I wrote this book during a pandemic and in the same year I had a baby. What's wrong with me? While this is not a choice I would recommend, it forced me to ask for help, build a team, and accomplish things I could not have imagined just a few months earlier.

I couldn't have written this book or survived the process without some very important people. I'm bursting with gratitude for their generosity of wisdom, time, love, and support. I am forever grateful.

Thank you …

Leigh Eisenman, my wonderful agent, who understands me, my work, and my vision and champions me every step of the way.

Dr. Akilah Cadet, my brilliant sensitivity editor and teacher. You helped me create a truly inclusive book and I grew so much in my anti-racism journey along the way.

My incredible editors, Jeanenne Ray, Dawn Kilgore, Sally Baker, Chloé Miller-Bess, Linda Brandon, and the rest of the Wiley team for making me look good and carefully crafting this book into the most digestible and succinct version it can be.

With Linda's expert suggestions and hand-holding, we cut down my 130,000 word manuscript to 70,000 words. This was harder for me than writing the book!

Hilary McClellen, my amazing fact checker. Because of her you can be confident everything in my book is factually correct!

Kristen Veit, for your invaluable insight, research, and help running The Fiscal Femme. I'm so grateful to have you on our team!

Kate Sandoval Box, an amazing editor and friend, for showing me the ropes.

To those I interviewed for the book (in alphabetical order): Chris Abkarians, Suraiya Ali, Tiffany Aliche, Lauren Anastasio, Mehrsa Baradaran, Lauren Smith Brody, Lori Douglass, Setareh Ebrahimian, Cinneah El-Amin, Yanely Espinal, Chelsea Fagan, Jennifer Fitzgerald, Fee Gentry, Liz Grauerholz, Emily Green, Tanja Hester, Lauren Hunt, Barbara Huson, Georgia Lee Hussey, Dasha Kennedy, Rachel Sanborn Lawrence, Alex Lieberman, Cleona Lira, Erin Lowry, Kevin Matthews II, Tony Molina, Dan Otter, Kara Peréz, Kiersten Saunders, Julien Saunders, Margaret Scheele, Linda Scott, Elyse Steinhaus, Farnoosh Torabi, Brian Walsh, and Claire Wasserman. You not only spent time sharing your wisdom and expertise to make the book better, but also helped with fact checking and editing your respective sections, making sure I said everything in the most accurate and helpful way.

A special thank-you to Tiffany Aliche, who at the end of our interview very generously started sharing the marketing strategies and tips that made her book, Get Good with Money, a New York Times bestseller. I'm blown away by your generosity of spirit and am so grateful for the invaluable advice.

Laura Pennington Briggs, book marketing maven and organizer of organizers. If you're reading this book, you probably have her to thank for its finding its way to you.

Adam Kirschner, my brand manager. You have completely transformed my business and what I've seen is possible. I couldn't have written this book or grown my team without our working together.

Mary Clavieres, Nicole Giordano, and Belma McCaffrey, for the daily inspiration, honest advice, unconditional love, and much-needed laughs along the way. I am so grateful for your friendship and our mastermind (but really sisterhood!).

Leah Gerstley, my sister-in-law, for sharing her time and brilliant perspective.

To those who have and continue to support me and my family at home so I can work during the day. I am so grateful to have you in our lives and I couldn't do any of this without you.

To the many other family and friends who have supported me and helped me along the way – you know who you are. I'm so grateful to have you in my life.

To my Fiscal Femme community, I wrote this book for you. Thank you for the opportunity to join in part of your money journey. Thank you for giving me the opportunity and grace to learn and grow along the way. I promise to keep it going.

Mom, thank you for modeling how to create a career you absolutely love. Thank you for always listening, the pep talks when I wanted to give up, and the late-night goal-setting sessions.

Dad, thank you for showing me what's possible in building a life and business and teaching me to be a “shrewd” business owner. Thank you for talking through my worries with me and for editing my early drafts.

Thank you both for giving me every opportunity. I promise to use that privilege to make this world a more fair place. I love you forever.

My sister and best friend, Ari, for listening to me complain on the hard days, for being my guinea pig when I have an idea, and for making me laugh until my stomach hurts.

My hubby and partner, Justin: Thank you for everything you did to make working on this book possible during a pandemic with a toddler and newborn. I don't even have words. I talk a lot about equal labor in the home and this year I was the unequal partner. You stepped up so I could step into writing this book and (mostly – ha!) never made me feel guilty for it. You also took a lot of the brunt of my book stress – very sorry for that. I don't know how I got so lucky to find you as my life partner.

Eli and Miles, you are everything. So much of this book is about using our privilege to create the world we want to see and that's the world I want to see you both be able to grow up (and grow old) in. Eli, your questions, love of life, and kindness inspire me to be a better person every day. Miles, your joy and curiosity are contagious and inspire me to continue to grow and persevere. I love you both more than anything.