Can You Build a Company and a Family at the Same Time? Kat Schneider Did Both

Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a company from nothing? Ritual founder Kat Schneider came to America at four years old with $50 and one suitcase. She built a women's health company doing hundreds of millions in revenue out of her own lived experience, starting it four months pregnant after an investor told her she could have a business or a family, but not both. 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO PRETTY MONEY    / @prettymoney.podcast   On this episode of Pretty Money, host Ariela Weston sits down with Kat to talk about turning hardship into purpose, why revenue never made her feel successful, and how she's raising three daughters who already know what a budget is. ABOUT KAT SCHNEIDER Katerina "Kat" Schneider is the founder and CEO of Ritual, the women's health company behind a clinically studied prenatal vitamin. Her family emigrated from Soviet-era Ukraine and started over in a Brooklyn welfare hotel. She studied applied math at Brown, survived the Lehman Brothers collapse as an M&A analyst, and worked in venture capital before founding Ritual. She has committed $5 million to human clinical research in women's health and holds six patents. IN THIS CONVERSATION • Arriving in Brooklyn with $50 and watching her parents rebuild in their 40s • Why circumstances don't define outcomes • 120-hour weeks at Lehman Brothers and the money lesson the 2008 crash taught her • Discovering her creative side and leaving finance • Being told women's health was "niche" by rooms full of male investors • Why she refused to build Ritual around herself • What success feels like when revenue milestones don't • Raising daughters who run a pottery stand with a tip jar and a Venmo link • Choosing experiences over things, and budgeting in marriage without guilt QUESTIONS ANSWERED Who founded Ritual? Kat Schneider founded Ritual while four months pregnant, after leaving her career as a venture capitalist. Was Kat Schneider told she couldn't have a business and a family? Yes. An investor told her she could start a business or a family, but not both. She did both, and is now a mother of three. Did Kat Schneider work at Lehman Brothers? Yes. She was an M&A analyst at Lehman Brothers during the 2008 collapse. Watching senior bankers lose everything overnight taught her never to buy more than she can afford. What does financial success mean to Kat Schneider? Comfort. Being able to sleep at night knowing your bills are paid, instead of always reaching for the next milestone. How does Kat Schneider teach her kids about money? She gives them cash and a set budget for shopping trips, puts their earnings in their own bank accounts, and lets them run their own small businesses. CHAPTERS 00:00 Kat Schneider: Ritual Founder's Story 01:39 From Soviet Ukraine to Brooklyn With $50 04:39 Why Circumstances Don't Define Outcomes 06:41 Lehman Brothers Collapse & the 2008 Crash 14:37 Leaving Finance & Male-Dominated Rooms 18:12 "Business or Family": Founding Ritual Pregnant 22:43 Why She Refused to Build a Founder-Led Brand 26:33 What Success Means When Revenue Doesn't 31:42 Raising Money-Smart Daughters 44:50 Wealth, Spending & Money in Marriage 56:44 Where to Follow Kat & Ritual FOLLOW KAT SCHNEIDER & RITUAL https://www.instagram.com/katandkale/... https://www.instagram.com/ritual/?hl=en 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO PRETTY MONEY    / @prettymoney.podcast   PRETTY MONEY: BUILD THE CONFIDENCE. Produced by @GebbiaMedia Sponsored by Siebert Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: SIEB) — Financial Freedom for Everyone — Member FINRA/SIPC https://www.siebert.com/ The Pretty Money Podcast is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Siebert Financial. Nothing in this podcast constitutes personalized investment advice, an offer to sell, or a solicitation to buy any securities. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Consult qualified financial, tax, or legal professionals regarding your individual circumstances. Disclosures: siebert.com/siebert-disclosures #KatSchneider #Ritual #PrettyMoney