Kitchen Table Change: The Money Talk

By Dr. Rhonda Boyd Coach

How one financial conversation can change generations

So often, we look outside of ourselves for change—waiting on a new job, a new

administration, or a new opportunity to fix our family’s financial situation. But real, lasting

change doesn’t begin out there. It begins inside our homes, around our kitchen tables.

That’s where belief systems are formed. That’s where habits are passed down. And that’s

where cycles are either repeated—or broken.

I am a disruptor when it comes to mindset and money. Not because disruption is trendy, but

because too many families are still operating off financial norms that were handed down

generation after generation without question. We were taught that our circumstances, our

starting point, and what we “know” about money defines what’s possible for us. And until we

truly understand how money works—and that there are multiple ways money works—we

remain stuck in the same cycles we inherited.

For some of us, that means becoming the black sheep of the family. The one who thinks

differently. The one who knows change is necessary, even if we don’t yet know exactly how

that change will unfold. But once you gain the right information, you become more than just

the black sheep—you become the disruptor of your family, your church, your neighborhood,

and eventually, your city. Because when change starts at the kitchen table, it ripples outward.

My name is Dr. Ronda Stinson Boyd, and for more than 11 years I’ve worked as a financial

professional. My journey into wealth education didn’t begin on the wealth side of life

insurance—it began on the death side. Like many people, I initially understood life insurance

as something you purchase “just in case.” But everything shifted when I learned that life

insurance could be used while you’re living—not just when you’re gone.

There are certain money topics we avoid because they feel taboo: debt, credit, income gaps,

and wealth. We’ll have “the talk” with our children about driving or relationships, but rarely do

we sit them down to talk about money. Often, that avoidance comes from shame or

fear—feeling like we have to be on the other side of the struggle before we’re qualified to talk

about it. But what if we never get there because we were never given the right information to

begin with?

When you don’t know what you’re looking for, you don’t know what questions to ask. That’s

why education has to come before accumulation.

In my work with families, we start by breaking down how money actually functions. Most

households place money into familiar buckets—banks, the stock market, and real

estate—often unintentionally, simply because that’s what they’ve seen others do. But there’s a fourth bucket many people were never taught about: life insurance as a wealth-building

vehicle.

When most people hear “life insurance,” they think of death and burial. But life insurance can

be so much more. Families use it to fund college, start businesses, become private lenders,

and create generational wealth. Historical figures and major institutions have long understood this, but the information rarely reached everyday households.

Wealth is not meant to be built in isolation. It’s a team sport. And one essential

teammate—often overlooked—is a knowledgeable life insurance professional who

understands your goals and helps structure strategies around them.

Some families plan so intentionally that when a child is born, a policy is put in place—not out

of fear, but foresight. That child then has access to capital at pivotal moments: education,

entrepreneurship, homeownership. Instead of creating debt, the family creates options.

And if you’re thinking it’s too late because your children are grown, let me be clear: as long as you’re breathing, it’s not too late. Whether you’re building for yourself, your children, or your grandchildren, someone has to decide that life insurance will be part of a comprehensive wealth plan—not just another bill.

This conversation is especially critical now. We are in the middle of one of the largest wealth

transfers in history—estimated between $84 and $124 trillion—moving from baby boomers

to Millennials and Gen Z. Without education, much of that wealth will be lost through taxes,

poor decisions, lack of liquidity, or market volatility.

Beyond education, I also help people build income by creating agencies within the life

insurance space—allowing them to continue doing what they love while adding a vehicle that

aligns with their purpose and expands their impact.

At the heart of it all is this truth: until we start talking about money—honestly and

intentionally—we will continue living in the cycle of work, pay bills, increase income, increase

expenses, repeat.

So I invite you to be the disruptor. Be the one who asks different questions. Be the one who

starts the conversation. Because when the money talk changes at the kitchen table,

everything else begins to change too.

Dr. Ronda Stinson Boyd 

Social Media Platforms: @rondastinsonboyd

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Founder of FLOW with Ronda, Consulting and Passion to Pay Project Nonprofit