“The greatest financial mistakes I see women make are to not get involved with their family finances, to spend way too much money on their children and their house, and not to plan seriously for retirement.” Catherine M. Straub, Financial Resources, Inc., in Anchorage, Alaska

We’ve all heard the toast, “May you be healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Successful women say it’s essential to take care of our physical and mental health, learn to manage our finances well, and preferably to have the wisdom to live our lives gracefully and joyfully. We can only rely on ourselves to stay fit, become financially savvy, and enjoy life.

Sally Edwards, CEO of HeartZones, and founder of The Sally Edwards Way in Sacramento, California, joins many others who see the U.S. national health situation as a primary concern. Sally says, “My passion is to get America fit. As individuals we need to lighten the emotional and metabolic load we carry with us from inactivity and not eating well, and by not taking care of our emotions. It’s not easy to do. It’s a health crisis situation but it’s not catching us by surprise. The unfortunate part is that people have become more and more inactive.” Sally realizes that while she can provide the structure, only individuals themselves can take the initiative to participate. However, she notes that with encouragement, more will get fit. “We do it word of mouth. One woman does it and then gets five of her girlfriends. It’s a ‘tell a friend’ method. It works.”

Just as successful women want to help others develop more healthy lifestyles, they want to assist women to learn how to take personal responsibility for their finances, and put an end to financial ignorance and the potential for economic ruin. Catherine M. Straub, a financial strategist who owns Financial Resources, Inc., in Anchorage, Alaska, has made her career helping people become financially savvy. She says, “The greatest financial mistakes I see women make are to not get involved with their family finances, to spend way too much money on their children and their house, and not to plan seriously for retirement.” To successful women, money is freedom: freedom to choose to accept or reject a new client, freedom to take time off to change jobs, freedom to travel and spend time with family and friends.

Besides writing and speaking on topics relating to women in business, entrepreneurship and success, Pam loves to encourage others to try things they’ve never done before to expand their interests and relationships. Pam and her husband did just that by renovating a house—with their own hands and writing about it in their newly released she-said, he-said book Under the Carmel Valley Sun: An Adventure in Remodeling, Relationships and Red Wine. Check it out at www.underthecarmelvalleysun.com.