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Money troubles might be considered common for many of us, but no one speaks about them, and because money is so rarely spoken about, some of us can end up in very real, and stressful money situations.
That’s what happened to Nell when she moved to LA to chase her acting career, only to find a lack of financial education completely undermined her.
Now, Nell is the founder of The Savvy Creative and Maiden Media and the newly launched podcast How To Be A Savvy Creative.
Having started out her professional career as an actor, appearing in two seasons of A Place to Call Home, several award winning films, commercials and stage shows across Australia and the US, Nell pivoted her focus in 2021 and attained her Masters of Screen Arts at AFTRS to focus on Screen Business and Leadership.
Since then Nell has been producing and working in partnerships in the brand space. Nell launched Maiden Media in late 2025 and is keen to break the mould when it comes to producing content in Australia.
In this episode she shares:
- Her decision to move to LA to pursue acting.
- How an inheritance and credit card led to major money mistakes.
- Why nobody taught her how to manage money.
- The panic and shame of watching her savings disappear.
- Her experience of returning home feeling defeated.
- How she paid off $25,000 of debt and rebuilt from scratch.
- The money lessons that completely changed her mindset.
- Why she gave LA multiple chances before finally letting it go.
- How old money fears resurfaced when starting a business.
- Why she now helps creatives build better financial habits.
Key Quotes
\"There's something that happens to you when you're just watching a bank account just go down and… I kind of felt powerless to fix that situation.\"
\"You can't think about things clearly because you're too worried about the money situation.\"
\"For so long, I was paying off past self and I didn't even get anything for it.\"
More about Nell
You can follow Nell on Instagram, follow The Savvy Creative on Instagram and Maiden Media on Instagram.
You can also listen to How To Be A Savvy Creative online.
You can get involved with the podcast online
On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus
Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus
If you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.com
Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com
If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:
http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au