We’re taught that clarity comes from strategy — budgeting, planning, discipline, and “just looking at the numbers.”

But what if the real issue isn’t strategy at all?

In this episode, I talk about why money anxiety isn’t a mindset or willpower problem — it’s a nervous system safety issue. And why no amount of planning works when your body feels unsafe.

I introduce a core framework I use in my own work called the Safety-First Ledger — a ritual-based, nervous-system-led approach to money, business, and decision-making.

Together, we explore:
– why traditional financial advice often fails in real life
– how money, survival, and conditioning are connected
– the role of seasons (holidays, tax season, busy periods) in financial stress
– and how creating safety first changes the way decisions are made

This is a slow, spacious episode meant to be sat with, not rushed through.

If budgeting, planning, or even opening your bank account feels overwhelming — you’re not broken. Your nervous system may just be asking for care before strategy.

A companion Safety-First Ledger document is linked in the show notes for those who want something tangible to work with.

Safety first. Strategy second.