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Authors of Financial Books
for Women
C Diane Ealy, Ph.D.
Author of Our
Money, Ourselves
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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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