Leisa Peterson is a money mindset coach, author, and financial educator who helps people transform their relationship with money. With more than 25 years of experience in financial services, she founded WealthClinic to help people overcome financial anxiety and build wealth from a holistic perspective. Leisa is the author of The Mindful Millionaire, and hosts The Art of Abundance podcast and The Mindful Millionaire podcast. She combines practical financial strategies with mindfulness practices to help clients create lasting abundance.

In this episode of Mindful Money, I talk with Leisa about her courageous shift from nonfiction to fiction in her new book, The Money Catalyst. We unpack her deeply personal journey from scarcity to abundance, the emotional awakenings sparked by a trip to Paris, and how creating a fictional character helped her heal old wounds. We also dive into journaling prompts, mindset shifts, and the power of embracing “no.” Leisa’s vulnerability, insight, and generosity offer a fresh perspective on wealth—one that’s as much about inner transformation as it is about financial success.

In this episode:
(00:00) - Intro
(01:38) - Meet Leisa Peterson
(03:19) - Writing from personal experience
(06:45) - Struggling with a scarcity mindset
(10:11) - How writing transformed Leisa’s closest relationships
(11:58) - Writing fiction vs. nonfiction
(14:29) - How storytelling shifts the money conversation
(16:06) - How Leisa’s books complement each other
(16:48) - Narrative, identity, and the limits of perspective
(22:24) - How reflection shapes abundance
(24:51) - Learning from financial setbacks
(26:28) - The AWAKE process in action
(29:49) – Understanding the RAIN mindfulness method
(30:48) - A powerful takeaway for improving your financial life
(33:39) - One thing to stop doing to get better results
(34:42) - A place that deeply impacted Leisa
(36:45) - How to connect with Leisa

Get full show notes and links at https://mindful.money.

ABOUT MINDFUL MONEY:
Do you struggle with money? You’re not alone.

Money is a means, not an end. It’s a necessity of life for sure, but more money does not always guarantee a “good life”. Money enables many aspects of modern life, but as a dominant consideration, it becomes destructive.

The paradox is that more time and energy spent on personal finance does NOT create better outcomes. Unlike many other parts of life, we can’t create better outcomes by being smarter, spending more time, or putting in more effort.

Join Mindful Money author and experienced 40-year investor Jonathan DeYoe as he shares stories from artists, authors, entrepreneurs, and other advisors about how they mindfully minimize their need to think about money and get more out of life.

If you aren’t happy with your finances, feel like money takes more time than it should, or want to place your financial decisions into the broader context of your life, this show is for you.

Each episode will draw the line between the “enough” activities that the academics tell us are additive to family outcomes, and those “little bit more” efforts that take time and sap energy but do NOT improve outcomes.

CONNECT WITH LEISA:
Website: https://www.wealthclinic.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leisapeterson1/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leisa.peterson/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leisapeterson/

MINDFUL MONEY RESOURCES:
Website: https://mindful.money
Jonathan DeYoe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathandeyoe
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🎙️Podcast Production by Turncast: https://turncast.com.