What you'll learn

• 1 (01:00) **The Disney Pay Reality** - Christy Carlson Romano explains that as a first-generation Disney star, she was paid far less than people assume, dispelling the myth of instant Hollywood wealth.
• 2 (05:45) **The Coogan Account and Childhood Monetization** - Christy describes how the Coogan account (mandatory savings for child actors) worked, and how her childhood was turned into a job.
• 3 (09:28) **The Lottery Ticket to Fame** - Christy recounts how a Broadway show closure gave her one month of severance, which her mother used to take her to Los Angeles for pilot season — a high-risk gamble that paid off.
• 4 (11:49) **The Train Wreck Begins** - Christy walks through the early warning signs of financial trouble, including the false security of residual income that gradually declined from 17% to 1.5% over a decade.
• 5 (15:49) **Where the Money Went** - Christy reveals how poor advice from her business manager led to wasteful spending, including buying a second car as a "collectible" for tax deductions.
• 6 (17:56) **The Drinking and Club Culture** - Christy discusses how the lack of social media meant she had to go clubbing to be seen, which led to binge drinking and a 10-year struggle with alcohol.
• 7 (22:57) **The Wake-Up Call at 21** - A trust fund boyfriend questioned her finances and suggested her family was taking from her, forcing Christy to confront the truth for the first time.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app