Hyper Pony Studio

Owner

North Square Investments

Digital Marketing Consultant

FortéOne

Fractional CMO | Chief Marketing Officer

Ariel Investments

C.S. McKee

UX Collective

Contributing Writer

MAQTOOB

Digital Bootcamp

Instructor

The Simons Group

Senior Designer

👑 Web, Marketing, & Design Expert for Advisory and Consulting Firms 👑 Websites driven by marketing expertise 👉 hyperponystudio.com

👋 Hi I'm Manda!

Follow me and ring my 🔔 if you're in the financial services industry and want to learn more about:

👉 Marketing persuasion techniques 
👉 Writing copy that converts
👉 Attracting potential clients
👉 Turning those prospects into clients
👉 Professionally presenting your brand 
👉 Attracting your ideal clients
👉 Creating an EFFECTIVE website
👉 Establishing trust and building authority

🔻 🔻 🔻 Want to work together? 🔻 🔻 🔻

For advisory and investment firms:
🔹 Complete brand, website, & marketing overhauls
🔹 Ongoing marketing and fractional CMO services
🔹 Deep-dive website audits

For independent financial advisors:
🔹 Deep-dive website audits
🔹 Web and marketing flash audits
🔹 Ignite Your Site course coming soon!

Learn more, view samples of my work, or start your project at hyperponystudio.com!

👑
Hyper Pony Studio 
Digital marketing for the financial services industry

Manda Szewczyk

🎉 First Tiny Tweak of the new year for advisors: 
Remember to update the copyright date in the footer of your website to 2026. 

It seems trivial, but any incorrect information on your website will reduce trust. And especially for advisors, it's ALLLL about the trust!

- - - - - - - - - 

How many errors (misspellings, incorrect dates, etc.) would you forgive before you'd decide NOT to make a $300 purchase on a website?

- - - - - - - - - 

(BTW, this can be automated – all of my client's sites will update automatically each year – if you didn't build your site yourself, ask your web designer to set this up for you)

👑 Websites & Marketing Overhauls for Financial Advisors & RIAs 👉 Sharing digital marketing tips

Nexa Wealth Planning

At Nexa Wealth, we believe managing your money is more than just numbers in a bank account – it’s about creating a life rich in choices and free from constraints. 

Here, money doesn't dictate your choices – it amplifies them. With us, you’re not just surviving; you're thriving. We're dedicated to crafting financial freedom for each of our clients, turning dreams into rock-solid plans, and plans into rock-solid reality.

Email: renee@nexawm.com for free consultation

CEO & Certified Financial Planner

Northwestern Mutual

Women are more than capable of taking control of their finances, and I'm here to help them do so. 

I'm passionate about empowering women to take ownership of their finances and achieve financial freedom. 

As a Certified Financial Planner, I help women executives maximize their cash flow, make smart investments, and develop tax-savvy strategies to ensure their money grows and lasts for years to come. 

With my help, women can confidently make financial decisions, assertively create a plan, and reduce their financial worries. 

•	Understand your financial options 
•	Create a forward-thinking financial strategy 
•	Make money decisions with confidence

If you are tired of second-guessing what your money is doing for you, and instead you want a simple roadmap to achieve the results you desire, I invite you into having a conversation.  

DM or email for a complimentary 30-minute Money Strategy meeting
📧 renee.cohen@nm.com

Certified Financial Planner™ for women executives and business owners 

Created financial literacy corporate workshops to inspire employees into financial action & eliminate money anxiety.

Financial Literacy Workshop Facilitator & Speaker

Bixel Exchange

Bixel Exchange is the innovation and tech arm at the second largest Chamber of Commerce in the US, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. Our cornerstone programs include Startup Launch Tech SBDC and Tech Talent Pipeline that combine forces to create an inclusive greater LA technology community.

Advisor

Fox Sports Net

Director, Corporate Partnerships

Big Ten Network

Manager, University Development

Designing Work-Optional Lifestyles for Women & Couples with Dynamic Financial Plans | Financial Consultant for Executives & Business Owners in Sports & Tech | Financial Wellness Speaker

The biggest money secret that not enough successful women know?

Creating financial security for life is actually insanely EASY.

- Dream of retiring by 50?
- Want to cover your kids' big moments?
- Looking forward to luxe vacations without needing an excuse?
- Need an iron-clad safety net for whatever life throws your way?

But it’s not just about the future. It’s about enjoying your life right now.

Financial freedom isn't just for later. It’s about living your best life now, knowing you are crafting your future while relishing today.

This is where I step in.

With all the financial advice out there, you need what works, not just noise. You need strategies that move the needle. You need results, not tasks.

My mission? To make managing your finances the SIMPLEST part of your day.  

I’m here to help you make smart choices that align with your dreams for your family and your future.

You've worked tirelessly for your success. So let’s save smartly and maximize and grow what you have. True financial freedom is more than account balances.  


I’ve partnered with many women and couples like you, creating personalized plans that balance today's lifestyle with tomorrow's dreams. This isn't about strict budgets. It’s about shaping your finances to fit your life today, while maximizing every aspect of your income and assets.

I’m more than a financial planner. I’m your partner, guide, and ally in achieving your financial dreams in the most straightforward and effective way possible.

Every plan is tailored to the individual because your financial success should be as unique as you are.

Ready to make these dreams a part of your everyday life?

Let’s unlock the full potential of your finances together. Because your money should support the life you want, now and in the future.

Send me a DM or email at renee.cohen@nm.com.

This conversation could change everything. ✨

Your journey goes beyond just managing numbers. It involves:

✨ Strategic Cash Flow & Debt Management,
✨ Tax Optimization for executive roles,
✨ Effective Navigation of Stock Options & Significant Financial Events,
✨ Personalized Retirement Planning,
✨ Comprehensive Insurance Solution

Renee Cohen, CFP®

My nephew checking his inbox during the holidays.

Zero unread.
Full focus.
Very serious business.

I unplugged for the holidays, but my inbox didn't get the memo. 847 emails waiting.

Hope your holidays were filled with good food, good people, and maybe even some real rest.

The kind where you actually put the phone down and didn't feel guilty about it.

Now back to reality. 😅

But I'm back now and glad you are too. Happy 2026.

What does your inbox look like this week? Clean or chaos?

Renee Cohen CFP®

Financial planning for women | Real conversations about money for women in their 40s and 50s | Financial Planner + Founder, Nexa Wealth

No alternative text description for this image

"You need $3 million to retire comfortably."
(the lie that keeps you working forever)

Here's what happened:

Some calculator told you this.
Some article confirmed it.
Some advisor nodded along.

But nobody asked:

Nobody factored in your parents you might support.
Your kids' loans you're still paying.
The business you want to start at 55.
The divorce that reset your timeline.
Or if you're building wealth solo.

What's "comfortable" to YOU?

Because my client with $800K?
She retired at 52 to Portugal.
Teaches yoga. Writes. Lives by the ocean.
Her biggest expense is flying her kids out twice a year.

My client with $3M?
Just bought her dream vacation home.
Took us six months to get from "I can't" to "I deserve this."
The money was always there. The belief wasn't.

The number isn't the problem.
The belief is.

That belief that says:
"You're behind."
"You started too late."
"You'll never have enough."
"You should have married differently."

Those aren't facts.
They're fears dressed up as math.

→ "What's your definition of 'comfortable'?"

Most of us spend decades asking "Am I saving enough?"
(But that's the wrong question)

My clients come to me wanting that answer.
They've run a calculator on their 401k site. Checked every benchmark found on Google. Still feel behind.

But instead I'm asking: 'What kind of 60- and 70-year-old do you want to be?'

Because "enough" is a moving target.
A number on a calculator.
A fear dressed up as math.

But "what kind of 70-year-old"?

That's real.

Do you want to be:

The one who never misses a grandkid's recital (even the 3-hour dance ones)?
The one starting that nonprofit?
The one with the beach condo where everyone gathers?
The one still working because you love it?

Each version needs different money.

Different timelines.

Different choices today.

My client who wants to teach yoga in Portugal?
Needs way less than you think.

The one buying that second home?
Needs way more.

Once you can see that person clearly, today's decisions get simpler:

That job you hate?
Maybe two more years. Maybe not.

That sabbatical?
Maybe it fits perfectly.

That house upgrade?
Maybe it doesn't serve future you.

Stop asking if you're saving "enough."

Start asking who you're becoming.

The number isn't the goal.
The life is.

→ Picture your ideal Monday at 70. First thing that comes to mind - where are you and who are you with?

"Can we afford another round of IVF?"

The hardest money question I heard this week.

Yesterday, my client called from the car after their fertility appointment.
$65K already spent.
One embryo left.
The clinic wants another $22K.

We didn't talk about investment returns.

We talked about what happens if this doesn't work.
What happens if it does.
What they'd regret more in five years.

The accounts say they can afford it.
Her body says maybe one more try.
Her heart can't calculate odds anymore.

Another client, 52, finally found a hormone specialist who listens.
$750/month. Not covered.
She makes $400K but still asked: "Is this too indulgent?"

Too indulgent.
For sleeping through the night.
For thinking clearly at work.
For feeling like herself again.

We've been taught to "budget" for everything except our bodies.

Nobody factors in:
→ The career pause during IVF cycles
→ The brain fog that costs you promotions
→ The therapy to process it all
→ The time you can't buy back

My client who spent $100K on fertility treatments?
Has twins and zero regrets.

My client who stopped at $30K?
Also zero regrets.

Because we made those decisions with eyes wide open.
With numbers clear.
With choices that were actually theirs.

The math isn't the hard part.
Living with the decision is.

→ What's one "wellness" thing you stopped feeling guilty about paying for?

Everyone thinks pivoting in your 40s is harder than in your 30s.
They're wrong.

I pivoted at 34 when my biggest risk was disappointing myself.
My clients in their 40s have real responsibilities AND know what's not working. They just may not know what comes next.

And that combination is your superpower.

My client was beating herself up about going back to school:
"I'll be 48 when I graduate."

I asked her: 'What will hurt more - being 48 with student loans or being 48 in the same job?'

But, here's what she couldn't see through all that guilt:

At 25, you go to school hoping it leads somewhere.
At 45, you know EXACTLY where you're going.

She wasn't guessing which degree might help.
She'd been passed over for the same promotion three times.
She knew the exact credential standing in her way.

That 25-year-old in her program is taking every elective, joining every club, trying to figure out what they want to be.

My client mapped out the exact 8 courses she needed. Found the professors who worked in her industry. Skipped everything that didn't directly serve her goal.

Done in 2 years instead of 3 years.

Another client pivoted to UX design at 43.
Felt ancient in bootcamp until she realized:

Those 22-year-olds were building portfolios from scratch.
She had 20 years of understanding why projects fail.

They were learning what users want.
She'd been in those meetings. She knew what clients buy.

They were nervous about their first interviews.
She'd hired dozens of people. She knew exactly what hiring managers look for.

Got hired at twice the starting salary of her classmates.

Your age isn't a disadvantage.
It's your strategy.

You don't need to explore. You need to execute.
You don't need to network. You need to activate the network you've built.
You don't need permission. You need to use what you already know.

One more thing about that guilt you're feeling about spending money on yourself:

Your kids aren't learning that mom's selfish.
They're learning that growth doesn't stop at 40.

That sometimes you bet on yourself even when it's scary.
That it's never too late to become who you're supposed to be.

That's worth more than any tuition payment.

→ If money wasn't the issue, what career would you pivot to?

"Why would I pay someone to manage my money?"

(the question that costs you more than the fee)

I'll tell you why.

Because at 2am when you're watching your account drop.

You need someone who's seen this before.

Not YouTube.
Not Reddit.
Not your brother-in-law who "called" the last crash.

Someone who answers when you call:
"Should I sell everything?"

With:
"No. Here's why. Breathe."

That's not managing money.
That's managing fear.

And fear?
Fear is expensive.

It costs:
→ The returns you miss panic-selling
→ The gains you skip waiting for "safety"
→ The sleep you lose checking futures
→ The peace you trade for worry

I don't manage portfolios.
I manage the space between logic and panic.

That's what you're paying for.

The voice that says:
"Remember why we built this plan."

When yours is screaming:
"GET OUT NOW."

Because here's what I know:

The market has recovered from:
• Every crash
• Every correction
• Every "this time is different"

But not everyone has.

Some sold at the bottom.
Some never got back in.
Some are still waiting for "the right time."

They didn't need better investments.
They needed better behavior.

And behavior?
That's hard to manage alone.

→ What's the worst financial 'hot tip' someone gave you at a party?

—

P.S. That 2am panic? We ALL have it. The difference is who you call.

“New year, new me.”
(The lie we tell ourselves every January.)

I don’t really have a morning ritual.
No cold plunge. No 5am journaling. No vision board.
I just start.

Some years I hit January running.
Other years I’m still mentally on the couch, halfway through a Netflix binge.

This year, I’m somewhere in between.

I keep seeing every January:

The pressure to have it all figured out by week one is another way to feel behind.

I see it show up with money, too.

The urge to treat January like a hard deadline.
New goals. New systems. All at once.

One client finally started her business at 51.
She didn’t launch in January.
She launched in March after two false starts and changing her mind more than once.

Another client left her marriage and rebuilt her finances from scratch.
It took her until April to open her new accounts.

Most meaningful financial moves don’t always happen because the calendar flipped.

They happen when someone finally has the space to look at things honestly and decide what actually matters next.

January isn’t magic.
It’s literally a calendar page we assign a lot of pressure to.

The reset happens when you’re ready.
Not when the date tells you to be.

If you’re still easing back in this week, that’s fine.
If you’re already in full work mode, also fine.

There’s no right pace.
Just the one you’re actually in.

→ Are you fully back or still mentally on vacation?

In your peak earning years, this feeling is common.

You're earning more than you ever have.
And yet money doesn't feel simpler.

You thought higher income would bring relief.
More confidence.
A sense that you were finally "there."

Instead, the questions got harder to answer.

This is usually when money stops being a math problem and starts becoming a decision problem.

Every choice affects something else.
Saving affects spending.
Spending affects flexibility.
Work affects energy.

Nothing exists in isolation anymore.

In your 40s, you're often carrying more at the same time.

Career expectations.
Family needs.
Future planning.
Your own health and bandwidth.

So money isn't just about growth.
It’s about support.

And that shift can feel unsettling if no one names it.

Many women I talk to assume this discomfort means they're doing something wrong.
Maybe not saving enough.
Maybe not thinking far enough ahead.

But that's rarely the issue.

More often, it means your income has outgrown the way you're thinking about money.

You're using old questions for a much more complex season of life.

Clarity at this stage doesn't come from chasing the "right" move.

It comes from understanding what your money needs to do for this phase of your life and what it doesn't.

If money feels heavier now than it used to, that's not failure.

It's a sign that your growth requires a different perspective.

→ Anyone else feel like the questions got harder, not easier?

“What should my financial goals be for this year?”

I get this question every January.

But I never answer it directly.

Instead, I ask:
“What do you actually want your life to look like in December?”

If you hesitated, that’s the point.

Most people set financial goals backwards.

Save more money
Max out my 401k
Pay off debt faster

These aren’t goals.
They’re tasks without a destination.

Here’s how I work through this with clients:

1. Start with the life (not the number)

Ask yourself:
→ What do I want to say YES to this year without hesitating?
→ What would I do if money wasn’t the thing holding me back?
→ What does my ideal Tuesday look like in five years?

Write it down. Get specific.

2. Work backwards to the money

Once you see the life clearly:
→ The lake house = X amount by Y date
→ The career pivot = Z months of runway
→ Early retirement = a real drawdown strategy

Now you have targets that mean something.
Not arbitrary benchmarks from an online calculator.

3. Identify what’s actually in the way

It’s not always “not enough money.”

It’s usually:
→ Cash sitting idle instead of working
→ Tax inefficiency quietly eating gains
→ No system connecting income → investments → real life goals

4. Build the bridge

Map the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
Then reverse-engineer the quarterly actions to close it.

That’s a financial plan.
Not “save more.”

Because “enough” is a moving target.
A number on a calculator.
A fear dressed up as math.

But:
Take my daughter to Portugal without guilt.
Leave this job by 50 on my terms.
Buy the vacation home.

Those are goals.

The number isn’t the goal.
The life is.

→ What’s one thing you want to say YES to this year?

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Manda Szewczyk

Renee Cohen, CFP®

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The Battle

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