As with many people, Scott Kyle and Victoria Lakers Kyle had their relationships with money shaped by that of their parents. While Victoria grew up with what she calls, “The Scarcity Mindset,” and Scott grew up with what he calls, “The Abundance Mindset,” the two found a way to combine these experiences into necessary lessons for all.
From a mother scarred by war and uncertainty, Victoria grew up with a deep-seated belief that you must save. She found security in a growing bank balance, but struggled with the idea of spending money on things that brought her joy. She was almost always preparing for some future catastrophe.
Scott, on the other hand, grew up with a mother whose love language was “abundance.” She loved to create incredible memories for her family, which often meant lavish vacations and exciting activities. Scott learned to associate money with generosity, love, and living life to the fullest. This meant he had to learn an entirely different set of lessons as an adult. The “living life to the fullest” mindset, if not balanced properly, can be just as limiting as a scarcity mindset.
Together, Victoria and Scott have taken their experience and knowledge to bridge that gap and find a healthy middle ground. With The Other Birds & Bees, they are passing these skills down to the next generation.
Book Title: The Other Birds & Bees: The Financial Facts of Life, Money $ecrets No One Ever Taught You
Genre: Teen & Young Adult Business and Finance
Website: www.yourfactsoflife.com
If you had to give one reason for writing this book, what would it be?
For Victoria, her financial story was “The Scarcity Mindset,” and for Scott, that story was “The Abundance Mindset.”
[Victoria] These experiences—coming from backgrounds of both scarcity and abundance, and being tested by a major financial crisis—all led us to the same powerful conclusion. The 2008 crisis, in particular, was a painful but invaluable lesson. It taught us firsthand how a lack of deep financial understanding can lead to fear-based mistakes and how stressful life is without a resilient financial foundation.We realized that no matter your upbringing, finding a healthy balance is key. Financial literacy isn’t just for savers or for spenders; it’s for everyone. It’s the tool that allows you to honor the lessons from your past without being trapped by them, so you can build the life you truly want.
[Scott] Our mission is to give the next generation the vital tools and confidence we had to learn the hard way. We want to equip them with a practical understanding of how money works, so they can navigate economic uncertainty, avoid common pitfalls, and make choices from a place of empowerment, not fear. Ultimately, our goal is to help them build a life that feels both secure and joyful—a life of financial freedom.We wrote The Other Birds & Bees because it’s the book we wish we’d had.
Why was now the right time for you to write the book?
[Victoria] Scott had written a version 10 years ago, but we were inspired to finish it now by the birth of our child Ophelia and lessons we want to teach her. Additionally, with Scott’s kids now 15 and 18, we are guiding them through the exact milestones our main character, Phe, experiences: learning to drive, starting their first jobs, and applying for college. At 15 and 18, they are learning to drive, going to college, etc. It felt like the perfect moment to share these lessons.Why was now the right time for someone else to read the book?
Financial skills and financial freedom are always going to be timely and important topics, especially for young people, but there are a number of factors that make it all the more pressing right now.
- The Financial Education Gap and Youth Anxiety
A central theme of the book is the critical need for financial education, as many schools do not provide it. This is directly reflected in current news, which reports that a significant number of U.S. states still do not require a personal finance course for high school graduation. This educational gap creates real-world consequences. News articles consistently highlight that Gen Z experiences high levels of financial anxiety and a strong desire for more financial education to help them navigate the modern economy. This book acts as a direct solution, providing the accessible curriculum that young people are asking for but not receiving in school.
- The High Cost of Living and the Debt Dilemma
The book’s focus on making smart choices about debt, from student loans to credit cards, is extremely timely. News reports show that a vast majority of Gen Z already has debt, with a large portion carrying credit card balances from nonessential spending. Furthermore, the lack of emergency savings is a major societal issue, with studies showing that nearly half of Gen Z has no emergency fund at all, leaving them vulnerable to unexpected expenses. Our book addresses this head-on by teaching the practical skills of budgeting, saving, and responsible credit use needed to avoid these exact pitfalls.
- The Importance of Career Strategy and Earning Power
The book emphasizes that your career is the engine of your financial life and that learning to negotiate your salary is a critical skill. This is a recurring topic in financial news, where experts regularly advise recent graduates on how to navigate the job market and advocate for their worth to maximize their long-term earning potential. By connecting job-hunting and salary negotiation directly to financial freedom, this book provides a holistic view that is highly relevant for any young person entering the workforce today and looking to build a stable future.
Who absolutely must read your book?
Teens and young adults ages 15–25, and their parents.
Our mission is to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to take control of their money. We believe that by making smart financial choices early, young adults can create a foundation for freedom, opportunity, and a brighter future.
What are some of the key takeaways readers will walk away with?
- Financial literacy is a fundamental life skill that empowers you to build the life you desire. This book is designed to be a powerful tool to help teens and young adults understand the profound impact that financial choices have on every aspect of their life.
- Whether you start with significant advantages or face more challenges, learning sound money habits can lead to financial freedom and empowerment. Mastering your money allows it to work for you, giving you the freedom to make choices because you want to, not because you have to.
- The power of small, consistent choices made over time is the secret to long-term financial success. Achieving financial freedom isn’t about one single, monumental action, but rather the cumulative effect of small decisions made daily. Just like an athlete who practices consistently, making incrementally better financial choices each day can lead to remarkable results over the long run. This principle of “the 1% edge” highlights that starting early and developing good habits now will reward you significantly down the line.
- A solid financial foundation starts with the practical skills of earning, budgeting, and saving. Landing your first job is a major milestone toward financial independence, teaching you responsibility and the value of a dollar. Once you start earning, it’s crucial to understand where your money is going by creating a budget, like using the 50/30/20 rule, which allocates your income to needs, wants, and savings. Consistently saving a portion of your income, even a small amount, builds a crucial foundation for achieving future goals.
- Investing is the key to making your money work for you, and starting early is crucial to harnessing the power of compound interest. Investing allows your money to grow over time, creating passive income and building long-term wealth. The magic of compound interest, where your earnings generate their own earnings, means that the sooner you start, the more time your money has to grow exponentially. Taking advantage of retirement savings plans like a 401(k), especially with an employer match, is one of the most effective ways to secure your financial future.
- Your earning potential is the engine of your financial life; taking strategic career steps provides the ultimate flexibility and control. This book guides you through the critical stages of building a career, from landing your first job to negotiating a higher salary. A central message is that while you can only budget and save from what you earn, you can always take steps to earn more, which gives you more options. By developing strong job-hunting skills, learning to advocate for your worth, and being open to various income streams—like freelancing or starting a business—you increase your earning power and create the flexibility to build the life you truly want.
Tell us a bit about the writing process. What was rewarding about doing it together?
[Victoria] It was an amazing opportunity to work with, and create something with my husband. He’s written five other books, one with a colleague, and two with his daughter. It’s also extremely special that the main character is named after our daughter (though technically Ophelia existed in the book before we finalized our daughter’s name)!I wrote the outline with the points to cover. We also discussed the characters and the general storyline, then Scott and I would take turns writing and editing the chapters with weekly check-ins to discuss what we liked. From there, we made changes together.
What was the hardest part about turning your shared expertise into a book?
[Victoria] Scott and I are both busy with our businesses, boards, kids, and other activities so for us, it was a bandwidth issue. We overcame them by blocking off time each week and holding each other accountable with our weekly meetings. While some weeks we had to prioritize other things, the general structure kept us on track.
What are your next steps with the book and your business?
[Victoria] Scott’s financial advisory firm focuses heavily on education and helping his clients understand investing. He plans to use the book to help clients and prospects teach their kids these important lessons, and to engage the whole family. We also have plans to build out a consumer focused financial education business!More about Scott Kyle:
Scott Kyle serves as CEO/Chief Investment Officer at Coastwise where he is responsible for strategic investment decisions, portfolio management, and client relations. Investing in public and private companies for nearly 40 years, Scott offers a solid combination of Wall Street analysis, public market, private equity, and hedge fund experience, invaluable when it comes to sophisticated and effective money management. Scott has been using options strategies to hedge equity positions and generate income since the early 1990s, while developing proprietary trading models and techniques. He is a 13-time winner of the Five Star Wealth Manager award.
Scott co-founded The Active Network, Inc. which was one of the original unicorns when it went public at a market capitalization in excess of $1 billion. Scott served as CFO and on the Board of Directors for Active from its founding in 1998 until 2002. Scott started his finance career on Wall Street as a Financial Analyst at Chemical Bank (now JPMorgan Chase) where he conducted analysis and due diligence on Fortune 1000 Companies.
Scott is the author of The Compound Code: An Expert Guide to Trading Stocks & Options released in 2023. His first novel Forever Young came out in 2014. Scott co-authored the novel, Via LaVie and the Friendship Code with his daughter Liv, released in February, 2022 along with its sequel Via LaVie and the Secret Key. Additionally, Scott authored The Power Curve: Smart Investing Using Dividends, Options, and the Magic of Compounding which was nominated for a San Diego Book award. Scott founded the Coastwise Spelling Prize, an annual spelling bee held in La Jolla, CA, as well as the Coastwise Prize for Investing Excellence, a scholarship program that emphasizes financial literacy for high schoolers.
Scott holds Bachelors’ degrees in Economics and International Relations from Tufts University (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa), a General Course Degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics, and an MBA from Harvard University. He is a two-time world and nine-time national champion in sailing, an Academic All-American (Tufts sailing), an Ironman triathlon finisher, a HYROX competitor, and a 3rd degree black belt in Shaolin Kempo. Scott lives with his family in La Jolla, California and has served as a Board Director for over fifteen companies and non-profit organizations.
More about Victoria Lakers Kyle:
Victoria Lakers Kyle is a Partner at Calibre One, a transatlantic executive search firm based in San Diego. She focuses on C-Suite placements for investor-backed B2B software companies. Prior to Calibre One, she was a Partner at a boutique search firm specializing in C-Suite and board placements for private equity-backed companies, where she also led their diversity practice. She launched the inaugural “Top 25 Women in PE-Backed Software” list, an investor-nominated recognition of top female leaders.
Before her career in executive search, Victoria owned a consulting company that provided strategic guidance to businesses to drive growth. This included stepping into interim executive roles such as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Country General Manager for several sustainability-focused tech startups. She also owned and successfully sold two businesses: a FASTSIGNS franchise, and an e-commerce company. Earlier in her career, Victoria worked in capital raising and investor relations in the private equity sector in New York. She worked at Water Asset Management, a firm specializing in water infrastructure investments, and at Apollo Global Management, a leading global alternative investment manager, working with some of the country’s largest institutional investors.
Victoria is a frequent speaker on topics related to investing, entrepreneurship, and leadership, including a TEDx speaker, with her talk titled “The Expert Myth: Why Generalists Will Rule the Future.” Victoria also served as a mentor for several entrepreneur accelerators, including San Diego State University’s Zip Launchpad. She is a board member of the San Diego Air & Space Museum, where she sits on the scholarship and audit committees. Additionally, she is on the Board of the NuFund Venture Group, one of the largest early-stage investing groups in the country, where she previously co-chaired and hosted their annual Quick Pitch event and annual “Women In Investing” panels. Victoria has been recognized by the San Diego Business Journal as one of San Diego’s 40 Business Leaders Under 40 in 2018, a finalist in 2019, and a finalist for Business Women of the Year in 2020 and 2024.
Victoria graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and Finance. She lives in San Diego with her family and dog, Frankie. An avid traveler, she has visited over 40 countries. She once rode 3,000 km across India in a rickshaw during monsoon season.
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