New Money, Part 3: Support is Sexy
Podcasters Flipping the Script on Personal Finance + Entrepreneurship
Welcome to our New Money series, where we spotlight the podcasts that flip the script on the business/finance genre and challenge how we talk about an often sensitive topic — money. Seasoned experts in their own right, each of these podcasters bring something different to the table. From earning more than your partner how to turn your passion into profit, they’re not afraid to get real about the business and personal finance issues that matter to their audience.
Some may claim that they are world travelers, but Elayne Fluker is actually living the dream that many aspire to. She took her business abroad last summer to travel with Remote Year, working and living in five countries in five months, including South Africa, Spain, Prague, and Morocco. She returned to the U.S. in December 2018 to finish the manuscript for her upcoming book, scheduled for release with HarperCollins Leadership next year. To achieve this level of freedom as a female entrepreneur though can often be a lonely journey.
Elayne perfected her talent for storytelling over the course of two decades as a multimedia professional. After venturing into entrepreneurship to create Chic Rebellion Media in 2015, she quickly realized that being your own boss can be isolating for many women. Enter her labor of love, Support is Sexy. More than a podcast, Support is Sexy is a collective of female entrepreneurs who own their narrative, share their wisdom, and empower each other with stories of strength, challenges, and encouragement. When women support women, everyone wins.
We’re seriously jealous of your journey! How has your experience been recording your podcast abroad? Did you have to change your approach when traveling?
Elayne Fluker: Recording Support is Sexy abroad was a welcomed challenge for me! Prior to my travels, my interviews were conducted via the web with women around the world using Skype or Zoom. While traveling, I interviewed women entrepreneurs in each of the countries I visited in-person, which is a completely different setup, different energy — because you’re engaging face-to-face — and different moving pieces to keep track of as you’re recording. The experience pushed me to stretch as a podcast host and a producer!
What gets you the most excited about podcasting? And how has the platform allowed you to further your mission?
EF: The most exciting part about podcasting for me is how connected my listeners feel to me after listening to episodes. As they say, they feel like they know me, as though I am a trusted friend in their head. I take that responsibility very seriously.
Because my mission is to encourage women entrepreneurs to know that they are not alone through the stories I and other women share on my show and to empower them to ask for and embrace support, my podcast helps me fulfill that mission in a meaningful way.
What surprised you the most about podcasting when you first started out?
EF: I have been a journalist for more than 20 years — as a writer, editor, and producer, mostly for magazines, web sites and in video and television production. I have probably created more than 1,000 pieces of content during my career. No medium has been more engaging, as far as response, as podcasting has been for me. That has been a huge surprise to me.
You’ve interviewed hundreds of female entrepreneurs from around the world. How important is it to represent these different voices and which guest (or guests) have resonated with your audience the most?
EF: Including diverse voices and experiences of women is paramount to the Support is Sexy podcast. It is important to me that my show not only features a range in terms of race, geography, background, age, and sexuality, it also features different levels of experiences for the women entrepreneurs featured. So I’ve had guests who have $20+ million dollar businesses and those who were in the pitch phase of their businesses. What resonates most with my listeners is the honesty and transparency my guests share about the ups and downs of the journey no matter what stage of their business they’re in.
Looking back on your travels so far, which location did you see the biggest opportunities happening for women? Are you seeing a widespread change in the global atmosphere for female empowerment?
EF: I saw the biggest movement for women entrepreneurs in South Africa, where I visited Capetown and Johannesburg. There was a sense of determination in the women I met and interviewed there that I didn’t necessarily experience in the same way anywhere else.
I do sense a women’s empowerment movement globally and I believe our recognition of just how connected we are is a big part of that. Women are not only standing up for themselves around the world, but they are also standing up for each other. When we do this, we are unstoppable.
What’s the best piece of advice (financial or not) you have ever received?
EF: It always costs twice as much and takes twice as long. Plan for it as best you can. :)
