Rachel Wilkerson | From Financial Survival to Freedom: A Journey of Resilience and Empowerment

Welcome back to Season 3 of MONEYO2!

If you’ve ever felt behind with money—or you’re supporting someone rebuilding after hard things—this episode is for you. Today’s guest, Rachel Wilkerson (our partner coordinator at Qnity and founder of Rise), shares a powerful story of resilience: early motherhood, domestic violence, bankruptcy, and a low credit score… to rebuilding stability, confidence, and purpose.

In this conversation, Rachel gets real about what’s happening behind the scenes—how shame keeps people stuck, the first small steps that actually move you forward (safety, a simple budget, and a plan to rebuild credit), and why community matters when you’re starting over. She also shares how teaching financial literacy re-shaped her own money mindset, and why she launched Rise to help survivors heal, connect, and regain control.

If you lead a team, coach clients, or simply want a compassionate, practical lens on money and recovery, this episode will meet you—and the people you care about—where you are.

As always, I’d love to hear what you think! DM me on Instagram @erinkuhnbhansali and follow us @moneyo2pod or email me at erin.kuhn@qnityinc.com.

Keep the conversation going with Rachel—follow @rachelwilkerson and explore Rise, her nonprofit empowering survivors, to get support or get involved.

Ready to start rewriting your money story—one steady step at a time? Listen to the full episode here.