Surviving a Man’s World: A Woman’s Guide to Achieving Financial Success gives readers the relevant knowledge and guidance to develop and implement a financial plan that will meet their individual goals. Why was this an important book for you to write?

This was important to me from two main perspectives. As a risk management professional, I felt compelled to share some of this information that I realized was not commonly understood. Financial self-help books are generally designed to balance the scales that are heavily weighted towards those with the ability to maximize their knowledge of financial matters; and have increased likelihood of success in achieving their financial goals. I wanted to do my part there.

More importantly, from a female perspective, this provided an irresistible opportunity to share my knowledge with other females globally who may not only be dealing with severe financial challenges, but also with gender inequality issues that act as barriers to them ever being able to reverse or improve their situations. I kept thinking that these women could have been a family member, a friend, or it could even have been me. I felt that writing this book gave me a chance to help and empower women across the world, who are experiencing varying levels of financially derived struggles and don’t know where to turn.

How have you managed to simplify complex financial concepts for the average person while ensuring they remain engaged and empowered?

The idea behind the book was that the content be kept very simple. This would allow it to act as a guide for people completely without knowledge of some of the day-to-day financial matters that could make even the smallest impact on their circumstances. However, the material could also be useful as a reminder or refresher for people who may already be familiar, but in an overwhelming situation their anxiety causes them to forget. In making that determination early in my writing, it became much easier to stick to my purpose.

The editor of the book also did a fantastic job in adding that additional element of maintaining consistency of that simplicity, both in the words used and the grammatical structure of the book. This consistency helped to ensure that readers who started the book didn’t become confused midway and lose interest or become frustrated. It was very important to me that the book be clearly understood by lay people and not come off as too academic. Academia can be very helpful in seeking in-depth knowledge of a topic. However, it can also be intimidating to those who are just trying to get a basic understanding of something with which they are unfamiliar.

What experience in your life has had the biggest impact on your writing?

It started for me when I saw a lady enter the insurance company where I worked, completely overcome with grief at the death of her spouse. She had received a cancellation letter for an insurance policy she didn’t even know existed to protect her and her family. Her spouse was the breadwinner and therefore managed all the financial obligations in the household. This encounter opened my mind to other similar circumstances of unpaid mortgages and debt obligations, as well as other financial responsibilities that fell through the cracks due to lack of awareness by the person already suffering a significant loss.

I saw and heard these stories related to women of all ages; some having lost spouses to death or breakup, and some unfortunate enough never to have had that support in their lives at all. Their circumstances and lack of knowledge essentially exposed them to potential hardships. Seeing the extent of the impact of this knowledge gap in the media portrayal of female poverty and inequality made me feel an even more urgent need to write the book to do my part in helping these women.

What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Surviving a Man’s World?

I want that in reading Surviving a Man’s World, people come away with an increased feeling of hope. Too often the depth of anxiety caused by financial challenges can leave people paralyzed with despair. In some cases, some of the information captured in the book is already known, but in the ensuing panic of having lost control of their financial circumstances, the panic tends to overshadow their ability to reason. I have found in these and other types of traumatic situations, that sometimes just seeing a documented plan or solution, and knowing that some guidance or assistance is close to hand, can significantly reduce panic being experienced to create a feeling of comfort and peace of mind. This is what I hope I can give, through my book, to the people who really need it most.

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