Money Talk with Le'Nise

In this interview series we chat about all things money (sans-shame) with an array of inspiring women from all walks of life. Our goal is to break the money taboo, share mutual experiences and learn from our amazing community.

“I think that women are taught quite early that money is taboo and something a bit grubby.
This has a detrimental effect on their ability to negotiate their salary and ask for what they deserve.”

Hi Le’Nise! Please give us a little background about yourself.

Hello! I’m Le’Nise, a nutritionist, women’s health, hormone & menstrual cycle coach and yoga teacher. I also host a podcast called Period Story that aims to open up the conversation around menstruation and women’s health by using first period stories as a jumping off point.  

I was born and raised in Canada and the Bahamas and have lived in London for the past 18 years. 

I’m also a mom to a very active 6 year old boy, I love listening (and dancing!) to house music, reading, cooking, travelling and exploring new restaurants and food markets with my family.  

What are your passions?

I’m very passionate about helping women improve their health, understand their hormones and menstrual cycle and make sustainable changes to their habits that help change their health for the rest of their life. 

I want women to understand that they don’t have to live with period pain and emotional upheaval. It may be common, but it’s not normal. 

What’s your secret to career success?

Hard work. Resilience. Always being open to new opportunities. Reframing the way I thought about public speaking: I was something I hate and now is something I really enjoy, look forward to and get energy from. 

What’s your relationship like with money and personal finance? 

I’ve gone from having a terrible relationship with money in my teens and 20s  to really taking charge of my finances in my 30s. When I was growing up, I was always seen as the spendthrift in the family and I really internalised that message. I was the one who never seemed to save and was always getting bailed out by my parents. I spent my 20s really living on the edge, financially. Always deep in my overdraft, at the limit of my credit cards. My husband really changed the way I look at money and helped me understand the ways I could make money work for me, instead of looking at my overdraft limit as a spending target (really!). 

Now, I have a pretty good relationship with money. I save, I invest, I pay off my credit card on time. That’s huge for me. 

Has money ever been a source of stress for you? If so, how did you manage?

Yes, I spent my twenties spending everything I earned each month and then some. There were a few months when I wasn’t sure how I was going to pay my rent, which was pretty stressful. 

When I started my business, my husband and I had some very honest conversations about the ways we were going to cut back until my business grew and I was on the same level, financially, as I was when I was working full-time. It was a bit stressful, (and a bit of a blow to my ego, to be honest!) to go from being an equal contributor to the household finances, to really relying on my husband as I was getting my business going. We cut back on eating out, treats, holidays and started cooking more at home and looking for other ways to treat ourselves without spending money. 

What do you feel is the biggest obstacle women tend to face when it comes to careers and personal finance? 

Negotiating and asking for what they’re worth. I’m lucky in that my advertising career gave me the skills to negotiate contracts and deals and I’ve never been afraid to have money conversations. I think that women are taught quite early that money is taboo and something a bit grubby. This has a detrimental effect on their ability to negotiate their salary and ask for what they deserve. 

Have you ever experienced a financial epiphany? A sort of wake-up call, where you suddenly think - “I must start doing things differently”? 

Yes! In my late twenties, I saw how good my husband was with money and I wanted that. I really credit him for showing me that money (and opening up bank statements!) wasn’t something to be afraid of. 

What is the best piece of money advice that you received?

My grandfather has always talked to me about the importance of saving. He said how important it was for young Le’Nise to save for old Le’Nise. Even in my spendthrift twenties, I did try to put money aside into an ISA (i.e. Individual Saving Account) every single month, which really helped in tough moments (like when I wasn’t sure how I was going to pay my rent!).  

What does financial independence really mean to you?

Having savings to fall back on. Having the ability to buy what I need. Having the ability to invest in growing my business and my professional practice. 

What’s the one thing you don’t feel guilty indulging in? 

I don’t really believe in guilt. If I need something, I’ll buy it, safe in the knowledge that I have the means to pay to for it and I’m not overextending myself on credit cards.

I’m trying to be more judicious in my purchases and always think: ‘do I really need that’. I want to reduce my consumption to help support the environment and to reduce the amount of clutter in my house. Having said that, books are something I will always buy and I get a lot of pleasure from browsing, reading and adding to my book collection. 

What is the best financial decision you have ever made? And your greatest long term investment? 

Buying a house with my husband. We were really fortunate to do it without any help, having scrimped and saved for the deposit.

Also, paying into a pension when I was working full-time. 

If you could travel back in time, what single piece of advice would you give your younger self (relating to money or otherwise)? 

You’re not a spendthrift and it is possible to live within your means! 

What does Vestpod mean to you?

I love how Vestpod makes finance and investment easy and accessible to women and breaks taboos around money. 

Favourite book and podcast? 

Where do I start? I’m a real podcast junkie and listen to loads. My favourites are Death, Sex & Money, Beyond Today, The Read, Code Switch, Natural MD Radio and of course, my own, Period Story!

My favourite books (this was really hard to narrow down to just three!) are On The Road by Jack Kerouac, Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino. 

@eatlovemove for menstrual cycle & hormones tips for women!

Lastly - where can we find you on social?

Instagram: @eatlovemove

Twitter: @eatlovemove 

Facebook: @eatlovemovenutrition 

Website: www.eatlovemove.com

Podcast: Period Story

Thank you for your time!