A live webinar hosted by AIR will bring together financial counselors to discuss personal finance narratives and sustainable budgeting practices for independent audio creators on July 29.
The panel discussion, titled “Money Talk: What’s Your Financial Story?,” will feature financial counselors Bethel Habte and Leo Aquino guiding participants through an exploration of their personal relationships with money. The event, scheduled for 4 p.m. Pacific Time, 7 p.m. Eastern Time and 11 p.m. GMT, will run for 60 minutes and is free for AIR members, with a $50 fee for non-members.
Money remains a sensitive topic for many independent audio producers, often triggering feelings of shame, guilt and discomfort in conversations about financial equity and personal value. The webinar aims to address these emotional barriers by examining the childhood experiences and cultural narratives that shape financial decision-making, according to the event description.
Bethel Habte is an accredited financial counselor and founder of Good Bones Financial Coaching, LLC. Before establishing her coaching practice, Habte worked as a journalist and produced narrative audio podcasts at Radiolab and This American Life. She has written extensively about personal finance through her Substack newsletter, “Deconstructing Money,” which documents her experience paying off nearly $60,000 in student loans within two years. Habte also publishes a music and pop culture newsletter called “wilt.”
Leo Aquino is an independent journalist covering personal finance from a compassionate perspective through their newsletter, “Queer and Trans Wealth.” Aquino also provides financial coaching services to LGBTQ+ individuals across the United States.
The webinar will employ interactive activities bookended by discussion, incorporating perspectives from grief recovery work and the solidarity economy. Participants will develop tools for crafting personal money philosophies and setting financial priorities including housing, childcare costs, elder care and discretionary spending. The panel will address how independent creators can envision sustainable and equitable financial lives.
Attendees will gain better understanding of the narratives and experiences driving their financial decisions and develop tools for shaping their personal money philosophies. The webinar targets independent creators seeking greater ease around finances and budgeting priorities, and those interested in reframing the stories they tell themselves about money.
The live webinar will be recorded and made available to AIR members and ticket holders following the session. Participants can submit questions for the panelists in advance through the event registration page. Private financial coaching sessions with both Habte and Aquino are available separately for those seeking personalized guidance on their specific financial situations.
SoundPath, the platform hosting the webinar, is a project of AIR, a nonprofit organization supporting independent audio creators and journalists.
