If you’ve ever looked at your bank account and thought, “There has to be a better way––”
this episode is where you begin.
Being broke isn’t just a number in your bank account—it’s a feeling of exhaustion, fear, and isolation. It’s a cycle that so many of us know intimately, and one that today’s guest, Dasha Kennedy—aka The Broke Black Girl—has lived, studied, and helped thousands escape. In this deeply honest conversation, Dasha and I talk about what it means to truly be broke, the systemic barriers that keep so many people in financial survival mode, and the very first steps you can take to begin rewriting your money story. Whether you’re deep in debt, feeling stuck living paycheck-to-paycheck, or just craving financial stability, this episode will meet you where you are––and give you the tools and motivation you need to get unstuck.
Key takeaways:
Being broke is not a character flaw—it’s a circumstance shaped by systemic forces.
Dasha reframes being broke as a temporary financial situation, not a personal failure. She shares how she grew up surrounded by redlining, check-cashing storefronts, and generational poverty—and how many of those forces are still at work today. By naming these barriers, she empowers listeners to stop internalizing shame and start seeking solutions from a place of awareness and grace.
The first step to change is full financial visibility—even when it’s scary.
Dasha’s first piece of advice? Look at everything. Pull your bank statements, credit card bills, unopened mail. Because you can’t build a plan if you don’t know where you stand. This financial reckoning can be emotional, but it’s the essential first move from confusion to clarity.
Emergency savings should have levels—because not every “emergency” is equal.
Dasha introduces her “emergency savings tiers” framework, a system that categorizes different levels of emergencies (from needing cash for parking to major car repairs) so you don’t drain your entire fund for a minor inconvenience. It’s a smart, accessible strategy to protect your financial stability.
Validation must come before strategy.
One of the most compassionate truths in this episode is that people don’t always need advice right away—they need to be seen. Dasha explains how broke folks are often dismissed or shamed in traditional personal finance advice, when what they really need first is empathy and space to feel heard.
Building wealth is about community—not just individual wins.
Instead of only chasing “generational wealth,” Dasha encourages “generational support” as a more realistic and communal model. Whether it’s babysitting for a relative, sharing job leads, or helping someone revamp their resume, she believes we all have something valuable to offer that builds collective stability—even if it’s not money.
Notable quotes
“Being broke is not a personal failure; it’s just a temporary financial circumstance.”
“I needed to start looking at money as a tool. I needed it to be something that I can use to get me from point A to point B. It couldn’t be something that I just wanted to hold on to. I needed to strategically use it to catapult us forward in some type of way.”
“With women, especially Black women, we are usually the financial backbones of our families, our communities. Whether people recognize that or not, whether they give us credit for it or not, that is the truth. We are usually the ones that are stretching paychecks, raising our children, taking care of our aging parents, pouring into relationships and still trying to build something for ourselves.”
Episode-at-a-glance
≫ 04:16 Dasha’s First Money Memory
≫ 08:33 Systemic Barriers
≫ 12:48 The Payday Loan Trap
≫ 18:40 Mindset Shifts for Financial Freedom
≫ 28:55 The Misuse of the Term ‘Broke’
≫ 33:08 Challenging the ‘Broke’ Mindset
≫ 35:11 The Power of Community
≫ 37:46 Emergency Savings Tiers Explained
≫ 40:06 Overcoming Money Trauma
≫ 52:13 The Burden of Family Expectations
≫ 56:59 Redefining Financial Education for Women
Dasha’s Links:
Podcast episodes mentioned:
Breaking Down the Wealth Gap + Minority Appraisal Crisis with Tiffany Aliche:
How America’s Racist Roots Fueled a Predatory Bail Bond Industry, with Tricia Cleppe:
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Meet Dasha
Dasha Kennedy is a financial activist, speaker, and the author of Moving Beyond Broke. As the founder of The Broke Black Girl, she has built a thriving online community dedicated to providing culturally relevant financial education to Bla women. Through her work, Dasha challenges traditional financial narrative advocating for economic justice, wealth equity, and financial literacy th acknowledges systemic barriers. With a raw, relatable approach, she teaches women how to move beyond shame, rethink their financial habits, and recla their power—one decision at a time.
Transcript:
Thank you for listening to Financial Feminist a Her First 100K podcast. For more information about Financial Feminist, Her First 100K, our guests and episode show notes, visit financialfeministpodcast.com. If you’re confused about your personal finances and you’re wondering where to start, go to herfirst100k.com/quiz for a free personalized money plan.
Financial Feminist is hosted by me, Tori Dunlap. Produced by Kristen Fields and Tamisha Grant. Research by Sarah Sciortino. Audio and video engineering by Alyssa Midcalf. Marketing and Operations by Karina Patel and Amanda Leffew. Special thanks to our team at Her First 100K, Kailyn Sprinkle, Masha Bakhmetyeva, Sasha Bonar, Rae Wong, Elizabeth McCumber, Daryl Ann Ingman, Shelby Duclos, Meghan Walker, and Jess Hawks. Promotional graphics by Mary Stratton, photography by Sarah Wolfe, and theme music by Jonah Cohen Sound. A huge thanks to the entire Her First 100K community for supporting our show.
Tori Dunlap
Tori Dunlap is an internationally-recognized money and career expert. After saving $100,000 at age 25, Tori quit her corporate job in marketing and founded Her First $100K to fight financial inequality by giving women actionable resources to better their money. She has helped over five million women negotiate salaries, pay off debt, build savings, and invest.
Tori’s work has been featured on Good Morning America, the New York Times, BBC, TIME, PEOPLE, CNN, New York Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, BuzzFeed, and more.
With a dedicated following of over 2.1 million on Instagram and 2.4 million on TikTok —and multiple instances of her story going viral—Tori’s unique take on financial advice has made her the go-to voice for ambitious millennial women. CNBC called Tori “the voice of financial confidence for women.”
An honors graduate of the University of Portland, Tori currently lives in Seattle, where she enjoys eating fried chicken, going to barre classes, and attempting to naturally work John Mulaney bits into conversation.
