How to Invest Your Way to a Luckier Life

#341: This month on She's So Lucky, we're kicking off Lucky Girls Invest — a full month of conversations dedicated to investing in our luck, and our futures. April is Financial Literacy Month, and I wanted to kick off the series with a candid conversation about investing that I genuinely wish someone had with me when I was younger. In this solo episode, I'm sharing my personal investing origin story — from growing up with a scarce mentality to accidentally opening a 401k at 20 years old as a college intern because someone said the words "employer match" and "free money." That one decision, that I barely even understood at the time, has been compounding for over 15 years and could potentially fund my retirement on its own. I'm also getting into the moment that changed how I think about money, power, and who gets to make the decisions — because there is a fundamental difference between being someone who's always chasing a deal and being someone who gets to write the check. That shift in perspective is why I'm so passionate about this series, why I made my first angel investment, and why I want more of us in these rooms. We're spending all of April talking about the different ways you can invest through conversations that will help redefine what generational wealth means to you. But first, I wanted to set the stage and give you the "why" behind all of it. Because investing isn't just a financial strategy. It's an act of hope. And right now, hope feels like a radical thing. This episode is for you if... You grew up without a lot of financial education and feel like you're playing catch-up. You've been told that a good job is enough — and you're starting to wonder if that's actually true. You don't have a ton of money right now, but you want to understand investing before you do. You feel like certain opportunities — angel investing, venture capital, real estate — are for "other people" and not for you. You've been in rooms where other people were making the big decisions, and you're ready to be the one calling the shots. You want to understand the difference between investing in yourself and investing your money — and why you need both. You're ready to stop begging for someone to give you a shot and start thinking about how to be the one who gives shots. You believe in a future worth building toward — even when it's hard to see right now. Keep in Touch with Les: Ready to apply what you hear? Subscribe to the She’s So Lucky Newsletter to get weekly episode guides and journal prompts: https://shessolucky.kit.com/newsletter Subscribe to The Lucky Playbook on Substack: https://lesalfred.substack.com/ Follow Les on IG @lesalfred Follow She’s So Lucky on IG @shessoluckypod Follow Les on TikTok @theluckyles Follow She’s So Lucky on TikTok Visit our website at shessoluckypodcast.com Sponsors: IM8: IM8’s Daily Ultimate Essentials gives you the benefits of 16 different supplements in one. Go to im8health.com/lucky and use code LUCKY for a Free Welcome Kit, five free travel sachets plus ten percent off your order. Shopify: Visit shopify.com/balancedblackgirl for your $1 per month trial. NOBULL: Visit www.nobullproject.com and use code DMLUCKY for 35% off your entire first order. Bask & Lather: Go to baskandlatherco.com and use code LUCKY for 20% off. UnF*ck Your Brain Podcast: If you’re ready to take control of your thoughts – listen to UnF*ck Your Brain, wherever you get your podcasts. This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode. Produced by Dear Media See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .