Ep 8: From CNBC to Money Rehab: Nicole Lapin’s Story of Financial Resilience & Rebuilding After Loss
From CNBC to Money Rehab, Nicole Lapin brings a powerful story of financial resilience, personal finance mastery, and rebuilding after loss. In this episode of the Call Me Friend podcast, host Daryn Kagan sits down with Nicole to explore her journey from becoming the youngest anchor at CNBC to privately battling debt, making financial literacy accessible to all, and starting over after the devastating Palisades fire destroyed her home just two weeks after becoming a mom.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ How Nicole Lapin transitioned from CNBC anchor to Money Rehab host and financial educator
✅ The financial literacy mistakes even experts make and how to avoid them
✅ Disaster preparedness tips that can protect your personal finances and peace of mind
✅ The emotional and financial lessons of losing everything in the Palisades fire
✅ Why resilience, reinvention, and chosen family are just as important as money in recovery
Nicole shares how she used her financial literacy skills to navigate a crisis, what she wishes she had done differently, and why taking action before disaster strikes is key. Daryn Kagan guides this heartfelt Call Me Friend podcast conversation, filled with personal stories, actionable tips, and a reminder that even in the toughest seasons, personal finance knowledge and strong relationships can help you rebuild.
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Timestamps
- 0:00 Daryn introduces Nicole’s journey: motherhood, partnership, and sudden loss in the Palisades fire
- 2:00 Nicole opens up about debt while being a CNBC financial anchor
- 7:02 How one email from Daryn changed Nicole’s career path
- 10:00 Early career struggles: layoffs at CNN’s digital network and pivoting to CNBC
- 13:30 Financial “imposter syndrome” teaching money while in personal debt
- 15:03 Nicole’s journey to get out of credit card debt and build her own financial literacy system
- 16:00 Leaving CNBC mid-contract to build her own brand against traditional advice
- 19:00 Writing Rich Bitch and taking risks with bold branding
- 21:33 Launching The Money School and addressing the financial literacy gap
- 23:00 Reflecting on her career shift and what she truly wanted to be: a writer
- 24:00 The Palisades fire, losing everything two weeks after her daughter’s birth
- 28:00 What Nicole wishes she had done differently (insurance, documentation, preparedness)
- 31:00 Rebuilding life, turning her garage into a studio, finding stability
- 32:12 Friendship through crisis: who showed up and who didn’t
- 35:24 Motherhood through loss: how priorities shift to the basics
- 37:18 Rethinking her relationship with “stuff” after losing it all
- 39:36 Money, happiness, and the threshold where wealth stops increasing joy
- 43:00 Nicole’s interview with Ray Dalio and the reality that money can’t buy immunity from loss
- 44:18 Nicole’s recommendation to friends: therapy, even when life feels fine
- 45:06 Tribute to her chosen sister Tracy, a friend who showed up in life-changing ways
- 47:48 Closing thoughts: why financial self-care belongs alongside other forms of self-care
4 Key Takeaways
💎 Financial literacy is an essential life skill to start before you’re in crisis, as discussed in this Call Me Friend podcast interview with Daryn Kagan and Nicole Lapin.
💎 Document your possessions — a quick video can save you time, money, and stress after a loss like the Palisades fire.
💎 Reinvention takes courage — Nicole Lapin’s decision to leave CNBC shows that career pivots can lead to more personal and financial freedom.
💎 Friendship is wealth — chosen family can be as valuable as money when building resilience and recovery plans in personal finance.
About Nicole Lapin
Nicole Lapin is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and host of Money Rehab, a top-rated personal finance podcast making financial literacy simple and relatable. She has appeared on CNBC, CNN, and Bloomberg, and is the author of five books, including Rich Bitch, Boss Bitch, and her newest release, The Money School. Nicole’s mission is to close the financial literacy gap by empowering people — especially women — to understand money without the jargon.
Resources & Links
- Listen to Money Rehab: Money Rehab Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/30PCeEKkKV8oJYfzA6TwFx?si=4e66877aadeb4930
- Nicole Lapin’s latest book “The Money School” https://amzn.to/4oQCsgP
- Follow Nicole Lapin on Instagram: @nicolelapin
- Subscribe to the Call Me Friend podcast hosted by Daryn Kagan: Listen here https://open.spotify.com/show/5UqoVloVdABGqDb6g2rLJo?si=f35bc5e58c0245c5
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