Joan Sotkin helps entrepreneurs rapidly improve their relationship with money and themselves while coping with the current chaos. She started doing business online in 1995 and now hangs out on Substack.

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Guest Resource

Joan Sotkin on Substack – Listen to Joan’s new podcast: Prosper from the Inside Out on Substack and other platforms.

Prosper from the Inside Out – Listen to Joan’s podcast on Spotify.

3 Value Bombs

1. Financial problems are never about money—they’re emotional patterns rooted in childhood experiences.

2. The five emotions people act out through money are aloneness, shame, anger, deprivation, and a sense of being trapped.

3. Chaos is constant—inner calm and emotional fluency are your true paths to prosperity.

Sponsors

HighLevel: The ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies! Learn more at HighLevelFire.com!

ThriveTime Show: Attend the world’s highest rated business growth workshop taught personally by Clay Clark and now featuring Football Star, Tim Tebow, and President Trump’s son, Eric Trump, at ThrivetimeShow.com/eofire!

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All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. Alpha is an experimental AI tool powered by GPT-4. Its output may be inaccurate and is not investment advice. Public makes no guarantees about its accuracy or reliability—verify independently before use. *Rate as of 6/24/25. APY is variable and subject to change. **Terms and Conditions apply.

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.

Today’s Audio MASTERCLASS: Prosper from the Inside Out with Joan Sotkin

[1:21] — Joan shares something she believes about success that most people disagree with.

Success isn’t about money—it’s about how you feel.
Money is just a side effect of deeper inner work.

[1:51] — Joan explains why she say financial problems are never about money.

Emotions from early childhood shape financial outcomes.
Emotional habits like disappointment, unworthiness, or fear repeat themselves subconsciously.

[3:00] — Joan talks about how our childhood truly affect our finances.

Family dynamics, birth order, and parental roles all shape how we respond emotionally today.
It’s not what’s happening—it’s how we respond to what’s happening that matters.

[4:14] — Joan talks about the five core emotions people act out through money.

Aloneness, shame, anger, deprivation, and feeling trapped.

[4:26] — Joan breaks down the first one: aloneness.

Aloneness often stems from not feeling validated or connected.
Many seek money to fill an emotional void that connection would resolve.
Joan shares her personal journey through depression and how removing sugar was transformative.

[8:04] — Joan talks about shame.

Shame often arises when comparing ourselves to others or feeling like we don’t measure up.
Joan describes how societal and familial conditioning instills shame from a young age.

[11:44] — Tanya shares how shame show up in the body.

Emotions are felt physically—shame feels contracted, hidden, closed.
Breath work and intentional expansion can help retrain emotional responses and rewire the brain.

[13:48] – A timeout to thank our sponsors!

Wix: Ready to create your own website? Go to Wix.com to start building your website today!
Public: Build a multi-asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto, and more. Go to Public.com/fire to fund your account in five minutes or less!
- All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. Alpha is an experimental AI tool powered by GPT-4. Its output may be inaccurate and is not investment advice. Public makes no guarantees about its accuracy or reliability—verify independently before use. *Rate as of 6/24/25. APY is variable and subject to change. **Terms and Conditions apply.

[16:57] — Joan talks about how we can thrive financially and emotionally in a chaotic world.

Chaos is ongoing. Joan saw it coming as far back as 1976.
The solution is not escaping chaos, but learning to feel calm amid it.
Recalling tiny positive moments shifts brain chemistry toward resilience and peace.

[19:02] — Joan talks about the 4 R’s method for emotional mastery.

What are you feeling?
When have you felt it before?
What would you rather feel?
Do you know how to feel that?
Recalling past moments of success helps build neural pathways toward that state.

[22:15] — Joan gives her final take away and call to action.

Practice feeling expanded and saying YES.
Joan Sotkin on Substack – Listen to Joan’s new podcast: Prosper from the Inside Out on Substack and other platforms.
Prosper from the Inside Out – Listen to Joan’s podcast on Spotify.

[23:02] – Thank you to our Sponsor!

ThriveTime Show: Attend the world’s highest rated business growth workshop taught personally by Clay Clark and now featuring Football Star, Tim Tebow, and President Trump’s son, Eric Trump, at ThrivetimeShow.com/eofire!

Killer Resources!

1) The Common Path to Uncommon Success: JLD’s 1st traditionally published book! Over 3000 interviews with the world’s most successful Entrepreneurs compiled into a 17-step roadmap to financial freedom and fulfillment!

2) Free Podcast Course: Learn from JLD how to create and launch your podcast!

3) Podcasters’ Paradise: The #1 podcasting community in the world!