According to recent polls, nearly 50% of small business owners feel stressed about their finances. But in 2025, we are determined to change that statistic.

So this January, we revisit a favorite episode that will help us learn about our money feelings. Where do they come from? Are they serving us well? And how can we gain confidence in our potential, to build a healthier relationship with our finances? To answer these questions: we welcome back Saundra Davis.

Saundra is a Financial Planner and Coach, the Director of Financial Programmes at Golden Gate University, and the founder of Sage Financial Solutions, a non-profit offering support and education to people from all backgrounds. And in today’s episode, she joins Ari for an honest, vulnerable and insightful conversation on financial well-being.

Together, they recall how Saundra launched her career after having made every mistake possible in her first business. They spell out the link between trauma and behavior and explain why a good financial plan starts with understanding our needs and values. Working through Saundra’s “Continuum of Financial Well-being”, they also cover what professional support looks like in practice; how to avoid some typical budgetary mistakes when launching a new venture; and how to assess if you’re coping well with your current financial situation.

Join them to hit reset and align your dollars, your cents and your values with your business vision.

Highlights:

• “There's no aspect of our lives that money doesn't touch” (3:01)
• The impact of money feelings on business decisions (4:36)
• How to recognize an unhealthy financial mindset (6:04)
• Understanding the "Continuum of Financial Well-being" (8:03)
• Financial wellness: a subjective question (10:37)
• Typical financial challenges when launching a new venture (13:50)
• Financial stress: how we can look out for each other (16:23)
• Why building trust with your Financial Planner matters (18:28)
• Financial support starts with your needs (21:25)
• Money wellness as an investment into the future (23:12)
• Saundra’s go-to resources for financial support (25:08)
• “Know where you are; know you're going; build a plan to get there “ (26:39)
• No Shame Zone: Saundra’s new money mindset (28:18)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• Saundra Davis LinkedIn
• Saundra Davis Golden Gate University
• Sage Financial Solutions Website
• Sage Financial Solutions Instagram
• Article - “Half of Small Business Owners Experience Poor Mental Health”
• Resource - Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Well-being Questionnaire
• Resource - Financial Therapy Association
• Resource - Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards
  
  

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, Natalie.Barron@cadencebank.com, Eydie.Pengelly@cadencebank.com, or Danielle.Kernell@cadencebank.com.

Happy New Year! We always like to kick start the year with a reset - and today's guest will help us get the fresh start we all strive for.

Dr. Julia DiGangi is the author of Energy Rising: The Neuroscience of Leading with Emotional Power. She is a neuropsychologist who works with businesses and entrepreneurs to help them harness their power, and keep their mindset fresh. And for her, great leadership starts when we understand the human brain!

Whether you’re building your company up through growth and innovation or by investing in your culture, being in business often means striving for performance. But is there a science to good leadership? Research in cognitive psychology shows there might be.

In today’s episode, Dr. DiGangi joins our new host Ari Marin to decode the clever machinery of the brain, and unlock new potential! Together, they discuss our cognitive ability to recognize patterns and our natural aversion to uncertainty; they unpack how we can reshape our behaviors to undo fear-based nervous habits; and they reveal that focusing on identity can move organizations towards better cooperation. Dr. DiGangi shares her invaluable research and wealth of knowledge on corporate leadership to help us tap into our brain power.

So tune in with Julia and Ari today, and get ready to adopt a whole new performance mindset.

Highlights:

• Understanding how the brain works (3:00)
• Anxiety as a reaction to uncertainty (4:37)
• Cognitive strategies: why we'd rather choose physical pain (6:05)
• Building leadership from the energy of emotion (8:25)
• “Working” and “overworking” as different nervous responses (11:34)
• Why identity is the best response to uncertainty (12:54)
• The emotional math of our professional lives (15:12)
• Reframing micromanagement as a fear reaction (16:45)
• Recent changes in the conversation around mental health (18:34)
• The impact of technology on emotional intelligence (20:28)
• The creativity of leadership (22:24)
• Speaking the language of emotions (24:11)
• “The greatest asset that companies have today is relational intelligence” (26:23)
• Staying optimistic for the future of collaboration (29:12)

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• Dr. Julia DiGangi Website
• Dr. Julia DiGangi X (Twitter)
• Dr. Julia DiGangi LinkedIn
• Dr. Julia DiGangi Instagram
• Book - “Energy Rising: The Neuroscience of Leading with Emotional Power”

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, Natalie.Barron@cadencebank.com, Eydie.Pengelly@cadencebank.com, or danielle.kernell@cadencebank.com.

December is often a busy month, so whether you’re working through it, reuniting with loved ones or cooking up a storm… Consider this your reminder to take a minute and breathe!

For the next two weeks, In Good Companies is taking a holiday break to rest and celebrate. We’ll be back in January, with some brand new episodes, as well as a couple of old favorites we picked out just for you.

Between business success stories, discussions on corporate well-being and an exclusive look into the trends that will define 2025, we’re not done bringing you the best experts to talk about everything business. So stay with us!

We wish you all the best this holiday season and beyond. Thank you for being a part of In Good Companies.

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank X (Twitter)
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• Cadence Bank YouTube
  
  

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, Natalie.Barron@cadencebank.com, Eydie.Pengelly@cadencebank.com or Danielle.Kernell@cadencebank.com