Tori Dunlap, founder of Her First 100K, is on a mission to shift how women approach their finances. The desire for this started early…on her own personal journey she set a goal of saving $100,000 by the age of 25. For Dunlap, it wasn’t just about hitting a financial milestone—it was about unlocking choices. Those savings enabled her to leave a soul-sucking job that she actually reframed in her mind as her first “investor”.

But the seeds of entrepreneurialism were already in her: she owned vending machines as a child. Her first vending machine was kind of like a gumball machine that her dad bought for a couple hundred bucks. She had to pay him back. That early foray into business taught her a lot like research, balancing the books, and scaling. 

Dunlap also addresses the gender wealth gap and how women can fight back against systemic financial problems. She emphasizes the importance of negotiating salaries from the get-go and knowing your worth, especially in industries where women are often paid less than men.

The conversation dives into why so many women shy away from investing. Dunlap points out the widespread fear and intimidation women feel when it comes to money, especially with confusing financial jargon. Many women believe they need to be experts before they take the plunge, but Dunlap is adamant that investing is a learned skill. She breaks down the myth that you need to pick the next big stock and instead focuses on the importance of building a diversified portfolio with small, manageable steps. 

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