For those of us who have practically lived on LinkedIn, Indeed, and the like as we've hunted for our next career opportunity, it might be a little deflating to discover that we could have been doing more, specifically with a mentor. LinkedIn Career Expert Andrew McCaskill joins Living Not So Fabulously hosts David & John Auten-Schneider to shed light on how jobseeker's can approach finding the right mentor and how your wallet might suffer without one. "I think that one of the things that mentorship has taught me is that I don't think about my compensation as just like the cash," McCaskill explains, suggesting people look at bonuses, salary, and equity on top of total compensation; as well as, what he called, "off the offer letter benefits." This includes financial benefits like your employer paying off student loan repayment, funding continued education like certificates, and even fertility care. And it's mentorship that can help you get there. "So many of those things are when we can, when we leave money on the table, if you have a mentor inside of the machine, inside of your organization... if they've been there longer, they will tell you about it," McCaskill says. McCaskill further emphasizes that mentors add value to your life in a multitude of ways, and that, at the end of the day, "the number one rule of mentorship is this person rooting for me to win." Hosts and husbands of Living Not So Fabulously, David & John Auten-Schneider, dive into real money stories with activists, allies, artists, tech-gurus, and trailblazers in the LGBTQ+ community to give you tangible takeaways to tackle your wallet woes. Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Living Not So Fabulously at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/living-fabulously/. Have a money story of your own? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at [email protected]. 00:00-Andrew McCaskill joins Living Not So Fabulously 02:00-The pros and cons of having a mentor that looks like you 06:00-What are the benefits of a mentor? 10:00-How a mentor affects your wallet 14:36-Finding the right mentor for you 18:00-Corporate culture's impact on you Yahoo Finance's Living Not So Fabulously is hosted by David & John Auten-Schneider, and created and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky. Andrew McCaskill is an accredited marketing, communications and crisis management executive with 20 years of experience delivering award-winning communications and brand campaigns at Fortune 500 companies and highly successful technology startups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Though the legendary Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn needs little introduction, his story does. Gunn wasn't always the celebrity we know him to be today; he was a career educator for 29 years. Gunn shared with Living Not So Fabulously hosts David & John Auten-Schneider that teaching is more of a calling than a job. He identified as a ‘pauper educator,’ with more of a focus on serving students than his own personal finances. Though that is surely noble, it left him living paycheck to paycheck. “I really did think if I lose my job, what am I going to do? Move in with my sister?” he said. Then came the ground-breaking Project Runway, where this ‘pauper educator’ mindset stayed with him. Gunn wasn’t paid for the show's first two seasons; he loved mentoring the designers. Gunn didn’t even realize that wasn’t typical, with his first agent describing saying upon reviewing his TV contracts, “‘These are the worst contracts I have ever seen in my entire professional career. Wow. You just sign these things?’” to which Tim said, “what am I supposed to do? I don't know. I assumed that they're boilerplates, what people sign.” At the end of the day, it wasn’t about the money for Gunn. “It didn't bother me not to be paid.” Learning from his financial faux pas, Gunn recommends to his students that they seek help, as Gunn received from his lawyer, “because there may be someone who says this whole thing is completely out of whack and just unsustainable.” You simply don't know what you don't know. Read Gunn's story in his latest book, "Tim Gunn: The Natty Professor: A Master Class on Mentoring, Motivating, and Making It Work." Hosts and husbands of Living Not So Fabulously, David & John Auten-Schneider, dive into real money stories with activists, allies, artists, tech-gurus, and trailblazers in the LGBTQ+ community to give you tangible takeaways to tackle your wallet woes. Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Living Not So Fabulously at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/living-fabulously/. Have a money story of your own? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at [email protected]. 00:00-Tim Gunn joins Living Not So Fabulously 01:00-A pauper educator 04:00-Being a teacher is like being in the clergy; it's a calling 05:30-How he got involved with Project Runway; unpaid 14:25-Origin story of 'make it work' 16:57-Biggest mistake of many young designers: happy hands 19:45-Financial advice for young designers at the start of their career 21:34-Finance advice for everyone else Yahoo Finance's Living Not So Fabulously is hosted by David & John Auten-Schneider, and created and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky. Beloved pop culture icon and New York Times bestselling author Tim Gunn is best known as the Emmy Award–winning host of Project Runway. He also hosted two seasons of his own Bravo makeover series, Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style, and was the host of the reality TV series Under the Gunn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While most teenagers concern themselves with the latest social media trends, surviving middle school, and running around with friends, Michael Sayman was focused on building apps to support his family. Living Not So Fabulously hosts David & John Auten-Schneider speak with Sayman about his unique experience becoming Meta Generative AI Software Engineer & Friendly Apps Founder, which started as his family's breadwinner at just 13 years old. This forced his family to confront unique dynamics and money conversations when talking about money is already hard enough without the addition of teenage hormones. "I myself was an inexperienced 13-year-old generating, you know, hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue and trying to help my parents figure out how to [manage money]," Sayman explains. Sayman's unique journey continued when he became Facebook's youngest employee instead of attending college after graduating high school, as his peers were pressured to do so: "I remember just sitting in class and seeing my teacher tell us, 'If we don't go to college, then we won't get a degree... and end up under a bridge.'" But then Sayman realized that the fundamental point of college is to prove trust to a potential employer. He said to himself that to get a job coding, "I can either compete with everybody else in my school to get the best grades in computer science, or I could just build apps, put them on the internet, put my name on it, and have that be my resume. Have that be the trust that can be built by a company in knowing that I'm able to do the job that they're hiring for." Sayman's story of navigating success, self-doubt, and finding his place in tech is an inspiring tale of how an atypical path career path can still bring success. Hosts and husbands of Living Not So Fabulously, David & John Auten-Schneider, dive into real money stories with activists, allies, artists, tech-gurus, and trailblazers in the LGBTQ+ community to give you tangible takeaways to tackle your wallet woes. Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Living Not So Fabulously at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/living-fabulously/. Have a money story of your own? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at [email protected]. 00:00-Michael Sayman joins Living Not So Fabulously 02:46-Learned to code as a kid to "avoid homework" 04:14-Became breadwinner at 13 by building apps and small business 06:11-Navigating reversed power dynamic with parents 09:39-Alternatives proof of experience than college Yahoo Finance's Living Not So Fabulously is hosted by David & John Auten-Schneider, and created and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky. Michael Sayman, is a Peruvian–Bolivian–American mobile application entrepreneur, software engineer, political activist, and author. He is best known for creating top-charting apps as a teenager to provide for his family during the Great Recession, as well as his subsequent work at Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine having a brick thrown through the window of your small business, which you worked so hard to build after the pandemic. Now imagine that happening four times in just two months. That is the story for VERS LGBTQ+ bar co-owner and Give Lively CEO David DeParolesa. Opening the bar wasn't just about the bottom line — he had a mission to create a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community as similar venues close around the country, with more than 45% shutting their doors between 2002 and 2023. DeParolesa shares his experience with vandalism along with higher-than-expected operating costs, saying, "I quickly realized that building a queer space meant dealing with unexpected challenges." Despite the struggles, he emphasizes how the power of community brought a wave of added business to the bar, adding, "Seeing the community rally behind us made it all worth it." Don't miss this episode, filled with insights on financial planning, resilience, and the power of building inclusive spaces. Hosts and husbands of Living Not So Fabulously, David & John Auten-Schneider, dive into real money stories with activists, allies, artists, tech-gurus, and trailblazers in the LGBTQ+ community to give you tangible takeaways to tackle your wallet woes. Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Living Not So Fabulously at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/living-fabulously/. Have a money story of your own? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at [email protected]. 00:00-David DeParolesa joins Living Not So Fabulously 02:22-Opening a community bar post-pandemic 06:30-The importance of a third space 09:40-The hard dollars and sense for small businesses 15:20-A brick that changed it all 18:20-Better business with community support Yahoo Finance's Living Not So Fabulously is hosted by David & John Auten-Schneider, and created and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky. Davud DeParolesa is the CEO of Give Lively and the Co-owner of VERS, a 'new kind queer bar.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wage disparities across industries are stark, especially for LGBTQ+ folks where only 1 in 25 LGBTQ+ men hold high-paying jobs compared to 1 in 7 non-LGBTQ+ men, according to Prudential's 2018 Financial Wealth Census. With less money coming into the LGBTQ+ community than other demographics, how can the community find financial growth and success? In this episode of Living Not So Fabulously, hosts David & John Auten-Schneider speak with Merrill Lynch financial adviser Ari Linder to explore the financial realities of choosing seemingly do-gooder careers over a financially secure one. Linder explained why LGBTQ+ folks might feel more inclined to pick career paths that have smaller paychecks. This was exactly what led Linder to pivot from social work to financial advising. "Those of us who maybe have felt like we have been at a disadvantage or discriminated against or pushed down, we want to try to solve those kinds of problems," they explained. In their work in as a financial adviser, Linder focuses on helping the community with unique needs. For them, being transgender has given them a deeper connection with their clients, explaining, "It's not just about their finances; it's about understanding the life challenges that come with being part of the LGBTQ+ community." Don't miss this powerful episode on how financial planning is financial freedom. Hosts and husbands of Living Not So Fabulously, David & John Auten-Schneider, dive into real money stories with activists, allies, artists, tech-gurus, and trailblazers in the LGBTQ+ community to give you tangible takeaways to tackle your wallet woes. Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Living Not So Fabulously at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/living-fabulously/. Have a money story of your own? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at [email protected]. 00:00-Ari Linder joins Living Not So Fabulously 06:00-Personal finance = fancy social work 08:15-Why LGBTQ+ folks are drawn to do-gooder careers 14:00-A rewarding career in personal finance 17:15-First out trans financial advisor (that Merrill knows of) 18:00-Uniqueness of LGBTQ+ financial planning Yahoo Finance's Living Not So Fabulously is hosted by David & John Auten-Schneider, and created and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky. Ari Linder is a Financial Adviser at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, and welcomes folks to reach out with any career advice on the financial sector; "If you're looking to join the financial industry, if you're not sure what this all looks like, if you need someone like I did to show you what it looks like, contact me." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Living Not So Fabulously, hosts and husbands David & John Auten-Schneider, bring you the story of OkCupid Director of Brand Marketing Michael Kaye who's been making waves with his career and some unexpected personal finance insights. Starting out at a salary barely high enough to cover his commute, Kaye didn’t just play by the rules—he rewrote them. Catch how Kaye boosted his income by strategically hopping like Frogger with a Master’s degree and becoming the New York City metro area's go-to adjunct professor, adding a hefty five-figure jump to his paycheck. Kaye shares, "I wound up moving agencies every time I would've been up for a promotion, and that allowed me in less than five years to go from $38,000 to $67,500. The leap made my life a lot easier." But it’s not just about the money for Kaye. He’s a spreadsheet-loving Capricorn who plans weddings with the same tenacity he plans his finances. And did you know OkCupid found that budgeting is actually... sexy? That’s right! Kaye shares how budgeting isn't just a financial win; it’s a matchmaker. Kaye shares of OKCupid’s survey, “"Daters who are budgeting are getting 25% more matches and having 16% more conversations than people who aren't. Financial stability is becoming a real turn-on." Hosts and husbands of Living Not So Fabulously, David & John Auten-Schneider, dive into real money stories with activists, allies, artists, tech-gurus, and trailblazers in the LGBTQ+ community to give you tangible takeaways to tackle your wallet woes. Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Living Not So Fabulously at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/living-fabulously/. Have a money story of your own? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at [email protected]. 00:00-Michael Kaye joins Living Not So Fabulously 03:00-NYC; only 'semi' livable 07:30-The north stars of job hunting 15:00-Talking to your partner about money 17:45-Data of dating 21:00-What in the world is loud budgeting Yahoo Finance's Living Not So Fabulously is hosted by David & John Auten-Schneider, and created and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky. Michael Kaye is the Director of Brand Marketing & Communications at ARCHER and OkCupid, one of the world's largest dating apps, where he leads PR programming in the United States and for countries across Europe, the Middle East and Oceania. Michael has been featured in ABC News, Ad Age, Business Insider, Bustle, CBS, CNN, Cosmopolitan, Elite Daily, Forbes, Good Morning America, The New York Times, PR News, PRWeek, VICE and The Washington Post. He has been recognized by Business Insider, PR News, PRovoke Media, PRSA-NY, PRWeek and the Stevie Awards.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like a real-life, Rachel Green from the acclaimed TV series Friends, NYC-native Anthony Stratis always dreamed of working in fashion while seeking financial independence that he didn't have as a kid. But in New York City, known for a hustle culture and high price of living, growing personal wealth is incredibly difficult. Adding another layer to that, Stratis grew up in a financially unstable single-parent household, limiting his source of finance education and making the dream of abundance seem nearly impossible. As he's seen success in his career having worked for iconic designers like Oscar de la Renta, Calvin Klein, and Vera Wang, he's tried his best to expand his knowledge and make his younger self proud. Living Not So Fabulously hosts, David & John Auten-Schneider, spoke with Anthony about better ways to build wealth beyond a strict savings account, how to work towards goals, and having hard conversations with your partner. Inspired by his story, David and John share their own moments of financial awakening, including a spending analysis that revealed unconscious overspending. This episode is full of heartfelt insights into the realities of budgeting, saving, and building a life in one of the world's most expensive cities. Hosts and husbands of Living Not So Fabulously, David & John Auten-Schneider, dive into real money stories with activists, allies, artists, tech-gurus, and trailblazers in the LGBTQ+ community to give you tangible takeaways to tackle your wallet woes. Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Living Not So Fabulously at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/living-fabulously/. Have a money story of your own? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at [email protected]. 00:00-Anthony Stratis joins Living Not So Fabulously 04:00-How childhood lessons and trauma comes with us into adulthood 07:10-Talking salaries with colleagues 10:00-Tools to help when your lifestyle doesn't align with your spending habits 13:30-Struggling with financial-savvy in an unaffordable city 19:30-The power of goal-setting Yahoo Finance's Living Not So Fabulously is hosted by David & John Auten-Schneider, and created and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky. Anthony Stratis is a NY-native in fabric technology and development, having worked for brands like Vera Wang, Calvin Klein, and Oscar de la Renta. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can love, money, and show biz successfully mix? Married couple Eric Berger and Dan Amboyer prove it's possible, albeit rare. You might recognize actor Amboyer from hit TV shows like Younger and Uncoupled, while his husband Berger is a Senior Vice President of Wealth Management at UBS. On this episode Living Not So Fabulously, hosts David & John Auten-Schneider dive deeper into their story of the financial and emotional impact of coming out in the entertainment industry, and securing their future together. Amboyer knew he would lose the 'leading-man' type of roles if he came out. "I do the Lifetime movies and the Hallmark movies. You're the straight guy and there's a certain audience that those companies are trying to appeal for....They're saying, can you also then play the straight guy in this? And so me just knowing I'm not gonna have necessarily all those same types of roles and that is gonna be a financial hit." Together, they have candid conversations about money, identity, and career risk considerations they tackled as a couple. Amboyer and Berger also reveal how they prepared financially for their family, including navigating the complex surrogacy and legal processes to have children. With humor and honesty, Berger and Amboyer offer valuable insights into getting on the same financial page as a couple, managing uncertainty, and creating long-term security. It's time to take their lessons and start building your own financial harmony, today. Hosts and husbands of Living Not So Fabulously, David & John Auten-Schneider, dive into real money stories with activists, allies, artists, tech-gurus, and trailblazers in the LGBTQ+ community to give you tangible takeaways to tackle your wallet woes. Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Living Not So Fabulously at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/living-fabulously/. Have a money story of your own? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at [email protected]. 00:00-Eric Berger and Dan Amboyer joins Living Not So Fabulously 06:00-Coming out at a cost 8:00-Financial preparing for change 15:00-Uniqueness of family planning for same-sex couples 17:30-Preparing kids' finances Yahoo Finance's Living Not So Fabulously is hosted by David & John Auten-Schneider, and created and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky. Actor Dan Amboyer has been in hit TV shows like Younger and Uncoupled, while his husband Eric Berger is a Senior Vice President of Wealth Management at UBS. Amboyer and Berger shared their story with the world first in 2017, when they announced their marriage in People Magazine, inspiring us all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ready for a masterclass in resilience? In this candid conversation, Hosts Living Not So Fabulously, David & John Auten-Schneider, speak with trailblazer Executive Vice President and head of Wells Fargo's Commercial Banking Diverse Segments, Ruth Jacks. She shares her remarkable journey of overcoming extreme poverty and societal challenges as a queer, Black woman, to ascend the corporate ladder over an inspiring 40-year career. Jacks opens up about her childhood struggles, the scarcity mindset, and how she turned financial hardship into a driving force for success. "Those were the biggest drivers for me. So when I say I didn't wanna be poor, it was that I didn't want to be hungry," she explained. And though no child deserves to have those thoughts, Jacks knew that she needed a plan: "I needed to educate myself. And so I read a lot. That was one of the things that I was in the library literally every day and every weekend...I do believe that financial literacy is critically important." Jack's valuable insights on financial literacy, mental health, and having a solid support network remind us that success is about knowledge, authenticity, and courage. She challenges the scarcity mindset and proves the power of having a plan. Don’t just watch or listen—take Jack's wisdom, own your journey, and start building the life you deserve. Hosts and husbands of Living Not So Fabulously, David & John Auten-Schneider, dive into real money stories with activists, allies, artists, tech-gurus, and trailblazers in the LGBTQ+ community to give you tangible takeaways to tackle your wallet woes. Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Living Not So Fabulously at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/living-fabulously/. Have a money story of your own? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at [email protected]. 00:00-Ruth Jacks joins Living Not So Fabulously 02:00-How childhood poverty shaped Jacks' money mindset 05:00-Importance of financial literacy 12:40-Consequences of not being out at work 18:00-Corporate America facing DEI backlash Yahoo Finance's Living Not So Fabulously is hosted by David & John Auten-Schneider, and created and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky. Ruth Jacks is the Executive Vice President and head of Wells Fargo's Commercial Banking (CB) Diverse Segments team Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if you didn't just survive a layoff, but thrived, instead? What if you could find real opportunities in a moment of hardship and set out to make a difference? Well that's exactly what the powerhouse CEO and founder of Out Leadership, Todd Sears did. In this episode of Living Not So Fabulously, David and John talked with Sears about career pivots, turning setbacks into launching pads, and how he transformed a layoff into founding Out Leadership. For decades, he's been paving the way for LGBTQ+ professionals in corporate boardrooms worldwide. In an age of DEI-cutbacks, he focuses on helping companies do better for equality in a way that benefits their bottom line: "My whole philosophy is how do we help companies do better? Backing companies into a corner and naming and shaming them is not the way to get them to change." Whether you're chasing financial independence or career growth, this episode offers the strategies and motivation to make it happen. Tune in for game-changing insights on wealth, leadership, and thriving in today's economy. The episode delves into how honest money talks—at home and work—are key to building lasting financial success. Hosts and husbands of Living Not So Fabulously, David & John Auten-Schneider, dive into real money stories with activists, allies, artists, tech-gurus, and trailblazers in the LGBTQ+ community to give you tangible takeaways to tackle your wallet woes. Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Living Not So Fabulously at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/living-fabulously/. Have a money story of your own? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at [email protected]. 00:00-Todd Sears joins Living Not So Fabulously 02:30-Sear's money origin story 05:00-Focusing on life's driving force 06:30-LGBTQ+ generational gaps with finances 13:20-Using severance for good 18:30-The future of DEI in corporate America Todd Sears began his career in investment banking and became the first openly gay financial advisor at Merrill Lynch, where he created the first national team of financial advisors dedicated to serving the LGBTQ+ community. He founded Out Leadership in in 2010 to harness the power of business to advance LGBTQ+ equality. Yahoo Finance's Living Not So Fabulously is hosted by David & John Auten-Schneider, and created and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it possible to prepare for every emergency, stacked like a disaster Jenga? Patrick L. Riley would argue it’s a tall order. During the COVID-19 pandemic, an electrical fire destroyed his home and exposed a lapsed insurance policy. Riley’s battle with insurance companies and reliance on support networks is a lesson in resilience and the importance of solid financial planning. His story also underscores that the standard three to six months of emergency savings may not cut it—especially for those in communities where fair wages are still a struggle. Hosts and husbands of Living Not So Fabulously, David & John Auten-Schneider, dive into real money stories with activists, allies, artists, tech-gurus, and trailblazers in the LGBTQ+ community to give you tangible takeaways to tackle your wallet woes. Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Living Not So Fabulously at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/living-fabulously/. Have a money story of your own? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at [email protected]. 00:00-Patrick L. Riley joins Living Not So Fabulously 03:00-Riley lost everything in a house fire 05:30-Relying on your community is key 07:30-Importance of emergency funds 09:55-Dumb debt 17:30-Extravagance at a cost Yahoo Finance's Living Not So Fabulously is hosted by David & John Auten-Schneider, and created and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky. Patrick L. Riley, an award-winning journalist, multi-media personality, and author, is known for his work on BET, NBC, Black News Channel, and TV-One. He spent 13 years as a freelancer and senior field producer for The Oprah Winfrey Show and authored "That's What Friends Are For: On the Women Who Inspired Me." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices