“What Do You Wish You Could Do More of With Your Money?“

I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t wish they could do more with their money – regardless of their income bracket or wealth – in my more than two decades of working with people and their finances.

I ascribe this to the human desire to want to grow and improve.

Some wish they were on the same page as their spouse so arguments about money happened less often. Others want to contribute more to causes they care about but frequently feel tapped out financially. Still others are looking for more confidence and ease when it comes to both long-term and short-term financial decisions.

Many just want to save more, spend less, and invest with more intention.

And entrepreneurs and small business owners want to stop feeling like they are giving their businesses everything – including their financial future.

They want a successful, profitable business. They want consistent revenue. They want to have a positive impact and be of service to those who are served by their expertise, experience, perspective and unique way of doing what they do.

However…

The first step most people take to doing “more” with their money, so that the above can happen, involves a calculator.

They associate making better financial choices with crunching the numbers and paying attention to how they add up (or don’t).

And, when they fail to meet their financial goals (again), they assume it’s their lack of prowess with the adding machine, the spreadsheet, and the budget that is standing between them and finally doing money well.

After all, most of us have spent a few decades awash in the advice of one-size fits all financial gurus who tell you to make a budget and stick to it, contribute a certain percentage to your retirement fund, and never carry a balance on your credit card. According to them, it’s all about the numbers.

But you and I know there’s a lot more to money than the numbers.

Every purchase we make, every decision that looms large, every investment we put off, every donation we write a check for has emotion attached to it. There often is no objective or logical reasoning behind the financial choices we make. 

We do what feels good, we avoid what feels bad, and we tell stories to justify it all.

What you might not realize is just how much the way this impacts your finances has changed over the last 20 years. Both as a money expert and as a curious observer of financial behavior, I can affirm that the role money plays in our lives and the way we interact with it has shifted dramatically.

Today, you’re likely to change jobs anywhere from 4 to 9 times during the course of your career. My mother was of the generation where you stayed with the same employer for 30+ years and retired with a pension, which she did. Before starting my company, I was with my previous employer for nearly ten years.

Today, it’s become natural to role switch between being an employee, freelancer, intrapreneur or entrepreneur. Even if you don’t really want to.

Just as the way you work has changed, so too has the “how.” Thanks in large measure to technology.

Not only has technology reshaped your work life, it has also changed how you interact with money (think: the rise of a cashless society), it has influenced what you’re responsible for (think: 401ks, IRAs, and the like); it has expanded your options and the control of who you work with (think: fintech). Technology has helped to shift the power from others to you.

There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to your financial life. It is what makes managing your money interesting, complex, frustrating and at times, fun. 

Especially for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Especially when your business is actually doing well and you bump up against the “stress of success” phenomenon. Because you discover you aren’t as prepared as you thought you’d be for this success; your landscape has changed and you are stuck in the weeds unable to see the forest for the trees – as the saying goes. 

And that’s where I come into the picture.

My clients are highly-educated, resourceful, ambitious and curious.  So when it comes to doing more with their money, they’ve tried other routes before we connect. Usually, by the time we first speak, they’ve reached their capacity – whether that is measured in terms of knowledge and/or discipline. Often, they no longer want to figure out the next steps on their own — they are looking for a partner. Or, as a client once described me, “a pacing partner.”

But not just any partner.

They gravitate toward me because my approach resonates with them.

They dig that I focus on the human side of money.

They appreciate that I invite them to shift their gaze beyond the numbers — to look at and prioritize their financial behavior, choices and emotions about money.

And they really dig that I’m a strong believer in this: for a stronger personal financial foundation, you need a strong business financial foundation. In other words, your business ought to serve you, too.

My clients like that I am unafraid to be direct and ask uncomfortable questions, with empathy and without judgment. 

They like that I go deep — that I create a safe space for us to navigate and negotiate the interesting, complex, and frustrating aspects of giving money the direction it needs in order for it to do for you and your business what you want. 

They like that I don’t subscribe to a one-size-fits-all philosophy, but that I use a framework to curate a very personalized experience.

And, they appreciate how I help them wade through the work that is sometimes “messy” and a bit uncomfortable. (We are dealing with emotions, after all.)

So…how about you — what do you wish you could do more of with your money?

What is being revealed about the nature of your relationship with money…through your business? What is it you’re looking to get right?

Perhaps I can help. Want to find out?

Let’s chat and explore if we’re a fit.

Looking for a coach: I work with entrepreneurs and small business owners at various stages of business, with 0-10 team members/employees – past and current clients include therapists, doctors, photographers, coaches & strategists, designers, engineers, lawyers, educators, agency owners, authors, startup founders and an investment firm CEO.

Their industries and goals, needs and wants, and challenges and opportunities may vary. But here’s what they have in common: they are curious-minded people who understand that answering and addressing money (and business) questions, challenges and frustrations is never just about the dollars and cents. 

Looking for a speaker: I work with corporations, AM Law 200 firms, non-profit organizations and conference organizers who place a high value on financial wellness. I also work with other coaches as their “in-house” financial and/or pricing expert inside their masterminds.

Together, let’s explore the human side of money.