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You did everything you were told to do. You out-earned everyone who came before you. And you're still the most taxed, most exposed person in the room, handing over 40-50% of your income one year while the ultra-wealthy report a fraction of what they make.
(Yes, the rates are tiered. 37% only touches dollars past ~$752K for a married couple. Plenty of dual-W2 tech, legal and medicine households live in that bracket and stack California on top.)
That's the trap. You did it "right," and it still never feels like enough. As Kristen put it: "when you're the highest income earner in your family, or even generationally, it can never feel enough.”
In the first-ever New Dimes Radio cofounder debrief, Berna Anat, Kristen Brillantes, and Renna Al-Yassini sit down — no outside guest, just the three of them — to name the trap they saw laid bare in Episode 003 with tax strategist Liz Hanley:
- why W2 earners get squeezed the hardest
- why a dual-W2 household is "very, very exposed" in a way nobody warns you about
- who actually funds the government
- what legal corruption looks like up close
- and how the ultra-wealthy quietly get out of wages and into owning
This one isn't a how-to. It's recognition. It’s why the math feels rigged (because it is), why the anger is correct, and what it looks like to turn that anger into a strategy you build with other people instead of alone at 1am.
ABOUT THIS DEBRIEF
This is a new format for us: no outside guest, just the three New Dimes cofounders — Berna Anat, Kristen Brillantes, and Renna Al-Yassini — pulling apart a previous episode in real time.
This one debriefs Episode 003 with tax strategist and enrolled agent Liz Hanley. Kristen had to miss the Liz recording, so Berna and Renna catch her up on what shook them, what they’re doing about it, and what they’re building for the whole community next.
Listen to the Liz Hanley episode first if you haven’t. Then come back here for the inside monologue.
LINKS + RESOURCES
- Liz Hanley (tax strategist & enrolled agent): lizisallbiz.com
- Chanise Anderson, Esq. (estate + family lawyer who whiteboards) @thereellawyer | chaniseandersonlaw.com
- Renna’s Substack tax series:
- Related New Dimes Radio episodes on tax resistance:
- Ep 001 adrienne maree brown — on war tax resistance & being a vector of resource
- Ep 002 Jessie-Susannah Karnatz — on financial rage & collective risk
ABOUT NEW DIMES RADIO
This episode of New Dimes Radio was produced by 8 of Stones. Executive Produced by Kristen Brillantes and Renna Al-Yassini. This episode was mixed and sound-designed by Creative Kubo.
This episode of New Dimes Radio was produced by 8 of Stones. Executive Produced by Kristen Brillantes and Renna Al-Yassini. This episode was mixed and sound-designed by Creative Kubo.
New Dimes Radio is the podcast for progressive first-generation breadwinners — the ones building wealth without a roadmap, holding down their politics and their portfolios at the same time. Hosted by Kristen Brillantes, Berna Anat, and Renna Al-Yassini, with brilliant guests who've figured out how to do this in ways the wealth industry doesn't talk about.
- (00:00) - Cold open
- (00:27) - Welcome + our first cofounder debrief
- (02:00) - "Shoulders down, she gets it"
- (02:46) - Tax protest, it's not what you think
- (05:00) - Renna's CPA body count
- (08:37) - Why W2 earners get squeezed hardest
- (10:19) - Who actually funds the government
- (11:32) - How corporations offloaded their bill (the shoe-store con)
- (13:48) - Never audited: the Trump tax shield
- (15:36) - Okay, we're angry — now what?
- (16:54) - Leaving tech: the dual-W2 danger
- (18:24) - The real picture (two kids, private school, a moldy house)
- (20:34) - Turn your family into a corporation (enter Chanise)
- (23:47) - Be in the owning class: a business license at 14
- (24:44) - What the ultra-wealthy actually do
- (26:20) - Hold it or spend it
- (28:49) - $100M made, $30M reported
- (30:00) - The $1 salary, the write-off, the Texas move
- (34:05) - Renna's questions before the big meeting
- (38:53) - The money doula
- (41:39) - What we're building (glossary + Dime Vault)
- (42:51) - "My first client is myself" → talk loud, talk soon
Creators and Guests
What is New Dimes Radio?
New Dimes Radio is the podcast for progressive breadwinners building and activating their first generation of wealth. Hosted by New Dimes co-founders Kristen Brillantes, Berna Anat, and Renna Al-Yassini, this is where real talk meets real action.
Each week(ish), we dive into the messy, emotional, and hilarious realities of being first-gen breadwinners. From technical breakdowns to tender moments, we’re redefining what wealth can do—for ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities.
We also pull back the curtain on building the New Dimes Network: a proudly independent, bootstrapped community where first-gen breadwinners create wealth practices that sustain them through the complexities of their experiences. From navigating tough financial decisions to fulfilling cycle-breaking dreams, we help our members move away from hustle culture and toward a life of gentle ambition.
Expect laugh-cry storytelling, candid co-founder reflections, brilliant guest experts, and actionable takeaways you can actually use. Whether you’re planning your next financial move or just looking for a space where your first-gen experience feels truly seen, you’ve found your people.