Libsyn Directory

ERP 495: Play the Right Money Game Together: How Couples Balance Today’s Joy with Tomorrow’s Security - An Interview With Kali & Eric Roberge

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

Release Date: 09/23/2025

ERP 523: The Subconscious Patterns That Keep Us Stuck in Love — And How to Break the Cycle – An Interview with Riana Malia

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

Are you living a life that looks great on paper, but feels like something's missing beneath the surface? You’ve climbed the ladder, checked all the boxes, yet relationships and real fulfillment seem just out of reach. The cycle of “almost, but not quite” can leave even the most accomplished individuals wondering why old patterns keep resurfacing and why true connection remains elusive. In this episode, listeners will explore how subconscious beliefs, habitual thought patterns, and unresolved emotional baggage shape the dynamics of love and connection. Through practical approaches like...

ERP 522: Fair Isn’t 50/50: How Couples Build a Financial Partnership That Works - An Interview with Heather and Douglas Boneparth

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

Money isn’t just about numbers; it’s the silent language shaping intimacy, trust, and fairness in our closest relationships. Beneath the surface of budgets and bank accounts often lies a tangled web of beliefs, emotions, and unspoken histories that can spark misunderstanding, resentment, or even distance between partners. The challenge? Finding a way to transform financial conversations from battlegrounds into bridges of deeper connection. In this episode, listeners will discover how to unpack personal money stories, identify invisible patterns, and create a foundation for fairness that...

ERP 521: Resentment as a Mirror and What It Reveals About You and Your Relationship - An Interview With Katie Rössler

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

Resentment is the silent killer of connection—creeping in beneath the surface, quietly eroding the intimacy and trust between partners. Too often, the frustration we feel in our relationships stems not just from our partner’s actions, but from deeper unmet needs and patterns we haven’t paused to examine. When left unaddressed, this silent disconnect can blossom into the so-called “roommate syndrome,” where couples drift apart, stuck in cycles of survival mode, logistical interactions, and emotional isolation. In this episode, listeners are invited to explore how resentment actually...

ERP 520: Why We Keep Repeating the Same Relationship Patterns and How to Change Them — An Interview With Dr. Molly Burrets

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

Have you ever wondered why you keep finding yourself in the same relationship patterns, no matter how hard you try to change? It’s almost as if, despite our best intentions and awareness, we’re drawn to the familiar—even if it’s painful. The fear of uncertainty trumps the discomfort of what we know, leaving many stuck in cycles of repeated conflict, unmet needs, and unclear intentions. In this episode, listeners are guided through the origins of these repeating patterns, from early attachment experiences to later life trauma, and how they shape the template for adult relationships. The...

ERP 519: From Love to Leadership: Creating Alignment in Family Life - An Interview with April Eldemire

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

Love alone isn’t always enough to keep everyone under one roof feeling connected and secure. Despite the dream of harmony and the promise of new beginnings, many families find themselves struggling with uncertainty, misaligned expectations, and recurring conflicts that love simply can’t resolve. Is it possible to create a sense of “home” where everyone feels seen, heard, and supported—without sacrificing your relationship or your own well-being? In this episode, listeners will discover why building a thriving blended family isn’t just about love—it’s about creating alignment...

ERP 518: When Stress Hijacks Connection: How Couples Can Use Stress to Grow Closer — An Interview with Dr. Rebecca Heiss

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

Ever notice how the smallest trigger in your relationship—a tone of voice, a lingering look, or a forgotten chore—can suddenly feel like a five-alarm fire? The truth is, most couples aren’t fighting about the dishes or the laundry; they’re struggling against the undercurrents of stress, anxiety, and unspoken needs that simmer just beneath the surface. When these emotions erupt, it’s not just about the task at hand but the deep human urge to be seen, valued, and connected. Left unchecked, these survival-driven stress responses can turn moments of misunderstanding into cycles of blame,...

ERP 517: Pleasure, Pain, and Partnership: Navigating Pelvic Floor Health Together - An Interview with Dr. Sara Reardon

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

There’s a silent struggle that many couples face—issues of pain, discomfort, or disconnection in intimate life that go unspoken and unattended. For so long, pelvic floor challenges have been seen as private burdens to bear alone, surrounded by stigma or confusion about where to turn for help. But what if we viewed these not as individual problems, but as shared matters that impact the whole relationship? Could better understanding and open conversation actually transform your intimacy and emotional connection? In this episode, you’ll discover how pelvic floor health influences pleasure,...

ERP 516: Conscious Love: From Reactivity to Responsibility in Intimate Relationships — An Interview with Christian de la Huerta

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

Why do so many relationships, despite the best intentions, end up stuck in cycles of hurt, disappointment, or disconnection? We search for “the one,” hope for a soulmate to fulfill us, and cling to romantic ideals—even as we find ourselves repeating old patterns and feeling powerless when things get tough. The real challenge, it seems, isn’t just finding love, but learning how to nurture it consciously and responsibly. What if the secret isn’t about changing others, but transforming how we relate, both to ourselves and to our loved ones? In this episode, discover how to break free...

ERP 515: How Couples Can Rethink Time to Reduce Burnout and Strengthen Connection — An Interview with Michelle Niemeyer

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

Are you constantly racing against the clock, feeling like life’s demands are pulling you in every direction—and yet, your own needs, goals, and relationships are slipping through the cracks? Burnout, overwhelm, and the tricky balance of work, family, and personal fulfillment are challenges that leave many people wondering: Does time own me, or can I truly shape how I live within it? In this episode, the conversation delves deep into how our relationship with time can be transformed from a relentless source of stress into a foundation for personal wholeness and relational strength. You’ll...

ERP 514: Measuring What Matters: How Awareness and Alignment Create Enduring Love - An Interview with Zoey Charif

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

Ever wondered why, despite our best intentions, we keep falling into the same relationship traps? Or how two people can feel worlds apart even when they desperately want things to work? The subtle dance of self-worth, mutual respect, and compatibility often determines whether love thrives or fizzles out. Too often, we end up settling for relationships that slowly chip away at our confidence, hoping for change while ignoring the mismatch in values, traits, and emotional needs. In this episode, listeners are guided through a groundbreaking and practical approach for understanding the science...

More Episodes

Money may not buy happiness, but the tension between enjoying life today and securing a stable future can leave many couples feeling stuck, anxious, or even at odds with each other. Are you and your partner finding it difficult to strike a balance between living for the moment and building a financially secure tomorrow? Navigating finances together can bring up deep-seated fears, old money stories, and conflicting priorities—making it a journey that’s as emotional as it is practical.

In this episode, you’ll discover how couples can open up the conversation about money in a way that’s thoughtful, honest, and constructive. Through real-life examples and expert strategies, you’ll learn how to identify and communicate your financial values, create a flexible plan that adapts to life’s twists and turns, and build habits that support both today’s joy and tomorrow’s security. Whether you’re saving every penny out of fear or struggling to rein in your spending, this conversation offers actionable tools to help you play the right "money game" together—and come out stronger as a couple.

Eric Roberge, CFP, is the CEO and lead advisor at Beyond Your Hammock, a financial planning firm based in Boston that serves professional couples in their 30s and 40s with young families. His business partner and wife, Kali Roberge, serves as COO of BYH. Eric & Kali understand the challenges of financial planning around families and children because, as parents of a three-year-old, they’re in the trenches and well-versed in what it takes to build a financial plan that serves every member of the family. Eric and Kali live with their daughter and two cats in Cambridge, Mass.

Check out the transcript of this episode on Dr. Jessica Higgin's website.

Episode Highlights

04:12 How Eric & Kali built a marriage and business partnership.

08:54 The struggles of balancing love, work, and parenthood with the same partner.

11:22 How to start honest money conversations with your partner.

13:08 What money arguments reveal about communication styles.

18:11 How childhood shapes our money mindset.

21:18 Redefining “enough” and moving beyond scarcity.

24:38 Simple saving targets without guilt or judgment.

26:02 Planning with flexibility so life’s surprises don’t derail you.

29:56 Why your financial map should keep evolving.

33:51 Systems over stress: Using money rules and systems to create freedom, not restriction.

36:37 Defining the money game you want to play.

40:33 How to nurture your plan, find the right guides, and stay the course.

Your Check List of Actions to Take

Take a moment to pause, breathe, and check in with your body and emotions before starting any money conversation with your partner.
Together, review your current finances—assets, liabilities, cash flow—without judgment, to see where you stand right now.
Have open conversations about what matters most to each of you, both in daily life and in the future, to uncover shared values and goals.
Reflect on and share your individual “money scripts” or early financial beliefs, and notice how these influence your current behaviors and stressors.
Clearly specify what “enough” looks like for your family, so you have a concrete target for saving and spending.
Create simple guidelines (like saving 25% of your income) to automate good habits and reduce emotional spending decisions.
Revisit your financial plan regularly to adjust for life changes, ensuring your approach evolves with your circumstances and goals.
Intentionally set times to have financial discussions as a couple, even when life gets busy, so things don’t build up or get avoided.