I want to know who you are.

I mean that in the best possible way.

Here's the thing about making a podcast: you spend a lot of time creating something, you put that thing out into the world, and … you really don’t know who exactly is listening to it.

I do have some audience demographic data, but it’s not very robust. Knowing who is listening helps me land potential sponsors, and that helps OPP grow.

So I made a survey. It takes about three minutes.

Help shape the future of this show! Click here. And thank you!

-Maya

How do you compensate someone for giving life to another person's dream?

Sunshine Hanson is a three-time gestational surrogate, which means that on three different occasions, she was pregnant with and gave birth to other people’s babies, and was paid for it.

Her experience of helping families who wanted biological children but could not carry them on their own and navigating the financial aspects of that, inspired her to start her own agency, called "Surrogacy is...," which matches intended parents with prospective surrogates.

I’ve always wanted to interview a surrogate because I’m fascinated by the idea of getting paid to do something that is so personal and that you really can’t put a price on.

We talked about how much money she made by being a surrogate; how it helped her pay off debt and reach financial goals; the ethics of paying someone to be pregnant & how to guard against exploitation; and about the financial literacy that should be talked about more in life and in the world of surrogacy.

Email me (Maya) with guest ideas, questions, or hello's at otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com. Find me on social media here.

Find Sunshine:

Surrogacy.is

Instagram

Facebook

TikTok

LinkedIn

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 otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com Find me on social media here.

Find Margo:

The Mighty Microgreen

LinkedIn

Instagram

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 otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com. Find me on social media here.

Connect with Amelie: Linktree

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.

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 otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com

Find Quay Crowner on LinkedIn

Find Maya:

Instagram

TikTok

LinkedIn

mayalau.com

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

Today I’m bringing you my interview with Cecilia Thiam, a 35-year-old Swiss-American humanitarian aid worker who has spent most of her career living and working in sub-saharan Africa. She lost her job after the Trump administration enacted sweeping cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Now, she has had to scrap her plans, move to a new country with her 6-year-old daughter while parenting solo, and re-think her entire career.

We spoke on July 10, 2025.

This is part of a theme we are pursuing looking at how the Trump administration is affecting people’s personal finances. If you know someone who would be a great guest, get in touch at otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com or on Instagram or TikTok at @itsmayamoney. And on LinkedIn!

Thank you for supporting this show!