Beyond the Narrative: Ivana Polonijo on Owning Your Story and Scaling Success
Women's Million Dollar Conversations
Release Date: 10/28/2024
Fire Yourself: The "Systems Simplified" Path to Your First Million with Adi Klevit
Women's Million Dollar Conversations
Are you a CEO or just the world's most overworked employee in your own company? In this episode of Women’s Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang is joined by Adi Klevit, an Industrial Engineer and the visionary behind Business Success Consulting Group, to discuss how to stop being the bottleneck and start being the leader. Adi has spent over 30 years helping entrepreneurs step out of the daily grind and into the freedom they actually started their businesses for. If you feel like your business would crumble if you took a two-week vacation, this conversation is your...
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Stop Blocking Your Own Success: Mastering Your Inner Champion with Dorice Horenstein
Women's Million Dollar Conversations
Are your own thoughts holding you back from your first million? In this episode of Women’s Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with international keynote speaker, author, and mental fitness expert Dorice Horenstein to uncover the "saboteurs" that interfere with our success. Dorice shares her powerful journey from a 30-year career in education to becoming a "Mental Fitness" powerhouse, helping leaders move from "Oy to Joy". Learn why negative emotions are actually helpful alerts, how your "energy radius" affects everyone around you, and the practical...
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The Secret to the Million Dollar Mountain: Why Alice Tang is Pulling Others Up
Women's Million Dollar Conversations
"When you make a decision that you can do it, your help will come." - Alice Tang In this special role-reversal episode, guest host Laura Salerno Owens sits down with the visionary behind Women’s Million Dollar Conversations (WMDC), Alice Tang. After interviewing over 60 high-achieving women, Alice reflects on her own journey and how the WMDC project has shaped her views on financial freedom, building meaningful community, and leaving a legacy that endures for generations. We dive deep into: Wealth Beyond Money: Why your health and time are invaluable currencies. Shedding the Joneses: How to...
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The $1 Billion Vision: How Chasing Impact Built a Million-Dollar Brand | Kim Thanos
Women's Million Dollar Conversations
Can you save students $1 billion while building a million-dollar company? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Kim Thanos, CEO of Lumen Learning. Kim shares how she moved from a stable career at HP to founding a company that replaces traditional textbooks with digital learning software that supports better student outcomes at a fraction of the cost. Inside this episode: • The $1 Million Milestone: How Lumen Learning reached seven figures in revenue within three years. • Detaching from the "Baby": Why viewing your company...
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Best Career Advice: Go Where It’s Messy & Challenging - Kristi McFarland
Women's Million Dollar Conversations
Is your career path a straight line or a patchwork quilt? Kristi McFarland explains why she intentionally seeks out "challenging and messy" problems to solve. Alice Tang dives into how a non-traditional career path—spanning HR, Marketing, and Strategy—can lead to a million-dollar milestone and a deeply fulfilling life. Key Takeaways: • Challenge the Status Quo: Why the "good stuff" is hidden in complex problems. • Sailing Toward Success: Why your journey doesn't have to look like anyone else's. • Investing in Innovation: How Kristi supports women entrepreneurs and local art. • The...
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How "Fire Starters" Change the Narrative with Dana Frank
Women's Million Dollar Conversations
"Our family didn’t just break barriers, they shattered them." Dana Frank was raised by "Fire Starters"—individuals who change their narrative regardless of birth circumstances. Today, she joins Alice Tang to discuss her book, "Get Up and Get On It," and the grit required to maintain a family business through recessions, systemic racism, and personal trials. Key Takeaways: • Why "equity grows and cash erodes." • The power of "Amplify Injustice" in business and community. • Strategic Philanthropy: Why you can't receive with a clenched fist. • Dana’s advice for women: "Don't just...
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Qualified: Shari Dunn on the 80/20 Business Reality of Book Publishing
Women's Million Dollar Conversations
How much is your reputation actually worth? Join Alice Tang as she speaks with Shari Dunn, author of Qualified, about the "millions of dollars" sitting in your current network. Shari reveals her transition from nonprofit leadership to hitting seven-figure revenue in her second year of consulting. Learn why showing up consistently as your authentic self creates a financial backstop for your future and why Shari believes in sharing the "secrets" of success with everyone. In this episode, you’ll learn: The Network Asset: Why your professional history has a specific financial value that can...
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The Pregnancy Penalty: Jigna Kapadia on Overcoming Career Setbacks in Corporate America
Women's Million Dollar Conversations
Motherhood should not be a professional obstacle, yet many women face a "pregnancy penalty." Jigna Kapadia joins Women’s Million Dollar Conversations to discuss the raw reality of losing up to two years of career momentum with each pregnancy. Jigna shares anecdotes about office "rumor mills" and managers who assumed she wouldn't return to work after having kids. Discover her tactical advice on standing up for yourself without being abrasive, and why she is now openly discussing menopause in the workplace to normalize real-life experiences for senior leaders. In this episode, you’ll learn:...
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Putting Your Oxygen Mask On First: Kristin Bauer on Preventing Burnout
Women's Million Dollar Conversations
Are you pushing yourself too hard for immediate results? Join Alice Tang as she speaks with Kristin Bauer, VP at Bank of the Pacific, about the long game of professional success. Kristin reveals how she landed a $5 million client account and why she had to learn to be her own best advocate to overcome her "inner enemy." Learn why Kristin believes you must put on your own "oxygen mask" first to be effective for your family and your team, and how a "marathon mindset" can sustain you through the long journey of a 16-year banking career. In this episode, you’ll learn: The Oxygen Mask...
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Building Generational Wealth: Jessica Porter on Creating a Legacy for the Next Generation
Women's Million Dollar Conversations
How do you go from feeling like an outsider to leading multi-million dollar financial deals? Join Alice Tang as she speaks with Jessica Porter, partner at BPG Wealth Management and co-founder of The 401k Girls. Jessica reveals the internal struggle of entering a new industry from a blue-collar background and how she overcame the "perfectionist trap" to secure a $5 million retirement plan. Learn why Jessica believes your personal struggles can actually be your greatest professional benefit and how to build the confidence to "stack" successes one step at a time. In this episode, you’ll learn:...
info_outlineCan your inner work actually fuel your professional growth? Alice Tang welcomes Ivana Polonijo, founder of Courageous Being, to explore the intersection of conscious leadership and financial independence. Ivana shares a deeply personal look at her 15-year journey to a million-dollar net worth, revealing how she had to "bust" inherited beliefs about what was possible. From her early years as an immigrant to her time in the financial services industry, Ivana explains why money is a living expression of energy that rewards authenticity. Learn why humanizing business is the ultimate strategy for success in the age of AI.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The "Living Energy" Philosophy: How to treat money as a being that moves, rests, and fuels life experiences.
Nervous System Decision-Making: A specific blend of body awareness and intuition to ensure a calm, grounded approach to high-stakes choices.
Belief Busting: Why 15 years of disciplined work must be paired with letting go of ancestral narratives about scarcity.
The Freedom of Detachment: How to plan and envision goals while remaining detached from the specific outcome to achieve true psychological freedom.
Key Moments
01:37 – Courageous Being: Ivana introduces her conscious leadership center and the mission to humanize business.
03:20 – Money as Energy: A unique perspective on viewing wealth as a living force that requires movement and rest.
05:30 – The Defining Memory: Watching her grandparents lose their retirement savings overnight during the Croatian Civil War.
07:55 – The 15-Year Path: The specific timeline and discipline required to build seven-figure savings while busting limiting beliefs.
09:50 – Navigating the "Woo" Label: How Ivana handles gender and culture biases in male-dominated financial industries.
11:54 – The Decision Process: A tactical look at blending nervous system awareness with "internal GPS" intuition.
14:34 – Owning Your Story: Ivana’s best advice on claiming your past while detaching from the old narrative.
16:06 – The Neuro-Science of Manifestation: Why Ivana recommends The Source by Dr. Tara Swart for leaders.
17:40 – Money Legacy: Experiencing yourself as a holistic being where personal and professional growth are one.
19:15 – Gratitude: A reflection on the new conversation surrounding emotions, money, and psychological safety.