Episode Details

This recording is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be viewed as personalized financial advice and is not a substitute for consultation with your financial representative. Any reference to third-party websites are provided for information purposes only and are not endorsed by CommunityAmerica. Please visit CommunityAmerica.com to learn more about how we can assist you in achieving your Financial Peace of Mind.

Essence was born and raised in Kansas City.

She obtained a Bachelor's degree from Avila University in Sociology and her MBA from Southern New Hampshire University.

Her grandparents are professors so her family always held education to a high standard.

Essence has been with Community America Credit Union for six years and is a Financial Well Being Coach and Branch Manager.

She and her husband have two boys aged 13 and 6 – which means there is never a dull moment in their household.

Her favorite food is tacos and she could eat them every day of the week.

Essence's goal is to advocate for all things that strengthen her community and she believes teaching financial literacy is her way of giving back.

Dr. Heath Wilt is an invasive cardiologist with AdventHealth Medical Group.

He also serves as medical director for AdventHealth Shawnee Mission's cardiovascular service line.

He is Board-certified in cardiovascular disease, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, and cardiac CT.

He earned his medical degree from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences.

In 2019, Dr. Wilt was named a Kansas City Top Doctor by Ingram's magazine.

Dr. Wilt has always had a fondness for cardiology. To him, there's something inherently intimate about the heart—both from a physical, but also emotional aspect.

• "When your financial health is not so great, your mental health can be bad. And so, we want to make sure that we're helping with those life stages and life plans by helping you be successful with your finances in whatever way that may mean."
• From my perspective as a holistic practitioner, we look at the mechanical, chemical, energetical, psychospiritual. So, sometimes people have an emotional heart disease as well as a physical heart disease."
• "The role of diet and lifestyle cannot be understated. And this is where there's been a paradigm shift in the last few years with medicine."

Advice on how to prioritize your financial well-being and how to take care of your heart health.

• Essence Yancey describes financial literacy as understanding how finances play a key role in your life and in your health.
• Financial literacy is especially important for the communities that don't necessarily grow up learning about finances.
• Community America Credit Union strives to teach individuals from adolescents to adults about financial literacy.
• When your financial health is not great your mental health can take a hit, too.
• Setting goals and creating a budget are both important aspects of financial well-being.
• Starting small, like tracking your spending for 30 days, is a good way to start your journey towards financial literacy.
• When you start small with your finances you will experience less stress.
• Chronic, physical, and emotional stress can lead to a cascade of events that result in high blood pressure, sleep disorders, and muscle breakdown that then cause inflammation which influences cholesterol or plaque deposit in the heart.
• Wilt talks about how he got started as a cardiologist and his passion for talking with and educating patients.
• Wilt discusses the whole-body connection in regards to heart health. It's important that each patient is given an individualized ap