Unraveling the Threads of Trauma, Money, and Love: Insights from Manny Wolfe

Have you ever felt like your relationship struggles and money issues are somehow connected? Like no matter how hard you work on one, the other seems to flare up? If that hits close to home, you're not alone—and you’re definitely not broken.

In this eye-opening episode of Make More Love, we sit down with Manny Wolfe, a former cult survivor turned relationship and communication expert, who unpacks the invisible threads tying trauma, love, and finances together. His journey is raw, honest, and full of insight—and it might just shift the way you look at your own patterns.

Two Gremlins, One Struggle

Picture this: two gremlins living in your belly. One feeds on your deepest emotional wounds; the other thrives on your financial fears.

For years, Manny danced between them, not realizing how connected they were. But one question cracked the code:

"What if the abandonment wound has been a red herring all along?"

That moment sparked a deeper understanding—maybe it wasn’t just about feelings or just about money. Maybe the two had been feeding off each other all along.

The Cult of Childhood

Manny’s early life was shaped by an actual cult. But even if you weren’t raised in one, the ideologies might feel familiar:

• “Money is evil and will destroy you.”

• “Monogamy is unnatural.”

• “Suppress your identity for spiritual growth.”

These early beliefs created chaos later in Manny’s relationships and bank account. But his story isn’t unique.

We All Have Our Cults

Even if you didn’t grow up in a commune, you likely absorbed belief systems that affect how you relate to money and love:

• Fairy-tale endings that set you up for disillusionment

• The myth of the “good provider”

• Feast-or-famine money habits passed down from your family

These subconscious patterns shape how we love, spend, save, and sabotage.

Relationships as Containers for Growth

Manny offers a fresh take: relationships aren’t meant to be constant bliss—they're meant to be containers for growth.

That reframing is powerful. Conflicts stop being signs of failure and become opportunities for deep transformation—if you know how to work with them.

The Loop: Where Love and Money Intersect

Here’s the loop Manny found himself stuck in (and maybe you are too):

1. Financial stress creates relationship tension

2. Emotional overwhelm leads to intense inner work

3. That emotional focus causes financial backsliding

4. The cycle starts all over again

Sound familiar? The trap is real—but it’s not permanent.

From Spiritual Insight to Practical Action

The turning point came when Manny realized:

“Sometimes, the most spiritual thing you can do is just knock it off and do the work.”

Reflection has its place. But so does action. Sometimes the healing comes not from another deep dive into your past, but from paying that bill, having that hard conversation, or showing up for your partner—even when you’re scared.

Rewriting the Script

Here’s a powerful exercise to break the pattern:

1. Identify your abandonment gremlin – What old wound keeps showing up in your relationships?

2. Name your money gremlin – What belief sabotages your financial growth?

3. Connect the dots – How might these two dynamics be reinforcing each other?

4. Take one action step in each area – Keep it practical. Keep it consistent.

Remember, it’s not about fixing everything overnight—it’s about building awareness and momentum.

What We’re Taking Away

From Manny’s story, we’re reminded that transformation happens when we:

• Question the beliefs we inherited about love and money

• See how emotional patterns spill into financial behaviors

• Use relationships as a mirror for growth

• Pair spiritual insight with grounded, practical action

You don’t have to choose between deep connection and financial stability. In fact, the more you align one, the more the other starts to shift too.

🎧 Ready to dive deeper?

Listen to the full episode of Make More Love featuring Manny Wolfe—and don’t miss part two, where we explore how money, marriage, and meaning collide in real time.

Your journey to make more love—in your life and your bank account—starts now.