Other People's Pockets

What happens when you finally start to budget in your 50s, then you discover to your total surprise that you are $40,000 in debt?
I spoke to Margo Clayson about the uncomfortable conversations she had — and new relationship patterns she created — on her journey to becoming financially sound.
Clayson is founder of The Mighty Microgreen, an organization that helps educators create interactive STEM and nutrition lessons using microgreens.
She’s also an educator, longtime student, mom, grandmother, wife and Canadian now living in rural Idaho. I talked to her about the unusual way her financial reckoning came about, how she navigates money and marriage, and what budgeting looks like when you’re living off Social Security. 
Email me (Maya) with guest ideas, questions, or hello's at [email protected] Find me on social media here.
Find Margo:
The Mighty Microgreen
LinkedIn
Instagram

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Amelie Tsoungui is a Cameroonian immigrant who moved to the U.S. at age six. After two decades growing up in Chicago and spending part of her 20s in L.A., she decided to self-deport to Cameroon in 2025 after the Trump administration said it would revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Cameroonian nationals. The cancellation of TPS meant she would no longer be able to live in the U.S. legally.
This experience of moving back to West Africa, a home she only knew as a child, sparked her passion for digital storytelling, leading to multiple viral TikTok videos on her channel @amsthebomb237, where you can watch, almost in real-time, what it is like to transition to life in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon.
Her work explores themes of immigration, assimilation, spirituality, feminine rage, and karmic lineage, drawing from her BFA in Film and Television from DePaul University.
I spoke to Amelie as part of a series on how the Trump administration is affecting people's personal finances.
Email me (Maya) with guest ideas, questions, or hello's at [email protected]. Find me on social media here.
Connect with Amelie: Linktree

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Today we're honoring a member of the Other People's Pockets family, Carmen González, who tragically died this past August at the age of 24. Carmen was guest number 4 on this show, sharing how she handled her finances as a journalist, student and undocumented immigrant in Los Angeles.
What you'll hear is a montage of voices of people who knew and loved Carmen, followed by a re-release of the episode featuring her on OPP in 2023.
Carmen, if you're anywhere out there listening, we love you. And we miss you so much.

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Quay Crowner is a longtime U.S. federal government executive who served at multiple agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, the Government Accountability Office, and the Department of Education.
The 55-year-old Maryland native was most recently the Director of Outreach Impact and Engagement for Federal Student Aid at the Department of Education, when she was put on leave and ultimately fired this year as part of President Trump’s executive order to dismantle Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs, even though her job had nothing to do with DEI.
I'm talking to Quay as part of a series I’m doing on how the Trump administration is affecting individuals’ personal finances.
Email Maya with guest ideas, questions or hello's at [email protected]
Find Quay Crowner on LinkedIn
Find Maya:
Instagram
TikTok
LinkedIn
mayalau.com

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Today I’m interviewing someone who helps me immensely with my work, the way I approach my career, and how to just be more effective and intentional with my time.
I’m talking to my executive coach, Taylor Winters, because she has some really interesting ideas about the concept of “enough,” which we talk about a lot on this show.
This episode is a Pocket Dial! That's where we pause to reflect on the money themes that come up on Other People's Pockets.
Taylor Winters is an executive coach and entrepreneur. She co-founded and managed a globally-recognized design agency to a successful exit and pivoted her focus from developing products to developing people, specifically leadership professionals across industries. She earned her coaching certification from UC Berkeley (Haas) created the leadership practice Every Day Future, and is pursuing a Masters in Applied IO Psychology from Harvard.

Follow Taylor Winters:
IG: @everydayfuture

Follow Maya Lau:
IG: @itsmayamoney
LinkedIn: @mayalau
TikTok @itsmayamoney
YouTube: @itsmayamoney

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