investment groups do much better than all-male groups. Women want solid information before they invest; they're more cautious which serves them well in the long run. This kind of experience gives women more confidence. We have known women who were too unsure of themselves to begin investing on their own, but who have built up their confidence in an investment group.

   We've been in contact with an investment group in Portland, OR that started many years ago as a women's support group. They soon realized that they needed more financial independence and the group became an investment club. Eight women now have a portfolio of over $500,000 and, we are pleased to say, they use Our Money, Ourselves as their "bible" for clearing out any messages they may have that might hinder them from moving forward. That's powerful. And it's exciting to be a part of this revolution.

4. How will the atmosphere change for women investors in the next 10 years?

   I hope that the majority of women investors will have read Our Money, Ourselves and take to heart the lessons it contains. Women are remarkable to work with because they don't just change themselves, they facilitate change in everyone around them. Within the next ten years women can come into their own regarding money, not only with equitable salaries and investment strategies, but also in leading the way for society to completely redefine money itself. I hope that by 2009 people will understand and embrace the spiritual aspect of money so that money serves them rather than them serving money. I also hope that young women will have healthier attitudes about money ten years from now.

5. Where did you start your career and how did it lead you to where you are today?

   I have to ask you, Which career? I've had many-public school teacher, radio reporter, marketing research manager for a resort in Tucson, college counselor, consultant, trainer, therapist, writer. Regardless of what I do, my main interest lies in facilitating individual potentiation, both mine and others. I accomplish this through writing, speaking, and individual work. I draw upon all my experiences in each of these activities.

   Please note that for questions 6, 7, & 8 I am offering my personal opinion. I am not a financial advisor.

6. How much money do you need to start investing?

   Not as much as you might think. If you find yourself saying something like "I can't afford to start investing," I would suggest you go through Our Money, Ourselves and create a positive relationship with money for yourself. Your financial decisions will be much easier.

7. How should a woman get started investing with no investment experience?

   We devote much of the last chapter in Our Money, Ourselves to this question. You can join an investment club, seek the assistance of a financial advisor-one that you pay, not one that will try to sell you something-or begin take a class in investments, learning as much as you can to build your knowledge and your confidence. And visit the MsMoney website often.

8. If a woman has debt, at what point should she become an investor?

   This sounds like a question that needs to be answered by the individual after she has consulted with a financial advisor or met with Consumer Credit Counselors.

9. Have you published any other books before this one? If so, what are they?

   My first book is The Woman's Book of Creativity, originally published in 1995. The audio version came out in 1996. So far it has been translated into 8 languages and is available in 18 countries. It has been re-released this fall by Celestial Arts. It is designed to validate women's unique creative process and to guide readers in expressing themselves more creatively in their daily lives.

10. What are your future book writing plans?

    I am currently writing another nonfiction, self-help type of book and Kay and I are writing Our Money, Ourselves for Couples. I also have a science fiction novel that is seeking a publisher. I plan to continue writing books for the rest of my life.

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