Executive Vice President & Chief People Officer, Gap
Search every verified Amanda Thompson interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In September 2023, Amanda Thompson launched her book *Financially Fit Women: How to Be Your Own CFO*. During a book launch event, Thompson stated that she had a heart attack at age 34, which she described as a "classic burnout from work" and a pivotal moment that led her to start her own business. She said the book aims to provide general financial planning concepts and money confidence, addressing what she described as a significant gap in financial literacy and security for women, including pay gaps and superannuation balances. Thompson described the book as a "self-development, creative goal-setting, and educational book" rather than solely a finance book. She said she prefers the term "spending plans" over "budgets" because budgeting has a negative connotation, and she suggested that tying financial goals to personal and emotional reasons creates stronger motivation. Thompson also noted that affordable access to financial planning is difficult to obtain in Australia and that the book is intended to be accessible without requiring large sums of money for a financial planner.
“I had a heart attack at age 34, which was a classic burnout from work, and it was a pivotal moment that made me follow my heart and start my own business. I could have died that night, and that experience deeply shaped my why for writing this book.”
“Women need help finding financial information and confidence because there is a significant gap in financial literacy and security, including pay gaps and superannuation balances, which are generational issues that must be addressed.”
“Affordable access to financial planning is quite hard to come by in Australia, so my book aims to provide general financial planning concepts and money confidence without the need to commit large sums of money to a financial planner.”
“Financial fitness is like physical fitness; forming good financial habits requires a journey of self-discipline and accountability, much like maintaining physical health and endurance.”
“I prefer the term 'spending plans' over 'budgets' because budgeting has a negative connotation; the goal is to find a surplus and align spending with personal values and goals rather than just controlling expenses.”
“Women tend to be heart-centered and emotional connectors, so when financial goals are tied to personal and emotional reasons, like family holidays or experiences, it creates a stronger motivation to achieve those goals.”
“Financially Fit Women is not just a finance book; it is a self-development, creative goal-setting, and educational book designed to empower women of all ages to take ownership of their finances in a simple and accessible way.”
“Women supporting women is crucial; this book has been supported by women and aims to lift each other up by empowering women to get their finances in order and take control of their financial futures.”
UNLEASH THE CFO WITHIN “A must-read for all women. Amanda will teach you what truly matters when looking at your ...
Sign in to search the full transcript archive, filter by topic, and access every quote from Amanda Thompson.
The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →