From Fear to Fierce: Money, Motherhood & Massive Growth I Fear, Money & Self-Power

When Deanna Cooney's marriage ended, she walked away with $50,000 in debt, zero financial literacy, and two young children relying on her. Her nervous system in complete disarray, she spent two years terrified.Through vulnerability and honesty, Deanna shares how she learned to sit with her fear instead of avoiding it. She picked up 'The Barefoot Investor' and built practical financial skills. As her competence grew and her confidence followed, she added breathing techniques and nervous system regulation tools to feel safe. Together, these tools, along with reaching out for support, helped her rewrite inherited money stories and step into her own fierce capability and self-sovereignty.Deanna's story reminds us we have the capability within us to navigate life's messiest challenges, but we don't have to do it alone. Small, consistent steps become the pathway to lasting growth.About Our GuestDeanna Cooney helps smart, capable leaders and high performers find their voice when the pressure is on. With 30 years as a professional performer and over a decade of teaching and coaching, she understands fear from the inside out. Her body-first approach builds nervous system capacity alongside practical speaking skill – going well beyond surface-level confidence. Working across corporate, creative, and leadership environments, Deanna translates performance tools from stage and screen into real-world communication that holds up when it counts.Read the full show notes on our Substack: https://whatsfear.substack.com/p/s2e300:00 The Moment That Changed Everything01:39 Facing Financial Illiteracy06:08 The Fear of Loss and Judgment10:29 Rewriting Money Stories14:34 Finding Internal Strength17:33 The Importance of Support20:58 Breaking Free from the Feedback Loop25:44 The Role of Support in Shifting Beliefs29:11 Creating Internal Safety for Growth33:58 Managing the Nervous System for Change37:49 Building a Future Self through Safety42:29 Lessons from Fear and Self-Trust45:48 It's A Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatsfear.substack.com