Aug 31, 2026
Picture two cups. One is yours. In the opening episode of the second month of the series, Simone offers a single image to hold everything discussed so far, and opens the paid next step for anyone ready to build the actual plan.
Simone ties the first month together in one picture: every dollar sent home is water poured from one cup into another, and if the pouring only moves in one direction, the first cup runs dry. She traces the image back to something a past podcast guest said, that money is something spiritual, something that fills whatever space it is let to fill, and names directly that most of us from collectivist communities were taught to fill everyone else's cup first, with nobody teaching us to check whether our own was still being filled from anywhere at all. She is careful to draw a clear line: this is not an episode about giving less, it is about making sure the cup gets refilled, so the giving can actually continue instead of quietly draining until there is nothing left to pour. She closes month one and opens month two by introducing The Giving Plan Workbook, the paid next step after the free Black Tax Boundary Kit, built around a full picture of what comes in, what goes out, and the number most of us have never had the courage to write down in full.
This episode is for anyone who finished the first four weeks feeling like the problem had a name, and is now ready for the actual mechanics of a plan, not just the language for the pain. It marks the shift in the series from naming the black tax to building the tools to manage it.
About Simone W. Johnson-Smith Simone is the founder of Thrive Abroad and The Bridge Concepts, LLC, a Jamaican-born American intercultural strategist, coach, and former U.S. diplomat. She is the International Impact Book Award-winning author of Decoding America & Coming Home to Yourself: The Immigrant Experience, available on Amazon, and host of this podcast, reaching listeners in over 100 countries.
#BlackTax #GivingPlan #ImmigrantFinance #DecodingAmerica #ThriveAbroad #FirstGenWealth
New to the U.S.? Start here → thebridgeconcepts.org/newcomer
Ready to build the plan around your specific number? Get The Giving Plan Workbook, a full picture of what comes in, what goes out, and the number that makes it sustainable. → thebridgeconcepts.org/giving-plan-workbook.html Not started yet?
Get The Black Tax Boundary Kit free first. → thebridgeconcepts.org/black-tax-boundary-kit.html
Ready for the fuller plan, built around your specific number? Apply for a Chemistry Call. → https://form.jotform.com/261967575607068
Want the conversation to continue weekly? Subscribe to The Thrive Abroad Brief. → thriveabroad.substack.com
The Immigrant Experience in America
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theimmigrantexperience
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music
Support the show: Patreon Website: https://thebridgeconcepts.org
Follow:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonewjohnson/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theimmigrantexperience
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimmigrantexperiencepod/
Facebook: @simonewjohnson
Share your story with us: https://thebridgeconcepts.org/podcast.html#share-your-story
The views and opinions shared by me and my guests are our own and do not reflect the views, policies, or positions of any employer.
Please note: I do not provide immigration legal services or case-specific guidance. My work focuses on cultural adjustment, financial empowerment, and personal growth.