What Being $200K+ in Debt Taught Me —And How I Got Out of It

Welcome back to the Embodied Baddie Podcast.

Today’s episode is one I’ve been sitting on for over a year. Not because I didn’t want to share it… but because I was still very much in the middle of it.

In this episode, I’m opening up about something I’ve never talked about publicly in this level of detail: my experience accumulating over $200,000 in debt.

Not as a cautionary tale.
Not as a “look how perfect my life is now” story.

But as a real conversation about how smart, capable, successful women can still find themselves making financial decisions from fear, urgency, and pressure—and what it actually takes to shift that.

Because money is never just about numbers.

It’s about identity.
Safety.
Pressure.
Expectations.
And the emotional energy behind every decision we make.

This episode is honest, messy, and deeply personal. And my hope is that if you’ve ever felt shame around money, business decisions, or financial pressure… this conversation helps you feel a little less alone.

🎧 In This Episode

The number I never shared publicly
At one point I had accumulated $200k in debt. I didn’t talk about it before because I was still in the middle of the story—actively navigating it, learning from it, and figuring out how to move through it. Now that I’m nearly on the other side, I’m finally sharing the full journey.

How fear quietly drives financial decisions
The subtle ways urgency, pressure, and “I have to figure this out” energy influenced my choices over the years.

Why money decisions are emotional decisions
We love to pretend finances are logical—but the nervous system and unconscious mind play a much bigger role than most people realize.

What finally shifted for me
The internal work, the conversations, and the moments of radical honesty that helped me stop spiraling and start approaching money from a more grounded place.

Healing the shame around debt
Why self-forgiveness was one of the most important parts of this process—and how shame actually keeps people stuck longer.

Practical shifts that changed everything
The emotional work and the strategic actions that helped me begin moving forward in a healthier, more empowered way.

What This Episode Is Really About

This episode isn’t just about debt.

It’s about how high-achieving women carry invisible pressure around money and success.

It’s about the reality that you can be capable, intelligent, and driven… and still make decisions from fear sometimes.

And it’s about learning how to come back to yourself, take responsibility without shame, and move forward with more awareness and self-trust than before.

If This Resonates With You

If you’ve ever felt embarrassed about money decisions…

If you’ve ever looked at your finances and thought
“How did I get here?”

If you’ve ever carried the pressure of being the one who has to figure it out…

This conversation is for you.

Because the truth is:

You’re not broken.
You’re not alone.
And your story isn’t over.

If this episode resonated with you, I’d love for you to share it with a friend, leave a review, or send me a message on Instagram and let me know what landed for you.

These are the conversations that change things.