Sep 19, 2023
In today’s episode I am joined by Abby Davisson. Abby has dedicated her career to helping others achieve their goals!
With Stanford professor and labor economist Myra Strober, Abby wrote Money & Love: An Intelligent Roadmap for Life's Biggest Decisions, a research-backed guide to making the choices that matter most. The book contains data, stories, and a flexible framework to help people navigate high-stakes choices when money and love are involved (hint: that's all the big ones in life).
Most recently, she spent nine years at global retailer Gap Inc., where she served as president of the Gap Foundation and co-founded the company’s employee resource group for parents. Her expertise in career development comes from serving as an alumni career advisor and coach at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Her professional experience also includes strategy roles at Net Impact, Tipping Point Community, the NYC Department of Education, and The Bridgespan Group. Abby has a BA from Yale and an MBA and MA in Education from Stanford University.
She lives with her husband Ross and two sons in San Francisco, where she remains in relentless pursuit of the best-tasting dark chocolate.
Key Points
• Myra Strober's class on Work and Family inspired Abby to co-write the book after realizing its transformative impact on her own life.
• A framework with the 5 Cs (Clarify, Communicate, Consider, Choose, Commit) can guide decision-making.
• Early discussions about financial goals and values can prevent misunderstandings and assumptions.
• Effective communication is an ongoing process, not a one-time event.
• Clarifying your goals is crucial and sets the foundation for successful decision-making.
• Successfully navigating these transitions leads to greater intimacy and a stronger bond.
• Recognize the significance of making intentional choices in all aspects of life.
Best Quotes
04:17 - 04:30
• "If you go into that arrangement by having open and honest conversations about how you are going to combine your lives, your careers, your ambitions, your finances, the household chores, childcare... those negative outcomes go away."
12:52 - 13:00
• "Your financial success is something that so many people really believe that this is how they're judged."
15:44 - 15:50
• "The more you talk about it, the more prepared they are for these types of conversations."
23:02 - 23:09
• "When we're in the throes of a big decision, we tend to think in very binary terms. But there are so many options in between."
35:07 - 35:12
• "It's always funny to me when I'm consulting or advising or standing on a stage with where I'm coaching advisors and I'm like, Hey guys, gals, whatever it is, it is so different than what people think."
56:47 - 56:56
• "It's about not just sliding into the lives
that we're having, but really deciding what do we want those lives
to look like?"
For more about Abby, visit: Abbydavisson.com
To learn more about The High Performance LIFE, visit:
Scottdanner.com