423: Bankruptcy, Healing And Starting Over
The Clever Girls Know Podcast With Bola Sokunbi
Bola Sokunbi
4.8 • 931 Ratings
🗓️ 19 May 2026
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this episode of the podcast, we're joined by Deora Clairé—Digital Marketing Professional, author, speaker, and Christian bilingual singer-songwriter—for a deeply honest conversation about rebuilding your life after financial and personal setbacks.
Deora opens up about her mental health crisis during the pandemic, the experience of filing for bankruptcy at 26, and the reality of starting over from the ground up—financially, emotionally, and spiritually.
She shares how she moved from that low point into a high-earning corporate role while intentionally rebuilding her savings, paying down debt, and restoring her credit.
Through her story, Deora offers powerful insight into choosing consistency over perfection, releasing financial shame, and finding the confidence to begin again—no matter where you're starting from.
What Deora Discussed on the Podcast:
- Her experience navigating a mental health crisis and how it impacted her finances.
- What filing for bankruptcy at 26 was really like—emotionally and financially.
- The reality that habits don't automatically change after debt discharge.
- The turning point that sparked both mental and financial transformation.
- What choosing consistency over perfection looks like in real life.
- Mindset shifts needed to break cycles of debt and negative net worth.
- Letting go of financial shame and rebuilding confidence.
- Advice for anyone feeling like they've completely messed up their finances.
How to Keep Up With Deora Clairé:
- Follow on Instagram: @deoraclaire
- Learn more: deoraclaire.com
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | emotionally, I was distraught because I'm like, I'm the type that I'm a type A. |
| 0:05.0 | Like I have everything together, but this is one thing that I do not have together and I need help. |
| 0:12.6 | So it was very, it felt very shameful in the moment because I had to tell my parents what I got myself into and that I am filing bankruptcy. |
| 0:28.7 | Welcome to the Clever Girls No podcast. I'm Bola Shokunbi, founder of Clever Girl Finance. |
| 0:35.0 | This podcast is your space for real relatable conversations about money, |
| 0:39.7 | business, and building wealth without shame, without judgment, and without confusion, especially |
| 0:45.5 | as women navigating real life and real responsibilities. If you're ready to take your finances |
| 0:51.1 | to the next level and build real lasting wealth, my book, Clever |
| 0:55.1 | Girl Millionaire, will walk you through exactly how to do it with Claire Steps, proven strategies, |
| 1:00.9 | and the mindset shifts that make it all stick. You can find it at Clevergirlfinance.com |
| 1:06.4 | forward slash books. Now let's get into the episode. Hi, Deora. |
| 1:18.0 | Bola, Bola. Welcome to the Clever Girls Nob podcast. I'm so excited to conduct this listener interview to have this listener interview with you. And you're going to be sharing |
| 1:23.3 | with us your journey from bankruptcy to break through how you rebuilt your finances from |
| 1:29.4 | rock bottom which I can't be free to share this with everyone but welcome I'm excited for you to |
| 1:34.7 | be here thanks for taking the time to be here but before we dive in please tell everyone who |
| 1:39.8 | you are what you do and why you decided to share this story? Well, first of all, I want to thank you so |
| 1:48.0 | much for this opportunity. I'm so thankful and grateful to be able to share my story with your |
| 1:53.9 | listeners and with you. And to share who I am, my name is Dior, Clary, and I am a senior specialist in marketing for a top Fortune 10 |
| 2:06.1 | company, a subsidiary of it. And on the side, I am a Christian bilingual singer, songwriter, |
| 2:11.9 | author, and speaker. What made me want to share my story now is because not only am I writing a new book about my |
| 2:19.9 | financial journey, but there is a scripture in the Bible that says in Revelations, |
| 2:24.2 | we overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. |
... |
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