This interview is with Inge Von Aulock, Chief Wealth Builder at Invested Mom.

Inge Von Aulock, Chief Wealth Builder, Invested Mom

Inge, could you please tell us a bit about yourself and your journey to becoming an expert in personal finance and investing?

My journey with personal finance started far from Wall Street – selling fudge at school in Cape Town, South Africa! While I later managed billion-dollar revenue recognition at Tesla, my real passion for financial education came from my own transformation. I realized saving alone wasn't enough to build wealth, so I started investing in myself and learning how to make money work harder.

Now, through Invested Mom, I'm re-imagining how we approach financial literacy. After moving to Canada in 2010 and experiencing the slow grind of saving for real estate, I discovered ways to compound wealth more effectively.

I transformed my own financial life and realized I could help others, especially moms, do the same. Today, alongside my roles at Top Apps and Penfriend, I'm passionate about democratizing financial education – making it accessible, transparent, and actually enjoyable. Because everyone deserves to understand how to build wealth, not just the financial elite.

What key experiences or insights have shaped your perspective on managing money and investments?

My perspective on investing was fundamentally shaped by discovering value investing through Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, and Phil Town's Rule 1 principles. But it wasn't always this clear—I started like many others, thinking saving alone was enough.

Managing billion-dollar revenue at Tesla taught me about corporate finance, but my real transformation came from applying value-investing principles to my personal wealth-building. When I was struggling to save for real estate in Canada, I realized I needed a more sophisticated approach.

Value investing resonated because it's about understanding true worth rather than just following market trends. This approach helped me compound my wealth much faster than traditional saving, and it's what I now teach others—especially those who think investing is too complex or out of reach.

Can you share a specific instance where you helped someone achieve a significant financial goal, and what key lessons did you learn from that experience?

In my upcoming book "Living Unrestricted," I share a transformative coaching experience where I helped a client build their real-estate portfolio. They went from feeling stuck in the saving cycle—much like I once was—to successfully purchasing and renovating an investment property that now generates monthly cash flow.

The key lesson this reinforced for me is that financial freedom isn't just about saving money—it's about creating assets that work for you. Through coaching this client, I saw firsthand how combining real estate knowledge with value-investing principles can accelerate wealth building. It's incredibly rewarding to see someone break free from traditional thinking about wealth and create their own unrestricted life through smart investing.

Many people find investing intimidating. What advice would you give to someone who's just starting out and wants to build a solid investment portfolio?

Having gone from basic saving to value investing, I always tell beginners to start with education before execution. When I was learning, I immersed myself in Warren Buffett's and Charlie Munger's principles through Phil Town's Rule 1 Transformational Investing Workshop — it transformed how I viewed wealth-building. Start small and focus on understanding what you're investing in.

I initially thought saving for real estate was my only path, but learning value-investing principles showed me how to identify worthy investments across different areas. The key is to invest in what you understand and can explain to others — if you can't explain it, you probably shouldn't invest in it.

You've mentioned contributing to a first-time home down payment as a good reason to support adult children financially. What factors should parents consider when deciding on the amount and terms of such support?

From my experience helping families build wealth, supporting adult children with a down payment requires careful consideration of several factors:

First, assess your own financial stability. Just like in value investing, you need a strong foundation and margin of safety before helping others. This means having your retirement secured and emergency funds in place.

Second, consider structuring the support as an investment in financial education. I've seen the best outcomes when parents use this opportunity to teach their children about mortgages, property values, and long-term wealth-building. This aligns with my belief that everyone deserves access to financial education.

Finally, be clear about expectations—is this a gift, loan, or investment in their future? Consider creating a simple agreement that outlines terms and encourages financial responsibility while building generational wealth.

In your experience, what are some common money mistakes people make, and how can our readers avoid them?

From my own journey and coaching others, I see three common mistakes repeatedly:

First, relying solely on saving – I made this mistake early on, grinding slowly toward a real estate down payment without understanding how to make money work harder. The solution is learning about value investing and creating passive income streams.

Second, investing without education. Before I discovered Warren Buffett's principles and Rule #1 investing, I didn't truly understand what I was investing in. Now, I teach others to invest in their financial education first, then in the market. If you can't explain an investment to someone else, you probably shouldn't put money into it.

Third, failing to think long-term. When I was coaching a client through building their real estate portfolio, we focused on creating sustainable monthly cash flow rather than quick gains. This shift in mindset – from short-term thinking to building lasting wealth – makes all the difference.

You've emphasized the importance of adapting to market shifts. How do you stay informed about market trends and what resources do you recommend for staying ahead of the curve?

I focus more on business fundamentals than market trends. Understanding a company's intrinsic value and competitive advantage matters more than short-term market movements. That said, I apply my business-testing methodology to information gathering – I set aside specific time to review key metrics and data points that matter to my investment thesis. The goal isn't to chase trends but to validate whether the fundamental reasons I invested still hold true.

With the rise of fintech and digital currencies, how do you see the landscape of personal finance evolving in the coming years?

With my background in both technology and value investing, I see fintech democratizing access to financial tools and education, which aligns perfectly with my mission of making wealth-building accessible to everyone. The fundamental principles of smart investing haven't changed – whether it's traditional stocks or new digital assets, you still need to understand what you're investing in.

I apply the same approach I learned from Warren Buffett and Phil Town: invest in what you understand and can explain to others. While new technologies are exciting, they need to be evaluated based on their real value and utility, not just hype. The key is to stay educated and adapt while not losing sight of sound investment principles.

What final piece of advice would you give to our readers to help them achieve financial well-being and make their money work for them?

Don't just focus on saving money; focus on understanding how to make it work for you. I spent years thinking saving was enough, but everything changed when I invested in my financial education and learned value-investing principles from Warren Buffett and Phil Town.

Your greatest investment will always be in your own knowledge. Whether it's stocks, real estate, or building a business, truly understand what you're investing in. Start small, learn deeply, and remember – building lasting wealth isn't about getting rich quick, it's about making informed decisions that compound over time to create true financial freedom. But most importantly, just start.