Reframing Money as Mutual Care: A Conversation with Dr. Kendall Houghton, Economist

The first time I met Dr. Kendall Houghton, we were sitting at a dinner table in Ojai, California. As we talked, she casually mentioned three things every woman should know about money—and suddenly, the entire table leaned in. It was as if she had tapped into an unspoken truth, a conversation we all craved but rarely had.

In this episode of Embodied, I spoke with Kendall—an economist, researcher, and financial guide whose work focuses on expansive interdependence and joyful creation. Together, we explored the emotional and spiritual dimensions of money, the way financial awareness can be a form of shadow work, and why it’s so important for women to claim their financial desires.

Kendall brings a fresh and deeply human perspective to economics. She believes money isn’t just about numbers and transactions—it’s about energy, mutual care, and the way we choose to participate in the world. Our conversation left me seeing money in a whole new way.

How our relationship with money shapes our lives

In our hour-long conversation, we explored:

💰 The taboo around women and money—why claiming financial desires can feel rebellious.
💰 Money as shadow work—how our spending habits reveal deeper emotional needs.
💰 The “money munchies”—the unconscious pull to spend as a form of self-soothing.
💰 Balancing masculine and feminine energies in finance—how trust plays a role in financial well-being.
💰 Money as mutual care—a new way of seeing financial exchange as a form of connection.

Kendall’s insights helped me realize that financial well-being isn’t just about how much we earn or save—it’s about how we relate to money itself. Do we see it as a tool for freedom? A source of stress? A measure of our worth? These unconscious beliefs shape our financial reality in ways we don’t always recognize.

Trusting ourselves with money

For many women, money feels loaded with expectations and fear. Some of us hesitate to claim financial abundance, worried about what it means. Others feel a deep-seated belief that we don’t deserve more.

Kendall challenged me to ask myself: Would you trust yourself as your own financial manager?

That question stayed with me. Because trust—both in ourselves and in the flow of money—is at the heart of financial well-being. It’s not about hoarding wealth or fearing loss. It’s about learning to conduct financial energy in a way that aligns with our values.

If this conversation resonates with you, I invite you to explore your relationship with money. Notice where fear or resistance comes up. Ask yourself what financial health truly means to you. And most importantly, permit yourself to trust that you are capable of stewarding financial energy with wisdom and care.

Shifting our money story

In today’s world, conversations about money often focus on lack, stress, or accumulation. But what if we reframed money as a force for good? What if we saw it as a way to nurture ourselves, support our communities, and create a more just and generous world?

Kendall left me with a powerful insight:

"Money is already flowing around the world. You can ask to be the custodian of a little more of it. And how wonderful if you are the one directing it toward things that matter."

🎧 Tune in now for this transformative conversation on money, trust, and financial self-awareness. Whether you’re navigating your financial journey, redefining your relationship with money, or simply looking for a fresh perspective, this episode is for you.