**When Women Talk Money, Everyone Wins. Tune in for mindset shifts, practical moves, and learn how Jen proves Fi’s belief that when women share openly in safe spaces, everyone earns more.**

In this episode of Money Secrets, Fi sits down with **Jen Murnaghan from** **Digital Dandy** to explore the very real shift from 12 years of solo business into a values-aligned employed role — and the money skills that made it possible.

Listen to Episode 40

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why confidence with money starts with clarity, and how accountants/bookkeepers can remove fear and build good habits.
How to put a number next to your (product/ service/ salary) value, from overcoming undercharging to negotiating salary (and even shaping a job title).
The power of seasons in business, and why choosing stability doesn’t mean you’ve quit. It means you’re designing for your life.
Better, not bigger: how a Company-of-One mindset, plus a trusted contractor bench, can still deliver scale and impact.
Why women talking money matters, and how transparent conversations in safe rooms lead to better pricing for everyone.
Simple ways to build pricing confidence, including peer benchmarking, researching aligned rates, and giving value “gifts” in pitches.
Money habits, like Profit First thinking and planning for tax/super, whether you’re consulting or on a salary.

Transcript: Ep#40 Are you even in business if you're not checking Seek? Big career shifts with Jen Murnaghan

Money Secrets Podcast – Episode 40

Introduction

We've made a lot of progress as a society in many areas, but one thing that hasn’t changed enough is our relationship with money. If we want to tip the scales in favour of marginalised people, we need to understand the secrets to making money in small business.

The more we talk about money — especially the secrets that usually stay behind closed doors or on the golf course — the more empowered we become. My mission is to get more money into the hands of good people, specifically business owners like you.

Because I believe small business can change the world. And to do that, we need to be making more money.

Acknowledgement of Country

This episode was recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. I’d like to acknowledge them as the Traditional Owners and custodians of this land and water that I live, work and play on.

I pay my respects to Elders past and present, and recognise that sovereignty has never been ceded. This always was, and always will be, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.

The Backstory: From Dublin to Hobart

Jen grew up in Dublin, moved to Australia in 2000, and built a life across Sydney and Hobart. Her early career zig-zagged through interiors, design, and brand storytelling—editing a company magazine, learning email marketing “in the encoding days,” and discovering a love for community building that would later power Digital Dandy.

Seasons of Small Business

From blogging (The Brothers Trim) to a product venture (Dish Pig), Jen tested, learned, and pivoted. The consistent thread? Marketing, connection, and story. In 2013 she founded Digital Dandy and, over 12 years, became the trusted strategist behind tourism, hospitality, arts, and community brands in Tasmania.

Money Stories: From Fear to Fluency

Jen didn’t grow up talking about money. Banks felt austere. Maths felt like a wall. Starting a business brought those feelings front and centre. Her fix was practical and powerful: hire an accountant and bookkeeper early, keep it simple, and build literacy over time.

“Don’t be afraid of it. If you don’t know how to do it—learn.”

The Company-of-One Choice

Tempted by team growth but clear on capacity, Jen embraced better, not bigger. She built a bench of trusted contractors while staying close to the strategy she loves. That choice protected her wellbeing and her margins—and gave her space to deliver deep, high-quality work.

The Pivot: Saying Yes to a New Chapter

With teen boys gaining independence, an eight-year contract wrapping, and fresh clarity after a Good Money Club x Campaign Del Mar retreat, Jen felt a shift. Then the phone rang: a friend and former employer invited her to consider a role on a brand evolution project inside a respected Tasmanian organisation.

Jen did the work: pros/cons, values check, flexibility questions, family logistics (even the dog!). She asked for what she needed—hybrid work, meaningful scope—and she got it.

Negotiating with Confidence

Years of pricing herself in business paid off. Jen negotiated salary, influenced the job title, and stepped in feeling valued. That’s the power of money skills built in small business: they transfer.

Why Women Talking Money Matters (and Works)

Inside Good Money Club, Jen heard real numbers from real peers. She benchmarked. She raised rates. She practiced putting a dollar figure beside her value.

Fi: “You’ve proven what I believe—when women talk about money openly with other women in safe spaces, everybody makes more money.”

Practical Moves that Helped Jen

Share numbers with trusted peers to calibrate rates.
Research aligned pricing for your level of work.
Give a value “gift” in pitches (a small insight or suggestion) to build trust.
Keep money support in place (accountant/bookkeeper) even when you “know more now.”

Tiny Money Secret

Talking about money is how we make more. When you can see your peers charging well, you’re more likely to be the person who charges well.

Good Money Club

Are you a female or LGBTQIA+ business owner who wants to make more money and create meaningful change? My 6-month program, Good Money Club, is designed to help you do exactly that.

We work on your pricing, positioning, business model, and mindset — so you can build your bank account and your impact. Read more about Good Money Club.

Final Thoughts

Maybe the grass isn’t greener—maybe it’s green wherever you water it. Jen will check back in six months, but for now, this chapter is about designing for the season you’re in, owning your value, and letting transparent money conversations lift everyone.

Outro

Thank you for listening to Money Secrets. If you loved this episode, please subscribe, share it with a friend, or leave a review. Your support helps us get these conversations into the hands of more good people who deserve to thrive in business.

We’ve come so far as a society in many ways, but money is one of the areas where progress hasn’t been enough. If we want to tip the scales in favour of marginalised people, it starts with understanding the secret: money in small business.

In this podcast, Money Secrets, host Fiona (Fi) Johnston—Chartered Accountant, small business advocate, and impact enthusiast—dives into the conversations we need to have about money. The secrets that once stayed behind closed doors (or on the golf course) are finally out in the open.

Fi’s mission? To get more money into the hands of good people, like you. She believes small businesses have the power to change the world, and the key to making a bigger impact is to make—and manage—more money.

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Thank you to everyone involved for bringing this podcast together. We are excited to hear from you with any questions, feedback or suggestions for future episodes that you might have. Send a Direct Message to @peach.business

If you are excited for what’s to come, please like this episode, follow the podcast and share it with your friends. We are thrilled you're here.

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